Book Review: Blue Columbine by Jennifer Rodewald

Best friends—maybe more—until addiction shatters everything.

Reeling from professional failure, Andrew Harris needs a fresh start. When he moves back to Colorado to join a Denver law firm, he runs into Jamie, his childhood sweetheart. She is still the kind and faithful girl he remembers—not to mention beautiful and still single. With her by his side, Andrew is confident he can overcome the demons that he tries to keep hidden.

Jamie Carson is thrown off balance when Andy resurfaces in her life. Though her faith in God has remained solid, even through her mother’s long illness and after her death, Jamie battles loneliness. Andy fills her days, whispering significance to her heart. But his rejection of the faith she thought they’d once shared, and his alarming drinking habit keep her heart from plunging into deep, murky waters. Or do they?

Andy pursues an intimacy Jamie knows she must guard against. But as the line between loyalty and love blurs, things get complicated—until a devastating blow breaks their relationship. For Jamie, one thing becomes clear: Andy needs a miracle, and she isn’t it.

Will Andrew allow the hand of grace to redeem his legacy of addiction, or will he and Jamie both remain casualties of heartbreak?

SERIES: Grace Revealing #1
GENRE: Inspirational Contemporary Fiction
PUBLISHER: Rooted Publishing
RELEASE DATE: May 19, 2015
PAGES: 345

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“…the Spirit that is in you is greater than the fear that is holding you captive.”

Y’all.

This book had me ugly-crying, trying to muffle my sobs into my pillow so I wouldn’t wake up my husband.

It is a story of addiction and its impact on those we love, but even more than that it is a story of enduring friendship, love, grace, and the most beautiful redemption.

Andrew and Jamie were childhood best friends/sweethearts, and that tender affection & chemistry between them fuels deep emotional reactions in the reader throughout the novel.  Because Andrew is no longer the Andy that Jamie knew growing up. He’s in there, to be sure, but addiction has obscured the view of the boy who brought Jamie blue columbine once upon a time.

This is not a simple story where all is well within a couple of chapters and the mere power of her love saves him from his vices. He tries that, in fact. Longs for it even. But no… this is raw and real and heartbreaking. In all the best ways that take a book from great to riveting. This is a book that reaches inside your heart, rips it out, and then renews it with the soul-cleansing life-changing miracle of grace.

“…celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.” (Luke 15:32)

Bottom Line: Warning: Reading Blue Columbine by Jennifer Rodewald will cause the ugly cry. But oh please don’t let that stop you from diving in to this beautifully written novel!  Andy and Jamie completely capture your loyalty; from their childhood friendship to their current relationship, you will be captivated by their story. The honest look at Andy’s struggles with addictions and Jamie’s battle to know when – and how – to let go is heartbreaking, yet at the same time the power of God to redeem a life from the pit is tenderly displayed and authentically revealed. I cannot recommend this book highly enough if you’re looking for a story that you will feel all the way down to your soul.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 5 stars / Truly exceptional

KissingBook Level: 3 / will forget to breathe on occasion

***SALE ALERT: Blue Columbine is only 99 CENTS on Amazon through Jan 15th!***

Jennifer Rodewald is passionate about the Word of God and the powerful vehicle of story. The draw to fiction has tugged hard on her heart since childhood, and when she began pursuing writing she set on stories that reveal the grace of God.

Jen lives and writes in a lovely speck of a town where she watches with amazement while her children grow up way too fast, gardens, and marvels at God’s mighty hand in everyday life. Four kids and her own personal superman make her home in southwestern Nebraska delightfully chaotic.

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What about you? What most interests you about Blue Columbine?