Spare Change [Kindle Edition]

Bette Lee Crosby (Author)

Book Description

Reviewer's Choice 2012 Award Winner! In a story that's been compared to John Grisham's The Client, eleven year-old Ethan Allen Doyle has witnessed a brutal murder and now the boy is running for his life. In the time-tested tradition of Southern Fiction, Crosby unveils the darkest side of human nature and then rewards her readers with a beautiful tale of love, loss and unexpected gifts.

Olivia Westerly is the only person Ethan Allen can trust, and he's not too sure he can trust her. She's got no love of children and a truckload of superstitions--one of them is the belief that eleven is the unluckiest number on earth. Olivia avoided marriage for almost forty years. But when Charlie Doyle happened along, he was simply too wonderful to resist. Now she's a widow with an eleven-year-old boy claiming to be her grandson.

With a foul mouth, dark secrets and heavily guarded emotions, Ethan Allen Doyle is not an easy child to like. He was counting on the grandpa he'd never met for a place to hide, but now that plan is shot to blazes because the grandpa's dead too. He's got seven dollars and twenty-six cents, his mama's will for staying alive, and Dog. But none of those things are gonna help if Scooter Cobb finds him.

Winner of Five Literary Awards,BookBundlz Finalist, Voted Goodreads Best Unknown Fiction, FPA President's Book Award Gold Medal Finalist

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Skillfully written, Spare Change clearly demonstrates Crosby's ability to engage her readers rapt attention from beginning to end. A thoroughly entertaining work of immense literary merit, especially recommended for fans of well=crafted storytelling populated by memorable characters caught up in equally memorable circumstances."Midwest Book Review

A Good Read Full of Emotion... The Kindle Book Review

A heartwarming book... Seattle Post Intelligence

Characters that touch you, a book to share with others. The Caffeinated Book Review

Fantastic characters and story flow... Hollis Bookshelf

Reminiscent of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mocking Bird... Book Luvin' Babes

Spare Change is a quirky mix of Southern flair, serious thoughts about the important things in life, the adventures of a young boy and a late change of heart that makes all the difference in an unusually independent woman. More than anything, it is a heartwarming book which is simultaneously intriguing and just plain fun. Seattle Post Intelligence

Love, loss and unexpected gifts...Told from multiple points of view, this tale seeped from the pages and wrapped itself around my heart. The Caffeinated Book Review

Heartwarming story about a strong woman who learns life's greatest joys often come in the form of the very thing we reject. Book Pleasures

Rapidly Unraveling Mystery, enjoyable storyline, lively dialogue. Every Character is well-defined and believable. Reader Views

From the Back Cover

Olivia Westerly's father disowned her when she tossed her nose in the air and left home in pursuit of a job he considered scandalous. He expected that she'd marry and settle into having babies as her friends had done; but Olivia simply couldn't tolerate the thought. Why just the mere mention of children sent chills up her spine!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 455 KB
• Print Length: 280 pages
• Publisher: Bent Pine Publishing; First Edition edition (October 3, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005SHN43A
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,033 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Read, Full of Emotion April 15, 2012

By The Kindle Book Review

Format:Kindle Edition

A Woman who is Superstitious to the Core...
A Boy who claims his Parents are Dead...
A Murderer who wants to Silence the Truth of What Happened.

Spare change see's the story of Olivia Westerly who thinks that eleven is the unluckiest number on earth, children weigh you down and cannot let herself fall in love. She's managed to avoid marriage for forty years but then along came Charlie Doyle. Newlyweds on they're honeymoon when disaster strikes, things will never be the same again for Olivia.

In another city far away we see Ethan Allen Doyle, an eleven year old boy who is setting off on a journey to find his grandpa after his parents are found dead. But unfortunately for him there is someone hot on his tails.

This book is written well, it has a strong storyline and I loved the way that the stories ran so well, I soon found myself engrossed into the stories of both Olivia and Ethan. There is many scenes filled with humour and quick wit alongside scenes of sadness and heartbreak, the way the writer has wrote the scenes so beautifully is wonderful.

All in all a good read, I don't want to give anything away but I was personally abit disappointed with the ending, but that is probably because I'd of liked to of read more

Hayley Sale ~ The Kindle Book Review

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed reading this book! May 29, 2012

By Midu

Format:Paperback

You know those stories on issues that are really depressing and make us want to kill ourselves after reading them? This was NOT that kinda story. This was the exact opposite. Ethan Allen, or that damned kid, goes through so much and I was right there with him through all of it. But not once does the author make it seem oppressive. When things seem too much, he finds help and kindness in unlikely places. Similar is the case with Olivia. The story does involve religion but it is never preachy, in fact, it is included in a light and humorous manner. What I loved the most was the streak of humor and light heartedness that was kept running steadily in the story.
Issues that I had with the book:
Olivia's superstition was absent in her single life and makes a sudden appearance afterwards-if it was such an important part of her, it should have been there from the beginning.
The story felt like it was being dragged needlessly towards the end.
All said and done, I really enjoyed reading this book!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Resilience, Love, Commitment & Memorable Characters December 27, 2011

By gayle h. swift

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Crosby has penned a story that touches your heart and engages with skill. Ethan Allen is a wise-beyond-his-years kid schooled by tough times and equally hard-bitten parents. Life serves up challenge after challenge and Ethan struggles to survive. Along the way he encounters a cast of characters--some dish out kindness and others ooze meanness.All are affected by Ethan's presence in their lives and ultimately Ethan--and the reader--learn what it means to have courage and love.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant, Light-hearted Read! November 18, 2011

By Alle Wells

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Eleven-year-old Ethan Allen was the last thing Olivia wanted to find at her door. She had never wanted a bunch of children that clung to her like bananas on a stalk. To Olivia, eleven was an unlucky number to be avoided at all cost. Recently wedded and widowed, Olivia had finally begun to live happily in her apartment building where children weren't allowed. The young boy who was running from the police and no place to go changed Olivia's life forever.
Ethan Allen had experienced plenty of misfortune in his own life. His mother named her son after the furniture store where she worked and lacked the maternal instinct normally found in the human and animal species. Her focus in life was to become a famous singer in New York City. Ethan Allen's father spent most of his time watching his wife and making sure that she never left him to pursue her dream. The boy had always taken care of himself and had a mind of his own long before he knocked on Olivia's door.
This witty story reads like a situation comedy. The characters are hilarious and uplifting. The book moves along quickly from one brilliant scene to the next. In this story, the reader is likely to hear the nostalgic voices of Mayberry.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Affirmation of the Wisdom of Older Women August 24, 2012

By Lynne Spreen

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm constantly looking for stories about older women evolving, so Spare Change filled that need. A couple of things I found noteworthy: the characters were multi-dimensional, the book was well-paced, the dramatic tension pulled me in and kept me hungry to learn more. I found the main characters to be people I could root for (or hate, as the case may be), and the ending was satisfying (except the very last chapter was maybe more than we needed. The second to last was satisfying enough. But I'm kind of a minimalist so that probably reflects my tendency more than anything!)

I think my favorite part was when Olivia was returning from her honeymoon and while on the road, an old woman nurtured her back to health, at least enough to get home. I liked the old woman - the whole idea of people looking out for each other is a big deal for me. I enjoyed the camaraderie of the house where Charlie had lived, and how Olivia finally emerged from her ordeal (trying to avoid spoilers here) with the help of a concerned neighbor, who spread the word to the rest of the residents. I also liked how the little boy, Ethan Allen, turned back into a kid after such a rough beginning and how Olivia blossomed into a mama bear. There was a lot here to feed your heart, and Bette Lee Crosby does a good job of meting it out with just the right amount of suspense and tension.

Spare Change had plenty to recommend it and I enjoyed every page.

More About the Author

Award-winning novelist Bette Lee Crosby brings the wit and wisdom of her Southern Mama to works of fiction--the result is a delightful blend of humor, mystery and romance along with a cast of quirky charters who will steal your heart away.

Crosby's work was first recognized in 2006 when she received The National League of American Pen Women Award for a then unpublished manuscript. Since then, she has gone on to win several more awards, including another NLAPW award, three Royal Palm Literary Awards, and the FPA President's Book Award Gold Medal.

Her published novels to date are: Cracks in the Sidewalk (2009), Spare Change (2011), The Twelfth Child (2012), Cupid's Christmas (2012) and What Matters Most (2013). She has also authored "Life in the Land of IS" a memoir of Lani Deauville, a woman the Guinness Book of Records lists as the world's longest living quadriplegic.

Crosby originally studied art and began her career as a packaging designer. When asked to write a few lines of copy for the back of a pantyhose package, she discovered a love for words that was irrepressible. After years of writing for business, she turned to works of fiction and never looked back. "Storytelling is in my blood," Crosby laughingly admits, "My mom was not a writer, but she was a captivating storyteller, so I find myself using bits and pieces of her voice in most everything I write."

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#24 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Literary Fiction

#42 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Literary

#24 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Literary Fiction

#42 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Literary