Bless Your Heart, Rae Sutton by Susannah B. Lewis

Book Excerpt:

"Sometimes what your life is missing is an eccentric group of older ladies to take you under their wing . . .

When Raeley Ann Sutton's mama passes away and leaves her the house where she grew up, Rae can't imagine how the little old place might restore her broken life. So, mourning the recent loss of her marriage, she takes the house and settles back in tiny, "one-horse Whitten" with her fourteen-year-old daughter, Molly Margaret, and their overweight dog.

There she's embraced by her mother's close-knit circle of friends, the Third Thursday ladies: Mrs. Fannie, Mrs. Dora, and Aunt Maxine. Though almost half their age and far less confident of positive outcomes, Rae joins their ministry-slash-book-club-slash-gossip circle and allows the women to speak wry honesty and witty humor into her tired heart. As a new career and a new romance bring their own complications, Rae relies on the unlikely family she's found and begins to wonder if her future holds more hope than she ever could have imagined.

Known for her heartwarming stories and genuine Southern voice, Susannah B. Lewis dazzles with her latest novel, women strengthening women.

"Settle in for an enchanting tale featuring a delightful cast of characters. At turns humorous and heart-wrenching, Lewis's novel delivers on themes of forgiveness and restoration. Wise, witty, and full of Southern charm, Bless Your Heart, Rea Sutton is as refreshing as a tall glass of sweet tea on a hot summer day!" —Denise Hunter, bestselling author of the Riverbend Romances.

Sweet, witty, Southern contemporary women's fiction stand-alone novel-length: 80,000 words includes discussion questions for book clubs."

Title: Bless Your Heart, Rae Sutton
Author: Susannah B. Lewis
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"Bless Your Heart. Rae Sutton" by Susannah B. Lewis

My Assessment:

'Bless Your Heart, Rae Sutton' was a wonderful read showing loss, grief, divorce, healing, love, forgiveness, redemption, and hope. The story was well-written in a small-town setting with adorable characters that presented so much to the story, especially Rae Sutton, who had lost her mother due to cancer. Rae had also gone through a divorce and was raising her daughter Molly. After her mother's death, Rae decides to move back to her hometown of Whitten and chooses to live in her mother's home that had been left to her by her mother. Along with all that had gone on with Rea, she developed strong friendships with three elderly ladies [Mrs. Fannie, Mrs. Dora, and Aunt Maxine] were Rae's mother's best friends who met every third Thursday. These three ladies would meet once a month for what they called their ministry, which consisted of 'sending out get well cards, flowers, while they discuss what was going on in their town, their arguing and prayers for family and friends.' In addition, they provided some comic relief with their antics. So how did this help Rae? Well, at this time, there was a need for Rae as she was healing from a divorce and grieving the loss of her dear mother. As Rae decides to fix up the house and start going to church, what will happen? What brought me to tears were the letters Rae's mother left for her. There was also seemingly a second chance romance with another love interest that you will have to pick up this good read to see how all of that will turn out for Rae.

All in all, 'Bless Your Heart' was a captivating story that will keep one turning the pages till the end, giving one thought to ponder over long after the read.

Thank you for the free copy of the book by NetGalley from Thomas Nelson. The opinions in this review are my own.