Book Review of 'Crossroads' by C.C. Warrens

Happy Wednesday Bookworms!

October is in full swing, and I am loving every moment of it! My little sister's birthday is tomorrow, so of course I have her on my heart, and this coming weekend is another annual family campout that I look forward to every single year. I feel so blessed to have these people to do life with and cannot imagine where I'd be without a strong support system.

That is one of the many admirable things that I gleamed from today's spotlight novel: the importance of surrounding yourself with people that love and support you. C.C. Warrens is a new author to me, which is utterly shocking to me because good grief is she amazing! I will say right here and now that she's go a new fangirl in me and I plan to devour more of her books in the future. :)

With that said, I hope you enjoy my review of Crossroads, and that you have a blessed Wednesday! Also, don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post for another incredible giveaway from JustRead Tours!

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Crossroads by C.C. Warrens, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Crossroads
Series: A Holly Novel #5
Author: C.C. Warrens
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: October 27, 2023
Genre: Christian suspense/ Christian romantic suspense

Run and don't look back.
I'll find you when it's safe.

Those were the last words Holly whispered to her six year old foster sister before the little girl fled into the trees and disappeared from existence.

Fifteen years later, Cassandra Ward is still missing.

Holly is haunted by the possibility that she sent her foster sister running from one monster and into the clutches of another. How else could a child vanish without a trace?

Determined to find her, Holly sifts through her own dark memories for clues, revisits her past, and chases a lead across the country with Jordan by her side. But the search for Cassie takes a dangerous turn when an altercation in the mountains leaves them stranded, cut off from the outside world, and running for their lives.

Lovers of books by Lynette Eason, Terri Blackstock, and Natalie Walters will enjoy this latest thrilling installment of The Holly Novels, and might even stay up all night reading.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

My Review

When I finished Crossroads I was speechless. If you know me you’d know that is saying a lot. I hate jumping into a series at the end, but I also feel like this can prove an author’s talent. If you can grab me without me knowing what’s going on in this world then you’ve got my attention. Well, Ms. C.C. Warrens...you got my attention.

Holly has escaped unimaginable abuse and is finally free of the monsters grasp for good but this freedom is bittersweet. All she can think of is finding the stepsister that she helped escape their foster house of horrors fifteen years ago. She promised that one day she would find her, and that time is now. What she doesn’t expect is the harrowing journey she embarks on to find her, and honestly neither did I.

There is a warning at the beginning of this novel and it’s obvious from the start as to why. This story starts out very dark and sad, and that sense of foreboding builds and builds the further you read. The narrative took a twisted turn, one that I wasn’t expecting whatsoever. It is a dark subject that always makes my skin crawl and my blood boil, and after everything Holly has been through it was tough to read yet I couldn’t stop myself.

The fact that Holly has been through the nightmares that she’s lived through and is refusing to live in fear is a testament to her strength. I know many women who can attest to the same and it never ceases to amaze and inspire me. Holly has a lot of people that love and protect her, which is also something I love seeing.

Without being overtly graphic, you witness violence and multiple forms of abuse that are either alluded to or observed. I appreciate that the author did not shy away from these topics, yet she still wasn’t meticulous in her depiction. Despite being a survivor of abuse myself I never once felt triggered with the subject matter. As I think back as to why the only conclusion I can come up with is that I was so engrossed in the narrative that I lost myself in that world, forgetting all about my own.

Trouble seems to follow Holly everywhere she goes. Despite her good intentions she seems to end up in the darkness, going from one bad situation to the next. I am starting this series at the end, but the author does a masterful job of tying in other obvious plot points from other novels in the series, making reading this novel as seamless as a standalone.

The faith of Holly herself is so inspirational. Even when the future seemed bleak, and there were some truly hopeless moments, she held onto her belief, not willing to give up her faith, or the search for her foster sister, no matter what the cost. A very, very powerful message resonates within her story.

Crossroads is a novel that will stick with me long after I put it down, and I am kicking myself for not reading this series sooner. With a powerful message and a heroine that you can’t help but love, Crossroads is hands down a must read.

My Rating: ★★★★★

About the Author

Jesus and laughter have brought C.C. Warrens through some very difficult times in life, and she weaves both into every story she writes, creating a world of breath-stealing intensity, laugh-out-loud humor, and a sparkle of hope. Writing has been a slowly blossoming dream inside her for most of her life until one day it spilled out onto the pages that would become her first published book.

If she’s not writing, she’s attempting to bake something—however catastrophic that might be—or she’s enjoying the beauty of the outdoors with her husband. One of the many things she’s learned since she started this journey is that the best way to write a book is to go on a long stroll with her husband. That is when the characters—from their backgrounds to the moments that make them laugh or bubble over with anger—come to life.

Connect with C.C. by visiting ccwarrensbooks.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will win a paperback copy of Crossroads with a bookmark, book-related stickers, a book-related magnet, book-related tea bags, fuzzy socks, and a $10 Amazon gift card!

(1) winner will win an ebook copy of Crossroads with book-related stickers, a book-related magnet, book-related tea bags, fuzzy socks, and a $10 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 17, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 24, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!