Julie Lessman: A Hope and A Prayer

 By Kelly Bridgewater

She’s in love with her best friend.

He’s in love with her cousin.

But when the war reveals a gift so rare, will they be saved by a hope and a prayer?

As Head Nurse at 2d Hospital in Nancy, France, Lieutenant Hope Dennehy is known for her healing touch, especially when it comes to mending the wounds and spirit of her best friend, Lieutenant Bren O’Neill. When Hope’s cousin breaks Bren’s heart, Hope is always there, helping to heal him with a friendship so anointed and deep, it threatens to break her heart too.

Flying high as a daredevil aeromedical evac pilot in the European Theatre, “Lieutenant Love” O’Neill crashes and burns when the woman he loves falls for another. Depending on the support and prayers of Nurse Hope Dennehy to save him, Bren re-evaluates his free-wheeling lifestyle when he witnesses the heinous atrocities of the Buchenwald concentration camp. Suddenly nothing in life is as important as taking care of those he loves … or is it? Battling demons from his past, Bren learns that only one thing can truly save him from himself.

 

My Thoughts:

A Hope and A Prayer by Julie Lessman is not your typical World War II novel. Right from the beginning, Lessman places Hope, the heroine, in a hospital ward, praying over her best friend Bren. While majority of World War II novels focus on one historical event, technically, Lessman does not. She does have the characters interact with each other on V-E Day and when the Japanese surrendered, but nothing deeper than that. If, as a reader, you are wanting a World War II novel which showcases the horror of this time, then this might not be the novel for you. However, with that being said, Lessman does have her characters interact and mingle during the World War II era in Europe and Boston. Additionally, readers familiar with her widely popular O’Connor series will see familiar family members to Hope Dennehy and see how they are doing. This element I loved. The O’Connor’s were my introduction to Lessman’s writings, and I love how she keeps bringing them back. This is a novel for fans of romance. There is plenty of sparks, kissing, and more than handholding. Now Lessman does put more passion in her novels than majority of Christian Romance novels, but she does not cross the line in showing what happens behind close doors. She shows the emotions between a husband and a wife and shows the torture of an engaged couple as they fight those God-given urges. One of my favorite elements of Lessman’s writing is her ability to craft a character who wants nothing to do with God, but through gentle coaxing and prodding, the character realizes how important God is to have a fulfilling life. She allows her readers to share their faith. Not shove the love of God down the reader’s throat. Overall, A Hope and A Prayer by Julie Lessman is a wonderful story with plenty of spark, passion, and drama to keep readers flipping through the pages. I recommend this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of A Hope and a Prayer by Julie Lessman, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Purchase A Hope and A Prayer

About Julie Lessman: 

A lover of all things Irish, Julie Lessman writes close-knit Irish family sagas that evolve into 3-D love stories: the hero, the heroine, and the God that brings them together.

Author of The Daughters of Boston, Winds of Change, Heart of San Francisco, Isle of Hope, Silver Lining Ranch, and The Cousins O’Connor series, Julie was American Christian Fiction Writers 2009 Debut Author of the Year and has garnered over 21 Romance Writers of America and other awards. Voted #1 Romance Author in Family Fiction magazine’s 2012 and 2011 Reader’s Choice Awards, Julie’s novels also made Family Fiction magazine’s Best of 2015, Best of 2014, and “Essential Christian Romance Authors” 2017-2020, as well as Booklist’s 2010 Top 10 Inspirational Fiction and Borders Best Fiction.

Julie has also written a self-help workbook for writers entitled Romance-ology 101: Writing Romantic Tension for the Sweet and Inspirational Markets. Contact Julie through her website at www.julielessman.com.

Are you ready for MORE giveaways GALORE???

GIVEAWAY INFO 

(Taken from Julie Lessman Journal Blots- Blog https://julielessman.com/journal-jots1/)

Well, I sure am, so join me OCTOBER 1-14, 2022 for my 2-week blog tour on A HOPE AND A PRAYER, where I will not only be giving away a free e-copy to one commenter on each of 14 stops (14 e-books giveaway!).

GRAND-PRIZE GIVEAWAY! Then I’ll toss all those names in a hat for an Amazon gift card, a signed paperback copy of A Hope and a Prayer or a signed paperback copy of any of my indie books or a book by a top CBA author, and a character named after you or a loved one in my next book!

Here’s the list of bloggers on the tour, so visit each one on or after their date to leave a comment, and you’re automatically in the draw, so good luck! Contest ends 10/15, and winners will be announced right here on my Journal Jot blog shortly thereafter.

BLOG TOUR DATES:

1. October 1 – https://readingismysuperpower.org/2022/10/01/book-spotlight-and-a-giveaway-a-hope-and-a-prayer-by-julie-lessman/
2. October 2 – https://myfavoritepastime.blogspot.com/2022/10/a-hope-and-prayer-by-julie-lessman.html
3. October 3 – (New-release spotlight) https://www.graceajohnson.com/post/new-release-a-hope-and-a-prayer-by-julie-lessman
4. October 4 – https://novelscorner.wordpress.com/2022/10/01/a-hope-and-a-prayer/
5. October 5 – https://www.literaryscape.com/literaryscape-book-club
6. October 6 – http://misspippireads.blogspot.com/
7. October 7 – https://readingismysuperpower.org/2022/10/07/book-review-and-a-giveaway-a-hope-and-a-prayer-by-julie-lessman/
8. October 8 – (Live-stream on CrowdCast) https://rumble.com/v1n60m2-live-q-and-a-with-author-julie-lessman-replay.html
9. October 9 – https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.com/
10. October 10 – https://sarainawhitney.wordpress.com/blog/
11. October 10 — http://frommipov.blogspot.com/2022/10/a-hope-and-prayer-cousins-oconnor-2-by.html
12. October 11– https://splashesofjoy.wordpress.com/2022/10/11/blog-tour-and-giveaway-a-hope-and-a-prayer-by-julie-lessman/
13. October 12 – https://kellybridgewater.blogspot.com/
14. October 13 – flakymn@hotmail.com, https://flakymn.blogspot.com/
15. October 14 – https://blissbooksandjewels.com/

To enter Julie’s contest, please send your comment to her directly via her website HERE.