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Della and Darby by Susannah B. Lewis Review

 Happy Monday Friends :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I'm so thankful you decided to stop by my little corner of the internet.

My husband and I actually have this week off of work for a much needed holiday, and I'm excited for the many fun things we have planned. Aside from the fun things, I'm honestly thankful to have some extra time to get my house back in shape, and to get more organized for Christmas.

I also hope to have lots of time to curl up with some great reads, and I recently had a chance to read one of my most anticipated 2023 releases!

Earlier in the year, I read my first novel by Susannah B. Lewis, and I couldn't have loved it more. It was definitely one of my favorite reads of this entire year, and I've been looking forward to reading her next release ever since.

If you'd like to check out that review, you can do so using the link below:


Bless Your Heart Rae Sutton


Otherwise, keep on reading down below for today's full review.


Della and Darby by Susannah B. Lewis:



Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: February 7th, 2023

Genre: Christian Fiction/Contemporary


Synopsis:

In this small Mississippi town, everyone has long memories and loud opinions.

Twins Della and Darby Redd may be identical in appearance, but they couldn’t be more different. Della is outspoken, obsessed with purple, and desperate to be accepted by her peers. Darby is introverted, creative, and sees no need to speak to anyone besides her sister and grandmother, Birdie. Due to a tragedy from their past, all three women’s lives have been blanketed in judgment, scandal, and rumor, preventing them from experiencing true peace and contentment in their small town of Clay Station, Mississippi.

When the sisters enter the final year of their twenties, Birdie and Della begin planning an elaborate thirtieth birthday bash. Della believes the party will finally win her acceptance with the in-crowd and dreams of bringing her boss, Dr. Brian Faulkner, as her date. But when Darby begins to form an unexpected friendship with her goofy coworker, Cliff, she learns through him about a scandalous secret involving Dr. Faulkner that is sure to end in disaster. Telling her sister the truth will force them both to face the reality of who they have become—and whether they still have a place in each other’s future.

In her latest novel, beloved Southern author Susannah B. Lewis explores the burden and blessing of family legacies and the moments along the way for which to give thanks and celebrate.

(synopsis from goodreads)



My Review:

I read my first book by Susannah B. Lewis earlier this year, and I loved it. Bless Your Heart, Rae Sutton was one of my all time favorite books I read this entire year, so to put it mildly, I was highly anticipating getting to read her follow up novel, Della and Darby.

I want to preface this review by saying that I did overall enjoy this one, it unfortunately just wasn't what I was expecting, and it felt like the story had too many plots holes and missing components to feel like it was complete.

Della and Darby is more of a character driven story than a plot driven story, and while I do often enjoy this type of storytelling, it unfortunately fell flat for me in this title. I didn't personally connect to either of the characters enough to be invested in their stories. It didn't feel like either Della or Darby were compelling enough as main characters to carry the story, and since the plot was more slow moving and unengaging, it was a story that was hard to get interested in. 

There's a lot of build up throughout the story over the the twin sisters' past, and the way they've been treated because of it, and it felt like there should have been more to the resolution of this entire situation than there ended up being. To me personally, the conflict and resolution fell flat, and I was left feeling like the ending didn't have the finality I was expecting or was prepared for, and I was honestly quite surprised when I came to the final page that was all there was to it.

However, even with all the issues I had with this one, I still read almost the entire thing in one sitting, which speaks to the masterfulness of Susannah B. Lewis as a storyteller. Even though I wasn't that engaged with either the plot or the characters, the writing still kept me coming back for more, and I applaud her for that.

Overall, I don't think this will ever be a reread for me, but if you're looking for a cleanish contemporary to pick up this coming winter, it might just be the book you're looking for. I would personally, however, recommend Bless Your Heart, Rae Sutton over this one, if you're just looking to give one of Susannah B. Lewis' books a try.

Final Rating: 3/5.

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to advance read and review this one!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

Thanks so much for reading today guys! I pray you all have a great rest of your day, and are spending time this advent season reflecting on the true reason for the season.



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