Hidden Blessings

With trademark understated elegance, Tate (The Color of Hope) refreshes a familiar story line. Extraordinary love develops between Lance Alexander and Kendra Woods after the latter receives a terminal breast cancer diagnosis and is dumped by her fiancée. Before she learns she is dying, Kendra has everything a woman might want. Her diagnosis draws her closer to an ardent faith and to Lance, an ex-convict who has turned his life around and dreams of becoming a pastor. This is a sweet love story written with uncommon grace, weaving in subplots about infidelity and other complications that haunt each character. But they come to learn that a combination of faith and love are necessary to enjoy life, no matter how much time that life is given. This emotionally charged addition to Tate’s body of work is neither sappy nor trite. (Sept.)