Wow. This is a great book! It’s been a while since I’ve picked up a new author and really loved their work, but Angel of Redemption has definitely changed my luck. I hope that J.A. Little is working on something new, she has some serious talent.

Angel of Redemption is a hefty read. At 594 pages in print, this book is not messing around. It is the story of Kayla Brooks, social worker, and Dean Wyatt, who helps run the Wyatt House Group Home for Boys. Two of Kayla’s cases are assigned to Wyatt House and she and Dean must work together to ensure their success. Dean is at first prickly and tries his best to dissuade Kayla from pursuing even a friendship with him. Over time though the two become close and despite some serious obstacles, they form a friendship which becomes a romance.

There is so much going on in this story that my above description doesn’t do it justice at all. Angel of Redemption is first and foremost a love story between Dean and Kayla. But it is also the story of some hurt children learning to grow up and sometimes failing along the way. It is the story of siblings, biological families, and the families that we create for ourselves.

I just loved Angel of Redemption (can you tell?). I loved Kayla and Dean’s dedication to the children that they worked with. I really liked that neither of them were perfect and sometimes they made mistakes. There is a scene where Kayla, who is the picture of calm with the boys she manages, loses it on one of them. It’s a jarring scene and I was upset with her for yelling at a teenager for screwing up. But it is so realistic, no one could be serene under the kind of pressure that Kayla’s character was under.

All of the supporting characters are fabulous. I loved Andy, Kayla’s stepbrother and I found myself lecturing Logan and Claire in my head while keeping my fingers crossed for them. Even the characters that don’t have a serious impact on the story have depth. I could easily picture meeting with Kate, Kayla’s boss or Joe, Dean’s dad.

I cried through both of the epilogues, which I also found so realistic. Little does an excellent job of coming up with satisfying but still believable outcomes for her characters.

I’m not going to attempt to write any more about Angel of Redemption. It’s impossible to describe accurately without giving away the entire book. I’ll just give it an A and tell you to start reading!

You can purchase Angel of Redemption by clicking on the cover below.