She was the only risk I actually wanted to walk away from, but the only one I couldn’t.
Fresh out of prison and struggling to outrun the weight of his past, Russell Grandy is convinced he’s only traded one cage for another. He keeps people at a distance, certain that forgiveness is something only other people get. That is, until Birdie Jo MacLean walks into his life with a quiet strength he can’t ignore, and a kindness that makes him wonder if maybe God isn’t finished with him yet.
Birdie Jo has always believed that control is the same as safety. After experiencing life’s heartaches, she throws herself into work because structure feels safer than surrender. But when her curated stability begins to crack and her health forces her to face the possibility that control is an illusion, she realizes she has let fear shape her more than faith. The last thing she expects is for Russell, a rough-edged complication, to stir feelings she thought were already buried.
As Russell fights the pull of his old life and Birdie faces the terrifying uncertainty of her future, both must decide if they will keep living guarded by their pasts, or trust that God’s plan for restoration might require them to risk everything they’ve been protecting.
TROPES & KEYWORDS

"There’s something about bad boy meets good girl that tickles my heart! Heather has done a beautiful job drawing Birdie and Russell together and bringing to life their differing realities on faith. Too many times, the ex-con and the beauty queen are stifled stereotypes, but Birdie and Russell break free from the mold and have become my new favorite Renewed Hearts couple."
"These new characters story was so enchanting to read as they grow and bloom through hardship and suffering. Their relationship adds a new spark to this book series."
"From Ashes to Beauty is very well written. I love seeing the character development of the group of friends we’ve been part of throughout the series. Russel especially. I see myself in him and some of his struggles. Russel and Birdie Jo have a story worth reading about!"