Title: Twist of Faith
Author: Kelly McDonough
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published in August 2004 by Wings ePress, Inc.
IBSN: 1-59088-321-7
Father Michael Zipay has devoted his life to God. When a 16-year-old girl found herself pregnant, Michael stepped in to provide counseling for her, but his superior condemned the girl to hell and would not let him provide counseling to her. Michael requested a transfer from the Bishop and it was granted. He has been appointment assistant pastor at St. Mary’s church. Upon his arrival, Father Michael is trying to make a good impression and not be too open-minded until he figures out how his new superior views certain situations. When he meets Father Bernard, he knows that he has found a church that he can be himself in and really make a different in the lives of his parishioners. He knows that his good looks attract the attention of the opposite sex, but he has never let that influence his devotion to a higher calling. Then in walks Kathleen and his quiet, ordered life is thrown upside down.
The attraction that Michael instantly feels towards Kathleen stuns him. He has never felt the temptation that he feels when he is near her. Michael decides the only thing to do is to rely on his devotion to God to see him through this test. Father Michael talks Kathleen into playing on the church volleyball team. When she accepts he is excited at the prospect of seeing her again. Once the game is over, Father Michael agrees to counsel Kathleen regarding her marriage. After he hears her story at their first counseling session, he finds himself offering Kathleen the new job as the special event coordinator of the church. He knows that would be the ideal arrangement to help her support herself and her children after she leaves her husband. Michael knows that he will be spending a lot of time with her if she takes the new job, but he cannot help himself. Until he met Kathleen, the required celibacy of the priesthood has never been an issue, but it looks like it is one now. Michael prays for guidance from God to deliver him from this temptation.
Kathleen Davis is at her wits end. She knows that her marriage to Jerry is not working out, but she does not know what to do. She has tried to be the perfect wife, but feels as if she has to protect 3-year-old Kayla and 7-year-old Jake from their father constantly. Jerry is a very controlling husband and expects Kathleen to be at his beck and call and is very strict in what he will allow the children to do. In all their years of marriage, Kathleen and Jerry have never made love, it has always been about Jerry satisfying his needs and demanding his rights. Father Bernard was the priest that married Kathleen and Jerry more than 11 years ago, but she finds that she is not comfortable obtaining counseling from him. She searches out Father Michael after watching him at the volleyball game and seeing what type of priest he was. Kathleen was impressed with how he interacted with the other players and the children. She asks him about counseling and they agree on a date and time for the first setting. Kathleen is both nervous and excited about seeing Father Michael again. She does not know what his advice will be, but she knows that she has married the wrong man and cannot continue as she has been.
During the counseling session, Kathleen regales Father Michael with horror story after horror story of her marriage to Jerry. When Father Michael tells her that she needs a divorce and annulment she feels like she is trapped because of the children and not being able to support them if she were to leave Jerry. She is overjoyed when Father Michael offers her the job as special event coordinator at the church. She will be able to keep the children with her most of the time and that will work out perfect for her. Kathleen sees Michael as a gift from God and the answer to her prayers. Kathleen is able to get through leaving Jerry and dealing with letting the children go on visitation with their father only with the help and support of Michael. Between her job duties and needing his support, Michael and Kathleen are spending a large amount of their time together. Kathleen agrees to go with Michael to the Covenant House to help abused and homeless children. The first night at the Covenant House, Kathleen is able to persuade a young fifteen year old girl to come back and stay at the Covenant House until she can support herself without resorting to prostitution. Leah makes a huge impression on Kathleen and both of their lives are changed for the better. Kathleen comes to realize by seeing how bad life can be on the streets, that Jerry could have been a much worse husband and father than he was. The more time that Kathleen and Michael spend together, the more confused Kathleen becomes regarding the feelings she has for Michael. She prays to God to help her resist the temptation she feels and to send her someone to love
A Twist of Faith by Kelly McDonough is a heartwarming story of two people that meet and due to their circumstances have to fight their attraction for each other. Father Michael meets Kathleen Davis and for the first time since joining the priesthood, must resist the desire that he feels for a woman. Although he knows that spending time with her will only strengthen the yearning he feels for her, he still offers her a job at the church. Kathleen sees the job as a gift from God because it is the perfect solution to how she will be able to support herself after leaving her husband of 11 years. She does not know what to make of the feelings she has for Father Michael, but they go way beyond just gratitude. From arranging church parties to helping homeless children and teenagers, this is a tale that tugs at the reader’s heartstrings.
This is the second tale that I have read by Kelly McDonough and I have to say that I like her writing style. She gets right to the heart of the story and keeps the reader enthralled until the last page. Michael and Kathleen both fight the attraction they feel for each other, but they are powerless to resist the love for each other that God has granted them. This book looks at second chances and how God’s plan for each of us can be fulfilled. This was not your typical man and woman falling in love story, it had the added twist of truly forbidden passion. I was impressed with how Ms. McDonough dealt with the delicate situation of a man of the cloth falling in love with a woman and how both of them dealt with their feelings. A Twist of Faith is available now from Wings ePress. Pick up a copy today for a love story that will warm your heart.
Yours Sincerely,
Annmarie
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