Not a Sparrow Falls - Book Review

I've had this book in my stack for quite a while now and it never called to me.  I don't typically pick up contemporary fiction unless it comes with a strong suggestion from a trusted friend.  However, I wanted to dwindle my stack so I decided to shove this one to the top.

I. am. so. glad. I. did.

Full of twists and turns, unexpected connections and every emotion you can think of, Nichols weaves loveable characters you can't bear to hate and hateful characters you can't help but love into this story. 

From the book jacket:

Mary Bridget Washburn is tired of running, tired of being haunted by the empty shell her life has become. How in the world did the little girl she once was become a woman on the wrong side of the law? Determined to make a new start, she escapes to the quaint city of Alexandria, Virginia, where she takes on her mother's identity and finds sanctuary in the shadow of a decades-old church. But a little girl's plea proves to be her undoing, and the reverend...well, someone's got to open his eyes before disaster comes calling. Can Mary Bridget and her tainted past stay hidden long enough for her to bring hope to a family falling apart?

My favorite line? "You can't out-sin the cross."  Reminds me of Beth Moore's closing sentiments in Believing God (my paraphrase), He's the God who raises people from the dead!  If you have something more pressing than needing a dead person to be raised to life, you're out of luck but if it's anything less than that - HE CAN DO IT!  This book just echos that sentiment over and over.

Those who have been forgiven much, love much!

*I was provided a free copy of this book by BethanyHouse Publishers without further compensation.  All opinions are mine.