Maisie's List

by Beth Warstadt

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Kindle Edition

Published October 12, 2020

Reviews

[Moony (Captain Mischief) MeowPoff]

* I got this eARC from The Wild Rose Press, Inc and Netgalley in exhange for a honest review *

This was such a sweet read. At first glance of the book i did not imediately like Peter. But when i came to know why, and he showed differetn sides i really liked him. Plus Lacie and Logan was so cute! I liked that the author took alot of time to show us the daiting, that it wasn`t rushed and Peter thought alot about it, his familiy and his own feelings. Plus ofcourse i was roothing for the obvious couple all the way and the ending was sort of perfect.

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Single dad Peter Hunter never thought he’d be alone raising his son and daughter. It’s been fifteen months since Maisie died of cancer, yet it seems like yesterday. His days consist of running his vet clinic and keeping his children taken care of. His nights are restless and lonely, missing Maisie so much, he wishes his heart would just stop beating. When he discovers a package from Maisie on his desk, he doesn’t know what to make of it. Maisie has chosen a few candidates to be his next wife. Is she crazy? Maybe he’s crazy to go along with her ‘list’… or maybe this is exactly what he and the children need to move on. Forced to date again, Peter wonders whether Maisie’s plan will work or not until he connects with the one woman who’s been there for him and the children all along. Is it fate or possibly Maisie sending her blessing?

Maisie’s List is a captivating single dad romance with just the right amount of angst. What an original premise and Beth Warstadt pulls it off with funny dialogue, awkward moments, and sweet romance. There are plenty of serious topics addressed like grief, moving on, dating, parenting, blended families, and more. I applaud Beth Warstadt for dealing with these themes the right way, so they don’t overshadow the rest of the plot. If you’re like me and love Hallmark Channel’s heartfelt movies, you’ll want to read Maisie’s List. Highly recommend!

Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it.

My Rating: 5 stars

Reviewed by: Mrs. N

This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...

[Deborah Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I lived this lovely, well-written book. Warmth, depth, and absolutely true characters. I loved the core characters, identified, fell for and understood him totally. I know I imprinted my own widow hood into the story, and cried real salty tears. First time read of this Author and am looking for next! I recommend thus book heartily. Quick read, loved the hea.

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maisie's List is a sweet story, with a little humor and a lot of poignancy thrown in. It follows Peter, a widowed veterinarian with two kids, as he tries to fulfill one of his wife's last wishes: to find a woman to love. Maisie has left sealed, numbered envelopes with women she claims might be The One. We get to know Maisie, the wife, through her letters and through "conversations" Peter has with her at night. We also learn about her from the memories her kids and Peter's office manager Caroline share.

The story manages to escape being totally maudlin, though it's pretty obvious how the story will end. There's an attempt at dramatic conflict (involving Caroline's boyfriend) that falls short for me, so the story ended up being mostly a slow, rated G journey.

One thing that stood out to me was that the entire story (told in the third person) is entirely from Peter's perspective. I'm not sure if I've ever read a romance that doesn't come either entirely or at least partially from the heroine's point of view. Perhaps the author wanted to avoid giving away The One? As I said earlier, it's pretty obvious how the story will turn out, so maybe hearing from the heroine would have added some depth.

Finally, I'm not entirely sure that Peter won me over. He seemed a little chauvinistic, though to his credit, he also seemed to recognize that flaw and demonstrated a willingness to change. Overall, the story seemed to cling a little too much to stereotypical gender roles for my preferences.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Linda Rea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story tore apart my heart from beginning to end! Maisie left this earth much to early leaving a five year old girl and eleven year old boy with their dad Peter who never realized how hard it was to raise children, thank goodness for Caroline. Caroline has been the glue in the family since Maisie’s passing so she was the one who gave Peter the envelope that Maisie left for him, in that envelope was four numbered envelopes with women Maisie thought would make a good wife and mother for the family she loved so much. I never thought much about what a man had to go through after his young wife has passed and I loved how the author captured the story.

[Breen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Maisie’s List was different from my usual reads. It had a different vibe that felt like freshen air and I’m so pleased of what I read. The vet thing was the first part that trapped my attention. Who doesn’t love a man that loves animals? Like I said the story was different yet it was special too. It was a delightful single dad romance that had me smiling almost all the time.”

[Bookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adorably sweet, kind of sad read, second chance at love. A single Dad struggling to raise his kids and finds a package from his late wife. If you want all the feels grab this book.

[Neisha Exeter · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book. This woman really loved her husband and knew what he would need after she past away. This book gave me all the feels, lol. If you are looking for a little bit of laughter mixed in with some sadness and happiness then this is definitely the book for you. What a roller coaster ride this book was for me. Once I started reading this book I could not seem to put it down. Simply amazing book and definitely recommended.

[Samantha Waldow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will melt your heart. It has been 15 months since Peter lost his wife. He comes to work and there is a package for him. He recognized  the handwriting and was beside himself.  It was from his late wife. His wife lets him know that it was time to start dating. She leaves him 4 candidates that she has chosen for him. I enjoyed reading this book. From Peter trying with his kids, to trying to date.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I wasn't previously familiar with the author, Maisie's List was a total surprise to me in a very good way. It was a heartfelt and hopeful romance but at the same time there was a bittersweet element running under the main narrative that was spot on and gave it enough gravity and angst to keep me fully engaged in the story. The basic plot is that Peter, a harried single dad veterinarian of two kids, is trying to keep a whole lot of balls in the air after the death of his beloved wife. Prior to her death, she was a fully involved stay-at-home mom, who also helped out at his clinic, but now he finds himself with the entire weight of his grief, his business, and the emotional and practical needs of his 12 YO son and 6 YO daughter, resting on his shoulders. When the book opens, his office mgr, Caroline, hands him a manila envelope with a note and 4 sealed letters inside. It's from his wife, Maisie, who gave it to Caroline with the instructions "Give this to Peter when he's ready". Each letter is a suggestion of a woman that Peter should get to know better. He's initially appalled, as he absolutely does not feel ready to date, and of course feels no one could ever replace Maisie, but since the suggestion came from her, he reluctantly decides to open the first letter and see where (and to whom) it takes him.

What follows is Peter's realistic, honest, sweet, and earnest exploration of moving on, trying to figure out what's best both for himself and for his family, and the rebirth of feelings that he honestly thought he'd never feel again. In addition, as he meets and gets to know the women that Maisie suggested for him, he also gets more insight into the life she led outside of the roles of wife and mother that he tended to see her in. I loved how Peter didn't jump wholeheartedly into dating, he went forward in fits and starts, often having to push himself outside of his comfort zone, but at the same time almost compelled to move forward. He also always considered his kids' feelings knowing that they were an integral part of the process. Finally, I loved that each woman that Peter dated wasn't just a cipher with no purpose outside of the dating plot. The author didn't give us any POV other than his, yet she skillfully showed that each woman was a person in her own right, with both good and bad qualities, and a life outside of her interactions with Peter. When the inevitable end to the story came (including a lovely and heartfelt HEA), it was both joyous and again bittersweet. I ended the book missing Maisie, but content in knowing that her husband and kids had a wonderful life to look forward to. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Tammy Deighan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story of course started off hard to read. Never something you want to read about when a loved one passes away. But let me tell you this author was great in the way she told this story. The way the way his wife who past away left him a list of things to do and people to meet. I love this book. There was tears, laughs and also love...

[Lizzi]

A really heart warming and emotionally great story. Fantastic characters that were fun and interesting. Loved it!!

[Tripip · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is both a heart wrenching and heart warming read told totally in Peter’s POV. Peter is a young widower who has spent the last year mourning the death of his wife and mother of his children. At the urging of his late wife in the form of some letters, Peter is entering the dating world again. There is some laughter especially in the scenes with the children. There are some commiserating moments when Peter awkwardly starts dating. There are some poignant moments when he converses with his wife, Maisie. I would have liked a little more passion especially with his love interest. The dramatic moments with the angry boyfriend felt a little stilted but overall I liked this story.

I received a free copy from Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

[Tracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter Hunter is a 37 year old veterinarian who is still recovering from the death of his wife. His children Logan and Lacie are good kids but being a single dad is difficult. His wife Maisie left some letters for Peter with Caroline, his office manager, urging him to start dating again. There is humor here, so it isn't maudlin and the characters are likeable. I received a copy from the publisher for an honest review.

[Tessa]

I could not get to the end fast enough. I had to know how this ended. I was not disappointed. Maisie’s List is beautifully and thoughtfully written. It is movie worthy. Peter is a widowed, veterinarian raising two children. He learns that his wife has written him letters to move on with his life when he is ready. I love the whole concept of this story. It was not as sad as I thought it might be which helped me enjoy this story without too many tears. The ending of each letter grabbed my heart, but the “conversations” Peter had with Maisie shows us that just because we have lost someone, does not mean they have left us. The kids in this story felt real and Caroline was beautiful throughout.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was like nothing that I have ever read. Peter is widowed day to a son and daughter. Grieving the loss of his wife, Maisey you feel for him and the kids.
Maisey left a list of four potential ladies to fill her role in letters for Peter. This story shows the real struggles that Peter faces with grief, prioritizing his kids and trying to honor Maisies matches for him.
Heartfelt in everyway and heart tugging a emotional and wonderful read.
Shows the different ways life goes on and how we manage to move forward. Each character grew on me. Told in Peters POV you really see him develop.
I am volunteering to leave a review for this book

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a bittersweet clean romance with a wonderfully happy ending. The author walk is through the journey of grieving a life and lover and finding a new path with a little help. Thank you for the opportunity to read an ARC copy

[Mardell Bonasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved you in that life and beyond.
Peter finds himself juggling full time single parenting of 2 active children and running a successful veterinary practice when he receives a package from his deceased wife containing a letter and 4 numbered envelopes. The letter explains how he must move on in the world and start dating again. The numbered envelopes contain names of potential love interests. After the third envelope, Peter decides he does not want to open the fourth but instead chooses his own office manager, Caroline. Caroline had always been an important part of their family so it was just a natural progression.
This story was well written but a little predictable.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could give this book a ten honestly this is the best book I’ve read in really long time. I’ve found another author that is now on my I must read list. This story is beautifully written. This book melted my heart.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books that I have read in a while! I couldn't stop reading it even when my eyes started tearing up. This was such an emotional rollercoaster with great characters! I will definitely read this book again!

[Michele Del Rey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a really good read. Peter took me a little while to warm up too. I love single dad books and I loved this one. This was sweet and sexy in every good way.

[Sally Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet,sweet story! The characters are engaging! My heart went out to Peter. Maisie had a great love for him to leave those letters! ( also showed how well she knew him!) Another great read that’s a similar story is Hannah’s List.