Helpful Score: 13
To me, a great book is when you can really connect with the characters in the story. When, as you read, you can literally feel their pain, their joy, and all the other deep emotions they experience.
Shelter Me is such a book. I knew by the second page that I was going to love this story about a young woman with two small children who recently became a widow. And I was right. This book had me laughing, crying, and celebrating every little 'Good thing' right along with the main character. I read this book as slowly as I could, because I didn't want it to end!
Shelter Me is such a book. I knew by the second page that I was going to love this story about a young woman with two small children who recently became a widow. And I was right. This book had me laughing, crying, and celebrating every little 'Good thing' right along with the main character. I read this book as slowly as I could, because I didn't want it to end!
Helpful Score: 10
I thought that I was in for some chick lit fluff when I picked up this book. Boy, was I wrong. This is a wonderful book which I savored night after night. A terrific premise, richly drawn characters and fabulous writing. The scenes always felt real, never forced nor fake. I loved it and can't wait for her next effort.
Helpful Score: 7
The book progresses through the ups and downs of this year of recovery after the tragic death of her husband which leaves her alone with two small children. It ends with hope and the greatest quote; "We're all on loan. The only thing that makes sense is to be together." Definately recommend reading this book!
Helpful Score: 6
Banking on the tried and true format of young mother with young children whose husband is killed and she must climb out of her depression with the help of family and oh, yeah, a hunky man all neatly wrapped up in the span of one year. Not to say that this is a bad book, but it's just been done before.
Four months after her husbands untimely death, a building contract shows up to build the dream porch that Janie LaMarche's husband had planned as a surprise, she decides to let Tug go ahead, why not, if she thinks of it as her husband's last gift to her then possibly she can find some peace in it.
Peace is what she needs especially when her family priest keeps making weekly visits and her overly obnoxious but loving aunt, keep trying to help. Help that is that she wishes had truly come from her own mother who seems to be only interested in her own life and spent a grand total of 7 days with Janie when her husband died.
With funny and bittersweet moments, this book tugs on all the right heartstrings.
Four months after her husbands untimely death, a building contract shows up to build the dream porch that Janie LaMarche's husband had planned as a surprise, she decides to let Tug go ahead, why not, if she thinks of it as her husband's last gift to her then possibly she can find some peace in it.
Peace is what she needs especially when her family priest keeps making weekly visits and her overly obnoxious but loving aunt, keep trying to help. Help that is that she wishes had truly come from her own mother who seems to be only interested in her own life and spent a grand total of 7 days with Janie when her husband died.
With funny and bittersweet moments, this book tugs on all the right heartstrings.
Helpful Score: 3
This book is a woman's journey through the first year after the sudden loss of her husband. At times it was raw and angry. Others you were cheering for her to get through. I liked it.
Helpful Score: 3
Such a wonderful story about love, loss and loving again. Juliette Fay is wonderful in her writing and really makes you feel her story. Recommended to anyone who loves a wonderful outcome to a painful experience.
Helpful Score: 2
Great book, couldn't put it down! Such a sweet, real story.
Helpful Score: 2
Janie LaMarche loses her husband in a bicycle accident leaving her with two small children to raise by herself. Her grief seems insurmountable as she tries to cope with day to day living without Robbie, her best friend, her lover, her confidante and more. He was the center of her life. Now she lashes out at everyone who tries to help her.
I liked the writing and, yes, I suppose the tale is predictable but the author does such a fine job of helping us understand how grief can change the people we are. Janie feels like she is a "bad mommy" (I hate this phrase), not capable of handling her finances, her children, even her life. Yet people keep rallying around her including her lovable cousin, Father Jake, her crazy Aunt Jude, and her friend, Shelly.
When a contractor arrives to build a front porch on her house she cries endlessly as this is Robbie's last gift to her. Too many people seem to butt into her grief but gradually she realizes that she may be better than she thought she was. Maybe, just maybe, she won't become her mother, who like Janie was left to raise her two children alone. I believe that how she arrives at that conclusion is the point of this story. Grief is a process that each of us who lose someone experiences.
I liked the writing and, yes, I suppose the tale is predictable but the author does such a fine job of helping us understand how grief can change the people we are. Janie feels like she is a "bad mommy" (I hate this phrase), not capable of handling her finances, her children, even her life. Yet people keep rallying around her including her lovable cousin, Father Jake, her crazy Aunt Jude, and her friend, Shelly.
When a contractor arrives to build a front porch on her house she cries endlessly as this is Robbie's last gift to her. Too many people seem to butt into her grief but gradually she realizes that she may be better than she thought she was. Maybe, just maybe, she won't become her mother, who like Janie was left to raise her two children alone. I believe that how she arrives at that conclusion is the point of this story. Grief is a process that each of us who lose someone experiences.
Helpful Score: 2
Wonderful! I'm in the midddle & can't put it down although I thought I wouldn't like it.
Helpful Score: 1
This is Fay's first published book and it was really well written. The characters were likable and engaging, the story line was dramatic and it pulled me in. I really liked this book and found myself looking for a spare minute here and there to read it. Definitely one of my favorite recent reads. I'm hoping the author has another book out soon!
Helpful Score: 1
What a incredible book this was. You meet and fall in love with the characters and how each one has their own issues as they try to help the recent widow. This book brought me to tears at times and then had me smiling a few minutes later.
To have the love of your life die, in any way, is a fear of a lot of women. What would I do? How would I act? How could I go on living? Could I fall in love again? All those questions goes through your mind as you read this book. And the author has fabulously written a book that is realistic yet charming.
I had wanted to read this book but I had to admit at times it was a hard read. I found myself wanting to hurry up and finish it so I can move on to the next book on my list. Yet now that it is done I find myself a bit empty. These characters came to life for me and now they are gone. This book is definitely worth reading and I'm glad I was given this gift on my birthday. I will be following the author, Juliette Fay, and I look forward to her next book.
To have the love of your life die, in any way, is a fear of a lot of women. What would I do? How would I act? How could I go on living? Could I fall in love again? All those questions goes through your mind as you read this book. And the author has fabulously written a book that is realistic yet charming.
I had wanted to read this book but I had to admit at times it was a hard read. I found myself wanting to hurry up and finish it so I can move on to the next book on my list. Yet now that it is done I find myself a bit empty. These characters came to life for me and now they are gone. This book is definitely worth reading and I'm glad I was given this gift on my birthday. I will be following the author, Juliette Fay, and I look forward to her next book.
A fantastic read ! For a first novel, Juliette has done a magnificent job of weaving a story full with emotions, questioning thoughts for the primary characters and some unexpected situations.
Helpful Score: 1
I thought this would be a typical tear-jerker novel. It ended up being so much more. A tender story about a widow and the events that happen in the year following her husband's death. It shows how we are never really alone...whether we like it or not, people continue to come into and impact our lives, sometimes in ways that are apparent and sometimes in more subtler ways. It made me cry at least half a dozen times, but made be more and cheer more times.
Helpful Score: 1
I liked the book. Characters are interesting and seem very real. The attention to detail is tremendous. I have young kids and the story resonated well with me. I was a bit conflicted about the ending and would have liked to know more about Jake.
Helpful Score: 1
A little slow to get into, but the characters were well written and showed her progress in handling the grief of losing her husband.
Nice reading for a rainy afternoon.
Nice reading for a rainy afternoon.
I really enjoyed this book. It made you laugh and cry.
An interesting plot but not that well written and it lumbered.
I have to admit.. when I first started reading this book I thought the main person (Janie) was kinda annoying...she had all these people there for her and she was so mean and angry to them.. but as the book goes on she gets better. I love most of the main people in this book. I love how it ends!
An amazing read! I absolutely enjoyed and believed in each character. I feel as though each character could be walking the streets of our hometowns today.
I have lost some people in my life to the world beyond - and to hear from one woman's perspective her battle with grief was both heartbreaking and eye opening. I loved how her story felt real. I felt her ups and downs and believed that each moment could be happening to a widow at anytime. Without revealing the whole plot line, I appreciated her internal judgement and fear of how others would perceive her taking steps towards moving on from this tragedy.
A deep and thought provoking read that I would absolutely recommend.
I have lost some people in my life to the world beyond - and to hear from one woman's perspective her battle with grief was both heartbreaking and eye opening. I loved how her story felt real. I felt her ups and downs and believed that each moment could be happening to a widow at anytime. Without revealing the whole plot line, I appreciated her internal judgement and fear of how others would perceive her taking steps towards moving on from this tragedy.
A deep and thought provoking read that I would absolutely recommend.
Well written book that brings to life the struggle faced by a widow.
I was not that impressed. Was an ok read...not fantastic. There were times my attention wandered and I found it hard to finish.
I enjoyed this book, although I did not love it. Once I got into it, I was interested and invested in the characters.
It's a little bit of a formula book - single woman, hunky man, they don't hit it off at first. The main character is recently widowed and the book chronicles her struggles to move on with her life and, of course, find love again.
It's a little bit of a formula book - single woman, hunky man, they don't hit it off at first. The main character is recently widowed and the book chronicles her struggles to move on with her life and, of course, find love again.
I found Shelter Me to be a page turner and a fine effort for an author's debut novel about grief, loneliness and learning to get over the anger that is part of grief. A young widow with small children to raise on her own is no easy task, and this book shows how one person accomplishes it along with trust, family and friends. Good character development and good writing. I hope to read more by Juliette Fay.
Janie LaMarche has recently lost her husband Rob in a biking accident. In the four months since his death, she has been balanced on the edge of an overwhelmingly emotional crisis - teetering from heartwrenching grief to blazing anger from day to day. However, her mourning is disrupted by the unexpected arrival of a contractor with a building order to add a porch onto her house. Bewildered by his sudden arrival, Janie slowly realizes that the porch was actually meant to be a surprise from her husband - now his final gift to her.
As a reluctant Janie allows the construction to begin, she steadfastly clings to the familiarity of her sorrow - mothering her two small children with a fierce protectiveness, avoiding well-meaning friends and family, and stewing in a rage she can't release. Yet Janie's self-imposed isolation is continuously breached by a motley crew of unlikely interventionists, all determined to break through her steely shell of grief. The cast of loving intermediaries includes: Janie's chatty Aunt Jude, for whom a stiff slug of ipecac solves everything; her over-manicured, tremendously nosy neighbor Shelly, whose home visits are so regular Janie can almost set her watch by them; her muffin-bearing cousin Cormac, who considers baked goods to be downright therapeutic; and even Tug, the contractor with a private grief all his own.
So, as the porch begins to take shape, Janie discovers that the unknown terrain of the future is better charted a day at a time. And that any potential potholes she may encounter along the way are best navigated with the help of others - even those who she never expected to call on, much less learn to love.
I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Everything about it resonated with me: the story was well-written, the characters were entirely believable, and the plot was very well-developed. I'm going to be putting this author's name right at the top of my wishlist and would certainly give this book an A+!
As a reluctant Janie allows the construction to begin, she steadfastly clings to the familiarity of her sorrow - mothering her two small children with a fierce protectiveness, avoiding well-meaning friends and family, and stewing in a rage she can't release. Yet Janie's self-imposed isolation is continuously breached by a motley crew of unlikely interventionists, all determined to break through her steely shell of grief. The cast of loving intermediaries includes: Janie's chatty Aunt Jude, for whom a stiff slug of ipecac solves everything; her over-manicured, tremendously nosy neighbor Shelly, whose home visits are so regular Janie can almost set her watch by them; her muffin-bearing cousin Cormac, who considers baked goods to be downright therapeutic; and even Tug, the contractor with a private grief all his own.
So, as the porch begins to take shape, Janie discovers that the unknown terrain of the future is better charted a day at a time. And that any potential potholes she may encounter along the way are best navigated with the help of others - even those who she never expected to call on, much less learn to love.
I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Everything about it resonated with me: the story was well-written, the characters were entirely believable, and the plot was very well-developed. I'm going to be putting this author's name right at the top of my wishlist and would certainly give this book an A+!
Nice read. This being her first novel, it was lengthy.
Drama, adversity, and love.
Drama, adversity, and love.
there were numerous times I almost gave up on this book. About midway thru I got into it and the rest was OK
Excellent story! Great characters! A joy to read even though there are some of life's harsh realities present!
Very good read. Wasn't sure I was going to like it in the very beginning, but once into it could hardly put it down. Some of the language was a little offensive-used the Lord's name in vain a lot, but some writers seem to think this is necessary, I suppose. The story was very good and the characters are believable.
Truly an engaging story that will warm your heart with all its twists and turns and down to earth characters.When I picked this up, I was hoping to find an engaging story that I could read for pleasure. This is just what I found. And it was also a page turner that I had a hard time putting down.
Shelter Me is definitely Janie's story of the year following the accidental biking death of her young husband. During the year following his death, Janie struggles with life and love...all the while surrounded by her two very young children, her family, neighbors and a pretty typical support system of wonderful characters. In is in that context that we are drawn into her story.
What I appreciated the most was that Janie could be anyone we know and while she faces many rough struggles, she and the story remain what I want to call "real" and believable.
The book was way better than I anticipated and I loved all the characters!
Shelter Me is definitely Janie's story of the year following the accidental biking death of her young husband. During the year following his death, Janie struggles with life and love...all the while surrounded by her two very young children, her family, neighbors and a pretty typical support system of wonderful characters. In is in that context that we are drawn into her story.
What I appreciated the most was that Janie could be anyone we know and while she faces many rough struggles, she and the story remain what I want to call "real" and believable.
The book was way better than I anticipated and I loved all the characters!
I was a bit dissapointed with this book. I seriously disliked the main character. I felt no sympathy for her. In fact, I felt sympathy for every other character in the book - since they had to deal with Janie. Seriously - what 38 year old woman goes by the name Janie???
I also felt like there was some lack of continuity in the story. Characters appear out of now here. Characters get wriitten out in a paragraph - it was almost as if chapters were missing.
Bottom line - just because the author lives in your town, that's a pretty lousy reason to pick a book to read.
I also felt like there was some lack of continuity in the story. Characters appear out of now here. Characters get wriitten out in a paragraph - it was almost as if chapters were missing.
Bottom line - just because the author lives in your town, that's a pretty lousy reason to pick a book to read.
