I was given a PDF edition of The Uncommitted by Margaret Goss for review. The cover art is eye-catching; so are a few inconsistencies. Perhaps I notice them more than others because of my years in publishing. I do have to admit they did little to distract from the story itself…only the overall presentation of the book.
The book opens with Josephine Reilly taking a plane ride to care for her mother who is dying from cancer. I went through this very experience in 2015 and want to mention how well the author portrays the difficulties and emotional turmoil. It was very well done.
Josie Reilly has paranormal experiences since childhood, though they change throughout her life cycle and are inherited through her mother’s bloodline. After mother’s death, her abilities are heightened. Despite the disapproval of her stuffy husband, she decides to explore her abilities to channel the deceased.
She gets much more than she bargained for. What follows is an emotional rollercoaster of spiritual bombardment, unpleasant entities threatening her children and questioning of herself as a mother and a wife. Josie seeks help and finds none in what she believed would be traditional routes. She, as well as others around her, fear she’s lost her sanity and moral fortitude. Her marriage is also threatened.
Josie faces her fears, renews her faith, resists mortal temptations with supernatural origins and discovers the truth of her past lives and that of a mysterious man with healing powers. She finds strength in the living and the dead.
I did not realize this book is Christian Fiction until I finished reading it. I am a Christian but not Catholic so a few references to Catholic elements of faith were lost on me without having to stop and look them up. Enough was familiar to me to make the story plot and timeline intriguing and interesting. I won’t spoil it for you but the ending certainly took a different turn than I expected. I honestly don’ t know if this story would appeal to someone who is not religious or spiritual. I certainly enjoyed it. I’m interested to see where Ms. Goss takes Josie in future books. I’d love to see what the future holds for a woman with these paranormal gifts.
ISBN: 978-1-59598-428-9
E-ISBN: 978-5-59598-429-6