Title: Whispered Prayers of a Girl

Author: Alex Grayson

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: July 10, 2017 

A tortured soul meets a damaged family…

A lonely man, a widowed woman, a carefree boy, and a broken girl… Can the four come together and help heal each other? Or will fear of the unknown and guilt about the past keep them apart?

Her whispered prayers break her...

At night, as she’s drifting off to sleep, I press my ear to the door and listen to her heart-wrenching pleas. Her words are agony to my healing heart, but I cherish the sound of them, for that’s the only time I ever hear my beautiful daughter speak. Since her father died two years ago, she’s grown quiet and withdrawn. Cat’s Valley was to be our new beginning, a place where my family and I can heal, but what we find there is so much more.

Scars mar his body. Pain has left him in pieces…

Four years ago, I lost the two things I cherished most in the world. They were ripped from my arms in the most painful and cruel way. Since then, I’ve kept to myself, preferring to stay away from the pitying looks and murmured rumors. Everything changed when she and her children barged into my life. It was an accident, and I don’t deserve them, but now that they’re here, I’m not sure I can let them go.

The Staircase Reader - “Whispered Prayers of a Girl is intense, endearing, heartbreaking and beautiful.”

Renee Entress’s Book Blog - “Beautiful, heartbreaking read”

2OCC Reviews - “This book tore my heart to shreds and then slowly mended it until it was bursting.”

JUST LIKE LAST NIGHT, I walk silently down the hallway until I make out the murmured whispers from a girl begging God to bring her father back. I gently lay my hand on the door and listen as she slowly melts my heart until it’s a puddle at my feet. My chest aches with the need to walk in there and take away her pain. I’ve never heard such tortured words before. The pain that comes from them is overwhelming and unbearable. Even my own immense pain from losing the ones I loved can’t compare to this. This girl’s pain is so much more.

My head falls forward, and I pull in a deep breath to steady my heartbeat. It’s been quiet for several moments, and I know she’s finished. I let my hand fall from the door, and I walk down the hallway back to the living room. I drop to the cushion and let my head fall in my hands.

They’re leaving tomorrow. The sun is coming out and the temperatures are supposed to be in the lower fifties, much higher than it’s been in days. The snow won’t melt in one day, but it’ll be enough to let the road crew get to the fallen tree and her truck. My call earlier tonight to Travis confirmed they’ll be working on the roads tomorrow.

I’m not ready. It’s unreasonable and irrational, but I don’t want them to leave yet. I’m not ready to give up Daniel’s buoyant behavior or Kelsey’s quiet and depressed mannerisms. I’m not ready to give up Gwen’s giving and resilient personality. I want to keep them here. With me. They’ve brought so much light into my life since they’ve been here, and I want to keep it for a while longer. Which means they need to leave as soon as possible, before my dark world rubs off on them. I want to be selfish and harbor that light, but I won’t.

What hurts the most was the dejected look on Daniel’s face when Gwen informed him and Kelsey they’ll be leaving tomorrow. What surprised me was the morose look on Kelsey’s. That girl and her sad eyes have me wrapped around her little finger. And the boy…. Everyone should have a Daniel in their lives. Gwen tried cheering the two up with promised visits to all their friends once the roads were clear enough for it, but I could tell it didn’t work. I could also tell it wasn’t working for Gwen herself. She tried to hide it, I’m not sure if it was just from the kids or from me too, but I know she doesn’t want to leave either. The four of us, in a matter of days, have become close, formed a bond of a sort. And that right there is another reason they need to leave. I can’t let that continue. It’s not something I deserve. It’s something they need to form with a man who’s worthy. A man who will be there for them always. A whole man, not one who’s only half of himself.

I give my hair one good pull, letting the pain push away the unwanted feelings, before releasing it with a muted growl. I’m pissed at myself for wanting something I shouldn’t. This family is too good for me. I couldn’t even protect my own when they needed me. How could this family be any different? I refuse to take that chance.

I lie back against the cushion and force thoughts of Gwen and her two kids away, and instead let my own demons take over. Closing my eyes, I let the screams of pain and fear flood my mind, reminding me why Gwen, Kelsey, and Daniel are better off without me in their lives.

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Alex Grayson is the bestselling author of heart pounding, emotionally gripping contemporary romance including the Jaded Series, the Consumed Series, and two standalone novels. Her passion for books was reignited by a gift from her sister-in-law. After spending several years as a devoted reader and blogger, Alex decided to write and independently publish her first novel in 2014 (an endeavor that took a little longer than expected). The rest, as they say, is history.

Originally a southern girl, Alex now lives in Ohio with her husband, two children, two cats and dog. She loves the color blue, homemade lasagna, casually browsing real estate, and interacting with her readers. Visit her website, www.alexgraysonbooks.com, or find her on social media!

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Be still your heart while reading this story. I don’t know what was more tuggish- heartfelt or heartbreaking, when it came to these characters and their story. All characters were going through their own loss and learning how to cope or not to cope with the healing process. You truly see how fate interventions at the right moment and with pain and suffering comes strength.

Alexander is basically just going through the notions of life after a tremendous loss and trying to recover from not only his loss, but his healing from his scars and how the town views him now. He may come off as mean, but as you get to know Alex you see that he definitely had a reason to become the way he was, but when fate intervenes and you see a moment with Kelsey be still your heart and grab those tissues. I won’t ruin it for you so just read the book, but if you didn’t care for him before you will now be all I will say.

Gwendolyn moved to Cat’s Valley for a fresh start with her two kids after also suffering a tremendous loss; however, while she tries to move on your heart breaks with her with being so supportive of how to help her daughter, Kelsey after she bears much of the effect of the loss you can say. Daniel was younger so while it affected him too, you can see how they all help each other the best way they can. We learn about Selective Mutism (which I will say I never knew about and it is very interesting to see how/why this occurs) and the struggles Kelsey endures when she should be a carefree child. Oh, you will be dabbing those eyes when you hear her whispered prayers trust me, then add in the Alexander moment and you are bawling like a baby. While they all are dealing with a loss Kelsey and Alexander share a greater bond and you will see why.

Gwen and Alex have an attraction and you can understand why Alex feels the way he does, but his feelings for her and her children are strong and bonding. He can be mean in a way, but it is his way of protecting his heart and himself you can say. While they both should not have had to endure the loss they did, it is almost like the two from above were placing them at that moment when they both needed to spread their wings to move on and heal especially Kelsey.

You will be drawn in from the beginning to end, cry most of the book and then be left wanting to hug and laugh with the children. I truly say that animal therapy is good for kids. While that wasn’t the intention in the book, you can see how just being on the farm helped those kids heal. You begin broken and are left healed while still remembering those you lost. I think the author did an awesome job portraying Selective Mutism and how it is OK to move forward when you endure a horrible loss. Even though you cry most of the book, you still laugh through the tears and it touches your heart. I would highly recommend this book for readers who like to read these types of book (starting over from loss, meaningful story and slow-pace romance plus so much more).