Abridged by Alana Terry

I know from reading the previous novels in this series that Terry does not shy away from hot topics. In this novel, Kennedy is confronted with the whole issue of women's roles in the church, in the home, and at the university.

What women can and cannot do in the church according to the Bible is a touchy subject. Kennedy's pastor and friend, Carl, is conservative. No women are allowed to pray up front, take offering, be on the church board, etc. That doesn't sit well with many in the university community. When Kennedy defends the right of the pastor's wife to be a stay at home mom, she catches the ire of students and faculty alike. She experiences the cost of not being politically correct on a liberal east coast university campus.

The large issue of the place of women in the church includes the parallel one of where we get our identity. Feminists on campus think being a stay at home mom is the same as slavery. They see valid worth for a woman only in a profession. The issue even comes home to a man in the book, who saw his identity in his occupation. Terry does a good job of exploring these issues in the novel.

Terry also does a great job in character construction. My favorite character depiction is Woong, Carl and Sandy's adopted son. He talks a mile a minute. His vocabulary and sentence structure are unique, as are that of Willow, Kennedy's roommate.

There is a good balance of character development and action. Throw in a physical attack and a kidnapping along with the Kennedy's musing and you have a well plotted novel. We readers are left hanging at the end of this novel. Is Kennedy's future at the university in jeopardy? Bring on the sequel! (It will be released fall of 2017.)

This novel is the seventh in the Kennedy Stern series. You can read my reviews of the earlier books in the series: Unplanned, Paralyzed, Policed, Straightened, Turbulence, and Infected.

My rating: 5/5 stars.

Alana Terry is a pastor's wife, homeschooling mom and award winning Christian suspense author. She and her family live in rural Alaska. You can find out more at www.alanaterry.com.

Firstfruits Publishing, 195 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the author. My comments are an independent and honest review.