Reviews

Susannah's Garden by Debbie Macomber

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kimreadz's review against another edition

3.0

This was a quick read, and interesting, but moved a little slow at times. Susannah is experieincing a 'mid-life' crisis. Her father, the one she never got along with, has recently died. Her mother is devasted and experieinces memory problems. Susannah finds it necessary to travel to her childhood home to put her mother into assisted living. This is timely, since she has been dreaming about an old boyfriend whom she expected to marry, but her father did not approve and broke them up. Or did he? Susannah really needs to know. About the same time her boyfriend disappeared, her only sibling, a brother, was killed in a horrible accident. She was in France and not allowed to come home for the funeral, a fact for which she never forgave her father.

Her confused college age daughter, home for the summer, follows her mother to grandma's. She meets and falls in love with a 'low-life' and her mother does not approve. She appears to be determined to repeat the mistake her father made, and pays him (at HIS request) to disappear. The book has a happy ending, but never really explains if her daughter discovers the deal her mother made and how she reacts, I would be interested. But maybe that is in the next book.

kamilla112's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

sadeyes2's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5 Stars

sknberg's review against another edition

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lighthearted

3.0

aspygirlsmom_1995's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

gabmc's review against another edition

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3.0

I really enjoyed this book about a woman, Susannah, returning to her home town to take care of her mum and then re-connectiing with her high school friends. For some reason, leading up to this return home, she'd been dreaming of her high school sweetheart, Jake. Jake had disappeared at the same time as her Susannah's brother, Doug, had been killed in a car accident while Susannah was spending the year in France at boarding school. Susannah had decided to look Jake up while she was home. She gets back in touch with her best friend, Carolyn, and against Carolyn's better judgment, she helps Susannah out. Meanwhile Susannah's mum has really gone down hill since the death of her dad the year before. Susannah has unresolved feelings about her dad, believing him to be cold and preferring Doug over her. Susannah's daughter, Chrissie also comes to town and falls in love with a bad boy, giving Susannah one more worry. Luckily it all ends well and Susannah decides to retire from teaching and open a flower shop in Blossom Street.