I was really not expecting to love this as much as I did. I read a teaser through BookishFirst, won a copy, and let it languish on my shelf for a while. Then, one night, when my husband fell asleep and I was still wide awake, I picked up the nearest book and read it for over an hour. How did that happen?
First off, this book is not exciting. It's a very intensive character study of a family consisting of patriarch Mick, matriarch Elise, sons Baylor, Waylon, and Shay, and finally, daughter-in-law Marley. Each character is well-written, most are sympathetic, and all I found endlessly fascinating. My heart broke repeatedly for these characters. The constant miscommunications and little hurts of this family may have been annoying in another author's hands, but Burns handles these things with a deftness and deep understanding that made me really care. I was never bored, although the book follows its characters through a relatively mundane few years. The family is portrayed lovingly but with brutal honesty. Some of Marley's inner musings and reflections on this family she'd married into nearly brought me to tears. I also loved Marley as a character. She certainly wasn't perfect, but I really admired her strength, determination, and growth throughout the years. I also appreciated the portrayal of a marriage in shambles that is brought back to life and continues on in a healthy way. I can't think of a single aspect of this book I didn't absolutely love. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good slow-paced character study and a hefty dose of family drama.
First off, this book is not exciting. It's a very intensive character study of a family consisting of patriarch Mick, matriarch Elise, sons Baylor, Waylon, and Shay, and finally, daughter-in-law Marley. Each character is well-written, most are sympathetic, and all I found endlessly fascinating. My heart broke repeatedly for these characters. The constant miscommunications and little hurts of this family may have been annoying in another author's hands, but Burns handles these things with a deftness and deep understanding that made me really care. I was never bored, although the book follows its characters through a relatively mundane few years. The family is portrayed lovingly but with brutal honesty. Some of Marley's inner musings and reflections on this family she'd married into nearly brought me to tears. I also loved Marley as a character. She certainly wasn't perfect, but I really admired her strength, determination, and growth throughout the years. I also appreciated the portrayal of a marriage in shambles that is brought back to life and continues on in a healthy way. I can't think of a single aspect of this book I didn't absolutely love. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good slow-paced character study and a hefty dose of family drama.