REVIEW- Softly and Tenderly

Softly and Tenderly by Sara Evans and Rachel Hauck

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jade has moved from her past toward a bright future. But then the man she loves most destroys her trust. 
Jade Fitzgerald's hope for a perfect marriage shatters when her husband confesses he has an illegitimate son. What's more, he wants to raise the boy in their home. 
Hurting and confused, Jade embarks on a road trip to Iowa to take her sick mother to her childhood home. In the comfort of the old homeplace, Jade struggles with her fears and the tug of her first love. With the help of her family and her faith, she comes to understand her future doesn't rest on the power of her past, but in the goodness of God's mercy. Description from Goodreads.

This is a beautiful story that focuses on the lives of three women. Each of them are living through a nightmare and coming to terms with their circumstances.

Jade is the main character. She is struggling with infertility. She had an abortion as a teen and now feels she is being punished. To top that off, she finds out her husband has an illegitimate son who was conceived a week before the wedding,

June is Jade's mother in law. She has lived with her husband's infidelity for years an has had enough.


Beryl is Jade's mother. She has leukemia. She was a free spirit in the 60's and is very different from her daughter. She came to visit Jade a year prior and because of her health never left. She wants to go home to die.

The three leave on a road trip in a pink convertible. (The car that screams "road trip!") They are taking Beryl home. Their journey is one of self discovery and of God's love and mercy.

I found many layers of meaning in the sweet book.  First, there is the storyline.  Then come the layers, forgiveness, self discovery, temptation, sorrow, finding God.  The list can go on.  The layers make for a good story.  They add depth to the characters and help the reader understand the feelings and decisions of the characters.

Overall I found this to be a great book.  It has clean content and I feel a book that anyone would be comfortable reading.

I downloaded this book from NetGalley to review.  My thanks to the publisher, Thomas Nelson for making this book available for review and approving my request.