Never Say Never [Paperback]

Lisa Wingate (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2010

Kai Miller floats through life like driftwood tossed by waves. She's never put down roots in any one place--and she doesn't plan to. But when a chaotic hurricane evacuation lands her in Daily, Texas, she begins to think twice about her wayfaring existence. And when she meets hometown-boy Kemp Eldridge, she can almost picture settling down in Daily--until she discovers he may be promised to someone else. Daily has always been a place of refuge for those the wind blows in, but for Kai, it looks like it will be just another place to leave behind. Then again, Daily always has a few surprises in store--especially when Aunt Donetta has cooked up a scheme.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Donetta, 69, and her like-aged friends from the tiny town of Daily, Texas, decide to take a giant leap from their mundane lives and go on a cruise. After they begin their journey to the ship, the people in the port town of Perdida, Texas, the group’s destination, receive word that a major hurricane is coming their way. Once in Perdida, the band of friends learns their ship has already sailed, and their only choice is to turn around and become part of the massive, frenzied evacuation. Free spirit Kai Miller, the 27-year-old owner of Gifts from the Sea, joins the exodus, and there’s plenty of peril on the road from both man and nature as Kai and Donetta’s group fight their way to Daily. Narrated in turns by Donetta and Kai, popular and versatile Wingate’s exciting, often humorous tale realistically captures the chaos and heroism of small-town America in the throes of disaster as well as a can-do attitude in the aftermath. --Shelley Mosley

From the Back Cover

Sometimes Life's Storms Blow in Unexpected Possibilities
Never Say Never

Kai Miller floats through life like driftwood tossed by waves. She's never put down roots --and she doesn't plan to. But when a chaotic hurricane evacuation lands her in Daily, Texas, she begins to think twice about her wayfaring existence. And when she meets hometown-boy Kemp Eldridge, she can almost picture settling down in Daily--until she discovers he may be promised to someone else.

Daily has always been a welcoming place of refuge for those the wind blows in, but for Kai, it looks like it will be just another place to leave behind. Then again, Daily always has a few surprises in store--especially when Aunt Donetta Bradford has cooked up a scheme.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House; Reprinted edition (February 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764204920
• ISBN-13: 978-0764204920
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #560,794 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lisa Wingate is a magazine columnist, inspirational speaker, and the author of a host of mainstream fiction novels, including the national bestseller, Tending Roses, which is currently in its fourteenth reprint. Her books have been featured selections for Doubleday and Literary Guild book clubs, selected for The Reader's Club of America, and have garnered LORIES Best Fiction and Reader's Choice Awards, and been nominated for the ACFW Book of the Year Award. Recently, the group Americans for More Civility, a kindness watchdog organization, selected Lisa along with Bill Ford, Camille Cosby, and six others, as recipients of the National Civies Award, which celebrates public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life. Lisa loves sharing with readers via Facebook, Youtube, and her website. More information about Lisa's novels can be found at www.Lisawingate.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comments, January 24, 2010

By 

Ed Stevens - See all my reviews

This review is from: Never Say Never (Paperback)

"Never Say Never" by Lisa Wingate is an exciting and stimulating book! It sweeps the reader through the evacuation and dangers of a category 4 hurricane to Radar's (one of the dogs) trying to get sticky rat trap boxes off his face and feet! One of the rescuers, Kemp riding up top of the post drill with a chain saw in his hand will be long remembered. The reader once again gets to enjoy the goings on in Daily, Texas with Donetta, Imagene, and Lucy whom we met in another of Lisa Wingate's books "Talk of the Town".

Donetta, Imagene and Lucy are on their way to join the cruise ship when the hurricane changes course causing them and others to get caught in evacuation traffic along the coast. Kai Miller works on the cruise ship but the hurricane causes her to get caught in the evacuation traffic also and she ends up in Daily, Texas where she meets and enjoys the friendship of Kemp Eldridge.

Two beautiful love stories holds the reader's interest long into the night.

I really enjoyed the book and am reading it again.

I highly recommend this book!


Ed

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Fun!, January 25, 2010

By 

D. J. Malone (Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Never Say Never (Paperback)

Kai Miller floats through life like driftwood tossed by waves. She's never put down roots -- and she doesn't plan to. But when a chaotic hurricane evacuation lands her in Daily Texas, she begins to think twice about her wayfaring existence. And when she meets hometown boy Kemp Eldridge, she can almost picture settling down in Daily -- until she discovers he may be promised to someone else.

Daley has always been a welcoming place of refuge for those the wind blows in, but for Kai is looks like it will be just another place to leave behind. Then again, Daily always has a few surprises in store -- especially when Aunt Donetta Bradford has cooked up a scheme.

About Lisa: Lisa Wingate is a popular inspirational speaker, magazine columnist, and national best-selling author of several books including Tending Roses, A Month of Summer, and The Summer Kitchen.

My Take: This is a story about two women from different generations who meet during an evacuation of a hurricane. They are thrown together in a difficult situation but before long they strike up a bond. Aunt Donetta is a character that has appeared in the other books of Lisa's. She is from the small town of Daily, Texas. I really like Donetta's character, she is a strong woman with a wonderful sense of humor. She will keep you laughing throughout the book even during times of trouble.

The other main character is a young woman who has had a troubled background. Her name is Kai Miller and she works for a cruise line that has left port early because of the hurricane. She casts to evacuate and along the way she spots three women on the side of the road who are in trouble. She stops to pick them up and they both continue on a journey of ups and downs before they reached safety and are able to go back to Donetta's hometown of Daily, Texas where Kai meets Donetta's nephew Kemp and a bond is formed between them. Of course, like any good romance story the relationship has a few bumps along the way before it is smooth sailing.

One thing I have noticed about Christian fiction, especially suspense, is that it is told from the viewpoint of two different characters. It usually goes back and forth between a female and male character. However, in this book each chapter goes back and forth between the two main characters Donetta and Kai. This kind of writing takes a little bit of getting used to, but it is worth it because story is shown from two different views. If you are in the mood for a little bit of laughter that this is the book you want to pick up and read.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun to read!, March 18, 2010

By 

Kitty "Kitty" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Never Say Never (Paperback)

This book was a pleasant surprise. This is my first time to read something by Lisa Wingate and it won't be my last. This book was funny and lively and at the same time serious and thoughtful. The story centers around a hurricane evacuation and two very different women. The chapters switch back and forth between the viewpoints of the older lady who is having somewhat of a marital crisis and also trying to solve a mystery from her past and a young lady who is also trying to deal with the past and work out her future. I don't usually like books that are written in first person but being inside these two ladies thoughts was a lot of fun. I had a great time reading this book and it made the hurricane situation more real for me (someone who has never lived on the coast). It was just a really fun story and I look forward to reading the two books preceding this one in this series and any future installments in this series. I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House for review.