As matron of Final Chance House of Refuge, Gwendolyn Ellison helps troubled or abandoned children. When the kids are threatened from within the institution, she must team up with Secret Service officer Josiah Isaacs to uncover the corruption—before either of them are silenced. Counterfeit Faith was a whirlwind tale of mystery, action, and romance, and it doesn’t pull punches with difficult content (despite its rom-com-style romance).

Ratings

Story: 3/5

Worldview: 4/5

Doubt Versus Faith

The story had me from Chapter One, with the mystery unraveling at a breakneck pace. It did stall, at times, with many romantic scenes and a few clichés. The ending had a nice twist and satisfying resolution, so definitely worth the read despite some slower lulls in the middle.

The message of this novel was on the battle between doubt and faith. I especially liked how the characters fought through their doubts and leaned on Jesus. Even when we don’t know the way out or what to do in the midst of a storm, God sees all and He directs our steps. He can grow our faith as we trust in Him.

For me, I have to fight the urge to hold onto my circumstances. I worry. But, like these characters, I have to trust God, seek Him, and He will give me peace.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

There were some references to Catholic practices (holy water, crossing), but it didn’t pull away from the message. It was nice to see how the characters grew closer to God.

Overall: 3.5

Note: references to child abuse, alcoholism, and drug addiction

If you like mystery and historical fiction, but with a twist of family drama, check out The Swindler’s Daughter by Stephenia McGee.

If you’re interested in checking out other novels in this series (Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age) by Caudil, you can check out Counterfeit Love (Book #1) and Counterfeit Hope (Book #2). I’ve only read Counterfeit Faith, but it’s standalone for the most part, so I imagine the others are too!

More Information

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Christian

Publish date: July 7, 2023

I received a free eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel.