C Reviews: The Theory of Happily Ever After by Kristin Billerbeck

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Revell
Releases: May 1, 2018
288 pages

About the Book:

According to Dr. Maggie Maguire, happiness is serious science, as serious as Maggie takes herself. But science can't always account for life's anomalies--for instance, why her fiancé dumped her for a silk-scarf acrobat and how the breakup sent Maggie spiraling into an extended ice cream-fueled chick flick binge.

Concerned that she might never pull herself out of this nosedive, Maggie's friends book her as a speaker on a "New Year, New You" cruise in the Gulf of Mexico. Maggie wonders if she's qualified to teach others about happiness when she can't muster up any for herself. But when a handsome stranger on board insists that smart women can't ever be happy, Maggie sets out to prove him wrong. Along the way she may discover that happiness has far less to do with the head than with the heart.

Goodreads / Amazon / Christianbook 

Kristin Billerbeck's Website

My Rating & Thoughts:    🌟 🌟 🌟    (3 stars)   

I enjoyed this book, however it was not my favorite.  Kristin Billerbeck has been one of my favorite authors for a long time – it was one of her books many years ago that really got me into reading and I have always enjoyed her witty writing, so I was very excited to see a new book by her.  There were several things that I really enjoyed about the book, however there were a couple of things that made this not one of my favorites.  This is written in first person, which I loved.  There were lots of fun moments that had me laughing, and I enjoyed the cruise setting.  The story was an interesting concept, a scientist who is studying happiness; however she is not truly happy herself.

I did enjoy that this was a light easy read, and I liked that there was some depth to the issues that the characters were dealing with.   At first glance, it may seem that Maggie is thrown for a loop due to a breakup with her fiancé.  However her issues went deeper to dealing with unresolved grief from her childhood.  As the story unfolds, we see Maggie starting to deal with her grief, and recognizing that some of the issues that seem to be on the surface are really deeper seated than what they appear.  I found myself not fully connecting with Maggie’s character.  I enjoyed a lot about her – especially her love for Hallmark movies, but at times she felt annoying and repetitive.

I also struggled with the characters of Maggie's best friends. At first it seemed like they had her best interest at heart and were genuinely trying to help her, however as we got further into the story they were more annoying and not very supportive of her, being too critical and just looking out for their own interests.  This didn’t seem to me like how her true adult friends would act towards her.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley.
Opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.

The Prodigal's Welcome by Kristin Billerbeck

Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Barbour Books
Released: August 1, 2017
320 pages

About the Book:

 

Two Historical Romances Face the Challenges of Rebuilding the Old South

 

The Prodigal’s Welcome by Kristin Billerbeck

 

Rediscover this classic romance from bestselling author Kristin Billerbeck. Nathaniel Pemberton left his Mississippi plantation upbringing to seek a golden fortune in California. He assumed nothing at home would change—but then the War Between the States broke out. Fighting to defend the family home, Nathaniel’s brother lost an arm but won Nathaniel’s childhood sweetheart. When Nathaniel decides to return home, no one, it seems, but his father is entirely happy to see the prodigal son. Where does Nathaniel belong?  Can he find the forgiveness his heart longs for?

 

My Beloved Waits by Peggy Darty

 

Grace Cunningham is the only one left to care for her ailing mother and to defend their small Alabama farm from Yankee carpetbaggers. When a Northerner, Jonathan Parker, appears at their front door, Grace doesn’t want to trust him. But circumstances force her to work with the Yankee stranger who claims to bring a message entrusted to him by Grace’s dying father.

 

Goodreads / Amazon / Christianbook

My Rating & Thoughts:    🌟 🌟 🌟  (3 stars)

“He wouldn’t just give up the woman he loved

because he didn’t want to stir up any trouble.”

 

Two stories that take place shortly after the Civil War ends. The first story is about Nathaniel and Eleanor. Nathaniel returns home to find his girl engaged to his brother, but it is not as it seems. Nathaniel fights with himself between following what his feelings want and what is best for the girl. I did find the story hard to follow with characters opinions changing throughout. By the end I felt for Eleanor and how she was treated, I wanted things to turn out in her favour. Nathaniel was easy to like, especially when compared to his brother.

 

The second story is about a daughter struggling to keep up the family farm and look after her mother after her father and brother do not return from the war. A stranger arrives with a message from her father and a treasure hunt begins bringing a southerner and a yankee together. They begin to develop feelings for one another but they face quite a bit of prejudices along their journey which lead them to realize that any relationship between them would be difficult. Can they overcome the prejudices of those around them? Can find the treasure and save the farm? Both characters were strong and willing to fight for what they believed was right that it was easy to like them and want them to figure out a solution to their problems. I did feel that the feelings expressed toward one another happened too quickly but I was pleased with the ending.

 

Anyone who likes short stories set in south during this time period would probably enjoy these stories. I would have preferred more depth to both stories by creating the love connection to be more realistic.

 

“God has put us here for a reason, and we have to believe He has a plan.”

 

(I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Books through NetGalley;

opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)