kelly

The Will of Wisteria By Denise Hildreth / Thomas Nelson When wealthy Edward Wilcott dies, his children have to “earn” their inheritance. Attorney Elizabeth must work pro bono for a year; plastic surgeon Jeffrey must find a less superficial practice; Mary Catherine has to stay in one place and teach; and Will is to build homes for the poor. Will they defy Wilcott’s wishes—or end up rich? 320 pages, softcover from Nelson.

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Kelly’s Review:

This book was recommended to me at my favorite local Christian bookstore and I picked it up based on that recommendation. I am so glad I did. There is no way I can review it properly enough to do it justice, but I’ll try.

In a word: WOW!!! The Will of Wisteria was an incredible read. This was a book that captivated me and I didn’t want to put it down nor was I ready for it to end. One of the best novels I’ve read!!

The basic storylines for this novel revolve around the children of a deceased billionaire in Charleston, South Carolina. Their father’s will left them with strict instructions to work for one year’s time without pay in order to earn their inheritance. The book entails each sibling’s decision and direction along the course of that year. The storylines are magnificently unfolded and the character development is outstanding. Hildreth didn’t lean at all towards any cliches and perfectly played out each character’s journey artfully and true to character along the way.

This was a novel that left an imprint on my heart. So many lessons are contained within these pages. I found myself drawn in and not wanting to let go. I wanted to read more, learn more and know more. I am now a huge fan of Denise Hildreth and will be reading more of her novels in the very near future. I recommend this book wholeheartedly and enthusastically to each and everyone!

For Better or For Worse By Diann Hunt / Thomas Nelson She’s a wedding coordinator. He’s a divorce attorney. She begins marriages. He ends them. How could these two possibly find common ground?Wendy Hartline is finally starting to settle into the single life. After a difficult season of grief following her husband’s death, she’s taken over the family business of coordinating memorable weddings. Life has become . . . comfortable.Then the charming and incredibly frustrating Marco Amorini opens a legal practice–specializing in divorces–right next to her wedding chapel and stirs up everything.

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Kelly’s Review:

Simply stated, this novel is a great read. It has so many wonderful elements that combine to make it an excellent read from start to finish. This novel contains humor, drama, romance and also life lessons. I enjoyed it tremendously!

For Better or For Worse is a novel in which the main character, Wendy, is a widowed wedding coordinator whose life and family are in the midst of turmoil and chaos. Adding to this is the introduction of Marco Amorini, a divorce attorney, into Wendy’s life. Things are never quite what they seem and this novel reveals that many times over through the use of humor and family situations.

I loved Diann Hunt’s writing style in this novel. I immediately felt a connection to Wendy and felt that I could relate to her right from the start of the novel. The way Hunt skillfully blended together all the elements of this novel kept the storylines flowing seemlessly from page to page. There was never a time when I felt the storylines were mundane or dragging at all – I was engaged in the novel from beginning to end. And, honestly, I was left wanting more. That is one sign of a great novel for me.

I have become a fan of Diann Hunt and look forward to reading more from her soon. I recommend this novel without reservation. A+!!

 

The Note By Angela Hunt / Thomas Nelson En route from LaGuardia Airport to Tampa International, Flight 848 bursts into flames and crashes into Tampa Bay. All 261 passengers and crew are killed. For one week, newspaper columnist Peyton MacGruder and her fellow reporters cover one of the worst air disasters in years with overwhelming and numbed emotions.Then a woman Peyton has never met gives her a plastic bag that has washed up behind her house. The bag contains a note, almost certainly from the doomed flight, with a simple yet wrenching message: T- I love you. All is forgiven. -Dad

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Kelly’s Review

The Note is an extremely well-written novel that deals with forgiveness, compassion and redemption. It opens with a plane crash that kills everyone on board. A newspaper columnist by the name of Peyton Macgruder is given a note that has washed up on shore that is presumably from one of the passengers that was on the plane. The note simply reads “T – I love you. All is forgiven. – Dad” Peyton uses her newspaper column to track down the rightful recipient of this note.

This novel takes us through Peyton’s professional and personal quest to find the person for whom the note was intended. The story takes some twists and turns that are unexpected and keeps the reading interesting. We also learn more about the character of Peyton and what motivates and also hinders her. Her character development in this novel is especially moving.

This was a great read. It is a novel that brings to light many lessons we could all learn from each day. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Recommended reading!!