When she was accepted into design school, she tried her best not to look back at the four siblings she was abandoning, but ahead to Columbus, where she was determined to stay—far away from her abusive home and far away from Nate Miller, the boy she vowed to despise for the rest of her life.
Though she suffered through dark times in Columbus, Kendra found her faith in the Lord again, and years later, when she learned one of her good friends had died, she realized it was time to go home to those she left behind.
Back in Walnut Creek, Kendra has a life she never could have imagined: her own design shop, a pretty little house, and a tight-knit group of friends. After she settles down, though, unexpected visitors come knocking and dark memories begin to resurface. Complicating things even further is the ever-present Nate Miller, who now owns the hardware store two doors down and whose very presence stirs in Kendra a fierce need to turn away and hide from her past. But Nate is persistent in setting things right between them.
As Kendra tries to come to terms with the anger she holds from her childhood, will she be able to open her heart to forgiveness and find the comfort she has always longed for in Walnut Creek?
The Trustworthy One is a beautiful story of redemption, forgiveness and family; another sterling gem in the Walnut Creek series. Getting to know the Eight has been a treat, and getting to know Nate and Kendra is a rollercoaster of emotion.
Kendra Troyer grew up dreaming of being a part of the Eight, the close-knit group of friends that grew up together. She was poor, abused by her drunken father, neglected by her mother, practically raising her younger siblings, and to top it all off she is teased for being stupid, when she really just had a learning disability. As soon as she can escape Walnut Creek she is gone, moving to Columbus to go to design school, but now she’s back in Walnut Creek opening up her own design shop two doors down from Nate Miller, the boy that teased her relentlessly, and whom he vowed to hate for the rest of her life.
I hated that Kendra went through the abuse and neglect that she went through as a youth, both from her dysfunctional family and the relentless teasing from Nate Miller, but her story shows that you can rise above dysfunction, and come out stronger for it. It’s so heartwarming to see her find her faith again, and to have the strength to home again.
The chemistry between Nate and Kendra is realistic, as is the story in general. I have a soft spot for enemies that are able to choose forgiveness, to friends who grow to love each other, so I was rooting for them the entire time I was reading. I liked the fact that Kendra wasn’t initially a part of the group, but found her home with the Eight, especially after dreaming of being a part of their group for so long. This is a group of people that I wish were in my life. How they all support each other, and help each other through their circumstances. It truly is inspiring.
I love this heartfelt series so much, the author’s writing is so fluid you truly get lost in Walnut Creek and the lives of the Eight. Though The Trustworthy One is part of a series, you can easily read it as a standalone, as the author does a terrific job of getting the reader caught up, but I think this series has so much more meaning when you read them in order, truly allowing you to connect with the characters on a deeper level.
Thank you Shelley Shepard Gray for another wonderful story that is full of heart and compassion, and gave me all the feels.
Shelley Shepard Gray has published over seventy novels. She currently writes Amish romances for Harper Collins, Kensington, and Simon & Schuster and contemporary women’s fiction for Blackstone Publishing.
Her novels have been highlighted in the Philadelphia Enquirer, Washington Post, Time Magazine, and USA Today. She has also been interviewed on NPR as well as numerous regional radio stations.
Before writing romances, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned both her bachelor’s degree in English literature and elementary education and later obtained her master’s degree in educational administration. She currently lives in Colorado Springs and writes full time. Shelley is married, the mother of two young adults, and always has a dachshund by her side. She is an active member of her church, on Facebook and on Twitter. She also has a website, www.shelleyshepardgray.com.
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