ARC Review: Starting Over On BlackBerry Lane (Life In Icicle Falls) by Sheila Roberts

Sheila Roberts has a style that's all her own. What originally drew me to her as an author is the intricate way she has of interweaving multiple players into one storyline. She allows readers to feel more like a family friend than an interloper. Simple stories told in a unique way that blend heart, life lessons and realistic scenarios to create a great escape into a heartwarming new world. Through the eyes of divorcee, a single lady and a happily married but equally frustrated wife, Starting Over On Blackberry Lane examines the bonds of sisterhood, friendship and starting over in a purely organic almost therapeutic way. For a little while Ms. Roberts took me outside of my comfort zone and gave me a better appreciation of life, love and happiness.
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I was given this book by friends and have not read other books in the series. Even though this is book #10 in the series, I didn't feel too lost jumping in at this point, so the author did a good job of explaining who was who.

Icicle Falls seems like an idyllic town.

Stef has a husband who can't seem to complete house projects, Cass has a leaky roof, and Griffin wants to spruce up her home so she can sell it. Into this comes Grant Masters, a George Clooney lookalike, who starts up a handyman business. Grant has two sons: one is married and lives in Icicle Falls and the other is single and lives in Seattle. Grant finds himself so inundated with work that the single son comes down to help out on his days off and ends up falling in love with Griffin.

Grant struggles with the age difference between himself and the woman he is attracted to. (He's older.) His excuses both have merit and are just excuses. As many point out,nothing in life is guaranteed. Older spouses have to care for younger spouses who've suffered illnesses. Parents lose children. At some point, age becomes just a number. Now, I'm not saying that a 13 year old should be with a 53 year old--but at some point, we hopefully mature enough that a 40-something year old could be with a 50-something year old despite an almost 10 year age gap.

Both the father and son seem to struggle with how to let the woman he loves know that he cares about her. ( )

I wont this in a GOODREADS giveaway - Starting Over on Blackberry Lane (Life in Icicle Falls #10) by Sheila Roberts - I always enjoy a romance where I actually fell like I've stepped into the middle of another person's life. Sheila Roberts always manages to transport me to someplace else to allow me to experience new perspectives on what I felt I already understood! ( )

Icicle Falls has become a favorite reading destination of mine. This time, the story swings between three women at different stages in their lives, who are friends and come together to bid on a handyman for a local charity auction. I think I liked Cass, the baker, the best. She seemed on the ball, but ready for the romance that was possibly heading her way. Stef and Brad, the married couple living in renovation chaos, were almost too similar. Neither was thinking very highly of the other via their actions. I thought I would worry more about Griffin, but her idea of starting over seems to have taken shape alright. Icicle Falls has built most of its' economy ion tourism and the local chocolate factory. The town harks back to the style of a Bavarian village, and although the mysterious apparition of Icicle Falls doesn't play as big a role in this story, it's still a nice touch for the series. Everything ties up with various happy endings that are sure to bring a smile to your face. ( )

I am glad that I got to visit with the people of Icicle Falls. The three ladies featured in this story were great. Each one stood out on her own. Although, I must admit that my favorite of the three ladies was Cass. The way that she and Grant were checking each other out while trying to be unsuspecting was cute.

As far as Stefanie's story was concerned, it was the most emotional of the three. I could see both points of view when it came to Stefanie and her husband, Brad. Stefanie for being frustrated that Brad had so many unfinished home projects and Brad for feeling like he was not good enough to complete the projects.

Than there was Griffin and Matt. They were all about new beginnings. No matter the situation, all three ladies were there for each other. I wanted to be part of their group. I kind of felt like I was reading this book. You have to make sure that Starting Over on Blackberry Lane is in your beach bag as a summer read! ( )