G930 Book Review of Beyond Believing by D.D. Marx
Author: D.D. Marx
ISBN: 978-0-9972481-0-4
Publisher: Self published
Part of a Series: The Beyond Series
Type of book: coincidences, romance, meetings, friendships, death, cancer, chef, travel, falling in love, spirit guide, following dreams
Year it was published: 2017
Summary:
When Olivia gets news of her best friend Dan’s fatal car accident, her life is shattered. Consumed with grief and struggling to find any meaning or purpose to life, she trudges along with a gaping void in her heart. Finally, when her frustration reaches its peak, Olivia decides to put her trust in the depth of friendship the two of them shared. That trust finally allows him to breakthrough to her, and Dan begins to guide Olivia through the twists and turns of her life, leading to something new and entirely unexpected.
When Olivia exposes a gigantic internal scandal at work, her career implodes. With no job and nowhere to turn, she escapes to Palm Springs for the sympathy and care of her beloved cousin, Garrett. However, with only weeks left before the opening of his newest store, “Gin and Tonic,” Garrett isn’t quite the comfort Olivia had expected. She yet again tries to find her way, and in the process meets someone who begins to fill that void in her heart. She’s never before experienced a love like this; it heals her soul and rekindles her spirit – and just may have been the design of her dearly departed friend all along.
Beyond Believing is a sweet, funny, and romantic story that touches the heart, serves up delicious twists and turns, and shows the reader that there’s no such thing as “coincidence.” Author D.D. Marx regards this book as her “love letter to friendship,” written in memory of her best friend, Dan.
Characters:
Main characters include Olivia and Finn. Olivia is a planner who seems to have strayed from her dreams of being a writer but at the same when the death of her friend occurs, she is beginning to believe in beyond and is trying to trust in a higher power. Finn is a talented chef and a widower who has lost his wife to cancer and who is also trying to make something of his life upon her death. Friendships do play a strong role in terms of Olivia's and Finn's friends and how much they care and worry about the protagonists. I do feel that the friends need to be more developed, but I do love what I am seeing so far in the series.
Theme:
There are no such things as coincidences in the book
Plot:
The story is in first person narrative from Finn's and Olivia's points of view and its set up in an intriguing way because the events that shape the characters' lives do intersect with one another but at the same time the characters grow as people. Friendship is also very strong in the book and I honestly couldn't wait until the two characters met and how they would connect to each other.
Author Information:
(From iRead Book Tours)
Buy Book #1:
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble
Add to Goodreads
Meet the Author:
D.D. marx came barreling into this world with the “gift of gab”. Her parents quickly identified a pattern forming when each teacher conference contained the words “she’s a little too social”. d.d.’s biggest life concern was identifying which boy she’d be chasing at recess rather than mastering math problems. She parlayed this gift into creating play dates on the playground. If friendship were a business, she would be a millionaire. She prides her life on maintaining friends from every walk of life in every corner of the country. This is the fuel that fills her tank.
Graduating with a Communication degree from the University of Dayton, she attempted to break into the world of Public Relations but was instead side-tracked with a J.O.B. At the strong encouragement of her friends and family, who dubbed her a “funny story teller”, she stretched her comfort zone by entering the Second City program in Chicago where her itch for entertainment was finally scratched. Determined to share her story and create a legacy, she decided to combine these talents and become a writer. She returned to her alma-mater to immerse herself in a 3-day writing course where this dream finally came to life. Asked to imagine if she was a super-hero, her task was to dig-deep to describe her special powers. Based on the real-life tragedy of one of her best friends, that answer came without hesitation. All she’s ever wanted was the power to visit with him one last time. This is the inspiration that catapulted her into her debut project titled, the Beyond Series. She dove into a world imagining that he never left.
Connect with the Author: Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest
Opinion:
There are no such things as coincidences in the book. As I imagine, if my friend Jennifer Wakefield was alive today, most likely I'd be calling her right now and talking about this book, knowing that she would enjoy the message and the story. However she is not here on this earth, yet her words and legacy live on. (Another odd coincidence is that the author has striking resemblance to my friend, and just like Olivia's friend that passed away, my friend passed away way too suddenly as well.) The writing style is a bit simplistic, but at the same time the message in the book is profound and the story is well done.
This is for iRead Book Tours
BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE:
Oct 16 - Library of Clean Reads - trilogy spotlight / giveaway
Oct 16 - Working Mommy Journal - review of Beyond Believing / giveaway
Oct 17 - Cheryl's Book Nook - review of Beyond Believing / giveaway
Oct 18 - Cindy's Love of Books - review of Beyond Believing / giveaway
Oct 19 - A Holland Reads - review of Beyond Believing / guest post / giveaway
Oct 23 - Nighttime Reading Center - review of Beyond Believing / giveaway
Oct 24 - My Reading Journeys - review of Beyond Believing / giveaway
Oct 26 - Book Lover in Florida - review of Beyond Believing / guest post / giveaway
Oct 27 - Kristin's Novel Café - review of Beyond Believing / giveaway
Oct 30 - Ginger Mom & the Kindle Quest - review of Beyond Believing
Oct 31 - Svetlana's Reads and Views - review of Beyond Believing
Nov 1 - Bound 4 Escape - review of Beyond Love / giveaway
Nov 2 - Amy's Bookish Life - review of Beyond Believing
Nov 3 - Cindy's Love of Books - review of Beyond Love / giveaway
Nov 6 - Jessica Cassidy - review of Beyond Love / author interview / giveaway
Nov 7 - Cheryl's Book Nook - review of Beyond Love / giveaway
Nov 10 - Nighttime Reading Center - review of Beyond Love / giveaway
Nov 14 - Rockin' Book Reviews - review of Beyond Believing / guest post / giveaway
Nov 15 - Working Mommy Journal - review of Beyond Love / giveaway
Nov 15 - Ginger Mom & the Kindle Quest - review of Beyond Love
Nov 16 - My Reading Journeys - review of Beyond Love / giveaway
Nov 17 - Amy's Bookish Life - review of Beyond Love
Nov 17 - Haddie's Haven - review of Beyond Believing / giveaway
Nov 21 - Rockin' Book Reviews - review of Beyond Love / giveaway
Nov 22 - Kristin's Novel Café - review of Beyond Love / giveaway
Nov 23 - A Holland Reads - review of Beyond Love / giveaway
Nov 27 - Svetlana's Reads and Views - review of Beyond Love
Nov 28 - Nighttime Reading Center - review of Beyond Forever / giveaway
Nov 30 - Book Lover in Florida - review of Beyond Love / giveaway
Dec 1 - Bound 4 Escape - review of Beyond Forever / giveaway
Dec 4 - Cindy's Love of Books - review of Beyond Forever / giveaway
Dec 5 - Working Mommy Journal - review of Beyond Forever / giveaway
Dec 6 - Cheryl's Book Nook - review of Beyond Forever / giveaway
Dec 7 - Haddie's Haven - review of Beyond Love / giveaway
Dec 8 - Ginger Mom & the Kindle Quest - review of Beyond Forever
Dec 12 - My Reading Journeys - review of Beyond Forever / giveaway
Dec 14 - Rockin' Book Reviews - review of Beyond Forever / giveaway
Dec 15 - Amy's Bookish Life - review of Beyond Forever
Dec 18 - Jessica Cassidy - review of Beyond Forever / giveaway
Dec 19 - Kristin's Novel Café - review of Beyond Forever / giveaway
Dec 20 - Haddie's Haven - review of Beyond Forever / giveaway
Dec 21 - Book Lover in Florida - review of Beyond Forever / giveaway
Dec 21 - Svetlana's Reads and Views - review of Beyond Forever
Dec 22 - A Holland Reads - review of Beyond Forever/ giveaway
4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
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