Welcome back to Authoring Arrowheads for another book review! Today’s review is for a shorter read I read back in January, entitled Heaven Shining Through by Christian author Joe Siccardi. I read Heaven Shining  Through for review, and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of wisdom about life and love that were packed into the seventy-four pages. So, let’s get started!

Highlights:

The Narration

Though the majority of the book is told in a flashback of Samantha’s life up until mid-adulthood, the story never hits a boring spot. I devoured this book in one sitting. It is extremely rare for me to enjoy a book that relies on telling more than showing through actions or dialogue, but the author has a true gift for storytelling. He completely captured his characters’ unique traits and weaved a tale I won’t soon forget.

The Romance

The romance involves an unmarried couple who end up giving in to lust after remaining pure for a year of dating. The couple soon realizes that they should get married instead of continuing on in lust, so they begin their lives together in a way that honors God. The main character, Samantha, and her husband, Chad, have great chemistry and were adorable to read about.

My favorite aspect about the romance was that it is portrayed realistically, as many Christian novels sugarcoat the fact that even Christians slip up and give in to sexual temptation before marriage. The novel emphasizes that we can find redemption in Christ no matter what our pasts hold, and that’s a message we need more of in Christian literature instead of judging couples for the slightest things or touches.

Relationship Between Samantha and Her Mom

The author perfectly portrays a criticizing mother and how damaging that can be on a child. Samantha and her mother have a strained relationship from the beginning, and it shapes Samantha’s decisions growing up. This is a fantastic reminder to Christian parents not to be so caught up on what a child is doing wrong that they forget to see what the child is doing right.

Overall, I applaud the author for tackling these subjects. Again, we definitely need more bold Christian authors in the industry.

Rating: 

Thank you to the author for providing me a free ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. A positive review was not required to receive the ebook.

Talk to Me, Arrowheads!

Are you excited to check out Heaven Shining Through? Be sure to check back here on Wednesday for a blog tour stop for Sarah Grace Grzy’s debut release, Live Without You, and next Friday for a special post, My Second Year as a Published Author!

Aim high, stay strong, and always hit your mark.

-Allyson 😀