"Faith" by Michelle Larks

292 pages

Life is good for Monet and Marcus Caldwell . Both have jobs they love: Marcus as a detective for the Chicago Police Department and Monet as a nurse in the neonatal unit of an inner city hospital. Their marriage is great and they're both active in their church and committed to God. The only thing missing from their life is a child. Doctors have been unable to explain why Monet has been unable to conceive, but she believes that God will bless them with a child someday. Suddenly, everything changes after Monet is brutally raped. Although she heals physically and makes big strides toward emotional recovery, Marcus agonizes over the pain his wife went through and his longing for revenge on the rapist, who remains at large. Then things get even more complicated: Monet learns that she's having a baby. She is thrilled and feels assured that the baby is Marcus', and vows to love it even if it is the rapist's offspring. Marcus, on the other hand, is appalled by the news and orders his wife to terminate the pregnancy. When Monet refuses, turmoil takes over the Caldwell household.

I don't read much Christian fiction because I think it can be cheesy, but I enjoyed this book. The characters and their struggles felt very real to me instead of all "everything is part of God's plan so nothing bothers me." The ending is predictable, but there were enough surprises throughout the story to keep me interested. I recommend this for anyone who wants to get a feel for the Christian fiction genre without going through too much preaching.