Customer Reviews

Here's to Friends!: A Novel (The Four Lindas)

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This is the next in the series "the four Linda's" about (obviously) four girls named Linda who met a while back in their first grade classroom. The four Linda's decided to form a club amongst them and, refer to each other by their middle names.

Now, in their fifties; a lawyer, an empty nester, an artist and, an aging starlet reap the benefits of their extraordinary friendships throughout the Christmas holiday. They lean on each other for support, to get thorough turbulent times that arise during the season.

I found this book to be a slow read. The writing is gentle but, there are some true-to-life scenarios that may make you reflect on life. Is it possible I would get more out of this book if I had read the first three of the series? Maybe, but; I am in no hurry to find out. This book is a pass for me.

Here's to Friends by Melody Carlson is the fourth book in the Four Lindas series. The four girls who made friends in school because they were all named Linda have carried their friendship through their lives and have now all returned to their hometown of Clifden, Oregon to deal with family crises together. Marley's painting career has come to a halt as she cares for her boyfriend's granddaughter. Abby is still struggling with her weight and trusting husband Paul. Janie's law firm isn't taking off as she'd hoped and worrying about her missing drug-addicted daughter, and Caroline is rebuilding her family home in hopes of selling it and finally beginning a life of her own, hopefully with boyfriend, Mitch. I wish I had known this was the fourth in the series before beginning the book, because I felt like I had walked in halfway through the story, not understanding the connections and complicated family histories. Carlson does a great job of portraying female friendships with the multiple layers and changing roles.

In the final book of Melody Carlson's popular series of the four Linda's, we see where life has found Abby, Caroline, Marley and Janie at the mid-way point in their lives. For Abby, she's trying to get back in shape in time for a cruise that all four of them will take, but it's been a while since she's worked out and rather than take it slow, she jumps right on in with a circuit training class and paying for the membership fee without seeing how she'll like the class. Confident that Caroline and Janie already take it, and hope that there is safety in numbers, Abby soon finds out that she feels more out than in and wishing she never agreed to go on the cruise if it involved swimsuits.

Caroline while still grieving over the death of her mom, gets encouragement from the other Linda's to embark on a remodeling project on the family home in hopes if she can fix it up she can sell it, or possibly love it enough to stay there and be much closer to the girls.

Janie's been getting mysterious voice mail messages from her daughter, who she believes is only after money and still involved in drugs, but when an unexpected call promises she's changed and only wants to move back home, Janie is willing to drive out to Phoenix to pick her up. This is one way to make sure she just doesn't take the money and run again.

Meanwhile, Marley, the artist, is struggling to find her creative groove during what she calls her midweek madness, something she hadn't experienced for many years since her marriage with her ex husband John. Yet she couldn't quite figure out just what it was but she knew something for sure was on the horizon and it couldn't be good. Was it someone's birthday, a hormone problem, or something more? When Jack called, her new love interest in a gallery owner, she would learn what would cause this feeling. He tells her that his daughter, Jasmine has up and left with a new man leaving her son, Hunter behind. What she doesn't know is if Jasmine is coming back or has abandoned her 7 year old son forever?

I received the novel, Here's To Friends by Melody Carlson compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and love how honest and true to life, her characters are. Not having read the three prior Linda books in the series, I could immediately relate to each of these women and the unique situations that all find themselves in. Some have family to assist them and others will struggle alone but the best part is the friendship that cements them altogether proving that real friendships are priceless. I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait to go back and read the entire series of The Four Lindas!

In Clifdon, Oregon, the fifty-something four Lindas continue to be there for one another since they recently reunited after decades apart (see Hometown Ties). Christmas time brings new problems to the quartet.

Abby still worries about her husband Paul who has recovered from his heart attack but is acting weird. She also fears her new B&B is heading to failure as her first guests criticize her establishment.

Janie was exercising so she missed the nasty call from her adult daughter Lisa. Her son Matthew says his sister insists she is not doing drugs, but Janie prays this is true but refuses to give anymore money to her. She expects to be alone for the holidays as Matthew has a new girlfriend. Abruptly Lisa arrives to nuke her mom's relationship with Victor.

Caroline grieves the death of her mom (see All For One) while her boyfriend Mitch pleads with her to go away with him. Her excuse before was her mom suffering from Alzheimer's; her excuse now is she hired Paul to renovate her home.

Marley the artist enjoys her time with gallery owner Jack and his granddaughter Hunter. However; lately she struggles to paint as Jack's daughter Jasmine ran away with her latest lover Floyd the rolling stone leaving behind her child Hunter.

The final of the Four Lindas saga is an engaging tale as three of the quartet of prime subplots move forward as expected while one has a surprising spin. All are engaging Christian contemporary dramas that focus on several modern day social issues confronting society. As with the entire series, Melody Carlson provides a strong character driven tale.

Harriet Klausner