Glory Road by Lauren K. Denton

 

About:

At thirty-eight, garden shop owner Jessie McBride thinks her chances for romance are years behind her and, after her failed marriage, she’s fine with that. She lives contentedly with her fiery mother and her quiet, headstrong daughter. But the unexpected arrival of two men on Glory Road make her question if she’s really happy with the status quo. Handsome, wealthy Sumner Tate asks her to arrange flowers for his daughter’s wedding, and Jessie finds herself drawn to his continued attention. And Ben Bradley, her lingering what-could-have-been from high school days who’s known her better than anyone and whom she hasn’t seen in years, moves back to the red dirt road. Jessie finds her heart being pulled in directions she never expected.

Meanwhile, Jessie’s fourteen-year-old daughter, Evan, is approaching the start of high school and trying to navigate a new world of identity and emotions—particularly as they relate to the cute new guy who’s moved in just down the road. At the same time, Jessie’s mother, Gus, increasingly finds herself forgetful and faces a potentially frightening future.

As all three women navigate the uncertain paths of their hearts and futures, one summer promises to bring change—whether they’re ready for it or not.

My thoughts:

This is the first book I have ready by Lauren and I couldn’t put it down. I loved everything about it, the characters, the plot, the setting.

She did something I have recently been reading about: good vs. good. Both men in Jessie’s life are good guys but I was nervous about who she could choose and I had to peek at the end because I was so concerned about how it would work out.

I enjoyed the POV of Evan and Gus as well. These three looking for love, or not, but finding gifts along the way. Gus pulled at my heart strings. The things she is dealing with all too real for many people.

My only, petty, complaint was the fact that it said Evan was in precal as a freshman. This might have been believable if it mentioned she was gifted in math but that never happened. Usually, even the smart kids don’t take precal until they are juniors. This is the teacher in me who works in a school coming out. That pulled me out of the story just a tiny bit but then I moved on.

Also, worth noting, this is a clean romance, but the characters don’t really have any faith in God, He isn’t really talked about except for Evan’s best friend whose parents come across as very strict. Just a side note in case that matters to you.

Visit Lauren here.

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