Stay With Me

By Carolyn Astfalk

Description:

With the encouragement of her brash sister, Abby, Rebecca has moved out of their overbearing father’s home. When a chance encounter with a good-looking guy named Chris ends with an invitation, Rebecca is emboldened to say yes. The authentic way Chris lives his Catholic faith and his life attracts Rebecca, and a family wedding, a camping trip, and a ride on his Harley-Davidson later, she’s in love, though she can’t bring herself to tell him.

Chris loves Rebecca and her innocence, but he’s confounded by the emotional scars she bears from her mother’s abandonment, her father’s cruelty, and an attempted assault. Coupled with her past, their differing faiths and her father’s disdain for both Chris’s religion and his career threaten their future.

With the counsel of their mutual friend Father John, can Rebecca and Chris overcome all the obstacles in their path and bridge the deepening gulf between them and her dad? Or will a crucial lapse in judgment and its repercussions end their relationship?

Book Takeaway:

Authentic love in God's design can help restore a woman's flawed sense of femininity and sexuality despite the destructive messages from family, attempted harm by an acquaintance, and even well-meaning religious folks.

Awards:

Why the author wrote this book:

Stay With Me started with a grocery store meet cute and blossomed into a romance between a man and woman with shared values but different faith traditions, family support, and understandings of sexuality. Chris and Rebecca helped me explore how a woman's sense of femininity and value can be affected by harmful messages from others.