2.5 Stars

(*I got this book for free in exchange for an honest review.)

Some slight spoilers below.

While I do have several issues with the book, I did end up finishing it and it was an easy read.

Overall, I find that the book was a bit awkwardly paced at times. It was hard to tell how much time had passed and I was shocked that by the end it had taken place over about 3 years as it wasn't really evident nor structured to allow the reader to know how much time had passed. This, unfortunately, caused some of the plot to have awkward pacing where you felt as if some things were moving too fast or being too convenient.

Julie seemed to make connections with everyone she JUST met rather quickly. I know this is true for some people, but how easily everything fell into place when she left to start her life over felt too convenient and unrealistic for a realistic fiction novel. I found it like I was reading a bit of a Mary Sue's story line and that she should have worked more or we, as readers, should have had more of a plot between events to recognize the timing and how Julie really convinced these people to help her out. Instead, it's all a one and done conversations of strangers coming together after knowing each other for like five hours.

I also felt as if some of the dialog felt as if I was reading someone's first attempt at a book without an editor. It felt off at times. Like something you would read, but not really hear in real life. Just, a lot of people magically knowing what the other person was thinking or feeling without the reader feeling like they understood as well.

The ending left me rather unsatisfied. I wasn't happy with how it ended, though I understand why the author ended it in this way and the message she was trying to convey.

As for how Christian it is. God is mentioned and the main character, Julie, mentions God and how He will get her through this several times, but at the same time it feels a little disconnected. You don't see any spiritual growth throughout the book. You know that Julie is a believer, but she often comments about how her life feels out of control and you never see her learning to surrender that control over to God. I was hoping for more growth out of Julie over the course of the novel, but it felt like everyone around her grew while she coped with the same issues over and over again, never really addressing them.

I believe the ideas behind the novel have promise, but find that there are areas that could be improved upon. Hopefully Judy Prescott Marshall works through some of the pacing, convenient plot points, and character growth within her next novel. ( )

Rating: 3.5 Stars!!
Review:
Thank you to Librarything and BookishFirst for picking me to win this book in a giveaway last month and Thank you to the author for all the goodies she sent me in the mail for this book!!

This book was so tricky to get into and to review for so many reasons which are my own thoughts and feelings and i mean no harshness with this review, just my own personal opinions.

The Characters were so interesting to read about even tho it did bother me alot that Julie took so long to tell Dan what she suspected, I feel like she should of told him the moment she found out instead of waiting so long to tell him.

The Setting was my favorite part so beautifully described New York (Albany Area) and Rhode Island. It made it so easy to picture those places while reading.

Overall i feel like this book was a good start for the Author but i just feel like Character Building and Storytelling needs a little more work.

Can't wait to read The Inn in Rhode Island next year!! ( )

I definitely had a hard time putting this book down. I really loved the whole story and I love how even though Julie was married for many years, she still knew she had to let go and leave. ( )

Julie loves her husband Dan of 30 years. Everything appears wonderful in their relationship and she wants nothing more than to be the perfect wife. One day Julie finds a handwritten note from a women to Dan and she immediately believes he is having an affair. This is not the first time she thought this but she wanted so much for her marriage to work. Dan denies cheating but Julie can't let the feeling go. She tries to continue their usual routine until one day she had enough. She decided she was going to see if she could make it on her own, despite how much she loved Dan. She has the ability and the income to leave and ends up doing just that- she leaves Dan, her dog, her bakery and her friends and heads to a new city, a new state. In this new city she begins plans to build an inn and starts hiring locals. She becomes good friends with everyone she hires. She works through her pain and the betrayal of her husband, she even forgives him as she leans on faith. A few years go by and she is very settled in her new routine, the inn is doing really well and something surprising happens. I do not want to say more because I do not want to spoil the book. It was a great read and one that can help women (who need to) realize they can be resilient and survive on their own after heartbreak. ( )

I received this novel from the author through LT. I wanted to like it, but it brought back bad memories. I don't know how I or Julie, could have been so stupid. She put up with it far too long. I wish she had started her journey without him sooner. ( )