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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
Merritt Heyward's husband passes away two years ago, but she is still living with the scars of life with him and guilt over his death. She is about to find out a lot about her husband through an inheritance from his grandmother. A large family home in the South Caroline low country. She will also discover three generations of skeletons in the Heyward's closet. Skeletons that will link this southern family with a family in Maine. Merritt's family who also hides very similar skeletons. This is a tragic story of domestic violence, but there is also a wonderful story of love. The warmth and healing of a loving family. Merritt learns to love again through a very unlikely source. Having barely shaken the dust off her shoes in her new old home she comes face to face with her stepmother and a stepbrother she has never met.
Loralee, is the stepmother that Merritt tries so hard to hate but ends up forging a strong bond. I loved Loralee and her pink journal of truths. I wanted to start writing these little nuggets of life lessons into my own journal, but that would have required me to put down the book so that I could write. All of the characters will make you feel so many emotions at once. I laughed, cried, cringed, and forgave right along with all of these people that stole my heart. I highly recommend this book. I want to thank netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.
Loralee, is the stepmother that Merritt tries so hard to hate but ends up forging a strong bond. I loved Loralee and her pink journal of truths. I wanted to start writing these little nuggets of life lessons into my own journal, but that would have required me to put down the book so that I could write. All of the characters will make you feel so many emotions at once. I laughed, cried, cringed, and forgave right along with all of these people that stole my heart. I highly recommend this book. I want to thank netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would really give this 3 1/2 stars. I found it very readable and the characters were well developed, if a bit cliche. The way it all came together in the end was predictable, yet satisfying.
4 for the writing and Loralee’s character. 3.5 for Merritt and the plot line which was a little unbelievable. So many dead parents and husbands. Too tidy of a wrap up.
This was a great book club choice! Yes, it was predictable, but it was still enjoyable.
Merritt is a recent widow who suddenly inherits her husband's grandmother's home in South Carolina upon her passing. She decides to leave her life in Maine behind her, and find a new beginning.
Shortly after she arrives, so do her stepmother, Loralee, and 10-year old brother, Owen, from her deceased father's second marriage. Loralee has an ulterior motive, but she's an inherently sweet southern woman who truly wants to help Merritt get past her obvious pains. What adds a bit of interest is that Merritt's ex's brother lives nearby, and is so very different than her ex.
This is a simple and sweet book filled with secrets, absolution, joy, and sadness. I dare you to try reading this without shedding a tear.
Merritt is a recent widow who suddenly inherits her husband's grandmother's home in South Carolina upon her passing. She decides to leave her life in Maine behind her, and find a new beginning.
Shortly after she arrives, so do her stepmother, Loralee, and 10-year old brother, Owen, from her deceased father's second marriage. Loralee has an ulterior motive, but she's an inherently sweet southern woman who truly wants to help Merritt get past her obvious pains. What adds a bit of interest is that Merritt's ex's brother lives nearby, and is so very different than her ex.
This is a simple and sweet book filled with secrets, absolution, joy, and sadness. I dare you to try reading this without shedding a tear.
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
mysterious
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was blown away by The Sound of Glass by Karen White. The story starts out in 1955, and while I was slightly confused at first, everything fell into place beautifully.
This is another book that really gets the wheels of your mind turning, thinking, and even your heart feeling.
If you believe everything happens for a reason, you must read this book. And if you don't, reading this book may not be as powerful for you, but it's still a great read.
Character development is one of my favorite aspects in a novel, whether it be from bad to good, or vise versa. And Merrit fits the bill. You get glimpses from her past and before she met the man who ruined her, in some aspects. You get to watch her life unfold after his unexpected passing, and it's truly breathtaking.
Being from the northern states gave me a sort of feeling of kinship towards Merrit, her being from Maine, and it was funny to see how things we say are truly different from that of the southern states.
A key character, Loralee, tries to teach Merrit proper "takings" and I found myself laughing at them frequently, and always siding with Merrit. A great example is how us "Yankees" say "you guys" and southerners say "y'all".
While changes may come to the plot before publishing in May, I hope it's not many! This book was truly a work of art, and had me laughing and crying, sometimes simultaneously! I'm so excited for this book to hit shelves, as I think it's a great read for anyone!
This is another book that really gets the wheels of your mind turning, thinking, and even your heart feeling.
If you believe everything happens for a reason, you must read this book. And if you don't, reading this book may not be as powerful for you, but it's still a great read.
Character development is one of my favorite aspects in a novel, whether it be from bad to good, or vise versa. And Merrit fits the bill. You get glimpses from her past and before she met the man who ruined her, in some aspects. You get to watch her life unfold after his unexpected passing, and it's truly breathtaking.
Being from the northern states gave me a sort of feeling of kinship towards Merrit, her being from Maine, and it was funny to see how things we say are truly different from that of the southern states.
A key character, Loralee, tries to teach Merrit proper "takings" and I found myself laughing at them frequently, and always siding with Merrit. A great example is how us "Yankees" say "you guys" and southerners say "y'all".
While changes may come to the plot before publishing in May, I hope it's not many! This book was truly a work of art, and had me laughing and crying, sometimes simultaneously! I'm so excited for this book to hit shelves, as I think it's a great read for anyone!
*Audio Review*
This book was a slow starter for me but once it got going I really enjoyed it. I was very interested in Merritt's past and loved how the story was told with three POV's from past to present. In the beginning I wasn't sure about the characters because Merritt seems a little mean, Loralee seemed shallow and a little silly but once they showed their real sides I grew to love them and understand the walls they hide behind. It was a very predictable story when it came to the characters, they did and said all the things you expect from a Romance/Chick-Lit stand point even if the plot wasn't as predictable.
The narrators were great! Therese Plummer is as always fantastic as Merritt and Susan Bennett was also great, they both did really well at giving each character their own voices.
This book was a slow starter for me but once it got going I really enjoyed it. I was very interested in Merritt's past and loved how the story was told with three POV's from past to present. In the beginning I wasn't sure about the characters because Merritt seems a little mean, Loralee seemed shallow and a little silly but once they showed their real sides I grew to love them and understand the walls they hide behind. It was a very predictable story when it came to the characters, they did and said all the things you expect from a Romance/Chick-Lit stand point even if the plot wasn't as predictable.
The narrators were great! Therese Plummer is as always fantastic as Merritt and Susan Bennett was also great, they both did really well at giving each character their own voices.