Title: Living in the Shadows
Author: Mary Beth Hogland
Publisher: URLink Print & Media, LLC
ISBN: 9781647531188
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Pages: 230
Reviewed by: Arthur Thares
Hollywood Book Reviews
It is not uncommon for a single story to take on multiple genres, but it can be a difficult task for some authors. Mrs. Hogland mixes action, espionage, and romance into this story, which isn’t uncommon, but on top of that she layers Christian beliefs making this just as much a book of religious teachings as a work of fiction. What is more impressive – and much appreciated – is that the Christian values she extols in the book are not heavy-handed and feel like a genuine part of the characters’ experiences.
The story follows Eric Preston, a singer and actor with a dicey past that has been forced to fake his death to protect those around him after some undercover government work. As is common in life, his plans to hide in secret are ruined when a chance meeting causes him to fall madly in love with a woman named Andrea. After a whirlwind romance set in the backdrop of an Amazonian mission trip, Andrea and Eric are married. What could have been happily ever after, is far from over.
The couple shares many ups and downs in the early years of their marriage, including a health scare, but that is not even the scariest thing they have to endure. The third act of the story gets even crazier when it turns out that Eric’s involvement with the government goes even deeper than he knows. Thanks to his faith, Eric can put family first and face whatever comes their way next. One thing that I found especially interesting about Living in the Shadows was its setting in time. The story spans decades starting in the 1960s, and Mrs. Hogland does a beautiful job interspersing facts from true-life events. She also takes liberties in having her characters mingle with historical figures of the period.
Mary Beth Hogland wove a remarkable tale of romance and action which almost seems as if it could have been based on real-life events. Her passion for storytelling shows through in this inventive work, and it is endearing that she included poems from her son in the book. What most impressed me about this story and Mrs. Hogland’s ability to tell it was how she injected her faith into the story without making it the centerpiece. She is an imaginative author who manages to work a lot of ideas into her story.
This book is an excellent read for teens or older, given the nature of some interactions, but I feel as though there is a wide audience for this book. Often books that include romance and action are not aimed at a Christian demographic, but Mrs. Hogland has done a fantastic job walking the line of being entertaining without being graphic. I am sure this is not the last time we will hear from Eric and Andrea, and I look forward to reading about their next adventures.