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Hangdog #1
Shoulder to Shoulder
"You won't want to put it down. This dramatic, suspenseful work of Christian fiction will draw you in from the first chapter, and leave you begging for more in the end." Hangdog - Shoulder to Shoulder is the first of three books in the highly anticipated Christian Fiction series by Tylie Eaves.Beau and Eli McKnight are brothers, identical twins who have lived an idyllic existence for eighteen years. But, when careless choices turn a rite of passage into an unspeakable tragedy, everything changes in an instant. The entire McKnight family ends up in the fight of their lives. Battling anger, bitterness, fear, guilt, shame and uncertainty, they must strike back against pain, doubt and evil, lean into God’s grace and trust that miracles are real, forgiveness is free, and healing -- inside and out -- is an inevitable byproduct of faith.
316 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 24, 2018
31 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
About the author
Tylie Vaughan Eaves
5 books12 followersTylie Eaves is a passionate novelist, wife to one man, mother to three sons, woman of faith, and a wannabe wrangler of life's chaos whose hot-mess management skills are marginal at best. She is known for producing Christian and inspirational fiction with grit and depth. She explores real-life and bigger-than-life situations in stories that move, challenge, and enthrall readers. She is also a professional copywriter and editor, and the founder of Vertu - a content creation and publishing firm. She and her husband, Wade, have three sons who keep them busy with sports and activities around the clock. She enjoys staying active, eating good food, and making memories. She is happy serving and writing from her home in East Tennessee.
Check out Hangdog – Shoulder to Shoulder (the first of three in the Hangdog series) on Amazon -- and don’t forget to connect with Tylie on social media!
Check out Hangdog – Shoulder to Shoulder (the first of three in the Hangdog series) on Amazon -- and don’t forget to connect with Tylie on social media!
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 11, 2018
This was an exciting book filled with twists, turns, and a lot of different aspects. Most of them were unique from the books I have read.
I'll start with my absolute favorite part of the book: Valerie and Joe. I don't know of a book where I loved the parents so much. Valerie's faith and confidence in the truth of God's Word was just amazing. It was portrayed very well; people's doubts affected her own thoughts, but, like a mother, she remained strong. It took me a while to actually like Joe (he was always fine, but didn't have much of a personality until the second half of the book), but when I did, boy, did I like him. It's a little strange, since he didn't really do anything extra special; he just was there, acting like a good father and supporting his wife. His struggles were portrayed very well, too. I'm honestly a little surprised at how much I liked Valerie and Joe, but the fact is there: they were amazing parents.
The other characters were good and developed well. Ivy was sweet, and though not much was told from her POV, her struggle to forgive was shown well. Beau's anger and bitterness seemed realistic, and his consequential decisions made sense. Pete was a little cringe-worthy, but he had a very nice purpose. I would have preferred his crudeness was left a little more to the imagination, but it wasn't constantly included.
Speaking of content, (which was part of the reason this book lost a star) Beau's immoral actions were less than pleasant to read about. I will say, it did get the point across, and an important one at that. The other fact is that Beau is participating in a lot of sinful actions; it's handled pretty well--maybe not as well as it could be--but I acknowledge it's difficult to be completely circumspect in these situations.(And to praise his parents again--I loved Valerie's and Joe's reactions to that bombshell! No use condemning Beau for it, because it wouldn't do any good. But their disapproval was quite evident.) One thing I didn't quite understand was Beau's 'relationship' with Maggie. I couldn't see how it helped the plot much, besides creating an example of Beau's filthy life.
The rest of the star was docked because of the ending. I just felt that nothing was resolved much. Even though Eli And Beau ... he was left hanging in midair. I don't even know what his thoughts were at the end of the book. I'm not saying all the loose threads were bad; it's good to have some unanswered questions to lead into the next book. I just thought it would have been better to have one or two problems mostly resolved.
There were other good aspects, as well. The amount of detail described, mainly about Eli's condition and the Marines, impressed me. The writing style was simple, but it got the point across well. Heavy subjects, bittersweet moments, human nature ... but best of all, God's promises of healing.
I'll start with my absolute favorite part of the book: Valerie and Joe. I don't know of a book where I loved the parents so much. Valerie's faith and confidence in the truth of God's Word was just amazing. It was portrayed very well; people's doubts affected her own thoughts, but, like a mother, she remained strong. It took me a while to actually like Joe (he was always fine, but didn't have much of a personality until the second half of the book), but when I did, boy, did I like him. It's a little strange, since he didn't really do anything extra special; he just was there, acting like a good father and supporting his wife. His struggles were portrayed very well, too. I'm honestly a little surprised at how much I liked Valerie and Joe, but the fact is there: they were amazing parents.
The other characters were good and developed well. Ivy was sweet, and though not much was told from her POV, her struggle to forgive was shown well. Beau's anger and bitterness seemed realistic, and his consequential decisions made sense. Pete was a little cringe-worthy, but he had a very nice purpose. I would have preferred his crudeness was left a little more to the imagination, but it wasn't constantly included.
Speaking of content, (which was part of the reason this book lost a star) Beau's immoral actions were less than pleasant to read about. I will say, it did get the point across, and an important one at that. The other fact is that Beau is participating in a lot of sinful actions; it's handled pretty well--maybe not as well as it could be--but I acknowledge it's difficult to be completely circumspect in these situations.(And to praise his parents again--I loved Valerie's and Joe's reactions to that bombshell! No use condemning Beau for it, because it wouldn't do any good. But their disapproval was quite evident.) One thing I didn't quite understand was Beau's 'relationship' with Maggie. I couldn't see how it helped the plot much, besides creating an example of Beau's filthy life.
The rest of the star was docked because of the ending. I just felt that nothing was resolved much. Even though Eli And Beau ... he was left hanging in midair. I don't even know what his thoughts were at the end of the book. I'm not saying all the loose threads were bad; it's good to have some unanswered questions to lead into the next book. I just thought it would have been better to have one or two problems mostly resolved.
There were other good aspects, as well. The amount of detail described, mainly about Eli's condition and the Marines, impressed me. The writing style was simple, but it got the point across well. Heavy subjects, bittersweet moments, human nature ... but best of all, God's promises of healing.
August 7, 2018
Had to make myself put it down. Can't wait for more.
November 1, 2018
Great book! You won’t want to put it down!
October 24, 2018
I have put off doing what I should be doing to finish this book. Which I find so strange because Christian fiction really isn't my thing. However, the pacing and story was compelling and I had to finish it. I think the story of twin brother's graduating high school is so gripping because it makes me think of what life will be like once my own son is at that life strange of becoming an adult, and making choices with deep consequences.
If Christian fiction is your thing, then this book is definitely for you. If it's not your thing, it's still quite good.
If Christian fiction is your thing, then this book is definitely for you. If it's not your thing, it's still quite good.
February 22, 2019
I was hooked from the first page. Engrossing tale of twin boys upon their graduation from High School and the different ways they choose to celebrate. The bad choice of one brings tragedy upon both of them. Seeing how the family copes with the aftermath kept me turning pages. The book ends with a cliff-hanger. I can't wait to see what happens next.
April 9, 2019
Good story, but I hate books that end with To Be Continued. May or may not read the next book. If it Concluded in this book probably would have given it 5 stars.
October 23, 2025
The first 100 pages were a slow start, setting up the characters and the background, but then I couldn't put it down! 100% recommend and I can't wait to read the next book!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews