Chasing Rainbows

Mar 08, 2012 LAURA KAY A Novel Review rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Bernadette "Bernie" Murphy has just lost her father. She is wrapping herself around him being gone, while simultaneously (and secretively) dealing with her husband who left her. Bernie is no stranger to loss and heartache, but the accumulation of loss and a book of cryptograms her father left her seem to be the wake-up call she has needed for some time and is reluctantly facing reality.

Chasing Rainbows is a story about finding acceptance and learning how...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Helena rated it 4 of 5 stars

I believe I got this FREE on Kindle ~ so no great expectations. Wrong ~ it was delightful! The main character is over-the-top with grief, anger & frustration. However, most women can identify with some of what she is going trough and the ways she handles her feeling can be quiet funny! 255 pages that are full of insight about life and death and lots of laughs!

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May 19, 2013 Levian rated it 5 of 5 stars

a series of events rocked Bernie's world mercilessly. after the death of their first child, her husband Ryan left her for another woman he impregnated; it was followed by her father's sudden death, leaving behind brokenhearted family members; then her best friend Diane announced an unplanned pregnancy at the age of 41. she found herself quitting her job for a change and fell through the coming months stumbling through these events over and over again.

the book was an absolute fast read! Bernie w...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Lydia Laceby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-star-must-read, contemporary-women-s-fiction

Originally reviewed at Novel Escapes

Written impeccably, with perfect pace and pitch, wonderful characters and a plot to sink your teeth into, Chasing Rainbows tossed all presumptions of self published novels I had off a high rise building. Currently priced at 2.99 for Kindle
this novel is a steal.

Chasing Rainbows is definitely a heavy read, but not too over powering that I wanted to put it down. It was the opposite in fact –I couldn’t stop reading. We meet Bernie as she’s dealing with the recen...more Originally reviewed at Novel Escapes

Written impeccably, with perfect pace and pitch, wonderful characters and a plot to sink your teeth into, Chasing Rainbows tossed all presumptions of self published novels I had off a high rise building. Currently priced at 2.99 for Kindle
this novel is a steal.

Chasing Rainbows is definitely a heavy read, but not too over powering that I wanted to put it down. It was the opposite in fact –I couldn’t stop reading. We meet Bernie as she’s dealing with the recent loss of her father just weeks after her husband left her and sprinkle in a devastating loss from years prior that she hadn’t yet dealt with, Bernie is in for a rough ride. And so is the reader.

Bernie’s loss was palpable. Not many novels evoke tears from me within the first fifty pages, but Chasing Rainbows accomplished this, several times. There was enough humour to balance out the anguish though and anyone who has suffered a loss will be able to relate to this novel. As will anyone that has been stuck in a rut, been pissed off with life and wanted to lash out or has suffered with lapses in self esteem, been crippled with self doubt, made a mistake or felt fearful of change or life. There is something in Bernie and her situation that most of us will be able relate to.

As Bernie binges, lashes out and alienates loved ones, toppling her own deck of cards, her fear of life strangles any living she ought to be doing. She is not perfect and is quite self deprecating at times and cannot see how to emerge from her despair and some of the unfavourable reviews I browsed at Amazon seemed not to appreciate this. Maybe they’ve never suffered loss or never tortured themselves by settling on the couch with tear jerker movies and various pints of ice cream and chocolate. I enjoyed watching Bernie crawl back up and loved watching her progress and enjoyed the influencing characters that surrounded her.

This book surprised me multiple times and I was never certain what life would throw Bernie’s way. There were amusing bits, heart wrenching moments and characters that I adored from her best friend and her 'niece' to her mother and brother, although I wish the later two had more scenes.

I really enjoyed the quotes at the end of each chapter which were thought provoking and inspirational, and although I never really got into the cryptograms, I appreciated how they lead to the quotes.

I will definitely be picking up Kathleen Long in the future.(less)

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Jun 19, 2012 Resa rated it 3 of 5 stars

The plot doesn’t get any points for originality, but in the case of this book it’s not really the plot that’s the focus. The focus of ‘Chasing Rainbows’ is on the character development of the narrator. The book opens with the death Bernadette’s father, which leads to the flashback of the death of her infant daughter, made even worse by Bernadette’s failed marriage and her husband’s mistress getting pregnant at the same time Bernadette’s best friend finds out she is also pregnant. A lot is going...more The plot doesn’t get any points for originality, but in the case of this book it’s not really the plot that’s the focus. The focus of ‘Chasing Rainbows’ is on the character development of the narrator. The book opens with the death Bernadette’s father, which leads to the flashback of the death of her infant daughter, made even worse by Bernadette’s failed marriage and her husband’s mistress getting pregnant at the same time Bernadette’s best friend finds out she is also pregnant. A lot is going on in this plot, so much so that is difficult to spend a lot of time on any one of these points. Each of these stories could make for a book of their own, and I did think the novel lost something by trying to force so much into the story. I understand that life generally has a habit of piling up horrible events, and sometimes it takes a disastrous pile up like this to start change, but for the purposes of narrative it’s very busy and a lot of emotions to fit into a fairly short book. As the novel continues the focus shifts mainly to the loss of Bernadette’s infant daughter, Emma, and that seems to be (understandably) the hardest issue for her to handle and the one that has been holding her back from living life the longest. The cryptograms at the beginning of each chapter (with solution at the end) are clever, but not the major plot point I expected them to be. They’re really just thrown into the plot as a kind of gimmick to make the story seem more individual, if they were taking out of the book not much would change.

As a character, Bernadette is real. She’s obviously not a ‘hero’ type. She’s flawed, she eats way too much chocolate when she’s upset, and she makes a lot of mistakes. Long’s treatment of people is the strong point of her writing. While Bernadette is not someone I’d admire or strive to be like, I can see her as a real person. Her grief is genuine, and anyone who’s lost a parent, child, or loved one will be able to relate to her struggle. She comes across as human. The other characters in the book are not written quite so perfectly. Bernadette’s mother and brother play a very minor role in the story and they’re portrayed fairly simply, although this could also be due to the first person narrative of the story, which does not leave room for much in-depth character growth from anyone other than the narrator. Bernadette’s “niece” Ashley is one of my favorite characters, Long does an excellent job of creating the voice of a teenager, and I really enjoyed reading about Bernie and Ashley’s exchanges. These were some of my favorite parts of the book. The love interest that shows up next door is a little obvious and a little too perfect. The chemistry between the two characters seemed planned more than spontaneous and genuine, and was very disappointing.

The first person writing style Long uses is a difficult technique to pull off, but Long does a really good job of creating genuine inner monologue. Long creates genuine emotions throughout the book, and these are what makes Bernadette feel so human and realistic. The writing flows and the book has been edited fairly well (there may have been a few mistakes but nothing that prevents or hinders reading). It’s a fast read and most of the time the writing flows well. I really liked the idea of the cryptograms, and I wish Long had paid more attention to them instead of just throwing them in to remind us why the chapters start with word jumbles. It was a fantastic idea that fell a little flat. I’m still not sure exactly what I feel about this book. It wasn’t a challenge to read, and I want to like it, in fact, there are parts of it I loved. However, overall it left me feeling a little empty, like Long had set up for a perfect shot but missed the target by just about an inch. It felt like Long had taken on so many issues in her plot she had to end it quickly and without the genuine ending I had been hoping for
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Feb 01, 2012 Dannye rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kathleen Long’s Chasing Rainbows is classic women’s fiction, which is not to say that men wouldn’t enjoy it. I describe it this way because through the first person view of Bernadette Murphy, the author exposes us women to the angst-ridden moments that have dotted our lives as well as those which gave us the courage to move forward when it was time.

Bernadette, affectionately known as Bernie, suffers through the death of a child, a parent, and a marriage, binge eating, isolation, acting out, spe...more Kathleen Long’s Chasing Rainbows is classic women’s fiction, which is not to say that men wouldn’t enjoy it. I describe it this way because through the first person view of Bernadette Murphy, the author exposes us women to the angst-ridden moments that have dotted our lives as well as those which gave us the courage to move forward when it was time.

Bernadette, affectionately known as Bernie, suffers through the death of a child, a parent, and a marriage, binge eating, isolation, acting out, speed dating, and alienation by her best friend. Doesn’t sound like an uplifting read, does it? Surprisingly, it is.

Her father’s legacy is a book where he has devised cryptograms hiding messages that will help her survive her journey. It starts with “In life, you either choose to sing a rainbow, or you don’t,” setting the stage for the choices she has ahead of her.

Bernie’s emotional roller coaster and her self-examination as well as her self-flagellation are sure to stir up memories from the reader’s emotional history. Following her journey can be quite cathartic because the reader can maintain an emotional distance and yet benefit from Bernie’s psychological revelations about similar life experiences.

While reading this book, I was reminded of the oft-quoted philosophy that the “mind does not know the difference between a real and an imagined experience.” Because Bernie develops the courage to move on with her life and learns how to love herself, the reader is given the further opportunity to emotionally immerse herself in this story and recreate her own relationship with her past.

One of my favorite messages offered by Bernie’s late father and meant to encourage her is “A ship in a harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” [Unknown]. The meaning in this wonderful story for me was that we have to risk if we want to achieve the heights we were meant to reach. We have to chase rainbows; we have to find them where they don’t seem to be—even in our past experiences because the past colors our future.

Long handles a difficult topic with style and humor. I would recommend it to anyone who’s not afraid to cry, not afraid to laugh at themselves, and not afraid to chase rainbows!

Reviewed by Dannye Williamsen for Breakthrough Bookstore.
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Jan 21, 2012 Anita rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-romance, a-fiction, ebook

GENRE: Adult – Fiction

FORM: eBook

Book 2 of the 2012 eBook Challenge

SYNOPSIS: “Hard times” is minor in comparison to what Bernadette is going through. Her husband has left her for another woman; another life. Her father just died unexpectedly. And if that isn’t bad enough, her dog got kicked out of obedience school….again. The death of her father and her husband leaving has also brought on an onslaught of memories from five years prior, when her one and only child, Emma, died of a heart defect a...more GENRE: Adult – Fiction

FORM: eBook

Book 2 of the 2012 eBook Challenge

SYNOPSIS: “Hard times” is minor in comparison to what Bernadette is going through. Her husband has left her for another woman; another life. Her father just died unexpectedly. And if that isn’t bad enough, her dog got kicked out of obedience school….again. The death of her father and her husband leaving has also brought on an onslaught of memories from five years prior, when her one and only child, Emma, died of a heart defect at 5 days old. Despite wanting to wallow in a pool of chocolate and self pity, Bernie knows she has to press forward and move on with her life the best she can.

REVIEW: Outside of having a hard time not thinking “am I going to have to change my name to Bernice Matice,” (line from Hope Floats movie) every time I read the main character’s name, even though it was Bernadette and NOT Bernice…, I found Chasing Rainbows to be a beautiful and uplifting book about life and getting through it’s hard times. Now that I think about it, Hope Floats was very similar to this book in many ways, and now I’m wondering about the inspiration for the book itself…anyhow.

Bernadette is having her fair share of hard times, more than most of us could handle at one time. Often while reading when I felt like I might cry because of Bernie’s pain and emotional suffering, and there were times when I was laughing at her antics. She truly was a women on the edge of rational thinking. Her life seemed to be crumbling down around her, but she had a wall of support build up around her in form of her best friend, Denise, her mother and two of her neighbors, all of whom had words of help and wisdom but also demonstrated to Bernice that she was not the only one with hard times and pain in their life. At times even her soon-to-be ex-husband brought words of wisdom that ultimately played into Bernice’s healing process.

I will say, there were moments I thought the Bernie was a bit over the top – especially when she jumped the counter at a cosmetic station in the mall, but it was this over-the-topness that brought most of the entertainment of the book. For an ebook that I got free at Amazon.com, I was very impressed with this read. It was heartfelt, funny, sad and contained just enough courage and hope to make you believe in second chances at life.

(In addition to “Bernice Matice,” I found myself continually singing, “don’t go chasing waterfalls…” while reading, which is also completely and utterly unrelated...but I guess "chasing rainbows" was close enough for my mind. And NOW I’ve probably sufficiently gotten it stuck in your head…you’re welcome! =) )(less)

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Jan 19, 2012 Reviewers for R.N.J rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary

http://www.romancenoveljunkies.com for readers

*Reviewed by Davia for R.N.J

BRIEF SUMMARY

Bernadette's life is spinning out of control! She losses a child, her husband leaves her, she hates her job, and her father dies unexpectedly. These painful experiences are sending her into a depression. Can she get her life back on track?

THOUGHTS

This story is one of inspiration after dealing with many of life's unfortunate mishaps. This book will make you laugh, cry and hope that Bernie will get it togethe...more

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Jan 19, 2012 Lady Raven RAVE! rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

http://www.romancenoveljunkies.com for readers

BRIEF SUMMARY

Bernadette's life is spinning out of control! She losses a child, her husband leaves her, she hates her job, and her father dies unexpectedly. These painful experiences are sending her into a depression. Can she get her life back on track?

THOUGHTS

This story is one of inspiration after dealing with many of life's unfortunate mishaps. This book will make you laugh, cry and hope that Bernie will get it together. After her father dies sud...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Allison rated it 5 of 5 stars

I rarely give anything a 5 star rating, but this book is worth it. I enjoyed the writing style, the characters and the simplicity of the plot. It's hard to go through tragedy and heartbreak - it's even worse to do them at the same time without appearing to be a complete Debbie Downer. Yes, there were sad parts of the book that made me cry, but I never once felt like the persona was a "woe is me" type of character and I loved that about the book.

This book reminds me of the importance of having ot...more

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Mar 09, 2012 Kathleen rated it 5 of 5 stars

What would you do if you've had one painful loss after another, and with each loss your life unravels a little bit more each time? Would you be able to pick up the pieces and rebuild your life, learn to rediscover and reinvent yourself, or would you allow your losses to swallow you up until there is nothing left? This is the story of how Bernadette "Bernie" Murphy went on a personal journey to find herself, and through the loving motivational words of wisdom left by her deceased father, allowed...more What would you do if you've had one painful loss after another, and with each loss your life unravels a little bit more each time? Would you be able to pick up the pieces and rebuild your life, learn to rediscover and reinvent yourself, or would you allow your losses to swallow you up until there is nothing left? This is the story of how Bernadette "Bernie" Murphy went on a personal journey to find herself, and through the loving motivational words of wisdom left by her deceased father, allowed herself to live once again and find happiness through Chasing Rainbows.

Bernadette "Bernie" Murphy is a forty-one year old woman who has had a lot of painful losses within the last five years. Most recently, her father passed away unexpectedly, and his death has thrown her family for a loop as they try to come to grips with his loss, each dealing with their grief in their own way. A few weeks prior to her father's death, her husband Ryan, left her for another woman, and rather than telling her family, she struggles to deal with this on her own. And if that is not enough to make you want to just give up, the lingering grief over her newborn baby daughter's death five years ago, has maintained a tight grip on her life, and may have been one of the causes of her marriage breaking up. Life just hasn't been very fair to Bernie: she hates her job and her jerk of a boss, and her best friend Diane has just told her that she is unexpectedly pregnant ... can her life get any worse than this? Bernie's had enough with everything: she tells off her boss and quits her job, mopes around the house and goes on food binges, starts acting out by saying what's on her mind and gets banned from the mall, and despairs over how to rebuild her life. Just when she's at her lowest point, a gift from her father helps guide her forward once again. Growing up, her dad and her had spent each morning at the kitchen table figuring out the cryptogram puzzle in the daily paper. Her father's gift to her was a little book of cryptograms for her to solve. Each cryptogram reveals inspirational and motivational words of wisdom that helps spur her on a journey of self-discovery and rebirth. Through her father's legacy, coupled with the support of her family, friends, and two neighbors (one who is a good looking guy), Rachel learns that the key to her happiness is by letting go and chase her rainbows, or like her father quoted in his book: "In life, you either choose to sing a rainbow, or you don't."

Chasing Rainbows is a poignant, inspirational and heartwarming story that tugs at the heartstrings. The storyline is beautifully written and so engaging, it captivated me from beginning to end. It is a story that takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride: it makes you laugh, cry and ponder your own life. The author provides a wonderful mix of whimsical and heart wrenching scenes, it is a perfect balance that makes the story so powerful and compelling. The characters were realistic and engaging, their interactions with each other provided many smiles, laughs and tears (both happy and sad). I absolutely loved the relationship that Bernie had with her best friend's thirteen year old daughter Ashley, it was so heartwarming and humorous, and without giving away any spoiler information, the zamboni ride and Ashley's actions was classic and had me laughing hysterically. I also loved Bernie's lovable border collie mix Poindexter, his antics kept me in stitches. I definitely can relate to Bernie's character, I see a lot of me in her, and like her, I too have had some of the same losses in my own life, it was spooky seeing it written in a book, it was like the author looked into my own life experiences and made them into a story. It isn't very often when a story resonates so strongly with me, and Chasing Rainbows did exactly that. I really loved how each chapter started with a cryptogram and ended with revealing the cryptogram's motivational and inspirational quote. There is so many good parts to Chasing Rainbows, it makes you laugh, makes you cry, makes you think and most of all it gives you hope.

Chasing Rainbows is a must read for anyone who has suffered a loss, gone through tough times, and was able to bounce back. The story is unforgettable, it is a testament to the sustainability of the human spirit, and will leave you hopeful and inspired to chase your own rainbows.

Disclaimer: At the request of the author, publisher and Chick Lit Plus, a Kindle edition of the book was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest review and participation in the virtual book tour event.

Virtual Book Tour Event: On Friday, March 9, 2012, in association with Chick Lit Plus, Kathleen Long participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Guest Post on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
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Jan 04, 2012 Julia Rasmussen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received a Kindle for Christmas and downloaded Chasing Rainbows because it was one of the few free items that is not over a hundred years old. I'm so glad I found it. This is the prefect book to curl up with on a cold winter night and cry along with the narrator.
I’ve read a number of books lately where a dog is the lead character, this is not the case in Chasing Rainbows, but there is a dog in a supporting role that was wonderful.
The story is about a woman in her early forties whose life has...more

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Jan 03, 2012 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

What an enjoyable read. I absolutely fell into this story a few chapters in. It was a freebie on Amazon and I wasn't expecting such a great story!

The main character was very likeable. She sounded like me half the time. Very sarcastic and thinking weird, off-the-wall thoughts to herself. She felt insecure at times and other times she was full of confidence.

A big plus for me was that the author didn't dwell too long on the budding romance part of the book. Just a bit here and there for you to get...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Deanna Sletten rated it 5 of 5 stars

Bernadette Murphy's life isn't going exactly as she'd planned. Most recently, her father has died and her husband has left her for another woman. There's no doubt that Bernadette has plenty to be angry and depressed about. And this is where the reader walks into her life, watching her struggle with the changes and not coping with them very well.

I had seen this book months ago and was drawn to it by the beautiful cover, the title and the fact that it seemed to be selling so well. When I saw it wa...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Nona rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook

Often we get anxiety for no reason as we are almost always stronger and more capable than we believe ourselves to be.

Chasing Rainbows is about Bernadette Murphy who has lost her child, her husband, her father AND her job. Her relationship with her best friend is rocky, her dog was kicked out of obedience school, and she even manages to get herself banned, for life, from the mall.

Her whole world is falling apart, and she finds herself slipping into a depression that she is having trouble breaking...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone

Bernadette Murphy is undergoing some changes. She unexpectedly lost her father, her husband left her and she's still grieving the loss of her daughter five years later. When I seemingly small thing sends her over the edge, her world changes forever! It seems that her lifeline is a book of cryptograms found among her father's things. Each of these puzzles provide wise words and brings Bernie one step close to her healing.

This was a free download from Amazon, so I try not to get my hopes up. Fortu...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Denise Cuenin rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book and found the main character flawed but lovable. Bernie has lost her dad unexpectedly, her husband has walked out on her and she has never fully recovered from the death of her newborn daughter five years earlier. Needless to say, she enters a life crisis. The problems keep piling on…her husband’s new girlfriend is now pregnant, her best friend is also unexpected pregnant at the age of 41 and acting very odd and Bernie has quit her job. Sad, humorous, touching and well develo...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Samantha Robey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kathleen Long is on tour with CLP Blog Tours. I absolutely adored Chasing Rainbows. Once I started, I simply could not put it down. If it weren’t for work beckoning my name, I would have sat and read this is one sitting. The main character is Bernadette Murphy, a woman who has been having some rough years. From the death of her daughter to her husband leaving her for another woman to her dad passing away, Bernie finally snaps under the pressure. I think it would have been easy for Bernie to come...more

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Jan 24, 2012 706sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 7th-grade-books

I love Kathleen Long! She is one of the best writers ever, especially in this book. She really describes what it's like dealing with many conflicts at once, but how you can beat them and be stronger. I love the character Bernadette casue she is so much like me. If my daughter were to die, my dad to die, and my husband to leave me i would be devastated. But just like her, at first i'd watch old romance movies and eat a bunch of junk until i feel even worse. After that though, especially if i had...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Tamara Stevens rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book, really nicely written and light but very deep meaningful book. It is no often you stumble across a book that well brings things in your life into perspective. I loved the quote at the beginning
In life, you either choose to sing a rainbow, or you don't.
this is one of those quotes where it means different things to different people and well it gives you hope during the journey to find the meaning to you.

I will not forget this book in a long while. The subjects throughout the book can h...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Torn between three stars and two stars mainly because the book was free and who can really complain about a free book? I went with how I felt about it and while it was a touching story, it could have been done better. And mainly it irritated me how the character's validation comes from external sources and then realizing that others think she is great starts her internal validation. This is also totally petty but it also irritated me about how the character talks constantly about how fat she is...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Genesis Blue rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was an interesting read. It wasn't always exactly pleasant, but it took me on a journey, one that finishes up satisfactorily at the end. Bernie is a woman whose life is in turmoil. Her husband has left her for a woman he got pregnant, she still isn't able to move on from her daughter's death 5 years ago and now her dad has suddenly died.

She struggles with her weight and overeating, quitting her job in a fit of anger and basically, everything is just crashing down around her. We've all been...more

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Apr 10, 2013 İnci Puyan rated it 4 of 5 stars

http://illekitap.blogspot.com/2013/04...

Günlük tadında bir kitaptı. Aslında daha çok bir kadının hayatının en zor anına tanık olunan, birinci ağızdan anlatılan bir kitaptı...

Yazarın dili çok sade, hafif, akıcıydı ve çeviri de çok güzeldi. Devrik cümleler, imla hataları vs. yoktu kitapta ki bu durum bir okuyucu olarak en çok hoşuma giden bir şey oldu :))

Kitap, kırklarının başında olan beş yıl önce kızını kaybetmiş ve henüz onun acısını atlatamamış Bernie'nin kocası tarafından aldatılarak terk edi...more http://illekitap.blogspot.com/2013/04...

Günlük tadında bir kitaptı. Aslında daha çok bir kadının hayatının en zor anına tanık olunan, birinci ağızdan anlatılan bir kitaptı...

Yazarın dili çok sade, hafif, akıcıydı ve çeviri de çok güzeldi. Devrik cümleler, imla hataları vs. yoktu kitapta ki bu durum bir okuyucu olarak en çok hoşuma giden bir şey oldu :))

Kitap, kırklarının başında olan beş yıl önce kızını kaybetmiş ve henüz onun acısını atlatamamış Bernie'nin kocası tarafından aldatılarak terk edilmesi ve ardından babasını yaşadığı kaybolma hissi ve ardından kendini bulmasın konu alıyor. Hatta hayatta sık sık karşılaştığımız bir kadın örneği...
Kitap dram değil, hatta yer yer eğleneceğiniz güleceğiniz olayların olduğu bir kitap ama hepten de eğlenceli bir kitap değil. Hani eğlendiriyor ama alttan alttan da okuyucuya mesajlar iletiyor :))

Kitapta en çok hoşuma giden şey, Bernie'nin babasından kalan bulmaca defterini çözmesi ve bölüm sonlarında o özlü sözleri okuyabilmek çok güzeldi. Hatta bölüm başında karman çorman harfleri görünce bunlar ne böyle demiştim ki ikinci bölümde olayı çözdüm. İnce bir nokta ve güzel bir detaydı.

Zaman zaman Ryan'a kızdım (Bernie'yi terk eden koca) ve zaman zamanda Diane'ye de kızdım. Ryan'ı saymıyorum hiçbir kısımda gözümde haklı tarafı yok ama Diane'nin arkadaşlığı çok güzeldi.

Kitabın kapak tasarımını çok beğendim ve püsküllü ayracına bittim. Zaten Arkadya'nın püsküllü ayraç imajı cidden çok değişik ve hoş... :))

Kitabı beğendim ve okumanızı tavsiye ederim. Eğlenecek, düşünecek ve sonunda da Bernie'nin hayatına çizdiği yönü takdir edeceksiniz...

Bernie'nin babasının dediği gibi 'Hayatta gökkuşağının peşinden ya gidersin ya da gitmezsin' Bernie gökkuşağının peşinden gitmeyi seçti... :))

Kitabın başında çok hoşuma gitti ve onu sizlerle paylaşmak istiyorum. Bernie'de tam olarak bu sözleri yerine getirdi, eskiler temizledi...

"Bazen yeniye yer açmak için eskileri temizlememiz gerekir. Bunu bir kez yaptığımızda da yeni, hayal ettiğimizden çok daha farklı olur. Ve bu bazen daha iyidir..."(less)

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Aug 24, 2012 Tamara rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am refraining from giving this 5 stars due to language...its sprinkled minimally through the book. Otherwise, I did enjoy this book a great deal. I had moments of laugh out loud, moments of anger, and tear inducing moments. The main character could be any woman of these days trying to navigate her way through the disappointments and heartaches we face in life. She doesnt out of the blue come out of her funk so to speak, it takes many ups and downs. She in many instances is the bad person in so...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Mrs Mommy Booknerd http://mrsmommybooknerd.blogspot.com rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tour

"In life, you either choose to sing a rainbow, or you don't. Keep singing."

CHASING RAINBOWS by Kathleen Long is a stunning novel that addresses loss on many levels and the strength and courage that comes from taking one step at a time.

"Steps were steps. Steps were good. Steps were the only things that were going to save me. They were the things that were going to carry me forward, out of my old life and into my new one. " (Long, p.344, e-book)

Long's main character, Bernadette, was a flawed and g...more

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Jan 20, 2012 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm torn between thinking this is a sappy, silly, chick lit and being inspired by it to keep on truckin'. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that my father is very ill, and his illness has overshadowed all aspects of my life. As such, like the Bernie I too lose sight of what my path may be.

Super easy read. It had some laugh out loud moments, which resulted in fellow hospital visitors to question, "what are you reading that is so funny?" Trying to justify a book about a gal whose husban...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Kirsten rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books, modern-fiction

This book had a bit too much of Lolly Winston's "Good Grief" in it for me to rate it very highly -- I really felt as though I'd already read the book. Sure, it's her father dying rather than her husband, but the events were similar, yet not as well written. But I loved solving the cryptograms at the beginning of each chapter. In fact, I wish Ms. Long had gone into greater detail about why the dad loved crytograms, and how he and his daughter bonded over them. It could have been a much stronger e...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Jo Anne B rated it 1 of 5 stars

The title says it all. Cheesy, puke, predictable chic book.

Same old story. Couple has baby and it dies. Woman can't have kids anymore. This tears apart marriage. Woman wallows in pity ignoring husband who then divorces her for a woman that can have kids. Now her father dies and she quits her job. She gains some weight. Her best friend and her get into big fight. Her only advocate is her dog.

She meets a friendly new male neighbor. She vows to get into shape and get her life in order. She writes...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Amanda Morris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

As simple as this book is and that I got it free for my Kindle, I am surprised at how much I liked it and how much I related to it. It is a very basic simple story, nothing complex or deep in here at all. This makes it a very easy choice for a quick read or grab it to take on vacation kind of book. It moves super quick. I found I liked the writing style of the first person main character, her thoughts ran free, kind of reminding me of my own thoughts that tend to spin off in tangents in my head,...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Dina is currently reading it

Easy to read with likable characters and enough drama to keep the pace moving, Chasing Rainbows is the story of life-long friendships and dreams unrealized. After the death of her father, Bernadette (Bernie) takes stock in her life and realizes that nothing is going as it should. Her marriage failed after the death of her 5 day old daughter, her employment situation is making her miserable, and her attempts to get her life in order are almost laughable. From getting intimate with her gardener to...more

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