The Calling

Mae Martin loves her second husband and step children. She even loves her mother Rhoda-Rae though their relationship remains rocky. Then her mother suggests she take some courses to get certified as a personal trainer. Following so close on using a talent she discovered when she was younger, increasing her knowledge decreases her contentment. As new friends encourage her to explore her familial ability to heal and find those who are lost, Mae feels the strain on her old relationships. But are some of her new acquaintances more dangerous or wounded than she realizes.

The contrast between Rhoda-Rae’s unfaithfulness and Mae’s loyalty caught my attention, so seeing Mae’s seemingly idyllic marriage crumble so fast jarred me. I appreciated how Mae took her learning both personal and spiritual slowly, so all the “teaching” crammed into the last few chapters felt tedious. Not sure I will continue this series.

The Calling is book 1 in the Mae Martin Mysteries series by Amber Foxx.

Mae had a rough life. At 13, her dad took off and did not reach out to her. Her mom made sure there were no traces of him in their new home. That’s also the first time she realized she had the “sight.” She used it for a good reason, but her mother told her it was bad and she was never to use it again. Years later, married to her second husband, she felt the need to use it again, and it had a life changing impact for her and those around her. I really felt for Mae with the difficult decisions she had to make. I thought the characters were well-developed. I saw how long the book was and was concerned that it might drag, but I was so engrossed in the story and felt it moved along at a good pace. I’m looking forward to reading the next book to see what the future holds for Mae.

As a former hippie, an eventual counselor for disadvantaged youth, and a family crisis counselor, the book pinged many of my bells. I was also tall and auburn-haired as was Mae.
I learned some new information, always a good thing. While I did not greedily gulp the story as is often my wont , the times between readings were usually occupied by ruminating on structure and voice. I enjoyed the book tremendously.