What Amazon Readers Are Saying:
The book's strength lies in its vividly crafted characters, who are so lifelike and diverse that they linger in your mind long after the story ends. As Lauren navigates all of the challenges that come with such terrain with patience, wisdom, and grace, she inspires others to pursue healthier pathways. It is a fast-paced read with lovable characters, and a side of fashion sense. I couldn't put it down! This author does a beautiful job of fleshing out each character in such a way that you feel you know them, feel their heartbreak and struggles, along with their moments of joy and triumph. So many twists and turns along the way that I was on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed reading 'The Gambler's Wife' recently, so much so that I had a hard time putting it down once I started reading it. It kept my interest throughout the story with a sense of mystery and suspense lurking at the turn of each page.
Like 'House On Sand', the author gives you a spiritual journey through hardship, shame, fear, humiliation, grief, loss and turmoil. But there is also hope, joy, redemption, salvation, renewed faith and strength, growth and love. There are plot twists and surprises along the way. I read it straight through the first time. The first several chapters are about the tragedy, and setting the reader on a road that is full of mystery and intrigue. This is a book you won't want to put down. This book unravels the generational mysteries of this community and delves into the healing that can happen when we give ourselves over to repentance and forgiveness. This is a beautiful story of the healing God has for each of us when we rely on His Word and accept his freely given Grace. This book blessed me and I hope it blesses you as well. I loved this book from beginning to end. Within the 1st few pages it captured my attention.
Synopsis:
Lauren Westbrook may be a pastor's wife, but she knows a thing or two about fool's gold. Her husband, Marcus is the poster perfect minister of a prosperous Salem church, but their ministry together has been underscored by a shameful secret: Marcus is a recovering gambler. Lauren believes after years of therapy and countless counseling programs her husband's addiction is ancient history, but one morning her eyes are opened to a living nightmare. Marcus Westbrook is dead. A tragic accident uncovers a shady, hidden life, one of continued addiction and embezzlement. Ridden with guilt, Lauren is left holding the bag. How can a grief stricken, unemployed mother find a way to pay her dead husband's pile of debt while supporting a 10 year old daughter? She is forced into the most desperate gamble of her life.
Lauren rolls the dice on faith by taking a job as a pastor in a remote Oregon town, the only bet on the table. The dilapidated church and its ancient congregation are known for "chewing and spitting out pastors like chicken bones," but she is determined to make lemonade from lemons. Steeped in the challenges of a rotting church building and a near empty treasury, Lauren meets Luke, a skilled carpenter and divorcee with his own demons. Together, with a host of colorful, enigmatic parishioners, they must uncover the dark secrets of a church never fully healed from the sins of its troubled past while also mending their own wounds.