Review of Hideous Beauty by Jack Cavanaugh

About the Book ~

This would isn't what you think it is...

Every day invaders slip across our borders to infiltrate our government, our schools, our neighborhoods. Homeland security can't stop them. The armed forces are no threat to them. Powerful and unseen, they cannot be stopped. They have been doing this for millennia.

On what should have been the best day of his life, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Grant Austin learns of a plan to assassinate the president of the United States. Every attempt to sound the alarm is thwarted, and Grant soon finds himself at the center of an even greater battle that predates time as he stands alone against ancient powers and unspeakable evil--evil that can only be described as a hideous beauty.

For more information about Jack Cavanaugh and his books, check out his website here!

My Thoughts ~

Imagine a bookworm with buggy eyes frantically turning the pages who then bursts out laughing.

That was me while reading Hideous Beauty by Jack Cavanaugh. I don't have any pictures, so you'll just have to take my word for it. ;-)

I stayed up until two in the morning to finish reading Hideous Beauty! Then I was wide awake for almost an hour because my mind kept dwelling on the events of this thrilling story! This author stole precious sleep from me, which basically means he did an amazing job!

Grant Austin was an author and a history nerd, so I automatically liked him. Plus, his sarcastic tendencies could rival Lorelai Gilmore. I can't tell you how many times I started to laugh in the middle of a tense scene because Grant couldn't help but toss those comments out like confetti! Grant had lived his life without putting any stock in God, that is until he ticks off a fallen angel, gets attacked by some demons, and then annoys a good angel just by being alive. It amused me how long he continued to fight the idea of God's existence even after all he'd experienced. But when he finally came to God, it was in a way that only Grant Austin could: epic with a touch of sarcasm!

While the supernatural thread is amazing, the political plot works stupendously with it! I found that to be just as fascinating! Intrigue. Murder. Suspense. The all-too-familiar reality that some leaders are not the façade they present to the world. Who doesn't love a good political thriller? But when you throw in the supernatural forces of Heaven, you've got yourself one dozy of a ride!

The author clearly did a lot of research for this story, blending Biblical fact and fiction in such a way that I had to keep reminding myself that this was just book! While Hideous Beauty is utterly enthralling, readers will close the back cover with an air of sobriety as they contemplate the fact that the spiritual realm does operate in unison with everything we see. Truly, Hideous Beauty is a powerful testament that while all sorts of junk may be happening around us, God has already won!

Four Stars ~ A thrilling ride! Hideous Beauty is the first book in Jack Cavanaugh's Kingdom Wars Series! I'm very excited to read the next book, Heavenly Mortal, which releases February 2019!

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!
 

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

 

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