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A review by ncrabb
Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate
4.0
I very rarely will read books that have a religious bent to them, especially
if I fear the author is going to pound the pulpit and riffle her Bible in my
face. So I've no idea what possessed me to read this book. What's really
even more surprising to me is that I enjoyed it. This book is squeaky clean
for those of you who take that into consideration when deciding what you
will read.
You are immediately introduced to three charming older women. They're all
going to take a cruise for the first time in their lives. Donetta Bradford,
the colorful and delightful main character, has a husband who hasn't said a
loving word or engaged in a loving act in years. His fishing, his TV, and
his recliner are pretty much all that matter, and she's crushed by that in
some ways, but determined to take the cruise. Her friends, Imagene and
Lucy, are somewhat less developed characters, but they are equally
delightful in their own right.
Donetta bought a fancy new computer, found the cruise line's web page, and
just let the machine sit there for days connected to that page. It showed
the weather and the time the ship was to leave port.
But a storm is coming, and eventually there's no denying that. Kai Miller,
a cruise ship employee who yearns for stability and love, is slated to be on
the same ship as the three aging friends. The three would-be cruisers know
nothing of Kai, but the hurricane and evacuation adventures are all about to
change that.
Donetta's nephew, Kemp, is a minor league baseball player who, because of
injuries, has come home to the small town of Daily, Texas to coach baseball
at the local high school and pray he heals enough to get back into the real
game.
The storm ultimately brings Kai and the three women together, and they all
return to Daily, complete with some harrowing adventures. That's where Kai
meets Kemp, and things get fun and exciting from there.
Here's the thing: This book does get a little aggressively preachy in parts
for me, at least. And yet, you can't help but fall in love with Kai Miller
immediately upon her introduction, and you simply are drawn in if only to
find out how she ultimately turns out.
There is some delightful humor here, too; Kai is left in charge of her
landlord's dogs, and they cause more than their share of laugh-out-loud
moments. This is a gentle read whose theme is love, second chances, and
redemption. The most unreligious among us will find this one relatively
easy to take, and those who enjoy a bit of Christianity tossed into their
book recipe to season it a bit will be delighted with this.
Wingate is a master of dialogue. Donetta Bradford's speech patterns are wonderful. It's
Dan Rather at his most Texas magnified several times over.
if I fear the author is going to pound the pulpit and riffle her Bible in my
face. So I've no idea what possessed me to read this book. What's really
even more surprising to me is that I enjoyed it. This book is squeaky clean
for those of you who take that into consideration when deciding what you
will read.
You are immediately introduced to three charming older women. They're all
going to take a cruise for the first time in their lives. Donetta Bradford,
the colorful and delightful main character, has a husband who hasn't said a
loving word or engaged in a loving act in years. His fishing, his TV, and
his recliner are pretty much all that matter, and she's crushed by that in
some ways, but determined to take the cruise. Her friends, Imagene and
Lucy, are somewhat less developed characters, but they are equally
delightful in their own right.
Donetta bought a fancy new computer, found the cruise line's web page, and
just let the machine sit there for days connected to that page. It showed
the weather and the time the ship was to leave port.
But a storm is coming, and eventually there's no denying that. Kai Miller,
a cruise ship employee who yearns for stability and love, is slated to be on
the same ship as the three aging friends. The three would-be cruisers know
nothing of Kai, but the hurricane and evacuation adventures are all about to
change that.
Donetta's nephew, Kemp, is a minor league baseball player who, because of
injuries, has come home to the small town of Daily, Texas to coach baseball
at the local high school and pray he heals enough to get back into the real
game.
The storm ultimately brings Kai and the three women together, and they all
return to Daily, complete with some harrowing adventures. That's where Kai
meets Kemp, and things get fun and exciting from there.
Here's the thing: This book does get a little aggressively preachy in parts
for me, at least. And yet, you can't help but fall in love with Kai Miller
immediately upon her introduction, and you simply are drawn in if only to
find out how she ultimately turns out.
There is some delightful humor here, too; Kai is left in charge of her
landlord's dogs, and they cause more than their share of laugh-out-loud
moments. This is a gentle read whose theme is love, second chances, and
redemption. The most unreligious among us will find this one relatively
easy to take, and those who enjoy a bit of Christianity tossed into their
book recipe to season it a bit will be delighted with this.
Wingate is a master of dialogue. Donetta Bradford's speech patterns are wonderful. It's
Dan Rather at his most Texas magnified several times over.