Phoebe and the Rock of Ages

Well! On to the "wild child" in the four-woman band of Gustafson sisters, the G-FOURce. I knew Phoebe's story would carry on the still-developing aftermath of the sisters' parents' deaths, but so much more of the past comes to light in Phoebe and the Rock of Ages by author Becky Doughty.

Since I skipped reading the blurb beforehand, I got double the pleasure out of seeing the return of a key character from Book One in the series: the motorcycling musical minister Trevor. Whoo hoo!! (Yes. Two exclamation points.) His half of the story brings a lot I appreciate about the true meaning of grace. And I was in for some surprises in actually getting to know Phoebe. Her journey--from the present, to the past, and back again--is raw, real, and show more redemptive.

This is quite a reflective type of read, which is good, though some of the reflection felt redundant in places, and I got a little bogged down in it, wanting the story to move along.

Still, this is my favorite book in The Gustafson Girls series so far, and once you read this one, you'll have to read the next.
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I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. show less

I have not read previous books in this series, though I do think I have at least one of them in my reading list. I was a bit lost as far as how the two older sisters met the men in their lives but other than that, I could read this one without any issues, even though I didn't have the background.

Trevor Zander is a musician/singer who has a vision for a new album. He wants to speak to the Believers and have them realize, as he has, that being a Christian does not mean that you are better than those who are not, it just means that you have a God who can direct your steps and make you better. As a youngster, Trevor's holier-than-thou attitude as a youth minister intern turned away a young girl who had come seeking help. Her words to him show more that day transformed him into a more humble person.

Phoebe Gustafson is a free spirit who puts on a front for the world and tends to run away from anything she doesn't want to confront. Her sister Renata's pregnancy and delivery stir up some old memories that cause Phoebe to withdraw from everyone, but she is tired of running. She just has no clue how to stop running.

This book brings up some good talking points:
-We don't need to wait until we're together or perfect to come to God. He'll take us just as we are.
-Forgiveness. It doesn't necessarily mean forgetting, but it does allow you to move on.
just to name a couple.

I did not like how this book ends. The author does a big build up to Phoebe meeting Alice Masters, the mother of the woman who killed the Gustafson parents, but then the book ends before that happens. I felt cheated. show less