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theblessedeveryday's review
1.0
Described this to a friend as Desperate Housewives set in Eastern Washington. This story just got more sordid and unbelievable as it went on.
lesliecrosby's review
3.0
I’m giving this a 3 because I liked the characters in the book. However there was zero buildup to conflict resolution. A problem occurred and then it was fixed *that* fast. Very unbelievable.
shousers's review
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
intermittent_reader's review
3.0
This was a tough one for me. My overall interest in the book waxed and waned but throughout the book I felt like I was reading the novelization of a Hallmark Movie Channel film. The characters were simple and at times frustratingly, emotionally dumb. They bounced from ups to downs. Loving each other then hating each other. Essentially everything intellectual inside of me tells me that I should hate this book. But I didn’t. I liked the setting. I like wine. It was a quick and easy read. I don’t think I can recommend it to anyone, but in spite of myself, I somewhat enjoyed it. Thumbs up.
spinesinaline's review
5.0
My fave of the year so far!! Thanks to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Check out the full review at https://spinesinaline.wordpress.com!
I'm somewhat new to the literary fiction genre but this is definitely where to turn if you want a great group of complex and developed characters. The unique part about this book was that the setting becomes as much a character in the story as any of the people are! I can definitely feel the author’s passion for Red Mountain as it comes through strongly in his writing. I’m sure you’ll all feel drawn to this magical place just as I feel now! It really does sound like a wonderful place to live!
The characters themselves, though, are given equal opportunity to grow and develop in this space. The story is told from four different perspectives so we can really come to understand and empathize them as they’re faced with difficult decisions in their lives. I’m still just struck at how good the writing is in this, that I don’t think there was one character that I didn’t like because of how well they were developed. This was maybe the most enjoyment I’ve ever gotten out of reading a book. It hit deep, guys.
That’s not to say this is a feel-good book. Yes, there are a lot of warm moments, of family and friends and just a general love of life, but it is a story of life so of course that comes with hardships. And it’s going to hurt. But I loved it!
The one thing that I’d normally find annoying in books or movies was the use of cliches, like falling in love immediately and friends turned lovers, but I think because of how complex the characters were, and how these cliches were tweaked, that it actually worked well into this story. The more iffy aspects were in regards to the portrayal of some of the female characters. One character in particular was referred to as sexual but in some contexts I felt like this was confused with sexuality. There were also some instances that felt like women were being compared to each other, where the one who used less make-up and was more modest about her appearance was ranked higher than the other. In good news, the stories of two other women focused on their attempts to improve their self-confidence and I felt much better about how this was handled.
Though the story felt contained in this book, I'm very excited for the sequel, if only to get to meet this cast of characters again! I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a really enjoyable read!
I'm somewhat new to the literary fiction genre but this is definitely where to turn if you want a great group of complex and developed characters. The unique part about this book was that the setting becomes as much a character in the story as any of the people are! I can definitely feel the author’s passion for Red Mountain as it comes through strongly in his writing. I’m sure you’ll all feel drawn to this magical place just as I feel now! It really does sound like a wonderful place to live!
The characters themselves, though, are given equal opportunity to grow and develop in this space. The story is told from four different perspectives so we can really come to understand and empathize them as they’re faced with difficult decisions in their lives. I’m still just struck at how good the writing is in this, that I don’t think there was one character that I didn’t like because of how well they were developed. This was maybe the most enjoyment I’ve ever gotten out of reading a book. It hit deep, guys.
That’s not to say this is a feel-good book. Yes, there are a lot of warm moments, of family and friends and just a general love of life, but it is a story of life so of course that comes with hardships. And it’s going to hurt. But I loved it!
The one thing that I’d normally find annoying in books or movies was the use of cliches, like falling in love immediately and friends turned lovers, but I think because of how complex the characters were, and how these cliches were tweaked, that it actually worked well into this story. The more iffy aspects were in regards to the portrayal of some of the female characters. One character in particular was referred to as sexual but in some contexts I felt like this was confused with sexuality. There were also some instances that felt like women were being compared to each other, where the one who used less make-up and was more modest about her appearance was ranked higher than the other. In good news, the stories of two other women focused on their attempts to improve their self-confidence and I felt much better about how this was handled.
Though the story felt contained in this book, I'm very excited for the sequel, if only to get to meet this cast of characters again! I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a really enjoyable read!
mparkhill's review
3.0
I’d give the first half four stars. But I feel like the author “jumped the shark” in the second half. I would read the sequel though.
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