Reviews

A New Hope by Robyn Carr

scoutmomskf's review against another edition

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5.0

Very good book. Ginger was introduced in the previous book (One Wish). She came to Thunder Point to get away from the memories of her failed marriage and the child she lost to SIDS. Her Aunt Ray Anne helped Ginger out of her depression and to the point where she was starting to live life again. Ginger got a job helping Grace in her flower shop and has learned to let go of the past. When this book opens, Ginger is helping Grace with the flowers at Peyton and Scott's wedding when she encounters Peyton's brother Matt. Matt is quite drunk and makes a pass at Ginger that results in her shoving him away and him falling and hitting his head and being knocked out cold.

Matt also has a failed marriage in his past, one that has made him angry and bitter. He copes with the memories raised by his sister's wedding by getting smashed and accosting one of the guests. Once he has sobered up he is ashamed of what he did and determined to apologize to Ginger. He heads to Thunder Point to make his apology in person, and discovers that he'd actually like to get to know her better.

I really enjoyed this encounter. Matt is completely honest with Ginger, telling her that he is truly sorry and that he really has no excuse for how he behaved. Originally he planned to apologize and leave, but he finds himself intrigued by Ginger and asks her to dinner as part of his apology. They are honest with each other, agreeing that neither is ready for a new relationship, but perhaps they can be friends. As friends they find themselves talking on the phone every night, sharing what happened during their day, and getting to know each other on a deeper level.

I loved seeing the way that Ginger and Matt were so much alike. Both had had marriages that fell apart mostly because they had simply married the wrong person for them. Ginger had an idealized vision of her husband, and ignored the parts where he told her that he wasn't what she thought he was. She showed a lot of growth as she came to realize that much of the problem was caused by her unrealistic views. Matt had a similar problem, in that he married a woman he was attracted to, but she hated his life as a farmer. They fought a lot, and then she did something he considered such a betrayal that he could no longer tolerate being married to her. He still harbors a lot of anger toward her. As Ginger and Matt get to know each other better, the relationship starts to change. Matt gets a bit spooked at one point by the strength of what he's feeling and his worry that he might be making another mistake, and he pulls back. This creates a bit of conflict between the two, but they do manage to work it out. I loved the fact that they are mature enough to actually talk to each other, though sometimes it takes a bit of extra prodding to do so. One of the best things was that they were able to be themselves with each other. Neither one felt the need to try to change themselves or the other person. I loved Ginger's visits to the farm and how she was so different from his ex that he finally stopped trying to compare the two.

Their relationship progresses quite well, but there are still some lingering issues from their previous marriages that they have to overcome before they can move on together. Ginger's face off with her ex went really well. I loved her logical look at what was going on and how she stood up for her own desires. Mick's complete self-centered attitude made it hard for him to accept that she wanted nothing more to do with him. I had a little bit of a problem with Ginger when she shut Matt out of the anniversary of her baby's death. It said a lot about how his feelings for her that he figured out what was going on and that he was there for her anyway. But if they were going to be able to have a life together, Matt still had to face his feelings for his ex and get rid of the anger. I loved the way that Ginger tried to make him see the importance of it. When he finally did it, the emotional consequences were intense, but he finally saw what Ginger had been trying to tell him. Their final scene shows what is possible for them now that their baggage has been unloaded.

Throughout the book there are also scenes with previous characters. Matt's sister Peyton makes several appearances, especially as Matt is trying to get her to stop interfering in his life. There are a couple pretty amusing scenes when she is called out for the habit. I also loved Matt's family with their support of him, even when his behavior causes trouble. Their acceptance of Ginger was pretty sweet. There is also a fair amount of time spent with Grace and Troy as they get their house built, Grace's mother moved in, and their wedding planned and carried out. Her mother has definitely been mellowing in her attempts to repair her relationship with Grace. Two new characters, the nurse Lin Su and her son Charlie, are introduced. Charlie had health issues as a child though now are mostly under control, but Lin Su is extremely overprotective. I liked seeing Winnie's friendship with him, and how that friendship encourages her to interfere a little bit in their lives. I'm looking forward to seeing what is in store for them.

novelesque_life's review against another edition

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4.0

Review to come

kbranfield's review against another edition

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4.0

4.5 sweet and healing stars.

A New Hope, the newest addition to Robyn Carr's heartwarming Thunder Point series, is a wonderful story of healing. This incredibly sweet friends to lovers romance pairs up two wounded people who are struggling to overcome the heartbreak from their previous relationships.

A new job in Thunder Point is just what Ginger Dysart needed to begin healing from a devastating personal loss. She loves working in Grace's flower shop and she is also enjoying the new friends she has made. Ginger has made significant progress on figuring out what went wrong in her marriage and she has forgiven herself and her ex-husband for the mistakes that lead to their divorce. Despite her lingering grief, she is at a good place in her life but while she may be prepared to make a commitment to staying in Thunder Point, Ginger is not ready for a new relationship.

Matt Lacoumette is still deeply bitter and angry over his divorce and he is nowhere near ready to relinquish his animosity towards his ex-wife. He also maintains an emotional distance from his close family and he has not confided in them about what lead to his divorce. Although he has been dating for the past year, Matt has no intention of committing to a serious relationship. However, after his disastrous incident with Ginger at his sister's wedding reception, Matt knows it is time to clean up his act and settle back into his normal life.

Matt and Ginger quickly move past their embarrassing first meeting and their recent divorces unexpectedly provide common ground between them. They both find it relatively easy to discuss their failed relationships and their casual acquaintance soon deepens to friendship. They gradually transition from friends to lovers with both of them agreeing to take things slow. Matt has the most difficult time with their new romance and when he withdraws from her, Ginger has enough confidence in herself to let him go. Although their relationship easily recovers from this misstep, Matt's unresolved issues continue to plague their blossoming romance. Ginger gently encourages him to let him go of his lingering bitterness and anger but it is not until he is finally able to confide his deepest hurt that he can truly forgive and fully commit to a future with Ginger.

A New Hope by Robyn Carr is a beautiful novel of friendship, family and love. It is well-written with a poignant and emotional storyline. The characters are lifelike and vibrantly developed with realistic issues and problems to overcome. Heartfelt and moving, it is a powerful addition to the Thunder Point series that old and new fans are sure to enjoy.

ianmcnamara's review against another edition

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5.0

Really loved this story. Matt and ginger worked well together at working through there issues. It will be fantastic rereading this series.

kjbrown92's review against another edition

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

3.25

jen2499's review against another edition

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5.0

One thing I love about this series is the continuing stories of the characters from all the books. Their stories don’t end with their books, we get to see them again & their stories evolve more & more.

syndi3's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 A new Hope is a beautiful adult romance story. It has many depth moral messages about marriage, love and expectation. For me it speaks sometimes lust/ adoration is not enough to survive marriage. But honesty and communication do have major contribution to success of marriage. 

The relationship that builds between Matt and Ginger is slow. I enjoy it very much with such thoughtful conversation. I love seeing their friendship building into something much more and at the end acceptance and forgiveness. Both POV have different view and opinion. It is such relieve to finally hear the truth when times is right. Truth sets you free. 

I had a bad experience with Miss Carr previous book. A New Hope gives me... well... new hope to pick up her other book. 
 

stinamoore1971's review against another edition

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3.0

This definitely better than the last one. The dialogue was not as immature as in the previous book of the series. It is better to read the previous book prior to reading this one, however, since the storyline basically continues over both of them. And it appears to continue on into the next of the series. It seems the storyline continues over several books of the series and I think they would be a bit confusing as stand alone books.

whatcha_listening_to's review against another edition

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5.0

5 A New Hope Stars

Ok this book broke my heart a little. Ok a lot. I bawled.

Ginger is a character I didn’t think was going to be a big role in this series until she came to TP. And then I knew I just knew she was going to get her HEA.

I am so very glad she did, I totally love that she falls for Matt, it was perfect and of course, we get out past characters from the last few books. So it’s always feels like each book it’s just a continuation of the book before just with a new main couple.

I think that is what I love best about Robyn’s work.

Love Therese Plummer’s performances! The emotion I swear it’s like it leaps out of my ears. Soo good.

*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*

jnyman82's review against another edition

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4.0

Such easy reads. Love them now on to the next book