Synopsis:~

It’s the spring before high school, and Desiree (Desi) and Robin have little in common. Robin has lived in the small town of Shady Gully, Louisiana her whole life, while Desi comes from the big city of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Robin’s family is devout, reserved, and dedicated to church. Desi has never been to church, her parents are divorced, and her mom, Sunny, is as flamboyant as they come.

When Desi is introduced in class, Robin hates her on sight. But fate draws these two alienated girls to one another, and an alliance born of necessity soon evolves into an affection that endures. Together they become a force strong enough to overcome mean girls, weight hang-ups, and disturbing family dynamics.

As their paths diverge and they raise families of their own, rumors of a shocking betrayal ignite old insecurities, and the three-strand cord of their friendship begins to unravel.

Just when it seems they have lost everything, the truth brings them full circle … to Desi’s long buried trauma, and to Robin’s obsessive quest for perfection.

In their brokenness they come to realize there is only one true way to fill the emptiness inside, to quiet the lies, and to ultimately become… fearless.

Necee’s take:~

“Everything is always about Jesus. And right now you’re letting the devil win, Robin. He knows just how to zero in on all your insecurities and twist you up.”

A beautiful story woven out of two unlikely friends that bridge the gap of time in their relationship. This story will tug at your heart. It brought up many areas teens struggle with even later in life.

There are some heavy issues addressed in this book, but the beauty is in how much these friends grew personally, relationally, and spiritually. The friendship between Robin and Desi grows from school age into the deep bond of maturity. It’s a long road of battling those lasting insecurities. However, as their secrets keep them from finding true happiness, those secrets are harder to keep. This is a book about overcoming challenges and fears to becoming fearless. 

*Spoiler*

Maturity rating is high due to the very serious issues of molestation and a developing eating disorder, but overall, it was well written. 

I was graciously given a print copy of this book by the author. All opinions are my own and are given honestly.

Born and raised in Louisiana, most of Hallie’s screenplays and novels are set in the south. Inspired by a landscape rich with cantankerous, salt of the earth folks, Hallie’s characters tend to be ornery, but loveable. Dramatic, but kind. Quirky, but smarter than they appear.

A move to the creative community of Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2005 gave her the opportunity to take up screenwriting. As her screenplays were recognized with awards and placements in various contests, she had the opportunity to learn from award winning talents like Kirk Ellis (The John Adams miniseries) and Ronnie Clemmer (A League of Their Own).

But alas, her heart is southern, and when she and her family made another move to Kentucky, it renewed her passion for writing novels. And southern story telling.

Paint Me Fearless, the first book in The Shady Gully Series is the result. It’s women’s literature, it’s book club fiction, and it’s faith based. It’s Hallie Lee.

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