Yvonne L. reviewed on + 929 more book reviews
I enjoyed this book but it hit a few of my pet peeves so that was the reason for the low rating. Please note there may be some spoilers in this review.
First, things that are neither here or there. Here are the things that are for your information only and doesn't affect the rating of this book for myself but might be a turn off for others. There is only implied love scenes, not anything detailed. The book is really more about Jenna, Beth, and Violet (mostly Jenna and Violet) rediscovering themselves. Along with that thought, the end doesn't have as much of a happily after ending that are in some of Mallery's other books. It's not a bad ending though.
On to the good things, I love the characters and I liked that each of them had faults. Sometimes there is a tendency to make at least one of the protagonist flawless. If there ever was a character like that in this book, it might have been Ellington. I also love the extra story lines with Beth and Violet. Really, I think Violet was interesting enough to have her whole book but she works well here too. It was quite an emotional story and a bit of a tear-jerker in some areas. If this was the only story Mallery ever wrote, I would have given it a higher rating. It was also a very fast, quick read.
On to my pet peeves. Most of these probably won't bother you but it did me:
The foremost is that Mallery recycles characters and put different names on them. Perhaps she is trying to work through some adoption angst herself because the teenage parents forcing to give up their child for adoption and later grew to marry anyway and owns a winery idea isn't new to Mallery stories. She has used this story line in at least two of her books. That really makes me loose respect for a writer. It's like she doesn't bother wanting to do research to create new characters. It's an insult to her readers.
Speaking of research, what is up with all her digs against homeopathic medicine, home births, and cloth diapers? Again, it doesn't seem like she has really done much research on alternative medicine / home birth, only peripherally. Trust me, if my naturopath/homeopath takes their kids to a pediatrician for something as minor as a stomach flu and takes aspirin for a headache, I would not go to him at all. Who is going to go to a doctor who doesn't believe in his own treatments? It only adds to the assumption that Ellington and the alternative medicine community are cons. Now if it was a broken bone, it totally makes sense. Also, I find it hard to believe Wolf's wife can't have a water birth at home in California where you pretty much can throw a rock and hit a home birth midwife. Most rent out birthing tubs. And has Mallery ever seen homespun cloth made? It takes a really long time and I think it will probably take someone about nine months to make one diaper. Again, not really enough research and Mallery ends up being offensive towards people. I know. I'm being nit-picky.
I had a really hard time with Serenity. When Beth goes off and starts ranting about how selfish Serenity is, I was going, "Right on, Beth." Everything Beth said about Serenity at that moment was exactly how I feel about the character. I can sympathize with giving up your child for adoption. I really think people who can think beyond themselves and think of what is best for their child by giving them up for adoption are heroes. But everything Serenity did was about Serenity in the guise of a cosmic knowledge: "it's the right time" and "it's the right thing to do for you." So I don't get how everyone was so in love with her because she is one selfish SOB in my book. No wonder Jenna fell for someone like Aaron because he is just the same version of her birth mother.
As for Jenna, I wish she would have told Serenity off a few times but that wouldn't be true to her character and I appreciated that Mallery kept Jenna constant.
Overall, if you are a fan of Mallery you might be somewhat insulted by this because this is very similar to her other story lines. But it was a nice read to pass the time if you have nothing else better, especially you just want to shed some tears.
First, things that are neither here or there. Here are the things that are for your information only and doesn't affect the rating of this book for myself but might be a turn off for others. There is only implied love scenes, not anything detailed. The book is really more about Jenna, Beth, and Violet (mostly Jenna and Violet) rediscovering themselves. Along with that thought, the end doesn't have as much of a happily after ending that are in some of Mallery's other books. It's not a bad ending though.
On to the good things, I love the characters and I liked that each of them had faults. Sometimes there is a tendency to make at least one of the protagonist flawless. If there ever was a character like that in this book, it might have been Ellington. I also love the extra story lines with Beth and Violet. Really, I think Violet was interesting enough to have her whole book but she works well here too. It was quite an emotional story and a bit of a tear-jerker in some areas. If this was the only story Mallery ever wrote, I would have given it a higher rating. It was also a very fast, quick read.
On to my pet peeves. Most of these probably won't bother you but it did me:
The foremost is that Mallery recycles characters and put different names on them. Perhaps she is trying to work through some adoption angst herself because the teenage parents forcing to give up their child for adoption and later grew to marry anyway and owns a winery idea isn't new to Mallery stories. She has used this story line in at least two of her books. That really makes me loose respect for a writer. It's like she doesn't bother wanting to do research to create new characters. It's an insult to her readers.
Speaking of research, what is up with all her digs against homeopathic medicine, home births, and cloth diapers? Again, it doesn't seem like she has really done much research on alternative medicine / home birth, only peripherally. Trust me, if my naturopath/homeopath takes their kids to a pediatrician for something as minor as a stomach flu and takes aspirin for a headache, I would not go to him at all. Who is going to go to a doctor who doesn't believe in his own treatments? It only adds to the assumption that Ellington and the alternative medicine community are cons. Now if it was a broken bone, it totally makes sense. Also, I find it hard to believe Wolf's wife can't have a water birth at home in California where you pretty much can throw a rock and hit a home birth midwife. Most rent out birthing tubs. And has Mallery ever seen homespun cloth made? It takes a really long time and I think it will probably take someone about nine months to make one diaper. Again, not really enough research and Mallery ends up being offensive towards people. I know. I'm being nit-picky.
I had a really hard time with Serenity. When Beth goes off and starts ranting about how selfish Serenity is, I was going, "Right on, Beth." Everything Beth said about Serenity at that moment was exactly how I feel about the character. I can sympathize with giving up your child for adoption. I really think people who can think beyond themselves and think of what is best for their child by giving them up for adoption are heroes. But everything Serenity did was about Serenity in the guise of a cosmic knowledge: "it's the right time" and "it's the right thing to do for you." So I don't get how everyone was so in love with her because she is one selfish SOB in my book. No wonder Jenna fell for someone like Aaron because he is just the same version of her birth mother.
As for Jenna, I wish she would have told Serenity off a few times but that wouldn't be true to her character and I appreciated that Mallery kept Jenna constant.
Overall, if you are a fan of Mallery you might be somewhat insulted by this because this is very similar to her other story lines. But it was a nice read to pass the time if you have nothing else better, especially you just want to shed some tears.
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