About
Two men, one woman, a rosebush …
… a terrible past, an uncertain future
Jennifer, a woman unexpectedly trapped in a path of love and passion against everything she believes.
Rodrigo, a man set to get what he wants at the cost of what matters most.
Stefano, a man with a past, a story to tell and passion to offer.
Chidi, a friend in need, a friend indeed. Or not?
From a culture where good girls follow the norm and live as they’ve been told, Jennifer is no different from any other girl until by happenstance, she meets and falls in love with Rodrigo, a man who’s handsome, rich and foreign. Different. She has no idea who he is or what he does, and is swept into a world of romance and passion. It is not long before she discovers a shocking truth that shakes both her world and his.
Then he is gone.
Stefano shows up at a time when Jennifer has made up her mind about the rules of life. He thinks she’s beautiful and is in love with her. In a bid to convince her to give him a chance in her life, old memories once buried are brought to life. And the events that follow don’t leave anyone unaffected by the truth of the past that was left unsettled.
Meanwhile, Jennifer with her friend Chidi, find themselves on a self-discovery journey that has one of them raising questions.
Some just have to ask, where is God in all this?
… an inspirational romance, from Lagos to Italy.
Review
When I first read what To Die Once was about, I was a bit nervous. I’m not a huge fan of love triangles and this book seems to have love triangle all over it. But I read some of the author’s writings and one thing that I have learned is that good writing can trump topics that I don’t like. I can’t go into too much detail because this is one of those books where too much talking will give the surprise away. So, here we go:
What I did like:
Don’t worry about the love triangle! If that’s your fear, please don’t let that stop you from reading this book!
The novel took place in Lagos and Italy. It’s not often you read Christian fiction that doesn’t take place in America. I really enjoyed the cultural aspect that was presented. And sometimes, I wanted more.
The overall premise of the story. I loved the way the novel comes full circle.
Many aspects of this novel felt grounded in reality. Sometimes I feel like romance novels drag certain things out to make the novel longer. And I didn’t feel that way with this one.
Chidi. She was my favorite character.
Spiritually, there are a ton of lessons here dealing with grace, judgment, forgiveness, etc. However, the one that stuck with me the most was that you shouldn’t think that you can handle temptation. If you recognize it for what it is, leave. Oh, wait, there’s another, God can use the mistakes in our lives and use them for something greater.
What I didn’t like:
When Jennifer fell in love, she seemed to base a lot of it on attraction. And so, I felt as a reader that I never really connected with the men in her life. When things got rough between her and a guy, I simply wasn’t as concerned about him. I was concerned about Jennifer and Chidi. But the men, not so much.
Also, one of the characters in this novel seemed to equate grace with trust. While I get that you are a new creation in Christ, trust still must be earned. And this person had some earning to do.
Romantic Scale: 8
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. The writing was beautiful, the story (though a bit farfetched) was really creative, and it’s a beautiful story of grace.
**I received this novel from the author. My opinion was not affected in anyway.**
Giveaway
Ms. Uyeh is graciously giving away 10 ebooks every week for the next 7 weeks, giving you the opportunity of winning 1 of 70 copies! All you have to do is enter through Rafflecopter below. Every Sunday the winners will be drawn of Miranda’s blog (http://mautobeaperson.wordpress.com/) and winners will be sent the ebook once the giveaway is finished. Open INTERNATIONALLY!!
remaininhislove 
Embassie!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! I truly appreciate it. 🙂 I hear you on Jennifer’s fault in picking guys based on physical attraction. It’s what got her into trouble after all. Thankfully, she did learn that ‘physical’ approval doesn’t mean God’s approval–the same lesson God had to teach Samuel when he was sent to anoint David as King.
Thank you again!
Wow that cover is gorgeous! Sounds like a really good novel!
Hey Laura!
Thank you! Lena Goldfinch outdid herself with this cover. I love it! As for the novel being a good one, I guess that’s a matter of opinion. 🙂