Redeeming Hope was an uplifting, heart-warming and beautifully rendered tale of two men as different as night and day coming together to make a difference in the lives of young people with nowhere to go. What they discover is that, in embracing their at-risk teens, they find more than just common cause, they find each other.
The character developments are lovingly rendered; the problems the youth face are all too real and often brought me close to tears.
Elijah Langley still suffers from the loss of his boyhood love, while Adam Lambert has fought his way out of a rough childhood. Both men must fight their demons and both must learn to get out of their own way. When push comes to shove, neither man wants to forsake his principles. It takes a devastating event for these two proud and stubborn men to finally recognize they are more than just business partners.
​I give Redeeming Hope an unequivocal FIVE STARS!
The character developments are lovingly rendered; the problems the youth face are all too real and often brought me close to tears.
Elijah Langley still suffers from the loss of his boyhood love, while Adam Lambert has fought his way out of a rough childhood. Both men must fight their demons and both must learn to get out of their own way. When push comes to shove, neither man wants to forsake his principles. It takes a devastating event for these two proud and stubborn men to finally recognize they are more than just business partners.
​I give Redeeming Hope an unequivocal FIVE STARS!
Title: Redeeming Hope
Author: Shell Taylor
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase
Length: Novel – 206 Pages
Release Date: October 5, 2015
Blurb: Home for Hope: Book One
Fifteen years ago Elijah Langley’s world came to an abrupt halt with the death of his high school boyfriend. He keeps his past—and his sexual orientation—hidden until he attends a fundraiser for The Center for HOPE, an LGBT youth center, where he meets Adam Lancaster, HOPE’s infuriatingly stubborn and sexy founder.
A survivor of a turbulent childhood, Adam understands better than most the challenges his youth face. He’s drawn to Elijah’s baby blues and devilish smile but refuses to compromise his values and climb back into the closet for anyone—not even the man showering time and money on HOPE. Months of constant flirting wear down Adam’s resolve until he surrenders to his desires, but Elijah can’t shake his demons.
When a youth from the center is brutally assaulted, Elijah must find a way to confront the fears and memories that are starting to ruin his life, so he can stand strong for those he loves.
Eli clutched the glossy eight-by-ten as tears welled in his eyes. He could hardly believe the emaciated, washed-out figure in the picture was the same person he’d centered his entire world around just a few weeks earlier. Eli would recognize that face anywhere. God knows, he’d spent enough time staring at it—running his fingers over those soft lips, sucking on the kidney-shaped birthmark just below the ear. He never imagined he’d see those eyes so lifeless.
“It’s him,†Eli whispered, dropping the picture on the officer’s desk.
His mother rested a hand on his shoulder. “E.J.—â€
“Don’t pretend to care, now that he’s dead.†Eli shrugged out of her grasp and clenched his jaw to hold in the gut-wrenching sobs brewing in his chest. “Will I need to identify the body in person too?â€
The officer avoided Eli’s eyes, but his voice was kind. “If you’re certain, this is good enough for us. He’ll be released in the next thirty-six hours. Will you be claiming him, or will the city keep him?â€
Eli’s eyes widened, and panic ripped through his heart. He’d never expected the search to end with a dead body, and there was no way he’d be able to give his boyfriend the funeral he deserved—the one Eli owed him for his own part in Brian’s death. Prepared to beg, he turned and met his father’s eyes for the first time since Brian disappeared from their house almost three weeks earlier.
“We’ll take care of his arrangements.†Eli’s mother spoke quietly but firmly, and his father dipped his chin in silent agreement.
Shell Taylor is a full-time mother of three exuberant and loving kiddos and one fur baby, a tiny but fierce Yorkie-poo named Rocco. As a Christian who practices love, grace, and humility rather than hatred and judgement, she tries her best to instill these same virtues in her rowdy kids. She just recently learned how to crochet to start bombarding new mothers with matching hats and booties. She is a huge Marvel fan and because of the superhero-plastered tees paired with jeans and Chucks has been told when helping out in her son’s classroom that she looks more like the students than a parent. Her favorite way to procrastinate is to binge watch entire seasons on Netflix. Best of all, she’s been married ten years to a man who’s turned out to be everything she never knew she needed.
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Winner’s Prize: $20 Amazon Gift Card.
Runner-up’s Prize: $10 Amazon Gift Card.
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