I bow reverently to Liz Crowe’s talent.
This story defies definition and categorization. There’s a splash of YA, a couple of long pours of adult romance, and a strong base of NA to round out this Greek tragedy of a story. It’s definitely poured over the rocks, but overall, it goes down smooth. At its core, I’d say it is contemporary, literary fiction. Period. And a damn good job of it.

It’s gritty, sometimes grungy, and gripping. Powerful.

This is the 8th book in the Stewart Realty series, of which I had the distinct honor to BETA read an early version of an early book in the series. You can read the synopsis, so I won’t bore you with that. What I will say is that, for a self-proclaimed impatient reader coupled with a lonnng book and some parts that meandered for me (see: impatient reader), this is only the second book that has brought me to tears.

In my own oddball way of relating books to movies (instead of other books), Good Faith is like “Love Actually” meets “The Family Stone,” both of which I LOVE! It’s the multiple story lines aspect blended superbly with a strong family theme and potentially hard to discuss topics… which Crowe NAILS!

The Stewart Realty series has been all about the adults whom inhabit and rule this wonderful Michigan-based world Crowe has created like an award-winning architect. But, this Good Faith story follows more of the children of those earlier unions, without leaving the parents and their shenanigans far behind. There’s a very nice stirring of the adult and youth universes.

For the children, it’s a very simple coming of age type of story with lots of twists and turns, highs and lows. There’s hardly an aspect of life that Crowe doesn’t explore with the precision of a surgeon, the delicate handling of an art curator, and the curious eye of a documentary film director.

Love. Hate. Loss. Friendship. Betrayal. Sex. Addiction. Rehabilitation. Redemption. Death. Rebirth.

The characters are so well crafted, each with their own flaws and weaknesses that make you root for them despite their shortcomings. THAT is the mark of a skilled story crafter.

If you like an emotionally gripping, smartly crafted, contemporary literary adult/ NA story with enough steamy sex to have leave you panting… read this. Now.
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