Customer Reviews

Long Time Coming

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Two words. ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! Edie Claire has written a wonderful novel about friendship, love, guilt and death. Joy Hudson never completely moved passed the death of her best friend, Jenny Carver, which occurred right before their high school graduation. Now, almost twenty years later, Joy must travel back to her hometown to care for her ailing father and there she runs into Jeff Bradford, Jenny's boyfriend and the man that she has always blamed for the accident. Joy knows that it is finally time to face the emotions and memories that she buried along with Jenny. She ends up purchasing Jenny's old house and then the odd occurrences begin. A song from prom plays over and over again and the door to her home opens itself on its own accord. Joy knows that Jenny is trying to tell her something, but what? Joy will need Jeff to help her regain the memories that her mind refuses to hold onto and when she does, she finds forgiveness and love that has been waiting for her.

Utterly riveting. Edie Claire takes what could be a tedious and sappy subject and turns it into a wonderfully balanced tale of how the scars death and guilt can cause. Every character is richly developed and the story flows easily. The paranormal parts of this book are believable and poignant. I read it in one sitting and craved more even though I was satisfied with the ending. The only part of this story that bothered me was the quickness that Joy forgave Jeff. She had been harboring this hurt and blame for 18 years and forgives him in almost a blink of an eye. Besides that small plot point, this story is powerful and will find its way to my keeper shelf.

After being away from her hometown of Wharton, Kentucky for eighteen years except for short visits to her parents, veterinarian Dr. Joy Hudson moves back. The only people who could make her return are her parents. Her septuagenarian mother suffers from glaucoma and cannot care for her dying octogenarian spouse by herself. Surprisingly everyone Joy buys the house in which her deceased best friend Jenny Carver once lived.

Joy still blames Jenny's boyfriend Jeffrey Bradford for the car accident that took her friend's life as she believes he drove under the influence. Still when they meet when she hit his dog Bear they both feel an attraction. As Joy and Jeffrey fall in love, her blaming him stands in their way. If Joy can move past her anger, perhaps she and Jeffrey can help her father meet his prime goal of holding a grandchild and also allow Jenny to rest in peace.

This contemporary romance engages the audience in several ways. Readers will wonder if the lead female character's love for Jeffrey can overcome her animosity towards him as she blames him for Jenny's death. The audience will also speculate whether the ghost of Jenny is pushing together the two people who meant so much to her when she lived. Fans will cherish this charming tale.

Harriet Klausner

I have to admit that I was not sure that this book would live up to the last Edie Claire novel I had read! Meant To Be was a terrific read from beginning to end. So often I am disappointed by a second novel by the same author. Not this time!

Again, I was transfixed from the first chapter. Again I found characters that felt real, and warm and a story that was simply exquisite!

More please, Ms Claire!

This is without a doubt a keeper. My first Edie Clair novel, and it will not be my last. I loved the writting style and the story. A++ Buy it!

For me this story was very predictable and drug on way too long. There was no mystery in the ghost story. And I found Joys angst over Jenny to be borderline psychologically abnormal. Skip this one.

I lost a lot of sleep on this book. I found I could not put it down. To me it was a little predictable, but still a great read.