Spinning Forward (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

DuLong's debut reads like an unintentional parody of Southern hen lit. After 52-year-old Sydney Webster's husband dies in a car accident, she discovers he was a compulsive gambler, and his habits have left her penniless. She heads to Cedar Key, Fla., where best friend Alison takes her in. Sydney decides to open a knitting shop in Cedar Key and meets a gorgeous artist named Noah, who falls in love with her. Adding to the nonurgency is Sydney's decision to search for her biological birth mother; conveniently, Sydney looks a lot like 80-something local spinster Sybile Bowden. The narrative lacks tension and originality, and its banal predictability won't do it any favors in a crowded field. (Nov.)
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Product Description

Sydney Webster's comfortable New England life comes crashing down when her husband dies suddenly, leaving her penniless and evicted. She had no idea about his huge gambling debts, and is getting no sympathy from her hurt and angry twenty something daughter. With nowhere else to turn, Sydney takes shelter at a college friend's B&B in Cedar key, Florida, where she begins to form a plan. As Syd turns her talent at spinning wool and knitting into a retail venture, other doors begin to open. She steps into the embrace of a community rich with love, laughter, friendship...and secrets. And soon she faces a choice: spin a safety net, or spin forward and never look back. Entertaining and heart warming, this superb debut will win readers over with its real-life challenges and quirky and compelling characters.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Kensington (November 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758232047
• ISBN-13: 978-0758232045
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #63,941 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Woman's Celebration of Life!, October 30, 2009

By	MSEreads "mesreads" (Marianna, FL) - See all my reviews

I do not read a lot of women's fiction but I am very glad I read this wonderful book! I would love to have a half dozen copies to give to family and friends!

Sydney has discovered that she is lost when her husband dies. As she learns the true extent of his gambling addiction she learns that even their house is gone in foreclosure. She discovers that not only did she never really know her husband but she doesn't really know herself. She is feeling defeated by fear and doubt.

The story proceeds to follow Sydney through the next year as she grows from a depressed, abandoned, helpless woman to a joyful and assured business woman! Her business has a uniqueness that is charming - I have to check to see if they really do use that source for yarn!

The story includes a group of really wonderful secondary characters who are instrumental in their own ways in making Sydney face reality and find her own inner strength. There is best friend and B&B owner, Alison; determined and independent daughter Monica; sweet, helpful friend Dora; the very strange and eccentric elderly Sybile; and the elderly and oh so sweet Saren Ghetti! And of course a sexy male friend, Nick!

The setting is a beautiful place, Cedar Keys, in Florida but it is background to this character driven story. Although the story includes the male and female romantic relationship, with ups and downs, I found this to be a romance of spirit. This book celebrates life and a woman finding her own center and contentment. The writing is easy and flows. I did not want to stop reading and kept wanting to find out what would happen to Sydney next - what she would uncover or learn about others or herself. Will Sydney learn to fully soar? Read this wonderful book to find out!

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful heartfelt read., October 27, 2009

By	Crystal Fulcher (Beaufort, NC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read this book during the read-a-thon and it was a true joy to read. I enjoyed the character of Sydney. She's a fifty-something that has just lost her husband and her house and has to start over completely. Who wouldn't be floundering after all of that? Add to it that she was just going through the motions of life and doesn't really know what to do and you have a great character who struggles to grow and change through the book.

I was captivated by the small town of Cedar Key. I live on the coast myself and even though my area is growing, it once had that small-town feel, so I felt right at home. I adored the supporting characters. Allison, her best friend. Dora who ends up being a big help and even the eccentric characters in the story really make it. Everyone plays a role in Sydney's new life and they are all interesting characters themselves, who I look forward to reading more about.

There are several things that contribute to the storyline and I don't want to give away anything about the plot. But suffice it to say it's very engaging and interesting the whole way through. I couldn't put it down and I enjoyed every minute I read. Sometimes you get bogged down when reading a book straight through during a read-a-thon, but that did not happen with Spinning Forward. When I finished I immediately wanted to go back and hear more about the characters which since this is book one in the Cedar Key series, I guess I will get to and I look forward to it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A little contrived..., November 5, 2009

By	Ami (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

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This book is a quick read, mostly due to lack of depth as far as character development or plot goes. It makes for a nice story, but oftentimes seems to be very fairy tale-ish in which there is the predictable plot twist, the heartbreak, and then the happy ending. Maybe it's because I've read too many books of this genre that I'm slightly disappointed in this debut. One HUGE editing mistake is near the end of the book, when something happens at the time of Sydney's birth: the time noted at the end is vastly different than the time mentioned earlier in the story.

If you're looking for a "fluff" read and a happy story, go for it. Personally, while I liked it ok, I'm still glad I got it when it was free for Kindle.