⋙ [PDF] The Sweet Gum Tree Katherine Allred 9781419953248 Books

The Sweet Gum Tree Katherine Allred 9781419953248 Books

Download As PDF : The Sweet Gum Tree Katherine Allred 9781419953248 Books

The Sweet Gum Tree Katherine Allred 9781419953248 Books

Another reviewer recommended this book (and a bunch of others) on a review she wrote for a book I loved. I love it when you reviewers do that! I'm always on the hunt for a great book that will suck me in and transport me to another place.

And suck me in this book definitely did! Because the writing is fantastic. Seriously amazing. Griping. Smooth.... like butta. I was glued at times, and could not tear my eyes away from the pages. That's why I'm giving it 5 stars.

But I didn't love it. In fact, after that ending I'm feeling more like "What the hell?" Does it have an HEA? Yes. Just the most realistic HEA I think I've ever read. It was just too summed up and not enough for what I felt I needed after being dragged through the mud for so long.

And where was my friggin tissue you warning?? There should be a picture of a woman sobbing dramatically on the cover to warn you that you're gonna ugly cry in this bad boy. I don't like sad books. This one is definitely sad for me. Maybe not for other readers, but definitely to me. If you're looking for a bright happy story about puppies and kitten playing under rainbows, this ain't it. If you're looking for a Nicholas Sparks-ish book then buy this. Now. And start reading it.

This is another one of those books that I feel I need a de-briefing with. So much I want to talk about. I won't bore this review with it all, but I will say I was not ok with one of the adulterous relationships. This book has a lot of drama, and the writing was so good I almost fell for all of it. But not quite. Wish things had gone differently for Jenna...

Off to see what else this author has written. Hopefully something that won't leave me a weepy mess for my husband to giggle at.


Tags : The Sweet Gum Tree [Katherine Allred] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Sweet tea, corn bread, and soup beans-everyday fare for eight-year-old Alix French, the precocious darling of a respected southern family. But nothing was ordinary about the day she met ten-year-old Nick Anderson,Katherine Allred,The Sweet Gum Tree,Cerridwen Press,1419953249,Romance - General,FICTION General,Fiction,Fiction - General,Fiction Romance General,General,Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945),Romance: Modern

The Sweet Gum Tree Katherine Allred 9781419953248 Books Reviews

I'm glad I finally read The Sweet Gum Tree. I read a lot of love stories, but I like how different this was. There's actually a story that is told in about a 30 year time spand. It's not just two people who get together and constantly have sex and fall in love two days later. I like that there was real drama and believable problems and heartache.

Alix and Nick become friends when they're kids because Alix wants to help Nick. Nick becomes well acquainted with Alix's family and form a bond with them. Alix and Nick's friendship turn to love as they get older. When Alix is 18 and Nick is 20, something terrible happens which makes Nick have to leave. He returns 15 years later unaware of Alix's anger and resentment towards him and the life altering incident because of Katie. I like how Nick was being a protector, but I wish he had been truthful with Alix. Or at least have told her something to help ease the negative thoughts she had concerning their relationship.

What I didn't like is that I had to try to figure out the year they became friends. The cover of the book and some of the dialogue made me think the story started in the 1950s or 60s. There's a possibility the time frame is mentioned in the book and perhaps I glanced over it. I felt Alix was wishy washy with her anger and then quickly forgiving. With some of the issues, I felt she needed to be angry longer, especially with her friend Jenna. I wish things with Katie were different, but I guess it helped make the story more intriguing.
5 Stars (Originally Read 3/25/2015)

4.5 Stars (Re-Read 8/1/2017)

Overall Opinion This will definitely be staying on my favorites shelf after this re-read! I ate this book right up the second time just like I remember doing the first! I was actually worried that I would not feel the emotions that I did the first time I read it, because I knew what was going to happen. While I didn't blubber cry (like I remember doing the first time), I did shed quite a bit of tears still! That tells me that it's just that good! I hate doing it (because I really did love the rest of the book), but I'm going to lower my rating to 4.5 stars. I can't justify a 5 star rating with an ending that felt rushed like it did (see below).

**See goodreads.com/NMmomof4 for my full review with spoilers**

Brief Summary of the Storyline This is Alix and Nick's story. They meet officially when Alix is 8 and Nick is 10 when she goes to his father's junkyard to get a car part. They form a unlikely friendship that holds through the years but devolops into something more when they grow older. There is a tragic event that separates them, and when Nick returns ~15 years later he doesn't get the welcome home he was expecting. There are some cute moments, some sad moments, and some sweet moments...and they get a HEA ending.

POV This was told in Alix's POV.

Overall Pace of Story Good until the end (see closure section). I never skimmed, and I thought it flowed well otherwise.

Instalove No, they've known each other for years.

H rating 4 stars. Nick. I liked him. He was loyal to a fault, but I appreciated that about him (even when I wanted to shake him a few times).

h rating 4 stars. Alix. I liked her. I especially liked young Alix! She was strong and feisty.

Sadness level Moderate/high. I cried but I didn't need any tissues this go-round, but I definitely remember crying a lot more the first time!

Push/Pull Yes

Heat level Low. The scenes were non-descriptive and more about the emotional connection between the couple.

Descriptive sex No. This is a perfect example of how fade-to-black or non-descriptive sex scenes can work with a book! The connection was so strong otherwise that I didn't even miss it!

Safe sex No mentions of any safe sex specifics.

OW/OM drama Yes

Sex scene with OW or OM No

Cheating Not between mcs

Separation Yes

Closure This had pretty good closure, but I wanted more! I would call it a HEA...but it was super quick, and I wanted to experience more of that happiness after all the bad things I went through with them!

How I got it I paid $0.99 for it back in 2015 on .
Another reviewer recommended this book (and a bunch of others) on a review she wrote for a book I loved. I love it when you reviewers do that! I'm always on the hunt for a great book that will suck me in and transport me to another place.

And suck me in this book definitely did! Because the writing is fantastic. Seriously amazing. Griping. Smooth.... like butta. I was glued at times, and could not tear my eyes away from the pages. That's why I'm giving it 5 stars.

But I didn't love it. In fact, after that ending I'm feeling more like "What the hell?" Does it have an HEA? Yes. Just the most realistic HEA I think I've ever read. It was just too summed up and not enough for what I felt I needed after being dragged through the mud for so long.

And where was my friggin tissue you warning?? There should be a picture of a woman sobbing dramatically on the cover to warn you that you're gonna ugly cry in this bad boy. I don't like sad books. This one is definitely sad for me. Maybe not for other readers, but definitely to me. If you're looking for a bright happy story about puppies and kitten playing under rainbows, this ain't it. If you're looking for a Nicholas Sparks-ish book then buy this. Now. And start reading it.

This is another one of those books that I feel I need a de-briefing with. So much I want to talk about. I won't bore this review with it all, but I will say I was not ok with one of the adulterous relationships. This book has a lot of drama, and the writing was so good I almost fell for all of it. But not quite. Wish things had gone differently for Jenna...

Off to see what else this author has written. Hopefully something that won't leave me a weepy mess for my husband to giggle at.