The Sweet by and by

Jade has been through a tough childhood. She's stuck between the life she's wanting to live and her past, with all its memories, mistakes and scars. She's going to get married and with that, she must not only come clean with her future family, but the one she was hoping to leave behind. The story reveals that God meets us wherever we are and no matter how long it takes for us to reach out to Him, He was always there. This is a charming, funny, humbling story of redemption, loss, love and forgiveness. For a 305-page book, I didn't expect a quick read, but I became engrossed and breezed through it in two sittings. I would definitely recommend to others. I laughed and chuckled at the descriptions and nuances of the characters; grumbled and furled my brow at some of their misdeeds; and yes, cried. I think women will identify with holding grudges, cutting people out of our lives, wondering if God loves us, coming to terms with our pasts and finally finding true love and acceptance. I'm glad the book dealt with those emotions and didn't button everything up neatly. I appreciated the vulnerability of the characters. And, as I closed the book, I did feel a bit sad that the story had come to an end. I'm happy to hear a series has been started and another book is on its way. I am a member of Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger program [...]

All Jade Fitzgerald wants to do is get married and live happily ever after. But as her wedding approaches, she is faced with demons of the past. She has done everything to forget about her past and now she has to deal with these issues before she can get married. This was the first book I've read in this genre, but I really enjoyed it. It is a love story, but the plot makes it interesting for both men and women. One cool thing for me was that I live about twenty miles away from the location where Jade grew up. This is a story about dealing with the past and hope for the future. Highly recommended.

What a fabulous read. I have listened to Sara Evans for years as a music artist. I had never heard of Rachel Hauck until this book. I will definitely be looking for more reads by these authors. Soon after starting this book, I was captivated. I didn't want to put it down. As a matter of fact, I put away the other book I was reading so I could read this one. The characters come to life in this story of love, honesty, and redemption - from God and the ones we love! The trials the characters faced in this story are so real. This story could easily be about me or you. I look forward to more reading books in this series.

The Sweet By and By written by Sara Evans and Rachel Hauck is a beautiful story that touched my heart deeply and will stick with me for a long time. The authors practically bring these characters to life. After reading the book, the characters seem more like real people that I know and I find myself wondering how they are doing and what happened to them after this story. Jade Fitzgerald, the story's heroine, has been through so much in her lifetime that she has tried to run away and close off her past and pretend it never existed. I felt myself relating to her on so many different levels and rooting for her. The story gives a beautiful picture of God's love and mercy. From the very beginning of the book I was drawn in by the dynamic relationships between these characters and the drama of a wounded family. No matter how wonderful our family is, we all have relationship problems at times, and the issues in this book just felt so true to life for me. It's a story about people who are more "real" and I truly enjoyed this book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. In fact, I would say that this book is at the top of my list of books from 2009 that I would consider a must read! Rachel Hauck has been a favorite of mine for awhile, and I am hoping these two ladies will collaborate again in the future. They very obviously write well together!