Book Review: Granted By Angela Correll

GRANTED
May Hollow Trilogy #3

By: Angela Correll

Published: November 22, 2017

Publisher: Koehler Books

Fiction/Women's Fiction/Christian Fiction



I first became familiar with Angela Correll's writing back in 2013 with her first book in this May Hollow series, GROUNDED. In that story, we met Annie, a flight attendant who went back to Kentucky after losing her job due to an airline buyout and a bad breakup. Annie returns to Kentucky to take care of her grandmother who needs help after surgery. The story continues in the second addition to the series, GUARDED. At this point, Annie has begun a new life in Kentucky and finds a stack of letters in the old farmhouse that leads her on a new adventure she never would have expected.

In GRANTED, readers pick up right where GUARDED left off with Annie preparing for her wedding to her childhood friend, Jake. Her grandma, Beulah, is doing well and Annie and Jake are preparing to move into the old farmhouse after renovations are complete. Things get a bit stressful when Annie's new job isn't what she imagined and Beulah's friend has a heart attack. Wedding plans seem to be a low priority with everything going on until Jake has a great idea and Annie's Italian family has the perfect setting for a wedding. 

Even though this book stands alone and gives you enough background information from the previous books, I think readers would benefit from reading the whole series. Correll takes great care in developing her characters in this small community in Kentucky so that the readers feel a part of the community as well. Correll feels strongly about her faith and makes that a part of all her novels. Correll also has a passion for sustainable farming and especially in Granted, it becomes a new focus for Annie and Jake.  

This addition to the May Hollow series is just as delightful as the previous ones. You are more invested in the characters in GRANTED and care when they are hurting and struggling. When Annie and Jake finally get married, you feel as proud and happy as Beulah and the other family members attending. Correll's addition of Annie's father adds a story of forgiveness that can be inspiring to those who have been hurt or disappointed by someone they love.

If you need a feel-good story that is realistic, yet inspiring, check out the May Hollow series of books. I'm a fan of Correll's writing but, she isn't just a fantastic author. Correll is the owner of several businesses. Someday, I'm hoping to stop by Stanford, Kentucky to visit her shop, cafe, and bed and breakfast. To see all of her projects, be sure to visit her website, HERE.

Angela Correll 

Angela Correll lives on a farm in Central Kentucky with her husband, Jess. Her novels are Amazon bestsellers and have been adapted to the stage for sold-out audiences at the Pioneer Playhouse, Kentucky's oldest outdoor theater. She loves canning vegetables from her garden, exploring the Tuscan countryside, and spending time with her family.

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Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to purchase any book through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com. 

Book Review: The Sunshine Sisters By Jane Green

THE SUNSHINE SISTERS

By: Jane Green

Published: June 6, 2017

Publisher: Berkley

Fiction/Women's Fiction



Jane Green is a leading author for those looking for laughter, a bit of drama, and a touch of romance. She is the Queen of women's fiction and has a loyal group of readers. I read her latest, FALLING, as well as her recent cookbook, GOOD TASTE, and enjoyed them both although I was a bit miffed by the ending in FALLING. I am always a sucker for sister stories since I am one of three and this one truly piqued my interest.

Three daughters have grown up under the neglected mothering of Ronni Sunshine, the narcissistic movie star who only had time for her children when she was wanting to show them off or when she was ill and needed them to cater to her needs. As the story flashes back to some of those awful situations of neglect and poor parenting, you begin to see the reasons why all three daughters, now in adulthood, rarely speak to their mother or each other.

Nell is the tomboy of the group and ends up running a farm not too far from home. Meredith ingested all of her mother's criticism as well as all the snack food in sight and ran off to London to get as far away from critical eyes as possible. Lizzy, the baby and most like her mother, is ambitious and famous in her own right as a chef, hosting New York City's popular supper clubs. All three have bitter feelings about their past and have avoided rehashing old wounds with their mom or sisters until they each receive a phone call demanding they come home immediately. As they learn of their mother's illness, each sister handles the news in different ways and begins to reconnect in pieces with each other.

The development of characters is one of Green's talents and she easily gets me wrapped up in the stories of each of these women. She creates these characters with identities we love to hate, then empathize with, and eventually understand their reasons behind the choices they made in life. But, unfortunately, the storyline doesn't offer much excitement for the reader due to its predictability. I didn't have the emotional attachment to any of the characters that I normally would in a story like this. I could find parts of each character to identify with and commiserate about my own poor choices from the past, but I never felt emotionally connected to them. As you move to the final third of the book you can see their "Aha" moments appear on the page while watching these women leave the shell that has been protecting them from hurt. Each of the daughters learns something about themselves through these final moments with their mom and you leave the novel feeling happy for them. Even though most of this novel is full of family drama and sadness, there is a bit of redemption of character when Ronni shares private conversations with each of her daughters. You may not ever like her or her daughters, but you will know, behind all the anger and sadness, there was still love.

Jane Green - source

Jane Green is a bestselling author of popular novels. She has been featured in People, Newsweek, USA Today, Glamour, and Cosmopolitan. She lives in Connecticut with her family. For more, visit her website, HERE. 

To purchase a copy of THE SUNSHINE SISTERS, click the photo below:





Thanks to the publisher for sending an ecopy of this book for the purpose of this review. If you choose to purchase this book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com.

Book Review: Modern Girls By Jennifer S. Brown

MODERN GIRLS
A Novel

By: Jennifer S. Brown

Published: April 5, 2016

Publisher: NAL

Historical Fiction/Women's Fiction



I have read many books set during this turbulent time in our history, but nothing that has tackled the delicate subject of unexpected pregnancies in a mother AND a daughter.  The setting is 1935, New York City. The Krasinsky family lives in an apartment in the Lower East side of a Jewish neighborhood. Dottie is the responsible daughter who works in Midtown Manhattan crunching numbers all day. It may sound boring but for Dottie, numbers calm her and bring her structure. If she can just make the numbers work out then everything will fall into place. Unfortunately, the numbers aren't falling into place when she starts calculating the weeks and realizes she is pregnant and there is no possible scenario that her long-time beau is the father.

Rose, Dottie's mother, has five children and now that the boys are a little older, feels she is ready to devote more time to Socialism. Her brother is stuck in Europe and with the news of Hitler and his attacks on the Jews, she is desperate to bring him to America. Just when Rose starts to think she can leave some of the cooking and cleaning behind, she realizes she is pregnant.

Dottie and Rose keep their secrets to themselves, hiding behind dresses that are fitting too tight and appetites that are waning due to nausea. Suddenly one of them notices their symptoms are similar the two share their secrets with each other. Rose puts all her efforts into saving Dottie's relationship and reputation while dreading her own future of raising more children. The desperation of their situations and the sacrifices Rose is willing to make for Dottie offer amazing glimpses into the lifestyle of these women in the 1930's.

I found the dual pregnancies interesting with both women dreading the consequences of their actions. Rose is happily married and was finally seeing the "light at the end of the tunnel" of motherhood while Dottie had plans for marrying a loyal Jewish man and taking college courses. She had just been named Head Bookkeeper and was thankful she could contribute more to the family's finances.

Of course, the two of them can't keep their pregnancies hidden forever and Dottie's world is suddenly turned upside down. There are decisions made that will affect both Dottie and Rose for a lifetime. I found the pre-WWII piece of the story to be quite interesting. So much of the truth was hidden from people living in America. The news from Europe that was being reported in the papers wasn't as bad as what was truly happening to the Jewish people. Rose was frantic to get her brother to America but while reading, I was wondering to myself if it was already too late.

With the chapters rotating between Dottie's perspective and Rose's, the story moves along quickly because you want to get back to the other character's situation. I found the main characters and their friends and family to be well-developed and created with care. From Dottie's snippy and conniving co-workers to Rose's deeply opposite boys, you could picture each one of them and appreciate their part of the storyline. For a debut novel, the novel is particularly unique and draws you in from the first few pages.

As I found the story moving along at a fast pace and wondering how everything was going to end, I noticed I was in the final pages of the book (I read this as an eBook). I knew there was no way the lives of Dottie and Rose were going to get wrapped up in these final pages and I began to worry. If you don't like endings that leave you guessing, then this may disappoint you. It isn't that I wanted everything neat and tidy, but I felt let down with the ending as it was. I can understand if the author is hoping to write a sequel, but if not, I feel it was a much too abrupt ending with too many questions left unanswered.

This debut novel certainly held my attention and left a memorable impact. I just hope there is more to tell in this mother/daughter story.

Jennifer S. Brown - source

Jennifer S. Brown lives and writes in the suburbs of Boston. When she's not writing, she's running, reading, baking, and spending time with her husband and two kids.

Her fiction, articles, and essays have appeared in numerous publications, and she was the winner of the 2005 World’s Best Short-Short Story Contest. MODERN GIRLS is her debut novel. For more on Jennifer S. Brown, check out her website, HERE. 



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Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book to me for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. I was not compensated in any way for this review. If you choose to purchase the book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com. 

Book Review: Gracie's Song By Michelle Schlicher

GRACIE'S SONG

By: Michelle Schlicher

Published: March 7, 2016

Publisher: Michelle Schlicher

Fiction/Women's Fiction

I love finding out about Iowa authors and sharing their books with my readers. Michelle Schlicher lives near Des Moines and has written her second fiction novel which she says fits in the category of Contemporary Romance. I'd have to disagree and I would consider it more a Contemporary Fiction as the romance didn't hit me as being the main part of the story. Seeing romance in the genre is usually a turn-off for me and in case it is for you, I don't want you to only think of this novel as a romance. It is so much more.

Gracie's is forced to return home after leaving suddenly, ten years ago, without a single goodbye. She left behind a mother and sister as well as her high school boyfriend and never looked back. Gracie had her reasons and has kept them a secret, not coming back once to visit her family or friends, and starting a new life several hours away. When she returns for her mother's funeral, the past memories of her difficult childhood with an alcoholic and abusive father haunt her. She also has to confront Finn, the man she had planned her future with and never spoke to again. 

Much of Gracie's story is told in flashback format, either in her memories or those of her friends and family. I wish the author would have used a different font style or maybe set these flashbacks off in some way. These flashbacks would appear in the middle of a present tense part of the story without any warning and at first made the novel confusing. I would have to reread parts once I figured out this part was a flashback. As I got used to the flow of her novel, I was more aware and ready, but having a way to set that part of the story apart would have made it easier for the reader.

With that aside, Gracie's story was deeply emotional and moving. At first, the reader can't understand her leaving behind a sister and mother whom she dearly loved, only communicating via email. Gracie seems selfish and immature. Then as her story is told, one can understand the damage from her father's tirades, her need to start fresh, and the secret she kept from everyone. As Gracie returns and reconnects, the reader joins her in the up and down emotions of grasping life back in her hometown. Her first meeting with Finn is difficult and you can feel the hurt and damage Gracie's leaving did on him. Their relationship is strong and the reader can feel the love the two still share. There is hope for a renewed relationship even though a trust has been shattered and can be difficult to rebuild. So, yes, that romance piece is there, but it leaves out the fluff and only includes the real pain and joy of a love shared between two people.

I think Schlicher has a real talent for writing. This story of redemption and forgiveness is one that readers can connect to and reflect on mistakes in life. It’s never too late to say “I’m sorry” or to start fresh and sometimes we all need that reminder.

Michelle Schlicher - source

MICHELLE SCHLICHER is the author of the novels THE BLUE JAY and GRACIE’S SONG. A graduate of Iowa State University, she subsequently worked for six years in communications and marketing. She lives in a suburb of Des Moines with her husband and two children. For more on Schlicher, check out her website, HERE. 

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Thanks to the author for sending a copy of her book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. I was not compensated in any way for this review. If you choose to purchase the book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com.