Devotion

In a marriage there are a lot of issues for a husband and wife to deal with. Having their faith in God is a great foundation to have. However with all the challenges the world has to offer, even our faith can be tested in ways we would never consider crossing the line for. We often think we are strong enough in our faith to handle anything the world would throw out there, confident we would pass the test with flying colors. But that is our weakness, thinking we can remain unscathed from temptations even in the strongest marriages who seem to be completely ground in their faith in God.

In the novel Devotion by Marianne Evans, a marriage between Kellen and Juliet Rossiter will be tested by fire. It was Kellen's job that drew Juliet to fall in love with him. As a music agent for Associated Talent, Kellen's goal in life is to get to the point where he can manage Christian artists. So it isn't unusual to find him in the latest hot spots and clubs trying to find the next top performer for his company. At times Juliet has accompanied him, but knowing after nine years how these meetings generally go, Juliet has developed her own interests working with the homeless at the local shelter as part of an outreach for her church.

Juliet and Kellen know that after nine years they wouldn't always spend their free time with one another, after all the time trying to have a family of their own, nothing seems to have for them. Tests after tests show that both of them are able to conceive but for whatever reasons it just hasn't happened despite all the questions from family at every event wondering just when they planned on having a child. No one really knew the struggle that they both faced when posed with that question. But when Kellen is asked to seek out the next big thing at a club called Iridescence, he wasn't planned for the detour his life would take when Juliet opted out this time. But it only takes an act of infidelity to result in a lifetime of forgiveness and their marriage will be tested in the worst way possible.

I received Devotion from Marianne Evans compliments of Pelican Book Group and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. Aside from a complementary copy of the novel to review I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review. The opinions contained here are my own. This is such a brilliant novel because of its transparency in dealing with the subject of infidelity in a marriage. It rates right up there with Karen Kingsbury, as it takes an indepth approach at the foundation that the Rossiters build their marriage on and just how subtle temptation can be. It doesn't start with something big, but those little nuances that happen when we think we can handle ourselves instead of listening to God. You can feel for each of them in this situation from the anger that Juliet feels to the heart-wrenching pain Kellen has to contend with when Juliet insists on moving out.

For me the biggest take away is one I shared with my husband. Is that temptations are subtle and there are so many opportunities for us to leave the situation but we don't. In marriage there will come times when we are all tested and undoubtedly mistakes will be made that will inflict pain into each other's heart. The point is not trying to get back what you had before, it's building on what you have moving forward. What an "A-ha!" moment that was. Too often we try to fix things wondering why we can't go back to before those hurts, and it results in frustration on both spouses wondering where they are going wrong. They aren't. As long as they are moving forward building on what they have, that is the success in moving past those situations and hopefully have the outcome that Kellen and Juliet Rossiter have. The best part is seeing it from a third parties eyes and realizing how quickly something like that happens when we least expect it. No one is immune. This one is not only a must read but a must keep on your bookshelf and thus the reason why I give this one a 5 out of 5 stars!

For more information about Devotion, Marianne Evans, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Devotion by Marianne Evans

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To strengthen your marriage, check out some tips and resources at imdevoted.com