Book reviews are subjective. I tend to rate books not according to how “perfect” they are, seem to be, or are said to be in general but rather to how perfect they are to me. I received a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.
Elderberry Days: Season of Joy by Becky Doughty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Having read and loved author Becky Doughty’s Elderberry Croft series last year, I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect with Elderberry Days: Season of Joy, besides the heroine, Willow Goodhope. I didn’t read the book blurb to find out more, either. No, I’m not really big on blurbs anyway, but a lot of bookworms have those authors they’ll read no matter what the book’s about. Doughty is one of those authors for me, so, in I dove, rather blindly.
And I found here much of what I enjoyed in the rest of the series: warmth, pain, humor, hope. Realistic areas of darkness that don’t overwhelm the whole story with gloom. Homey feelings and homemade baked goods–and, yes, actual recipes that tie into the story. Ultra Christmassy on that score! Also, though there’s nothing wrong with single people getting a lot of attention in ChristFic romance, it’s great to see married-people-romance in fiction too, as is the case here.
I was surprised by the style of storytelling in this novella, which for me was reminiscent of Emily Byrd Starr’s letters to her father and later her journal entries in L.M. Montgomery’s classic Emily novels, my favorite books by her. Here, I did miss the style of the rest of the Elderberry series a little, but stories told through letters and such do put their own angle on things–a different flavor of first-person point of view.
After you’ve read the Elderberry Croft series–which, if you haven’t, you absolutely should–you’ll want to read this sequel, especially if it’s Christmastime.
Elderberry Croft: Seasons of the Heart
Prismatic Prospects 