A Reason to Stay by Kellie Coates Gilbert (Review)

• Series: Texas Gold Collection
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Revell (October 6, 2015)
• ISBN-13: 978-0800722746

As the host of her own television news show, Faith Marin works to expose the truth for her viewers. But in her personal life, she's anchored her world with firm boundaries in order to hide a family history she'd like to forget. Her pro bass fisherman husband Geary's life is an open book, and unfortunately his busybody family doesn't know the meaning of boundaries. Deception and crippling differences soon derail their tender relationship, leading Faith to believe her only option is to end the marriage. But while Faith considers whether divorce is the only answer to their issues, tragedy strikes and her heartrending decision is interrupted. With her life in the balance, Faith finds that the one she has been shutting out may be the very one she cannot bear to lose.

Kellie Coates Gilbert takes readers on an emotional roller coaster as she weaves themes of unexpected trial, self-discovery, and forgiveness in this profoundly honest portrait of the tensions that can break a marriage--and the ultimate healing power of love.

My Review:

A Reason to Stay is the third book in the Texas Gold Series but can stand alone. They are not connected by anything other than being set in Texas. Faith and Geary have a whirlwind romance after they meet when she is covering a story at a bass fishing event. The sparks were present in full force. Unfortunately they did not dig deep enough on issues before they got married. Faith had a rough childhood with her parents always fighting and not much of a faith background. Geary has a big super involved loud family and his faith is very important to him. His family is also not sophisticated and Faith tries hard to be. They both have faults that get magnified after they get married. He does not have boundaries with his family and Faith works too hard to make it up the ladder. This is a recipe for disaster. The characters and plot were well written and engaging.I felt the emotions. I was a little uncomfortable by the descriptions of their love life. I thought it was a bit much for a Christian fiction book. The plot goes back and forth between present time with Faith in the hospital with a traumatic brain injury and the past. The flashbacks are how we learn the most about the characters and what happened. We never really get to hear or see Geary's side of things. At the end of the book it goes to present with Faith waking up and Geary still there by her side. The troubles have not magically gone away and they still have issues to work through. The conclusion was good but a little predicable. I was not happy with part of the epilogue though and I will leave it at that. Overall a good contemporary book. 

Kellie Coates Gilbert is a former legal investigator and trial paralegal, and the author ofA Woman of Fortune and Where Rivers Part. Gilbert crafts her emotionally charged stories about women in life-changing circumstances in Dallas, Texas, where she lives with her husband. Learn more at www.kelliecoatesgilbert.com

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.