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Leap of Faith: Second Chance at the Dream
At the Crossroads Center, they’re in the business of granting second chances. And their newest client is Ben Lewis, a former star athlete who never recovered from the death of his dream to make it big in the big leagues. Now he’s being offered the opportunity to return to 1991 and try again, this time without the illness that originally ended his baseball hopes. What’s the catch? He will pay for his second chance by forfeiting his memories of the first… and possibly along with them, the love of his life. Can he find his way home to the woman he’s long forgotten but never stopped missing? Or will reaching for the brass ring with both hands cause the treasure he once possessed to slip forever from his grasp?This is not primarily a sports story; baseball is simply the rich and interesting backdrop for what happens when Ben gets his giant, world-class “do-over.” In many ways, it’s not so different from Winslow's other novels, dealing with love and the forces that bring people together… or keep them apart.Leap of Faith is the first in her innovative new the Crossroads Collection - stories all about turning points, possibilities, and second chances. Each book is complete in itself and may be read in any order.Who hasn’t wondered at least once how life would have changed by making an alternate choice at some crucial moment in the past? Where would you be today if you had turned right instead of left at an important crossroads or if you had been able to sidestep a particular misfortune? Or perhaps you’ve daydreamed about a different life altogether, in a different place and time. Each book in the Crossroads Collection features a new hero/heroine who is given the extraordinary gift of a second chance at life, the chance to answer for themselves the intriguing question “what if?”
- GenresFictionTime Travel
322 pages, Paperback
Published February 25, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 1, 2022
4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars. This Kindle story was a gift. I have already read the second in the series and posted a review on that. Although this author has written many variations of JA's books, this story is not a JAFF. I have read all of this author's stories not counting the anthologies.
As the title tells us, there is a second chance for the main character. So with Sci-fi, some magic and some time traveling we have a very interesting story which also has some Bible verses and religious references. The story was not "preachy" IMHO.
Ben Lewis is on his death bed. His career in professional baseball never gained much ground. He does have a wife, Abby, with whom he is deeply in love and who supports him completely.
Ben is swept away to the Crossroad Center where he meets Cora and Poindexter who have the power to make changes in the lives of various people who are at the point of dying or wanting to die or planning to die. There are others there and we read a little of their life stories. All are given views of their lives, given counseling as to possible choices, including where they might reenter their lives and begin again. There is even the choice of continuing on into the "afterlife", which some do choose.
A very important stipulation, however, is that they cannot use any of the information they have gained at the Crossroads to make changes in other people's lives nor can they share any of the information. This point is very important and it comes back to haunt Ben. However...well here I cannot say as it would be a spoiler. Ben searches for answers as whiffs of memories unsettle him.
Ben chooses to go back before his Crohn's Disease entered his life and is guaranteed that it will not reoccur. However, this is also before he met and then married his wife. Ironically Ben does have some vital interaction with the man who is courting the woman who became his wife in his first "go-round".
There are many characters in this story. Some are relatives, some acquaintances and one, in particular, is a classmate who is also a baseball player and jealous of any success Ben has. He, too, will have a affect on Ben's second chance.
I highly recommend this story. It kept my attention. Of particular interest is a section at the end in which the man Shannon Winslow consulted about the baseball terms, etc., gives us a short story of his life in baseball.
I have visited in Seattle while my daughter lived there and had lunch with Shannon during one visit. I found her descriptions in this story of the weather there very interesting and reflecting exactly what my daughter had described to us.
As the title tells us, there is a second chance for the main character. So with Sci-fi, some magic and some time traveling we have a very interesting story which also has some Bible verses and religious references. The story was not "preachy" IMHO.
Ben Lewis is on his death bed. His career in professional baseball never gained much ground. He does have a wife, Abby, with whom he is deeply in love and who supports him completely.
Ben is swept away to the Crossroad Center where he meets Cora and Poindexter who have the power to make changes in the lives of various people who are at the point of dying or wanting to die or planning to die. There are others there and we read a little of their life stories. All are given views of their lives, given counseling as to possible choices, including where they might reenter their lives and begin again. There is even the choice of continuing on into the "afterlife", which some do choose.
A very important stipulation, however, is that they cannot use any of the information they have gained at the Crossroads to make changes in other people's lives nor can they share any of the information. This point is very important and it comes back to haunt Ben. However...well here I cannot say as it would be a spoiler. Ben searches for answers as whiffs of memories unsettle him.
Ben chooses to go back before his Crohn's Disease entered his life and is guaranteed that it will not reoccur. However, this is also before he met and then married his wife. Ironically Ben does have some vital interaction with the man who is courting the woman who became his wife in his first "go-round".
There are many characters in this story. Some are relatives, some acquaintances and one, in particular, is a classmate who is also a baseball player and jealous of any success Ben has. He, too, will have a affect on Ben's second chance.
I highly recommend this story. It kept my attention. Of particular interest is a section at the end in which the man Shannon Winslow consulted about the baseball terms, etc., gives us a short story of his life in baseball.
I have visited in Seattle while my daughter lived there and had lunch with Shannon during one visit. I found her descriptions in this story of the weather there very interesting and reflecting exactly what my daughter had described to us.
March 4, 2017
What a great story! I love second chance stories, and Winslow's told a good one with a unexpected twist in it. I've read several of her other books; my favorite being 'The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen.' Leap of Faith was entertaining as well as thought-provoking, and I'm looking forward to reading Leap of Hope.
March 12, 2017
I have loved all of Winslow's previous books. This book (and new series) is very different from her others but I still loved it. The new story line was really interesting and I didn't want to put it down. I recommend it highly!
March 31, 2017
LEAP OF FAITH - Crossroads Book 1
What would you do with a second chance at life? Would you go back to an earlier point in your old life or would you choose something totally different? Or would you "go on", if you decide you've had enough of this life completely? Ben Lewis appears to "wake up" at the Crossroads Centre, run by two somewhat mysterious people named Cora and Poindexter. A health problem had already put an end to Ben's possibly stellar career as a major league baseball player and is the ultimate cause of his untimely end. At Crossroads, he's given the aforementioned choice.
If he goes back to his old life, at what point would he return - another choice. He has the opportunity to return at a point before his health problems start, and for them never to crop up, so he gets a second chance at making it big in baseball. Just one major problem, he won't have met the love of his life, Abby, by then. This is the choice Ben makes, trusting that he and Abby are always meant to be together. But there are rules, strictly laid down by Crossroads and just as strictly enforced, as he finds out to his cost.
I came to this series via my reading of Jane Austen fan fiction (JAFF), of which Ms. Winslow is an accomplished writer. Indeed, the second book in this series definitely falls into that genre. The only connection this book has to JAFF is that Hope O'Neill, the heroine from Leap of Hope, appears here as a minor character in the Crossroads scenes. This book's major theme, after the second chances one, is baseball, rather than Regency England. Just about as different a topic as you could imagine but it works really well. I'm a Brit, and my knowledge of baseball is almost entirely gathered from the Kevin Costner film Field of Dreams, so this was a totally new field for me. I'd heard of the minor and major leagues but had no idea of their significance until now and it was fascinating to read about how the system works. Some of the more technical terms are still a bit of a mystery but that didn't spoil my enjoyment of this book. Baseball, in the end, is only the background to the story.
Does Ben make it in baseball? Does he find Abby and, more importantly, do they become a couple again? There are obstacles, major ones too, but you'll have to read the book to find out. I really hope Ms. Winslow goes on to write more in this series as I'd love to know what happens to some of the other people we meet at Crossroads, and I'd love her to tell Cora's and Poindexter's story too.
For my JAFF friends, I'd definitely recommend this book too, if you've already read Leap of Hope. For everyone else, if you enjoy this then go on and read Leap of Hope. You might find a whole new genre to enjoy!
What would you do with a second chance at life? Would you go back to an earlier point in your old life or would you choose something totally different? Or would you "go on", if you decide you've had enough of this life completely? Ben Lewis appears to "wake up" at the Crossroads Centre, run by two somewhat mysterious people named Cora and Poindexter. A health problem had already put an end to Ben's possibly stellar career as a major league baseball player and is the ultimate cause of his untimely end. At Crossroads, he's given the aforementioned choice.
If he goes back to his old life, at what point would he return - another choice. He has the opportunity to return at a point before his health problems start, and for them never to crop up, so he gets a second chance at making it big in baseball. Just one major problem, he won't have met the love of his life, Abby, by then. This is the choice Ben makes, trusting that he and Abby are always meant to be together. But there are rules, strictly laid down by Crossroads and just as strictly enforced, as he finds out to his cost.
I came to this series via my reading of Jane Austen fan fiction (JAFF), of which Ms. Winslow is an accomplished writer. Indeed, the second book in this series definitely falls into that genre. The only connection this book has to JAFF is that Hope O'Neill, the heroine from Leap of Hope, appears here as a minor character in the Crossroads scenes. This book's major theme, after the second chances one, is baseball, rather than Regency England. Just about as different a topic as you could imagine but it works really well. I'm a Brit, and my knowledge of baseball is almost entirely gathered from the Kevin Costner film Field of Dreams, so this was a totally new field for me. I'd heard of the minor and major leagues but had no idea of their significance until now and it was fascinating to read about how the system works. Some of the more technical terms are still a bit of a mystery but that didn't spoil my enjoyment of this book. Baseball, in the end, is only the background to the story.
Does Ben make it in baseball? Does he find Abby and, more importantly, do they become a couple again? There are obstacles, major ones too, but you'll have to read the book to find out. I really hope Ms. Winslow goes on to write more in this series as I'd love to know what happens to some of the other people we meet at Crossroads, and I'd love her to tell Cora's and Poindexter's story too.
For my JAFF friends, I'd definitely recommend this book too, if you've already read Leap of Hope. For everyone else, if you enjoy this then go on and read Leap of Hope. You might find a whole new genre to enjoy!
February 11, 2021
Engaging Read
Ben, a baseball player who has a debilitating diagnosis, gets a chance to go back in time, and he's given a second chance at achieving his goals. But when he goes back to his chosen time, will he make wiser decisions, or is history destined to repeat itself?
While this is not my normal genre of choice, I really enjoyed this book. The references to sci-fi were fun, and I became invested in Ben's story, as well as the stories of those around him. I will definitely be checking out the rest of the books in this series.
Ben, a baseball player who has a debilitating diagnosis, gets a chance to go back in time, and he's given a second chance at achieving his goals. But when he goes back to his chosen time, will he make wiser decisions, or is history destined to repeat itself?
While this is not my normal genre of choice, I really enjoyed this book. The references to sci-fi were fun, and I became invested in Ben's story, as well as the stories of those around him. I will definitely be checking out the rest of the books in this series.
July 30, 2017
Intriguing exploration of the irresistable question, "What if I could do my life over again?" Ben Lewis, a former star baseball player who hoped to make it to the big leagues, comes down with a debilitating illness, goes to the hospital & apparently dying, finds himself in the "Crossroads Center", a somewhat sterile but mortal-friendly halfway point for heaven/hell. "Now he’s being offered the opportunity to return to 1991 and try again, this time without the illness that originally ended his baseball hopes." (Goodreads summary) However, depending on when (the exact moment, and yes the mysterious handlers at the Center allow him to make this choice) he chooses to "re-enter" his life, he will have to meet, & woo his future wife all over again. While an intriguing premise, sometimes the clunky writing interfered with the story. Some of the other characters were thinly drawn, & I became impatient with the overburdened dialogue & occasional irritating figurative flourishes (esp unnecessary similes/metaphors). Still, I enjoyed it more than I expected - the author builds out several plot threads, & the twists & turns of Ben's new choices - "life, try #2" doesn't necessarily result in ways we expect. One aspect of the book had me thinking long after I put it down; the author does have an understanding for the idiosyncracies of human nature. Ben's eventual choice for "re-entry" is partially dependent on his re-viewing of many moments in his entire life, childhood to the moments before his earth departure (death); the Center encourages their "clients" to review their past via a strange, interactive wall. As his handler observes, clients are encouraged to review past events, their accurate occurances, not "our distorted recollections of events" (48). We all are dependent on our faulty human memories - our "personal" version may not imprint on our brains the actual details. Just ask one of your siblings about a dramatic family disturbance or crisis - compare their version to your remembrance! Winslow also uses Abby, Ben's love, to at least address the metaphysical possibilities she introduces with this sci-fi romance - part of the reason Ben recognizes he needs Abby is her "strong sense of right & wrong" and her "strong views on God" (59).
January 30, 2018
Wow! I was blown away by this book by Shannon Winslow. I have been a follower of her JAFF(Jane Austen Fan Fiction) writings for many years. I have so enjoyed her JAFF books however was a bit hesitant to try this new series, but I shouldn't have been.
In Leap of Faith, we have a young man, Ben Lewis, who lives and breathes baseball. His dream to make it to the pros is cut short due to illness. This completely overshadows all the good in his life, except for the woman he married. So after slipping away soon after surgery, he finds himself in a white room in white clothing. He is basically in a holding pattern between his former life and the next. Ben is at the Crossroads Center. He has been given a 'second chance' to decide what his next steps will be. He only has three choices.
I must say the humor, the characters and the research were well done. You connect with this young man and his hopes and dreams. I loved the sci-fi and movie references (Star Trek, Stargate and even The Wizard of Oz). This is not just about baseball, for I am not a baseball fan, but I did learn the difficulties of trying to make it to the pros. This book certainly puts into perspective what is important to each person. What is important to one person may not necessarily be the same thing that is important to another. However, each person will learn and grow.
"I was no Captain Kirk. I had no clue how to cancel the countdown and save the ship." (quote from the book)
I found the book imaginative and the story compelling. At no time did I find the book preachy either. There is the element of a higher being/place, however, one does wonder about the Afterlife. Besides, who wouldn't want a second chance? But the old adage certainly rings true here, "Be careful what you wish for."
I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading the next "Leap of Hope".
In Leap of Faith, we have a young man, Ben Lewis, who lives and breathes baseball. His dream to make it to the pros is cut short due to illness. This completely overshadows all the good in his life, except for the woman he married. So after slipping away soon after surgery, he finds himself in a white room in white clothing. He is basically in a holding pattern between his former life and the next. Ben is at the Crossroads Center. He has been given a 'second chance' to decide what his next steps will be. He only has three choices.
I must say the humor, the characters and the research were well done. You connect with this young man and his hopes and dreams. I loved the sci-fi and movie references (Star Trek, Stargate and even The Wizard of Oz). This is not just about baseball, for I am not a baseball fan, but I did learn the difficulties of trying to make it to the pros. This book certainly puts into perspective what is important to each person. What is important to one person may not necessarily be the same thing that is important to another. However, each person will learn and grow.
"I was no Captain Kirk. I had no clue how to cancel the countdown and save the ship." (quote from the book)
I found the book imaginative and the story compelling. At no time did I find the book preachy either. There is the element of a higher being/place, however, one does wonder about the Afterlife. Besides, who wouldn't want a second chance? But the old adage certainly rings true here, "Be careful what you wish for."
I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading the next "Leap of Hope".
August 6, 2017
This is a wonderful story. I couldn't put it down! I admit to skim reading at times--some descriptions just seemed superfluious--but it doesn't diminish my rating. This is clean, Christian fiction about a guy who got to go back in time and try his life again, despite the possibility that he could lose more than he gained.
One thing I did like about the time travel aspect is that Ben already knew he was time traveling and that he would have to adapt. There was not all that disbelief and casting about for explanations that usually takes up the first fourth or third of a time travel book.
Great story! Now, I must read book 2!
One thing I did like about the time travel aspect is that Ben already knew he was time traveling and that he would have to adapt. There was not all that disbelief and casting about for explanations that usually takes up the first fourth or third of a time travel book.
Great story! Now, I must read book 2!
April 8, 2017
Hit it out of the ballpark!
Shanon Winslow has done it again! Fantastic book AND this time with one of my favorite subjects - baseball!! Plus time-travel and a love of God! Loved, loved this book
Shanon Winslow has done it again! Fantastic book AND this time with one of my favorite subjects - baseball!! Plus time-travel and a love of God! Loved, loved this book
May 14, 2017
Second Chances
Having enjoyed Shannon Winslow's other books, I was excited to give her Crossroads Collection a try. I was not disappointed! A unique twist of second chances well worth your time.
Having enjoyed Shannon Winslow's other books, I was excited to give her Crossroads Collection a try. I was not disappointed! A unique twist of second chances well worth your time.
March 7, 2018
This was good, but at times I thought the author was trying to put to much together. I wanted more focus on the main couple.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews