Oct 26, 2026
Well done
First I will state this is not a genre I read much. In fact the only books I have read in this genre have either been by other Catholic authors or Cedar Sanderson writing as Lilania Begley. But I am a father of three daughters and open to a wide range of books. I was asked if I wanted to give this one a go for review purposes. The description was intriguing and I was open to giving it a try. It obviously did not end up on me ‘did not finish’ pile. The description of this novel is: “Olivier’s life is turned upside down after a car accident. Aside from the injuries to his body, his relationship with his girlfriend has also turned sour. When everything seems to be against him, he discovers a Catholic choir group that inspires him to see life in a new light. Although he is not religious, he helps the choir and ends up learning what selfless love means. Regina is a professional violinist and a soprano in her church choir. She is also very devoted to her faith. When she meets Olivier, a nonbeliever, her faith is challenged in a new way. Most importantly, she has to define what it really means to have faith. When her feelings for Olivier grow deeper, she’ll have to decide what to compromise—and what not to. Will Olivier and Regina end up together? Will love conquer all?” About the author we are informed: “Nydia was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, and moved to Canada when she was 18 years old. In 2017, she graduated from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, then moved to Calgary, Toronto, and finally to Montreal in 2021. Living in various cities in Canada has broadened her perspective as a Canadian author. Although she was born and raised Catholic, it wasn’t until 2018 that she experienced God’s love firsthand and decided to serve God through writing. When she is not writing, she spends her spare time reading and playing piano. The inspiration for her writing includes Montreal and Canada’s beauty, her Asian roots, classical music, her travel experience, and her faith and spirituality.” Having grown up in Kingston, Ontario I spent a lot of time in Montreal in my youth, attending games, concerns and just enjoying the city. So there was a lot I could relate to in the story about appreciation for the city. I am also a revert having left the Catholic church twice once in my teens and again in my mid-twenties. So there is a lot I can relate to in Oliver’s beginning to question his assumptions around the Catholic Church and faith. The story is told through a series of first person point of view chapters. Three of our characters provide our perspective. Olivier Lefebvre – 28 chapters Regina de Luca – 26 chapters Ethan O'Sullivan – 4 chapters Usually each chapter switches but on a few occasions we get back to back chapters by Olivier and Regina, and once we get three chapters from Olivier in a row. Oliver is recovering from a serious accident that has altered his life permanently. Ethan is questioning his call to be a surgeon or the priesthood. And Regina is trying to find her place in the world of professional musicians. Ethan and Olivier grew up going to the same schools and often competed for top marks. But when Ethan is on the trauma team after the accident they reconnect and develop a true friendship. Ethan also conducts a choir at his church, and Regina is a member. When Regina is in need of a new place to stay Ethan connects her with Olivier. The story from that point is one for friendship, romance faith and finding out what really matters in life. The story is not a white washed Christian fiction. All of our characters have flaws and make mistakes and assumptions. But they also grow and grow in faith. The characters are very well written. And reading this could be like catching up with old friends you had not seen in a long time. It is realistic fiction but with a clear faith foundation. This was a wonderful read. I read it over the first few days of vacation at the end of summer and it was an excellent story to start some time off with. I can easily recommend this book.
