Review-"Thicker than Blood"

TitleTrakk.com Blog Tours Presents:

Thicker than Blood
by C.J. Darlington
Published by Tyndale House

Winner of the
2008 Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel Contest!

Christy Williams finally has her life on track. She’s putting her past behind her and working hard to build a career as an antiquarian book buyer. But things begin to unravel when a stolen Hemingway first edition is found in her possession, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. With no one to turn to, she yearns for her estranged younger sister, May, whom she abandoned after their parents’ untimely deaths. Soon, Christy’s fleeing from her shattered dreams, her ex-boyfriend, and God. Could May’s Triple Cross Ranch be the safe haven she’s searching for? Will the sisters realize that each possesses what the other desperately needs before it’s too late?

With careful attention to detail, emotion, and scene-setting, C.J. Darlington scores with her debut effort. Here is a special writer you won’t want to miss.
--Jerry B. Jenkins, New York Times best selling author

If you love a good read filled with adventure and ultimately redemption, I encourage you to brew the tea, settle into your favorite chair and pick up the page turner that is C.J. Darlington’s imaginative new novel of a modern day sisterhood that triumphs over separation and the raw challenges of life to find the real endurance of both family ties and God’s amazing grace.
--Rebecca St. James, Grammy award winning Christian singer and bestselling author

With Thicker than Blood, C.J. Darlington proves she's a novelist for the long-haul, a strong new voice in Christian fiction. This book speaks to the heart, from the heart, about the heart. Readers will not soon forget it.
--Sibella Giorello, Christy award-winning author of The Rivers Run Dry & The Clouds Roll Away

Watch the book trailer:

About the Author:
C. J. began writing the story that would become Thicker than Blood (her first novel) when she was a fifteen-year-old homeschool student. She has been in the antiquarian bookselling business for over a decade, scouting for stores similar to the one described in the novel before cofounding her own online bookstore. Thicker than Blood was the winner of the 2008 Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel.

C. J. co-founded the Christian entertainment Web site TitleTrakk.com with her sister, Tracy, and has been actively promoting Christian fiction through book reviews and author interviews. She makes her home in Pennsylvania with her family and their menagerie of dogs and cats. Visit her website www.cjdarlington.com for more info.

QUICK LINKS:

C. J. Darlington
Tyndale Fiction Copyright 2009, 376 total pages
"Thicker than Blood" is an Award Winner! Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild
This book was provided for review by TitleTrakk for the purpose of reading/reviewing.

I must say I am proud of C. J. this is an outstanding first novel! I loved it!
I've followed along with C. J. on her blog about this book, silently cheering her on!

The two sisters Christy and May Williams are different in their personalities, beliefs, dreams, mannerisms, lifestyle choices, and ways of response to times of crises. I welcomed their polar differences, it made for realism and a continued interest in the story. Even in a family of two siblings personality differences can be startlingly different.
Christy and May live in different environments, Christy lives in the city and May on a ranch in a rural setting.
I was captivated with Christy's job in the city, working in an antiquarian book store; and by May's job of working with cattle and horses on a ranch.
There are a variety of other characters in the book, each adding weight to the story of Christy and May.
Love is the theme of the novel, the love between the two sisters even though they've been apart many years has stayed strong and like a magnet they are drawn to each other.
Forgiveness is another theme in the novel, forgiveness heals and promotes a new beginning.
The author gives a strong glimpse into the world of addiction, it is written with gut wrenching reality. I was swept away by the addiction's strong grip on the character, and by the ploy that addiction masks that is covering anger, sadness, and fears.
This is a brilliant first novel, I am excited about the future novels that C. J. will write!

Blissful Reading!
Annette