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cag91's review against another edition
3.0
While I will always enjoy Sarah Jio's books, this one didn't grab my attention as quickly and as completely as her previous ones. While I'm by no means tired of the dual story (which I saw that others listed as their complaint with the book), I just didn't find myself drawn into the story as well (for instance, in Blackberry Winter, I could only finish ~2/3 one night and the next day at work ALL the guys I work with heard about the story because I was so excited about it and wanted to finish it). I loved learning about the houseboat community in Seattle -- I never really considered it before, but now I desperately want to rent one for a summer vacation sometime. So, Jio did a fabulous job with the setting of the story! As for the actual story, I think my problem was that I expected more after all of her previous ones that I LOVED.
momruncraft's review against another edition
5.0
"You know, things fall apart. You grieve. And then you sit around and wait for things to somehow get perfect again. But they don't. They never can. There is no perfect. There's just different. But different can be wonderful."
I devoured every page, every word, of this novel. I am often fascinated by the human story. The fact that each of us walks around with a tale to be told: many of us still weaving the threads that make up the tapestry of our life. Whether it may be fate, or destiny, if we brave the telling of our story to a common stranger, we often find a common pattern, or link.
One houseboat. Two women. They would never meet, separated by time and circumstance, yet the themes of their lives are eerily similar and poignantly woven together. 2008: Ada Santorini is desperately trying to break free from the tragic grief that envelops her. Following her doctor's suggestion, she finds herself leasing a houseboat in Seattle: world's away from her current New York City residence. As she tries to rebuild her broken heart, she finds herself taken with the individuals around her and the story of a woman no one willingly talks about. Sad and lonely, the houseboat community saves her. And changes her profoundly.
1950: Penny was a young, finishing school student simply running out for coffee when her life changes in an instant. A car pulls up, and an older gentlemen offers her a ride. Unknowingly, she accepts, later learning that he is one of the richest, most sought after bachelors in town: the artist himself, Dexter Wentworth. He sweeps her off her feet, marries her, and moves her into his houseboat. Their love peaks, and then plummets quickly as Dexter struggles to maintain his artistic prowess. Sad and lonely, the houseboat community saves her. And changes her profoundly.
Some people wallow in the life that existed before the tragic onset of "what ifs" and "what should have beens"; however, some people work past that darkness and keep walking…eventually finding pieces of light, that if pieced together, can make for the pattern of a new tapestry.Two women. One houseboat. One extraordinary tale that explores the healing powers of time and distance.
I devoured every page, every word, of this novel. I am often fascinated by the human story. The fact that each of us walks around with a tale to be told: many of us still weaving the threads that make up the tapestry of our life. Whether it may be fate, or destiny, if we brave the telling of our story to a common stranger, we often find a common pattern, or link.
One houseboat. Two women. They would never meet, separated by time and circumstance, yet the themes of their lives are eerily similar and poignantly woven together. 2008: Ada Santorini is desperately trying to break free from the tragic grief that envelops her. Following her doctor's suggestion, she finds herself leasing a houseboat in Seattle: world's away from her current New York City residence. As she tries to rebuild her broken heart, she finds herself taken with the individuals around her and the story of a woman no one willingly talks about. Sad and lonely, the houseboat community saves her. And changes her profoundly.
1950: Penny was a young, finishing school student simply running out for coffee when her life changes in an instant. A car pulls up, and an older gentlemen offers her a ride. Unknowingly, she accepts, later learning that he is one of the richest, most sought after bachelors in town: the artist himself, Dexter Wentworth. He sweeps her off her feet, marries her, and moves her into his houseboat. Their love peaks, and then plummets quickly as Dexter struggles to maintain his artistic prowess. Sad and lonely, the houseboat community saves her. And changes her profoundly.
Some people wallow in the life that existed before the tragic onset of "what ifs" and "what should have beens"; however, some people work past that darkness and keep walking…eventually finding pieces of light, that if pieced together, can make for the pattern of a new tapestry.Two women. One houseboat. One extraordinary tale that explores the healing powers of time and distance.
cencula's review against another edition
3.0
Jio has plenty of interesting ties between the two main characters but everything seemed a bit too similar for me and was tied up in too neat of a package at the end. I still found myself waiting to see what would happen on each page but also felt like I already knew it before reading. Overall maybe a bit formulaic but still fun.
sandrathe's review against another edition
2.0
I want to say that I loved Blackberry Winter! I didn't love this book. Sarah Jio writes nice books, and I mean nice in the way that I would recommend them to my Mom. There's no swearing, no overt sexuality and the main characters are always nice. In some ways, this is very refreshing and I appreciate it, but it can also get stale. I have found all of Sarah Jio's books to have the same plot, the past and the present, a mystery from the past, lost love, found love, etc. etc. Will I stop reading her novels? Probably not, because in some ways I do enjoy them. Are they the best books I've ever read? No, but that's okay.
pmsprincess's review against another edition
3.0
I would have given this book 4 stars if Jio hadn't included the epilogue but she did. What a total buzz kill.
Let me back up and talk about what I liked because to be fair it was a good story.
Morning Glory is chick lit at its finest. A great beach read told from 2 alternating POV'S Penny (late 50's) & Ada (present day) and their lives living on the same house boat on Seattle's Union Lake. The characters are a little flat but the story/mystery keeps you interested. Nice bits of history (Worlds Fair, space needle etc) and current events are scattered throughout, there's even a cookie recipe included, what's not to love!?!
The epilogue that's what. It made a cute beach read into a cringe inducing Hallmark Hall of Shame movie. Unbelievable, unrealistic and completely unnecessary the epilogue tries so hard to wrap up all the story points it becomes ridiculous
Let me back up and talk about what I liked because to be fair it was a good story.
Morning Glory is chick lit at its finest. A great beach read told from 2 alternating POV'S Penny (late 50's) & Ada (present day) and their lives living on the same house boat on Seattle's Union Lake. The characters are a little flat but the story/mystery keeps you interested. Nice bits of history (Worlds Fair, space needle etc) and current events are scattered throughout, there's even a cookie recipe included, what's not to love!?!
The epilogue that's what. It made a cute beach read into a cringe inducing Hallmark Hall of Shame movie. Unbelievable, unrealistic and completely unnecessary the epilogue tries so hard to wrap up all the story points it becomes ridiculous
kathryneh's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoy [a:Sarah Jio|4467375|Sarah Jio|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1370149271p2/4467375.jpg]'s books. This one takes place on a house boat and she went and lived on a house boat while writing the story. That is so cool. Sarah's books are always an easy flowing story and I fly right through them. The characters were easy to keep straight whether in the current time or in the 1950s. I always like how she brings everything together in the end and tells where they are now.
faitheg's review against another edition
4.0
In Seattle's houseboat lane on Lake Union a modern day takes residence, Ada, in one of the homes trying to work through her pain she left behind in New York only to uncover the mystery of what happened back in the 1950's to Penny on the same home. I loved that the story was set here in Seattle, right down where I walk during my lunch hours. I felt I was right there living the scenes with Ada as though I was one of the neighbors. I like how the author weaves the story back and forth from the 1950s to today moving us through the story.
Sarah Jio's novels are fun to read.
Sarah Jio's novels are fun to read.
kyles520's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book, just as I have all of Sarah Jio's other books. They do all seem to follow the same pattern, which makes them a little predictable, but they are easy, heartfelt reads.
jennyjjs's review against another edition
3.0
A fun little read while traveling. 3. 5 stars - Reminiscent at first of sleepless in seattle because of the houseboat and some of the characters. It was fun to actually read what it would be like to live in a houseboat. The mystery was fun and light too.