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cindysbookcorner's review against another edition
3.0
I found Tending Roses by Lisa Wingate hard to get into.
I liked Tending Roses but didn't love it. One reason is there is a lot of description with everything. Instead of being able to feel things, they were described.
I felt for Kate and Ben with their financial struggles until I realized they lived a high-luxury life. Ben had a boat, and a club membership, etc. At that point, I struggled to engage, when they could have easily sold things and been better off. I did not like Ben very much at the beginning and found Kate to be okay, but hard to relate to. Even though I am in some of the same seasons she was. I also just found the book to be heavy. I don't know if it was because I came off a previously heavy book, or if it truly is that heavy. There was also a lot of family drama that added to the heaviness. I didn't understand why the family hadn't seen each other in six years. Once it was explained, I didn't feel like it was enough of a reason for them to not even chat.
The ending was okay but predictable with the way the story went. I will read other books by Lisa Wingate since I enjoyed previous works of hers.
I liked Tending Roses but didn't love it. One reason is there is a lot of description with everything. Instead of being able to feel things, they were described.
I felt for Kate and Ben with their financial struggles until I realized they lived a high-luxury life. Ben had a boat, and a club membership, etc. At that point, I struggled to engage, when they could have easily sold things and been better off. I did not like Ben very much at the beginning and found Kate to be okay, but hard to relate to. Even though I am in some of the same seasons she was. I also just found the book to be heavy. I don't know if it was because I came off a previously heavy book, or if it truly is that heavy. There was also a lot of family drama that added to the heaviness. I didn't understand why the family hadn't seen each other in six years. Once it was explained, I didn't feel like it was enough of a reason for them to not even chat.
The ending was okay but predictable with the way the story went. I will read other books by Lisa Wingate since I enjoyed previous works of hers.
lorif61's review against another edition
With 100 pages left to go, I just couldn't finish reading this novel. It moved too slowly for me due to the same dialogue and internal thoughts over and over again about the dynamics of this family and what was going to happen when all the family members came together at Christmas. It became boring and repetitive. It was also a bit confusing in the way Kate explained the kind of totally involved family life she wanted to give her child, but it appeared to me she hardly interacted with the child to begin with - he was always sleeping! I truly loved Before We Were Yours, but this was like a parody of a soap opera to me.
cgriff424's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
lilasbooknook's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
brendalovesbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Read this for the second time and it still remains a favorite. I loved it just as much this time around, and I think it touched me even more with the place I am in life right now. This is such a sweet, tender book filled with life lessons that might seem a little obvious, but nevertheless, they are still good to hear sometimes.
plotspotsandtots's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jmarchek's review against another edition
4.0
Great read with good values. About a young family who moves in with Grandma down on the farm. Grandma teaches them a lot of life lessons. Working moms beware - serious guilt trips ahead!