Helping Hands

Companion of Baggage Burdens

Christian - Romance - Contemporary
182 Pages
Reviewed on 05/12/2022
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Edith Wairimu for Readers' Favorite

In the Christian contemporary romance novel, Helping Hands: Companion of Baggage Burdens by Ken Saik, a woman finds solace and guidance from a loyal friend as she deals with painful memories and heals from physical wounds. Jill is struggling to re-establish her life as she recovers from a devastating accident. She longs to be involved again in her children’s lives after her long hospital stay but the children seem to have made their own plans. Without a car and unable to return to her former job in the short term, Jill wonders whether her life will ever return to what it used to be some months ago. Her friend, Bill, sticks by her, helping her navigate current challenges and face other traumatic events in her childhood and past.

Through Jill’s courage in dealing with her past and recovering from physical and emotional wounds, Helping Hands shows that healing is possible even though Jill has lived in pain for years. I found Bill to be a likable main character too for his support and patience when guiding Jill toward recovery. I loved that the book portrays a realistic image of relationships and includes helpful tools for handling disputes within families and working toward reconciliation. Each character is fleshed out including the supporting characters as the motives behind the decisions they make are examined. Helping Hands: Companion of Baggage Burdens by Ken Saik is a realistic and moving romance novel with authentic characters. It inspires hope that healing from psychological and physical trauma can be achieved through faith and support.

Pikasho Deka

Helping Hands: Companion of Baggage Burdens is a slice-of-life drama novel by Ken Saik. Following a car accident, Jill Kreshky wakes up from a coma after spending weeks in the hospital, only to realize that her marriage of over twenty-five years is over. With dwindling funds in her account, no vehicle to travel in, and her children busy with their own lives, Jill has a hard time dealing with the aftermath of her failed marriage. Enter Bill Wynchuck, a widower, psychologist, and friend, who helps Jill regain her lost self-esteem and restores her faith in God. As Jill and Bill spend more time together, they start falling for each other. However, before Jill embarks on a new journey in her life, she must first make amends for her past mistakes and learn to forgive someone whose words continue to haunt her.

Ken Saik tells a poignant tale of love, compassion, and forgiveness that is bound to strike a chord in your heart. This book is about learning from your past mistakes and striving to do better with the help of your close friends and family. The characters are credible and grounded, with real problems and day-to-day struggles that make them relatable and thoroughly compelling. Jill and Bill have palpable chemistry, and their scenes together were some of my personal favorites from the book. An engaging story that reiterates the power of faith and love, Helping Hands is a feel-good novel that leaves you with a sense of positivity, making you optimistic about the future. Highly recommended.

Alma Boucher

In Helping Hands: Companion of Baggage Burdens by Ken Saik, recently divorced Jill Kreshky was in the hospital for six weeks after a horrible car accident. Bill, a friend from church, visits her every day. On coming home, Jill realized that her children were independent and had different interests. She was anxious to find a way to be part of their lives again. She also needed a car for her appointments with a physiotherapist and to buy groceries, but was reluctant to use her savings. Her daughter Amber accused her of being rude to Bill when she took a cab home from the hospital and did not wait for him. She invited him for dinner, and he offered to help her to buy a car. During their search for the right car, they became good friends, and she learned from him how to pray and have faith.

Helping Hands by Ken Saik is an inspirational story about faith, love, and second chances. The main theme of the story was finding and offering forgiveness. Bill showed Jill that she has to forgive and she could only do this through prayer and having faith. He was a kind man and his character was well developed from the start. Jill’s character evolved throughout the story, as the more she prayed and believed, the stronger she became. With Bill’s help, she was able to face her past and the expression of her emotional struggles was very powerful. She discovered another chance for love despite her past and age. Fans of faith-based novels will enjoy this moving story.