Review: The Thorn Keeper by Pepper Basham

I loved Catherine!! Her sister Ashleigh's story was wonderful, but by the end of it I had become utterly fascinated with Catherine and wanted so badly to spend more time in her head. And after finishing this delightful book, I immediately dived back in to all my favorite moments. Thank you for not giving up on Catherine, Ms. Basham! She snuck into my heart in book one and she's now officially stuck there forever. :)

Don't you just love when characters sink into your heart, especially when you don't expect it? Catherine is an intriguing mix of vulnerability and feistiness. Due to the events of book one, she now has a whole new way of life, in some ways that are awesome and some ways that are exceptionally hard. Her strength knows no bounds in the face of all that she now has to deal with. Especially when it comes to those determined to remind her of her bad choices in the past. And walking with her through each humiliating moment, I wanted to yell at every single person to stop it and start realizing how awesome Catherine is! Yet she's far from being alone. With her restored relationship with her sister, and her newfound determination for helping those less fortunate, she strides forth into mayhem and chaos regardless of her own personal risk. She finds new friends and allies and slowly but surely makes everyone around her realize just how special she truly is.

And David....ah, David. He knew right away how special she is and, disregarding every warning not to, befriends her and seeks to help her realize her own worth. Those two just make magic together! They fit in every way. Of course, their attraction causes some pretty swoony moments ;), but it's the way they strive to make each other better, the things they learn together (about themselves and about each other), the way they simply work through each situation that comes no matter what gets thrown at them. To put it plainly, they're better together than they are apart. Way better! :)

But! I have to mention the plot twist because whoa! There was a certain situation that I was not expecting at all and I was so afraid of where things would possibly go. But I should have known to trust Ms. Basham because she clearly loves these characters as much as I. And the hard places she chose to take them ended up shaking Catherine's story around in ways that made it every so much better.

Now I am beyond excited that we get a book three! There are so many other characters I want to know more about. And if this book is any indication, Ms. Basham's storytelling will only be more amazing next time. So read this one, my friends! It wrapped me up in warm fuzzies and left me with a smile on my face. Isn't that what all readers are looking for? :)

**I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

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"Great people do not come from smooth seas, dear Catherine. They never have. Whether by the uncontrollable tempests that blow through life or our own vain attempts to control our worlds by selfishness or pride, the greatest strength is born out of suffering, or rather out of learning from our suffering."

"We weep, laugh, rest, trust, and He loves...and works miracles through us."