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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
“Grief can change a person to the point where they become someone they don’t know or even like very much.”
This was the January pick for my (in-real-life) book club and I can honestly say this is a book I never would have picked up or had on my radar had it not been for our book club. I really didn't know anything about this book going into it so I was surprised that I liked it as much as I did. There's a hint of magical realism in this book that I wish had been explored a little bit more, but the characters of Anna Kate and Natalie both worked their way into my heart and I was surprised to find myself rooting for both of these young women as they both worked through their own personal grief during the summer we spend in Wicklow, Alabama. I very much enjoyed figuring out the connections between members of this small town and watching both Anna Kate and Natalie grow into their own through the course of the summer. Being in your mid-twenties is such a time for growth and while my heart broke for both of these women in what led them back to Wicklow, I also appreciated going through the growing pains with Anna Kate and Natalie.
I always find it somewhat unrealistic when young single women move to a small town and are magically perfect for the lone bachelor in town. I get that it's fiction and we're supposed to suspend belief, but it seems so unrealistic there are two perfect bachelors in Wicklow just waiting around for women like Anna Kate and Natalie to arrive. Oof. Authors: it's ok to have young female characters move home to their small town for a little bit of time and pick themselves up without having a male love interest.
3.5 stars
TW: suicide, panic attack, anxiety, death of a parent
This was the January pick for my (in-real-life) book club and I can honestly say this is a book I never would have picked up or had on my radar had it not been for our book club. I really didn't know anything about this book going into it so I was surprised that I liked it as much as I did. There's a hint of magical realism in this book that I wish had been explored a little bit more, but the characters of Anna Kate and Natalie both worked their way into my heart and I was surprised to find myself rooting for both of these young women as they both worked through their own personal grief during the summer we spend in Wicklow, Alabama. I very much enjoyed figuring out the connections between members of this small town and watching both Anna Kate and Natalie grow into their own through the course of the summer. Being in your mid-twenties is such a time for growth and while my heart broke for both of these women in what led them back to Wicklow, I also appreciated going through the growing pains with Anna Kate and Natalie.
I always find it somewhat unrealistic when young single women move to a small town and are magically perfect for the lone bachelor in town. I get that it's fiction and we're supposed to suspend belief, but it seems so unrealistic there are two perfect bachelors in Wicklow just waiting around for women like Anna Kate and Natalie to arrive. Oof. Authors: it's ok to have young female characters move home to their small town for a little bit of time and pick themselves up without having a male love interest.
3.5 stars
TW: suicide, panic attack, anxiety, death of a parent
It was a fine enough story, just a bit boring. There wasn't anything particularly memorable about it.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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:
No
I did not love this book. I gagged a couple times at how cheesy it was and nothing interesting happens the whole time. I was extremely bored and the only reason I finished it was because it was an audio book or else I would have never finished. It was painful to try to force myself through and I don’t mean to be harsh but this was not even close to my cup of tea. If you like cheesy books that seem like a hallmark movie this may be for you but if you’re a couple chapters in and you’re not feeling it, leave it alone because the whole book is the same way.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love this book... nothing more I can say... it gave me the warm fuzzies... loved the magic!
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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
This magical realism book is a heartwarming (G-rated) book set in small town southern America that grabs you with its gossipy loving regard for all is members young-to-old. It’s a light read that includes some mystery, a lot of southern charm, secret recipe pies, sewing, and answers from the past. I recommend this book.