Book Review: Everything Is Just Beginning by Erin Bartels

About the Book:

It was just one of those nights. One of those crazy, impossible nights that change your life. Forever.

When guitarist Michael Sullivan gets kicked out of his band (and his apartment), landing a record deal seems an impossible dream. And nothing about Michael's prospects points toward a better future. Until the invitation for a swanky New Year's Eve party shows up in the mailbox. It's addressed to his uncle, with whom he shares both name and living space, but his uncle is going out of town . . .

On the effervescent night of December 31, 1989--as the Berlin Wall is coming down, the Soviet Union is falling apart, and anything seems possible--Michael will cross paths with the accomplished and enigmatic young heir to a fading musical dynasty, forever altering both of their futures.

---

My Thoughts:

Though Everything Is Just Beginning by Erin Bartels starts on New Year’s Eve of 1989, it’s a tale of family, dreams, and responsibility (or lack thereof) relevant to any generation. Michael Sullivan, the main character, is an underperforming, self-focused, immature twenty-something. I disliked him from the beginning which made it hard to enjoy the book. He grows as a character and turns decent for the last 1/3-1/4 of the novel, but I never felt invested in the story.

Opposite Michael, the female lead, Natalie Wheeler, is highly talented, proactive, (mostly) mature, and committed to excellence despite having her own obstacles. She’s quite a foil character to Michael, but their relationship isn’t an enemy-to-lovers tale. Rather, it’s an unlikely friendship that grows out of loneliness and impending loss.

Everything Is Just Beginning by Erin Bartels contains some excellent themes about the importance of forgiveness, viewing obstacles as helpful for growth and new opportunities, finding family outside of biological kin, working hard to accomplish goals, and realizing every person has a backstory that affects their actions and attitudes. This story isn’t my favorite of Erin Bartel’s novels, but offers good themes, fun vintage music references, and plenty of depth for readers who manage to like the book’s main character.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

Book Review: The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water by Erin Bartels

About the Book:

The best fiction simply tells the truth.
But the truth is never simple.

When novelist Kendra Brennan moves into her grandfather's old cabin on Hidden Lake, she has a problem and a plan. The problem? An inflammatory letter from A Very Disappointed Reader. The plan? To confront Tyler, her childhood best friend's brother--and the man who inspired the antagonist in her first book. If she can prove that she told the truth about what happened during those long-ago summers, perhaps she can put the letter's claims to rest and meet the swiftly approaching deadline for her next book.

But what she discovers as she delves into the murky past is not what she expected. While facing Tyler isn't easy, facing the consequences of her failed friendship with his sister, Cami, may be the hardest thing she's ever had to do.

Plumb the depths of the human heart with this emotional exploration of how a friendship dies, how we can face the unforgivable, and how even those who have been hurt can learn to love with abandon.

Read an excerpt from The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water by Erin Bartels on the publisher's website.

---

My Thoughts:

I read The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water by Erin Bartels in short sittings. From beginning to end, this emotional story brims with sorrow, regret, and questions. The beautifully written prose and first-person point-of-view (POV) drew me deeply into Kendra’s perspective and search for truth, but the heaviness of the story’s issues kept me from reading the novel quickly.

The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water captured the murkiness of life, a place where things are gray and broken. The novel takes a hard look at many issues without offering standard “Christian-ese” solutions. The story weighs the cost of the telling the truth, examines broken relationships, asks what constitutes consent for sex, and probes the darkness of sexual assault.

The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water rates as an edgy story within the Christian Fiction market, not only because of the issues it tackles, but also because of graphic scenes (molestation and rape) presented on page with enough detail to make any reader uncomfortable. The heartbreaking experiences of Kendra’s teen years mirror the reality of this broken world filled with survivors of sexual assault. I appreciated the compassionate author’s note in which Erin Bartels shares a bit of her own experience and gently encourages those who have experienced sexual assault.

I recommend The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water by Erin Bartels to brave readers who desire a complex story. As hard as this novel may be to read, it brings awareness to the effects of sexual assault and the need for healing.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

First Line Fridays: All That We Carried by Erin Bartels

Happy Friday! 

First Line Fridays is hosted by Hoarding Books and participants share the first line from a nearby book.

Today, I'm sharing the first line from All That We Carried by Erin Bartels.

"Midwesterners do dumb things on the one nice day in March."

Have you read All That We Carried? It just released earlier this month and I thoroughly enjoyed this women's fiction novel. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Check out the book blurb below and read my review. 

What are you reading this weekend? I'd love for you to share your book's first line!

Happy reading!

---

About the Book:

The most treacherous terrain is found within.

Ten years ago, sisters Olivia and Melanie Greene were on a hiking trip when their parents were in a fatal car accident. They haven't seen each other since the funeral. Olivia coped with the loss by plunging herself into law school, work, and a materialist view of the world--what you see is what you get, and that's all you get. Melanie dropped out of college and developed an online life coaching business around her DIY spirituality--a little of this, a little of that, whatever makes you happy.

Now, at Melanie's insistence (and against Olivia's better judgment), they are embarking on a hike in the Porcupine Mountains of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In this remote wilderness they'll face their deepest fears, question their most dearly held beliefs, and begin to see that perhaps the best way to move forward is the one way they had never considered.

Book Review: All That We Carried by Erin Bartels

 About the Book:

The most treacherous terrain is found within.

Ten years ago, sisters Olivia and Melanie Greene were on a hiking trip when their parents were in a fatal car accident. They haven't seen each other since the funeral. Olivia coped with the loss by plunging herself into law school, work, and a materialist view of the world--what you see is what you get, and that's all you get. Melanie dropped out of college and developed an online life coaching business around her DIY spirituality--a little of this, a little of that, whatever makes you happy.

Now, at Melanie's insistence (and against Olivia's better judgment), they are embarking on a hike in the Porcupine Mountains of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In this remote wilderness they'll face their deepest fears, question their most dearly held beliefs, and begin to see that perhaps the best way to move forward is the one way they had never considered.

---

My Thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed reading All That We Carried by Erin Bartels. Between the beautiful imagery, flowing prose, and character development, the novel held my attention from beginning to end.

This story of two sisters wrestling with themselves and each other held plenty of emotional and relational drama. As the sisters struggle to relate to each another, both women undergo deep character development. Their mutually painful pasts and candid arguing prod them both to grapple individually with their own spirituality. Their spiritual issues, questions, and doubts are on full display throughout the novel. I liked that both characters asked hard, lingering questions. I’d say this is the most “Christian” of Erin Bartels’ books, but neither of the main characters are Christian, so perhaps I should describe it as an honest, candid story full of spiritual searching.

I recommend All That We Carried by Erin Bartels to readers who enjoy novels with deep character development, honest spiritual struggles, and intense examining of relationships. This novel falls solidly into the women’s fiction category. Five stars!

Read an excerpt from All That We Carried on the publisher's website.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

First Line Fridays: The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels

Happy Friday!

First Line Fridays is hosted by Hoarding Books and participants share the first line from a nearby book.

Today I'm sharing the first lines from The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels:

"Mostly people only die once. But my father is not most people. He is a monster."

Have you read this book? I adored this novel! Read my review here.

What are you reading this weekend?

Have a great weekend! Happy reading!


About the Book:

Robin Windsor has spent much of her life under an assumed name to avoid association with her infamous parents. She thought she'd finally found sanctuary running her used bookstore in quiet River City, Michigan. But when she receives an eerily familiar book in the mail on the morning of her father's scheduled execution, Robin is thrown back to the summer she met Peter Flynt, the perfect boy who ruined everything. Why would Peter be making contact now? And why does she have a sinking feeling that she's about to be exposed all over again?

With evocative prose that recalls the classic novels we love, Erin Bartels pens a story that shows that words--the ones we say, the ones we read, and the ones we write--have more power than we imagine.

August Reads and Expected September Reading

My August 2019 Reads:

Today I'm sharing a bit about what I've been reading and what I hope to read. In August, I finished:

1. Play to Their Strengths by Analyn and Brandon Miller. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


2. With This Pledge by Tamera Alexander. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


3. The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


4. Protecting Your Child From Predators by Beth Robinson and Latayne C. Scott - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


5. Shame Off You by Denise Pass. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


6. Where Dandelions Bloom by Tara Johnson.. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


7. The Rescue by Tanya Eavenson. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Review to come soon.


8. Confident Moms, Confident Daughters by Maria Furlough. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Review to come soon.

My favorite book this month was...... The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels! Check out my review here. I'm pretty sure it will end up in my top ten favorite reads for 2019!

Expected September 2019 Reads:

In September, I expect to read:

1. One Final Breath by Lynn H. Blackburn - A new-to-me author!

2. Shadows of Ladenbrook Manor by Melanie Dobson - This is my local book club's selection for September.

3. One More River to Cross by Jane Kirkpatrick - I've heard how great Jane Kirkpatrick's books are, and I'm looking forward to reading one for myself.

4. Woe Is I by Patricia T O'Connor - Yeah, still working on this one....

5. Midnight on the River Grey by Abigail Wilson. - I have both of Abigail Wilson's books sitting on my TBR stack, but I think I'll start with her newest release.

6. The Devotional Poetry of Donne, Herbert, and Milton by Leland Ryken. - I started this last month. It's a short book, but it's a slow read as I never make it through more than two or three poems per day.

7. Tate by Susan May Warren. - I've fallen behind on the Susie May's Montana Marshall's series and I need to catch up ASAP from all the good buzz I hear about it.

8. How to Survive a Shipwreck by Jonathan Martin. - Currently reading!

 What will you read this month?

Book Review: The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels

About the Book:

Robin Windsor has spent much of her life under an assumed name to avoid association with her infamous parents. She thought she'd finally found sanctuary running her used bookstore in quiet River City, Michigan. But when she receives an eerily familiar book in the mail on the morning of her father's scheduled execution, Robin is thrown back to the summer she met Peter Flynt, the perfect boy who ruined everything. Why would Peter be making contact now? And why does she have a sinking feeling that she's about to be exposed all over again?

With evocative prose that recalls the classic novels we love, Erin Bartels pens a story that shows that words--the ones we say, the ones we read, and the ones we write--have more power than we imagine.


My Thoughts:

The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels is a bibliophile’s dream. A brilliantly written novel with numerous references to literary classics, it celebrates novels and poetry of old while exploring the power that words have in our lives whether they are spoken, read, or written.

Dual timelines in The Words Between Us created a captivating storyline. The novel held my attention from beginning to end with its unfolding mystery, intense personal struggles, and romantic tension. At times, each chapter felt like a mini-cliffhanger and I struggled to put the novel down! I would have loved a few more chapters or an epilogue to tie up the minor loose ends of the story, but the ending still satisfied.

As far as content, The Words Between Us has threads of Christianity and its values. Honesty, forgiveness, and a search for truth are embedded within the story. There is a supporting character whose actions (drinking and partying) may or may not offend more conservative readers. I wasn’t bothered by her, just giving a warning.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels and recommend it to readers who enjoy contemporary fiction that mixes romance, difficult issues, and fascination with books. Five stars!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.