Sweet Waters by Julie Carobini - MY THOUGHTS

ABOUT THE BOOK:

What happens when the fairytale turns out to be a soap opera?

Tara Sweet is nothing if not sensible. Usually. But her engagement is off, and her mother—yes, mother—is newly married and gallivanting around Europe.

It’s time for a change. So she convinces her sisters to honor their father’s final wish and rediscover the fairy-tale life they knew in Otter Bay, California. But Tara discovers fairy tales are fragile—and truth is often one ugly layer after another of secrets, accusation, rumor, and a past an entire church wants to forget.

Firefighter Josh Adams knows all about battling personal demons. He’s been doing so ever since a woman nearly died in his arms. Actually, long before . . .

As the turbulence in their lives grows, Tara and Josh find themselves at odds with their families, their faith, the townspeople of Otter Bay—and each other.

Only in facing the lies from the past can they find the truth.

MY THOUGHTS:

"You want everything to be easy. And controllable. And when it's not? You run." (p. 104)

Oh my! Tara Sweet’s sister has nailed her! An older sister, always trying to keep things together, and Tara suddenly finds that everything is falling apart. Thinking that her mother’s recent marriage has opened the door for change, Tara and her sisters take off on a rather unexpected adventure and return to a beachside town where they lived as children. Planning only to visit the past, once the girls arrive things begin to change rapidly and in very unexpected ways. The details from their parent’s past are launched at them like so many bombs, and the fall-out…well, you’ll have to read the story to find that out!

Oh! Let’s not forget the romance! There’s this firefighter named Josh, and as it turns out, he is dealing with some parental issues of his own. But his amazing faith and his big ‘ole heart just sort of flow over onto Tara, and he proves to be a great agent of change in this story in more ways than one. And let’s not forget Liz and Cam…the two sisters. They also have vital roles and lessons to learn and pasts to deal with. I can't forget Nigel, and Peg and Beth...oh, the cast is so interesting and their personalities so real! In short, this book is packed from beginning to end, and not once will you ever get bored. You may get a tad frustrated trying to figure out the pieces to the puzzle, but when they begin to fall in place…oh my!!

I think I said that already.

Julie Carobini’s writing is really superb, and Sweet Waters is chick-lit at it’s very best! And I LOVE this line..."I've learned that moving on requires letting go of everything - except my faith." (p. 311) Isn't that the truth? You won't believe all that takes place before that statement can be made by ANY of the characters in this story! God is so faithful! Originally, this book was scheduled to release from B&H in August, but I just learned it’s already available! So please visit B&H and learn more about this great book!

Julie Carobini is an award-winning writer whose stories often spotlight her family, the sea, and God's timely work in the lives of those around her. She lives with her husband, Dan, and their three children in Ventura Beach, California.

She also likes to blog! Go leave her a comment at Waves of Grace.