Safe Cages: A Challenged Faith Novel by Michelle Bolanger

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Title: Safe Cages: A Challenged Faith Novel
Author: Michelle Bolanger
Published by: Indie
Release Date: August 7, 2018
Format: Kindle Book
Pages: 234
Genres: LGBT, Religious, Romance
Reading Challenges: CC's Goodreads Reading Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon
My rating:

Blurb:

**Safe Cages is the story of two gay men who come to faith in Jesus. This story follows their journey to that faith and how their decision affects them, their relationship, their family, and the church they join.**

Best Friends. Dads. Husbands.

Christian.

From the moment they met at the batting cages, Michael Casio and Sam Jones have been best friends.

When his feelings for Sam developed into something that conflicted with his strict Christian upbringing, Michael fled the state hoping the forbidden attraction would go away.

Sam was sure he'd lost his friend for good and did his best to move on. But when Michael came home willing to risk it all, they discovered a love neither of them would have imagined possible.

Their life seems perfect until a series of events leads them to Cornerstone Community Church. While there, they have an encounter with God and His love changes everything.

My Review:

This book was interesting in that I had so many conflicting feelings over the story.  It was an intense read with some serious religious undertones in it.

One of the things that I really enjoyed about this book was the feelings it evoked.  Happiness, anger, hurt, bitterness and finally acceptance.  I had the distinct honor of alpha reading this book for Mrs. Bolanger.  She’s a fantastic writer across different genres and her style is uniquely her own in each one.

I feel it necessary to note that I am super dumb when it comes to religion. And I told MB that in my notes.  I can’t really go into too much detail here without giving so much of the story away but suffice to say I was very shocked by the end of this book.  I’m getting all emotional just thinking about Sam and Michael.

Sam was my kinda guy, casual observer, not too serious in to his faith.  He just wanted to be happy, and his main happiness was when Michael was around.  You could tell how hard he tried to accept that his feelings for Michael wouldn’t be reciprocated and I think he did a good job coping. Sam had the hardest time in this book growth wise. Quite frankly this guy broke my heart.

Michael is an enigma to me.  I feel for his upbringing, the conflict he constantly had to battle with his feelings and his faith.  His desperation for his parents approval and willingness to try everything they wanted to please them.  I just didn’t connect with him as much as Sam.  I think because of his faith I had a hard time understanding him. I never had something that meant more to me than my family and so couldn’t understand where he was coming from.

Seriously, I could rant on this book for days, there are so many angles to look at this book from.  And I think it’s great because of that.