relzreviewz.com The Price of Dreams by Toni Shiloh

Synopsis:~

Ballet has always been my life, but one terrible moment may have destroyed everything I’ve worked so hard for—especially my title of Octavia Ricci, principal ballerina. I thought for sure my physical therapist, Dr. Noah Wright, could help me obtain my dream once more, but he wants more than I’m prepared to give.

I’ve seen firsthand the trials of interracial relationships. I’m a product of one myself and promised I’d never put my hopefully-someday kids through that drama. Everyone keeps telling me to let go of other people’s expectations, but I’m just not sure I can. Besides, if my dreams of returning to ballet are futile, what hope is there in seeking unconditional love?

The Price of Dreams is the third and final book in the Christian Chick Lit series: Faith & Fortune.

Necee’s take:~

“Where are You, Lord?” I whispered. “Why can I not feel Your presence?”

The heart of this book is learning to wait on His still small voice, calming the mind in the busyness of the world to focus on His will in our lives. This is shown through Octavia’s experiences, when a life changing injury causes her to reevaluate the direction God has for her. After reading the first two books in the series, The Price of Dreams, was calming to my soul. The focus pans away from the suspense of a stalker and focuses on what happens next between Octavia and her friends’ futures. Shiloh looks at the heart, the soul, the mind, and how we deal with standing out in a world that wants everyone to meet their standards. How we fight against the cookie cutter images the world expects of us.

“It was bad enough I had to waffle somewhere between Black and white, but add to that being American and Italian? Headache city.”

Another key element of Octavia’s story is her self-perception and how she is viewed by others. She is concerned with what others think of her and the struggle with her status in the community. I love how her PT, Dr. Noah, challenges her to see beyond those struggles to grasp all that God has for her. Their banter was fun to watch play out while trying to hold back on a relationship. I loved seeing their romance unfold…

“How can you stand it? Just reading words. I’d rather watch a movie.”

“But everyone knows books are better than movies.”

“Says who? Book nerds, that’s who.”

He laughed, and the joy echoing in the studio warmed my heart. He had a wonderful laugh. I closed my eyes, trying to push the delightful sound away before I fell under his spell any further.”

Another unique perspective Shiloh wrote about was Octavia’s struggles in choosing an interracial relationship after seeing how much her parents’ relationship affected her. I loved seeing her walls come down and accepting the love God has for her, which is really the only love that matters. Noah was a fresh wave of grace that spoke to the soul, fighting for her, and yet giving her the space to figure out what was best for her. Handling racism and interracial struggles when pulled between your heritage and others’ expectations was heart tugging. I loved the honest conversations between her best friends, too.

A beautiful story with so much heart that deals with the struggles of today’s culture. I recommend this to anyone who loves contemporary romance with real life issues surrounding family and interracial relationships.

“Psalm 145: “I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works.” God had left His fingerprints on the world for us to enjoy. A visual compass to point to Him and show us who He is. The great Creator. A Master artist.”

Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian fiction writer. Once she understood the powerful saving grace of the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior. She writes soulfully romantic novels to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness. Before pursuing her dream as a writer, Toni served in the United States Air Force. It was there she met her husband. After countless moves, they ended up in Virginia, where they are raising their two boys. When she’s not typing in imagination land, Toni enjoys reading, playing video games, making jewelry, and spending time with her family.