Heartwarming and relatable. The book is both sort of one main character in a reinterpretation or correlated to the story of Job, and other main characters in their own story. I liked the themes and threads family and friendship over isolation, though I felt like Tanner and Kaitlyn’s story felt a little stunted and not my favorite take on a single-parent relationship. 

I thought Jasper’s story was well fleshed out and heartbreaking, but you could put yourself in his shoes. You understood his pain and his loss well and could empathize with him. I liked his character development and progression in finding hope. 

I struggled to like Tanner. Maybe my expectations are too high for reality, but to handle a single mom that casually feels disrespectful and just a really jerk-move. Maybe it was just too rushed and his character not fleshed out well enough for me to see his perspective but I just didn’t get the relationship. 

I did love Kaitlyn’s kids tho and her relationship with them. I thought that was really endearing and enjoyed their part in the story. I loved that it wasn’t yet another hostile-teenager characterization. 

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine 

Just had a hard time keeping interest. The character felt  a little too modern I guess for the time, and a little too irreverent to be realistic. 

So good - both completely endearing and utterly heartbreaking at times. I loved how worth, love, forgiveness and grace were threaded into Tristan’s and Isolde’s relationship as well as their families. I thought it was so well done - how growing up in abuse and believing in your own lack of worth changes how you treat others or interact with them, and forces you to self-protect. But when acceptance and forgiveness and just plain being seen is offered it can make such a difference. 

Also I absolutely adored Isolde thru the entire book. She’s my hero. 

Fascinating story of the first woman in the US Cabinet and Secretary of Labor. I’ve never heard her story before but it’s insane how much she did, how she persevered in a world where she was constantly in an uphill battle. It was a lot of politics and government to sift thru in the story but I’m so impressed by how little her own recognition and acknowledgment mattered to her despite all she did. 

I’ve also got a new appreciation for FDR now. I knew he and Eleanor Roosevelt were constantly championing women in a typically man’s world of government, workplace and equality but this painted such a vibrant picture for me. 

Some of Francis’ personal life I felt like was a bit gappy and jumped from one event or concept to another. I get there wasn’t much for the author to go by, but some of her early marriage to her husband I struggled to make sense of. 

Overall enjoyed it and learned a lot 

Honestly, I disliked 90% of this book. The only reason I didn’t DNF it was because it was an ARC and I didn’t feel right leaving a review without finishing it. 

I could not stand Jane. I know that’s probably sort of the point but a main character who has an enormous victim-mentality, blames everyone for her problems and her alcoholism, wants everyone to chase her but has no concept about herself fixing things or apologizing, and is an overall judgmental snob, for most of the book is not enjoyable.

The heavy pushing of psychic medium and reincarnation that was threaded thru the book was unexpected and bizarre. I anticipated based on the description it would be a lot of historical threads for the house and cliffs that were the setting but each past character only got a chapter at most and then it was Jane and her alcoholism or all sorts of psychic, speaking with the dead.

In addition, the historical Native American focus could have been really interesting - definitively more interesting than the rest of the book, honestly - but the majority (outside of the last chapter) felt like a browbeating. I completely agree that the treatment of the Native Americans and their land was horrendous and awful. But it felt conveyed with a pretentious superiority rather than creating a sense of empathy and allowing a space for learning thru the people’s stories. 

Overall I just really disliked the book on so many levels. 

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine. 

Loved the banter and tension in the characters, as well as the emphasis on family, friendship and belonging. Such a great concept in addition to the Allie and Ethan being great characters with well written romance. The story was hard to put down and I enjoyed it a lot. 

Loved the writing and the storyline. The characters and setting were rich and I loved Viola and Malcom. Some of the beginning got a little repetitive but I especially loved the rock-throwing truths and how forthright Viola was most of the time. 

While it’s a slow moving book, I found it really interesting and engaging. It sort of felt like tubing on a lazy river - not a rush and not necessarily a firm destination, but plenty to take in and you enjoy the process regardless. 

The story of John and Mary, their friends and their dogs was endearing, and relatable. There was a great focus on relationships, not giving up on each other, depending on each others’ strengths and finding purpose in what was important to them with the benefits or consequences of their choices. Each of the characters had such an interesting and unique perspective and process, and there was some great humor and dialogue. 

Also liked the narrator, I thought it was really well done. 

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook. All opinions are mine. 

Such a fascinating story behind the scenes of the real Von Trapps from the Sound of Music. I loved learning about Maria and her history, what was different from the movie, and what was the same. The Sound of Music is such an iconic movie, I loved it as a kid, my kids enjoy it, and I don’t know many people who don’t know of it at the very least.

I thought the storyline alternating between Maria and Fran was excellent, and well written. The behind the scenes of Rodger’s and Hammerstein was also fun. It was hard to put down and I was fully invested in what was going on and what was going to happen next. The character of Maria was so identifiable, you could see how she grew, both in good and bad ways with her circumstances, and the family dynamic was also well told. 

The only downside and the reason for a half a star loss was at the end with Fran and her own story, it felt just odd and half-hearted. I just kept trying to figure out what just happened - the rest of the book was just so well fleshed out and threaded from one event to the next and then the bottom just kind of dropped out for Fran’s detail, that it felt stunted and gappy. 

All in all however, I really loved it. 

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine. 

Really well written - so hard to put down and you just felt for both Leah and Fox, with the emotions and grief and frustrations they faced. Great character development and love the marriage of convenience theme. Enjoyed it a ton.