Cooper Moon: The Calling by Cheryl Shireman (4.5 stars)

About Cooper Moon: The Calling
(from the Cooper Moon website)

The first book in the Cooper Moon series. The novel is the story of Cooper Moon, a handsome womanizer who has found God under some unusual circumstances. Cooper is the last person one might expect to experience such a conversion, and no one is more skeptical of this sudden turn of events than Cooper’s wife, Sally.

Cooper has not only found God, he has also decided to build a church. He faces a few obstacles. He has never read the Bible, he has no money, and he has a well-deserved reputation as a slacker. Throw in a couple of scheming women who aren’t ready to give up sleeping with Cooper, a jealous husband with a grudge, and things begin to get complicated.

Filled with a cast of characters you are sure to love (and hate!), Cooper Moon: The Calling is a story of love, faith, determination, dreams, sin, lust, hope, revenge, and despair – just like real life. The novel is the first of the four-book Cooper Moon series. With a large cast of characters, there are plenty of twists and turns along the way. I love this book and these characters and I think you will too.

Read an excerpt here

Review

Character-driven fiction is always a favorite of mine, and Cheryl Shireman does an amazing job creating an entire town of memorable characters--ones that are etched in my brain.

Cooper Moon, known womanizer and often found in the local bar, has an epiphany--not only does he find God, he feels compelled to build a church. No one in town believes him at first, including his own wife and many paramours. 

Many in town are struggling. Everything from faith, commitment, love, sadness, and health issues. In addition to Cooper and his wife, a local cop faces an ethical dilemma and a mother with declining health. His brother, TJ, is pursuing his dream but decides to also help Cooper with his. Several marriages are teetering on the edge, and not all of them because of Cooper.

Every character is affected by the other in an intriguing tale of small town life. The amount of mistrust and despair is heartbreaking, but it's real life. Many of the characters are at a crossroads and can't move forward without causing someone pain--whether it's intentional or not.

There are so many characters to love, but Cooper and his wife are at the forefront. What I appreciated most... Cooper is a real man. He doesn't decide to build a church and never look back. He questions and doubts. His wife, too often healing a broken heart, can't bring herself to trust Cooper just because he spouts the words. There is no quick resolution. 

I highly recommend this book to readers who want to invest in characters and don't need a fairy tale. Instead, they want to understand what makes the characters tick--even if what they find out isn't always pretty. Kudos to the author for showcasing the reality of so many lives. 

But don't despair. There is a message of hope, and I suspect that continues through the series.

For more information on the next book, see below. It's going to be high on my to be read list.

Rating: 4.5 stars
Note: Worthy of rounding to 5 stars on Amazon & GoodReads

About Cheryl Shireman
(from the author's website)

Cheryl Shireman lives on a lake in the Midwest with her husband. She is the mother of three adult children and the grandmother of the “most adorable granddaughter in the world.” She “loves mountains, flowers (particularly daylilies), sun glistening on  the lake, snow when it looks like diamonds, the smell of fall, the promise of spring, beautifully written words, watching t.v. and eating pizza at home, fireplaces, soft blankets, great hiking boots, writing, reading, long hot baths, time with family, rocking grandbabies, and coming home.”

Her novels are sensitive portrayals of multi-faceted characters. Often humorous, and always thought-provoking, whether focusing on love, finding purpose in life, or a little mystery, Shireman’s novels depict realistic characters facing realistic dilemmas. One reader writes, “Cheryl has a wonderful talent for describing people. Interesting, flawed, multidimensional people. I can picture them so clearly in my mind and some I can almost smell. I love the way her characters are as messed up as real people all are. I can’t wait for more.”

Cheryl is currently working the third book in the Cooper Moon series.

Buy Cooper Moon: The Calling

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*****

Because I loved this book, I wanted to highlight that the second book in the series is available. 

A little about Cooper Moon: The Temptation

Welcome back to the small town of Timber Lake, Michigan. The streets may be relatively quiet, but a lot is going on behind closed doors! Most of it revolves around the most attractive man in town, Cooper Moon. Once a womanizer and a liar, Cooper is trying to change his ways. Unfortunately, that’s not so easy. One of his ex-girlfriends is determined to seduce him, he is about to receive a blackmail note from another ex-girlfriend, and his wife is tired of his cheating ways.

Cooper isn’t the only one in town with his hands full.

Jake the cop has fifty-two thousand dollars hidden in his bowling ball bag. His wife is desperate to get pregnant and his very ill mother has just moved in with them.

TJ Barnes just won a million dollars, but still can’t get the attention of the woman of his dreams.

Beaulah Potts has been a real estate agent for years and still has not made a sale. Her husband, pastor of the largest church in Timber Lake, has his own secrets, even from Beaulah.

Pete, the local bar owner, made the mistake of letting a married friend spend the night in his apartment. Now, she won’t move out and he doesn’t know how to get rid of her.

Trouble is brewing, faith is wavering, and love is being tested. Full of unexpected twists and turns, Cooper Moon: The Temptation is sure to keep you turning pages!

Read an excerpt here