wp-1581101839901.jpgWelcome to my stop on the Mercy House blog tour sponsored by TLC Book Tours! Thanks to TLC for the invitation!

My Thoughts:

Sister Evelyn runs Mercy House, a safe haven for abused women. She’s tough as nails for all appearances, but she has a warmth and heart of gold when it comes to women under her care. 

Bishop Hawkins is scheduled to visit Mercy House, and the sisters are worried he may find out the extra ways they have helped the women, as in ways that are not allowed by the church. 

Sister Evelyn is at the heart of Mercy House, and she will use all her might to protect and serve it. I loved her character. She was witty and had a charm and vulnerability about her that made her so relatable. I think Alena Dillon did an amazing job writing about strong women. 

Overall, I enjoyed my time spent and Mercy House and within the pages of this story. It reminded me of a personal experience I had in high school when I volunteered for two years in a women’s shelter. The author’s writing took me right back to that time and place. 

Trigger warnings: rape and assault.

I received a complimentary copy.

About Mercy House

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (February 11, 2020)

“Never underestimate the power of a group of women. Fierce, thoughtful and dramatic—this is a story of true courage.” —Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author

She would stop at nothing to protect the women under her care.

Inside a century-old row house in Brooklyn, renegade Sister Evelyn and her fellow nuns preside over a safe haven for the abused and abandoned. Gruff and indomitable on the surface, warm and wry underneath, little daunts Evelyn, until she receives word that Mercy House will be investigated by Bishop Hawkins, a man with whom she shares a dark history. In order to protect everything they’ve built, the nuns must conceal many of their methods, which are forbidden by the Catholic Church.

Evelyn will go to great lengths to defend all that she loves. She confronts a gang member, defies the church, challenges her own beliefs, and faces her past. She is bolstered by the other nuns and the vibrant, diverse residents of the shelter—Lucia, Mei-Li, Desiree, Esther, and Katrina—whose differences are outweighed by what unites them: they’ve all been broken by men but are determined to rebuild.

Amidst her fight, Evelyn discovers the extraordinary power of mercy and the grace it grants, not just to those who receive it, but to those strong enough to bestow it.

Social Media

Please use the hashtag #mercyhouse, and tag @tlcbooktours, @williammorrowbooks, and @alena.dillon.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Photo by Debasmit Banerjee

About Alena Dillon

Alena Dillon’s work has appeared in Slice Magazine, The Rumpus, and Seventh Wave, among others. She earned her MFA from Fairfield University. Mercy House is her debut novel. She lives on the north shore of Boston with her husband, son, and their black labrador, Penny.

Find out more about Alena at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Have you read Mercy House, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR