Bound by Guilt, by C.J. Darlington

I stayed up until 2 in the morning to finish reading Bound by Guilt! (Actually, that had more to do with the end stages of pregnancy rather than the book.) However, I can honestly say that at 2 a.m. this book was good company and if I had to be awake I am delighted to have been so thoroughly engaged in a story instead of just laying there watching the clock tick, tick, tick.

You know I don't really care for much Christian fiction, but after reading Darlington's first book, Thicker Than Blood (linked to my review), I knew I'd be interested in reading anything that came forth from the pen of Darlington. When I read Thicker Than Blood I mentioned that Darlington was a former home school student and explained why I thought that was both a good and bad thing to mention. I thought Darlington showed great skill as a writer and it is clear from her second book that she has worked on honing her craft. Bound by Guilt was even more enjoyable and believable than her first book and I was (very) pleased to accept TitleTrakk's offer to participate in a blog tour for this new title.

Bound by Guilt tailgates Thicker Than Blood but they can also be read independently of one another. (If I were you though, I'd probably want to start out with the first as it makes the second that much more impacting and engaging.) Once again, Darlington builds a story surrounding the theme of books and coffee. (Hello. What book lover isn't going to enjoy that?) In this particular story we meet Roxi Gold, a victim of the foster care system who ends up being placed with some criminally minded relatives. Their crimes involve first editions of classic book titles that you will most certainly recognize. (Darlington is well-informed as to particulars of first editions and includes a lot of facts in her books which make these fascinating to read, and not just entertaining.) Roxi finds herself deep in trouble as a result of her circumstances and some bad choices. Like the character of Christy from Thicker of Blood (who plays a role in this story also), Roxi attempts to hide from her past only to have all lies exposed. Again, it is something of a redemption story.

Normally I don't care who endorses a particular book (I can formulate my own opinions, thanks!) but in this case I think it's interesting to point out three other Christian fiction writers who enjoyed this story:

"We at the Christian Writers Guild couldn't be prouder of our First Novel Contest Winner. This one engages your senses and reaches your heart." ~ Jerry B. Jenkins

"Great job! You kept me turning the pages!" ~ Francine Rivers

"C.J. is a wonderful, talented writer . . . extraordinary . . ." ~ Bodie Thoene

I determined after reading Thicker Than Blood that if you are a fan of the Christian fiction genre that I could think of no reason why you wouldn't have enjoyed Darlington's first book. I feel like it's equally (if not more so!) safe to say that you would enjoy Bound by Guilt.

Just to get at least one of you going, Darlington has offered to giveaway a copy of both Thicker Than Blood and Bound by Guilt to one of my readers here at Reading to Know. Would you care to win? (The answer to that question is most indubitably, "YES!") Simply leave a comment below. This contest is open to U.S. Residents only and will be open through Tuesday, March 29th.

THiS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER (as selected by random.org) IS #13 - BLUEROSE. (Congratulations!)




Thank you, TitleTrakk for asking me to be a part of this blog tour and for offering the giveaway to my readers. Thank you, Tyndale House Publishers, for sending a copy of this book for me to read and for entertaining and delighting me so thoroughly.