The Hope Chest
- Downloads：4924
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-06-24 08:30:58
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Carolyn Brown
- ISBN：B08R8M1L72
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Judith A
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Hope can mean many different thingsAt first I was put off by the brutality of the grandmother and the hopelessness of fate。 However， once I got into the story and realized what was happening in each characters lives， I grew forgiving， just as they did。 Bipolar disease runs in my family and with research and medication， people can live a more fulfilling life。
Kathy Randall
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Entertains as always Entertains as always。 A family’s story and the views depending on where they sat。 Tackling issues with social stigma never easy。 However， the author does it with compassion
Kathy
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Enlightening！I enjoyed reading this book。 The characters are engaging and amazing the connection is undeniable throughout the pages。 The storyline flowed easily throughout the pages。 A must read！
Elizabeth
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Carolyn Brown writes about family， friendship and redemption in this story。 Three cousins: Nessa， Flynn and April are brought back together after the passing of their grandmother。 They explore secrets of their pasts and those of their families。 Throughout the story， the idea of how things appear may not always be true and it is a great reminder for moving through life。 Carolyn Brown writes such cozy small town settings and likeable， relatable characters。 I know picking up these stories， I am goi Carolyn Brown writes about family， friendship and redemption in this story。 Three cousins: Nessa， Flynn and April are brought back together after the passing of their grandmother。 They explore secrets of their pasts and those of their families。 Throughout the story， the idea of how things appear may not always be true and it is a great reminder for moving through life。 Carolyn Brown writes such cozy small town settings and likeable， relatable characters。 I know picking up these stories， I am going to be taken into a feel good story。 Thank you Carolyn Brown， Montlake Publishing and Jackie's Books and Cocktails VIP Book Club for an advanced copy！ All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Vickie
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This book was like a cold glass of water on a hot summer day。 It totally quenched my thirst for family ties， relationships and starting again。 It was a thought-provoking and brilliant plot with fascinating characters。Nessa， Flynn and April are cousins who return to their Nanny Lucy’s cabin in Blossom， Texas after her death。 Nessa is a teacher who wants to do something else with her life。 Flynn is a playboy who wants to change his ways and April just wants a place to feel secure again。 The beques This book was like a cold glass of water on a hot summer day。 It totally quenched my thirst for family ties， relationships and starting again。 It was a thought-provoking and brilliant plot with fascinating characters。Nessa， Flynn and April are cousins who return to their Nanny Lucy’s cabin in Blossom， Texas after her death。 Nessa is a teacher who wants to do something else with her life。 Flynn is a playboy who wants to change his ways and April just wants a place to feel secure again。 The bequest of the cabin is not all that the secretive Nanny Lucy left the trio。 In that cabin， they discover memories of their childhood， long-held family secrets hidden away by Nanny Lucy and a strange request to finish a quilt before they can obtain what she has left for them in hope chest。 I was amazed that even Flynn pitched into sewing the quilt and I was amused that the quilt would have to be good enough to pass the inspection of Nanny Lucy’s former sewing circle。 Each cousin has to overcome past hurts， family weaknesses and their own biological background in order to work together to find the treasure in the hope chest。 This book made me quiver with anticipation the closer I got to their completing their task and to perhaps separating once again forever。 I was invested in the tales of each cousin and of their friendly， helpful neighbor Jackson， the keeper of the hope chest for them。 I wanted each of them to find their “happily ever after” despite a lifetime of not always making right choices。 The theme of second chances and family love runs deep in this wonderful story。 The idea of cousins being brought together by a crotchety old woman was inspirational to me; after all， she knew them best and loved them anyway。 This tale reminded me of the Bible Scripture that says that unless a seed fall into the ground and die， it cannot bear fruit。 I loved the captivating plot， the intriguing characters and the insightful lessons that the author teaches as she weaves a tale of quilting and hope in a hope chest。 DisclaimerDisclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Jackie S。 on Facebook。 I was not required to write a positive review。 The opinions expressed are my own。 I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR， Part 255， “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising。” 。。。more
Diane Saul
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An inheritance brings 3 cousins back to the house they visited every summer。 They all have different memories of the place。 In her will their Aunt has put a stipulation that they must work together to finish a quilt。 All 3 are at a turning point in their lives and the house is a place for them to live while they figure out what to do with their lives。 I liked the characters and their relationships。 This was a story about family coming together and healing。 It is a perfect book for the beach。 Tha An inheritance brings 3 cousins back to the house they visited every summer。 They all have different memories of the place。 In her will their Aunt has put a stipulation that they must work together to finish a quilt。 All 3 are at a turning point in their lives and the house is a place for them to live while they figure out what to do with their lives。 I liked the characters and their relationships。 This was a story about family coming together and healing。 It is a perfect book for the beach。 Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy。 。。。more
Jane Pettitt
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Growing up as children we perceive things different ways， the death of the grandmother bequests her three grandchildren to return and finish the quilt， Each stitch and。 Snip。 Fragments of the past surface。 The live of the cousins the healing begins， a emotional story， this author does it again
Dawnny
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Three cousins gather to fulfill their grandmothers last wishes。 The cousins are each dealing with their own issues that the others don't know about。 Together they discover things they never knew and secrets come to light。 A story of family， forgiveness and healing。 I love stories about family like this。 I really enjoyed it。Dawnny Ruby Novels N Latte Hudson Valley NY Three cousins gather to fulfill their grandmothers last wishes。 The cousins are each dealing with their own issues that the others don't know about。 Together they discover things they never knew and secrets come to light。 A story of family， forgiveness and healing。 I love stories about family like this。 I really enjoyed it。Dawnny Ruby Novels N Latte Hudson Valley NY 。。。more
Karen Hackett
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THE HOPE CHEST， by Carolyn Brown， is a heartwarming story about three cousins inheriting their grandmother’s house and an unfinished quilt。 Their upbringing has left them with doubts and hurt。 Thread by healing thread， Nessa， Flynn， and April bond over the quilt and all it represents。 They share tears， tales of their difficulties， and give each other different perspective of their past and discover the truth about Nanny Lucy。 THE HOPE CHEST is testament of personal growth， healing， and forgivene THE HOPE CHEST， by Carolyn Brown， is a heartwarming story about three cousins inheriting their grandmother’s house and an unfinished quilt。 Their upbringing has left them with doubts and hurt。 Thread by healing thread， Nessa， Flynn， and April bond over the quilt and all it represents。 They share tears， tales of their difficulties， and give each other different perspective of their past and discover the truth about Nanny Lucy。 THE HOPE CHEST is testament of personal growth， healing， and forgiveness。 Carolyn Brown writes about real characters with real heart-tugging emotions of the human soul。 I received this complimentary copy from the author in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Robin （Bridge Four）
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This review was originally posted on Books of My HeartReview copy was received from Publisher。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。The Hope Chest is a smidgen outside my normal reading genres。 There are no fae or dragons， far off lands or epic quests to undertake but sometimes a story about going home can really just hit the spot。Three cousins spent two weeks each summer at their grandmother's house。 For all three， they were the best times of their lives an This review was originally posted on Books of My HeartReview copy was received from Publisher。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。The Hope Chest is a smidgen outside my normal reading genres。 There are no fae or dragons， far off lands or epic quests to undertake but sometimes a story about going home can really just hit the spot。Three cousins spent two weeks each summer at their grandmother's house。 For all three， they were the best times of their lives and they have great memories。 When their grandmother dies and leaves them the house in the country and a hope chest， they only get to open once they've completed a quilt she has left for them。 Nyssa， Flynn and April are all at crossroads points in their lives， being together again after about a decade is a bit of a struggle at first but quickly becomes a routine they don't want to live without。 Each cousin will help the other deal with the issues in their lives and find a new path moving forward。This is definitely a character driven book， but I really enjoyed learning about the cousins and how each had very different ideas of the others lives and how they were going。 Apparently sometimes you really don't know a person until you spend some time quilting with them。 I too wanted to know what was in the hope chest and really liked how the cousins became a family again。A nice easy read when you want to root for family and watch them find a way to happy。 This is shelved as contemporary romance and while there is a romance happening in the book， the focus is more on the three cousins coming together and changing their lives。Narration: Brit Pressley had a great voice for the southern feel of this book。 She portrayed each character well and I really liked how her narration made me feel about the characters。Listen to a clip: HERE 。。。more
Elaine
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The Hope Chest By Carolyn Brown。 A wonderful Story about Family。 Learning To Forgive。 Making amends and Simple Loving one another。。 3 cousins all grown up who inherit their grandmother's home in blossom Texas。。 With this inheritance there are stipulations to be met。 Quilting together。 these cousins Haven't seen each other for years。 Things they will learn about not only themselves but their grandmother what she went through in life。 Things about their granddad。 Simply things you would never thin The Hope Chest By Carolyn Brown。 A wonderful Story about Family。 Learning To Forgive。 Making amends and Simple Loving one another。。 3 cousins all grown up who inherit their grandmother's home in blossom Texas。。 With this inheritance there are stipulations to be met。 Quilting together。 these cousins Haven't seen each other for years。 Things they will learn about not only themselves but their grandmother what she went through in life。 Things about their granddad。 Simply things you would never think your granddad would do。。 Secrets that were buried come to light。 Knowing why your grandmother treated each of you differently。 And the truth is always what is best in the end。I truly Enjoy Each Book I Read By This Author。 Her Books Are Wonderful。 I recommend her stories to Everyone。 。。。more
Valerie Blankenship
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This was such a wonderful book by Carolyn Brown。 Her ability to write such heart warming stories is what keeps me coming back for more。 The way she writes about each individual character just brings them to life right off the pages。 I really loved seeing each character grow together as a family， but also as individuals。 As you read the story you see this wonderful bond forming as they work on the quilt that Nanny Lucy insisted they make。 This is one of the best stories about moving on from the p This was such a wonderful book by Carolyn Brown。 Her ability to write such heart warming stories is what keeps me coming back for more。 The way she writes about each individual character just brings them to life right off the pages。 I really loved seeing each character grow together as a family， but also as individuals。 As you read the story you see this wonderful bond forming as they work on the quilt that Nanny Lucy insisted they make。 This is one of the best stories about moving on from the past， letting go of old hurts， learning to love and trust， and opening your heart to the future。 。。。more
Jackie
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The Hope Chest was the most touching and beautifully written book I’ve read this year！ Nothing means more than family and that to many people can mean different things as those we love are not always blood related or in constant contact with them。 This story of three cousins Flynn， April and Nessa who all have separated over the years and have had their own struggles。 When their beloved grandmother dies she leaves behind a chest and a task to complete at her request。 As the cousins follow throug The Hope Chest was the most touching and beautifully written book I’ve read this year！ Nothing means more than family and that to many people can mean different things as those we love are not always blood related or in constant contact with them。 This story of three cousins Flynn， April and Nessa who all have separated over the years and have had their own struggles。 When their beloved grandmother dies she leaves behind a chest and a task to complete at her request。 As the cousins follow through with this they share their memories of their grandmother and the lives they had as children。 Will they come together as she wished or will it drive them apart？ You’ll have to read to find out！ As always Ms。 Brown is a go to author for me and I loved this book！ A must read！ 。。。more
Shannon
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I was introduced to the works of Carolyn Brown a year or so ago and have yet to be disappointed。 First， I adore the cover art chosen for her books。 Each is simply perfect for the the work within。Flynn， Nessa， and April are summoned back to Blossom， TX at the request of their grandmother Lucy's will。 The cousins all must face the struggles of their pasts with the hope that they can be healed with time， revelations of buried secrets， the rekindling of their friendships they once shared once upon a I was introduced to the works of Carolyn Brown a year or so ago and have yet to be disappointed。 First， I adore the cover art chosen for her books。 Each is simply perfect for the the work within。Flynn， Nessa， and April are summoned back to Blossom， TX at the request of their grandmother Lucy's will。 The cousins all must face the struggles of their pasts with the hope that they can be healed with time， revelations of buried secrets， the rekindling of their friendships they once shared once upon a time， and three needles and a few spools of thread。#TheHopeChest #Montlake #RomanceFiction 。。。more
Margaret Yelton
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Over the past year or so I have read quite a few of Carolyn Brown's books， they all tend to touch a chord deep inside of me this one was no different。 As three cousins come back to Blossom to fulfill the last wishes of their grandmother， each faces turmoil in their own personal lives。 For two of the cousins， for the most part they only have good memories of Nanny Lucy， yet April knows first hand the darker side of her having grown up living there。 What follows is a journey into the past， to hope Over the past year or so I have read quite a few of Carolyn Brown's books， they all tend to touch a chord deep inside of me this one was no different。 As three cousins come back to Blossom to fulfill the last wishes of their grandmother， each faces turmoil in their own personal lives。 For two of the cousins， for the most part they only have good memories of Nanny Lucy， yet April knows first hand the darker side of her having grown up living there。 What follows is a journey into the past， to hopefully move into the future with a much clear insight of life。 The cousins reconnect and bring out the best in each other。 I most definitely would recommend this book to everyone。 Thanks to the author Carolyn Brown， publisher Montlake for providing a copy of this book for a honest review。 。。。more
Lisa
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#TheHopeChest #NetGalleyA story full of small town charm and family， with a few surprises alog the way to the end。Cousins are reunited in Blossom， Texas， when their late grandmother leaves them a cabin to share。 And a quilt to make。 Flynn， Nessa and April all have to work on the quilt together。The trio spent summers together at Nanny Lucy's as kids and teens。 April lived with Lucy but the others lived with their parent or parents。They grew up and grew apart of course， so coming together at the c #TheHopeChest #NetGalleyA story full of small town charm and family， with a few surprises alog the way to the end。Cousins are reunited in Blossom， Texas， when their late grandmother leaves them a cabin to share。 And a quilt to make。 Flynn， Nessa and April all have to work on the quilt together。The trio spent summers together at Nanny Lucy's as kids and teens。 April lived with Lucy but the others lived with their parent or parents。They grew up and grew apart of course， so coming together at the cabin， and working on the quilt together gave them plenty of time to catch up on their lives， to reconnect。They learned a lot about themselves and each other while working on the quilt。 They healed a lot as well。 And they learned about their grandmother also。I just love the small town cozy feel of this book and the togetherness the cousins sharedI of course loved Waylon too。This author is an auto buy and auto read for me so I always recommend her books to everyone。So I rate this book at 4。75 stars 。。。more
Susan
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Good story about family， love， and forgiveness。 Nessa， Flynn， and April are cousins born just a few months apart。 Though they spent two weeks together every summer at their grandmother Lucy's house as kids， they haven't seen each other in many years。 Then an inheritance brings them all back to Blossom， Texas。 Nanny Lucy left her home to the three cousins with some unusual conditions。 The house can never be sold， to claim their inheritance， they must hand-stitch the quilt that she left for them， Good story about family， love， and forgiveness。 Nessa， Flynn， and April are cousins born just a few months apart。 Though they spent two weeks together every summer at their grandmother Lucy's house as kids， they haven't seen each other in many years。 Then an inheritance brings them all back to Blossom， Texas。 Nanny Lucy left her home to the three cousins with some unusual conditions。 The house can never be sold， to claim their inheritance， they must hand-stitch the quilt that she left for them， and her hope chest will go to the first cousin who marries。 All three face decisions about the directions of their lives。Nessa remembers Nanny Lucy's house and her time there as a place of refuge。 Her father is a super-strict preacher， and her mother follows right along。 Nessa saw their hypocrisy early in life and continues to rebel。 She teaches kindergarten but isn't all that happy in her work。 A series of failed relationships make her question her judgment。 A summer at Nanny Lucy's provides a chance to consider a change。Flynn， the only child of divorced parents， remembers summer fun with his cousins until the year he turned fifteen。 His mother died in a car crash on the way to pick him up。 Though he begged to stay with her， Nanny Lucy sent him to live with his father。 Matthew is an unrepentant womanizer who had no interest in being a father to his son， leaving Flynn mostly on his own。 Flynn grew up to follow in his father's footsteps but recently decided to change his ways。 Spending the summer at Nanny Lucy's is his chance to start anew。April is the daughter of Lucy's youngest child， Rachel。 Rachel died four days after April's birth， leaving April to be raised by Nanny Lucy。 April couldn't wait to get away after she graduated， but her life since then has been one disappointment after another。 After her latest disastrous relationship， April is broke and homeless， leaving Nanny Lucy's her only option。 There she hopes to find a new start。Nessa， Flynn， and April settle into the house and work out schedules and responsibilities。 There's a bit of snark and sarcasm in those first interactions until the memories of the good times they shared started to kick in。 As they talk about those summer visits， each one discovers that their memories of Nanny Lucy don't necessarily match those of the others。 As they look at those childhood memories through adult eyes， a clearer picture of their grandmother emerges。 The things they learn about Lucy also help them understand their parents and themselves。 I liked seeing them open up about their own lives and challenges and accept that they are works in progress。 Each of the three cousins came to Blossom looking for a new start， and I enjoyed seeing how each of them found their way。 Above all， they found the home and family each of them craved。It wouldn't be a Carolyn Brown book without a little bit of romance。 In this case， Nanny Lucy's net door neighbor， Jackson， was charged with keeping the hope chest until they met the will's conditions。 Jackson left a successful law career five years earlier and went to work with his uncle making furniture。 Having been at the same place as Flynn， April， and Nessa， Jackson is uniquely positioned to help all of them in their quests。 I loved watching him become friends with all three cousins， but there was a little something extra in his interactions with Nessa。 Smitten early on， Jackson knew what he wanted and had the patience to wait for it。 Having been cheated on before， Nessa was in no hurry to start another relationship。 I liked seeing their friendship grow into more and Nessa learn to trust Jackson。 There was a minor hiccup in their growing relationship， but both acted like adults and talked it out。 The epilogue caught up with everyone a year later。#netgalley 。。。more
Amanda Hopkins
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Flynn， Nessa， and April （cousins） became great friends to me while reading The Hope Chest。 They came together after years apart when their grandmother died。 Each came with their own baggage， thinking that everyone else had it better than they did。 Isn't that how we all think？ The grass is greener on the other side？While reading The Hope Chest， I not only fell in love with these three cousins but also with Nanny Lucy （grandmother） and Jackson （neighbor）。 We learn so much about the three cousins a Flynn， Nessa， and April （cousins） became great friends to me while reading The Hope Chest。 They came together after years apart when their grandmother died。 Each came with their own baggage， thinking that everyone else had it better than they did。 Isn't that how we all think？ The grass is greener on the other side？While reading The Hope Chest， I not only fell in love with these three cousins but also with Nanny Lucy （grandmother） and Jackson （neighbor）。 We learn so much about the three cousins and about the life Nanny Lucy lived。 The cousins learn how to work through their baggage and come to know more about what made Nanny Lucy who she was。By the end of the book， I was happy and sad。 I didn't want to leave these new friends， but I left them on a happy note。 This was a fun， lovable， real-life， quick read。 I highly recommend this book to everyone for a great summer read！ 。。。more
Lisa Wetzel
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The Hope Chest by Carolyn Brown is a touching story about deep family dynamics。 Brown possesses a beautiful gift in her writing of such powerful and inspirational stories。 She will completely involve you in her storyline and characters。 Three cousins are brought together by their recently deceased Grandmother to hopefully bring some closure and forgiveness to each of them！ They each bring with them their own issues that go back generations and need to be dealt with。 She leaves instructions for t The Hope Chest by Carolyn Brown is a touching story about deep family dynamics。 Brown possesses a beautiful gift in her writing of such powerful and inspirational stories。 She will completely involve you in her storyline and characters。 Three cousins are brought together by their recently deceased Grandmother to hopefully bring some closure and forgiveness to each of them！ They each bring with them their own issues that go back generations and need to be dealt with。 She leaves instructions for the cousins to live together and finish a special quilt she starts before her death。 The quilt has so much symbolism of life threads and family stitches that hold them all together。 While together they discover family secrets and demons that help them all learn to forgive， trust and love once again！ This book will grab you from the very first page until the last leaving you wanting more！ Like always Carolyn Brown will not disappoint and I highly recommend you read this amazing book！Thank you Carolyn Brown for gifting me a copy of this wonderful book。 This review is my own and I was under no obligation to write it。#thehopechest #carolynbrown #montlake #arc #bookmail 。。。more
Gea
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The Hope Chest by Carolyn Brown is all about family， love and forgiveness。 Cousins Flynn， Nessa and April， who have been estranged for some time， are set some stipulations in their grandmother's will。 They must work together to finish a quilt to determine who will inherit their grandmother's house， and other parts of the estate。 Working on the quilt brings revelations about the past， and serves to bring the cousins closer together。 The Hope Chest by Carolyn Brown is all about family， love and forgiveness。 Cousins Flynn， Nessa and April， who have been estranged for some time， are set some stipulations in their grandmother's will。 They must work together to finish a quilt to determine who will inherit their grandmother's house， and other parts of the estate。 Working on the quilt brings revelations about the past， and serves to bring the cousins closer together。 。。。more
Kris Rubi
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The Hope Chest by Carolyn BrownI really enjoyed this book！ The characters were well developed and relatable。 The scenery was beautifully described。 I almost felt like I was there。 Carolyn Brown certainly has a way with words and stories！Every family has its secrets。 Everything is not always greener on the other side。 Perspective is everything。 You really don’t know what someone else is going through。 Some people are better at masking their demons than others。 Three adult grandkids brought togeth The Hope Chest by Carolyn BrownI really enjoyed this book！ The characters were well developed and relatable。 The scenery was beautifully described。 I almost felt like I was there。 Carolyn Brown certainly has a way with words and stories！Every family has its secrets。 Everything is not always greener on the other side。 Perspective is everything。 You really don’t know what someone else is going through。 Some people are better at masking their demons than others。 Three adult grandkids brought together after their grandmother dies。 To honor the last wishes in her will， they must complete a quilt that she had started。 It is a cathartic task for the three as they learn to love， trust and forgive。 Memories and stories fill their quilting time。 They learn about themselves as well as about their grandmother。Our grandparents grew up in a different world than we did。 Things that are acceptable now were not talked about then。 I remember my grandmother quilting。 I even have a baby quilt she made me out of my father’s baby clothes。 I cherish it。 I too have fond memories of spending weeks in the summer with my grandparents。 But， I bet if you asked your cousins， everyone would have a slightly different take or experience。This book was so good。 It brought back so many memories for me。 Thank you Carolyn Brown。#CarolynbBrown #MontlakePublishing #BookClub2021#bookclubpick#jackiesbooksandcocktailsvipbookclub#TheHopeChest 。。。more
Jill
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The Hope ChestCarolyn Brown 4 starsThree cousins come together to fulfill the rules of a will to receive what was left to them by their bipolar grandma。 I figured this would be the average “run of the mill sappy story” but I was so wrong。 This book is so much more as it is a wonderful story full of forgiveness， growth and learning to live a purposeful life regardless of past mistakes。I would love to have a sequel following Flynn， Matthew and Isaac。I was instantly sucked into the story from page The Hope ChestCarolyn Brown 4 starsThree cousins come together to fulfill the rules of a will to receive what was left to them by their bipolar grandma。 I figured this would be the average “run of the mill sappy story” but I was so wrong。 This book is so much more as it is a wonderful story full of forgiveness， growth and learning to live a purposeful life regardless of past mistakes。I would love to have a sequel following Flynn， Matthew and Isaac。I was instantly sucked into the story from page one and I barely put the book done until I finished！ I highly recommend this book。 I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley。 。。。more
Margie
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The Hope Chest is a story of love， forgiveness and finding oneself。 Carolyn Brown always tells a story that warms the heart！Following Nanny Lucy O'Reilly's death and a court battle over the contested will， the O'Reilly cousins， April， Nessa and Flynn arrive in Blossom， Texas to receive their inheritance from their grandmother。 According to the will the cousins inherited their grandmother's house。 One condition mentioned in the will stated that all three had to finish the quilt their Nanny had st The Hope Chest is a story of love， forgiveness and finding oneself。 Carolyn Brown always tells a story that warms the heart！Following Nanny Lucy O'Reilly's death and a court battle over the contested will， the O'Reilly cousins， April， Nessa and Flynn arrive in Blossom， Texas to receive their inheritance from their grandmother。 According to the will the cousins inherited their grandmother's house。 One condition mentioned in the will stated that all three had to finish the quilt their Nanny had started and have it approved by the local quilting group before they could open up Nanny Lucy's hope chest。 Also the hope chest would go to the first cousin to get married。 All three were willing to move into their grandmother's house and abide by the will's stipulations。Turns out the three thirty-two-year-old cousins needed the time in Blossom to get their lives together。 Nessa is the daughter of Lucy's son Issac who is a preacher but Nessa sees him as less a man of god and more an overbearing parent。 He tried to get her to marry a man of his choice just after Nessa graduated from high school。 Nessa put her foot down on that idea and remained a rebel in the eyes of her parents。 When Flynn was fifteen his mother， who was divorced from his father， was killed in an auto accident on her way to pick up Flynn in Blossom。 Lucy sent Flynn to live with her son Matthew even though Flynn didn't want to go。 Flynn knew his father really didn't want him。 April's mother Rachel died four days after April's birth and was raised by her grandmother。 The three cousins got to spend a couple weeks together at their grandmother's house each summer and here they are back again。The Hope Chest is a testament to the power of love and healing。 The three cousins all came from different backgrounds and had differing perceptions of their grandmother。 Their childhoods had greatly affected how they lived their lives up until the point of returning to Blossom and living together and working on the quilt together。 The quilt ends up being a memory quilt。 Spending time together working on the quilt and talking things over brought them close to each other。 The things they learned about their grandmother， especially her having to deal with her bipolar disorder， brought them forgiveness for and acknowledged their love for their grandmother。 I love this author's writing style。 As I read I get so invested in the lives of the characters I can't put the book down。 When I finish one of Carolyn Brown's stories I always feel like I've walked a mile in her characters' shoes and appreciate the love they discover。Is it possible to turn our lives around？I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review。 。。。more
Julie Eichelberger-Ford
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The Hope Chest is an amazing story of family， faith and discovery。 Nessa， Flynn and April all have different memories of their summers spent with Nanny Lucy and now that the three have inherited her home and beloved hope chest， they must work together by finishing one last task to claim their reward。 As the three work side by side， they learn about each other and the hardships that each has had to face along with the challenges they are currently working to change。 As they grow closer in friends The Hope Chest is an amazing story of family， faith and discovery。 Nessa， Flynn and April all have different memories of their summers spent with Nanny Lucy and now that the three have inherited her home and beloved hope chest， they must work together by finishing one last task to claim their reward。 As the three work side by side， they learn about each other and the hardships that each has had to face along with the challenges they are currently working to change。 As they grow closer in friendship and family， they also learn to stand shoulder to shoulder against outside influences and obstacles。 This is a wonderfully written story filled with an array of emotions and discoveries about family and the harsh realities of life that can hinder growth and connection。 The characters are realistic and relatable。 This is a story that will grab and hold you until the very last page。I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher but all thoughts and feelings are my own。 。。。more
Denise Schenk
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Nanny Lucy has died。 The three cousins are returning to their grandmothers home。 Vanessa's father is a minister， Flynn's father has been married numerous times， and April was raised by Nanny Lucy when her mother died after she was born。Nessa and Flynn always spent 2 weeks in the summer with nanny。 All three cousins have a different take on their time in Blossom， Texas。To inherit they have to abide by nanny Lucy's rules。 They have to finish the last quilt and live together until it's complete。 Th Nanny Lucy has died。 The three cousins are returning to their grandmothers home。 Vanessa's father is a minister， Flynn's father has been married numerous times， and April was raised by Nanny Lucy when her mother died after she was born。Nessa and Flynn always spent 2 weeks in the summer with nanny。 All three cousins have a different take on their time in Blossom， Texas。To inherit they have to abide by nanny Lucy's rules。 They have to finish the last quilt and live together until it's complete。 The finished quilt will be placed in the Hope Chest with the rest of their inheritance。I just love stories from Carolyn Brown they just seem to draw me in from the first few pages。 I was lucky to get an advance copy from Carolyn。 。。。more
Gloria Fridley
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Her books are always so good and this was no exception。 Sweet and romantic。 Her writing style is great。 She has a gift for keeping you reading long after you should。
Gale
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For me， the bottom line of this story was: family。 Usually my next line， when in conversation， is ‘gotta love ‘em’！ I think it fits perfectly。Loved reading about these cousins: Nessa， Flynn， and April （in close birth order）。 They have just inherited a cabin from their grandmother Lucy but there are stipulations that they have to follow in her will。 The first thing you need to remember is， family is complicated。 All three cousins are in different places in their lives BUT…are they？ Their parents For me， the bottom line of this story was: family。 Usually my next line， when in conversation， is ‘gotta love ‘em’！ I think it fits perfectly。Loved reading about these cousins: Nessa， Flynn， and April （in close birth order）。 They have just inherited a cabin from their grandmother Lucy but there are stipulations that they have to follow in her will。 The first thing you need to remember is， family is complicated。 All three cousins are in different places in their lives BUT…are they？ Their parents are， let’s call them off the wall （or looney， if I’m being honest）， have shaped their lives to the point where these three doubt themselves， their pasts and their futures。 Together， they work thru the sometimes horrific events in their lives to come to at least love themselves， and each other – more。The way they relate to one another is sometimes hilarious。 They can be loving， of course， but the snark！ Totally enjoyed that。 They are working on a quilt and thru that effort， they talk to each other， learn to look at events in their lives from another’s perspective， and I think that they heal one another。 No worries， they are in turn selfish and then selfless; amusing and then supportive; and their familial bond grows stronger every day。 And even though their parents don’t “get” what they are doing （to come to terms with their lives and their parental relationships）， Nessa and Flynn and April all have their defining moments。Really enjoyed this story。 The author delivers much feeling and what I think of as family。 Can’t get much better than that！ 。。。more
Jeanie
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NetGalleyMember ReviewCover Image: The Hope ChestThe Hope Chestby Carolyn BrownPub Date: 22 Jun 2021Review byjeanie m， ReviewerLast updated on 13 May 2021My RecommendationWith thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest opinion。 First time reading this author and I enjoyed it。A tale full of love hurt and always on the lookout， three cousins brought together to fulfil the wishes of a grandmother lots of tales to be told lots of old ghosts to be got rid of can highly recommend。Do NetGalleyMember ReviewCover Image: The Hope ChestThe Hope Chestby Carolyn BrownPub Date: 22 Jun 2021Review byjeanie m， ReviewerLast updated on 13 May 2021My RecommendationWith thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest opinion。 First time reading this author and I enjoyed it。A tale full of love hurt and always on the lookout， three cousins brought together to fulfil the wishes of a grandmother lots of tales to be told lots of old ghosts to be got rid of can highly recommend。Don't forget！ Come back to your Review on the pub date， 22 Jun 2021， to post to these retailers。 。。。more
Amary Chapman
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