Book Review: Uneasy Street by Becky Wade

This book had a theme of grace and forgiveness running through it. Will everyone who needs to forgive do it? Will everyone who gets forgiven accept it? Can they see through the lies they have told themselves about their worth. Can they move forward trusting that they are worthy of love? 

Some new characters come into play, Sloane and her niece, Ivy who are living in an apartment on Max's property that he is renting out. He and Sloane have a complicated past. Once being as close as any friends and business partners could be to enemies in what appears to be a blink of an eye. The how and why are revealed some chapters in but the deep-down heart of things takes a little more time. It is worth the wait. 

There is a couple of interwoven substories in this book. One is with the mom of Max's two brothers, Fiona. Becky had this story brewing in the first two books, but it finally gets sorted out in this one. It is a HUGE part of the forgiveness and grace theme. I loved how it played out. 

The second one is a missing tiara that has been lost for over 14 years. We don't see a whole lot of page time on this topic but there are underlying facts that must come to light. It reminds us how things can continue to fester in our hearts if we don't forgive those who have hurt us in the past. It can make us bitter, and it can stop us from living the life God has for us to live. 

 The whole reason for Sloane and Ivy being there is because Ivy needed someone to stay with while her adoptive parents went on a long mission trip. Sloane is her real aunt. Her birth mom, Harper arranged for an open adoption with Ivy's parents. Harper and Ivy were allowed to have contact with Ivy anytime. Sloane built up a great relationship with her while Harper did not. Sadly, Harper chose to end her life four years prior. There were so many unanswered questions for Ivy. She wants to find her birthfather, even though Harper never told anyone who it was. It takes a bit of sleuthing, but they figure it out. Once she goes down this part, secrets unfold that no one ever dreamed about. 

Sloane has lots of baggage from her childhood. Her mother left them and her dad really didn't take care of them. They lacked basic needs, including food and clothing. They learned early how to take care of themselves. Sloane deals with some of those hurts with her dad during this book. 

Quotes from the book that stuck with me. 
"She'd been conceived accidentally. But the bigger part of her identity was that she'd been adopted purposefully."  I was adopted so this one touched me. 

"Give to other people what you need. I've spent time pondering it as a question. Am I giving to other people what I need?" She later talks about how in doing that it isn't something the person has to quality for. It isn't if they will be grateful or if they deserve it. Neither of those things matter. 

Despite the fact that something HUGE happened between Max and Sloane, something new that they never explored in their past starts to grow. They each had stronger feelings for each other in the past but neither one acted on it or shared it with anyone. They had too good of a friendship to want to mess it up. As this starts to grow and change, they slowly fall back into the easy friendship they had. Max does apologize for how he acted four years ago and it surprises Sloane, but she accepts it. Sloanes part in it is a bit more complex and it comes out later. 

There are some big ups and downs as well as a set back here and there. Don't expect an easy ride because it is anything but. It is a great read and wrap-up to the three-book series. Read all three, in order, if at all possible.  It is worth it!


​Check out the authors website for more information about her books: ​BeckyWade.com