Celebrate Lit / May 21, 2025

Unexpected Hope

About the Book Unexpected Hope

Book: Unexpected Hope (Sully Parkway Comfort Dogs Book One)

Author: Pam Green

Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction

Release date: October 15, 2024

When Jack Shelton hightails it out of Lexington, Virginia, for the suburbs of Washington, DC, he just wants out. Now. First on the agenda: put mountains and miles between him and his hometown memories.

Second: find a job as a reporter.

Fast.

Those two things—no other expectations. If he gets that far, maybe he’ll make room for God in his life again.

Then Jack wanders into the Church on the Parkway, and a case of mistaken identity entangles him in ministry with a team of broken people and a golden retriever puppy.

Can Jack get back on track with his new career plans, or will he find something unexpected as he travels Sully Parkway with Team Hope?

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts on Unexpected Hope

The cover on this one sucked me in. I love a good animal novel. Add in the humor and fun twists that were in this book, and I couldn’t stop reading. I laughed. I cried. It moved me, Bob (maybe I shouldn’t listen to Veggie Tales while reading books). But really and honestly, this was a wonderful novel that kept me entertained. It was faith-based, and I loved how it incorporated man plans and God laughs a bit, whether that was the author’s intent or not. I often say that about my own life. That I make plans and God laughs, saying That’s cute.

I’m beginning to think all churches should have a dog (or cuddly kitten) program.

I loved Hope in this novel. Both the dog and the kind that we get when we come back to God and His will for us. Highly recommend. I also highly recommend loving an animal today.

I live in a very rural area. We don’t have large churches, and there are no suburbs where I live. So I couldn’t relate to that as I really don’t even like travelling to our local city.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

About the Author of Unexpected Hope

Pam Green made her writing début in fifth grade when drafted to write the class play, Ghosts! Ghosts! Ghosts! At twelve, she fell in love with the French language. After a satisfying teaching career, she still peeks in the windows of empty schools while travelling and lingers in school supply aisles in August. Her stories show that God is always working in the lives of His children and seeking new members of His family.

More from Pam

“Sully Parkway? Where’s that? I’ve never heard of the Church on the Parkway either. This area is changing so fast nobody can keep up!”

Life in the Virginia suburbs outside Washington, DC, reflects the fast pace of our nation’s capital, and I know I’ve fooled some residents by sticking Sully Parkway and its non-denominational megachurch somewhere—and everywhere—in the area.

Welcome to my world!

Sully Parkway is anywhere I want it to be!

You’ll have no difficulty recognising the Church on the Parkway, or COP. Maybe it’s your church, with all its shortcomings, victories, quirky characters, inspiring leaders, and comfort dogs?!

Yes, COP takes its outreach responsibilities seriously, and it started a comfort dog ministry!

What Christian hasn’t struggled in situations where words fail to soothe a hurting soul? Real-life comfort dogs, such as the 100-plus golden retrievers deployed by the Lutheran Church Charities, are ambassadors of Christ’s love in a range of challenging situations, from the minor anxiety of learning to read aloud to the unthinkable tragedy of a school shooting, and everything in between.

I fell in love with these sweet creatures of God who know intuitively how to reach out to hurting humans. Find out how Hope, COP’s golden retriever puppy, grows into her mission.