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dstarrb's review against another edition
4.0
4.25 stars
Gus, Jessie, and Evan - grandmother, mother, and daughter. We follow these three southern women as they navigate new stages of their lives.
Jessie has returned, with daughter Evan, to Perry, Alabama and Glory Road after a failed marriage. Jessie starts a nursery & garden center called Twig, which is near her home and her mother’s home. Gus, a widow, and Evan, a freshman in high school, assist her at the shop. Each of them are navigating life’s twists and turns and new and past relationships.
I enjoyed listening to this tale; the narrator had the perfect accent and intonation that made me feel I was deep in the South. This was a nice story of three women staying close to their roots and hearts.
Gus, Jessie, and Evan - grandmother, mother, and daughter. We follow these three southern women as they navigate new stages of their lives.
Jessie has returned, with daughter Evan, to Perry, Alabama and Glory Road after a failed marriage. Jessie starts a nursery & garden center called Twig, which is near her home and her mother’s home. Gus, a widow, and Evan, a freshman in high school, assist her at the shop. Each of them are navigating life’s twists and turns and new and past relationships.
I enjoyed listening to this tale; the narrator had the perfect accent and intonation that made me feel I was deep in the South. This was a nice story of three women staying close to their roots and hearts.
booksuperpower's review against another edition
4.0
Glory Road by Lauren K. Denton is a 2019 Thomas Nelson publication.
A sweet and gentle southern story about family and second chances.
Jessie McBride is content with her life as it is. She owns a garden shop, is raising her non-conformist daughter, Evan, and is trying to manage her headstrong mother, Gus. The thought of romance has long since left the arena, and Jessie is just fine with that.
But a few life altering changes occur shaking up Jessie’s quiet and peaceful life. First, wealthy and successful Sumner Tate asks Jessie to do the flowers for his daughter’s wedding. Reluctant at first, Jessie is swayed by Sumner’s smooth and easy- going charm. However, she is knocked for loop when her old friend, Ben returns home with his teenage son in tow. Her old feelings for Ben rush to the surface, but rumor has it, Ben as girlfriend living in another city.
This is my first book by Lauren K. Denton, and I must say I very much enjoyed this charming story. Life is full of change- some good, some bad, some scary, some sad. This story touches on all those things, but the tone is pleasant, never too heavy, despite the seriousness of the subject matter at times. The romance is clean, with just a small dollop of angst. The theme is centered around a mature, and deep abiding love, which was beautiful and felt very authentic.
I loved all the characters, the setting, the gardening tips included at the beginning of each chapter and the humor injected along the way. Gus nearly steals the show a time or two and was the character I formed a real attachment to. But, the real cherry on the cake was that adorable conclusion!
This is just one of those truly lovely stories that rewards the reader for their time with a spirit boost, a warm feeling of contentment and hope.
4 stars
A sweet and gentle southern story about family and second chances.
Jessie McBride is content with her life as it is. She owns a garden shop, is raising her non-conformist daughter, Evan, and is trying to manage her headstrong mother, Gus. The thought of romance has long since left the arena, and Jessie is just fine with that.
But a few life altering changes occur shaking up Jessie’s quiet and peaceful life. First, wealthy and successful Sumner Tate asks Jessie to do the flowers for his daughter’s wedding. Reluctant at first, Jessie is swayed by Sumner’s smooth and easy- going charm. However, she is knocked for loop when her old friend, Ben returns home with his teenage son in tow. Her old feelings for Ben rush to the surface, but rumor has it, Ben as girlfriend living in another city.
This is my first book by Lauren K. Denton, and I must say I very much enjoyed this charming story. Life is full of change- some good, some bad, some scary, some sad. This story touches on all those things, but the tone is pleasant, never too heavy, despite the seriousness of the subject matter at times. The romance is clean, with just a small dollop of angst. The theme is centered around a mature, and deep abiding love, which was beautiful and felt very authentic.
I loved all the characters, the setting, the gardening tips included at the beginning of each chapter and the humor injected along the way. Gus nearly steals the show a time or two and was the character I formed a real attachment to. But, the real cherry on the cake was that adorable conclusion!
This is just one of those truly lovely stories that rewards the reader for their time with a spirit boost, a warm feeling of contentment and hope.
4 stars
annettebriggs99's review against another edition
4.0
I was in the worst reading slump. For the month of March I only read 2 books, and I had to force myself to read them. This was the perfect book to get me out of my slump. It was so charming and sweet and southern. I loved it.
noel0003's review against another edition
3.0
I love a good setting, and this book certainly had that. The hot Alabama summer, a garden shop, an old dirt road in a small town. I loved the little gardening tidbits at the beginning of each chapter too. The story itself was also nice. Having the perspectives of all three women (grandmother, mother, and daughter), was great, and added a bit more life to the story than just having Jessie’s perspective would have.
I only gave it three stars because romantic fiction isn’t a genre I lean towards. Sometimes it gets a bit too “sweet” for me. I like some romance in a story, just not typically as the main plot line. But I would say if you enjoy sweet romances, this is easily a four star book.
I only gave it three stars because romantic fiction isn’t a genre I lean towards. Sometimes it gets a bit too “sweet” for me. I like some romance in a story, just not typically as the main plot line. But I would say if you enjoy sweet romances, this is easily a four star book.
mejoan's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
reading_ladies_blog's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 Romantic Stars
Thanks to #NetGalley #ThomasNelsonPublishers for my free copy of #GloryRoad by Lauren K. Denton in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Fans of romance, southern settings, mother/daughter themes, gardening, and women's fiction will want to snatch up a copy of this endearing and quaint small town story.
Glory Road focuses on three generations of women from the same family during one summer of their lives on Glory Road as they build trusting and loving relationships with each other and also forge the path of their individual lives and future. Although some characters are stereotypical, the main characters are well developed and seem real. We are able to empathize with the grandmother's fears and feelings of distress as she experiences episodes of dementia; we understand the pressure Jessie feels as a single, working, entrepreneurial mom; and we remember how it felt to be a teenager through the experiences of fourteen-year-old Evan.
Especially captivating in this story is the atmospheric, southern, rural setting. We imagine swinging in the creaky porch swing, walking down the dusty country road (Glory Road), and we can hear the buzz of insects. Adding to the setting, the author inserts lovely, inspirational, and advice laden gardening quotes at the beginning of each chapter (reminding me of what we learned about the meaning of flowers in The Language of Flowers). For example, "Zinnias are traditionally a happy flower, and you can't go wrong offering a loved one a bouquet of brightly colored zinnias. In particular, the scarlet zinnia signifies constancy or steadfastness. Blue Hyacinths have a similar meaning, and the two flowers together would make a striking pair." (Warren Elliott, The Secret Life of Flowers) These thoughtful quotes set the mood for the chapter and enhance the southern setting and are completely congruent with Jessie's garden shop, The Twig. I appreciate the author's effort in finding unique and thematic quotes.
Poignant themes include facing difficult transitions, being true to yourself, supporting family, coming home, and reconciliation.
Recommended for readers who appreciate romantic and inspirational family stories, for fans of southern settings, rural lifestyle and gardening, and for those looking for a gentle read (no violence, offensive language, or steamy romance). It would be a good book club selection and a great choice for spring/summer porch reading. If you read and enjoyed Hurricane Season by Denton, I predict that you will also enjoy Glory Road.
Pub Date: March 19, 2019
For more reviews visit my blog readingladies.com
Thanks to #NetGalley #ThomasNelsonPublishers for my free copy of #GloryRoad by Lauren K. Denton in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Fans of romance, southern settings, mother/daughter themes, gardening, and women's fiction will want to snatch up a copy of this endearing and quaint small town story.
Glory Road focuses on three generations of women from the same family during one summer of their lives on Glory Road as they build trusting and loving relationships with each other and also forge the path of their individual lives and future. Although some characters are stereotypical, the main characters are well developed and seem real. We are able to empathize with the grandmother's fears and feelings of distress as she experiences episodes of dementia; we understand the pressure Jessie feels as a single, working, entrepreneurial mom; and we remember how it felt to be a teenager through the experiences of fourteen-year-old Evan.
Especially captivating in this story is the atmospheric, southern, rural setting. We imagine swinging in the creaky porch swing, walking down the dusty country road (Glory Road), and we can hear the buzz of insects. Adding to the setting, the author inserts lovely, inspirational, and advice laden gardening quotes at the beginning of each chapter (reminding me of what we learned about the meaning of flowers in The Language of Flowers). For example, "Zinnias are traditionally a happy flower, and you can't go wrong offering a loved one a bouquet of brightly colored zinnias. In particular, the scarlet zinnia signifies constancy or steadfastness. Blue Hyacinths have a similar meaning, and the two flowers together would make a striking pair." (Warren Elliott, The Secret Life of Flowers) These thoughtful quotes set the mood for the chapter and enhance the southern setting and are completely congruent with Jessie's garden shop, The Twig. I appreciate the author's effort in finding unique and thematic quotes.
Poignant themes include facing difficult transitions, being true to yourself, supporting family, coming home, and reconciliation.
Recommended for readers who appreciate romantic and inspirational family stories, for fans of southern settings, rural lifestyle and gardening, and for those looking for a gentle read (no violence, offensive language, or steamy romance). It would be a good book club selection and a great choice for spring/summer porch reading. If you read and enjoyed Hurricane Season by Denton, I predict that you will also enjoy Glory Road.
Pub Date: March 19, 2019
For more reviews visit my blog readingladies.com
jill_rey's review against another edition
3.0
Jessie, Evan and Gus have a comfortable life on Glory Road. Nearly 10 years after her divorce, Jessie is content running her store, Twig, and spending her evenings with her daughter and mother. But then Jessie sees an all too familiar Jeep driving down Glory Road and her high school memories and the “old Jessie” she left behind come flooding back. At the same time, rich businessman Sumner Tate makes an unexpected stop at her shop and convinces her to enter the wedding business just in time for his daughter’s upcoming nuptials. Jessie’s comfort zone soon turns to chaos in this comfortably paced read.
Throughout this entire book I could see Jessie’s wheels spinning as she tried to make choices that were both best for her and for her family. Jessie learned relationships the hard way after marrying rich and living a “comfortable” life, so she’s decided to play by her own rules now.
The plot was comfortably paced and packed with development as my only hesitation arose in the author’s haphazard narration. From one chapter to the next the perspective was everchanging, flipping from Jessie to Gus and then back to Jessie for several sequential chapters. This changing point of view felt rather lazy as the book sought to condense the character development by conveniently offering the reader a view into the necessary mind to build up the story. Despite this, Glory Roadconveniently transports us to a dirt road community of neighbors in a small, southern town, packed with desserts, gardening tips and relationship plight.
*Disclaimer: A review copy was provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Throughout this entire book I could see Jessie’s wheels spinning as she tried to make choices that were both best for her and for her family. Jessie learned relationships the hard way after marrying rich and living a “comfortable” life, so she’s decided to play by her own rules now.
The plot was comfortably paced and packed with development as my only hesitation arose in the author’s haphazard narration. From one chapter to the next the perspective was everchanging, flipping from Jessie to Gus and then back to Jessie for several sequential chapters. This changing point of view felt rather lazy as the book sought to condense the character development by conveniently offering the reader a view into the necessary mind to build up the story. Despite this, Glory Roadconveniently transports us to a dirt road community of neighbors in a small, southern town, packed with desserts, gardening tips and relationship plight.
*Disclaimer: A review copy was provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
booksbrewsandbarks's review
4.0
What a great story! This book really did different narrations right, never losing the rhythm of of the plot and allowing equal justice to each of the three narrative points of view. This novel surpassed all my expectations and just gave me the warm and fuzzies inside. The romance storyline still played second fiddle to the overall feeling that family reigns supreme and I enjoyed the depth the author went into with each of the 3 main characters. My only wish was that they gave a bit more development to the character of Ben as I felt he didn't have as much dimension as I really wanted or expected but, nonetheless, this was a great, easy read that was a breath of fresh air overall, not trying too hard and just providing a positive, happy story for readers to enjoy.
Thanks to Netgalley for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thanks to Netgalley for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
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