Destiny by Design by Sherry Crandell is another brilliant entry in the Michelli Family Ties series, a gripping family saga, and a masterpiece in the area of Christian fiction. Trish Cooper would love anything but to remember her dark past. Now a practicing Christian, she hopes to find a man who can share her Christian beliefs. She gets to know Diego Michelli, thanks to Tabitha who works for his powerful grandfather. She is irresistibly drawn to the handsome young man, but little does she know that Diego will be pulling her into a darkness more intense than the one she desperately wants to leave behind. Will her love for this man with dangerous secrets thrive, or will his dark world extinguish the light of her Christian faith? It is interesting to watch her being caught between her new Christian faith and a dangerous love that could be against everything she stands for.

Sherry Crandell is one hell of a good writer and she shows a lot of skill in developing a powerful plot in Destiny by Design. Readers will immediately get hooked by the conflict introduced in the story, a conflict that many lovers encounter quite often. The way the author handles it shows a lot of mastery. I fell in love with Trish Cooper and Diego Michelli. As one reads the story, one can actually feel the young girl’s heartache and her dilemma. Diego can be a roguish character, but he is stunning, solidly created and magnetic. Fans of Christian fiction will be delighted to read this gripping story. It’s one of those beautiful stories that explores the power of love and faith, a well-accomplished and entertaining piece.

In a lovely and romantic new book by author Sherry Crandell, Destiny by Design: Michelli Family Ties, readers will be treated to an exciting story that will keep them turning the pages from the start all the way through to the very end. Continuing the saga of the Michelli family in this second volume of a very promising series, the story line follows Trish Cooper, a woman who has newly found her love of the Christian faith as she decides if she can trust Diego Michelli and his professed love. Trish has experienced some difficulties in her life, however, and she is unsure if she can overcome them and if she will ever truly be able to trust Diego. Will Trish's faith in God be able to lead her down the path that is right for her? You'll need to read the book to find out!

I very much enjoyed Destiny by Design. Author Sherry Crandell has done a wonderful job of creating characters that her readers will be able to connect with, relate to, and truly come to care about, thinking of them long after the book is finished. If that isn't a hallmark of a great author, I'm not sure what is. Her story line is both romantic and sweet, and does a great job of intermingling some very positive Christian messages within the story. Any reader who enjoys romances, Christian fiction, or just good fiction in general should definitely give this book a chance. I am pleased to recommend Destiny by Design and will certainly look for more from the obviously talented author, Sherry Crandell, in the very near future!

In Destiny By Design: Michelli Family Ties by Sherry Crandell, Trish Cooper meets Diego Michelli in unusual circumstances and he immediately leaves her with a lasting bad impression. As a member of the powerful and infamous Michelli family, Diego is a charming but dangerous man. And when her best friend, Tabitha, works for the Michellis, Trish is unwillingly sucked into Diego’s enigmatic world. She comes from a family with an unsavoury reputation and the last thing she wants is to be involved with the Michellis. Trying to lead a Christian life, it will take all her strength to resist her handsome admirer. And to makes matters worse, she finds out that Diego also figured in a traumatic event in her past that still gives her nightmares.

Destiny By Design: Michelli Family Ties is the second edition in a series that revolves around the powerful Michelli family of Dallas, Texas. As a member of this Italian family, Diego is a controversial figure so Trish, with her newly acquired Christian faith, tries to resist his amorous advances. Destiny by Design keeps the reader glued its pages as the intricate plot unravels, and we await the fulfilment or failure of this unusual romance. The Michelli family is big and close-knit, and sometimes it is an effort to keep track of its members, but this can serve to heighten the reader’s interest too. Sherry Crandell proves that she is a master weaver of subplots as she tells this highly interesting, modern day Christian romance story.

Destiny by Design by Sherry Crandell goes deeper into the infamous Michelli family. One woman’s dying confession of faith changes the course of the entire family’s future. No matter how hard she tries, Trish Cooper can’t seem to escape her past or the Michelli family, especially after her friend Tabitha begins working for the family’s patriarch. Tony Michelli was the Assistant District Attorney that prosecuted Trish’s family in their various crimes. Now, it seems one of the men of the family is always crossing her path, in particular Diego Michelli. How can she find him attractive after he caused her such embarrassment years ago? He is stunningly handsome, a renowned playboy, always with a new woman at his side. Yet, something keeps tugging at her heart and her mind; could it be God? Is this a fatal attraction or Destiny by Design?

Sherry Crandell’s Destiny by Design is a story of love and forgiveness. The narrative portrays the biblical truth, that “nothing is impossible with God.” I was a bit lost in the beginning, since I had not read Crandell’s first book in the series, False Impressions. The narrative was a whirlwind of activity. However, after reading a few chapters, the characters came alive and the story’s plot began to take shape. The novel’s chapters are short, keeping the action moving, challenging the reader to keep up. The Michelli family has many members, stereotypical of Italian families. They are extremely tight–knit and devoted to one another. There’s always something going on, keeping them in the limelight of the community.

However, there is an air of mystery to the family. There is more to the Michellis than meets the eye, much more. The Michelli family dynamic is the polar opposite of Trish Cooper’s family. This difference creates an interesting conflict for the heroine of the story. As the story plays out, you find yourself hoping God will bring these two unlikely characters together. My favorite aspect of the story is the underlying theme of facing fears. As the heroine overcomes each challenge, she becomes stronger, creating a dynamic change in her character. The conclusion of this romantic tale warms the heart and satisfies the soul with hope because “with God all things are possible.”