A Beautiful Mess by Brenda S. Anderson – Review

About the Book

Can she love the child who broke up her marriage?

Nearly four years ago, Erin Belden’s happy life became a shattered mess. After her husband admitted to an affair and that a child had been conceived, he left her and their young daughter for his new family. Now, she’s finally ready to put the pieces of her life together. She’s set to launch her own business and even thinks her heart might be open to romance—should the right man come along.

But just when everything seems to be lining up, she receives a devastating call: her ex-husband and his wife have been killed in a car accident, and Erin is listed in their will as their daughter’s legal guardian.

How can she be a mother to the child—let alone love the child—who broke up her marriage? Does she have the courage to start over yet again and turn this mess into a mosaic of beauty?

A single mother’s journey from bitterness to forgiveness.

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In My Opinion

What a surprising and heartachingly beautiful story this was. Brenda S. Anderson wallops readers over the head right away with the upheaval in Erin’s life and doesn’t stop tugging those strings of compassion, grief, forgiveness, and hope until the end.

As Erin struggles with her new reality, one in which she’s tasked with caring for the child who is a result of her ex-husband’s affair, readers also get peeks into the marriage’s demise with journal entries. The story is so connected, it’s hard to go into more detail without giving integral parts away.

A Beautiful Mess does not shy away from realistic, hard-hitting topics such as infidelity, bitterness, and how love looks different to different people. The characters in this are flawed and grieving messes of human emotions but throughout the book, there are glimpses of true love and hope of healing an extremely broken family.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.