REVIEW of Decree of Hope by Beth Fred -- BLOG TOUR


Going into this story, I didn't really know what to expect. If I were to be completely honest, (not that I'm lying most of the time) I got very confused with the blurb, and that caused me to read and review Decree of Hope. Doesn't make any sense? I feel the same way. But that's exactly what happened! I don't even know why I didn't understand the synopsis clearly during the time I read it, but hey! Bottomline is, I read the book, loved it, and now will be sharing the experience with all of you. It's still a win-win, I say.

Title: Decree of Hope
Author: Beth Fred
Genre: Romance
Release Date: September 1, 2014
Published by: Self-Published (Beth Fred)
Source: Copy Given by Author and Tour Organizer

SYNOPSIS:
When insecure eighteen-year-old Kailee Hill gets caught tagging Iraq war refugee, Abrahem Yohanna's garage, she's not expecting him to act as her designated driver, hold her hair back when she pukes, or offer to be a shoulder to cry on. But she's failing chemistry and her life is falling apart, so she uses the number Abe leaves her and finds herself with a new tutor.

The two quickly find themselves falling hard for each other. Kailee attacks a local grunt when he calls Abe a "sand nigger" and fights with her veteran brother to be with him. When she learns Abe hasn't told his family about her, she's heartbroken and the couple risks losing everything they've worked to build. To make matters worse, Kailee's previous acts make her the prime suspect in a serious crime. With Kailee behind bars and doubting his feelings for her, Abe must find a way to rescue the girl he loves and win back her affection . And to do that he’ll have to catch a crook...
 
 
CHARACTER BACKGROUND:
Kaille Hill is [almost] like your average high school girl. She used to be popular, people adored her, boys wanted her, girls wanted to be her, and she had the "perfect" boyfriend. But things have changed and she's now lost, angry, and lonely. Her home life is not one to be envious of, and she now finds it easier to project her frustrations and anger at the world -- or a certain Iraqi young man, to be exact. That is until she fell in love with him.
 
Abrahem Yohanna wants to live a normal amd happy life. Life has always been quite tough on him and his family, given the fact that they are "outsiders" in their homeplace. People say and do things to him because of his race more often than he'd like, but that won't deter him from true happiness. Especially if that happiness is in the form of a beautiful and hurtful girl with a good heart.
 
REVIEW:
Apparently these characters have already been in another book, so I'm technically starting in the middle...which I'm not usually a fan of, but for this I'll make an exception. I have to say, I did not expect the depth and substance of this story. Decree of Hope tackles a lot of important things about our society, but in a way that it's not offensive, just eye-opening.

What things am I talking about? Racism, PTSD, "forbidden" love, bullying, and fitting in to name a few. Seriously, have you read something that have all these issues? I've always liked novels that actually has depth and will leave a mark. Beth Fred succeeded in giving readers awareness, or reminding us rather, about the seriousness of racism and bullying. The impact it has on the people involved, and what could potentially happen if not addressed sooner.

The romance between the two main characters was just...complicated. They're two sides of a coin, with families who are more complicated than any mathematical equation. There are too many things keeping them apart that one just can't help but root for them to be together. They have a push-pull relationship, which gets a little annoying at times, but is also somewhat understandable. I wasn't a huge fan of Kaille at the beginning. I found her a little too...highschool-y. Not a word, and is also an expected trait, but didn't annoy me any less. There were a lot of characters who added value -- and pain -- to the story. Lots of layers that made it impossible to put down once started.

The story is fast-paced, which serves as a double-edged sword in this case, because of the moments wherein a scene felt rushed and forced a bit.

 SUMMARY:
All-in-all, Decree of Hope is a truly good book which I recommend to mature and open-minded readers. It's deep, engaging, and inspiring, and it deserves 5 stars from me. Come check this out you guys.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Meet Beth Fred! That's me! I'm a full time ELF keeper and part time writer/blogger/writing instructor.  I like my tea hot, my romance sweet, and my guys chivalrous. Real men hold open doors, refer to you as ma'am, make promises they keep, and aren't afraid to profess their undying love. It's not breakfast if there aren't carbs(at least, not in the South). Fajitas, carnitas, and churros are just few of my favorite things. Bet you can't guess where I'm from ;)
 
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Post a Comment

2 comments:

  1. BethJuly 14, 2015 at 9:01 PM

    Thank you so much for your thoughtful review.
    If you have time, could you please copy it to amazon. This helps so much!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ara PradoJuly 16, 2015 at 12:16 AM

      Already have. :) Thank you for such a great book.

      Delete

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