The Sweet By and By [Hardcover]

Sara Evans (Author), Rachel Hauck (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 5, 2010

It begins with a little red envelope . . .

. . . the one Jade doesn’t want to send. The envelope that invites her mother, Beryl, to her wedding—and opens up more of her past than she cares to deal with. Jade has worked so hard to put her hardscrabble childhood behind her.

And she’s found everything she wanted in the beautiful green hills of Whisper Hollow, Tennessee. A thriving vintage shop all her own. A lovely one-eyed shepherd dog named Roscoe. And Max, the almost-too-good-to-be-true man she plans to marry in just a few weeks. For the first time in her life, her heart feels at home, and she can’t wait to step out into their beautiful future.

But can she really have a sweet by and by if she can’t come to terms with yesterday?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this heartwarming collaborative debut from country music star Evans and Christian romance veteran Hauck (Sweet Caroline), antique dealer Jade Freedom Fitzgerald of Whisper Hollow, Tenn., must make peace with her hippy mama, Beryl Hill, before she can marry her lawyer fiancé, Maxwell Charles Benson. But wait, there's more: she also needs an annulment from an elopement at 16, to resolve her anger at the father who abandoned her, to learn how to get along with a pushy mom-in-law-to-be and take responsibility for a dire choice she made 13 years before. The arrival of Jade's mother and her tempestuous little sister, Willow, before the big day shakes things up further, especially after Beryl reveals an unhappy secret of her own. Comforting in that Southern way and inspirational without being too saccharine, Evans and Hauck's first outing together shows promise. (Aug.)
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About the Author

Multi-platinum recording artist Sara Evans has garnered such honors as ACM’s Female Vocalist of the Year, CMA’s Video of the Year, one of People Magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People," and the first country star to compete in ABC's Dancing with the Stars. This is her first fiction series.

RITA-finalist Rachel Hauck lives in Florida with her husband, Tony. She is the author of Dining with Joy; Sweet Caroline; Love Starts with Elle; and The Sweet By and By, co-authored with Sara Evans. Visit RachelHauck.com and SouthernBelleView.com.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 5, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595544895
• ISBN-13: 978-1595544896
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.1 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (145 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #159,518 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Sweet By and By is beautiful story and a must read! December 16, 2009

By M. Vasquez

Format:Hardcover

The Sweet By and By written by Sara Evans and Rachel Hauck is a beautiful story that touched my heart deeply and will stick with me for a long time.

The authors practically bring these characters to life. After reading the book, the characters seem more like real people that I know and I find myself wondering how they are doing and what happened to them after this story. Jade Fitzgerald, the story's heroine, has been through so much in her lifetime that she has tried to run away and close off her past and pretend it never existed. I felt myself relating to her on so many different levels and rooting for her.

The story gives a beautiful picture of God's love and mercy. From the very beginning of the book I was drawn in by the dynamic relationships between these characters and the drama of a wounded family. No matter how wonderful our family is, we all have relationship problems at times, and the issues in this book just felt so true to life for me. It's a story about people who are more "real" and I truly enjoyed this book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. In fact, I would say that this book is at the top of my list of books from 2009 that I would consider a must read!

Rachel Hauck has been a favorite of mine for awhile, and I am hoping these two ladies will collaborate again in the future. They very obviously write well together!

A complimentary copy was provided for an honest review.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars The Sweet By and By - Sara Evans January 5, 2010

By A. Cox

Format:Hardcover

The Sweet By and By is about Jade, whose upcoming marriage is swiftly approaching. She debates whether or not to invite her mother, Beryl - who is just about Jade's polar opposite, a free spirit who enjoyed Woodstock, in comparison to Jade's staid existence as a shop owner and the soon-to-be wife of a lawyer who often suffers from panic attacks. Before Jade's marriage, she has to come to grips with her past and her family - as well as adapting to the differences in the family she's marrying into. Will Jade be able to let go and heal from her past or is her upcoming marriage going to fail before they even exchange their vows?

Overall, I mostly enjoyed The Sweet By and By. The family dynamics in both Jade's and Max's (her fiancé) families were interesting. Also, having a novel with romantic elements but without premarital intercourse was a refreshing surprise. The writing is clear.

However, as I read, the plot seemed to all move along well enough until about three-quarters of the way through. Then it all seemed to rush into a huge climax ... and then peter out a little. The pacing in the beginning worked well. Toward the end ... I just am not so sure about it.

The plot is original enough. Some events are a little predictable, but not too many. The characters are original and have believable dialogue. Still, with all the strong points, I don't know that I would re-read this novel. But, if you're looking for a quick read without graphic language or sex scenes, this might be the book for you.

I am a reviewer for Thomas Nelson Publishing. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for this book review. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Sadly it was not as sweet as I anticipated... January 14, 2010

By Mary Joy

Format:Hardcover

It is such a privilege to be a part of the blogger review team with Thomas Nelson Publishing. The Sweet By and By written by Sara Evans and Rachel Hauck was much different than I had anticipated.

The Sweet By and By is a novel that really makes you think. The main character, Jade, is preparing to get married and hasn't shared most of her past with her fiance. Jade and Max, her fiance, have a pact that the past is the past and they aren't going to share it with each other. I was shocked at the idea of doing this. I am engaged to a wonderful Christian man and we have been extremely open about the experiences that have formed us over our lifetimes.

Jade soon discovers the challenges of leaving the skeletons in her closets when one by one she is forced to re-encounter them and decide how to handle them right before her wedding.

I was very disappointed with this book. When I began the journey with Jade I found it to be a very, heavy and slow moving book. I tend to get emotionally involved with the characters in stories and this one left me sad, depressed, and frustrated many times.

I recommend it more as a group study book. There are wonderful study questions in the back of the book for that exact purpose. Light Christian reading, it is not.