Word Gets Around [Paperback]

Lisa Wingate (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2009

Lauren Eldridge had avoided returning home to Daily, Texas, until her father confesses to being in over his head. Paying back an old favor, he's invested in a horse that's supposed to be the star of a new Hollywood movie. Only the horse won't behave. And Lauren is the best trainer in the state. Convinced to return, she soon finds more than she bargained for when the movie's screenwriter turns out to be leading-man handsome.

This movie may be Nate Heath's last shot at turning his career around. He didn't have high hopes at first, but the town of Daily may be just what everyone needs to find hope and healing. And maybe even a little romance.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Evangelical Christian novelist Wingate introduced readers to the delightfully homespun what-you-see-is-what-you-get town of Daily, Tex., in Talk of the Town. In this sequel about the city's happenings and residents, Wingate expands upon the story line and offers readers more lovingly presented Texas talk, charm and romance. Wounded by the death of her husband, Lauren Eldridge is summoned back to Daily by her daddy, who's gotten himself into a financial pickle. Trying to pay an old debt by risking the ranch, Lauren's father asks his daughter to come home and tame a wild horse before the movie he's invested in starts shooting in Daily. Lauren's first instinct is to run anywhere but home. Still, she braves the emotional journey to help her father, remembering how he supported her after the accident that killed her spouse. What Lauren discovers back home amid familiar faces and places is forgiveness, love and a big, Texas-sized romance. Wingate's text is funny, to be sure, but a predictable story line detracts from what could have been a more poignant tale. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From the Back Cover

When Romance Is In the Air, Word Gets Around

Lauren Eldridge thought she'd wiped the dust of Daily, Texas, off her boots forever. Screenwriter Nate Heath thought he was out of second chances.

Life's never that predictable, though.

Cajoled by her father, Lauren is back in town helping train a skittish race horse set to star in a Hollywood film. But the handsome screenwriter gives her more trouble than the horse. And Nate is realizing there's a spark of magic in the project--and in the eyes of the girl who is so good with horses.

Daily, Texas, has a way of offering hope, healing, and a little romance just when folks need it most.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House; Original edition (February 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764204912
• ISBN-13: 978-0764204913
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,199,070 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

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stellar novel about letting go of the past and finding love, February 8, 2009

By 

Christina Lockstein "Christy's Book Blog" (Oconto Falls, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Word Gets Around (Paperback)

Word Gets Around by Lisa Wingate is the follow up to Talk of the Town about the small Texas town of Daily. Nate Heath has been working as a screenwriter on his friend Justin Shay's movies for years. But The Shay's career has been bottoming out due to addictions and his restless nature, and Nate is about ready to call it quits when Justin asks him to rewrite a screenplay that has been bouncing around in Hollywood limbo for years about a cowboy who works with an abused horse and autistic boy bringing healing to both. Lauren Eldridge hasn't returned home to Daily, Texas in the two years since the tragic death of her husband. But when her father calls her and asks that she train a former racehorse for a movie, she can't turn him down. Both Nate and Lauren are afraid of getting too close to anyone, but the denizens of Daily don't allow anyone to keep their distance. Soon the whole town is involved in the production of a movie and the restoration of hearts. Wingate has a unique talent for grasping character's personalities and being able to translate that to print so surely that it's hard to believe they are fictional. I've been reading so many books lately that have let me down, but Wingate describes scenes and people in a way that draws the reader in. Lauren and Nate narrate in alternating chapters, and Wingate writes each with a specific voice. Nate writes cinematically, everything is a possible scene in a movie, and he has an almost sweet cynicism. Lauren, on the other hand, is very down to earth and direct. She doesn't smack readers over the head with faith and preaching, but the lessons she imparts about how God draws people to him are beautiful. I'm ready to pack my bags and move to Daily, Texas myself!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars WORD GETS AROUND, May 9, 2009

By 

Tamara Tilley (Hume Lake, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Word Gets Around (Paperback)

WORD GETS AROUND by Lisa Windgate is an enjoyable read with all the right elements. A movie star bad boy, a handsome screen writer, a reluctant horse trainer, and a risky movie that if not made, a small town stands to lose everything.
Lauren Eldridge never intended to go back to Daily, Texas. But when her father pleads with her to come home and teach a self-destructive movie star how to "whisper" to horses, she puts her discomfort and bad memories aside to help her dad out.
Nate Heath is a talented screenwriter, but he's just about had it with Justin Shay and his self-centered, egotistical ways. When asked to work on a movie script that is sure to be a bomb, he goes against his instincts and tries to help Justin out just one more time. Nate's intentions are not all altruistic. He's intrigued by Lauren and finds himself wanting to stay in Daily to learn more about this woman who talks to horses.
WORD GETS AROUND was a really enjoyable read. Though the list of characters at times gets a bit daunting, the heart of the story and the main characters is what moves the story along. A great story for those who enjoy the great outdoors as a scenic backdrop to romance.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable!, February 12, 2009

By 

Rocky - See all my reviews

This review is from: Word Gets Around (Paperback)

Another fine book by Lisa Wingate. I like the characters she has in her all her books. You can connect with them. There is always a bit of wisdom...a lesson in each of her books.