Behind the Book

Faith

by Mimi Barbour

Mimi Barbour shares how a beloved secondary character stepped out of a revenge series and into her own hard-won romance.

This romance begins in damage, grief, and survival, then follows a woman called Sunshine as she finds a reason to live, love, and begin again.

emotional character-driven gritty tender hopeful

Discover the book Explore the story

A story that begins in shadow but keeps turning toward warmth.

Author conversation

With Mimi Barbour

Mimi Barbour answers our questions about Faith

We asked about the book’s origin, cover, writing process, atmosphere, and intended reader experience — then shaped those answers into this feature.

Origin

Why this book exists

Faith exists because one secondary character refused to stay in the background. In details shared with IndieBookStories, Mimi Barbour traces the book back to her Her Sweet Revenge series, where Aurora Santiago's pursuit of justice led her into a dangerous underworld and toward Faith, a woman already marked by loss. Barbour describes loving this character so much that she began building a romance around her. What started as part of a wider revenge story became something more intimate: a stand-alone novel about a woman whose light has dimmed, and what it might take for it to return.

On why this book exists

“Because I loved this secondary character so much, I began creating a romance for her.”

On why this book exists

“After the death of Aurora's brother, the light had gone from Faith's eyes.”

Behind the book

The human story behind it

On courage

“Her will to live became non-existent. Until she woke up in the hospital and heard the cry of a baby in distress.”

The human heart of the book lies in Barbour's attachment to Faith herself. The author shares that after the death of Aurora's brother, Faith had reached a place where her "will to live became non-existent." The turning point was small and piercing: a baby crying in distress. That sound gave Faith something to move toward. Barbour points to that moment as the beginning of recovery, and it shapes the reading experience too. This is not a polished story about easy rescue. It is a romance built around a woman climbing out of guilt, self-hate, and survival mode, helped by connection, care, and the possibility of being needed.

A softly lit corridor with shadow and warm light suggesting a moment of emotional change. — A small sound becomes the beginning of a new life.

On preserving the human story

“She buried her face amongst the roses to inhale their strong scent.”

Reader experience

What kind of journey is this?

Barbour describes her storytelling as "humor-filled, character-driven, with lots of action," and Faith seems to balance those elements against a darker emotional premise. Readers can expect a romance that moves through tough pasts and defensive hearts, but does not stay emotionally static. Faith carries grief, shame, and longing; Steven carries his own disappointments and protective walls. Together, they bring tension, tenderness, and a gradual sense of thaw. The writing appears to aim for momentum as much as feeling, with the plot shaped to keep readers turning pages while the characters do the deeper work of learning how to trust what enters their lives unexpectedly.

Inspired by the story world

A visual glimpse into the book’s atmosphere

The images around Faith draw from details Mimi Barbour shared with IndieBookStories: roses, warmth, tenderness, and a bruised story world where grief gives way to connection. They reflect both the tougher edges of Faith's past and the softer, more hopeful emotional life that begins to emerge.

Bright pink roses in soft light, captured with intimate detail and a reflective atmosphere.

Among the Roses

One of the book's most vivid images is simple and sensory: Faith among the roses, holding onto beauty.

A softly lit room with two distant figures suggesting emotional connection and guarded tenderness.

Walls and Warmth

Barbour's romance holds tension and tenderness in the same frame.

A cozy writing scene with a laptop, herbal tea, and a small dog on a bed in soft light.

From the Author's Bedside Desk

Faith was written in a home setting that feels as personal and unguarded as the book's emotional core.

Reader response

How readers may feel

On how readers may feel

“Their eyes met and held. Never in his life had he experienced such an overpowering sense of warmth.”

For some readers, Faith may feel like stepping into a bruised but hopeful story world. The subject matter begins in painful places, yet the emotional direction leans toward warmth, attachment, and second chances. You may find yourself reading for the chemistry, but also for the quieter question underneath it: what helps a person choose life again after they have nearly let go? Because Barbour writes with humor and action alongside vulnerability, the experience may feel less relentlessly heavy than the premise suggests, even while it stays close to the characters' wounds.

Reader fit

Who this book is for

This book may suit romance readers who like damaged characters, emotional recovery arcs, and stories where love grows alongside healing rather than replacing it. If you enjoy character-led series fiction, protective heroes, complicated heroines, and plots with a little underworld grit around the edges, Faith may find a place in your reading life. It is also likely to appeal to readers who appreciate when an author takes a side character from a larger series and gives her full emotional space, letting her become more than the role she first seemed to play.

A useful note

Who this may not be for

Faith may not be the right fit if you want a light, sparkling romance with low emotional stakes from the outset. The story begins with trauma, self-blame, addiction, and loss, and while the arc moves toward connection, the material underneath is heavier than a breezy comfort read. Readers who prefer entirely stand-alone worlds with no ties to a wider series may also find its roots in Her Sweet Revenge more visible than they want.

Cover story

Behind the cover

On the cover

“I had an image of Faith while I wrote her story, and my cover artist managed to find the perfect model.”

Barbour's explanation of the cover is personal and precise. She shares that she carried "an image of Faith" while writing, and that her cover artist found "the perfect model." More broadly, she describes giving the artist the substance of the story and what it reveals about the protagonist. For Barbour, the visual matters because it has to reflect "who they are, what they do, and why." The result is not just a romantic image, but an attempt to bring the woman she imagined on the page into view for readers.

Author

Mimi Barbour

Profile details supplied to IndieBookStories.

Writing room

From the author’s desk

Faith came quickly. Barbour shares that the novel took only a few months because so much of the backstory was already alive from the beginning of the series, and "the story basically wrote itself." The physical writing life behind it is intimate and unfussy: she works from home, often propped up in bed with a laptop, "my little doggie, and a cup of herbal tea." It fits the feeling of a writer who enjoys living closely with her characters, then letting them take over once their emotional shape is clear.

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Faith

Mimi Barbour answers our questions about Faith

Why this book exists

The human story behind it

What kind of journey is this?