Welcome to the Blog Tour for Return of the Son by D.M. Griffin, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Return of the Son
Series: The Encounter #4
Author: D.M. Griffin
Publisher: Independently published
Release Date: October 10, 2024
Genre: Biblical Fiction
Her life was perfect. At least her childhood was. Eve never wanted anything except her father’s presence. As a prominent advisor to the evil King Herod, Eve’s father was split between his duties to the king and his duties as the only living parent for his daughter. With no heir to claim his family’s land, Eve’s father did what any loving father would do. He arranged for her betrothal. But this wasn’t just any betrothal. Her potential husband was related to the king she despised. With a rough marital journey ahead of her, she tenuously clings to the promises of God.
Not sharing her father’s enthusiasm or respect for the Herodian dynasty, Eve acted like the spoiled child she was upon first meeting her betrothed. With faulty expectations and prejudiced opinions, she did what she would to ruin the marriage before it began. It wasn’t until it was almost too late that Eve’s eyes were open and she saw the opportunity to experience love for the divine intervention that it was.
Fraught with political intrigue and personal challenges, would Eve be able to fully surrender to the life God wanted her to live by loving a man she thought she could never love? When that man’s shadows chase the family into the future, would Eve’s son pay the ultimate price? Or would God intervene there too? Could He? Only a single, unforeseen encounter could answer Eve’s impossible question. Does love truly conquer death?
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
My Thoughts
I have read a couple of books by D. M. Griffin. I really enjoyed The Winds of Ruach, and though I didn’t like The Crooked Daughter quite so well, it was good enough that when I was invited to review Return of the Son I signed up for it without hesitation. I like some Biblical fiction—but I don’t like those books that are mainly focused on romance, or that try to recreate the story of a person in the Bible that we know a lot about and then add in a lot that doesn’t seem accurate. Based on my past experience, I felt like Return of the Son would be a book that I would enjoy.
I really enjoyed Return of the Son. This story was inspired by the few verses in one of the gospels about the widow in Nain; we know nothing else about her beyond those few verses. D. M. Griffin has created an epic story here that weaves together many stories that are in the gospels.
In a large part of this book, I found Eve very annoying. She jumped to conclusions and couldn’t seem to get beyond her preconceived ideas about the man her father had betrothed her to, especially after overhearing gossip that seemed to paint an unfavorable picture of him. I kept wondering what it would take to snap her out of that mindset. I wondered if she would ever be able to see him the way he really was.
I felt like Return of the Son was Biblically accurate in almost everything. The one thing I questioned was that Eve created a statue of two people. The author talked about this briefly in a note at the end of the book, but I’m not sure I agree with her conclusions.
I loved the way this author told the story of Jesus’ ministry from the point of view of people who lived far from Jerusalem and did not seek Him out. I also liked being able to get Herod’s family straighter in my mind. That family is important throughout the book, and I should now be able to remember how each of the men fits in to the Bible’s story. Overall, I found this book very good, and I’ll be watching for more books by this author.
More Books in This Series
About the Author
D.M. Griffin lives in California but grew up in beautiful New England. As a married woman with three adult children, she enjoys spending her time crafting novels that enhance the truth of Scripture. Her characters are biblically based and entirely captivating. She launched Devoted Steps Ministry in 2016. Besides keeping up with the daily prayers and devotionals on the devotedsteps.com website, she works at a local church. She is an avid reader as well as a writer. Long walks around the lake offer her space for inspiration. Besides biblical fiction, she also writes speculative Christian fiction novels.
Connect with D.M. Griffin by visiting devotedsteps.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card, signed paperback of Return of the Son, and a prayer shawl!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 15, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 22, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
This looks like a very enjoyable read. Thanks for sharing.
Sounds like a great read
Sounds like a great book.
Thoughtful review, appreciate the honesty!
This sounds like a great book very interesting indeed!