Grounds to Believe

by Shelley Bates

Book Overview

Ever since a cult took his daughter, police investigator Ross Malcolm's mission has been to protect children. So when a secretive sect is suspected of child endangerment, he's on the job, seeking evidence from the latest victim's aunt, Julia McNeill. Though taught to fear outsiders, Julia risks everything to help Ross. But her actions unleash a dangerous chain of events. Now Ross must save not one but three lives from the evil that threatens them...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373786107
• ISBN13: 9780373786107
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Steeple Hill
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.33 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.2" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

The best debut novel I've read in years

Grounds to Believe captivated me from page 1. I read the story almost straight through, looking for opportunities to sneak away and read a little more until I finished. I wish all stories were as unique and egaging. The hero was awesome and the heroine was a very well-developed character. I liked the way the author took something complex like a cult and peeled the layers of the onion off very slowly, showing how real people were active members, usually because they knew nothing else. And the dysfunction in the heroine's family was portrayed very well. Having worked for 18 years with child abuse cases, the details involved with the nephew's near-demise were unfortunately all too true. Very realistic and well done. I can't wait for Shelley's next novel to be released.

Refreshing Inspirational romance

I had started reading Shelley Bates' "Grounds to Believe" a few days ago and got only a little ways into the book when I had to stop. I took it up again when I was eating a solitary dinner tonight, and it was so riveting that I finished dinner and kept reading. This is a bit different from the normal fare from Steeple Hill, in a good way. The author never writes about body parts or sexual innuendos, but the chemistry between the hero and heroine is almost tangible. What a rush to read some of their scenes. This is a hero I can swoon over (don't let the pastor-lookalike on the cover fool you, the hero is rough-and-tumble and sexy as sin . . . well, in a Christ-like way. LOL). The heroine is a bit like Jamie from "A Walk to Remember," sweet and innocent. But Julia is also real--struggling to understand the paradoxes between the teachings of her "Shepherd" and the Truth in the Bible. The topic of cults and toxic churches is very appropriate in these days when many churches deviate from the Bible and follow man-made rules. Julia's church talks "church speak" but doesn't act as Jesus would, and the members ultimately care only about themselves while professing to be sacrificing the world for God. There is no room for grace, no service for others. It is all appearance, not Christ's love. It's frighteningly like the modern world. The prose flows seamlessly and I got sucked into the story. The writing is masterful--each character is unique and distinct, there are no clichés or stereotypes here. Despite Julia's sheltered upbringing, I found myself liking her and relating to her as she fought to gain her self-esteem, her identity in God. I have already pre-ordered the author's next book, "Pocketful of Pearls," which also discusses toxic churches and other tough issues. This is totally refreshing Inspirational Romance.

I really enjoyed this book!

Its refreshing to me to read a Christian romance where a man is the main character. I also appreciated that 'The Elect' weren't all just a bunch of robots. Each character from the group was treated as an individual. I look forward to reading Shelly's next books in this soon-to-be trilogy!

A+++++ Debut for Shelley Bates

I just finished reading GROUNDS TO BELIEVE and I loved it!!! I have been an avid reader of fiction for many years and had believed I'd grown cynical of finding good thought-provoking interesting novels. Everything I read seemed to be the same old boring storylines just rearranged. Not so with GROUNDS TO BELIEVE. For one thing, Ms. Bates grabbed my attention by bringing me into the cult believing system and giving me an idea of what that kind of life is like. I really liked both Julia and Ross. They were believeable sympathetic characters and I felt like I really knew them. My heart went out to Julia as she struggled to go against all that she'd been brought up to believe. The only thing I found hard to believe was how quickly Kailey accepted Ross back into her life. But overall I thought this was a wonderful book and I recommend it to everyone!

A Great Read

Grounds to Believe is the best inspirational romance I've ever read. Shelley Bates creates characters that draw the reader completely into the story. The heroine's struggles to find a true faith are both believable and compelling. The hero is strong in his faith--and yummy as well! I found the description of the cult particulary sensitive and balanced. This truly is a wonderful book.