Book Review: Finally Accepted by Toni Shiloh

I was going through my reviews that I’ve done on Diversity Between the Pages & realized that I had never reviewed Finally Accepted by Toni Shiloh over here. Correcting that oversight today, on what happens to be its 2nd birthday 🙂

FINALLY ACCEPTED
SERIES: Freedom Lake #3
GENRE: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
PUBLISHER: Toni Shiloh
RELEASE DATE: August 17, 2018
PAGES: 249

There’s only one thing Chloe Smith has ever wanted: family. Yet the DNA results she’s received have thrown her life into a tailspin. Her utmost desire has ended up being the catalyst for shaking her faith. She doesn’t even know who she is anymore, and she’s certainly too messed up for her longtime crush to give her more than a second glance.

Darryl Jones is struggling between his past and the grace God so freely offers. His sins feel too big for him to handle, let alone expect the woman of his dreams to accept. Chloe is the only woman he’s ever wanted and the one he doesn’t deserve.

As they form a tentative relationship and examine their faith, Chloe and Darryl ache to know they are finally accepted and fully loved.

Other Books In This Series

One of my favorite things about Toni Shiloh’s books is the way she writes such warm stories that also tackle tough issues. It’s not an easy balance to keep the tone friendly and relatable while also wrestling with emotional topics such as abortion, racial identity, abuse, etc. Even with heavy plot lines, the tone of the story never feels heavy itself.

Shiloh shines in this area once again with Finally Accepted. Chloe and Darryl are layered characters who are struggling to feel accepted – by God and by the ones they love. It shows up in different ways in each of them, but the driving force is very similar. Related to their insecurities, these characters also explore racial identity issues, specifically related to being biracial. This perspective was particularly intriguing to me, as a white woman. Chloe’s struggles with not knowing how to relate to herself anymore, with feeling like she wouldn’t be accepted by either race – these are all things that had never occurred to me before, and I so appreciate the author broadening my own perspective in the process.

The romance between Chloe and Darryl has been brewing since book one in the Freedom Lake series, and Darryl in love is just adorably awkward. Lol. He doesn’t know quite what to do with himself whenever Chloe is around – and Chloe is much the same way around Darryl. I very much enjoyed watching the two of them figure out what the rest of us have seen all along

One final element that I loved about Chloe and Darryl’s relationship was watching them navigate the different steps in their journeys with Jesus. Chloe has been a believer for a long time but her faith is a little shaken by the news she’s received about her family. Darryl is just beginning his relationship with Jesus, and there are lots of ins and outs and ‘finer details’ that he doesn’t quite get yet. Shiloh does a great job here of authentically grasping the faith struggles that both encounter along the way – and framing it from the right perspective.

Bottom Line: If you haven’t yet traveled to Freedom Lake, you really must ‘book’ a trip soon!

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

My Rating: 4 stars / love it!

KissingBook Level: 3 / may forget to breathe on occasion

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Also available to read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and multi-published Christian contemporary romance author. She writes to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness. Her novel, Grace Restored, was a 2019 Holt Medallion finalist and Risking Love is a 2020 Selah Award finalist. A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and of the Virginia Chapter, Toni seeks to help readers find authors. She loves connecting with readers and authors alike via social media. You can learn more about her writing at http://tonishiloh.com.

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Other Books by Toni Shiloh

FYI, her new book, The Price of Dreams, releases TOMORROW (8/18) – YAY!!!

What about you? What makes you want to read Finally Accepted by Toni Shiloh?