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How I Came to Sparkle Again

by Kaya McLaren (Goodreads Author)

3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 · rating details · 580 ratings · 239 reviews

Set in a Colorado ski town, Kaya McLaren's How I Came To Sparkle Againis a remarkable breakout novel that chronicles three people and their journey from loss to love; heartbreak to hope

Jill Anthony spent her young adulthood in the ski town of Sparkle, Colorado. But more than a decade has passed since she left when, only weeks after a very late miscarriage, she finds her hu...more

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published October 2nd 2012 by St. Martin's Press

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Sep 02, 2012 Mitch rated it 4 of 5 stars

How I Came to Sparkle Again is such a sweet book. The topics it touches, infidelity and cancer, aren't new by any standard and the story is beyond predictable, but Kaya McLaren's writing won me over in the end. I really had no idea I would care so much for these quirky yet lovable characters - add in a light dose of faith and the result is this heartwarming, feel good novel that leaves behind a warm fuzzy feeling.

But I really do mean it when I say this book won me over. I could pretty much see w...more How I Came to Sparkle Again is such a sweet book. The topics it touches, infidelity and cancer, aren't new by any standard and the story is beyond predictable, but Kaya McLaren's writing won me over in the end. I really had no idea I would care so much for these quirky yet lovable characters - add in a light dose of faith and the result is this heartwarming, feel good novel that leaves behind a warm fuzzy feeling.

But I really do mean it when I say this book won me over. I could pretty much see where the plot was headed almost as soon as Jill leaves her cheating husband and moves to Sparkle, Colorado, settling in with her old friend Lisa and babysitting Cassie, a ten year old who just recently lost her mother. Maybe it's because Lisa is jaded in the romance department, living next to the Kennel, not a boarding place for dogs but a house with a bunch of womanizing single guys who each own a dog, but Jill and Lisa didn't really interest me at first. A lot of their escapades with the guys went over my head, especially since besides Tom I had a lot of trouble keeping track of who's who. The only character I liked right away was Cassie, not just because I'm a sucker for the sad kid who just lost a parent sob story, I'm not, but the way Cassie's written, part depressing, part contemplative, it really got to me.

The rest of the plot's easy to predict from the premise. Mike, Cassie's father, is grieving the death of his wife but sees the hole in his family. Jill, shattered by her miscarriage followed days later by her husband's betrayal, is looking to get on with her life. Cassie's hoping something or someone will help her accept her mother's death. It's really easy to see where this is going, but thankfully McLaren ends her story before it got too sappy. Instead, it really is all about second chances, a second chance for Mike, a second chance for Jill, a second chance for Cassie. For Lisa and Tom too, their story is just as equally transparent, but I also think ends in just the right place too, mostly sweet but with a touch of sadness as well.

The thing that really surprised me though was how philosophical Sparkle is at times, without too much dragging on the plot. There's a wise old man character, Uncle Howard, always ready to dispense witticisms, but even everyday discussions between Tom and Lisa, or Tom and Jill, or even Mike and Cassie, there's some deep discussions of human nature, romance, dating, life, often cloaked in jokes and simpler things. It’s easy to read this book as a light story of second chances, but just as easy to read this book as something more, an exploration of the effects of tragedy on life.

For a story set in a simple ski town, How I Came to Sparkle Again surprised me by tying ski season together with some very personal lives. Though it takes awhile to pull all its punches, it’s really good when it does.(less)

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Jan 02, 2013 Jeanie Jackson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, romance

This novel is a delightfully warm and wonderful book. It is a beautiful story of friendship, romance, recovery and fun.

The four main characters are each facing a demoralizing loss. Six weeks after a miscarriage, Jill hears her husband making love to another woman in their bedroom, and in a shocked daze heads to the one place she feels she belongs, Sparkle, Colorado. Fireman-paramedic Mike Jones and his ten-year-old daughter Cassie are coping with the devastating death of wife and mother from br...more This novel is a delightfully warm and wonderful book. It is a beautiful story of friendship, romance, recovery and fun.

The four main characters are each facing a demoralizing loss. Six weeks after a miscarriage, Jill hears her husband making love to another woman in their bedroom, and in a shocked daze heads to the one place she feels she belongs, Sparkle, Colorado. Fireman-paramedic Mike Jones and his ten-year-old daughter Cassie are coping with the devastating death of wife and mother from breast cancer. Waking up one more time with a guy who has no interest in her as a person, Lisa comes to realizes that she has lost her self-respect and is wasting herself in the bar to bed to bar cycle that she has outgrown.

When Jill disappears, her husband thinks something bad has happened to her and cancels all of her credit cards and her bank access. With limited funds and no job, she must figure out how to take care of herself. Her friend Lisa has only a couch to offer, so Lisa’s neighbor Tom offers Jill a cheap room in his trailer, the infamous Kennel. Beyond that, he is able to offer her a job with the ski patrol for the rest of the season. Between the tacky but affordable housing, a job in the first aid room, and an overnight babysitting job every third day with Cassie, Jill has room to breathe while she figures out where to go from there.

The guys in the Kennel are mostly late twenty-ish males who work for the ski patrol while they fight off growing up. Lisa warns her that all the guys are Peter Pans who keep score of the women they sleep with, and the nurse in Jill has a problem with the hygiene of the house, but she soon comes to understand that the Kennel and its denizen have much more to offer than germs, drink and pot.

Working together, living together, and playing together brings this wonderful group of people into a warm bonding that helps her through the first tough days and on through the winter. Relationships grow and the characters grow stronger as winter passes in to Spring in this endearing novel.

From the introduction to the characters and their losses in the first chapter, I wondered if this was going to be a heavy handed “get right with God” story, but most definitely it is not. I enjoy Christian literature but this story isn’t even quite that. It is a story that tells us that we all need something to hold on to but it isn’t about church or religion, it is about people and the things they hold on to and the things they let go.

I won an ARC copy of this novel in a Goodreads First Reads drawing. The contests are offered in the hope that winners will review the book. It was my pleasure to do so, and I hope I did justice to this heartwarming book.

Note: I seldom give 5 star rating on Goodreads because I am comparing these books to the best I ever read. At other sites, I rate just to show much I recommend a book. This is a 5 star recommendation(less)

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Nov 14, 2012 Renee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Received a copy of this book through First Reads. It was ok, overall a good story, but nothing spectacular. I found there were almost too many 'side' characters, i.e. the guys in the Kennel, it was hard to keep track of who was who and in the end you didn't really need to know, they didn't really add anything to the story.

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May 04, 2013 Margaret rated it 1 of 5 stars

Less than 40 pages into this book I just decided I'd had enough. There were way too many characters and too many "dramas" going on.

Jill, having gone back to her nursing job just six weeks after a miscarriage, returns home early on her first day back to work. She walks in unbeknownst to her husband, to find him in bed with another woman. Without letting him know she is there, she snaps a photo, buys herself an old car, and takes off to rekindle her friendship with Lisa and her relationship with...more Less than 40 pages into this book I just decided I'd had enough. There were way too many characters and too many "dramas" going on.

Jill, having gone back to her nursing job just six weeks after a miscarriage, returns home early on her first day back to work. She walks in unbeknownst to her husband, to find him in bed with another woman. Without letting him know she is there, she snaps a photo, buys herself an old car, and takes off to rekindle her friendship with Lisa and her relationship with her uncle Sparkle, Colorado known for its great ski runs.

Lisa is living in her childhood home, turning her nose up at traditional love and marriage and explaining her many sexual relationships as a way to avoid the trap of being betrayed and a way to keep her independence.

The guys who live next door to Lisa in "The Kennel", a trailer with many add-ons to accommodate their many animals work hard and play harder. Few females are "off limits" for them and it looks like Jill could be the next conquest for one of them.

Then there is Cassie, ten years old, who has just lost her mother to cancer. Her father is an ambulance driver and is required to work late and long hours, leaving Cassie home with a babysitter she despises.

All mixed up in this is Jill's mother's reference to her daughter's "spiritual death" when she left the Mormon church. Then Lisa experiences remorse that she had wandered away from the Catholic church. Finally, Mike, Cassie's dad, prefers to believe that when "miracles" occur, it is due to the goodness of people's actions, and not because of some entity known as God.

And all of this happened before the first 40 pages. My head was spinning and while I'm sure all the characters would somehow mesh to tell one story, the interest just wasn't there for me. And what I found especially irritating was the characterization of the guys next door and their over the top, care-free and raw fascination with no strings sex. The dialogue seemed forced and actually came across as ridiculous rather than provacative.

I couldn't decide if this book was meant to be an inspirational book or an attempt at serious fiction with a feel good ending. Either way, this book just wasn't for me.(less)

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Dec 02, 2012 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, non-erotic

Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

“Keep Living.” “Don’t worry about the future, it will come.” “Look at NOW, see opportunities….” This kind of advice and so much more is offered to Jill, Lisa, and Cassie as each of them struggles to find her way back to positive, productive living from the bleakest time in each of their lives.

Jill, a successful nurse with a beautiful home, is devastated by the loss of her unfaithful husband and their baby. She runs, feeling like a dis...more Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

“Keep Living.” “Don’t worry about the future, it will come.” “Look at NOW, see opportunities….” This kind of advice and so much more is offered to Jill, Lisa, and Cassie as each of them struggles to find her way back to positive, productive living from the bleakest time in each of their lives.

Jill, a successful nurse with a beautiful home, is devastated by the loss of her unfaithful husband and their baby. She runs, feeling like a discarded woman and only in her thirties. Even her parents have written her off as not being good enough to be in the Celestial Kingdom with them. But in Sparkle, Colorado, Uncle Howard accepts her, warts and all, just like he did years ago when she was a skinny kid. Everyone should have an “Uncle Howard”! He is a darling.

Jill needs a season to heal and ends up living in “The Kennel” with three men—womanizers, ski bums, and loyal friends to her at this fragile time in her life. Tom, Eric, and Hans furnish outrageous humor and a philosophy that staggers the imagination. Tom explains the Wild Kingdom with alpha and beta male philosophy to Jill. It is mind boggling. These three men depict a unique sub-cultural that functions to the rhythm of a different drum.

Lisa, Jill’s friend, welcomes Jill back to Sparkle with open arms. A ski instructor and accepting friend of Tom, Eric, and Hans, Lisa turns over a new leaf and starts a new chapter in her life. She struggles to regain her self-esteem and to build a life with integrity and love as a must in any relationship she has from here on. She becomes a mystery to those who have seen her promiscuous ways in the past. She is a super friend and what she does to get even with Jill’s faithless husband that files for divorce is unparalleled—wicked.

Little Cassie grieves for her dead mother who had also been her ski mentor, close companion and confidante. Mike, her father, does all he knows to do to help her, but knows he falls short and Cassie is such a problem and lives in a world so to herself that no one wants to stay with her while Mike works, until Jill comes along.

Overwhelmed with his own grief, Mike struggles to do his job where life and death seem to just happen for no reason. He hates for people to try to rationalize why some live and some die.

The relationship that grows between Jill and Cassie—so fragile in the beginning has some breath-holding moments that tug on the heart strings. The humanness and stages of healing they help each other through make poignant reading.

Kaya McLaren writes descriptions that plop the reader right down into the pristine snow on the silent ski slopes and into the disgusting “Kennel” where urine is spattered on the toilet tissue, marijuana perfumes the air, and a mirror hangs on the ceiling over Jill’s bed. Ms. McLaren offers a vicarious experience with characters that range from successful professionals to the “barely-get-by” misfits and manages to let the reader see something especially good in each of the.

Ms. McLaren has an amazing talent for writing humor that fits perfectly with a character to make each one endearing in some way yet flawed in other ways. She engages the reader’s senses with revealing descriptions and metaphors and keeps one turning pages to see what serious or humorous thing will happen next. She weaves a multitude of life’s obstacles into the story as Jill, Lisa, and Cassie forge a path back to happiness with the help of a delightful array of secondary characters.

How I Came to Sparkle Again, with its more than one meaning, is a sparkling, funny, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking tale with remarkable characters. It touches the heart on many levels—a keeper.(less)

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Nov 04, 2012 Dana rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a story of three people searching to heal from loss and find love and understanding.

Jill Anthony has just suffered a miscarriage when she returns home to find her husband in the arms of another woman. She flees to where she spent her young adult years, Sparkle, Colorado. Her husband not knowing what has happened cancels her credit cards and Jill now also has financial difficulties. She gets a job working with the ski patrol and babysitting Cassie.

Cassie has lost her mother to breast canc...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Kristin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Heartbreak, Divorce, Loss, and Confusion don’t exactly sound like the makings of an uplifting story, but How I Came to Sparkle Again blends them all together in an intriguing novel. Centered around three strong female characters – Jill, Lisa, and Cassie – the novel centers around the healing and hope that follow great tragedy.

Jill, a mid-thirties delivery room nurse, comes home from her first day back at work after a late term miscarriage only to find her husband in bed with another woman. Not s...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Diana rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received this book thru Goodreads giveaways and I really enjoyed it. It is one of those books that have tears and cheers throughout. The Kennel which is an old trailer where four men who work on the mountain seasonally live but when one is out from injuring they have a woman move i with them. Jill has ran away from her husband after finding him in their bed with another woman. She recently had a miscarriage as well so wants to go back to her roots and hook up with an old friend and her Uncle w...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Patty rated it 4 of 5 stars

How I Came To Sparkle Again
By
Kaya McLaren

My "in a nutshell" summary...

Two women, one girl and a mountain in Sparkle, Colorado...all three are learning about themselves.

My thoughts after reading this book...

This book is really about Jill...dealing with an unfaithful husband, Lisa... dealing with too much of her own unsavory behavior and Cassie...trying to live with the sadness of her mother's illness and subsequent death.

They all live in Sparkle and they are all trying to heal.

This is a sweet sa...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Jessica Dumitru rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I got this amazing book through First Reads giveaways.

Let me start off by saying that this is not my normal kind of book. I am an avid fantasy/science fiction reader. I love the fantastical things because real life is hard and often times sucks. However, when I saw this book in the list I stopped dead. The title is bright and pretty and the title seemed like something good was coming. I read the little blurb and cried. I lost my mother to cancer (of the brain) on October 27th 2009 and I haven't...more

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Nov 25, 2012 Candace rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kaya McLaren's How I Came to Sparkle Again is a heartwarming novel full of love, laughter, tears, friendships, and new beginnings. In the throes of heartache and grief, three people that are in desperate need of healing are brought together in Sparkle, Colorado. After all that they held dear is torn away, Jill, Lisa, and Cassie find themselves emerging stronger with their hope in humanity restored after a fateful winter in Sparkle. Amidst all of the turmoil, McLaren does a fantastic job in mixin...more Kaya McLaren's How I Came to Sparkle Again is a heartwarming novel full of love, laughter, tears, friendships, and new beginnings. In the throes of heartache and grief, three people that are in desperate need of healing are brought together in Sparkle, Colorado. After all that they held dear is torn away, Jill, Lisa, and Cassie find themselves emerging stronger with their hope in humanity restored after a fateful winter in Sparkle. Amidst all of the turmoil, McLaren does a fantastic job in mixing in hilarious dialogue and fun, memorable characters. Before I felt things getting too heavy, I found myself laughing at the funny conversations the characters had with each other. Kaya McLaren has quickly found a spot among my favorite authors. By weaving together the stories of Jill, Lisa, and Cassie, McLaren should win literary gold!

Lisa is a permanent resident in Sparkle. She knows everyone and has sadly slept with most of the single men in town. After a particularly awkward hookup, Lisa struggles with her feelings of inadequacy and regret. Feeling unfulfilled and dirty, Lisa decides that she no longer will participate in casual sex. She wants to be respected, introduced to parents, and looked upon with pride. Lisa finds herself pledging that she will turn over a new leaf. As a sign that she is doing the right thing, Lisa wakes up the next morning with her long lost best friend, Jill, on her doorstep.

Jill is a thirty-something year old nurse who hasn't been back to her home in Sparkle for over a decade. Focused on her life with her husband, Jill's world is turned upside down when she suffers a late term miscarriage and as a result is no longer able to have children. To top things off, Jill then walks in on her husband cheating. Not knowing what to do, Jill finds herself running back to Sparkle to seek solace from her uncle and best friend, Lisa. McLaren writes about Jill, "Two months ago, she had a normal life, and now she had an unfaithful husband and a rental room in a trailer with men who peed all over everything and dogs that dragged their butts all over everything else, and she had a job working on ski patrol in the ski patrol first-aid room and another job taking care of Kate's daughter- Kate, whom she'd never really like that much but couldn't quite believe was gone." (pg 76)

Ten year old Cassie lost her mother to Cancer four months before How I Came to Sparkle Again began. Cassie's story really pulled at my heartstrings and made me embrace my own daughter through the story. Cassie is an intelligent little girl who has no hope and has lost herself in grief. Caught in a real life nightmare, the only time Cassie feels at peace is when she is sleeping...until her nightmares wake her up, which occurs nightly. Cassie yearns for sleep because she feels that by sleeping she can escape. McLaren described Cassie by saying she, "Surrendered again to the feeling that life would be more manageable if she was not awake." (pg 52) Jill's path crosses with Cassie's as she begins to babysit her. In each other they are able to find solace and strength and realize that life does go on.

I very much enjoyed Kaya McLaren's How I Came to Sparkle Again. It is a witty, warm, and touching read that had me tearing up one minute and laughing out loud the next. Once I started it I was NOT able to put it down! McLaren's novel is a wonderful read for this winter. McLaren does a great job in reeling in her readers from the start and not letting go. If you are looking for a holiday gift to give to your best friend, sister, or mother, How I Came to Sparkle Again is the book you must give. Not only will if fill your loved one's night with laughter, and it will also leave her loving the characters in Sparkle. I without a doubt give How I Came to Sparkle Again five stars and I recommend it to ALL chick lit lovers!!! Job well done McLaren!!!!

I received a complimentary copy for review.(less)

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Aug 31, 2012 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

*I received this book for free through GoodReads First Reads!*

This book is the sorry of two women and one girl. Lisa and Jill are best friends from high school. Jill's life falls apart, and the day she finds her husband in bed with another woman she also gets a letter from Lisa inviting her to come visit anytime. Instead of confronting her husband, she gets in her car (it breaks down so she buys a cheap used car) and drives to Lisa's house in Sparkle, Colorado.
Jill enjoys the freedom of her life...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Tori rated it 2 of 5 stars

I won this book through the Goodreads Give-aways. In return I am giving my review of the book.

This book was an easy read. I read it in a day. it wasn't bad or good. I really could not get into it. I was afraid that it was a Christian love novel at first, but then I kind of came away from that thought process. There were a few Christian undertones, but nothing to assume it was intended to be a Christian romantic novel.

To me it was one of those books that you read when you are sitting somewhere...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fiction

Until recently, I was not a fan of general fiction. It was way too general for me. How would I know what the book was really about reading it? Now, I sort of enjoy the surprise. Jill has recently had a late-term miscarriage. She gets sent home from her first day back at work early because she just isn't ready. She discovers her husband with another woman and just bolts back to the town of Sparkle, Colorado, where she spent some time with her uncle as a teenager. She stays with her friend Lisa, w...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Hillary Fedoroff rated it 5 of 5 stars

WOW! What a great book!! This story is about a small group of friends that are reunited (and some are just meeting) after Jill experiences one of the worst nightmares a person can-the loss of their baby (I can relate!)...THEN she finds her husband having an affair.

So...she takes off to Sparkle, Colorado. She starts by staying with her friend, Lisa, but then moves next door to "the kennel," which is essentially a bunch of perverted buddies but deep down, they have great hearts.

Jill has to find...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Ian rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

Chick-Lit...Two women and a 10 year old girl all dealing with life changes.

Six weeks after suffering a traumatic miscarriage and life saving hysterectomy Jill finds her husband in bed with another woman. Devastated, she runs to the childhood hometown in Colorado to heal her heart.

Lisa has been running her entire life even though she has never left Sparkle, Colorado. One morning after her latest one night stand is sneaking out of her bed, she decides it's time for a change.

Cassie's mot...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, brain-candy, contains-fluffy-creatures

I characterized this book as "light" when I first received it, then reconsidered (the themes of death, recovery,longing, etc are pretty strong throughout), and finally think...yes, it is a light read. Not that it is bad at all; it is in fact a very engaging book with characters one cares about and some very funny episodes amongst the tears. It is light because...you just know that everything is going to turn out okay, in the best traditions of light reading. No worries; good will find good, hear...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-read

Jill's world has tumbled down around her after a tragic miscarriage. A mere six weeks later she returned home unexpectedly to the sound of voices drifting down from the bedroom. Her bedroom. Their bedroom. So she snuck upstairs and peeked. Not believing her eyes - this was her loving husband - she managed to snap a quick cell phone pic of the two before fleeing. Not knowing what to do next she heads to Sparkle, the ski town where she'd spent years as a teenager with her Uncle Howard after splitt...more Jill's world has tumbled down around her after a tragic miscarriage. A mere six weeks later she returned home unexpectedly to the sound of voices drifting down from the bedroom. Her bedroom. Their bedroom. So she snuck upstairs and peeked. Not believing her eyes - this was her loving husband - she managed to snap a quick cell phone pic of the two before fleeing. Not knowing what to do next she heads to Sparkle, the ski town where she'd spent years as a teenager with her Uncle Howard after splitting from her ultra-religious parents. She could stay with her friend Lisa while she sorted it all out.

Lisa had decided to change her lifestyle. She has spent too much time in casual relationships and has decided to quit being 'a Holiday Inn'. The man she would like to try a real relationship with, well, he was more Peter Pan than grown up like so many other guys living for fresh powder. He lives next door in "The Kennel" (so named for the dog-to-human-ratio of 1:1) with a few other guys (ski patrol or CAT drivers). When Jill unexpectedly arrives on her doorstep, Lisa is determined do everything she can for her friend. She helps Jill find a job for the winter, she even helps her move into an empty room in The Kennel even though she thinks Jill is nuts. All the while, Lisa keeps working towards the changes she wants in her own life.

Cassie is ten years old and totally adrift. Since her mother's death from cancer several months ago, grief defines her. She despises the pity she sees in everyone's face. Nothing much matters anymore - not school, not friends, not even skiing. Only the heart shaped rocks she and her mother collected and her father's pain can reach her. The fact her father, Mike, an EMT with 24 hour shifts, has hired a babysitter is unacceptable to her. After one sitter quits, Mike fears no one else in town will take the job. Jill hears about it and offers her services - she can use the money and spending time with a child that needs someone as much as she herself needs a child to love might help her heal. Cassie rises to the challenge.

I took this book to the beach the other day. Reading about storms and snow depth in 90 degree weather can help your brain cool you off a bit. At times I was laughing so hard tears threatened, at other times the tears that threatened were more attuned to the pain living brings. When The Kennel's inhabitants decide to be helpful and get a Christmas tree, well you'll just have to read the book. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

I won this book on Goodreads. (less)

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Sep 05, 2012 Marilyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

This was a First Reads win for me. I feel fortunate that I was given the opportunity to read this book as I probably would have missed out on this read.

This book will appeal to more than the average Romance/Women's Fiction Lover. This is a Romance novel with a little punch or substance added to the mix. The novel was about love and loss and dealing with those heavy issues.

The characters were delightful and almost over-the-top, but pure entertainment. Even though I must admit I do not know how to...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Donna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Well, I just loved the book. If I knew how to ski and loved the snow as much as the people in this book, I would move to Sparkle, Colorado too.

Jill Anthony is still mourning the miscarriage of her baby, but has gone back to work as a nurse. One day upon arriving home early she happens upon her husband, David, and another woman in her bedroom going to it. She snaps a picture with her phone and quietly flees from the house and from Austin, Texas and drives herself back to her childhood home of Spa...more Well, I just loved the book. If I knew how to ski and loved the snow as much as the people in this book, I would move to Sparkle, Colorado too.

Jill Anthony is still mourning the miscarriage of her baby, but has gone back to work as a nurse. One day upon arriving home early she happens upon her husband, David, and another woman in her bedroom going to it. She snaps a picture with her phone and quietly flees from the house and from Austin, Texas and drives herself back to her childhood home of Sparkle, Colorado. There her friend, Lisa, welcomes her with open arms and hopes to help Jill. Jill had not left a message for David, but later when he called she did send him the picture she snapped on her phone. Enough said.

Jill gets work at a medical outpost on the mountain to help with injuries and any other mishap that should occur. She meets a variety of townspeople and begins to relax a bit. After staying with Lisa for a while, she moves into the Kennel, where the guys live that work on the mountain during ski season. She has her own room and enjoys their company. No strings.

Jill also takes on a job as a babysitter for Cassie Jones, 10, who has lost her mother to cancer and is having a hard time adjusting to this loss. Her father, Mike, is also a lost soul after his wife's death too. Jill does what she can to bring Cassie around and get her interested again in skiing. Cassie also finds that she likes to cook and that is another way to get her mind off her sorrow. Jill suggested that Cassie journal about her mother so that she will not forget her as Cassie is afraid that might happen. Jill adores Cassie. And, Mike is becoming attracted to Jill as well. Will this work out for Jill, Mike and Cassie? Could they eventually become a family?

I loved all of the characters in the book. Sometimes you cry, sometimes you laugh and then you want more. I hope there is a sequel to this book.

How I Came to Sparkle Again was a book that I had won through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I was so happy to have gotten this book. As I said, it was a really enjoyable book. Thanks Goodreads and Kaya McLaren.(less)

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Jul 16, 2012 Donna rated it 2 of 5 stars

I won this book through Goodreads First Reads.

I really wanted to like this book. The idea behind the story is a heartwarming one, but the book just fell flat for me.

I felt like the author did a poor job of developing the characters. I felt no emotional connection with them due to the lack of their depth, so I didn't feel like I cared one way or the other about what eventually happened to them. Some of the dialogue and character movements felt forced and unrealistic. The writing style at times fe...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Patrice Hoffman rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: giveaways

*Received ARC through Goodreads giveaway*

This book is about two women, and a girl who have all come to a crossroad in their lives and are really just finding what can bring them happiness again. Jill has caught her husband cheating and returns to the town she grew up in. Lisa is looking for love and no longer wants to sell her self short. And Cassie is a ten year old who has recently endured the loss of her mother. Each character is looking for some sort of calm after the storm that is their liv...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Linda Bsss rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jill Fritz, a nurse in Austin, Texas could not make her shift at the hospital and she was sent home, It was too soon after the death of her baby and she couldn't stand the hospital orders. just her luck that her car quit and she had to walk home only to catch her husband in their bed with some other woman!! Should she rush in and confront David? Her mind just told her to RUN and she took a picture with her cell and quietly walked out the house and back to her car to have it towed only to discove...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Sanchi rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am so lucky to have won this book on goodreads from firstreads, because it was by far one of the best books I have picked up in years! The story is about a woman named Jill who catches her husband having an affair, and so retreats to her home town called sparkle. When back in her hometown Jill takes up a couple different jobs that snowball her through some pretty emotional events with a girl named Cassie and her father Mike who recently lost Cassie's mother. The story also tells of an old frie...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars

A cute book I discovered when ordering fiction for my Library. Simple yet complex, but not your typical girl meets guy, looses guy, girl gets guy back again, and all live happily ever after.
Jill, looses a baby at seven months, and shortly after that, comes home unexpectedly, and finds husband home in bed, with another woman.
Jill runs away back to her hometown of Sparkle, Colorado and her best friend Lisa. Lisa, feeling like a Holiday Inn, is tired of the one night stands and all the men in her l...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Fox rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, fiction, chick-lit, 2012

I won this book through the fantastic First-Reads program!

While the title may inspire all sorts of Twilight related snickering, the book bears little in common with Twilight. It is written by a woman, and it does take place where the weather is cold and the sun somewhat optional... but that's about it. Sparkle is the name of the Colorado town that the protagonist, Jill, finds herself returning to when her marriage goes sour. Thus it begins.

I adored this book, personally, and a lot of that comes...more

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May 07, 2013 Crystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sometimes you happen to stumble onto books that aren't quite what you intended, but exactly what you need.
This book was that for me.

I loved reading this book, I fell in love with Lisa, she reminds me so much of my best friend at home. The boys from the Kennel, exactly the type of people you meet at ski-towns all over North America.
It was a well written, funny book that grabs your heart strings in ways you didn't think it would. Most of the romances are seen ahead of time, but it doesn't take awa...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Kristina rated it 5 of 5 stars

I came across this book in the store and rread the little insert about the story. I had to buy it! I took it homew and in less than two days finished the novel. It by far rates as one of my favorite books of all time. The characters were amazing and felt so real I could reach out and grab them. I felt myself rooting for the characters throughout the whole book. The way Kaya described the scenic views made me feel like I was standing there next to her characters experiencing it right with them. I...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Meghan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I won this book through Goodreads First Reads.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from the first page to the last. It literally made me laugh out loud sometimes and also tear up (I would read it on my lunch break at work so I really had to stop myself from crying!)

I think what I really liked most about this book is that it just shows you the power of human endurance. Life hands us some very hard situations sometimes and we have a hard time seeing that our future can get better. But it definitely can...more

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Nov 09, 2012 Cathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-read

I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. It is an easy read about Lisa, who after a miscarriage, finds her husband in their bed with another woman. Having moved to Sparkle as a teen to live with her Uncle, Lisa returns there and reconnects with her friend Lisa, her Uncle, and several others. At the same time, her friend Lisa re-evaluates her own life and begins to make changes. The other main character in the book is Cassie, a 10 year old who lost her mother to cancer. While many of the cir...more

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About Kaya McLaren

Penguin published the new-improved CHURCH OF THE DOG in 2008 and ON THE DIVINITY OF SECOND CHANCES in 2009. St. Martin's Press will release my long-awaited new novel, SPARKLE in fall of 2012.

I've been an archaeologist, a massage therapist, an art teacher and an elementary teacher.

When I'm not working, I love to telemark ski, cross-country ski, swim in lakes with my dog, skate ski, skate board (lo...more

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Quotes from How I Came to Sparkle ...

“If you can, judge less and observe more.” — 6 people liked it

“It brought him the most peace to simply believe that people were imperfect, and life was imperfect and sometimes bad things just happened.” — 5 people liked it

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