Love Lifted Me - Sara Evans (Review)

4 Stars!!!!

ABOUT THE BOOK -

A fresh start is a gift. So is having a hand to hold.
Jade and Max share a deep love, though revelations from his past have recently shaken their marriage. And Jade is completely smitten with Max's little son, Asa, whom she is now raising as her own. Their blended family brings her a joy she's never known. But there is one more secret to be uncovered. One that will impact them all.
Max is doing his best to "man-up" and prove himself worthy of Jade's devotion. As well as that of his young son. It seems like life in Whisper Hollow, Tennessee, will pick up where it left off until Max is faced with an unusual opportunity-leave his family's law firm to coach high-school football in Texas.
Realizing a fresh start will bring healing to their marriage, Jade takes the leap of faith and moves with him and baby Asa, bidding good-bye to her beloved Blue Umbrella shop.I
The new beginning in quaint Colby, Texas, is soon sullied when Max discovers the high-school program isn't all it seemed. While Max struggles to rebuild a once glorious football team, Jade wrestles with news that could break Max's heart . . . and change their lives forever.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR -

Multi-platinum recording artist Sara Evans has garnered such honors as ACM's Female Vocalist of the Year, CMA's Video of the Year, named one of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People," and the first country star to compete in ABC's Dancing with the Stars.

MY REVIEW -
I really loved this book! I wanted to give it 5 stars but it was kinda slow in the beginning... Well in the very beginning it started off with a bang - I thought "Oh! Great, a scandal! I love a book that starts with a scandal!" then, sadly it got slow for a while. Half way through it picked back up. Funny enough - it started getting real good around football time! LOL
Anyone who knows me knows I love football (Go Steelers!). So once this book really started talking football I started loving it. Jade's husband Max takes a job coaching high school football, a loosing team with a long history of failure with head coaches. Something is not right with this team but Max can't quite put his finger on it.
Great character development! Of course I loved Jade (that's a given) but the two I really fell in love with are two of the minor characters - Brenda, their realtor and town busy body. I loved her, she was hilarious! and also fell in love with Tucker, the team's "star" kicker, or should I say not such a shining star - kicker. Great kid but not such a great kicker. Max thinks all he needs is some self confidence.
Then towards the end (last 1/4) the drama of the book starts to pick up. Oh! and dramatic it is! I was sobbing at the end! I was texting my daughter with quotes from the book, my face just covered with tears. She texted me back "Mom, stop! I can't be crying before I go to work!" and she didn't even read the whole book.
Sara did a great job of building the tension before the book climaxed! Great ending!
I do have to say though that if you hate football you might be kinda bored with at least 1/4 of this book. But if you are a football fan you'll love it! I need to read more books about football.

I have always been a huge fan of Sara Evans, the singer! I am now a huge fan of Sara Evans, the Author!  This is a great, clean, Christian Fiction book. Beware this is the 3rd. book in a series - "The Songbird Series".  The first 2 being - "The Sweet By and By" and "Softly and Tenderly". I loved all three.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Thomas Nelson Publishers for sending me this great book to review!

P.S. - Sorry guys! No giveaway - I am keeping this one to add to my Sara Evans collection.