Customer Reviews

Welcome to Harmony

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jodi Thomas never fails to enthrall me in her unforgetable stories. This is one of her best. I was hooked from the first page! I can hardly wait to read the next enstallment...Somewhere Along the Way. The characaters in Welcome to Harmony came alive for me. (I did wonder about 4-year-old Saralynn talking so well. Perhaps being raised in a house full of adults contributes to her ability.) I'm hoping the next book will further the relationship between Tyler and Katherine and Reagan and Noah. Something to look forward to.

Others have discussed the plot, so I won't waste your time. If you like stories about modern day Texas and small towns with believable characters, you'll enjoy this book.

Jodi Thomas is becoming one of my favorite writers. Her books are easy to read with characters you enjoy spending time with.

One of the best characters in recent memory is Reagan Truman. She's 16 and a runaway who comes to Harmony pretending to be Jeremiah Truman's niece. He's known to be a very difficult man of few words but from their first meeting, they form a very strong (unspoken) bond.

Her friendship with Noah (Preacher) McAllen is fun to watch develop also.

As if these three characters weren't enough, there's Sheriff Alex McAllen - Noah's sister. Her guilt from something that happened years ago is keeping her from finding happiness. And then there's Fire Chief Hank Matheson who loves Alex even tho she keeps him at a distance for reasons he doesn't understand.

The addition of Hank's 4 year old niece Saralynn is an added bonus. She is adorable.

There's also a mystery as someone is setting fires around Harmony which threaten to destroy the town. This forces Alex and Hank to join forces to find the arsonist.

The 2nd book in this trilogy will be out this fall. If you read this first one, you will want to read them all. Jodi Thomas is REALLY good!

I was so thrilled to pick this up on Sunday to read. I wasn't feeling very well (stomach-bug) and wanted something to enjoy reading, something that would transport me away from how I felt. Welcome to Harmony did just that. I left my quiet bedroom (the kids and husband were gone) and was transported to the town of Harmony. I got to know the inhabitants of Harmony and felt their joys and pain. Their hopes and fears. I was completely absorbed into the lives of the people of Harmony and the events that unfolded in the book.


I'll start with the plot - it was a great set up for the series in this first book, but the book had a plot of it's own too. Sometimes there is too much of one or the other in a first book in the series, but Ms. Thomas has found a wonderful blend. There was enough background to absorb you as well as a plot line to keep this story moving (and you anxious for the next book in the series). I won't give anything away, but it can be a nail-biter at times. Lots of things go on in the book, but it's not too much to keep up with - it's just right to keep you enthralled and wanting to read more.


As for the characters - there are a lot you get to know in this book, but most of them stand out well on their own. Reagan is the catalyst for the story. She shows up in town and claims to be Jeremiah's niece. Jeremiah is that perfect grumpy old man and I loved him as a character. There is also Noah who befriends Reagan when others seem unsure of her. And the main characters of this story, sheriff Alex and fire chief Hank Matheson. Through these main characters and a few others who I hope will have stories of their own, you learn about the town and the characters. The characters are well-written and varied and really make the story.


I highly recommend you pick up this story if you enjoy relationship and character-driven novels with some romance. It all blends together so well to make a perfect story. It 's a perfect summer read.

There was so much going on in this book that you would think you would be glued to the pages. Unfortunately that wasn't the case for me. This book was brought to me and said it was like Robyn Carr's Virgin River series, and I couldn't find that further from the truth. While in the VR series, you get to meet lots of interesting characters, you meet them slowly, they aren't all thrown at you. There is flow, where in this book, in my opinion, it was kind of thrown at you from all angles. I did, finally, get in to the story line, but it was almost 3/4 way through the book, and that was because of the firebug that showed up. Unfortunately, it was almost to easy to figure out who the fire-starter was which kind of took the fun out of it. I don't see book 2 in my future.

I loved this book.

I usually like anything by Jodi Thomas but I had procrastinated about starting this one. The blurb on the cover informed me that it dealt with themes and was structured in ways that normally don't appeal to me: kids/teenagers as primary characters; multiple storylines; etc.

However, from page one, I was drawn in. The stories surrounding the three focus characters were just intense enough to make them interesting; no overt sentimentality even though each storyline could have led to that; the characters reflect people I could admire; obviously the first book in the series, the follow-on stories are hinted at but this book does completely "close."

Then there is the writing - just enough humour to break up impending pathos; just enough POV to really demonstrate each perspective but still avoids being choppy in the reading; no "misunderstandings" that are overly and unbelievably drawn out. There is just the slightest one-time reference to Twisted Creek which, IMO, is Thomas's best book.

All in all Welcome to Harmony is also one of Thomas's best. I look forward to reading more about Harmony.

Jodi Thomas is one of my favorite authors and I buy any new book she writes as soon as it comes out. Welcome to Harmony is the first book in a new trilogy and is set in present day Texas. The town of Harmony has a great cast of characters. There is Reagan, a foster home runaway looking for a place to call home, Jeremiah Truman who accepts the fiction that Reagan is his niece, tall skinny Noah who becomes Reagan's friend, Hank Matheson the volunteer fire chief, Noah's sister Alex McAllen the sheriff, and an arsonist who is causing a series of escalating fires. There are also some very appealing secondary characters whose story line are left hanging. I really am pulling for Tyler and Kate and hope they show up again.

Welcome to Harmony has romance, action, and suspense all woven into a heart-warming plot

Welcome to Harmony is a wonderful story about a teenager that has been in foster care most of her life. Sixteen-year old Reagan befriends a nursing home patient named Beverly Truman and when the elderly lady passed away, she traveled to Harmony claiming to be her granddaughter. Beverly's brother took her in only if she'd help in the orchard. Toward the end Reagan finally feels the warmth and comfort of family and friends. Heartwarming and a very good read - love this Texas writer!

I really enjoyed this book in the "Harmony" series. Jodi Thomas writes great books set in Texas. Write what you know seems to have worked well for her.

I became a fast fan of Jodi Thomas after reading Twisted Creek. I really enjoyed her writing style, and Welcome to Harmony did not disappoint. This book was a quick read, but very heartwarming. I've already got the second book in the series, Somewhere Along the Way, sitting on my nightstand. I'm looking forward to reading more about Reagan and the family she's created in Harmony.

Didn't want to put down the book, but bedtime called. (PS - at the time of writing, I have not finished the book - still have about 40 pages to go)
I love Jodi's book - and this one was not a let down. While there are many plots going - almost like three books in one, she keeps the story going. The one down side was that she could have given more time on the main characters relationship. I really can't wait for the Rea and Nohah story and I love Uncle Jeremiah.
Second book waiting to be read.