The Sweet By and By is about Jade, whose upcoming marriage is swiftly approaching. She debates whether or not to invite her mother, Beryl – who is just about Jade’s polar opposite, a free spirit who enjoyed Woodstock, in comparison to Jade’s staid existence as a shop owner and the soon-to-be wife of a lawyer who often suffers from panic attacks. Before Jade’s marriage, she has to come to grips with her past and her family – as well as adapting to the differences in the family she’s marrying into. Will Jade be able to let go and heal from her past or is her upcoming marriage going to fail before they even exchange their vows?
Overall, I mostly enjoyed The Sweet By and By. The family dynamics in both Jade’s and Max’s (her fiancé) families were interesting. Also, having a novel with romantic elements but without premarital intercourse was a refreshing surprise. The writing is clear.
However, as I read, the plot seemed to all move along well enough until about three-quarters of the way through. Then it all seemed to rush into a huge climax … and then peter out a little. The pacing in the beginning worked well. Toward the end … I just am not so sure about it.
The plot is original enough. Some events are a little predictable, but not too many. The characters are original and have believable dialogue. Still, with all the strong points, I don’t know that I would re-read this novel. But, if you’re looking for a quick read without graphic language or sex scenes, this might be the book for you.
I am a reviewer for Thomas Nelson Publishing. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for this book review. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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If you want to review books for Thomas Nelson, here's their website: http://brb.thomasnelson.com/join
They do mostly Christian fiction and non-fiction. You can request one book at a time. After you review it on your blog (and you can create a new blog just for reviewing these books) and on a consumer website (e.g., Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, etc.). They'll ship you your book for free.
Right now, I still have one more book to review (I've been procrastinating terribly). This book, I was able to get because, every so often, Thomas Nelson will offer (on a first-response-first-gets system) a bonus book. Usually due to the fact that this book is a new book that they're publishing. And getting reviews put out on its first day helps. ^_^
This is my ... what, fourth book review for them. So, obviously, that means that I've gotten four free books. And, after you review the book, you're free to keep it or give it away or whatever.
This review, is the first time that I've reviewed a fiction work. All the others have been either Non-fiction or self-help.
(Coincidentally, I didn't enjoy this novel as much as I liked the other books I've reviewed. Probably because I have higher standards and read a heck of a lot more fiction. :P)
But, yeah. If you want to get some free books. And you don't mind writing around 200 words and posting it two places (so, all in all, depending on your writing speed, maybe one hour of work in exchange for a book), go for it!
(Sometimes it's not just books. My friend, Katie, who also signed up with Thomas Nelson, got to review a DVD with her kids.)
Figured that I'd share the wealth. And, really ... if I worked harder, I'm sure that I could have received at least double the books that I have currently gotten. Speaking of, probably within the week, there'll be another book review. So that I can get a new book. ^_^
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