Embracing Hope by Janell Butler Wojtowicz

Take a poignant look into the broken heart and daily struggles of Christian college dean Drew McKinley. The story chronicles the turbulent first year in his desperate journey to understand God’s motives for the sudden death of his wife and his quest to find hope in his future. 

Crossing his perilous path are Allison, a graduate student and new employee in the dean’s office, and Chris, the handsome but egotistical student senate president.

The road Drew must navigate is fraught with career upheaval, a reawakening heart and the struggle for forgiveness and restoration. Will Drew finish his journey to embrace the hope God offers, the love Allison shares and the guidance Chris needs, or will he turn his back on all three with catastrophic consequences?

Sometimes picking up a book by an author I have not yet read is a game of chance. If I don’t like the story, I’ve wasted precious reading time (especially since I’m one of those people who finishes a book no matter how much I dislike it). On the flip side of that, I’ve found many authors I now love because I picked up one of their books and tried it for the first time.

Janell Butler Wojtowicz is one of those authors in the second category. I will most definitely pick up any future stories she writes.

The theme of finding, and hanging onto, hope is prevalent throughout her debut novel, Embracing Hope. The characters are real. Drew, Allison, and Chris get angry with each other as well as with God. They doubt themselves and make poor choices once in a while—some which are life-altering. Most of all, they are easy to relate to.

There is a lot going on in this one, but none if it felt forced. Every situation, every new challenge or obstacle flowed into the next smoothly.

And the message of forgiveness, of admitting to hurts, disappointments, and anger in order to grasp onto the hope we have in Christ shines through.

Disclosure statement:

I receive complimentary books for review 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.