My review:

I love books that make me think. This is the type of novels that leaves you pondering things even after you finish the last page. I really liked how the story ended because it brought closure to everything. I also appreciated the realistic struggles that the hero and heroine had. This author does a good job with stirring emotion in the reader and making hearts ache as well as rejoice. There were just enough "we think we've found out what happened" scenarios to make it seem suspenseful, even though it wasn't a suspense novel. There was also a mystery element to the book. It would be hard to sit around waiting when the trail seems to grow colder by the day.

The questions Mitch asked himself were legitimate ones. How do you know when it's time to let go? How do you get peace in a situation like this? Why did God let it happen and why did it take so long to find out the truth? Well, God knows what he's doing and if we tune into His will, we will find peace and a deeper relationship with Him, but we have to surrender our own plans first. It's really hard to talk about some of the characters' journeys without posting spoilers and this is the kind of book that you don't want to cheat and read the end first.

Half the beauty of reading the story is not knowing the outcome. The moral and spiritual dilemmas are more complex when the reader doesn't know the future... just like in real life. How many decisions would we change if we knew what the future held? It was a realistic and touching journey for me in that respect. I really enjoyed this story.

I found this to be a captivating storyline with characters that were realistic and easy to relate with. I was captured from almost the beginning of the story and enjoyed it until the very end. This story got me thinking how a disappearance without a trace would affect a family.

The author did an amazing job pulling me into this story and the life of a husband dealing with all the questions that surround his wife's mysterious disappearance. She told the story from the two points of view, Mitch and Shelley and allowed me to glimpse at what both were feeling about the situation.

This story made me cry, smile and even laugh at times but I finished it wanting to read more by this author. She did a great job telling a powerful story that touched me deeply.

Disclaimer: I did receive this book from the publisher but was under no obligation to give anything but my honest opinion.

Deborah Raney has again delivered a story that drew me in and made me read furiously until the very last page. This is a unique story of Mitch's search for his wife who never returns from a teachers' conference. As the days, weeks, and months pass by, he struggles with whether to continue searching or to admit that she's never coming home. And more importantly, he fights to learn what exactly happened to his wife. Did someone harm her? Or did she simply run off? As he continues the search, he grows closer to Jill's best friend and next door neighbor, Shelley. As their feelings for one another grow, Mitch must decide if he will honor his vows to a missing woman or begin a new life with Shelley.

Early on I was anxious about some of the possible outcomes of this complex story. After reading about 30 pages, I cheated and read the last page. With the slight comfort that there at least would be a firm resolution (one of my fears was that the book would simply go in circles and not really reach a satisfying conclusion), I continued reading. All I can say is WOW! The journey that this book takes you on as you read Mitch, Jill, and Shelley's story is simply unbelievable. I loved the characters and felt their emotions coming through the pages of the book. While this is a pretty heavy story, it was also filled with hope and encouragement. I cannot recommend The Face of the Earth highly enough. When you make your summer reading list, be sure to include this incredible book by Deborah Raney! [4.5 stars]

I received a free copy of this book from Howard Books & LitFuse Publicity in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Deborah Raney in her new book, "The Face of the Earth" published by Howard Books brings us into the life of Mitchell Brannon.

From the back cover: What if she never came home . . . ?

When Mitchell Brannon's beloved wife sets off for home after a conference, he has no idea that his life is about to change forever. Mitch returns from work early that evening, surprised that Jill's car isn't in the garage. But her voice on the answering machine makes him smile. "Hey, babe, I'm just now checking out of the hotel, but I'll stop and pick up something for dinner. Love you." Hours later, Jill still hasn't returned, and Mitch's irritation turns to dread.

When the police come up empty, Mitch enlists the help of their next-door neighbor, Jill's best friend, Shelley, to help search. As hours turn into days and days into weeks, Mitch and Shelley's friendship grows ever closer--and decidedly more complicated. Every lead seems to be a dead end, and Mitch wonders how he can honor the vows he made to a woman who has seemingly disappeared from the face of the earth.

How far do you have to go to keep your marriage vows? "The Face of the Earth" explores that question. It also explores the special friendship that exists between women. Then there is the mystery. Mitchell Brannon's wife doesn't come home. Despite an investigation she just cannot be found. If she is gone does that mean his marriage is over? Ms. Raney gives us a mystery as to what really happened to Jill and what will happen between Mitchell and Shelley. "The Face of the Earth" deals with relationships and is so well balanced to keep it from becoming really depressing which in the hands of a lesser author would have become. All the characters are likable and Ms. Raney has a way of making the characters lives very real so that we feel that we are living the moments with them.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

When you take your wedding vows, you agree to follow them until one of you or possibly both of you dies and the vow is no longer applicable. Yet what happens when your spouse simply never returns home despite being happily married? How long does one wait before it's acceptable to move forward? That is the premise behind the latest book from Deborah Raney, The Face of the Earth.

Jill and Mitchell Brannon are your typical married couple. They attend church regularly, have raised two children that are now attending college nearby and have close friends that live in the property directly behind theirs. Jill Brannon takes her husbands advice and attends a conference designed for teachers in nearby Kansas City and is expected back in a couple of days. All goes well and there's even a message awaiting Mitchell on their answering machine at home, that Jill has checked out of the hotel and is planning to see him soon with a surprise just for him. That was more than 5 hours ago. More than enough time for Jill to have driven home. There are no adverse weather conditions that would prevent her from arriving home as expected and despite all his calls to her cell phone all he gets is voicemail. How long will he have to wait before she comes home. How long would you wait?

In the latest novel The Face of the Earth, Deborah Raney takes the reader into every single persons worst nightmare. What happens when someone you love simply vanishes off the face of the Earth without a trace. I found myself cringing at the waiting that Mitch has to do in simply not knowing where Jill has gone. The police have no clues and no real motives to speak of. Despite all his attempts to convince them that Jill is not the type to simply walk away from her marriage and family, they've seen enough cases to know this could very well be a possibility. Mitch relies on the help of Jill's best friend and their neighbor Shelley, to see if between the two of them, they might figure out where Jill is before the police can. But what if they can't? What if she simply has had a mid-life crisis and has left them all behind? Will Shelley confide in Mitch that Jill's ex boyfriend contacted her on Facebook and wanted to meet while she was away at the conference?

You'll have to pick this novel out to find out how it all ends!

I received The Face of the Earth by Deborah Raney compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Publishers and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review and received no monetary compensation for a favorable one. This was such a compelling novel for me to not want to put it down until I knew what the outcome would be. In fact, I had to fight myself several times to not rush to the back of the book to find out more than half way through because the suspense was killing me. I forced myself to wait it out simply because like people who experience this kind of nightmare for real, the answers aren't found simply by going to the end of the book. They have to painstakingly live through it minute by minute. I am thankful that Deborah Raney decided to come up with a conclusion for this novel instead of simply leaving it as Jill never coming back and leaving the reader to come up with their own conclusions on what happened. Thank you, thank you for that! This one is a great read and makes you wonder how you would react in the similar situation, and praying that you never will have to know. I rate this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars and have added this to my growing Deborah Raney library of novels.