When I opened Faithful by Kim Cash Tate for the first time, I never expected it to suck me in as hard as it did. I read half the book in two days, and I became so wrapped up in it that I had to literally force myself to put it down and live my own life!

The individual and entwined stories of Cydney, Dana and Phyllis made me think of my own girlfriends, appreciate my marriage, and see God’s love through all things — even in the most trying times of life.

Tate fleshes out the stories of these three women who are all at different stages of life — one single at 40, one dealing with an unfaithful husband, and another struggling with her husband’s lack of faith in God — with a care and realism that can be hard to find in any type of fiction, much less in romantic fiction. Furthermore, the religious side of the book never felt heavy-handed. It is instead woven into the plot line with an ease and realism that I really appreciated, and that also made it a key factor in each woman’s story.

I was drawn into the story completely, always wanting to know what happened next, wanting to see how these women dealt with each of their “issues.” The characters became like friends to me, and I found myself going through their many emotions right along with them. That fact alone is the mark of a great book and a talented author. As such, this book is definitely the a short list of books I am sure to read again and again in the future!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”