A Passionate Hope (2018) + Giveaway

A Passionate Hope (2018) by Jill Eileen Smith is the fourth book in her Daughters of the Promised Land series. A Passionate Hope just released on February 6th, and can be purchased wherever books are sold. This novel is available in all forms including eBook, and is 384 pages in length. With a full-time job and a very active 5-year old at home, this story took me TWO days to read. I received a review copy of this novel in paperback form from Revell Books. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. I give this superb story 5+++ STARS. A Passionate Hope is Biblical Christian fiction.

About the Book

Hannah and her husband, Elkanah, share a deep and abiding love, for each other, for their God, and for his tabernacle at Shiloh. Greatly disturbed by the corruption of the priests, they long for restoration and pray for a deliverer. But nothing changes as the years pass. Years that also reveal Hannah to be barren.

Pressured by his family to take another wife, Elkanah marries Peninnah, who quickly begins to bear children. Disgraced and taunted by her husband’s new wife, Hannah turns again to prayers that seem doomed to go unanswered. Do her devotion and kindness in the face of Peninnah’s cruelty count for nothing? Why does God remain silent and indifferent to her pleas?

Travel back to the dusty streets of Shiloh with an expert guide as Jill Eileen Smith brings to life a beloved story of hope, patience, and deliverance that shows that even the most broken of relationships can be restored.

Amazon     ♥     Barnes and Noble     ♥     CBD     ♥     Goodreads

My Thoughts

I genuinely do not have adequate words to express just how deeply this book affected me. A Passionate Hope is one of the best books I have ever read! Yes, the characters are well written. Yes, the setting feels so realistic it was as if I was right there in Ancient Israel with Hannah and Elkanah. And, yes, the research is stellar. Jill Eileen Smith definitely did thorough homework on this book! But, what impressed me the most is the depth of emotion I experienced as I read this beautiful and painful tale. I sobbed on my couch (both sad and happy tears) throughout the course of this story.

I have an enormous soft-spot in my heart for most all the females in the Bible. I love to read into the stories of Ruth and Esther, of the woman with the 12-year blood flow, of Deborah and Jael, of Rahab and the spies and try to imagine what these women really felt and thought as they experienced their well-known moments described in the Bible. What was a regular day like for these women? What did they worry or fear? What did they like and dislike? Would Esther have been terrified as she went into the king’s chamber? Did Ruth experience a twinge of regret as she left Moab and all she had ever known for Israel? Did Jael doubt her ability to take out Sisera? And, the woman with the 12 year blood flow…what is her name? How did she manage 12 years of weakness and exhaustion? How did she keep from totally giving up? I hope one day in Heaven I will get to meet these fabulously strong women!

My heart bleeds for Hannah. Jill Eileen Smith does a masterful job of using precise language that perfectly captures the emotional moment of each and every scene. This book is a roller coaster ride. One minute I was excited and nervous and giggly right along with Hannah as she discusses her upcoming nuptials with her best friends. The next I was plunged into a sadness so great it was suffocating. I have never wanted to be there for a fictional character more than I did for Hannah as she went through the disappointment and discouragement of another month passing and no pregnancy forthcoming. I was so into the story that when Hannah finally goes to the temple and prays her heartfelt prayer before God asking for a child, I was right there with her begging God to send her a son. My heart was crying out to God for Hannah. Talk about an interactive reading experience! The absolute best part of this book for me is that Hannah never gave up. She never gave up on her marriage, and she never gave up on God. She knew He had a plan for her. Hannah trusted Him to see her through the plan in His time. I’m walking away from this novel more in love with God — HE is SO good!

A Passionate Hope is a fast-paced, highly engaging, amazing read. This book is SO good, I was hooked from page one and could not put it down. I got totally lost in the setting, the culture, and the struggles the characters faced. I truly cannot recommend this book enough. If you are looking for a excellent Biblical Christian novel to escape into, then look no further — A Passionate Hope is the book for you. Run to your nearest bookstore and purchase a copy of this book today. You will not be disappointed that you did.

Giveaway

I am giving away ONE (1) paperback copy of A Passionate Hope by Jill Eileen Smith. The giveaway begins today, 2-14-18 at 4:00 pm (PST) and ends on Saturday, 2-17-18 at 12:00 pm (PST). To enter, click on the Rafflecopter link below. Good luck!

Congrats to Sheila Mast!

You have won this giveaway. Thank you for your participation. It is greatly appreciated.

***Please Note: Open to Continental U.S. mailing addresses only.*** Winner will be notified via email at the end of the giveaway, and will be announced here on this page.