Cover Image: Harry's Trees

Harry's Trees

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Member Reviews

Unfortunately I forgot to leave reviews and I read this a while ago, but this is what I posted to BookReads:
4.5* upped to 5*
Again, so many others have comments on the plot much better than I could so I will go right into my thoughts and feelings about this really entertaining story.
I finished this book a few days ago and just getting around to writing this. The characters are still with me and that’s part of a good book for me. I liked the story, characters, messages, location. Pretty much everything about this book was enjoyable. When I first started to listen to it I was not sure I’d like it because of the ‘magical’ parts. I really liked the magic etc. in the Harry Potter books but that’s because there was supposed to be all that magic. This story was set in a forest, in a town, in ‘real’ life. However, this did not bother me at all! I really enjoyed the story.
All in all, I’d recommend anyone try this despite the elements of magic, for it’s so well done and not detracting at all.

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This book has become one of my favorites to recommend to people, especially for book clubs. I always get positive feedback!

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What a different story- it captured me from the very first chapter because the story was like no other.

Although at times it felt like a fairytale, it didn’t bother me and I wanted to keep reading because I really loved the characters Harry and Oriana and their relationship.

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Loved this modern day fairy tale! Took me a little while to embrace the story, yet, as it all came together in a clever, enchanting, unusual and awesome way! I enjoyed Harry's Trees very much. Thank you NetGalley for this copy for my review, all opinions are my own.

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“The Widower, The Widow and the Child in The Forest”. This is like a fairy tale for adults with some sweet and magical moments. Although I enjoyed the story, there were times I found myself skimming through some of the parts. Overall, an enjoyable read... 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book.

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DNF - couldn't settle I to the book the way I thought I would. Tried on multiple times but just not for me.

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I love this book and have been a huge champion of it, including discussing it in detail with author Jon Cohen on episode 160 of What Should I Read Next, called "Books that capture the magic of everyday life." I would give it ten stars if I could.

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There are a lot of beautiful descriptions of the forest etc in this book but I didn't engage too well with the main character. Just wasn't quite the book for me.

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Such a silly little book. A child’s book almost, but also not. A romance novel almost, but also not. A silly little fairy tale and yet I really can’t help but say I adored the whole silly thing.

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This was a sweet book. It had a certain magically quality to it that I enjoy. It didn't ooze cheese, nor did it go too far off into the realm of disbelief. This story reminded me that real life tragedy can transform itself into a positive outcome if you choose the right path. In Harry's Trees, the cast of characters is small, but their stories are large. This book is along the lines of books like The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, or A Man Called Ove. This is a sweet tale that will touch your heart. It was a bit longer than I think it needed to be, but I enjoyed it. The Grum is a literal fairy tale within the book that I think was a good moral compass for the main characters. Pick this up if your heart is looking for a story to warm it up this Fall.

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This is a delightful book that shows just how important a role human contact plays in a person's healing. Like a fairy tale for adults, this story is woven in a way that weaves relatable characters' lives into a true example of redemption. Also, it has mountains. Absolutely loved this book.

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Harry’s Trees was a lovely read. It is a novel about love, grief, guilt and healing. The author worked magic in the way he brought Harry and Oriana, two souls grieving, together in the story. They helped each other overcome the tragedies in their lives by spreading love and joy to others. A modern day fairy tale brought to life.

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Grab your box of tissues, and be prepared. Jon Cohen has written an novel about second chances that will pull heavily on your heart strings. To say more would give away the story, a tale about finding hope in the most unlikely places.

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Difficult to get into at first, but a wonderful story. Full review on blog next month as one of my fall must reads

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4.5 stars rounded up! Oh my! I was totally lost in the beautiful imagery of this fabulously and magically written novel!

HARRY’S TREES by JON COHEN is an engaging, fascinating, and an emotionally moving tale that definitely tugged at my heartstrings but in an uplifting and heartwarming way. Even though there was some sadness to this story it was the love, kindness, and hope that magically flowed through from the pages of this book to my very being that absolutely touched my heart.

JON COHEN delivers an endearing, thought-provoking and beautifully written novel here with a fairy tale interwoven into the storyline to make this a charming and an all around magical tale. I absolutely loved how a fairy tale was written into this story and all the underlying messages that this book had to offer.

I was immediately drawn into the fabulous setting and found the characters to be so intriguing and compelling and I was especially enchanted by young Oriana and how she played a major role in this story. Also, the descriptions of the library and the books from the librarian was such a welcoming part of this story for me.

The only time I would say that I wavered from this story was some of the references towards the trees. I wouldn’t necessarily say I was bored maybe just a little bit uninterested so that is where the book lost a half a star from me.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the symbolism that the trees had to Harry’s healing and how the fairy tale was incorporated into this story which was intertwined by a strong dose of reality. Would highly recommend!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Harlequin and Jon Cohen for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review!

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I have never been a fan of Harlequin romances. I didn't notice this book was such until I actually started reading it. I may have to change my fandom. This book has EVERYTHING! I absolutely loved the entire story: learning about trees, the development of the fairy tale, how the characters all fit in a fairy tale, the development of the characters. My daughter was the little girl for sure. I loved the backstory of everyone. I LOVED this book.

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This is a delightful read, whimiscal; a good beach read. It is about fairly tales and feels like one itself, but for adults, but not quite that either. It's light and dark at the same time, as any good fairly tale. It starts with two deaths and the rest of the book is about dealing with those deaths, by the surviving spouses and one incredible kid, Oriana.

Harry is one of the spouses and he is a US Forest Administration worker who longs to be with the trees instead of behind a desk. Through a freak accident his wife is killed, and Harry's initial response is to just hunker down and work. But then Harry is shocked when the lawsuit his brother Wolf helped initiate, comes through with a big payday. Harry immediately leaves work and ends up in the forest. He cannot accept that his wife's death brought him this money. And here the story really begins, with Harry in the forest and meeting Oriana and Amanda.

The book talks about magic all the time, but it doesn't really have any, or maybe it does. It reminds me of people who are suspersititous, who think something happened because of something else, completely unrelated. Meaning is attached to things that just happen. Here is the crux of the book, is there meaning to these events?

It was really fun to read this book, but there were a few moments where I felt it dragged, and carried on too long. Perhaps that is just me, but it seemed like it could've been shorter and still carry that punch. The only thing that bugged me the book is the shifting about between view points too often. It was so frequent that occasionally I had trouble figuring out who was talking or point of view. Since I read an advance copy of the book, maybe some of the speaker tags will be added and resolve some of those issues.

Of course being a lover of books, a librarian, who cannot love the side story of the local public library and librarian Olive. Although there was a few sterotypes thrown in, but anyway, I'm not complaining, I love seeing libraries and librarians written in books.

Thanks to MIRA/Harlequin and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book.

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This is a beautiful story that starts with 2 very tragic events. Harry loses his wife in a freak accident while he's burying a lottery ticket and Oriana loses her father while he's plowing snow. Oriana is a remarkable girl who fantasizes that her dad turned into a hawk when he died so she takes candy and food into the forest around their home for him. Harry decides to end his life near his beloved trees and Oriana and her mother Amanda find him and cancel his plans. The three help each other with their grief and when the town librarian gives Oriana a book called The Grum's Ledger all their lives change for the better. Loved the characters, especially Oriana. She's a little girl with age old wisdom and faith. This is the first book by Jon Cohen that I've read and his insight into a little girl's outlook and imagination seem to be spot on. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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I am giving up on this one at 34%. The story is interesting but I am not sure it's taking it as far as it could. It seems to be delving into a magical realism setting, but it doesn't seem fully committed. And, while the writing is solid, I just wasn't engaging in the character's dialogue. Something was just missing the mark for me.

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Harry's Trees was a bit of a snore.

I liked it but it was so slow and the ending so strange.

I felt like I was watching a long drawn out drama on cable television that just didn't have a lot happening.

The writing is sound and the editing good - just not my cup of tea.

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