Reviews and Comments

I was shocked that this could top "Whistling Season." But it did. Following the next adventures of Morrie, and in his voice this time, it was a joy from start to finish.

Where have you been all my life, Ivan Doig??? Gorgeous writing, wonderful pacing (notice the bags under my eyes for staying up all hours), and fascinating story-telling about something I knew nothing about.

A fun, light read, and good introduction to this popular series. It seemed a little uneven at times, and I found some of the dialogue a little stilted.

But I liked the main character, Annie. And having lived in a similar small town in the Shenandoah Valley, I felt Cumberland Creek's complexities and contradictions were well told.

I don't have any idea how I heard about this book. It is certainly NOT the kind of story I'd normally gravitate to. And I regret to say I'd never heard of Mr. Doig.

But wow.

I am so glad I gave it a try. This book is a treasure.

His writing is exquisite, the characters (including the most important one -- the land) are some of the most vivid I've read in ages, and the pacing is a slow build that turns on a dime. Wonderful!

It was one of those books that I honestly hated to finish. I almost never give 5 stars, but this one earned each and every one.

I had higher hopes for this, but found it a little thin. Lots and lots of personal anecdotes, so might have been better marketed as a Julia Cameron memoir, rather than ground-breaking skill building material.

Still, it was interesting and worth the skim to the end. And a Julia Cameron memoir is not a bad idea at all, come to think of it.

3 and half to 4.
I like Webber's books for some pleasant diversion, and I liked her characterization of the lake's magic, and the surprise twist at the end.

But I am finding her characters a little too predictable and flat. Leala in particular just seemed like a whiny brat to me that I grew increasingly annoyed with. And the denouement of each character as they changed and grew seemed a bit stretched.

Still, though, there were some very imaginative elements and I liked the overall feel of Sugarberry Cove. Enjoyable chick-lit.

ps: I see that Ms. Webber lives in Cincinnati. That explains it.. I kept wondering how there was so much time pleasantly spent outdoors in Alabama in the summertime. Even at a lake, the heat and humidity are BRUTAL. :)

I just love everything by Alexander McCall Smith. What can I say? And this was yet another treat.

What a treat. Can't believe I never knew about this book before.

Another interesting diversion. I like the occasional bit of the unexplained that occurs. Because, as she vaguely hints, those mountains are very, very old and there are older beings there than we modern interlopers understand. Too bad that’s not the main focus, but I do appreciate the occasional seasoning of it.

I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. Great escape, another lovely homage to Good Books, and a good page-turner.

She mostly avoided stereotypes and cliche romance ... (spoiler alert ...)







.. until the ending, which you could see coming a mile away. Alas, the conclusion felt rushed and a little bit forced, but still was well-executed. This was exactly the gentle read I needed.