Welcome to the Blog Tour for Glory Road by Lauren K. Denton with JustRead Publicity Tours! We continue the Glory Road celebration on social media starting March 26.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Glory Road
Author: Lauren K. Denton
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Women's Fiction/Southern Fiction
Release Date: March 19, 2019
At thirty-eight, garden shop owner Jessie McBride thinks her chances for romance are years behind her and, after her failed marriage, she's fine with that. She lives contentedly with her fiery mother and her quiet, headstrong daughter. But the unexpected arrival of two men on Glory Road make her question if she's really happy with the status quo. Handsome, wealthy Sumner Tate asks her to arrange flowers for his daughter's wedding, and Jessie finds herself drawn to his continued attention. And Ben Bradley, her lingering what-could-have-been from high school days who's known her better than anyone and whom she hasn't seen in years, moves back to the red dirt road. Jessie finds her heart being pulled in directions she never expected.
Meanwhile, Jessie's fourteen-year-old daughter, Evan, is approaching the start of high school and trying to navigate a new world of identity and emotions--particularly as they relate to the cute new guy who's moved in just down the road. At the same time, Jessie's mother, Gus, increasingly finds herself forgetful and faces a potentially frightening future. As all three women navigate the uncertain paths of their hearts and futures, one summer promises to bring change--whether they're ready for it or not.
PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository | Christian Book |B&N
MY THOUGHTS
MY THOUGHTS
I’m not one to “gush” over a story, but an exception simply
must be made for Glory Road by Lauren
K. Denton. Long on my radar of authors to try, I’m berating myself for waiting until
now to discover this incredible author. Women’s fiction, especially books with
southern settings, is my favorite genre. This is Denton’s area of expertise,
and she can hold her own with any author I’ve read in the general market.
Actually better, considering that her writing is clean. Glory Road is a captivating and poignant story, a “best of the best”
read for me.
Glory
Road is rich in all the essentials – vivid imagery, lyrical
prose, complex characters, and a storyline that captured my emotions from the
first page and never let go. The fact that I live in the southeast and have
relatives who live in areas similar to the setting of Perry, Alabama (15 miles
northwest of Mobile) makes the story so very relatable. This description of
Jessie’s view from her home is so peaceful … “Long sweeps of wildflowers in the
summer, fields dotted with cows and horses, straight rows of corn and cotton
and soybeans lining the roads.”
How does an author convey an ambience replete with aromas
that you can literally smell? I don’t know, but Denton certainly does this – from
freshly-shelled peas and juicy cobblers, to sun-warmed dirt and that
just-before-the-rain scent in the air. Small-town
southern living is slower paced, and that’s the tone of this novel, yet it is never
boring; every sentence begs to be savored.
The story itself revolves around three generations of McBride
family women, and dealing with change in their lives. I easily connected with
each one – Jessie, who returned home to Perry with her young daughter after
going through a divorce; Evan, now a well-grounded young lady about to start high
school; and Jessie’s mother, Gus, beginning to experience bouts of
forgetfulness. These characters have depth and the relationships between them
are complex. Delightful romantic elements relating to all three are secondary,
yet key to the overall story.
Spiritual themes are subtle, but very much present. Gardening
quotes from various sources are creatively placed at the beginning of each
chapter, beautifully setting the mood and conveying the strong link between the
care and nurturing of plants to our spiritual lives. I loved the outspoken
wisdom in these words from Gus …
“Sometimes God puts things in our paths for a reason.
Best to sit up and pay attention.”
- Gus
Glory
Road comes to a heartwarming, fulfilling conclusion; these
characters will forever linger in my thoughts.
Very highly recommended.
I received a copy of this book through JustRead Tours
and Thomas Nelson. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Lauren now lives with her husband and two young daughters in Homewood, just outside Birmingham. In addition to her fiction, she writes a monthly newspaper column about life, faith, and how funny (and hard) it is to be a parent. On any given day, she’d rather be at the beach with her family and a stack of books. Her debut novel, The Hideaway, is USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon Charts bestseller. Her second novel, Hurricane Season, released in April, 2018, and was listed on BookPage's 2018 list of Most Anticipated Fiction.
CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR: website | facebook | twitter | instagram | pinterest
TOUR GIVEAWAY
(2) winners will each win a print copy of Glory Road.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of blog stops!
AND
Be sure to stop at the takeover tour, starting on March 26, for more chances to win!
*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.
So looking forward to reading this book. Love the ? Thanks so much for the chance to win!
ReplyDeletefaithdcreech at gmail dot com
Thank you for your review on "Glory Road" by Lauren K. Denton and being part of the blog tour.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fabulous book and can't wait for the opportunity to read this book which is now on my TBR list.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Excellent review--now I want to experience the sensory text myself and savor the writing.
ReplyDeleteNice review. Book sounds good.
ReplyDeleteI am really excited to read Lauren Denton's Glory Road. I've read a couple of her other books and LOVED them!
ReplyDeleteCarole, Thank you for the wonderful review! Glory Road sounds like a must read.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the description of the book. I enjoy reading Southern fiction and "Glory Road" sounds like a fascinating book.
ReplyDelete