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A Sweethaven Summer by Courtney Walsh Review

Hello Everyone :)


I hope you're all having a great week, and  want to thank you all for joining me today for another book review here on The Preppy Book Princess.


I hope that wherever you're reading from today, that you're enjoying your current season.


I'm a little upset that we're already experiencing snow, and that we really only got a tease of my favorite season, fall. Hopefully the cold front will pass us soon, and that we'll still get to experience more of autumn's gorgeousness.

Today I'd like to share with you all a review for a book that I'd purchased on my kindle quite awhile back, but had never gotten around to reading.

A Sweethaven Summer by Courtney Walsh:



Source: Bought For Myself

Publisher: Guidepost Books

Publication Date: February 1st, 2012

Genre: Christian Fiction/Women's Fiction

Series: Sweethaven Circle


Synopsis:

Campbell Carter has come to Sweethaven in search of answers about her mother's history. Just before losing a battle with cancer, Suzanne Carter sent letters to childhood friends from her hometown of Sweethaven, Michigan. Suzanne's three friends -- Lila, Jane, and Meghan -- haven't spoken in years, yet each has pieces of a scrapbook they made together as girls. Suzanne's letters have lured them all back to the idyllic lakeside town, where they meet Campbell and begin to remember what was so special about their long Sweethaven summers. As the scrapbook reveals secrets from the past, old wounds are mended, lives are changed, and friendships are restored -- just as Suzanne intended.

(synopsis from goodreads)



My Review:

I was not prepared for just how much I was going to enjoy this beautiful story. Courtney Walsh has been on my list of authors to try for quite some time, and I only wish I'd gotten around to trying a book by her sooner. A Sweethaven Summer is a heartwarming story about grief, friendship, past hurts, and finding grace as you learn to move on. Told in four differing viewpoints, I really feel like this story could resonate with anyone, and I loved how even with that many POV's, the story never feels confusing to the reader.

The first POV is Campbell, a young woman in her twenties who's just lost her mom to cancer. Her whole life she's never known anything but the relationship she's shared with her mom, and she's left feeling completely shattered after her mom's tragic passing. Going through some of her mom's things, she finds three letters that her mom never got the chance to mail. These three letters speak of three friendships Campbell never knew her mother shared, and of a quaint small town where Campbell also never knew that her mom spent many summers growing up. Seeking answers, Campbell is lead to Sweethaven to try to discover more about her mom's past, but she might be unprepared for just how much Sweethaven is going to bring her way, including new friendships, sinister secrets brought to light, and a chance at a sweet new romance.

Adele's daughter was best friends with Campbell's mother Suzanne, but a fall out has left Adele and her daughter on not the greatest terms. When Campbell shows up at Adele's door, she's determined to help Suzanne's daughter in any way she can. Neither Campbell or Adele is expecting the last two members of the Sweethaven circle to show up, but Jane and Lila both feel they need to take the time to come to terms with why their friendship fell apart so many years before. Jane's past includes a tragic accident that's kept her away from Sweethaven for years, and she struggles with once again being back in this place that used to mean so much to her. Lila's life has turned meaningless; void of all the important things she's forever longed for, and she still struggles with feelings of jealousy and insecurity when she's around her childhood friends.

Together these four unsuspecting women will form a deep bond through the grief that's brought them together, and the determination to uncover Suzanne's past secrets once and for all. The plot, the setting, the characters, the romance, the realistic way grief is portrayed, the real issues that are dived into, the mystery that's woven into the plot; there was honestly nothing about this one that disappointed. I can't express enough how much I enjoyed this hidden gem of a story, and I honestly can't believe this was a debut novel. I already can't wait to dive into the next book in this series, and I know that I'll be recommending this one to everyone I know to give a try.

Final Rating: 5/5

This story was utter perfection, and Courtney Walsh did a fantastic job of bringing this story to life. I couldn't stop thinking about it long after finishing it, and each of the characters came to feel like friends by the end of the story. This is by far one of the best books I've read so far this year!


Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)

This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners. 


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