Wednesday, February 29, 2012

I. Loved. This. Book! ~ A Sweethaven Summer by Courtney Walsh ~ Review



I loved this book.
           
I loved the plot, the characters, the writing, the setting. In short…oh yeah, I already said that, but I’ll say it again. I loved this book.
           
There is a pure freshness about the story and the characters that fill the pages. It’s my favorite kind of novel to read. Filled with characters that struggle and yet push on, characters that fill my heart and a plot that grips with maybe a twist or two.
            
With four point of view characters, you’d think things might get a little squirrely, but it never once did. The story flows with incredible dexterity, these women twining around my heart and their struggles tugging at my emotions. Campbell searching for her father. Jane trying to forgive herself. Lila struggling to find who she is.
           
I could go on and on with all this book packs into 316 short pages. The story is perfect is so many ways. Dialogue, setting description, character depth, just a bit of romance to palpitate the pulse, a tinge of mystery and enough tension and love for these characters that kept me returning to the book over and over again.
           
I wasn’t ready for the story to end. But I’m so eager for the second novel in Sweethaven and find out what happens with Campbell and Luke. Lila and Tom. Adele and Meghan. You get my point. It’s a story I won’t be forgetting about anytime soon.
            
This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers through CFBA for my copy to review.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
More about the novel and author...

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
A Sweethaven Summer
Guidepost Books (February 7, 2012)
by
Courtney Walsh



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:




Courtney Walsh is a published author, scrapbooker, theater director, and playwright. Her debut novel, A Sweethaven Summer, will be followed by two additional novels in the series. She’s also written two papercrafting books, Scrapbooking Your Faith and The Busy Scrapper. Courtney has been a contributing editor for Memory Makers Magazine and Children’s Ministry Magazine and is a frequent contributor to Group Publishing curriculum. She works as the PR Manager for Webster’s Pages from her home in Colorado, where she lives with her husband and three kids, who range in age from 4 to 10. Courtney drinks entirely too much coffee.






ABOUT THE BOOK


Suzanne's daughter, Campbell, journeys there in search of answers to her questions about her mother's history.Suzanne's three friends-Lila, Jane, and Meghan-were torn apart by long-buried secrets and heartbreak. Though they haven't spoken in years, each has pieces of a scrapbook they made together in Sweethaven. Suzanne's letters have lured them all back to the idyllic lakeside town, where they meet Campbell and begin to remember what was so special about their long Sweethaven summers. As the scrapbook reveals secrets one by one, old wounds are mended, lives are changed,
and friendships are restored-just as Suzanne intended.


If you would like to read the first chapter of A Sweethaven Summer, go HERE.

12 comments:

  1. Hey! This book is on my wish list!
    Too bad you aren't giving it away, hint hint.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL, sorry, I want my copy too much to give it away. ;D

      Delete
    2. I'm giving it away on my blog!!! :)

      Delete
    3. Thanks Courtney! I am hopping on over!

      Delete
  2. Great review! I am sooo sad I totally missed this when choosing review books! Sounds like one I must read!

    Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's a goody, Loren! Totally worth it to go pick it up and give it a try. Has a little bit of a Nicholas Sparks quality to it. And like a Lynn Austin plot line in a contemp setting. :)

      Delete
    2. (and without the tragic ending, right?!) :) Gosh, Casey, you are making me blush!!

      Delete
    3. Yes! I honestly thought of the latest Nicholas Sparks movie that was just made with Miley Cyrus (drawing a blank on the title), the plot lines were kinda similar, but in a GOOD way! :D

      Delete
  3. Well that one is officially going on my TBR pile! What a great review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Katie, knowing your reading taste, I bet you really like this book. :-)

      Delete
    2. I hope you like it, Katie!! Can't wait for yours!!

      Delete
  4. GREAT review, Casey! Thanks for the recommendation. : )

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for stopping by, I love to hear from those who traffic my blog! Have a wonderful day. :)