Heartfelt stories of faith, love, and small-town life.
Smoke in the Air (Beauty from Ashes, Book 1)
Just when she thought her life goals were secure, someone she never expected to see again returns and upends all of her plans.
About the Book
She’s a planner… but trusting him wasn’t in her plans.
Rebekah Jenkins is bound and determined to bury her turbulent childhood in the past where it belongs, and securing a permanent home for herself in the only place she’s ever felt safe will go a long way in making that a reality. If she can also prove that a hearing loss won’t stop her from being just as independent as the next person, that would merely be the proverbial icing on top of the cake. Now that she’s been promoted to Barn Manager at the Dunn Family Equine Center, her plans are finally falling into place. That is, until the unexpected return of the owner’s prodigal son—who’s never been her biggest fan—results in not one, but two disasters. Suddenly, the life she's worked so hard to obtain is crumbling.
Ezra Dunn, for all intents and purposes, ran from Springtown seven years ago and never looked back. Why would he ever want to return after the royal mess he’d made of his life? His out-of-control behavior as a teen culminated with becoming a single dad barely out of high school, so even if he’d wanted to, it would be next to impossible for Ezra to live up to the legacy his beloved grandfather started with the family horse-training business.
But Ezra has changed a lot from the angry, stubborn young man he once was, so when uncontrollable circumstances bring him back to his hometown, he has high hopes of finally redeeming himself with the townsfolk—and by some miracle—maybe even mend the rift with his father. To do that, though, he’s gonna need the help of someone he hurt deeply during those rebellious teen years. Can he convince Rebekah he’s changed and gain her forgiveness? Or will the lies she believes keep her from ever trusting him—or the God Who changed him?
Details
Author: D. L. Forgard
Series: Beauty from Ashes, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance
Publishing Year: 2026
ASIN: B0GT6P6L6C