Bless Your Heart, Rae Sutton by Susannah B. Lewis
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Web ID: 16778170Southern fiction with Christian values & sweet tea
Thanks to Thomas Nelson & NetGalley for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own. If you like southern fiction with Christian values, sweet tea, and themes of family and restoration, this is the book for you. Recently divorced and grieving her newly deceased mother, Rae Sutton brings her teenage daughter Molly Margaret back to live in the house where Rae grew up, in the small town of Whitten, Alabama. Rae’s passion is finding and restoring old furniture, as well as renovating and redecorating houses, and her mother’s house is ripe for change. Before she passed, Rae’s mom Margie wrote several encouraging letters for Rae, placed strategically throughout the house and shed. She knew Rae would need support as she grieved not only her mama, but also mourned the loss of her marriage. Rae is continuously reminded by many of the book’s characters that we are never too old for restoration. “Mama had talked about this in the letter she left for me in the shed. She talked about restoration and making old things new. It sounded cliché, but my heart was like that old armoire or the furniture I found at the junk store or on the side of the road. Beaten and battered. Bruised and dented. Worse for the wear. I was mourning the loss of my dear mother, and my husband. And some days I didn’t know how I’d get out of the bed. I didn’t know if my heart, my mind, would ever be restored.” In an additional plot point, fifteen-year-old Molly soon joins her new high school’s basketball team, and when the coach meets Rae, there is mutual attraction. Is Rae ready for a new romance? She finds herself joining in her mama’s “ministry,” a group of older women who meet monthly for lunch, prayer, and gossip. Mrs. Fannie, Mrs. Dora, and Aunt Maxine provide Rae with love and affirmation. They are mother figures who counsel her and pour their wisdom into her, the same way her own mother had done. Christian faith and supportive encouragement help Rae to learn throughout the novel. As she heals from her broken marriage as well as the loss of her mama, she is continually reminded by friends and family: “You have a gift of making old things new. You have the gift of restoration. That fit was evident after your divorce, too. You restored your life when it was so broken and made things new for you and Molly.”
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Highly recommend
I really enjoyed this book. It actually made me laugh out loud at least three times, that doesn’t happen too often, even when a book is supposed to be funny. But between the giggles this book deals with some series issues. I was so torn about how I wanted it to turn out, which made it even better. I do think the author did a great job of making it turn out the way it should but it was hard to make up my mind, as it was for Rae. I can’t neglect to mention the cast of characters Susannah developed. Those older ladies made me want to have a group of women like in my life. Overall, a very good book and I do recommend it. A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A Southern Delight!
I couldn’t wait to read a work of inspirational Southern fiction from Susannah. She always stays true to her beliefs in her non-fiction books and this one is no different. I loved the relationships, the Third Thursday ladies, the banter, the restoration business and all things Southern. I really enjoyed everything about it and didn’t want it to end.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
New Hope
I started reading Bless Your Hear, Rae Sutton two months before finishing it. I put it aside and then picked it back up while on vacation and couldn't wait to finish it. The beginning moved slowly for me until Raelyn Sutton starts to put her life back together again after her divorce and her mom's death. Rae Sutton moves back to her small hometown after her husband leaves her for another woman and she inherits her mother's house. She is devastated to have lost the love of her life and works on learning to be a single mom. Her mother's friends take her in as their own and help her in her grieving period and how to live and love again. Rae relearns who she is and what she is capable of, all of which she wouldn't have done without the divorce or her elderly friends. I recommend this Christian women lit book as a reminder to have hope in life and to as a reminder to reach out to those around us and give them hope and help them to learn to grow again! I received a complimentary copy of this book thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley, but all opinions are my own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Faith-filled and realistic
I don't usually read contemporary women's fiction, but I'm glad I took a chance on Bless Your Heart, Rae Sutton. This was also my first time reading anything by Susannah B. Lewis, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! II'll be sure to look for more of her work in the future. Rae Sutton is still reeling from a sudden divorce when she's hit once again--this time with the loss of her mother. Comments her "Mama" made shortly before her passing alongside letters from Mama, and discussions with family friends lead Rae and her teenage daughter, Molly, back to Rae's childhood home. Between motherhood, renovations, starting a new business, and monthly meetings with Mama's old friends, Rae is swamped and still struggling to deal with her losses. When Molly's new coach, Kent, enters the picture, Rae quickly finds room in her heart for him, but still finds herself longing for Carter, her now ex-husband. How will she decide what (and who) is right for her and Molly? This novel is very well written and engaging. The characters were relatable and faced realistic struggles. I found myself completely engrossed in Rae's life, and laughed and cried along with the characters. The ending definitely threw me for a loop--I didn't see that coming for some reason! If you enjoy faith-filled contemporary fiction, you'll want to check this one out. *I received a complimentary copy of Bless Your Heart, Rae Sutton through the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. My positive review is not required.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Enjoyable Fiction
Reeling from the recent death of her mother and the sting of her divorce, Raeley Ann Sutton, with her teenage daughter Molly, move into her mother’s house in Whitten, Alabama, to rebuild and update both her childhood home and her life. But Rae is not alone in her grief. Soon her Aunt Maxine and her mother’s friends, Mrs. Dora and Mrs. Fannie, take her under their wings and involve Rae in their monthly meetings, church and neighborhood and community activities. Rae’s brother and sister-in-law are also by her side and lend a great deal of support and before long Rae’s wounds hurt a little less and she begins to rebuild her life. Rae’s daughter makes friends quickly among the basketball team and even the coach has taken a liking to Raeley Ann. With a gift for furniture restoration and home decor, Raeley opens Restorations by Rae and finds fulfillment and success in putting dreams into action. It would seem her family and new friends are proud of her changes and new achievements, but so is her ex husband, Carter. Only time can heal all wounds and it remains to be seen if time can heal theirs. Written with all the charm of a southern novel, Bless Your Heart, Rae Sutton by Susannah B. Lewis is a delightful read that kept me turning the pages. I loved the characters and the way these elderly ladies took Rae under their wings and helped give her life meaning and purpose again. The characters were delightful and I felt as if I was sitting at the table with these ladies, drinking plenty of sweet tea while enjoying a rich southern dessert. This is a book to savor and enjoy with each turn of the page. You will feel Rae’s losses and her triumphs as she learns to Let God and Let Go and becomes the woman her mother always knew she could be. A delightful novel for anyone and just in time for spring. I want to thank NetGalley and one of my favorite publishers, Thomas Nelson - Fiction for an ARC of Bless Your Heart, Rae Sutton by Susannah B. Lewis. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Full of Southern Charm and Heart!
Bless Your Heart, Rae Sutton is the perfect book to enjoy on a summer afternoon, on the front porch with a glass of sweet tea! It's full of southern charm, humor, and heart. The delightful characters will find their way straight to your heart, from Rae and her daughter to the Third Thursday ladies who become Rae's stand-in mother figures. They add both lighthearted and heartfelt moments, and give the story richness and depth. I loved the way Rae's faith grew so authentically - it felt natural and not preachy or cheesy. The themes of restoration and redemption hit just the right notes! I would recommend this book to fans of authors like Lauren K. Denton, and I can't wait to read what Ms. Lewis writes next! I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Hilarious
Will forever support light humor with a southern belle twist!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com