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keen23's review against another edition
4.0
Another great book by one of my favorite authors. Barbara O'Neal writes about food and heartbreak like nobody else.
rebelkiss's review against another edition
5.0
I love Barbara's writing. At first I thought this book might be a bit too religious for me. But I'm seriously questioning my life right now so it hit home. It was what I needed. I was crying in parts. Sure, the ending isn't anything new, but it was marvelous just the same.
jackiehorne's review against another edition
4.0
As I'm not a religious or even a spiritual person, the spirit-based challenges faced by two of the main characters were not ones that moved me deeply. O'Neal does her usual excellent job, though, of crafting flawed, intriguing characters and getting readers deeply inside their thoughts and feelings. I admire her craft in this book, even while I find myself LIKING her other works far more.
cathiedalziel's review against another edition
3.0
Ok tale of lives falling apart and the need to keep on moving forward.
Note to anyone interested in reading this: this is a Christian Fiction novel and at times is quite heavy on the Catholic church rites and practices (just so you know). It is also very contemporary, so there is swearing, lusty wants (albeit tamed down), violence and other aspects you don't normally find in a lot of Christian Fiction novels.
(And if you love recipes, it's got some good ones in the back.) I think the author was trying to feed the reader's soul as well as their stomachs, lol.
There was a lot of interest points in this novel, but I just found most of it bland, even though there were some very heavy topics. (It was probably the romance part, felt to Harlequinny to me).
Note to anyone interested in reading this: this is a Christian Fiction novel and at times is quite heavy on the Catholic church rites and practices (just so you know). It is also very contemporary, so there is swearing, lusty wants (albeit tamed down), violence and other aspects you don't normally find in a lot of Christian Fiction novels.
(And if you love recipes, it's got some good ones in the back.) I think the author was trying to feed the reader's soul as well as their stomachs, lol.
There was a lot of interest points in this novel, but I just found most of it bland, even though there were some very heavy topics. (It was probably the romance part, felt to Harlequinny to me).
pattydsf's review against another edition
4.0
I read so many different kinds of books that I often only read one or two by authors that I like. There are too many books and not enough time. However, I make a concerted effort to keep track of Barbara O'Neal and what she writes.
Her novels resonate with me because the women characters are strong, but dealing with tough issues; faith in God is usually part of the story; love andfood are always involved and there are happy endings. I read partly to meet new people, i.e. characters and I always enjoy the people in O'Neal's stories.
This novel gave me all I want from Barbara O'Neal. I found Elsa, Tamsin, Father Jack and Deacon to be delightful - I would have dinner with any of them. Some of the conflict seems far-fetched, would you know if your husband was stealing - I hope I would. However, for me some of the conflicts of faith that are part of the story rang true.
I recommend this to readers who want to meet interesting people in what they read, to folks who like reading about food and community, and to anyone who would like to be lost in a book knowing all will work out.
Her novels resonate with me because the women characters are strong, but dealing with tough issues; faith in God is usually part of the story; love andfood are always involved and there are happy endings. I read partly to meet new people, i.e. characters and I always enjoy the people in O'Neal's stories.
This novel gave me all I want from Barbara O'Neal. I found Elsa, Tamsin, Father Jack and Deacon to be delightful - I would have dinner with any of them. Some of the conflict seems far-fetched, would you know if your husband was stealing - I hope I would. However, for me some of the conflicts of faith that are part of the story rang true.
I recommend this to readers who want to meet interesting people in what they read, to folks who like reading about food and community, and to anyone who would like to be lost in a book knowing all will work out.
mamas_gotta_read's review against another edition
4.0
Barbara O’Neal has a unique way of telling a story, in that she focuses more on the people than the event. I’ve read several of her books now, and each one possesses its own unique band of characters, each with their own pasts and emotions. This story, in particular offered a really interesting take on faith. It was poignant, reflective and hopeful and showed several sides of the same story making it an interesting read. I do wish that perhaps so many characters hadn’t been introduced, which would free up more space to go in depth with a few of the storylines, but as someone who has struggled with her own faith several times, I appreciated Elsa and Joaquin’s journies. I just wish there was more there.
kairosdreaming's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not sure what I had expected going into this book. It had popped up as a recommendation awhile ago, and even that I'm fuzzy on the origin. But it had "garden" in the title, was supposed to be romantic, and supposed to be about food, and so I was in!
Elsa is a Minister who's having a crisis of faith; needing to recover she is somewhat forced by her sister and an old friend to come back to her hometown to recover. But unfortunately they both have issues of their own, some of them serious, that cloud issues. And a new project she's on, while great for the community, doesn't make everyone happy.
All of the characters are likable; Elsa, her sister, the priest, the random guy who helps out with the community gardens, the kids, etc. Elsa is probably our main character and her struggles are really relatable. Her sister, maybe not as relatable, and to be honest her issues are kind of something that will never happen to the average person. But she was a quilter, so that makes her alright in my book! Her daughter's struggles are even less relatable, and honestly a little bit too good to be true.
I think a lot of the happenings in this book happened quick, somewhat implausibly, and resolved too quickly as well. While I liked the general theme of the book (and was surprised by it being centered on religion and losing faith aspects), I think the way it was told was just a bit too unbelievable. Maybe if it was a longer book, or maybe if there was one less story line or conflict it would have helped shape the book up much better.
Review by M. Reynard 2020
Elsa is a Minister who's having a crisis of faith; needing to recover she is somewhat forced by her sister and an old friend to come back to her hometown to recover. But unfortunately they both have issues of their own, some of them serious, that cloud issues. And a new project she's on, while great for the community, doesn't make everyone happy.
All of the characters are likable; Elsa, her sister, the priest, the random guy who helps out with the community gardens, the kids, etc. Elsa is probably our main character and her struggles are really relatable. Her sister, maybe not as relatable, and to be honest her issues are kind of something that will never happen to the average person. But she was a quilter, so that makes her alright in my book! Her daughter's struggles are even less relatable, and honestly a little bit too good to be true.
I think a lot of the happenings in this book happened quick, somewhat implausibly, and resolved too quickly as well. While I liked the general theme of the book (and was surprised by it being centered on religion and losing faith aspects), I think the way it was told was just a bit too unbelievable. Maybe if it was a longer book, or maybe if there was one less story line or conflict it would have helped shape the book up much better.
Review by M. Reynard 2020
kerrynicole72's review against another edition
3.0
Ehhh, this book was just okay. I never really got into the characters or storyline that much, which was sort of a disappointment since the first book I read by this author was really great.