Title: Life’s Journey our Greatest Test

Author: Marshalee Patterson

Genre: A Contemporary Christian Novel

Release Date: October 3, 2021

When Brady lost his brother, John, he felt his entire world crumble. All their plans went up in smoke, and soon his life took a turn for the worst; one he had not seen coming.

When his uncontrollable rage landed him in the Lexington Prison, he lost all will to live. However, his grandmother Ruth, being the devoted Christian woman that she was, never gave up on him and kept praying for him.

Walking around town shortly after his release from Lexington, Brady was pleasantly surprised when he stumbled upon Sara in a partially burnt abandoned building. Thinking that being a good Samaritan to her, could help him make right with God for all the wrong he had done in his life, he later discovered Sara was more of a blessing to his tortured life than he was to her.

Will this unlikely union bring them peace and seeing God’s promises fulfilled in their lives?

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AN EXCERPT

Sara stepped inside as the sight of the memory-filled room enchanted her. Brady’s grandmother sure knew how to preserve family moments, she thought. Staring at all the photos, she did not have to guess too hard to tell who was who. Each one was arranged in the order in which they were taken. It was such an inviting family room; it reminded her of her home when everything was good and everyone happy.

Sara’s eyes soon caught sight of the very thing she loved more than anything—a piano. It was a beautiful white grand and still looked brand new. Before she knew it, she sat in front of it and had her fingers running over the keys with a big grin on her face.

She played each key, familiarising herself with their sounds until she was lost in a beloved melody—which for years, she thought was lost. Now, sitting once again in front of a piano, made it come right back.

From upstairs, Brady heard the piano playing and smiled, knowing Sara was making herself at home. He was unsure of what she liked since she had not really opened up about herself yet. Hearing her play made him content, knowing that she found comfort in at least something in his house. She played well, and he presumed that she must have had many years of training.

Sara sat, playing for nearly an hour, then felt she wanted to test the river waters that Brady bragged about so much. She ran upstairs into her room, picked out a pair of shorts and a blouse to swim in. She laid the dress she wanted to wear later on the bed and put everything else away in the dresser. She didn’t feel comfortable wearing a swimsuit around a man she was still getting to know. Sara walked out of her room, strolled over to Brady’s room, and knocked on the door.

“Brady,” she called.

Getting no response, she tried the knob and found it unlocked. She pushed the door and glanced inside, then closed it when she didn’t see him. A door that stood ajar on the opposite side to both her room and Brady’s piqued her curiosity.

Sara walked across the hallway to the door and peeped inside. Brady sat, painting. He looked so consumed in what he was painting, which looked very foreboding. There was not one ounce of colour on the canvas. Her heart softened to what must be buried inside him. She wondered how he managed to maintain a sense of calmness around her yet hold such darkness inside.

Could his past be even worse than mine?

My Thoughts

Life’s Journey our Greatest Test: A Contemporary Christian Novel is a story about two broken souls — Brady and Sara, and how they overcome the past, transform, and build their trust in the Lord through the ups and downs of life. I found this read to be fast-paced and it has relatable characters that you can relate to. I enjoyed reading it, and thought it was a great reminder of the power of faith, and putting our trust in our Savior Jesus Christ who can change everything and is faithful.

Thank you to the author for having me on this tour and sending me a copy for review! 

About the Author

When Marshalee Patterson left high school and started working, she thought she was cursed. She would look at her life and compare it with some of her high school friends who seemed to be achieving the things she wanted. That is—marriage and kids.

​That desire led her to seek things her own way and not wait on God and it resulted in many shameful and painful experiences that she hid from everyone. She struggled to forgive herself and to also embrace God’s mercy, thinking she wasn’t deserving because of her weakness to the flesh. She felt cheap and not good enough.

​Years later God revealed his plan for her life and it was to write books; books that would bring healing and deliverance to people’s lives. Each book she wrote she realized had a theme and that they were drawing from her own past experiences- the same past she wanted to stay hidden and buried. But as she wrote each book she saw herself healing from whatever trauma mentioned in that book. It was then that she realized, as shameful and painful as her past was, that God had a plan for it.

 They were the blueprint for her stories, experiences readers can relate to and the process through which God carried her to find healing and deliverance was how her readers would as well. 

​Marshalee Patterson is a Christian Fiction Author of life-changing books that have spiritual warfare and romance. Her goal is to see her readers gain the advantage of how to be victorious against Satan’s tactics and exposes some of the devices he uses. 

She is a lover of nature and its tranquillity. She finds nature refreshing and peaceful. She loves different cultures, especially Spanish, which she feels make us learn to appreciate ours a little more in areas where we have been ungrateful or unappreciative. She loves salsa music very much and dances it well too. She is a proud Jamaican.

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