This is life!  Sometimes at its worst, but always at its most real.
347274
Amanda Cabot has written Book II of the Texas Crossroads series.  Once again, I have dropped unknowingly into the middle of what I see is going to be a good series.  Book I is  At Bluebonnet Lake and I intend to read it to bring me up to date on this series.  I typically like novels with a little bit of edge to them, maybe an old issue that needs resolved.  Or, mysteries and crimes to be solved.  I don't usually read about "everyday people" and/or romance.  But, this one is so much more than that.  What happens when you take a downsized career girl who left home years ago because her father deserted her and her mother and she goes home against her better judgement because it just so happens that her skills can be used there in a paying job, then add in her anger, self-esteem issues and  romance genuinely portrayed (no Cinderella stories here!) ??  I know, run-on sentence but I had to get it all out to give you the full picture. The author's writing guides us to see that this is a story of everyday people with everyday issues that are not common when they are happening to you.  This is life!  Sometimes at its worst, but always at its most real. Add in that the characters have a faith in God that sustains through doubt, trial and fire.  Amanda writes with a clarity that gives ease of reading.  She portrays characters that have human emotions and flaws and makes them real.  I read this in just a few days because I was interested in seeing how it all played out.  It hooked me.  This book is light enough to be a break from harsher, more complex plots, but deep enough to draw the reader in.  What else do you need?!  Excellent book and I highly recommend it.  I give In Firefly Valley five stars.  I have nothing to criticize here, constructively or otherwise.  How refreshing!  Read it;  you'll be glad you did.  By the way, Book III is in the works and scheduled for release in the spring of 2016.
I received a copy of this new release from Revell in exchange for my honest review.  These words are my opinion.
4191874
A great accounting of this true story. A great read for whenever you're feeling like life's too tough. This story will give you perspective!!
1503140
What an unusual concept, to tell one's story through episodes of danger - some mundane, some scary, others heartbreaking. The author has had more than her share of ill fortune, but not so much so as to leave readers unable to relate. Life is fragile; finding the balance between living fully and walking on eggshells is, as this memoir shows, breathtakingly hard.
4836235
Life, marriage - it all ain't easy. This books takes you through so many of life's very messy emotions. The characters felt so real. You feel for each of them... even when you want to scream at them. I was so distraught over Sadie's circumstances. It was so good to see a story that didn't have some massively rich, ultra alpha male. This was a good book, with "real life" characters (a bit of a contradiction there, but couldn't think of another way to describe it).
1299727
This is a great portrayal of a truth that we all face in life: sometimes the greatest growth and healing comes at the end of a rough journey. Abbott does a wonderful job!
3695129
the author reminds us that life is never what we would like it to be, but rather a mix of good and bad, ups and downs. no matter how hard we try we rarely have any control of life's outcomes.

billy_white2000@yahoo

Bill White

billy_white2000@yahoo
734847
Life can be unpredictable and heart-breaking. In the most loving and humorous way, the author delivers a message of hope. Love it!
1023447
What can I say? The truth is, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS. Almost constantly
2214461
This is so truthfully told...a painful story of a modern day life!  There is a recurring theme of GOD, and in the next book, I think He will begin to move greatly!
3672457
Related to every episode on one level or another.  Honest and not always a happy ending! It was reality. Thanks.
1735332
Holy s***. Just...whoa.

This is a well-written, gripping tale of the darkness of life, the chain reaction of choices and consequences, the unpredictability and toxicity of emotions. Of how the people we always think of as good for us may not turn out to be so in the end, and the ones we believe are the root cause of our pain and suffering may not even know. Of how the lies we tell - the little white ones to ourselves and our friends, the dark vengeful ones we tell to our enemies, the drama we cook up to get what we think we want - bind themselves into a web that traps ourselves and keeps us from getting the one thing we didn't even know we wanted.
861524
If you've ever had a time in your life where things REALLY didn't go your way, you'll appreciate this short story.  Sarcastic, funny, and brutally honest, you'll find yourself nodding, grinning, and occasionally groaning in sympathy with the protagonist as he's put through what is no doubt the worst night of his life.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story.  It starts of with an unwanted blind date, and only gets worse from there.  I don't want to give anything away, but I've been in situations that mimic each part of this story (although not all together), and I found myself immersed in the story by way of my own experiences.  The author has a way of picking out little details and bringing them to the fore, the way they often do when you're experiencing a miserable event and you need to focus on something to keep your mind occupied.

If you like some dark comedy mixed with cruel "slice of life" fiction, this is definitely a short you'll enjoy.  Have a read, you won't regret it.
3266399
A heart rendering yet real look at the consequences and choices that people make and how they affect the people around us .
3808163
Nothing puts a friendship to the test like being the one dying of cancer, or, for that matter, feeling guilty for being the one left to live on.

This is a Berg triumph - the dialogue is realistic - heart-wrenching at times, crazy fun at times, but always REAL, leaving you hoping that your friends will be there for you, on whatever side of the cancer/terminal hardship coin that we all might land.

Will it offend some? Yes. Is it realistic of women friends? Completely. Read it. You won't be sorry - you'll be a better person for having this first-person feeling view of how to be the best friend you can be.
2332641
This story is so realistic, you might think it to be real.  Even the psychological responses seem real.  You wanted this book to never end.
435676
Fabulous writing! I felt as though I was living in this story as I read on.  It is so real.  What a ride, crying one minute and laughing the next. Gripping until the end.  Love it!
1101980
So poignant, so gut-wrenching, so painfully real.  It begs the reader to consider the consequences of loving someone, and of not loving someone, and the choices we make along the way.  Oh, yeah----most importantly----don't wait too long to make those choices.......