Scan barcode
barbiegirl1993's review
I was looking forward to reading this because it’s a modern telling of a classic Bible story, and on top of that all the characters are black women of means, living on an old plantation that they inherited… but the dialogue is so bad. It’s all telling and no showing. And there’s no subtext—it’s all surface-level. This felt very elementary in style.
rossi_dyl's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
laynazaubinde's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bellebelly's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
twirlsandwhirls's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I first heard about this book via the StoryGraph! I'm glad I requested it from the library because I needed a light read focusing on a Black family. It was fun stepping into the world of the Gardins, where money isn't tight and things aren't tragic. Rosey Lee, the author, announced on the back cover that she writes stories with happy endings. I appreciated that.
Early on in the book, when we're first meeting the Gardin women: Ruth, Naomi, Mary, and Martha, the matriarch Naomi says, "Sometimes things have to get messy to reveal the beauty underneath." It felt good to see Ruth and Naomi's strong relationship depicted so well. They have each been a rock for the other in hard times.
Early on in the book, when we're first meeting the Gardin women: Ruth, Naomi, Mary, and Martha, the matriarch Naomi says, "Sometimes things have to get messy to reveal the beauty underneath." It felt good to see Ruth and Naomi's strong relationship depicted so well. They have each been a rock for the other in hard times.
lit_vibrations's review
challenging
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
A novel that explores the complexities of family, love, and friendship it follows four women of the Gardin family as they struggle to hold things afloat after the loss of their family member Beau. “We can’t let this family fall apart because the person who held it together passed away.”
While things may appear picture-perfect, life for these ladies is far from it. Ruth runs the family business and tension has intensified around her ownership since Beau passed. Mary and Martha add fuel to the family tension when they begin to undermine the decisions Ruth makes for the business.
I really wanted to like this book but it was real meh the entire time. The pacing was too slow for my liking and I just wasn’t vibing with the characters. Naomi was the eldest of the group yet I felt Ruth, Martha, and Mary were right up there in age with her. I wasn’t looking for any messy drama which there was some here and there. I just wanted more from the story in general. It lacked a lot of depth and had no clear direction in my opinion.
Martha and Mary were too old to be acting the way they were toward Ruth. Just complete brats . . . I get they felt some type of way about her since she married into their family TWICE‼️ But it’s not like she came in trying to run and control everything after marrying Marlon or Beau. Things just happen, they passed away and left their money to their WIFE which just so happened to be Ruth. Their actions displayed pure jealousy. Then Ruth’s mother was madness that woman was deceitful and money hungry. Her presence was the juiciest part of the book. Mary and Tynan’s situation what was the relevancy?
Overall, the book was okay some might find it enjoyable and entertaining. I just think this one wasn’t for me. Special thanks to the author & @waterbrookmultnomah for my advanced copy‼️
While things may appear picture-perfect, life for these ladies is far from it. Ruth runs the family business and tension has intensified around her ownership since Beau passed. Mary and Martha add fuel to the family tension when they begin to undermine the decisions Ruth makes for the business.
I really wanted to like this book but it was real meh the entire time. The pacing was too slow for my liking and I just wasn’t vibing with the characters. Naomi was the eldest of the group yet I felt Ruth, Martha, and Mary were right up there in age with her. I wasn’t looking for any messy drama which there was some here and there. I just wanted more from the story in general. It lacked a lot of depth and had no clear direction in my opinion.
Martha and Mary were too old to be acting the way they were toward Ruth. Just complete brats . . . I get they felt some type of way about her since she married into their family TWICE‼️ But it’s not like she came in trying to run and control everything after marrying Marlon or Beau. Things just happen, they passed away and left their money to their WIFE which just so happened to be Ruth. Their actions displayed pure jealousy. Then Ruth’s mother was madness that woman was deceitful and money hungry. Her presence was the juiciest part of the book. Mary and Tynan’s situation what was the relevancy?
Overall, the book was okay some might find it enjoyable and entertaining. I just think this one wasn’t for me. Special thanks to the author & @waterbrookmultnomah for my advanced copy‼️
trcyncle's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I found the book to be overall okay. I’m not that versed with the women of the Bible, which the main four characters are named after and loosely based on. However, I did find myself looking them up and learning about their stories to better understand the main characters. I found at times the book read like a Tyler Perry movie. The family drama was bit much without real context and dragged in certain areas. I kept reading in hopes to fully understand the cause of all the conflict but it never really fleshed out.
d0505's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Grief
duckyn's review
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75