Trust

A Novel

Fiction - Womens
174 Pages
Reviewed on 11/26/2018
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

What do you do when you cannot live without books? You write them, of course!

Author Daines L. Reed, a wildly optimistic lover of words, resides in a small town just outside of Charlotte, NC with her husband, daughters, and pair of miniature Schnauzers. She is an avid reader, lifelong learner, and emerging storyteller.

By trade, Daines L. Reed is a registered dental hygienist. By birth, she is a writer, an observer of people, and a lover of words. She cannot live without books and cannot go a single day without asking, “What if?

Through her debut novel, Trust, Daines has exposed a cultural issue that needs to be addressed. She hopes this novel will provide the spark for a dialogue that can push individuals to take a more active interest in the legacies they leave for their children.

The forthcoming novels in the Trust series will entertain and enlighten readers as they explore the personal stories of the core characters, providing an intimate glimpse of the issues that impact their lives.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Alyssa Elmore for Readers' Favorite

Discover the path to true friendship and financial independence in Trust by Daines L. Reed. Ruth Gentry may live with her husband, but she has lived in a suspended state of separation since her grown daughter was young. Now a grandmother to a teen and wife in-name-only to an abusive drunk, Ruth constantly prays for her life to change and her marriage to end, but knows that it would take a miracle. With no money to leave and no other option in sight, Ruth feels that her prayers may be too much for even God to handle; until the night her husband tries to kill her. Now, Ruth must find a way for everything to work out, starting with a divorce. Always one to hold her pains and fears close, Ruth learns to share everything with her only friends with whom she works and attends book club and church. For the first time in her life, Ruth has confidants and companions to help support her as she makes a major life transition. Only, no one knows just how many miracles can occur when a group of friends gets together to read novels. Each woman must learn an important lesson; how to trust. But trust means so much more than any one of the overwhelmed women of the book club first thought. Now they have a mission. Will Ruth be able to rebuild her life after living stagnantly for so long? Will the book club be able to help her with becoming financially independent?

A woman fighting to rebuild her life learns how to become financially free in the dramatic debut novel Trust by Daines L. Reed. Ruth Gentry has always struggled with money. Living in the poorer area of a Georgian town, she has often wondered how white families seem to be able to hold onto their money; not just day-to-day, but for generations. What she discovers can revolutionize how families of all ethnicities handle their money and live their lives. The main character's story was so inspirational; leaving her husband after so many years of an abusive and loveless marriage, and forging out on her own was heartwarming. Making friends and discovering how to enjoy life while still having a healthy sense of money was even more inspiring. I was impressed with the author's ability to draw one into the story, and appreciated how she wove her story around such an important, life-changing subject. The sou-sou pot was brilliantly explained. I would recommend Trust to those that need an extra boost to get them out of a toxic relationship or those who are curious about how to get out of debt and leave a financial legacy behind for future generations. I loved this novel.

Jack Magnus

Trust is a contemporary women’s fiction novel written by Daines L Reed. For Ruth, life had become a razor-sharp struggle. Her husband was a violent alcoholic, and she slept fitfully behind locked doors, with her Bible and a hammer under her pillow. Her sleep, what little there was, was marred by terrifyingly realistic dreams. Awakening, she’d tiptoe quietly out of the house that had become a prison. Ruth pulled double and even triple shifts at the hospital where she worked. For breaks, she’d go to the nearby YMCA and pound out five miles on the treadmill and then return to work. The naps she’d take in the on-call room were the safest moments of rest she enjoyed, and still those nightmares tormented her. Ruth’s daughter was grown now and on her own, so there was little need for her to stay in an abusive relationship that held nothing for her anymore. Her life, her family, were her friends from the hospital. Somehow they would help her through the challenges of getting her life back on course, even as she helped them with theirs. They were there for each other, and it meant the world to each of them.

Daines L Reed’s contemporary women’s fiction novel, Trust, is a well-written and moving story about faith and trust, and how the characters in this novel reconcile the difficulties and disappointments in their lives with the precepts of a faith that promises that God has good things in store for them. Reed’s characters are real, strong and enduring women who are inspiring in their resilience and care for each other. I loved being witness to their book club meetings and witnessing how they empower themselves. Reed’s story is hard to put down as their stories are so compelling. Trust is most highly recommended.

Edith Wairimu

Trust by Daines L. Reed is a story full of inspiration. It features a group of women working in a hospital in various capacities. Ruth, the main character, is in the middle of a turbulent marriage owing to her husband’s abusive nature and alcoholism. She lives in fear and dread of him every day until she decides she has had enough. Ruth begins to find out that the process of divorce is much more difficult than she realized initially. On top of that, her grown-up daughter requires financial help from her consistently. Even so, Ruth and her friends decide to turn their lives around and start saving for their future. They refuse to remain bound by financial limitations their whole lives and they begin to take conscious steps as a team to change their circumstances.

Daines L. Reed’s Trust shows what is possible when a decision is made to change one’s mindset and redefine their future. As a team, the group supports each other through multiple challenges. The themes of sisterhood and financial freedom, prominent in the book, are very relevant to many women today. I especially liked how the women stood together and helped each other out when any of them was in need. The characters are also authentic, each having their own flaws and struggles. Through Ruth’s abusive marriage I was able to understand why many victims choose to remain and how support and love from friends can help in such a situation. I loved reading Trust because it is relevant; it also features real issues affecting many women and it also provides practical solutions.

Christian Sia

Trust: A Novel by Daines L Reed is a compelling narrative with strong female characters, a story that is as inspiring as it is entertaining. Ruthena Gentry’s life hasn’t been ideal and the challenges come up every day — kids, difficult relationships, and poverty. Her marriage only gets worse as the days go by and she is forced to run. Things aren’t working well for her book club friends who struggle with poverty and hardship. Ruth and her friends make the resolute decision to free themselves from the shackles of poverty by embracing a bold idea. But how long do they have to make it work? And can they build the unshakable trust in themselves and in each other that will see them through the challenging days as they work towards their freedom?

The suspense is strong as the reader wants to see what becomes of the characters in the book and if they can stick together and allow their friendship to reward their choices in the end. The story is beautiful and the author does a great job in exploring the lives of typically poor and driven people. It is interesting to notice how Ruth and her friends take inspiration from their painful existence and decide to transform their lives. The author develops themes of friendship, family, and love with a unique skill and writes about family relationships from an experienced and convincing perspective. The characters are real and they are enriched by their backgrounds and relationships. Daines L Reed teaches readers in Trust: A Novel that great dreams are possible and that no one succeeds alone; here is a book that explores the power of friendship and the rewards of resilience.