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Ellery #1
The Happy Hour Choir
From debut author Sally Kilpatrick comes a hopeful tale of love and redemption in a quiet Southern town where a lost soul finds her way with the help of an unlikely circle of friends…
Life has dealt Beulah Land a tough hand to play, least of all being named after a hymn. A teenage pregnancy estranged her from her family, and a tragedy caused her to lose what little faith remained. The wayward daughter of a Baptist deacon, she spends her nights playing the piano at The Fountain, a honky-tonk located just across the road from County Line Methodist. But when she learns that a dear friend’s dying wish is for her to take over as the church’s piano player, she realizes it may be time to face the music…
Beulah butts heads with Luke Daniels, the new pastor at County Line, who is determined to cling to tradition even though he needs to attract more congregants to the aging church. But the choir also isn’t enthusiastic about Beulah’s contemporary take on the old songs and refuse to perform. Undaunted, Beulah assembles a ragtag group of patrons from The Fountain to form the Happy Hour Choir. And as the unexpected gig helps her let go of her painful past—and accept the love she didn’t think she deserved—she just may be able to prove to Luke that she can toe the line between sinner and saint…
Life has dealt Beulah Land a tough hand to play, least of all being named after a hymn. A teenage pregnancy estranged her from her family, and a tragedy caused her to lose what little faith remained. The wayward daughter of a Baptist deacon, she spends her nights playing the piano at The Fountain, a honky-tonk located just across the road from County Line Methodist. But when she learns that a dear friend’s dying wish is for her to take over as the church’s piano player, she realizes it may be time to face the music…
Beulah butts heads with Luke Daniels, the new pastor at County Line, who is determined to cling to tradition even though he needs to attract more congregants to the aging church. But the choir also isn’t enthusiastic about Beulah’s contemporary take on the old songs and refuse to perform. Undaunted, Beulah assembles a ragtag group of patrons from The Fountain to form the Happy Hour Choir. And as the unexpected gig helps her let go of her painful past—and accept the love she didn’t think she deserved—she just may be able to prove to Luke that she can toe the line between sinner and saint…
310 pages, Paperback
First published April 28, 2015
69 people are currently reading
914 people want to read
About the author
Sally Kilpatrick
16 books392 followersSally Kilpatrick writes...stuff. She prefers fiction to biographies, but here we are. When not fretting over her biography, Sally writes southern fiction, mystery, and lots of to do lists. She lives with her dashing husband, two precocious kids, and two persnickety cats in Marietta, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. Visit her author website at sallykilpatrick.com or follow her on BlueSky as @SuperWriterMom.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 130 reviews
March 7, 2015
Read on the WoundrousBooks Blog
The Happy Hour Choir is a beautiful, inspiring tale of faith, forgiveness, second chances and hope. Each of the characters has their own dark and sad past, which doesn't stop them from striving to be better and stronger and doing their very best in each situation. The characters sometimes fail, but their struggle is what makes them so lively and great. Just like the best of us, they always try and try again.
Although what I've said above is not visible in each situation, it's not hard to see that it's still true, because each of the characters emerges from the deepest and darkest holes of despair.
I've always said how much I admire well-written characters and this is one such instance. They might not be always likeable, but the reader can certainly put oneself in their shoes. The character that I liked the most is, without a big surprise here, Ginger. She is the heart and soul of this book. Although Beulah is the main character, I don't see how this entire story would be possible if it lacked Ginger. I know that we all complain about the way the world is filled with bad people and that everyone is looking after their own behind, but I'd like to state that in most instances in which I've met people I'd label "good", they have been like Ginger, good to their very core. We always say that the world is not black and white, but it seems to me that the true form of good is completely white. The people who want to do good - they just overflow with it, they are able to pass this "epidemic" to others as well.
Beulah, on the other hand, may not be the character that has suffered the most, although she has suffered greatly, and yet she is the more conflicted one. She is fighting really hard not to give up, to own up to Ginger's expectations which are very high, but in no way unjust. I don't know how I would react in her situation, as it is a most complex one, especially when it comes to Tiffany, but I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm proud of a fictional character's actions. At the very end she was way to stubborn for her own good and although I felt the desire to slap her at a point, in her position I, not unfamiliar to extreme stubbornness, would probably act the same.
It was hard for me not to like Luke. Although in my opinion he is not even close to the driving center of the book, he is a great force in the shaping of Beulah and of the events of the book. Even harder to like was Tiffany who was just so innocent, despite being through so much. She really grew on me, especially in the way that she was so, so brave.
I don't know how different readers see this book, for some it may be a love story, for others it may be a tragic one. For me this was a very inspiring read. For me, this was the amazing story of three women, who are very much alike and yet so different. This was a story about overcoming grief, finding yourself and swimming out of the ocean of pain that each human being endures in their life.
March 26, 2015
Raised a PK (preacher's kid), Beulah Land was saddled with the "shame" of being a teenager mother and rejected by her family and church for years. Taken in by her generous piano teacher Ginger, Beulah has dealt with her reputation, her shame and her heartache for years by alienating herself from most other people in town, organized religion and God.
Working as a waitress and piano player at a local dive bar, Beulah meets the towns' new Methodist preacher, who just happens to be single and possibly carrying around a few regrets of his own. As a final request of Ginger (who is deteriorating with cancer), Beulah takes over as music director at the small church, playing piano and organizing an unlikely choir from regulars at the bar. This puts her in close proximity to Luke Daniels (who she dubs Preacher Man) and the two's growing attraction is just one of the threads explored in The Happy Hour Choir.
Another involves another girl finding herself in the same situation as Beulah did at a young age and the complications that arise from Beulah and Ginger offering her a home when no one else will take her.
Over the course of this wonderful debut novel, we get to know Beulah and hear about her world. Beulah's journey of self-discovery and the need to forgive herself and open herself to healing is as an authentic and moving story. And like the works of Robert Whitlow, Kilpatrick wisely allows her characters to be human with faults, foibles, strengths and weaknesses unlike too many of the other writers of contemporary Christian fiction. Beulah and her cast of characters even use a few "colorful metaphors" during the course of the story, but these are all completely necessary, earned and feel in-character when they crop up.
What it all adds up to is a debut novel that kept my turning the pages, eager to see what would happen next. I'll even admit to getting a lump in my throat at several points during the story because of the investment I had in Kilpatrick's characters. There are moments you'll love certain characters and moments you'll want to reach through the pages (e-reader or physical) to shake some sense into various people (Beulah especially).
I'm not generally a big romance fan, but I'll admit that the romance between the PK gone wrong and the Preacher Man works on just about every level. The Happy Hour Choir isn't a bodice-ripper but it keeps the romance on a slow boil and earns every tender moment and stolen kiss between our romantic leads.
The biggest compliment that I can pay The Happy Hour Choir is that at a time when I have a DVR full of great shows and a pile of books on the TBR pile, it grabbed my attention and wouldn't let me be distracted by other things.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. In the interest of even more disclosure, I must also admit that I was friends with the author during our matriculation at the University of Tennessee. That only means that having read this book early, I can buy at least two more copies to hopefully have her autograph for family and friends when I give them away as gifts.
Working as a waitress and piano player at a local dive bar, Beulah meets the towns' new Methodist preacher, who just happens to be single and possibly carrying around a few regrets of his own. As a final request of Ginger (who is deteriorating with cancer), Beulah takes over as music director at the small church, playing piano and organizing an unlikely choir from regulars at the bar. This puts her in close proximity to Luke Daniels (who she dubs Preacher Man) and the two's growing attraction is just one of the threads explored in The Happy Hour Choir.
Another involves another girl finding herself in the same situation as Beulah did at a young age and the complications that arise from Beulah and Ginger offering her a home when no one else will take her.
Over the course of this wonderful debut novel, we get to know Beulah and hear about her world. Beulah's journey of self-discovery and the need to forgive herself and open herself to healing is as an authentic and moving story. And like the works of Robert Whitlow, Kilpatrick wisely allows her characters to be human with faults, foibles, strengths and weaknesses unlike too many of the other writers of contemporary Christian fiction. Beulah and her cast of characters even use a few "colorful metaphors" during the course of the story, but these are all completely necessary, earned and feel in-character when they crop up.
What it all adds up to is a debut novel that kept my turning the pages, eager to see what would happen next. I'll even admit to getting a lump in my throat at several points during the story because of the investment I had in Kilpatrick's characters. There are moments you'll love certain characters and moments you'll want to reach through the pages (e-reader or physical) to shake some sense into various people (Beulah especially).
I'm not generally a big romance fan, but I'll admit that the romance between the PK gone wrong and the Preacher Man works on just about every level. The Happy Hour Choir isn't a bodice-ripper but it keeps the romance on a slow boil and earns every tender moment and stolen kiss between our romantic leads.
The biggest compliment that I can pay The Happy Hour Choir is that at a time when I have a DVR full of great shows and a pile of books on the TBR pile, it grabbed my attention and wouldn't let me be distracted by other things.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. In the interest of even more disclosure, I must also admit that I was friends with the author during our matriculation at the University of Tennessee. That only means that having read this book early, I can buy at least two more copies to hopefully have her autograph for family and friends when I give them away as gifts.
June 1, 2015
The Happy Hour Choir is a sweet, funny, and charming novel about forgiveness and faith.
Beulah is a gifted pianist who is carrying a lot of baggage and a large chip on her shoulder. Sassy and independent there isn't much that can break through the walls she has built. She is perfectly happy playing piano at a bar, The Fountain, and singing in her seductive and playful way. Until the new preacher walks in and starts poking at that chip she has carefully built. Beulah has long ago given up on God and faith after a teenage experience leaves her bitter and ashamed.
This book does speak of religion and faith but doesn't force it down your throat. I enjoyed it a lot despite not being a reader of much Christian fiction.
Thank you Netgalley and Kensington for the copy in exchange for this review.
Beulah is a gifted pianist who is carrying a lot of baggage and a large chip on her shoulder. Sassy and independent there isn't much that can break through the walls she has built. She is perfectly happy playing piano at a bar, The Fountain, and singing in her seductive and playful way. Until the new preacher walks in and starts poking at that chip she has carefully built. Beulah has long ago given up on God and faith after a teenage experience leaves her bitter and ashamed.
This book does speak of religion and faith but doesn't force it down your throat. I enjoyed it a lot despite not being a reader of much Christian fiction.
Thank you Netgalley and Kensington for the copy in exchange for this review.
February 20, 2015
In The Happy Hour Choir, Sally Kilpatrick not only delivers a read that lives up to the promise of that title, she has conjured the rarest of modern Southern stories and characters: engaging, real, fun, honest, lively, true, pained, defiant, beat down, hopeful, and always - always - heartfelt with a dash of sassy (implied or out loud). Not stories I personally lived, and yet, still a South I know because I grew up with these people in these places - smart-talkin' wise-crackin' good ol' girls and boys (and formerly good ol' girls and boys) who'd spend their evenings swillin' beer at a dusty honky tonk and who, despite preferring not to go to church, are familiar enough having grown up with it to know they won't burst into flame when they cross the church's threshold to help out some friends. The challenges Beulah faces are not only things that only some people have to face, she deals with things we all have to face one day, and despite herself, she - like Sally Kilpatrick - does it gracefully because she does it with love and respect.
September 25, 2015
4.5 stars
Beulah is a preacher's daughter, estranged from her family and running from God. She makes her living playing piano at the local dive bar, one with a reputation for tough customers who don't hold with religion.
Ginger took her in when she had nowhere else to go, so when Ginger's dying wish is for Beulah to take her place as the church pianist, Beulah can't really refuse. She also can't anticipate the repercussions from this request, or the impact on so many other people.
At times I was startled by the characters, even wondering if this really were a Christian novel, so different was it from the soft, fluffy fiction that often emerges in this genre. These characters are *real*. They're tempted, broken, misunderstood, hurting, and full of secrets. They live the lessons we internalize without even knowing it, the questions we have about why bad things happen to good people, the effects of hurt and pride, that none of us can pass judgement on anyone else, and most of all the effects of community and friends.
A great read, thought-provoking and moving.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Beulah is a preacher's daughter, estranged from her family and running from God. She makes her living playing piano at the local dive bar, one with a reputation for tough customers who don't hold with religion.
Ginger took her in when she had nowhere else to go, so when Ginger's dying wish is for Beulah to take her place as the church pianist, Beulah can't really refuse. She also can't anticipate the repercussions from this request, or the impact on so many other people.
At times I was startled by the characters, even wondering if this really were a Christian novel, so different was it from the soft, fluffy fiction that often emerges in this genre. These characters are *real*. They're tempted, broken, misunderstood, hurting, and full of secrets. They live the lessons we internalize without even knowing it, the questions we have about why bad things happen to good people, the effects of hurt and pride, that none of us can pass judgement on anyone else, and most of all the effects of community and friends.
A great read, thought-provoking and moving.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 23, 2015
I'm a sucker for redemption stories, but I'm not a sucker for an easy fix. Gawd help me, this is a lovely book with pitch-perfect writing that captures the essence of the South. But voice can only carry a book so far, like a shiny new Cadillac running on empty. This book, however, has a full tank and keeps on rolling over the pot-holes and detours of life until it reaches a sweet destination. I won't rehash the plot. Other reviewers have done a great job on that. I will say that Happy Hour Choir book is a shelf-hopper. It is literary, romance, inspirational, Southern. All the good stuff rolled into one.
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July 22, 2025Edited on 7-22-25: Y'all! There's an audio version as of today! Been waiting to read this book because you prefer audio? Today is your lucky day. https://rbmediaglobal.com/audiobook/9...
Huh. I didn't mark this one read back before it came out. Anyhoo, I usually add the book as read once I'm done with page proofs.
In this case, I just did a reread with an eye to a possible sequel novella, a sort of Beulah Rides Again, if you will.
Yet another read: Just finished another read through because there will be a new edition of The Happy Hour Choir coming August 2024!
Huh. I didn't mark this one read back before it came out. Anyhoo, I usually add the book as read once I'm done with page proofs.
In this case, I just did a reread with an eye to a possible sequel novella, a sort of Beulah Rides Again, if you will.
Yet another read: Just finished another read through because there will be a new edition of The Happy Hour Choir coming August 2024!
April 28, 2015
I'm kind of homesick for a country to which I've never been before;
No sad goodbyes will ever be spoken, and time won't matter any more. - from "Sweet Beulah Land" by Squire Parsons
I have mixed feelings about this book. I'm a pretty staunch Baptist and there's different areas of the book (one example is the pastor sitting in a bar having drinks) that I don't agree with. I'm not going into a long rant about my feelings on religion. I just thought there were mixed messages in this book.
But...the book itself was well written. It caught my attention from the first page and held it to the very end. The characters were normal people, full of quirks and foibles, many of them colorful and full of sass, such as pianist Beulah Land.
This is a story of families we choose for ourselves and of solid friendships.
There is pathos with plenty of opportunities to shed a few tears in this southern tale but there's also humor and hope, romance and religion, albeit ideas on religion I don't agree with.
I liked most of the book and disagreed with some of it but it DID make me think.
NOTE: I received this book from Kensington Books through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.
No sad goodbyes will ever be spoken, and time won't matter any more. - from "Sweet Beulah Land" by Squire Parsons
I have mixed feelings about this book. I'm a pretty staunch Baptist and there's different areas of the book (one example is the pastor sitting in a bar having drinks) that I don't agree with. I'm not going into a long rant about my feelings on religion. I just thought there were mixed messages in this book.
But...the book itself was well written. It caught my attention from the first page and held it to the very end. The characters were normal people, full of quirks and foibles, many of them colorful and full of sass, such as pianist Beulah Land.
This is a story of families we choose for ourselves and of solid friendships.
There is pathos with plenty of opportunities to shed a few tears in this southern tale but there's also humor and hope, romance and religion, albeit ideas on religion I don't agree with.
I liked most of the book and disagreed with some of it but it DID make me think.
NOTE: I received this book from Kensington Books through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.
May 6, 2015
For a first time author this is a great book....I really didn't want to put it down but at the same time, I didn't want it to end....Loved it.
April 15, 2015
Quick disclaimer: I know and work with Sally, so I'm not an objective reviewer. Okay, now that I've clarified that, I loved The Happy Hour Choir. "Sassy" doesn't seem a sturdy enough term to describe protagonist Beulah Land. Beulah has grit and pluck that she earned at a young age when the people she inherited as her biological family abandoned her. Beulah's piano teacher Ginger takes her in and helps Beulah cobble together her own family, many of whom are patrons of the bar where Beulah plays piano. Everything changes when a handsome new preacher takes over the Methodist church directly across the street from the bar. Who are the sinners and who are the saints? I laughed out loud more than a few times while reading Beulah's story, and I won't have long to wait for the next book set in the same fictional town--Sally's second novel Bittersweet Creek will be published in October.
May 2, 2015
I'm a little partial because I know the author from church, but this was one of the best, heartfelt stories I have read in a very long time! From start to finish, I loved all the characters and cried large tears at times, all of them from the joy of seeing these wonderful folks grow and change and learn to love each other. Christian stories are often told from a pious point of view, but the reality and humanity of Beulah, Luke, Ginger, and Tiffany made them real. As a Christian, I think I struggle with walking the line between what's good and evil quite frequently and this book reminds us all that a walk with Jesus can be sweet and happy or filled with difficult obstacles in our way. I can't wait to read her book that comes out in the fall and, lastly, Go Vols! I hope that Tiffany will eventually get to UT someday (sequel, please?).
April 14, 2015
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.
There were plenty of things I liked about this book. It's a story of dealing with whatever life throws at you, good and bad. Beulah is a strong character who has faced more than her share of hardships. I loved her relationship with her guardian and friend, Ginger. Both characters were well written and I felt I got to know them throughout the book. Loved Luke too. (Though he seemed a bit too uptight in the beginning.)
I did think, however, that the story started to drag toward the end. I became a bit impatient with Beulah. But ultimately I liked the message of the book and was happy with where Beulah' s life is headed.
There were plenty of things I liked about this book. It's a story of dealing with whatever life throws at you, good and bad. Beulah is a strong character who has faced more than her share of hardships. I loved her relationship with her guardian and friend, Ginger. Both characters were well written and I felt I got to know them throughout the book. Loved Luke too. (Though he seemed a bit too uptight in the beginning.)
I did think, however, that the story started to drag toward the end. I became a bit impatient with Beulah. But ultimately I liked the message of the book and was happy with where Beulah' s life is headed.
June 25, 2015
I'm sad to say that i have really struggled with this book. I love the blurb but the first couple of chapters just haven't engaged me at all. Not sure why but finding it really difficult to engage with the characters. Have had to stop. Will try again in a week or two. This is so unlike me!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a free advance copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a free advance copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
February 20, 2015
Great first novel! I loved the premise, the characters, and the plot. A most enjoyable read!
June 21, 2020
I loved this book! This is the first book I read by Sally Kilpatrick, but definitely will not be the final one. I already have checked out the next two books from this series from the library!
This story has great characters and an excellent plot - full of joy and heartache. I came to know the people in this book and I am so happy that this is a series and I can go back to Ellery and experience more of this town.
I personally love a story with an older main character and this book has Ginger. I was lucky enough to have a wise, loving, sassy older lady as a friend for many years and reading about Ginger had me smiling and remembering her. I wish every young woman has a Ginger in their life.
This story has great characters and an excellent plot - full of joy and heartache. I came to know the people in this book and I am so happy that this is a series and I can go back to Ellery and experience more of this town.
I personally love a story with an older main character and this book has Ginger. I was lucky enough to have a wise, loving, sassy older lady as a friend for many years and reading about Ginger had me smiling and remembering her. I wish every young woman has a Ginger in their life.
November 16, 2024
I loved this book! It was funny, endearing and yet had a struggle of religious questions as to why bad things happen to good people. I wish I had read this with my book club so I could have had some good discussions about it!
November 17, 2019
This was fun, and sweet, and I ripped through it this afternoon and evening. I hadn't intended to just sit and read a whole book today, but I was pulled in to the story and didn't want to leave. I laughed, I sobbed, and I can't wait to go back to Ellery and see what Beulah has gotten up to next.
December 8, 2024
emotional
It has been a very long time since the book has made me feel so many emotions and made me see myself
It has been a very long time since the book has made me feel so many emotions and made me see myself
September 14, 2016
A well written first book which wonders why bad things happen to good people. Our heroine is angry at God because of the bad hand he dealt her. Interesting characters, a plot that keeps you involved, and a subtle message makes this book a winner.
May 4, 2015
Beulah Land, piano player & singer for the neighborhood tavern was raised as a preacher's kid. She was disowned by her family after becoming pregnant as teenager, thus discarding anything to do with religion. She came to live with Ginger, an elderly lady with cancer; actually I believe she was Beulah's guardian angel. Enter the young new preacher for the Methodist Church, Luke Daniels, who lives right next door to the tavern making it very easy to hear the Beulah's piano playing. He invites her to play for the church as they're in need of a piano player for Sunday services. This leads to Beulah creating the Happy Hour Choir from her bar customers.
This was not your typical Christian Fiction book. In no way did the author preach to me, in fact I found myself smiling at the tenderness of the love aspect, not only with the main characters, but secondary as well. This was a wonderful story of finding love and acceptance, and in the end realizing the God really does love us!
This was a wonderful debut novel by Ms. Kilpatrick, I'll be looking for more! Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to review this book.
This was not your typical Christian Fiction book. In no way did the author preach to me, in fact I found myself smiling at the tenderness of the love aspect, not only with the main characters, but secondary as well. This was a wonderful story of finding love and acceptance, and in the end realizing the God really does love us!
This was a wonderful debut novel by Ms. Kilpatrick, I'll be looking for more! Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to review this book.
July 13, 2014
Okay, so I'll start this one with a disclaimer because I critique with the author and I have loved loved loved this book since before she was shopping for an agent so CLEARLY I have history here.
Or issues. Whatever.
Bottom line, this is a great example of southern fiction. Kilpatrick takes some seriously dark stuff and finesses you through with grace and wit. Yes, it deals with loss and devastation, but it also trades in hope and redemption.
It's probably no surprise I enjoy a snarky heroine and Kilpatrick delivers, but it's HOW Beulah struggles through her prickliness to become the person she's meant to be that will really stick with you. She's her own worst enemy in some ways and I think that speaks to the majority of us.
Anyway, HAPPY HOUR CHOIR is the first in Kilpatrick's trilogy and you should definitely check it out.
Or issues. Whatever.
Bottom line, this is a great example of southern fiction. Kilpatrick takes some seriously dark stuff and finesses you through with grace and wit. Yes, it deals with loss and devastation, but it also trades in hope and redemption.
It's probably no surprise I enjoy a snarky heroine and Kilpatrick delivers, but it's HOW Beulah struggles through her prickliness to become the person she's meant to be that will really stick with you. She's her own worst enemy in some ways and I think that speaks to the majority of us.
Anyway, HAPPY HOUR CHOIR is the first in Kilpatrick's trilogy and you should definitely check it out.
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July 6, 2016Cute, but predictable. Light hearted story about a Preacher's daughter who was deeply wounded by criticism and punishment following a traumatic event in her teens. She fled to her piano teacher for help and although she deeply loved the teacher, the scars hardened. Enter a young, good looking minister who just happened to be the new preacher at the church across the street from the bar where she played the piano nightly. Bet you can guess the outcome, but if you skip reading this, you will miss some of the storyline that is sweet and demonstrates that love can heal many wounds. The author did leave some storylines untied so perhaps there will be a sequel.
May 3, 2015
This was a happy book that, while it addresses prodigalism, doesn't end up being preachy. Beulah Land (yes, after the hymn) is a piano player in a honky tonk. After a new preacher moves into the church across the parking lot and her beloved adoptive mother's health declines, she is pushed - both literally and figuratively, into the arms of the new minister. Equal parts spiritual quest and romance, I wish they had addressed more about Beulah's back story. The abuse and horror seem a bit glossed over.
June 28, 2015
I really enjoyed Sally Kilpatrick's debut about a fallen woman and a preacher--and I'm on Beulah's side of the faith line. Yes, there are religious themes in this book, but it's never preachy and the preacher hero is very human. I loved the relationship between the three core women in this story. I kinda wished Beulah had broken out a little Dusty Springfield some night at the Fountain. I might have slipped her a 20 for the request. :)
May 29, 2016
This could have been a good book. but it wasn't. The heroine is annoying, critical, devoid of conscience, and immature. She's had tough times, but she's been royally cared for and spoiled by a very giving, loving woman. Hasn't helped, though. She's bitter, thoroughly self-absorbed, and undisciplined for the most part. Just not very likeable.
I'm surprised I finished it, and amazed at all the positive reviews.
I'm surprised I finished it, and amazed at all the positive reviews.
November 25, 2015
The main character, Beulah, has had a hard life. She was raped, got pregnant, and the baby died. She was disowned by her parents. Ginger, her music teacher, gives her a home and never judged her. Beulah has a beautiful voice and plays the piano. She has sworn off church and God, but things change and the book has a happy ending. There are a lot of unforgettable characters in the book.
October 4, 2016
This is one of the best books I have ever read. Beulah is on a journey that brings life, love, heartache, and redemption. I found myself reading the last few chapters really slowly so it wouldn't end. Some harsh language, but fit with the characters and the setting. Way to go Sally Kilpatrick!!!
June 30, 2015
I loved the book. This is not the normal kind of books I chose but I did not want to put it down. Full of love and family and hurt, it is nice to see things workout for good through all the bad we encounter in every life. I highly recommend it as a Feel good book when you need one.
August 14, 2015
eARC: Netgalley
Hmmm...mixed feelings about this one. I tried to review it a couple of months ago, but I just have a problem with a pastor who goes drinking in bars. Call me old fashioned, but I'm entitled to my feelings and beliefs.
Hmmm...mixed feelings about this one. I tried to review it a couple of months ago, but I just have a problem with a pastor who goes drinking in bars. Call me old fashioned, but I'm entitled to my feelings and beliefs.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 130 reviews