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rusticreadingal's review against another edition
5.0
My first introduction to Christina Coryell was her novella, Mowed Over, in the Love at First Laugh box set. I was instantly charmed and knew I had to check out her other stories. And then, when I heard about her new novel I was doubly excited! I'm a big fan of books featuring life in small towns, so I couldn't wait to dive right into WRITTEN IN THE STARS.
I was captivated from the very first page. I was transported to the small town of Hope Canyon, Arkansas, feeling like a silent observer peeking into the lives of these authentic and complex characters. At times, it really did feel as though I was reading about real people in real-life situations. There was such an authentic feel to this novel. Coryell perfectly captured life in a small town where everybody knows everybody and everybody knows everybody else's business, where gossip spreads faster than you know it.
WRITTEN IN THE STARS was one of those books that I just wanted to savor, take my time with, stay with these characters as long as possible. But at the same time, I couldn't help myself but to read as fast as possible to see where the story led to next. And then, before I knew it, I had finished the book. :sad face: It was just so good! I didn't want it to end! Time flew by while I was reading. I became completely caught up in this book! I'd look up at the clock and be shocked by how much time had passed.
I could go on and on about how awesome WRITTEN IN THE STARS was and I seriously can't recommend it highly enough! Go grab a copy for yourself, you won't be sorry! Just be ready to get completely sucked into the lives of these down-to-earth characters! Can't wait for the next one!
I received a copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.
I was captivated from the very first page. I was transported to the small town of Hope Canyon, Arkansas, feeling like a silent observer peeking into the lives of these authentic and complex characters. At times, it really did feel as though I was reading about real people in real-life situations. There was such an authentic feel to this novel. Coryell perfectly captured life in a small town where everybody knows everybody and everybody knows everybody else's business, where gossip spreads faster than you know it.
WRITTEN IN THE STARS was one of those books that I just wanted to savor, take my time with, stay with these characters as long as possible. But at the same time, I couldn't help myself but to read as fast as possible to see where the story led to next. And then, before I knew it, I had finished the book. :sad face: It was just so good! I didn't want it to end! Time flew by while I was reading. I became completely caught up in this book! I'd look up at the clock and be shocked by how much time had passed.
I could go on and on about how awesome WRITTEN IN THE STARS was and I seriously can't recommend it highly enough! Go grab a copy for yourself, you won't be sorry! Just be ready to get completely sucked into the lives of these down-to-earth characters! Can't wait for the next one!
I received a copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.
meezcarrie's review
4.0
Crank up some Miranda Lambert or Carrie Underwood – maybe even a little Brad Paisley or Mo Pitney – and settle in for a small-town read with big appeal. From the gravel roads and swirling dust to the old dock and the symphony of crickets & cicadas, anyone who has ever lived and loved in a small town will find their place in this story.
While there are some yummy heroes with definite book boyfriend material in Written in the Stars, it’s really more about the ladies’ journey. Brooke (former Miss Texas, not Miss America thankyouverymuch) and Holly (a small town girl through and through) are both completely relatable as heroines, no matter your life experiences or background. If you’re like me, you’ll see a little bit of yourself in each woman. Sassy Holly may be my fave, but Brooke has a lot to teach me and I think we’d end up good friends in the long run. Both women are stronger than they give themselves credit for, and their temporary adventure is one of my fave aspects of the book. Made me smile and pulled on my heart.
Bottom Line: Written in the Stars by Christina Coryell is a love letter to small town America. It’s a story about friendship and love, about coming home and leaving home. But it’s also a gentle reminder to hold out for the person who ‘would go through the trenches’ for us, to remember that we’re ‘worth the wait’, but to also not believe the lies that tell us our worth is found in any person or identity. Instead, it’s found in the One who hung the stars, knows them each by name, and pursues us with an everlasting Love that gives us the courage to dream and the strength to hope. While these elements are subtle to be sure, they are still visible enough to stir the heart in the right direction. If you love a small town setting, vivid characters and compelling backstories, head down these backroads with Christina Coryell!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
While there are some yummy heroes with definite book boyfriend material in Written in the Stars, it’s really more about the ladies’ journey. Brooke (former Miss Texas, not Miss America thankyouverymuch) and Holly (a small town girl through and through) are both completely relatable as heroines, no matter your life experiences or background. If you’re like me, you’ll see a little bit of yourself in each woman. Sassy Holly may be my fave, but Brooke has a lot to teach me and I think we’d end up good friends in the long run. Both women are stronger than they give themselves credit for, and their temporary adventure is one of my fave aspects of the book. Made me smile and pulled on my heart.
Bottom Line: Written in the Stars by Christina Coryell is a love letter to small town America. It’s a story about friendship and love, about coming home and leaving home. But it’s also a gentle reminder to hold out for the person who ‘would go through the trenches’ for us, to remember that we’re ‘worth the wait’, but to also not believe the lies that tell us our worth is found in any person or identity. Instead, it’s found in the One who hung the stars, knows them each by name, and pursues us with an everlasting Love that gives us the courage to dream and the strength to hope. While these elements are subtle to be sure, they are still visible enough to stir the heart in the right direction. If you love a small town setting, vivid characters and compelling backstories, head down these backroads with Christina Coryell!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
betherin02's review
5.0
Full review on Faithfully Bookish
I adore the characters and the small town culture. Written in the Stars has an encouraging message that touched my reader heart.
Speaking from a lifetime of experience, I have to say that the way the lives of these former friends and acquaintances are intricately intertwined throughout the story is authentically reflective of intimate communities across the heartland. The author does a great job of introducing the characters one by one then weaving their stories together and seamlessly revealing past connections and individual background stories.
I hope y’all will forgive the brief review because I do NOT want to risk any spoilers here! This story is too good, I just can’t risk it! After reading this book, a gentle reminder for each of us lingered in my heart... we need to find our identity and worth in Christ, not our circumstances. My heart was fully engaged by the residents of Hope Canyon and I will be eagerly anticipating next visit while reading more stories from this author’s backlist!
I requested the opportunity to read this book through the author.
The opinions expressed are my own.
I adore the characters and the small town culture. Written in the Stars has an encouraging message that touched my reader heart.
Speaking from a lifetime of experience, I have to say that the way the lives of these former friends and acquaintances are intricately intertwined throughout the story is authentically reflective of intimate communities across the heartland. The author does a great job of introducing the characters one by one then weaving their stories together and seamlessly revealing past connections and individual background stories.
I hope y’all will forgive the brief review because I do NOT want to risk any spoilers here! This story is too good, I just can’t risk it! After reading this book, a gentle reminder for each of us lingered in my heart... we need to find our identity and worth in Christ, not our circumstances. My heart was fully engaged by the residents of Hope Canyon and I will be eagerly anticipating next visit while reading more stories from this author’s backlist!
I requested the opportunity to read this book through the author.
The opinions expressed are my own.
always_reading_a_novel's review
5.0
I really loved this book! I felt like I was right there with Brooke and Holly. The emotions are spot on, and I felt like cheering them on through their journey! I’m looking forward to reading the second book and getting to spend more time with these wonderfully relatable characters.
fiction_aficionado's review against another edition
5.0
I was sucked into this story before the dust in the prologue even had a chance to settle. Christina Coryell may as well have dangled a carrot at the top of each page, because like the most compliant donkey you’ve ever met—actually, no, I take that back. I don’t find that a particularly flattering metaphor. Analogy. Whatever. What I’m trying to say is, I could not stop turning the pages. From the very first scene I could sense that these characters had stories to tell, and all I could do to satisfy my curiosity was to keep reading and wait for their stories to unfold, page by page.
There are four main characters in this story (five if you count the silent character—you’ll understand what I mean by that when you read the story), but the story focuses most on Brooke’s and Holly’s stories. Both girls are at a crossroads in their lives, responding to circumstances that have been thrust upon them. But in many ways, the last ten years of their lives have been building to this point, so it’s not just about dealing with the here and now, it’s also about processing everything that has led to the here and now—the emotions, the decisions, the regrets, the ‘what ifs’—and working out ‘what next?’
Of course, the emotions, the decisions, the regrets, the ‘what ifs’—possibly even the ‘what next?’—are at least partly tied up in Gatlin’s and Hunter’s stories, and these are two guys I could definitely stand to spend more time with; loyal, hardworking, but not immune to responding out of hurt or a need to protect themselves. But then, if there’s one thing that has sold me on every single book of Christina Coryell’s that I’ve read, it’s her characters. They’re authentic, original, sometimes quirky, sometimes ordinary, but always extremely engaging.
But really, Coryell’s writing, her stories, AND her characters are engaging across the board. The romance in this story was tentative, but so sweet, and there was one scene in particular that left me bereft of breath. Oh, how I want more of these characters!
Don’t rob yourself of the opportunity to get to know these characters and hear their backroads story. I’m eagerly awaiting the conclusion!
I received a copy of this novel from the author. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.
There are four main characters in this story (five if you count the silent character—you’ll understand what I mean by that when you read the story), but the story focuses most on Brooke’s and Holly’s stories. Both girls are at a crossroads in their lives, responding to circumstances that have been thrust upon them. But in many ways, the last ten years of their lives have been building to this point, so it’s not just about dealing with the here and now, it’s also about processing everything that has led to the here and now—the emotions, the decisions, the regrets, the ‘what ifs’—and working out ‘what next?’
Of course, the emotions, the decisions, the regrets, the ‘what ifs’—possibly even the ‘what next?’—are at least partly tied up in Gatlin’s and Hunter’s stories, and these are two guys I could definitely stand to spend more time with; loyal, hardworking, but not immune to responding out of hurt or a need to protect themselves. But then, if there’s one thing that has sold me on every single book of Christina Coryell’s that I’ve read, it’s her characters. They’re authentic, original, sometimes quirky, sometimes ordinary, but always extremely engaging.
But really, Coryell’s writing, her stories, AND her characters are engaging across the board. The romance in this story was tentative, but so sweet, and there was one scene in particular that left me bereft of breath. Oh, how I want more of these characters!
Don’t rob yourself of the opportunity to get to know these characters and hear their backroads story. I’m eagerly awaiting the conclusion!
I received a copy of this novel from the author. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.
tonishiloh's review
5.0
Oh this is such a good read. I devoured it in one sitting and promptly went and bought book 2 in the series. If you like slow, simmering romances, then this book is for you.
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