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Bound by Guilt

by C.J. Darlington (Goodreads Author)

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 134 ratings · 49 reviews

Roxi Gold has been shuttled from one foster home to another for most her life. She longs for a family and will do anything to fit in even if it's against the law. Soon she's traveling the country in an RV, stealing rare books from unsuspecting bookstores. She knows it's wrong, but if she refuses, she'll be put out on the streets. Police officer Abby Dawson has seen the wor...more

Paperback, 393 pages

Published February 21st 2011 by Tyndale House Publishers (first published January 29th 2011)

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Apr 16, 2012 Renee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-fiction, mysteries

Need some suggestions on which books the teens in your life would love? Let us help. I enjoy bringing good books to school and allowing my students to browse through them. Recently, I decided to ask them to do mini-reviews of their favorite reads.

So first up, please "meet" Danielle, one of my happy, hard-working freshmen. Danielle has kept a solid B+/A- average in spite of transitioning from homeschooling to attending our Christian high school. As you can imagine, this means lots of studying....more

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Apr 25, 2011 Jennifer Slattery rated it 5 of 5 stars

Bound By Guilt is as thought provoking as it is entertaining. Roxi, the main character, captured my heart from the first chapter and I desperately wanted her to succeed. Even more than that, I wanted her to know love.

After a life of heart-ache, it seemed as if Roxi might never get a fair shake. Abandoned by her mother and shuffled from one foster house to the next, her hope for a better life soon gave way to the bear-bones of survivial. If you or I met Roxi on the street, I imagine our self-rig...more

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Mar 26, 2011 Sandra Stiles rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, suspense, mystery, christian, adult

There were so many connections to make with this book. My first connection was with Abby Dawson. She was a cop who felt she had failed at her marriage and then felt like she was a failure as a cop. Her ex-husband, a lawyer and fought for custody of their daughter and won. I admired Abby for not putting her daughter in the middle of their divorce and problems. I know there were times she wanted to shout and explain the truth to her daughter. I know when I went through my divorce it took every oun...more There were so many connections to make with this book. My first connection was with Abby Dawson. She was a cop who felt she had failed at her marriage and then felt like she was a failure as a cop. Her ex-husband, a lawyer and fought for custody of their daughter and won. I admired Abby for not putting her daughter in the middle of their divorce and problems. I know there were times she wanted to shout and explain the truth to her daughter. I know when I went through my divorce it took every ounce of strength I had not to let my children know how I felt when they would tell me what new thing their father had purchased for them. Our problems were not theirs and so I kept my mouth shut. Abby did the same thing. I understood her strained relationship with her father. When her brother is killed some of her old problems and feelings resurface.

Roxie Gold reminded me of so many students who have passed through my classroom. One kid in particular stands out. He would misbehave daily. At the end of the year he came to thank me for being his teacher. He told me I was his favorite. I told him that I was surprised because I had griped at him almost daily. With a grin on his face he said, "Yes I know. At least I know you loved me." How sad that kids will do anything, even if it is wrong for an ounce of love. Roxie was like that. Since she'd been passed from foster home to foster home. She felt lucky to be with her aunt Irene and her son Diego. She didn't like that to win her aunts approval she had to help steal rare books. It was obvious from the outsider's point of view, meaning the reader, that Irene was a user. She exploited Roxie and her own son for personal gain. That is not love. Greedy they change their plans and go back to the Book Barne to steal some valuable first editions. The manager, whose apartment is connected to the book store, hears the break in and confronts them. That is when a gun is produced and he ends up dead. Roxie can't live with this so she runs away from Irene. She is picked up by Jan and taken home to stay with Jan and her husband Keith. It is here she finds out what unconditional love is.

This book is full of hope, love and forgiveness. The Christian theme throughout is wonderfully done. It is not an "in your face" preaching. God's truths are presented in real life lessons that we se examples of around us all the time. This was a wonderful book. I had not read her first book Thicker Than Blood but I will. I also look forward to her next book. This is an author we need to watch closely. Her writing is fresh and touching. Her characters are so real you can't help but identify with them.
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Mar 26, 2011 Kristi (Books and Needlepoint) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs

I met some of these characters in Thicker than Blood, which I enjoyed very much. I felt for Roxi right from the beginning - must be the mom in me. She seemed like such a good kid and was just craving someone to take notice of her and be proud of her. Because of this she was willing to do what she knew was wrong in the hopes that her mom's cousin and her current foster mom would be proud of her. When one of their planned robberies goes bad, Roxi has had enough and decides to head out on her own....more

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Mar 26, 2011 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-christian-fiction

BOUND BY GUILT by C.J. Darlington is an amazing contemporary christian fiction set in modern day America.It is this author's second book.Her first book "Thicker Than Blood".While this a sequel,this second book has no connection to the first book,and is a stand alone. This story has multiple intertwining stories with Roxie and Abbey the primary characters. Roxie,is a runaway,she thinks a throwaway,abandoned by her mother as a child,moved from foster home to foster home,and finds a friend in Diego...more

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Mar 24, 2011 Wyndy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was quite pleased to see that this contemporary novel didn't depend upon the first book in the series for a set up. It included the main characters but was definitely a stand alone story. I wasn't quite as pleased with this one as I was with the first book, "Thicker than Blood". The first third was interesting and set up the characters with great hope for a good story. I found the middle third to be a bit blah and uninteresting, I just about didn't finish it; but the last third was exciting, f...more

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Mar 24, 2011 Clockstein Lockstein added it

Bound by Guilt by C.J. Darlington is the sequel to Thicker Than Blood. Roxi Gold has never felt truly wanted anywhere. Taken from her mother at the age of eight after suffering a terrible accident, she was shuttled from foster home to group home until a cousin of her mother's named Irene took her in. Life with Irene and her teenaged son Diego isn't what most people would consider normal. They live most of the time traveling across the country in an RV, which sounds like fun, but they make their...more Bound by Guilt by C.J. Darlington is the sequel to Thicker Than Blood. Roxi Gold has never felt truly wanted anywhere. Taken from her mother at the age of eight after suffering a terrible accident, she was shuttled from foster home to group home until a cousin of her mother's named Irene took her in. Life with Irene and her teenaged son Diego isn't what most people would consider normal. They live most of the time traveling across the country in an RV, which sounds like fun, but they make their money by stealing rare books from bookstores. Irene has trained Roxi to work as the distraction while Diego and Irene grab the merchandise. Roxi's conscience is starting to get the best of her, and when she fails to keep a store clerk distracted long enough one day, Irene insists they return at night to break in and get some real finds, including a rare first edition The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The night ends in tragedy, with Roxi on her own again, running away from the only family she's ever really known. Abby Dawson returns to her family home to deal with the tragic death of her brother. She seems to be failing at everything in life, her husband left her for another woman, her daughter is being raised by the newly married couple, and she's been suspended from her position on the police force for using unnecessary force. Returning home, she and her father seem to be stuck in the same rut of silence and anger they've been in for years. Four women will be brought together by the events of one night and each will have to face their past before they can move forward into the future God has planned for them. Darlington's writing is full of surprising depth. Each character is fully-fleshed and very real; at the end of the book, I was sad to be through with them. The plot is very pulled from the headlines with a message of faith for readers. Darlington keeps readers interested from the opening, with drama on every page, and lots of action at the climax. This isn't really a thriller or a mystery; it's a human story that should appeal to a wide variety of readers. Darlington's win as 2008 Operation First Novel is easily supported by this follow-up, and she is an author to watch in the industry.(less)

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Mar 21, 2011 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

An antiquarian bibliophile I’m not. But for those who are, it’s a high-stakes book collection! Books can range from $40 up to $40,000 for just one book!

This is the world Roxi Gold finds herself landing into, ’rescued’ from the life of a foster-home shuffled, abandoned girl, when her Aunt Irene Tonelli and her son, Diego, finally take her in. Traveling the country, they stake out bookstores and steal the rare, preferably first edition books, to sell to make a living for themselves. How did Roxi e...more An antiquarian bibliophile I’m not. But for those who are, it’s a high-stakes book collection! Books can range from $40 up to $40,000 for just one book!

This is the world Roxi Gold finds herself landing into, ’rescued’ from the life of a foster-home shuffled, abandoned girl, when her Aunt Irene Tonelli and her son, Diego, finally take her in. Traveling the country, they stake out bookstores and steal the rare, preferably first edition books, to sell to make a living for themselves. How did Roxi ever get this low? Will she ever get out?

Officer Abby Dawson’s life has become a job, not the career of ‘saving the world’ that she once dreamed of. It’s after one of the bookstore heists that her life changes forever. She’s looking for justice by the law, while Roxi is running from the law.

C.J. Darlington, in Bound by Guilt, wrapped multiple meanings into her title. She delineates the different levels of depravity of life–extreme selfishness, greed, danger, illegality, and murder. The intensity of danger leaps from the pages of the book. But she displays the love and acceptance that definitely touches the depth of your heart as the story unfolds.

C.J. does an excellent job of mixing the different personalities of the characters and the power some have over the others. Their lives are very real-to-life, ranging from pain-filled and lonely, to fearful and anxious, to sharp and legalistic, to uncaring and greedy, and finally to love and acceptance. A lot like some of our lives today during different seasons of our lives.

Although justice is one of the main thrusts of the book, C.J. brings in the realms of truthfulness, forgiveness, and unconditional love, which she uses to bring about the first in a way that draws you through the book, page after page after page! Great job, C. J.!

I enjoyed meeting Christy’s sister once again from C.J.’s first book, Thicker Than Blood, and how she ministered to those in grief in Bound by Guilt. You’ll have to read the first book to find out more about her!

This book was provided by TitleTrakk in exchange for my honest review. No monetary value was exchanged.(less)

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Mar 20, 2011 Nora St Laurent rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was intrigued by the beautifully bound book and the troubled teen on the front cover. I was thrilled to receive a review copy of such a tension filled, heartfelt book. This novel kept me spellbound on many levels, as C.J. took me through the homey Book Barn - a place I’d love to go and explore its treasures myself. The author’s passion for books and her book experience shines through in this haunting, suspenseful tale of a teen caught in a hopeless web she struggles to get out of. Contrast to...more I was intrigued by the beautifully bound book and the troubled teen on the front cover. I was thrilled to receive a review copy of such a tension filled, heartfelt book. This novel kept me spellbound on many levels, as C.J. took me through the homey Book Barn - a place I’d love to go and explore its treasures myself. The author’s passion for books and her book experience shines through in this haunting, suspenseful tale of a teen caught in a hopeless web she struggles to get out of. Contrast to a female cop named Abby, a character who feels trapped in a different kind of situation! She too is looking for a way out!

Roxie longed for a family of her own and a place to call home. She was abandoned by her mom and shuffled though the foster care system at a young age, ending up with a distant relative. Roxi felt trapped in the family business she wanted no part of. But where would she go? If she didn’t comply, they’d give her back to foster care and she couldn’t have that.

Abby Dawson is a cop with an attitude. She joined the force to help people and clean up the streets. Abby felt she did very little good when the bad guys she wanted to put away, ended up back on the streets. Life didn’t quite seem fair in the legal system or in her personal life either. Where was she headed? Did her life have any meaning?

Then Roxi and Abby’s life change in an instant! Abby receives a phone call from her dad that rocks her world, and sets Abby on a new path in life. Roxi has started down a new path as well...one she never thought she’d be on – ever. Will this event be the end to both of them? Or will they both seek the truth and be set free, in more ways than one.

The author says, “If you take away one thing from Bound by Guilt, may it be the challenge to look past outward appearances and reach out to a hurting teen in your life. Teenagers, even those with tattoos and nose rings, need people like you and me to love them for who they are. I hope we can be Jesus’ hands and feet and love this generation unconditionally,”

While reading this story I could sense the authors’ soft spot for teens and the people society throws away. This is a book that will touch your heart, mind and emotions. It will also get you thinking about how you can be the hands and feet of Jesus in your corner of the world. C.J.’s a deep thinker and full of love that radiates on every page she writes. She shows how God uses flawed characters’ to do amazing things in their lives if we let Him!

C. J. Darlington has been in the antiquarian book selling business for over a decade. Her passion for books and the experiences she’s had in book selling bleeds through in every chapter. It was enthralling. In the author notes, C.J. mentions she used a real life story as the back drop to this book. It made the story all the more interesting for me. I enjoyed how C.J. took the reader behind the scenes of the mysterious world of antique books, buyers, sellers and thieves. The world that C.J. creates is sincere, interesting, suspenseful and clever!

I can’t wait to have my book club read and discuss this book. You’ll definitely want to read this book, I’m sure you’ll be talking about it to friends and co-workers.

The Book Club Network www.bookfun.org
Finding Hope Through Fiction www.psalm516.blogspot.com (less)

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Mar 05, 2011 Diana rated it 5 of 5 stars

What happens when an abandoned teenager seeks love and approval from the only one who will take her happens to be a criminal?

Bound by Guilt is an intriguing mystery involving a runaway and an out-of-control police officer. It begins with murder and the stealing of valuable books.

Roxi Gold will do anything to be a part of a family or so she thinks. When things go horribly wrong she knows she has to change how she’s living.

Bound by Guilt follows Roxi’s journey filled with guilt, fear and lonelines...more

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May 19, 2011 Janna rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed C.J.'s first book and was so glad to see that she was finding a niche in Christian fiction that was unique from so many of the books that I usually review. I was thrilled when I realized that this book is basically a sequel to the first one as we are reintroduced to most of the characters from the first book (Christy, Hunter, Abby, Mae...) but we have a new batch of characters as well (Roxi, Diego, Irene...) and when the two worlds collide things get bad fast. So when Roxi decid...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

C.J. Darlington

2011

Tyndale House Publishers

Fiction/Christian/Contemporary

Reviewed by Cindy Loven

All Roxi Gold wanted was love, a mother's love. But it seemed to be the most elusive thing in her life. Taken away from her own mother at eight years old, she has been in and out of foster homes for the last eight years and at sixteen she is now placed with her mom's cousin Irene. However even with a family member, however distant, Roxi doesn't find the family feeling she is looking for. Instead she f...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Meagan Myhren-bennett rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Christians, older teens, adults,

Shelves: christian, friendship, murder

BOUND BY GUILT

By C.J. Darlington

What would you do for love and something to call your own? This is the question that haunts 16 year old Roxi Gold. Forgotten by her mother, passed through the foster care system, and scarred by her life Roxi may finally have found a place to call home. But life with her aunt and cousin goes wrong, so wrong that Roxi is Bound by Guilt. Will she ever find the life she seek?

Meanwhile Abby Dawson and Christy Williams are reeling from the murder of Hunter Dawson. Abby...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars

C.J Darlington has kept me captivated not only once but now for a second time with her latest novel “Bound By Guilt” which ties in with her first book “Thicker Than Blood”. I like that this book is specified as Christian fiction but isn’t over to the top preachy. It all felt so real and I really appreciated that concept.

This novel is packed with so much but not over done in the least bit. I don’t want to give away any spoilers with my review so I’m just going to mention some of the main things y...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: to-review

I recently saw where C.J. Darlington described her books as Lifetime Channel meets the Hallmark Channel. I think that is the perfect way to describe her books which is why it surprised me that I enjoy them so much. I don't care for the Lifetime Channel at all. Bound By Guilt grabs you in from the first paragraph and doesn't let you go until the end. I had started reading it while I was waiting for my mom to come pick me up to go out to eat. I was actually a little disappointed when she arrived s...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Heatheraine rated it 3 of 5 stars

This story kept me captivated till the very end. There are many layers to the story and it’s very well paced. Granted some of the characters weren’t as fully vibrant as they could have been, but she twisted a good tale around them. Abby, the police woman, is strong, harsh and bold. I liked her but Jan was my favorite character and the most three dimensional in the book. I anticipated learning that Jan was controlling with selfish motives, but it never came about. She is loving and forgiving, a r...more

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Apr 16, 2011 Bmquiram rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Bound by Guilt by C J Darlington is a great book. I received this book through first reads giveaways. I found the characters easy to relate to and the story line was very realistic. Darlington took her inspiration from events that actually occurred, but the combination is not an account of actual events. Even thought this story may not have actually occurred it is easy to see how it could have happened.

The story may be titled Bound by Guilt, but I found many emotions within its pages. I would r...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

I didn’t realize this was a sequel when I picked it up, and I’m glad that skipped my notice because I really enjoyed this novel and I would have passed otherwise. The story follows Roxi, a teen stuck in a bad situation that only gets worse when she’s involved in a robbery/homicide. The other half of the book follows the fiancé and sister of the man killed (who are characters from the previous novel) and their search to find the culprits. I really enjoyed the characterizations, and the story was...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Amy (ArtsyBookishGal) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Bound by Guilt is an action-packed page turner that will keep you riveted to the end when you will feel satisfied by a story well-told. This is the kind of work readers can expect from C.J. Darlington, who wowed the literary world with her first novel, Thicker Than Blood. And, if possible, the sequel may be even better.Once again, we return to the Book Barn and Christy Williams, who so heroically fought her alcohol addiction, reunited with her sister, and fought off a crazy ex-boyfriend in Thick...more Bound by Guilt is an action-packed page turner that will keep you riveted to the end when you will feel satisfied by a story well-told. This is the kind of work readers can expect from C.J. Darlington, who wowed the literary world with her first novel, Thicker Than Blood. And, if possible, the sequel may be even better.Once again, we return to the Book Barn and Christy Williams, who so heroically fought her alcohol addiction, reunited with her sister, and fought off a crazy ex-boyfriend in Thicker Than Blood. But this time, Christy is cop Abby Dawson’s “partner” in a murder investigation, after a shocking character death that occurs in the first 50 pages!

However, this story doesn’t primarily center around Christy, but her fiancé’s sister, Abby as well as our main protagonist, Roxi Gold, a 16 year-old girl, who finds herself in a heap of trouble after being involved in the aforementioned shocking murder. But Roxi is a sympathetic character, who has been bounced around in the foster care system since she was abandoned by her mother at the tender age of eight. After running away from her mom’s deranged antiquarian book thieving cousin, Irene, and her son, Diego, Roxi finds herself with nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Similarly, Abby, who is tracking down the trio, is just as lost. Darlington marvelously reminds readers that redemption from the guilt to which we are bound, our sin, is found in Christ alone.

Against the backdrop of the beautiful Colorado Mountains, Darlington weaves her tale. Her descriptions of setting and character are detailed and she always keeps the plot moving at a steady clip. One fault I find with this novel is that Abby Dawson seems a little flat and one-dimensional. I didn’t find myself emotionally invested in Abby, nor did I find her terribly interesting. She was just helpful in moving the story forward. My other hang-up is that while the Christian characters in this book say they are flawed, I don’t actually see any evidence of these flaws. For example, Christy Williams enters a bar after learning of the tragic murder and almost drinks, but she doesn’t. In fact, she doesn’t seem to have any of the problems she did in the first book. I think adding a bit of an edge to these characters would make them more believable.

Still, I immensely enjoyed Bound by Guilt and cannot wait to read more of C.J. Darlington’s delectable writing.

*Thank you to Tyndale House for my review copy of this book. In an effort to “keep it real,” I should disclose that I am a contributor to TitleTrakk.com, the site co-founded by C.J. and her sister, Tracy.*(less)

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Mar 22, 2011 Jan Marie Newby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Bound by Guilt is an outstanding book. It is the story of Roxi, a young girl who has never known the love that most of us take for granted. She was deserted and rejected by her mother and bounced around from foster home to foster home, always seeking a love that continued to elude her. In a misguided effort to earn that love, she is taken in by a relative and made to be an accomplice in a monetarily profitable rare book stealing trio.

When theft turns to something far more serious, Roxi flees. S...more

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Mar 29, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: christianfiction, forreview, forpleasure, blog-tour-book

Bound by Guilt is the perfect title for this book. It's hard to post a review without giving away spoilers, but I'll try. There were some things at the end of the first book in this series that had me wanting more. Well, in this story I got to see what I wanted, then wham! My heart ached and the tension just kept building from there. I could picture the traumatic event because it was so well done. Every time the situation was remembered I had a flashback myself. The description of the horrible e...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am so glad that I gave the author a second chance! I enjoyed this novel much more than "Thicker than Blood".

There is a fine line in Christian fiction between sharing enough to show how a person’s life is defined by their beliefs and ramming ideology down your throat. I feel that in this novel the author maintained that balance and provided a great journey for her readers.

Though a few of the characters were the same in both books, this was an entirely different story. The author succeeded in g...more

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Mar 26, 2011 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, christian-fiction, tyndale-house, suspense, favorite-authors

This is the most inspiring book I've read this year! CJ Darlington is a master at the craft of writing! At the age of 15, she wrote her first book Thicker than Blood. Jerry B. Jenkins noticed her talent too, especially after winning his First Novel contest!

Roxi has had a rough life. At the age of eight, the fast lane became too slow for Roxi's mom and she was sent to a foster home after an unfortunate accident left Roxi scarred for life. Bouncing from home to home, no one ever wanted Roxi long....more This is the most inspiring book I've read this year! CJ Darlington is a master at the craft of writing! At the age of 15, she wrote her first book Thicker than Blood. Jerry B. Jenkins noticed her talent too, especially after winning his First Novel contest!

Roxi has had a rough life. At the age of eight, the fast lane became too slow for Roxi's mom and she was sent to a foster home after an unfortunate accident left Roxi scarred for life. Bouncing from home to home, no one ever wanted Roxi long. After doing some time in Juvie, Roxi's mom's cousin Irene was located and agreed to take Roxi in. Irene, Diego (her son) and Roxi took some pretty exciting adventures around the country in their RV. They went to places Roxi had never dreamed of seeing in person! Irene was also using these kids though to help support their travels. They would seek out old, antiquated, first edition books and lift them from the hands of the bookstore owners. It wasn't until they happened upon The Book Barn that Roxi started to REALLY feel shame and guilt over her "profession". One fateful night changed it all.

Abby is still reeling over her divorce and the fact that Michael doesn't let her see Kat as much as she'd like. She's so upset about it all that she twists the mayor's wife's hands a little too much during her arrest and finds herself with a two week suspension from the police force. Now what will she do with her time?

Hunter and Christy have their whole lives ahead of them. Everything is going well with the business and their wedding plans are coming together nicely. Love is all they need to survive and they have plenty of it. The only dream being squelched right now is that Hunter's dad will hear nothing of expanding and adding in a coffee shop!

Jan and Keith are drowning themselves into their work after their son, Trae, was killed. Can they ever open their hearts again and find a way to move on? Their ranch is their life but at what cost to them?

This book weaves together the lives of all these people through a series of twists and suspenseful turns. It is a hard book to put down for any length of time! This book demonstrates unconditional love in times when it's not deserved or even possibly wanted. Forgiveness is also demonstrated in ways beyond imagine and the character of Gordon, even though small, is not insignificant in this story.

Will Roxi find peace or forever be....Bound By Guilt?

Thanks to CJ Darlington and Tyndale House Publishers for providing this review copy to read. To learn more about our author and to read other opinions, check out the post from Tuesday.

Happy reading my friends!
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Jun 07, 2011 Terri Harr rated it 5 of 5 stars

Bound by Guilt is a book about what true love and happiness are. The world teaches us differently than Jesus does about those two things. Sometimes we think that love is about getting something from someone or being perfect to be loved. Jesus doesn't stop loving us when we mess up. We can be loved by someone for just being who we are. Sometimes we are our own worst critic. No one judges us as harshly as we judge ourselves. We need to stop being the judge and jury. God can see through all of our...more

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Jul 17, 2011 Casey rated it 4 of 5 stars

CJ Darlington has a unique voice and style that I have enjoyed reading these two times now. First with her debut novel and now with her second book, "Bound by Guilt".

I enjoyed the cast of characters put together in this novel. You have a range of ages from 16 to late 40's, but each character completely works and shines with conviction in their actions. The plot is well laid out and a couple of times I was stopped in my tracks by an unexpected turn of events.

I would have liked a little more follo...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Amber rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway and I'll admit I was very skeptical at first as this is not the type of book I normally go for. I am very glad I decided to give it a chance anyway. I absolutely loved this book. From about 30 pages in I was hooked and I got more and more sucked into the story the longer I read.

The writing style makes for an easy read without coming across as too simplistic. The characters are unique, complex, and interesting (Not to mention the fact they have a ton o...more

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Aug 28, 2011 Bluerose's Heart rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian, little-no-romance

This is one emotional read!! Please don't read Bound By Guilt until you've read Thicker Than Blood. You will be greatly depriving yourself of emotions that I think should be felt when reading Bound By Guilt. CJ's writing has shocked me more than any fiction I think I've ever read. In both books, I've been so shocked at something, I had to walk away from the story just to digest what happened or what was revealed. I found myself wanting to cry just thinking about it later!

While this book has sev...more

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May 02, 2011 Patty LeBlanc rated it 5 of 5 stars

Have you ever made a choice in your life just to please someone and then find out that it didn’t matter what you did anyway you would never please that person? That is what happens to Roxi, a 16-year-old girl who struggles to find the love she never felt from anyone. In trying to do so, she makes choices that she regrets that unfortunately have adverse effects to everything she was trying to achieve in the first place. Roxi is a very likeable character that I can relate to, as I believe many oth...more

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Apr 27, 2011 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars

As I read through this book, clutching the pages in suspense at times, I was enthralled with Bound By Guilt. Even though I haven’t read the first book in the series, I was able to jump right into the story, though enough history is given of Thicker Than Blood that I now want to dive straight into that book. The opening scene, with Roxi and Diego, sucked me right into this story and didn’t let me go until I had read the last word on the epilogue page. What a story this book told!

Bound By Guilt is...more As I read through this book, clutching the pages in suspense at times, I was enthralled with Bound By Guilt. Even though I haven’t read the first book in the series, I was able to jump right into the story, though enough history is given of Thicker Than Blood that I now want to dive straight into that book. The opening scene, with Roxi and Diego, sucked me right into this story and didn’t let me go until I had read the last word on the epilogue page. What a story this book told!

Bound By Guilt is filled with a host of believable, three-dimensional characters. Sixteen year old Roxi was my favorite person to read about, but Deigo, Christy, Abby, and Jan were just as endearing. Even though Diego had made a huge mistake in his life, he realized his wrong and wanted to face up to the consequences of his actions. I really came to like this older-brother figure of Roxi’s. Christy and Abby were perfect together—they were more alike than they realized. Survivors of similar evils. I really enjoyed watching their friendship bloom. And Jan. Wow. She was just one amazing lady. The way she cared for Roxi and loved her in a way that no one ever had, was touching. I always looked forward to scenes between these two, knowing they would be powerful.

This story was refreshingly unique. With the whole plot revolving around The Great Gatsby book, Roxi’s life as an accomplice to a mother and son business of stealing rare books, and then her struggle to survive on her own, isn’t a normal plot. It was amazing! Just when I thought Roxi’s trouble would be over, something is thrown into her plans and she finds herself worse-off than before.

Gifted with a wonderful, engaging writing voice, CJs skill with words is amazing. Reading this book was so easy and I quickly found myself getting lost in the story almost the instant I began reading. She made the scenes come alive. There were times that I looked up from Bound By Guilt and was surprised not to be in the middle of a used bookstore, holding an antique copy of The Great Gatsby, or a R. R. Tolkien book. A very neat, and unique, experience that doesn’t happen often.

There were some points in this book that I really wished I had read Thicker Than Blood first and had been able to connect with the characters there first before reading Bound By Guilt. This was probably my only negative thought as I read through this book—everything else was amazing and wonderful! The message this book gives, about being weighed down with guilt and the story of one very lonely girl just yearning to feel loved, was powerful. There are many teenagers out there in the world today that are in her same plight. It makes me pray that each of these teens will find a “Jan” in their life to show them how much they are loved by their Heavenly Father. Bound By Guilt is packed with adventure, suspense, mystery, and a powerful message that you are not soon to forget!(less)

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Mar 27, 2011 Margaret is currently reading it

Recommended to Margaret by: C.J. Darlington

Shelves: tyndale-house, christianfiction, contemporary, suspense-thriller, march-2011

This is a sequel to Thicker Than Blood, but can be read as a stand alone quite easily as well. If you know me, you know that Christian Historical Fiction is my genre, and I do not usually get into contemporary novels. They just contain too much real life for my taste. Yet sometimes there are authors that just snag me and I have to make an exception. Especially in the realm of Suspense for authors like Kristen Heitzmann and C.J. Darlington. (I'm not talking about my adventure books here, that's a...more

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About C.J. Darlington

C. J. is the award-winning author of Thicker than Blood, Bound by Guilt, and Ties that Bind (June 2013). She has been in the antiquarian bookselling business for over fifteen years, scouting for stores similar to the ones described in her novels before cofounding her own online bookstore.

In 2006 C. J. started the Christian entertainment Web site TitleTrakk.com with her sister, Tracy, and has been...more

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