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113th out of 263 books
—
179 voters
The Sweet By and By (Songbird #1)
by
Sara Evans,
Rachel Hauck (Goodreads Author)
Jade Fitzgerald left the pain of her past in the dust when she headed out for college a decade ago. Now she's thriving in her career and glowing in the light of Max Benson's love.
But then Jade's hippie mother, Beryl Hill, arrives in Whisper Hollow, Tennessee, for Jade's wedding along with Willow, her wild younger sister. Their arrival forces Jade to throw open the dark clo...more
But then Jade's hippie mother, Beryl Hill, arrives in Whisper Hollow, Tennessee, for Jade's wedding along with Willow, her wild younger sister. Their arrival forces Jade to throw open the dark clo...more
Hardcover, 311 pages
Published
January 5th 2010
by Thomas Nelson
(first published September 15th 2009)
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I'm not usually a women's fiction fan, but I am a huge Rachel Hauck fan and her collaboration with Sara Evans did not let me down. Like her other stories, this book was filled with her signature multi-layered characters.
Beryl is an aging hippie trying to reconnect with her estranged daughter Jade. Unfortunately, Jade carries a lot of bitterness and anger toward her mother. As the authors deftly reveal her hurts to us one layer at a time, we ache over her past but cheer her on as she finally lear...more
Beryl is an aging hippie trying to reconnect with her estranged daughter Jade. Unfortunately, Jade carries a lot of bitterness and anger toward her mother. As the authors deftly reveal her hurts to us one layer at a time, we ache over her past but cheer her on as she finally lear...more
The Sweet By and By failed to charm me. While I enjoyed the story style (alternating perspectives from Jade to her mother Beryl) this story about communication (or the lack of) and forgiveness never inched its way into my heart. Much like the wounded bird Jade is compared to, it struggled to fly. I am however curious to see how Jade evolves in part two Softly and Tenderly due out this January. Maybe I will try book two in audio.
Review Copyright © of Tales of Whimsy.com
To read my review in full p...more
Review Copyright © of Tales of Whimsy.com
To read my review in full p...more
Jade Fitzgerald is smart, successful, sweet, and is engaged to the man she loves. They agree on almost everything, especially keeping "the past in the past". As the wedding draws closer, can her past really be kept under wraps, especially when she invites her hippie mother to the wedding and she arrives early? Jade finds out that sometimes we must look back to move forward, as this is where true happiness begins.
A beautiful story about secrets and mistakes, love and forgiveness, and faith. Sara...more
A beautiful story about secrets and mistakes, love and forgiveness, and faith. Sara...more
First off I have to say I was really skeptical when I saw that Sara Evans (yes..the country singer) wrote it with the help of another author. I automatically think "OK..how much of this did she actually write?" I don't know- but I do know it was a good book.
The story is of a woman named Jade, who had a not so ideallic childhood and clearly not coping with her abadonment issues. I have to say I hate characters, and people in general, who aren't able to move past things in their past. OK- so your...more
The story is of a woman named Jade, who had a not so ideallic childhood and clearly not coping with her abadonment issues. I have to say I hate characters, and people in general, who aren't able to move past things in their past. OK- so your...more
Jade is about to get married but there's a sticking point--she has to decide whether to invite her mother to the wedding. She's been estranged from her mother (Beryl) for years, and she isn't sure whether it's worth the drama to have her there. Beryl used to be a hippie and spent much of her three kids' childhoods on the road with one musician boyfriend (or husband) or another.
You should know that this is Christian fiction, although that wasn't too noticeable until the end. So if that would bug...more
You should know that this is Christian fiction, although that wasn't too noticeable until the end. So if that would bug...more
The Sweet By and By is written by Sara Evans with Rachel Hauck is a very good debut by the Multi-platinum Country singer. I actually enjoyed this book way more than I expected. It is definitely a Ladies book but fans of Sara Evans of either gender will enjoy this story.
Jade is getting married as she runs a vintage shop and as she tries to move forward she has to deal with her past. The characters Sarah has created jump off the page. As the story gets going you get pulled in more and more. You st...more
Jade is getting married as she runs a vintage shop and as she tries to move forward she has to deal with her past. The characters Sarah has created jump off the page. As the story gets going you get pulled in more and more. You st...more
Jade has found the perfect man. Max loves Jade more that anything and they are planning their dream wedding. Everything seems to be well but there is a storm inside Jade-- she has a lot of things to go through before she can be completely happy and marry Max. Also Max has his own secrets which he has to reveal before they can be happy and live without secrets.
I really liked this book. The characters are realistic (in some books the perfection of the characters makes me mad). Jade feels like a ty...more
I really liked this book. The characters are realistic (in some books the perfection of the characters makes me mad). Jade feels like a ty...more
This delightful novel by country singer and songwriter, Sara Evans, is a story about love, forgiveness, redemption, faith, and relationships. As she approaches her wedding day, the main character, Jade, has to deal with a lot of past pain and regret bubbling up to the surface – or rather, dragged to the surface by her estranged free-spirited mom and the rest of her rag-tag broken family and by her seemingly perfect, polished family-to-be. Through it all, Jade grows and learns that you do not hav...more
"The Sweet By and By" is a poignant story of love, dysfunction, wrong choices, anger, abandonment, heartbreak, bitterness, and multiple secrets haunting Jade Freedom Fitzgerald before she gets married to Maxwell (Max) Charles Benson.
Jade was born into the home of hippie parents, who later divorced, setting her up for abandonment issues and bitterness to run her life, and leaving Jade responsible to help raise her siblings, with the help of her grandmother, while her mother toured the country wit...more
Jade was born into the home of hippie parents, who later divorced, setting her up for abandonment issues and bitterness to run her life, and leaving Jade responsible to help raise her siblings, with the help of her grandmother, while her mother toured the country wit...more
Reviewed by Cindy Loven
Jade Freedom Fitzgerald is getting married. Marrying a young lawyer, Max Benson from Whisper Hollow TN. A match she feels very unworthy of, although Jade feels unworthy of nearly everything. She has major baggage she is carrying from her childhood. The daughter of a original flower child/hippie lawyer the actions of her parents have left huge scars in Jade. Scars she has tried to bury deep within her to never be dealt with.
As wedding preparations take place however, old w...more
This is the story of a girl named Jade who is getting ready to be married in only weeks while at the same time sorting through her very painful past. Her mother is free spirit, her father has been out of her life since she was 8, and she was forced to grow up way to fast and face heartache after heartache.
I enjoyed the story for the simple pleasure of reading. The story line was believable due to the craziness of today's world. It also has it's touching side of reconciliation and healing.
However...more
I enjoyed the story for the simple pleasure of reading. The story line was believable due to the craziness of today's world. It also has it's touching side of reconciliation and healing.
However...more
"The Sweet By and By" is a contemporary Christian fiction/romance set in a fictional, rural Tennessee town called Whisper Hollow.
Centering around Jade Fitzgerald, who finds herself confronting a difficult and conflicted past as she prepares for her upcoming wedding to Max Benson. Jade struggles to come to terms with her past and a mother haunted by her own personal choices.
"The Sweet By and By" shows promise as it follows Jade and her attempts to come to terms with her past and the choices she...more
Centering around Jade Fitzgerald, who finds herself confronting a difficult and conflicted past as she prepares for her upcoming wedding to Max Benson. Jade struggles to come to terms with her past and a mother haunted by her own personal choices.
"The Sweet By and By" shows promise as it follows Jade and her attempts to come to terms with her past and the choices she...more
Book Description:
Jade Fitzgerald left the pain of her past in the dust when she headed out for college a decade ago. Now she's thriving in her career and glowing in the light of Max Benson's love. But then Jade's hippie mother, Beryl Hill, arrives in Whisper Hollow, Tennessee, for Jade's wedding along with Willow, her wild younger sister.
Their arrival forces Jade to throw open the dark closets of her past -- the insecurity of living with a restless, wandering mother, the silence of her absent f...more
Jade Fitzgerald left the pain of her past in the dust when she headed out for college a decade ago. Now she's thriving in her career and glowing in the light of Max Benson's love. But then Jade's hippie mother, Beryl Hill, arrives in Whisper Hollow, Tennessee, for Jade's wedding along with Willow, her wild younger sister.
Their arrival forces Jade to throw open the dark closets of her past -- the insecurity of living with a restless, wandering mother, the silence of her absent f...more
An amazing story of forgiveness. Truly AMAZING!!! I was completely captivated from the very beginning. A page turner that made me smile, laugh, and cry a bit, too! The characters fit the plot in a wonderful way and I felt as if I was takend straight into the pages, living the pain with the characters and the love with them and the faith. I could really relate to alot of the things that happened in the pages of the book. God really spoke to me!
From struggles of preparing for a wedding to having...more
From struggles of preparing for a wedding to having...more
The Sweet by and by is a wholesome Christian story about Jade, a vintage shop owner living in a small town. Jade is getting married and this life changing event has brought up elements from past relationships that Jade has long buried. (Primarily the relationship with her parents but also various other meaningful relationships.) It is a very touching and heartfelt story and accurately displays how vulnerable we can all be at times. This story is about looking within and forgiveness. It is a very...more
It took me much longer to get into than most books I end up really liking. I felt like I still didn´t really know Jade´s story until closer to the end even though there were several chapters describing her childhood. Same with Beryl. I think that some of the beginning could have been more condensed. Jade´s realization and finding Christ was very nice. I liked how it how came together in the end but I would have liked to had gotten to that sooner. I am happy that Sara Evans wrote a book of this s...more
The Sweet By and By is the first novel by recording artist Sara Evans. In collaboration with author Rachel Hauck, this book is a story about finding real love in the midst of dealing with a painful past. Jade Fitzgerald is the owner of a quirky vintage shop, The Blue Umbrella, and she’s engaged to marry the man of her dreams Max Benson. When Jade’s hippie mother, Beryl Hill, arrives in town before the wedding Jade is forced to deal with a strained relationship and hurt feelings she’s tried to ke...more
Jade finally found the man to love her forever. When Jade’s mother is invited to her wedding, her presence dredges up the past Jade worked so hard to keep hidden. Will her secrets stay buried, or is it time for Jade to tell the whole truth?
The Sweet By and By has characters so real you can substitute their names for someone you know. From looking at the cover, you may think this is going to be a warm fuzzy book to read by a fire. Go ahead and read it by the fire, but let me tell you: the charact...more
The Sweet By and By has characters so real you can substitute their names for someone you know. From looking at the cover, you may think this is going to be a warm fuzzy book to read by a fire. Go ahead and read it by the fire, but let me tell you: the charact...more
From the author/back cover:
"All my songs tell a story. But this one's special. My first novel. A story about Jade. Her search for real love, her one-eyed mutt, hippie mother, and quirky vintage shop. It's about looking backward while moving forward. About chasing dreams, endless country roads, and tender faith. A breath of fresh air that'll take you away and leave your heart humming a song of joy." ~ Sara
Small excerpt ~ Chapter 1:
"The October sun warmed the Blue Umbrella's office. A pool of ligh...more
"All my songs tell a story. But this one's special. My first novel. A story about Jade. Her search for real love, her one-eyed mutt, hippie mother, and quirky vintage shop. It's about looking backward while moving forward. About chasing dreams, endless country roads, and tender faith. A breath of fresh air that'll take you away and leave your heart humming a song of joy." ~ Sara
Small excerpt ~ Chapter 1:
"The October sun warmed the Blue Umbrella's office. A pool of ligh...more
The cover advertising this book being written by a well know country artist really caught my eye in the book store! I love Sara Evans songs and figured the songs she wrote where great why wouldn't the book be?! Much to my surprise I wasn't impressed! The characters and storyline were interesting but at the same time, as another persons review read it did move a little back and forth alot so you have to really pay attention to the dates! The main part that was highly disappointing to me was the e...more
A wonderful story that kept me reading until the very end and made me even more excited to know that there is book two already on my nook ready to start! You find yourself wrapped into a story where there are quite a few mysteries that you are trying to figure out throughout the book. I loved how the reader was kept just as much out of the loop as the characters and we learn about the history that makes these characters who they are as they share them with others in the story.
The mother/daughte...more
The mother/daughte...more
Have you ever listened to a song and thought that would make a great book to read. Sweet By and By is just that. Evans with Hauck has a unique voice that uses the English language in a delightful way.
Whisper Hollow is the place Jade has come to escape painful memories. She’s building a new life, getting married and loving the way this life is turning out. Then it begins to crumble. Unwelcome surprises from her past show up on her doorstep, prince charming seems to be a bit tarnished and then the...more
Whisper Hollow is the place Jade has come to escape painful memories. She’s building a new life, getting married and loving the way this life is turning out. Then it begins to crumble. Unwelcome surprises from her past show up on her doorstep, prince charming seems to be a bit tarnished and then the...more
Dec 29, 2009
Heidi Main
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Heidi by:
Rachel Hauck
The Sweet By And By is a sweet debut novel. A lighthearted read that will leave you longing to spend more time with the characters you have grown to love. Sara Evans has a lyrical touch to her prose that sometimes read like a song—no surprise since she is a country singer and writes her own music! She uses flashbacks like a pro and the plot twists keep coming and coming and coming.
I don't know that I've ever read a character so wounded as Jade Fitzgerald. And Jade comes a long way, emotionally,...more
I don't know that I've ever read a character so wounded as Jade Fitzgerald. And Jade comes a long way, emotionally,...more
Jade Fitzgerald left Prairie City, Iowa behind when she went to college in Tennessee. Now she lives in Whisper Hollow, TN and is getting married to Max Benson. She debates long and hard, but finally sends an invitation to her mother. Her mother and sister arrive three weeks early for the wedding. Their arrival forces Jade to confront things from her past that she thought she had left behind. Her mother must also deal with issues from their past before illness takes her life.
A complex story of fa...more
A complex story of fa...more
I'm not sure what to make of this book.
The book is more about the Jade & her mother's relationship than a romance between Jade & Max (who are engaged to be married). I agreed with the author that God can change a person and fix/heal relationships... But I believe that it still takes work, work, work (and time).
When an author deliberately leaves information out of the story to create suspense, I feel cheated. And I don't think that is a creative way of writing.
The second book in this se...more
The book is more about the Jade & her mother's relationship than a romance between Jade & Max (who are engaged to be married). I agreed with the author that God can change a person and fix/heal relationships... But I believe that it still takes work, work, work (and time).
When an author deliberately leaves information out of the story to create suspense, I feel cheated. And I don't think that is a creative way of writing.
The second book in this se...more
Jade runs the Blue Umbrella, a kitschy little antique joint in Whisper Hollow, Tennessee. Jade is on the verge of happily marrying Max and both have agreed to keep the events in their past exactly that - in the past. But Jade's off-the-wall, hippie mother Beryl and sister, Willow, arrive for the wedding weeks early and soon shake up things from Jade's unconventional past. Inspirational and heartwarming in nature, learning forgiveness is at the core of this novel.
Written by Sara Evans, country w...more
Written by Sara Evans, country w...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Sometimes the past is better left in the past. That's what Jade Fitzgerald is convinced would be best for her, but as the weeks count down before she marries the man of her dreams Jade is haunted by her broken childhood. Should she invite the mother who abandoned her? Just how much heartache is she willing to expose herself to in order to reach out?
Beryl never grew out of being the free-spirited flower child of the '60's. She's lived life on her own terms with little thought of the impact her ch...more
Beryl never grew out of being the free-spirited flower child of the '60's. She's lived life on her own terms with little thought of the impact her ch...more
When the book arrived in my mailbox, I was ready for an easy read. In a way, this novel fit that bill - the writing style of Evans and Hauck really flows.
While it's an easy read, the book is filled with a variety of meaty topics.
I'll admit, I had trouble putting the book down - and I definitely wasn't ready for the story to end. (Is it really going to be a whole year before I know what happens next?).
I think, if you chose to pick up this book, you'll find a unique story that you will enjoy.
While it's an easy read, the book is filled with a variety of meaty topics.
I'll admit, I had trouble putting the book down - and I definitely wasn't ready for the story to end. (Is it really going to be a whole year before I know what happens next?).
I think, if you chose to pick up this book, you'll find a unique story that you will enjoy.
The main character in this story is Jade Fitzgerald who is about to get married to Max Benson. They made a promise to each other that their pasts were in the past but there are things which Jade hasn't told Max about her past. However Jades secrets from her past come to light and she needs to decide how to handle them. Beryl arrives in Whisper Hollow, Tennessee with her other daughter Willow for Jades wedding. But it turns out that Beryl also has a secret.
I was really looking forward to reading...more
I was really looking forward to reading...more
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Nov 27, 2010 02:25pm
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