Monday, May 1, 2017

Finding Hope by Lucie Ulrich

Finding Hope

Lucie Ulrich

Inspirational, Romance, Family Drama
Clean Reads
April 2017

Amazon | B&N

Nearly sixteen years after relinquishing the rights to his unborn child, Noah Cooper is stunned to discover his daughter, Hope, wants to meet him. With the love and support of his family, Noah sets off from Elk Flats, Montana to Albany, New York, having no idea what changes are in store for him.

Cancer survivor and widow, Beth Peterson, is more than a little nervous to meet her daughter’s birth father. Their initial meeting goes well, but things decline in a hurry when Noah invites Hope to spend time at the ranch without speaking to Beth about it first.

Determined to meet her new family, a battle of wills ensues between Hope and her mother. While Hope longs for a connection, Beth fears losing her daughter to virtual strangers—strangers who live two thousand miles away.

Struggles and misunderstandings abound between Noah and Beth, despite their growing attraction for one another. Noah is ready to commit, while Beth can’t let go of the memory of her husband and the imperfections cancer has forced her to live with.

Will hope, patience, and prayer be enough to pull this family together?


Excerpt

Over dinner Hope chatted on about school, her dreams to become a veterinarian, and the school play she was taking part in. “I have a really good part. Do you think you could come back to see me, Noah?”

“As much as I’d like to, I’m not sure I could get away so soon.”

“Honey, that’s a lot to ask. The play is only a month away, and Noah doesn’t exactly live across town.”

“Sure.” Hope swirled the mashed potatoes on her plate with her fork. “I understand.”

The downward bent of Hope’s mouth tore at Noah’s insides. He’d barely made contact and was already letting her down. He swallowed his final bite of meat. “Maybe you could spend some time at the ranch over the summer.”

Hope’s frown quickly turned to a face-splitting grin. “That would be amazing. I can’t wait to tell Jenny.”

Fire practically shot from Beth’s eyes, and Noah knew he’d put his foot in it big time.

****
Beth asked Hope to clear the table and clean the kitchen. “I’m going to show Noah the garden. We’ll have dessert when we come back.”

“Sure, Mom.”

“The garden’s this way.” Beth walked past Noah toward the sliding glass door. She opened it with more force than necessary, causing the door to slam into its metal casing. Cringing at the racket, she was less forceful with the screen.

Noah followed her onto the deck. “Look, I know I spoke—”

“Not here.” She descended the stairs at a brisk pace and walked across the yard until she reached the gazebo. The walk and cool air did nothing to calm her nerves. Spinning around, she faced him. “You had no right to extend an invitation like that without speaking to me first.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. The words just came out before I had a chance to think about what I was saying.”

“Yeah, well, sorry isn’t going to help when I have to tell Hope she won’t be going. I opened my home to you so that you could meet your daughter, not for you to whisk her away at the first opportunity.”

He held up his hands. “Whisk her away? No, you’ve got it all wrong. I expect you to come with her. Hope has other family, which means you do, too. I think she’d enjoy a couple of weeks of ranch life, and you’re both going to love my family.”

“You assume a lot for someone who’s barely known me for twenty-four hours and my daughter half that amount of time. And, yes, I did say my daughter. You may have fathered her, but I raised her.”

“That’s a low blow, Beth.” Noah’s easy smile vanished. He leaned against the railing and crossed his arms over his chest. The mixture of hurt and anger in his eyes pained her. She knew she was overreacting but couldn’t help herself. He was moving too fast. Surely he realized that. “I think it might be best if you don’t stay for dessert. I’ll explain to Hope.”

“I’ll be the first to admit that my enthusiasm may have gotten the better of me.” He uncrossed his arms and pointed to her. “But you’re the one who invited me into Hope’s life. You asked if I was in for the long-haul, so I assumed you understood I’d want to bring Hope to Montana from time to time.”

“It’s too early for this to be about what you want.”                            


About the Author

Lucie Ulrich is an award-winning author of inspirational fiction. Her books are filled with stories of faith, family and forgiveness. She was honored to receive a RONE Award for her second novel, “The Rose Ring.” 

A former performing arts director, Lucie now enjoys going on photo shoots with her husband, and taking long (or short) road trips. She continues to find inspiration as she and her husband explore the four corners of the United States.

Social Media:
Website: http://lucieulrich.com/

41 comments:

  1. I hope to read this soon. Love the cover!!!

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    Replies
    1. The cover captures the plot perfectly

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    2. Thanks, Becky. It's one of my favorite covers.

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  2. I've really been looking forward to the release of this one Lucie! It's definitely on my TBR, and cannot wait to soak in the story of Noah and Beth! Trdivincenzo (at) gmail (dot) com

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    1. I was lucky enough to be the content editor on Finding Hope-- Loved the story!

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    2. I appreciate that, Teri! It's a story hadn't planned to write, but I'm so glad I did.

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  3. Wanting to read this one! Loved the Rose Ring :)

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    1. Then you'll love Finding Hope too!

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    2. Thanks, Deanna. I hope you love this one as much.

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  4. Replies
    1. One of the better books I've read this year-- and I read a lot!

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    2. Thanks, Janice and Kimber Leigh. :)

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  5. Can't wait till Wed. and I can buy this book and read it. I loved the first book in this series

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    Replies
    1. It's such a sweet, moving story. I'm sure you'll love it.

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    2. I appreciate that, Wilani!

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  6. This book sounds great! Can't wait to read it!

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    Replies
    1. I've been recommending it to anyone who loves a sweet romance.

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    2. I hope you enjoy, Ashley. Thanks for the shout-out, Kimber!

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  7. Very eye-catching cover. Sounds good.

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    Replies
    1. I love the pop of purple amid the greenery.

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    2. The cover artist did a great job matching the colors with The Rose Ring.

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  8. I can't wait to read Finding Hope. Lucie's stories always are a blessing to read.

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    Replies
    1. That's the way I felt when reading Finding Hope. It just left me feeling that all is well in the world.

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    2. Thanks so much. It's humbling when God allows me to reach people through my stories.

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  9. This cover is beautiful and I'm looking forward to reading this one. Anything with horses tends to draw me in.

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    1. Thank you, Andrea. I don't ride, but love to include horses whenever I can. :)

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  10. Love the cover. Can't wait to read it.

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  11. Sounds like a great book, Lucie. I can't wait to read it.

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    1. Thank you, Leona. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. :)

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    2. Hey, Lucie, who designed the cover. It is very eye-catching

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  12. Amanda L. Matthews is the cover artist. She's fantastic!

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  13. I want to thank you again for hosting me. I enjoyed chatting about my books. :)

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  14. This is on my list to read during my next car trip. I like the premise!

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