was Brooke to do now Her marriage was over, There was always her grandmother's will that said she was to inherit the house, When she got to the house, nothing has been done since her grandmother's death, What a mess! While in town she met people who could remember her from when she lived here, Meanwhile, Holly has discovered her finance has been killed in an automobile accident, She was lost. These two women find each other and go on a short road trip where they meet up with different circumstances.
Enjoy this book showing a friendship between two woman who each have decisions to make, Friendships. Family. Finding your true self. Holly and Brooke are real women dealing with issues which we can all relate to, This story moves along at a slow pace which allows you to understand the characters and their circumstances, The dialogue, however. , can be fast paced and has the effect of sometimes making you laugh out loud and at other times hold back a sob.
I felt like I was leaving friends when I closed the final page,
And the fact that there's a sequel has me jumping for joy! Really hard to believe plot, . . I felt like I wasted my time, I love going into books blind because I think it gives more to the book, I love not knowing what to expect or what may happen later on, By doing this and reading so much, I never know what to expect when I start a book, That was the best addition for Written in the Stars by Christina Coryell,
This book was like speeding out an old dirt road, You don't know what is going to happen next, where the next hole may be and that the dust could be hiding what you've been looking for all along.
The ups and downs of this book were gripping, While Coryell gives you a lot of story, she does it smoothly and easily understandable, You never get bored and you are always wanting more and more and more, What more could you want
I love the simplicity that Coryell always mixes in with the harder parts of a story and vice versa.
This one was no different, It's nice to have a story to read that is simply beautiful and is different from the normal "down and dirty" that other romance novels always have.
I highly recommend this lighthearted and meaningful read for anyone who loves a good story!
cent sale! sitelink to/vjGvf I have lived in various small towns all of my life, and there are some things that are universal in said small towns.
With Written in the Stars, Ms, Coryell does an excellent job of making that backroads, small town feel come to life and become so very real.
She vividly captures that life and that atmosphere, She doesnt tell us what small town life is like, but aptly demonstrates it, shows it with each word of her book, each place you visit, each situation that arises.
My skin almost felt gritty with dust as Brooke arrived in Hope Canyon and saw her grandmothers home in so many years.
The authors words do so much more than describe, they transport you there,
Not only does Ms, Coryell take you to Hope Canyon, she really takes you on a journey with these characters and I love it when an author accomplishes that feat.
You feel the ghosts of the past that these people must face in more ways than one and can identify with many of their internal struggles.
I saw Hollys and Brookes friendship as God providing us with what we need, even the people we need, in an unexpected way.
Through their trek together, they discover things about themselves and about each other as well as see some truths theyve been missing.
I loved seeing them begin to go from trying to go it all alone to starting to let walls come down with the burden of secrets being shared and steps to move forward being taken.
I must admit that the book brought about some very mixed emotions in me, There were situations that made me ache for the characters and wish that maybe different choices had been made or that, at least, maybe things could be made right from this point on.
Thankfully, there is hope of that presented in the book, There is a particular ghost of the past for Holly and Hunter that really frustrated me someone who should have wanted the best for both of them, but instead seemed only to selfishly think of himself.
Theres a lot left to the story so maybe more will come out that will help me understand that situation better in the second book, but as of now, it just frustrates me that someone would toy with someone elses life for so long.
Honestly, I think Ill know more about my feelings concerning some situations and characters after I get my hands on the second book in the series.
My biggest “complaint” if you can even call it that is where the book ended, While its not a complete cliffhanger type ending, theres definitely a lot more to the journey, It sort of feels like were really getting somewhere and seeing some hopeful things happen and then the book ends.
And while I am grateful for the hopeful happenings, I am also more than ready to continue the journey, I want to know more, I feel like we were just beginning to scratch the surface
of these characters and their stories and just really starting to get down to the deeper layers at the end of this book.
Life is ongoing and not all cut and dry and perfect and I get that, but I really prefer for the books I read to have more solid endings.
I like to leave a book feeling like, even though things may not be perfect, my friends, the characters, are on pretty solid ground.
Ive read another series by this author and she epilogued that series in a way that I loved and that left me with a smile for days, so I am optimistic that the second book, Written in the Dust which will be coming out Octoberrd will follow through and have a more solid ending.
Settle in for a trip to a small town with its quirks, joys, griefs, the good, and the bad with Written in the Stars and lets get ready to see where this journey will take us.
Tragedy is about to touch the life of Holly Christian, Her fiancé just died in a freak motorcycle accident, something she learns when the sheriff drives up the gravel road to deliver the devastating news.
All around her in the “backroads” town where she lives, everyone offers sympathetic looks and a kind word, Through the haze, Holly feels one emotion: guilt, She hasnt even cried, a reaction Holly knows isnt normal,
Instead all she remembers are Chads whispered words, . . and the looks shell get if the truth comes out,
Coinciding with these changes is the return of Brooke Langdon, Returning to Hope Canyon, all she drags with her is a world weary attitude, Its time she prepares her grandmothers home for selling, but her past isnt ready to let her off so easily.
Instead, returning to this town of dirt roads, and fewer people, brings up memories, One of whom is Gatlin Moore,
Prior to reading Stars, I hadnt read any of this authors books, They always popped up in my
searches and stuck with me because of their brightly colored covers, but until now, they hadnt shown up on my “read” shelf.
When the opportunity to read this one arose, I remembered one of Coryells novels does sit on my shelf, which ignited the excitement for this story.
Discovering new stories is one of my favorite opportunities as a book blogger, especially when its in my favored genre.
Because of this, reading Written in the Stars and discovering the story it has to tell is a lovely experience.
Inside these pages lies a story driven by emotions and themes of ones past defining their character and future.
Not all of which results in good memories or happiness, The characters influenced by these emotions feel very real, Theyre “ordinary” people struggling with ordinary problems and complications, Each of the characters is splintered in some way, The fourperson POV helps strengthen these underpinnings as the reader learns more about these people, their stories and the what or who keeps them going.
One of the lighter direction changes is the unexpected “road trip” angle, This is one “twist” I didnt see coming, but found to be a neat addition and therapeutic for its characters.
Unlike anything Ive ever read before, Written in the Stars is an emotional story showered in the quiet joys of finding hope.
When you think small town, you think cozy vibes and cheerful chatter, This story takes a different approach in its more complex themes and nature,
Its a story about reinventing yourself, Its about seeking whats missing, Its about spontaneity. Its about healing. Its a story of finding reconciling whats past, and looking for the better tomorrow, the better you, Its a story that has so much yet to impart when these characters return in Coryells follow up novel, Written in the Dust.
Oh this is such a good read, I devoured it in one sitting and promptly went and bought bookin the series, If you like slow, simmering romances, then this book is for you, Full review on Faithfully Bookish
I adore the characters and the small town culture, Written in the Stars has an encouraging message that touched my reader heart,
Speaking from a lifetime of experience, I have to say that the way the lives of these former friends and acquaintances are intricately intertwined throughout the story is authentically reflective of intimate communities across the heartland.
The author does a great job of introducing the characters one by one then weaving their stories together and seamlessly revealing past connections and individual background stories.
I hope yall will forgive the brief review because I do NOT want to risk any spoilers here! This story is too good, I just cant risk it! After reading this book, a gentle reminder for each of us lingered in my heart.
. . we need to find our identity and worth in Christ, not our circumstances, My heart was fully engaged by the residents of Hope Canyon and I will be eagerly anticipating next visit while reading more stories from this authors backlist!
I requested the opportunity to read this book through the author.
The opinions expressed are my own, Another heartfelt and relatable book by Christina Coryell, who is not afraid to touch on uncomfortable subjects in a compassionate way.
Written in the Stars will leaving you with bated breath for the sequel, You will laugh. You will cry. But most of all, you will not be the same, Written in the Stars
God knows just what we need, even when we don't, Holly needed Brooke, but Brooke needed Holly too, Their relationship allowed them to discover who they were and where they want to be, It allowed them to face some hard facts about their life and that it would all be OK,
It amazes me who God will bring into our lives to help us stop living a lie, stop pretending that everything is prefect.
The ways He will get our attention so that we can live free, This is a story of moving forward, letting go of your fears and living your truth, Written in the Stars is beautiful,
The first thing that caught my eye about Written in the Stars by Christina Coryell was the awesome cover.
I really enjoy reading books set in a small towns and from the first page I knew it would be one of those books that has a hometown family feeling to it.
I really enjoyed the banter between
Brooke and Holly, even though they hadn't seen each other in years, they still had a strong friendship that withstands the passage of time and circumstances.
This is such a heartwarming story and really nails life in a small town where everyone knows everyone else's business.
I totally loved it and can't wait for Written in the Dust! Oh! How I loved this story, It is refreshingly unpretentious, yet beautifully complex, It is sitting on a porch swing on a warm summer night, because if you go inside you might miss something extraordinary.
It is a cool drink in your hand, from a can or a cardboard box, because you're hanging with people who've seen you without your face made up and love you just the same.
It's finding yourself crosslegged in the dirt and wondering how you ended up there, . . and also finding a kind hand reaching to pull you back to your feet, whether you deserve it or not.
It is the place where joy and ache stand sidebyside, linking arms, and somehow there is peace in that contradiction.
It is gathering the courage to peek at a future that seemed lost, and daring to look for hope in spite of the mess.
Crank up some Miranda Lambert or Carrie Underwood maybe even a little Brad Paisley or Mo Pitney and settle in for a smalltown read with big appeal.
From the gravel roads and swirling dust to the old dock and the symphony of crickets amp cicadas, anyone who has ever lived and loved in a small town will find their place in this story.
While there are some yummy heroes with definite book boyfriend material in Written in the Stars, its really more about the ladies journey.
Brooke former Miss Texas, not Miss America thankyouverymuch and Holly a small town girl through and through are both completely relatable as heroines, no matter your life experiences or background.
If youre like me, youll see a little bit of yourself in each woman, Sassy Holly may be my fave, but Brooke has a lot to teach me and I think wed end up good friends in the long run.
Both women are stronger than they give themselves credit for, and their temporary adventure is one of my fave aspects of the book.
Made me smile and pulled on my heart,
Bottom Line: Written in the Stars by Christina Coryell is a love letter to small town America, Its a story about friendship and love, about coming home and leaving home, But its also a gentle reminder to hold out for the person who would go through the trenches for us, to remember that were worth the wait, but to also not believe the lies that tell us our worth is found in any person or identity.
Instead, its found in the One who hung the, knows them each by name, and pursues us with an everlasting Love that gives us the courage to dream and the strength to hope.
While these elements are subtle to be sure, they are still visible enough to stir the heart in the right direction.
If you love a small town setting, vivid characters and compelling backstories, head down these backroads with Christina Coryell!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book
first seen at sitelinkReading Is My SuperPower.