I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review and rated it 4 out of 5 Stars.

What does it take to have a successful marriage? Is love enough or does marriage require more? In Linda LaRoque’s debut inspirational romance, Shattered Vows, we see a marriage tested by infidelity and the child resulting from the incident. Reminding us that marriage is hard, that real love requires continual forgiveness and that regardless of where we are in life, God’s grace is sufficient, Ms. LaRoque gives us a story of love and redemption which had me shedding a few tears and rooting for her characters.

Emotionally overwhelmed and hurting after the loss of their child to SIDS, Annie Rayburn is distant and emotionally withdrawn. Rejected by his wife, Stuart Rayburn turns to another woman for one night and then struggles with guilt over the betrayal of his marriage vows. When the woman he turned to dies in an accident, and Stuart discovers he has a daughter, he knows he must take responsibility for his child and confess to his wife. As Stuart confesses his infidelity, Annie struggles with her anger, her guilt over her inability to move on from their daughter’s death, and her inability to forgive Stuart for what he’s done. Will their love be enough to keep them together and will Annie be able to love a child who isn’t her own?

Ms. LaRoque does a good job developing both Stuart and Annie’s characters; their emotions are raw, gritty and easy to identify with. Especially the anger Annie feels toward Stuart over what he’s done. While I don’t believe there is ever a legitimate reason for a spouse to cheat; I do have to acknowledge that when we first meet Annie, she’s cold, somewhat distant and hasn’t really moved on from the loss of their daughter – even though she’s been gone for more than a year. It made it a little difficult to connect with her at first, but as the story develops it becomes apparent that Annie has always had problems dealing with emotional issues. It was easier to connect with Stuart, though there are times I wanted to smack him upside the head, because he so willingly accepts his new daughter and is determined to make the best of his situation; he’s very careful about how he deals with Annie and what she wants, even while hoping and praying that she’ll forgive him and give their marriage another try.

The secondary characters are also well developed and I really enjoyed getting to know Grace, Stuart’s mom, and Willie Lee, Annie’s mom. Both are strong women who want what’s best for their children and will do whatever it takes to help bring them back together because they know they’re still deeply in love. I also really liked “Bailey”, the baby who comes into their life through no fault of her own; she’s independent, sweet and easily adapts to all of the changes taking place in her life.

Will Annie let God help her forgive Stuart for his mistake and room in her heart for a child she didn’t give birth to? And will Annie deal with her anger towards God for letting people she loves die? Will Stuart be able to prove he’ll be faithful to Annie and never betray her again? You’ll have to read Shattered Vows to find out. I think it’s an enjoyable story and I look forward to reading more of this author’s work. ( )

Shattered Vows is an inspirational story that follows the emotional journey of a couple who face very serious and traumatic circumstances that shattered their vows, and test the strength and stability of their marriage.

Annie and Stuart Rayburn had the perfect marriage until traumatic circumstances causes cracks in their marriage. Devastated by the death of their baby to SIDS, the couple struggle with their grief and the ability to move forward in their marriage. Stuart becomes frustrated by Annie's inability to cope and withdrawal from him that he seeks comfort in the arms of another woman. Stuart's infidelity comes to light when the woman he had an affair with had his baby and dies in a car accident leaving him with custody of the baby. As Annie and Stuart struggle with the circumstances that arose in their marriage, they embark on an emotional journey to work together to save their marriage through faith, strength, and love.

Shattered Vows is a beautifully written story that easily draws the reader into Annie and Stuart's story. You can't help but feel compassion and empathy for this couple as they struggle to keep their marriage alive after tragic circumstances and crises causes enough cracks in their relationship that it could ultimately destroy their marriage. As Annie and Stuart embark on their journey to save their marriage, their choices and decisions will ultimately determine if their faith and love is strong enough to sustain life's hardships.

Author Linda LaRoque weaves an inspirational tale that is realistic and thoughtful. The emotional issues that the couple faced in their marriage is easy to relate to, and engages the reader to ponder what would they do if these circumstances occurred in their own marriage. As the couple struggles with heartbreak, grief, temptation, betrayal, and disappointment, they learn that the strength of their faith and love can instill enough forgiveness and hope for a reconciliation that could repair their shattered marriage vows.

Shattered Vows is an emotional story of one couple's journey to overcome the crises and challenges that test their love, faith, and strength of their marriage. This is a compelling story that will pull at your heartstrings, stir your soul, and resonate with you for a very long time.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book excerpt tour event hosted by Goddess Fish Promotions.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2015/02/shattered-vows-by-linda-laroqu... ( )