Author: Stacy T. Simmons

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release date: January 17, 2023

With one “yes” everything Hope Fuller has sought could be hers.

Hope Fuller has life all planned out. Following a short trip to Briar Creek, North Carolina to help her sister, Hope will return home to Florida and begin her teaching career. Alas, keeping her trip short proves challenging after she sees someone from her past—a handsome lawyer who makes her heart want to plant itself within the community.

Dylan Gaines is just starting out his small-town legal practice and has his own plans for life. However, his reunion with Hope just might change some of them. Then again, their last attempt at romance ended up straining their friendship.

What will it take for Dylan and Hope to strike out on a different journey this time, one where love takes the wheel and leaves solitary plans in the dust?

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An Author’s Take

I was looking for my next Christian Romance novel and discovered A Journey for Hope, the second book in the Briar Creek Love Series by Stacy Simmons. Although it was a great stand-alone read, it was also a fantastic carry-over from the first book in this series, A Promise for Faith.

Like the first book, I was drawn to the story by the cover design, which depicted a couple lovingly staring into each other’s eyes while taking in the beautiful colors of the setting sun. I was pleasantly pleased to read about the significance of that scene as the story unfolded. However, the story did not start out with love in the air. Instead, the author began by introducing Hope Fuller and Dylan Gaines, who were far from perfect and not exactly looking for love. Hope, a photographer and educator was running from a deep hurt and thought staying with her pregnant sister, Faith, would help her escape while supporting her sister through the last months of her pregnancy. Dylan was a struggling attorney who longed for something more out of life. Both characters faced life with uncertain futures. Ironically, the couple dated years ago but lost touch after life took them in different directions.

As with her previous book, the author did a great job of letting the romance unfold naturally. I appreciated how she allowed the characters the opportunity to become friends before diving headfirst into a relationship again, especially since they both had to learn to appreciate the other again. The book was an easy read, with some exciting twists and turns that kept the story interesting.

If you are interested in reading books that fall under Contemporary Christian Romance, you will want to check out A Journey for Hope. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Note: I reviewed a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated for sharing my thoughts.

About the Author

Stacy T. Simmons writes uplifting fiction that delights the reader’s romantic

sensibilities. Thirty-four years of marital bliss is a great contributor. She is a mom of two grown children, and she and her family have a menagerie of pets she likes to call “Noah’s Ark.” You can find her working on her next manuscript with a piece of dark chocolate and a cup of coffee nearby. She loves to connect with her readers via her website at www.stacytsimmonsauthor.com

More from the Editor

A Light to the World by Denise Barela

This is a hard one for me to write and share. I’m writing this article, not as an author, but as an editor. This past year we lost an amazing sister in Christ, and her loss has been felt even in the small things. This month, Stacy T. Simmons’ book, A Journey for Hope releases. We were still in the editing process when she passed away, so I’ve taken over the editing of the book and have been working hard to ensure it stays as true to the way she wrote it as it can be. Stacy worked hard on this book, and we wanted to make sure her words were shared with her readers.

Stacy was such an encouragement to so many people. She would respond to emails letting you know how grateful she was or sending a little bit of encouragement for that particular day. She’s touched so many people’s lives, and it was so heartwarming to see all the authors posting how much she’d touched their lives in the last several years. We wanted to honor her memory and hard work with this book.

I’ve never had to take on another author’s role in applying edits. I’ve only ever tackled my own as a whole. I know I’m bound to make a few mistakes since I don’t know all the thoughts she put into some of what she wrote, but I’m doing my best to keep her ideas and message intact. I’m so grateful for the privilege of knowing her for the short time I did. She was an incredible person whose love for the Lord shone through. I know I’ll get to see her again in heaven one day. Until then, I will work to bring her story to the world all shiny and polished. I hope you find her words inspiring and heartwarming.