I read this book by Cassandra King after reading her 2013 novel Moonrise. I greatly preferred this one over Moonrise, but then, I've never been that big of a Rebecca fan, the novel on which the concept of Moonrise was based. Here, Clare Ballenger is a divorce recovery councilor, helping women work their way through post-divorce grief. Clare herself is a widow who has never quite let go of her deceased husband Mack. Now, two very eligible men want to get their hands on her, plus her daughter Haley has marital problems of her own. Then, there is her mother-in-law Zoe, who operates a bird sanctuary and is quite the character, in the best sense of the word. All of this takes place in the town of Fairhope, AL, on the eastern shores of Mobile Bay. All in all, it's a delight to read with some laugh-out-loud funny moments included. ( )

I am reading this book right after reading [b:The House at Riverton|1278752|The House at Riverton|Kate Morton|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182455437s/1278752.jpg|1267740] by [a:Kate Morton|615274|Kate Morton|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1236333182p2/615274.jpg]. I think that that sequence puts the [b:Queen of Broken Hearts|176725|Queen of Broken Hearts|Cassandra King|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172443629s/176725.jpg|170747] book at a disadvantage. This book has a completely different writing style and feel. After reading [b:The House at Riverton|1278752|The House at Riverton|Kate Morton|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182455437s/1278752.jpg|1267740], this book seems jarring and the author seems to be using a gimmicky writing style. I thought about abandoning it, but am trying to give it a chance.

One of the things I dislike is that [a:Cassandra King|103004|Cassandra King|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] springs characters on the reader. She did that, especially, with Elinor Eaton-Yarbrough and I found it to be quite jarring.

Another difficulty I am having with this book is that the author and the characters say things, which just don't seem real.

I think the underlying message was that we all need to constantly work on ourselves and be open to taking risks and changing. I don't think that I would read another book by this author as I don't think she has a smooth style ( )

You need to read this in the garden with an iced tea or mint julep to sip on. The language is evocotive of Southern society and the environment and it flows with description and dialogue. The pace can feel a bit slow unless you have the time to enjoy it - its not a quick read. There is a huge cast of characters but interestingly it doesn't feel crowded as can often be the case. They are well developed and complex but the relationships between the characters and in general are really the heart of this book. ( )

I had really hoped to be enchanted with this, as I am enchanted with this author whenever I hear her speak. But the book didn't quite grab me and I found myself passing it by for other works, rather than picking it up again. Maybe someday, I'll find another copy and give it another go. The author is a wonderful speaker and I have enjoyed other books by her. ( )

The book had a slow start to it, but it gradually pulled me in! I enjoyed the book. ( )