Author - Katie Ganshert
Title - A Broken Kind of Beautiful
Format - ebook, paper
Find on Amazon
Model Ivy Clark is willing to do whatever she can to salvage her career. She's almost twenty-five and the magazines are wanting the younger girls to be their models. When the opportunity arises to return to Greenbriar, SC to be the new face of her stepmother's bridal gown line, Ivy balks at first, but then sees it as a chance to make it the best shoot of her career. She arrives aloof and wanting to hold people at arms length. She doesn't count on her stepmother's gentle love, the enthusiasm of Sara, a childhood acquaintance, or her photographer, Davis Knight. Davis has put his cameras away ever since an accident injured his sister. He is happy and content working at the maintenance man at the church. Yet he can't resist when his aunt asks him to be the photographer for her new advertising campaign. True it puts him in close contact with a woman who longs to remain in the high paced fashion world. But as he gets to know Ivy, he sees her for who she really is. Can he show her that what she's searching for is right there in front of her? And will he be able to surrender his own desires as well?
I was thrilled to pick up this newest book by Katie Ganshert. I'd loved both of her previous ones. This one is a stand alone and not connected to her other books.
Once again, Katie has written a story that not only pulls at the heart strings, but also causes the reader to care. Ivy is broken. She knows her father never wanted her. Her mother pushed her aside. A stepmother loves her, but Ivy has too many walls built around her heart that prevent her from caring about Marilyn. The modeling world has been her life since she was 14. She dived right into the glitz, glamour, drugs, etc that are connected with that world. She doesn't understand what love really is.
As I read what all Ivy went through, my heart ached for her. I wanted her to realize that she was beautiful. There were a couple of things that ran through my mind as I figured out Ivy. The first was that she reminded me a lot of Jenny in Forrest Gump. The second is the song "More Beautiful You" by Christian Recording Artist Jonny Diaz. Both of those things showed someone longing for something else. The YouTube music video is at the bottom of this post.
There were times when I wanted to shake Davis. He needed to learn that he's forgiven for what happened to his sister and that he didn't need to sacrifice his own calling. But it's a tough road for him. I can understand how he feels.
Overall, this book is about redemption. About finding out how God takes a broken soul and turns it into something beautiful.
I really do think that this is my favorite book of Katie's so far.
I received this book for free from Waterbrook/Multnomah's Blogging for Books program for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
Recommended to fans of Karen Kingsbury, women's fiction, Denise Hunter, Becky Wade
Rating - 5 stars
More Beautiful You Video
Please rank my review.
Great review! Now I really want to read it. Enjoyed the music video as well.
ReplyDelete