I love the book cover of A Woman of Fortune from Kellie Coates Gilbert. The enticing red dress and the foreground of the book made me want to pick it up and read the story behind the cover. Though, the cover of the book was great. I did have a hard time getting through the book. A story of betrayal and humiliation of Claire Massey, a socialite woman who was married to Tuck,a cattle rancher. There life seemed like a dream, with fancy cars, a great big house, all the money they could have, and other luxuries you could imagine. When during an event, he is arrested for scamming people and stealing their money. He is prosecuted and sent to prison, while his wife and family is left to pick up the pieces of their lives. The story talks about how each member of the family dealt with the situation and how they moved forward. The author put realism in each character and at times there were a few instances that I could relate to the character. For me, it was a slow read, but a great story. I commend the author for stepping out and writing about real life issues that happens not only to the rich, but to the poor as well.
Received this book from The Book Club Network my honest review.
Received this book from The Book Club Network my honest review.
Jasmine A. (jasmineflower88) reviewed A Woman of Fortune (Texas Gold, Bk 1) on + 51 more book reviews
One of the best books to come out this year!
After reading and being wowed by Kellie Coats Gilbert's debut novel Mother Of Pearl, I was quite excited to not only find out about A Woman Of Fortune but also to get my hands on a copy.
I don't know how she does it, must be a sign of a truly good writer, but Kellie Coates Gilbert has an amazing way of getting into the characters minds and totally immersing the reader in the story. My life couldn't be any more different than Claire's, for one thing there is an age gap of 20+ years, and yet I was so completely pulled into Claire's life that it came as a mild shock when I had to return to my own world.
A Woman Of Fortune is a thought-provoking look into what might happen to a family that has been torn by deceit and are in the public eye. Each member has to deal with the fallout and make their own choices on how to handle it.
I have to say that after reading this book I won't look at the news stories in quite the same way anymore. Kellie Coates Gilbert shows the pain a family can go through when only seen through the lens of a news camera and I don't think I will be quite as quick to judge after this.
The author is a master at capturing how people truly are. The emotions, reactions, and actions of the characters are so realistic that it will make you examine yourself and wonder how you might act in the same situation. This is a family reeling from a shocking blow, they make mistakes, they don't always act like perfect Christians, but they are totally real. And in the end it all comes down to family, faith, and the power of real love.
A Woman Of Fortune is a book for women of all ages, one you really shouldn't miss. It's entertaining and the reader comes away with the desire to strengthen their own families.
(I received a copy of this book from Revell for my honest review. All opinions are my own.)
After reading and being wowed by Kellie Coats Gilbert's debut novel Mother Of Pearl, I was quite excited to not only find out about A Woman Of Fortune but also to get my hands on a copy.
I don't know how she does it, must be a sign of a truly good writer, but Kellie Coates Gilbert has an amazing way of getting into the characters minds and totally immersing the reader in the story. My life couldn't be any more different than Claire's, for one thing there is an age gap of 20+ years, and yet I was so completely pulled into Claire's life that it came as a mild shock when I had to return to my own world.
A Woman Of Fortune is a thought-provoking look into what might happen to a family that has been torn by deceit and are in the public eye. Each member has to deal with the fallout and make their own choices on how to handle it.
I have to say that after reading this book I won't look at the news stories in quite the same way anymore. Kellie Coates Gilbert shows the pain a family can go through when only seen through the lens of a news camera and I don't think I will be quite as quick to judge after this.
The author is a master at capturing how people truly are. The emotions, reactions, and actions of the characters are so realistic that it will make you examine yourself and wonder how you might act in the same situation. This is a family reeling from a shocking blow, they make mistakes, they don't always act like perfect Christians, but they are totally real. And in the end it all comes down to family, faith, and the power of real love.
A Woman Of Fortune is a book for women of all ages, one you really shouldn't miss. It's entertaining and the reader comes away with the desire to strengthen their own families.
(I received a copy of this book from Revell for my honest review. All opinions are my own.)
After being wowed by Kellie's debut novel, Mother of Pearl, she instantly became one of my very favorite writers. Sometimes a sophomore novel fails to meet expectations, but that is certainly not the case here. In A Woman of Fortune, Kellie creates a gripping, ripped-from-the-headlines story and shows what could happen with faith in the mix. The story has all the trademarks that I've come to expect from Kellie's stories: exquisite writing that flows across the page, emotionally complex characters who deal with troubling situations, legal drama, southern humor (Texas style), spiritual application, and a plot that just won't let go.
In Dallas, a town that "liked to place the rich on pedestals, then knock them off for sport, " Kellie has taken an unimaginably horrible situation and shaken a family to its core. The Massey family isn't very likeable, at least in the beginning, so to make this reader care about them is a quality of great writing. Politics, scandal, and all the trappings of wealth are blended with themes of friendship, commitment, mercy and forgiveness.
Husband and father Tuck Massey had a driven spirit to come out a winner, no matter what - but shortly after the story opens, he is arrested and incarcerated on multiple counts of cattle fraud and federal racketeering charges. There's no doubt that Claire and Tuck loved each other, but Claire had never seen things as they really were. "Funny how she'd always known the grass was green - but never needed to know how or why." And the three Massey children, raised in the proverbial "lap of luxury" without a strong faith on which to stand, are left with their own coping mechanisms. I was particularly drawn to daughter Lainie for some reason - daddy's "princess" who bartered her self-worth, but eventually discovered it wasn't enough and would eventually break her soul. These characters and their raw emotions felt so very real.
There were two secondary characters that I loved, Jana Rae and Margarita. Jana Rae is that friend that we all need in our lives, someone we can depend on to be in our corner, but who will speak the truth that we need to hear. And I want to believe that Margarita's deep faith had a tremendous influence on Claire.
While A Woman of Fortune highly entertains, its spiritual insights remain with me. I felt challenged to ask myself what I would have done had I been in Claire's place, if everything I valued and cared for was suddenly ripped away. Do I really feel, like Margarita, that nothing comes into our lives without first being sifted by God's hands, and that God makes all things possible? Am I quick to turn to God during hard times so that I can hold His hand as He guides me through? And sometimes toughest of all, is God really all I need? These words of Lainie say it all: "Her daddy had tried to give her the world and failed. On the other hand, God had created her heart. Who was more qualified to satisfy what she craved?"
Thank you, Kellie Coates Gilbert, for a wonderful, hard-to-put-down story that challenges my faith at the same time. Highly recommended to all readers.
Thank you to Revell for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
In Dallas, a town that "liked to place the rich on pedestals, then knock them off for sport, " Kellie has taken an unimaginably horrible situation and shaken a family to its core. The Massey family isn't very likeable, at least in the beginning, so to make this reader care about them is a quality of great writing. Politics, scandal, and all the trappings of wealth are blended with themes of friendship, commitment, mercy and forgiveness.
Husband and father Tuck Massey had a driven spirit to come out a winner, no matter what - but shortly after the story opens, he is arrested and incarcerated on multiple counts of cattle fraud and federal racketeering charges. There's no doubt that Claire and Tuck loved each other, but Claire had never seen things as they really were. "Funny how she'd always known the grass was green - but never needed to know how or why." And the three Massey children, raised in the proverbial "lap of luxury" without a strong faith on which to stand, are left with their own coping mechanisms. I was particularly drawn to daughter Lainie for some reason - daddy's "princess" who bartered her self-worth, but eventually discovered it wasn't enough and would eventually break her soul. These characters and their raw emotions felt so very real.
There were two secondary characters that I loved, Jana Rae and Margarita. Jana Rae is that friend that we all need in our lives, someone we can depend on to be in our corner, but who will speak the truth that we need to hear. And I want to believe that Margarita's deep faith had a tremendous influence on Claire.
While A Woman of Fortune highly entertains, its spiritual insights remain with me. I felt challenged to ask myself what I would have done had I been in Claire's place, if everything I valued and cared for was suddenly ripped away. Do I really feel, like Margarita, that nothing comes into our lives without first being sifted by God's hands, and that God makes all things possible? Am I quick to turn to God during hard times so that I can hold His hand as He guides me through? And sometimes toughest of all, is God really all I need? These words of Lainie say it all: "Her daddy had tried to give her the world and failed. On the other hand, God had created her heart. Who was more qualified to satisfy what she craved?"
Thank you, Kellie Coates Gilbert, for a wonderful, hard-to-put-down story that challenges my faith at the same time. Highly recommended to all readers.
Thank you to Revell for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
