Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: Souls Astray by Kellyn Roth

 

About the Book

Book: Souls Astray

Author: Kellyn Roth

Genre: Historical Women’s Fiction

Release date: April 5, 2022

Adele Collier has sought a carefree lifestyle ever since her tragic childhood. Determined to never allow anyone or anything to control her life or emotions again, she consistently seeks distraction in gaiety. But shaking her ghosts isn’t as easy as she’d like.

Troy Kee has been alone in the world since the Great War took his parents and left him in charge of his younger sister. When she marries, he’s left to seek after his goal of a healthy, complete family. But how can he focus on his dream when trouble plagues his family vineyard?

When Adele and Troy meet, a whirlwind romance begins—but can two lost souls have a healthy relationship?

 

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

This story was not quite what I was expecting, and it certainly seems to be filled with more downs than ups. But there is a reason for that, and I think it is because that we as people don't always see the blessings even when we are hurt or going through dark times. We are also stubborn and if we do not have the right perspective and our eyes on the only One who can see us through, well our souls also go astray.

Starting off during World War 1, we meet both Adele Collier and Troy Kees as they are children. The author spends a good chunk of time on both while they are children as they go through circumstances that are going to help shape them into the adults that they become. Both of their stories are heartbreaking to say the least, and both are deeply hurt.

They meet as young adults and have a whirlwind courtship that leads to marriage and baby. However, not all is so happy for Adele as she, on the outside, really does not seem very nice. She carries a lot of hurt, pain, and abandonment issues. Throw in what I believe is postpartum depression and she becomes even worse. Troy, I felt so bad for him for he truly loves her.

Their story, at least in the first book of the series is full of heartbreak and poor decisions. I also believe we get a glimpse of generational sin passed from mother to daughter. I will say this story did not end happily. There are two more books in this series which I hope to read soon as I just can't seem to leave these characters where they are.

I received a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Kellyn Roth is a historical romance & women’s fiction author who writes about the empty places where hope has the most room to grow. Her novels include the inspirational Victorian family saga, The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy, and the Kees & Colliers series, which follows a broken family in the tumultuous years of the first half of the 20th century.

Kellyn is a student of the Author Conservatory and a writing coach. When not building her author career, she is likely getting lost somewhere in the Pacific Northwest with her friends, watching period dramas and facetious comedies, or spending time with her husband.

 

More from Kellyn

Hello everyone!

First, I wanted to thank you all for checking out this blog tour! In this fast-paced world, the fact that you took a moment out of your day to read this is actually a pretty big honor. I appreciate you checking out my little book and taking the time to read my introduction.

Souls Astray was the book I wrote when my granddad died. We were very close, and at the time he died, I was a lonely teenager, recently graduated from high school and unsure of my next step. I was heartbroken by his death – it felt like the nail in the coffin of my family, and it felt a little like he was the last person who believed in me.

This wasn’t true, but my, did it feel my dramatic self with lots of thoughts! I poured those into the book, writing it all in about three weeks, and then I spent the next few years revising it.

This book (and the other novels in its series) are of a different tone than my usual books. Even though I delve into difficult topics in all my stories – such as grief and loss, miscarriage, assault, serious mental health issues – this story somehow ended up with a tone I don’t think I could replicate if I tried.

This was the story I wrote out of my own grief and desperation, my own feeling that my world was falling apart. It’s like sharing a piece of my own heart to share it. Though Adele and Troy had very different journeys than mine, which is pretty peachy compared to their lives, I still relate to them.

This was also the first book I didn’t dedicate to a real person – the dedication ended up being inspired by a song, actually, which was comforting to me during this time: God Only Knows by For King & Country. “For the lonely, for the ashamed, the misunderstood, and the ones to blame. What if we could start over?”

Thank you again for your time!

Kellyn Roth

Blog Stops

Inklings and notions, June 1

Miriam Jacob, June 1

lakesidelivingsite, June 2

Texas Book-aholic, June 3

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 4

Rebecca Tews, June 5

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 5

For Him and My Family, June 6

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, June 7

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 8

deb’s Book Review, June 9

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 10

To Everything There Is A Season, June 10

Connie’s History Classroom, June 11

Splashes of Joy, June 12

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 13

Pause for Tales, June 14

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kellyn is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1e7d7/souls-astray-celebration-tour-giveaway