Well, Bless Your Heart

 

I am in a reading funk where nothing is appealing to me, but this book even less than most.  It begins with Rae Sutton's mother dying and all that goes into funeral planning and settling the estate.  Rae's husband is estranged (okay, divorced) from her and he brings his side piece to the viewing.  And there we have the opening drama.  

Rae's mother wants Rae to move into her house, because it's paid for, there's money to start a business of her own, and it gets her away from the memories of her husband's betrayal.  Moving back also puts her daughter, Molly, in a new school district and on a new basketball team, which seems to be working well for Molly and Rae, because Molly's coach takes a shine to Rae.  

When Rae starts renovating the house, she finds a letter her mother wrote and stuffed under the carpet about how her ex-husband came to talk to her, realizes the mistake he made, and how he wants her back.  

Like I said, I'm in a reading funk right now and this book just hit me as cheesy.  From the get-go, I do not like going to funerals (but I'm sure not many people do), I do not like any of the fol-de-rol that goes into making a funeral happen, and the last thing I want to read about is someone's last services.  I would rather have passed on this book altogether if I had known how much of it was going to be centered on death. 

What's right about the book is the relatability of the characters,  and the genuineness of the setting.  The characters are not over-the-top in their reactions or emotions. 

This was my first book by Susannah B Lewis, and right now I'm not sure if I'll take another chance with her writings. 

First, I want to say this is all my opinion and someone else may find this book a great read.  Two Stars

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.