Gail Pallotta Shares Breaking Barriers - Disappointing...

“…love is not easily angered …” 1 Corinthians: 13:5

This book is part of a series...I have not read any of the others. For me, this became a problem--there was insufficient information to understand exactly what was happening. Was it a book post-apocalypse? Was it a time when a terrorist fanatical group had invaded America? Yet, the one main reference implies differently:

Randolph hit the table with his fist and it wobbled. “I don’t know the source of her strength and brains, but she’s one successful broad when she wants to be. This time it’s imperative that the anti-Christian movement abolish every trace of Christianity. When I was a U.S. senator, I learned as long as people are strong in their faith, some even willing to die for it, those with the movement can’t take over this country. And then, I can’t line my pockets and fork over satchels of cash for you to do our dirty work, so what’s the new plan?” The Worm could feel the cash in his hands. “I hope you idiots don’t go public as Out to Exploit Others. Nobody will go for it.” “Of course not. This time we’re thinking of making the mantra Enlightened Fairness for All.” Randolph shrugged his shoulders. “Or, whatever works, whatever people want to hear right now, possibly something about finances and fairness. Yeah, I like that. We’ll see.” The Worm knitted his eyebrows. It was hard to think around Randolph with grand ideas and schemes flowing from his mouth like a rushing river. “Next time I’ll follow her for a while and find a better place to attack. I’ll pull it off. You’ll see.”

Other than the continuation of the assignment to kill to the Worm, nothing more is said about past-Senator Randolph nor his, seemingly obvious, criminal role to use anti-Christianity for his profit... 

If you are able to bypass the lack of knowing the real villain, other than his hired hand, and see him brought to justice, then you may enjoy the story that is presented. I didn't. Even if this is part of a series, each book should provide sufficient information to make the single storyline totally satisfactory and complete.  

Breaking Barriers

By Gail Pallotta

Ann Jones smoothed the front of her black skirt as she entered the narthex of the church. 

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty... The powerful song resounded from behind the sanctuary’s oak doors. Late for the service again, Ann hurried past a flower arrangement of brown-eyed Susans on a mahogany table with a picture of Jesus above it. 
A loud rat-a-tat-tat-rat-a-tat-tat ripped the air. Was that a gun? She shook her head. The noise commenced again. Screams echoed from the sanctuary, and another round blasted Ann’s ears. She ran past the receptionist’s desk to the bathroom, ducked into a stall, and crouched on the cold beige tile floor. Tears trickled down her cheeks, and she shivered. More bullets rang out. She buried her head in her arms to hush the noise of hate and terrifying cries for help. 
Finally, a siren whirred in the distance, and the shots stopped. Shaking from head to toe, Ann placed her hands on the wall opposite the sinks and moved them up, one over the other, steadying herself as she stood. She took deep breaths, forced one foot in front of the other, and plodded out. Her knees almost buckled as she headed down the hall, the flowers blurring through her tears. She stepped to a door at the sanctuary and stopped in her tracks, her chest so tight she barely could breathe. She reached out to open it, and her hand trembled. What if she could help someone, and she didn’t? She crept inside. 
Shattered stained glass lay at her feet in a pool of blood on the hardwood floor. She yelled, sank down on an oak pew, sobbed, and shook. Dead bodies of close friends and acquaintances littered the room, some still sitting in their seats, their lifeless eyes focused on the altar. Others lay flat on the floor in the aisles or between the pews. The minster was facing down in front of the altar. The choir members slumped in their seats behind him, their heads lowered. A hand touched her shoulder, and she jumped. 
“I’m sorry, Miss Jones. I heard the gun as I gathered the trash can in the men’s room. I dropped it and came running. Before the shooter saw me I jumped in the closet and dialed 911.” The misty look in the janitor’s green eyes faded. Then everything went black. 
Ann woke with a paramedic holding a damp cloth on the back of her head. He escorted her away from the massacre, but the memory stayed with her, nagging her day and night. A passion to prevent such an atrocity from ever happening again erupted inside her.

~~~

As we've already seen in America, attacking of churches is not new...nor is there just one specific religion that has been targeted. Those Christian churches may have been attacked because of race as opposed to the religion taught in that facility. However, at this time, in this story, apparently all Christians were being targeted. The latest attack was at the church attended by Ann Jones, our main character.

Being late had undoubtedly saved her life, but when she saw the devastation of the sanctuary, she knew she had been called to act...

Up until that time, I was totally involved. Yes, Ann had organized to bring Christians together in secret, to begin to plan for dealing with what happened. Her dedication seemed to be successful as people gathered and were ready to work with her...

And then it turned primarily into a love story...

James Crawford had been at the first meeting called to begin plans. Ann admitted that his eyes on her had caught her attention...but she would not be turned aside...she knew based upon the abuse from her father, that you could not trust the eyes of men...

But, she did succumb and they began to date...

And when James fell hard for Ann, he began to coax her to give up the leadership of her group. Ann would become angry every time this happened, so that James decided he'd have to stop the relationship since he couldn't stand the worry and fear he felt for her...

About that time, I was saying..."Say What?" I don't know about you, but if there was an anti-Christian movement going on and all churches were being attacked or threatened and I felt called to lead a group against those who were threatening our very lives, I just don't think my life would continue on as it had... 

Nor would I not be depending upon God for strength...

Nor accept that a Christian friend would constantly insist I give up what I had been called to do...

And I certainly wouldn't come to depend upon that man to help protect me during that time, for Ann readily admitted that she no longer felt safe after James' split...

Then there is the new employee where Ann worked...she immediately was concerned about the relationship he had with the owner...thinking he would push her out of her job, but then it was James who suggested she was probably wrong about him. Frankly, this is not how a female manager, already in her position, would have acted...

I was quite disappointed with the author. The books she has routinely written have been wonderful. It is my personal opinion that writing a series book was not a good idea. It obviously placed her into a situation that did not reflect her own choices in writing this book. For me, the whole story did not make sense, there was no continuity from the beginning, with a horrible event...into a lackadaisical courtship and managerial job with little real action except by The Worm who had been contracted to kill her.

Sure, she had been targeted...but she constantly refused to believe that her secret organization wasn't the reason because she believe it was totally secret! Come on...in today's society, nothing that has a universal action can be kept secret. If people don't know that by now, they are escaping into a life outside of reality...

There are many others who have reviewed this book and recommended it. Do take the time to read other reviews. I cannot support this book as written... I do want to add one small, but disruptive to reading, matter about the writing. It was very clear that the writer constantly used other action words rather than the repetitive walk...In many cases, the alternative action word was strange... For instance, "He must have frightened my attacker when he strolled out of the building.” I doubt an attacker would ever stroll when leaving the scene of a crime, do you?

This is not the normal quality for Gail Pallotta, but in this case, I recognize that my opinion is based upon what I expect from this writer... You decide.

GABixlerReviews


Please check out reviews of her other books...


http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com/2016/08/a-beautiful-love-story-plus-valuable.html

http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com/2015/08/gail-pallotta-presents-stopped-cold.html

http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com/2011/07/heartwarming-inspirational-story-leaves.html