Grace in the Flames

After losing his wife and baby in a house fire, John Douglas drowns his sorrows by drinking, running from his responsibilities, and eventually succumbing to the temptations of a one-night stand before surrendering himself to God. As he begins to find himself and grow in his newfound faith, he meets Jenni, herself a strong believer. Their friendship quickly evolves into romance with long-term potential—until April, the other half of his earlier one-night stand, shows up pregnant. The journey of the three characters during the coming months is a roller-coaster of pain, grief, anger, fear, forgiveness, mercy, and grace. With delicacy and nuance, Massaro loads the story with heavy issues: tragic death, survivor’s guilt, alcoholism, domestic violence, self-harm, abortion, and cancer. However, at times the narrative becomes scattered, and readers might sense that focusing on just a few of these difficult topics would have allowed for more depth of emotion and strengthened the story. But despite the barrage of weighty issues, the message of God’s grace and the hope available to those who love him will connect with readers of faith. (BookLife)