Thank you to Bette Lee Crosby at Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for giving me an e-arc Of The Year of Extraordinary Moments to read and review. This is the second book in her Magnolia Grove series, following The Summer of New Beginnings. To my surprise, I found I liked this second story even more than I enjoyed the first, which I found hard to believe. Where the first book centered around the sister Meghan’s life, this one was mainly about the other sister Tracy and her hearing impaired son Lucas. The genre of the story is women’s fiction. What I like about the Magnolia Grove books is that the characters are very likable (except Dominic), and the storylines are easily relatable to as many of us have gone through similar circumstances. I feel that both stories are light, easy reads that leave you feeling good, and like you’ve learned a few important life lessons. I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who understands and appreciates what it is to be part of a family. However, I do suggest that although it’s possible to read one book without the other, it’s probable that you would get a better understanding of the story if you read both in the appropriate order. Now I’m curious to see if there will be more to the series and if so, in what direction the story will go.

This is the second book in the Magnolia Grove series that I had been anxiously awaiting and it didn't let me down. I already knew most of the characters from the first book so I was excited to see what would happen next.
Bette's style of writing, characters and setting, with her southern charm are always a pleasure to read. With a rollercoaster of emotions and true to life story it was a real page turner!
Kudos to the author on another 5 star book and a big thank you for allowing me to read an advanced copy. Once I found this author I have read all of her books and always look forward to a new one. She has become one of my favorite authors. Do yourself a favor and try one of her books, I'm sure you'll enjoy her as much as I do!

Love, love, loved this book! I was anxious to find out Tracy and Lucas's story and I wasn't disappointed. Well, in Dominic I was but the rest was heartwarming and full of everything I hoped for! I'm really hoping the story is not over tho! I think there is more to know about this loving family! Lila is at my age and I'd love to know how her golden years look! Another winner for Bette Lee Crosby!

A heartwarming story of a mother's love or grandmother's. The characters are developed with love by this author. You'll be sad at times but also understanding. You'll be drawn in and will not be able to put it down until the end.

A Year of Extraordinary Moments book # 2 in the Magnolia Grove Series by Bette Lee Crosby. I was impatiently waiting for the second book in this series and I was not disappointed. This wonderful book by an awesome storyteller kept me turning page after page. I did not want to put this book down just like all of Bette’s books you get drawn in and don’t want to have the book end. Bette writes about some very hard issues to deal with but she handles them well. This book will pull at your heartstrings it will make you laugh and it will make you cry. As with all of Bette’s books I loved this one just as much. I highly recommend reading all of her books not just this one. Thank you Bette for another heartwarming story.

Not great story but the way in which it is written and beautiful manner in which the relationships are portrayed make it a worthwhile read.It makes you appreciate family,and all the relations that you have in your life.
Nice light read.

This is my first book Ive read by Betty Lee Crosby. What a great opportunity Netgalley introduced me to read and review this book. I loved reading about the town Magnolia Grove.
I trully enjoyed the empathy and battles behind each character, except the selfish egoistic ex boyfreind Dominic .
His past includes Tracy Briggs,who he got pg years ago and still to the end, he denies Lucas,a hearing impaired son is not his.. He is forced to return back to to his childhood peanut farm his grandparents have had for a long time,passed down generation to generation.. He lacks a sense of maturity and greed that only gets him into trouble ,again.

Alice his loving grandmother, is ill with a terminal illness and its bad enough of her physical struggle with this illness, but her anguish trying to keep the family, past and present together..
She comes out teaching others how love and pasts can be forgiven. She reminds me of my own grandmother,who always kept our family strings sewed together because of her forgiving tone and mending everyone's grudges. Alice wants her great grandson Lucas needs to be met ,when she is gone.
This women's fiction romance that includes drama and mystery , meaningful education about the hearing impaired and children's disabilities. Tracey's new love,Gabriel, is one of those men who works in the school Lucas attends. He runs the program there and the touching ending of his generous kind heart is a rewarding gift.
Thank you Netgalley for introducing me to a new author and I will go back and read her first story to this sequal.

A wonderfully written story that was very relatable. This book was so easy to read and flowed wonderfully from one chapter to another even with change in characters.

This book, oh my gosh, what can I say? This book. *sigh*

A Year of Extraordinary Moments was filled with feeling, love, family and every single crazy thing that goes along with family. We've all been there and know sometimes family life is complicated. Bette Lee Crosby captured all of that and more with her wonderful characters that weren't so wonderful that they didn't have their faults, like all of us.

I have read a few books by Ms. Crosby, but this one? Made me a lifetime fan. One-click automatically.

If you love reading about small towns, their residents and getting an inside peek at a pretty real family, pick this up now. Seriously.

I did request an ARC and thoughts given in my review are completely my own.

A Year of Extraordinary Moments is the second book in A Magnolia Grove series. This book focuses on Tracy, her son Lucas and Alice DeLuca. As a grandmother myself, Alice really captured my heart, as well as reminding me of my own grandmothers. This story pulled at my heartstrings as I was taken on an emotional ride. Have a tissue near by as you read.
Captivating, so enjoyable, wonderfully written and I felt as though just was right there in Magnolia Grove with my friends.
Family, friendship, support and love really come through in time of need.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.
Thank you Bette Lee Crosby for a story that had me glued to my seat not wanting to put the book down.

*I’d like to thank the Publisher for providing an ARC of this book through Netgalley*

This one was a surprise

I had expected this book to be from a singular point-of-view, after reading the synopsis. The blurb made me think that Tracy would be the focal point of the book. But it totally defied my expectations.

Tracy did not even feel like the main character. I think it was Alice, the dying grandmother of Dominic. Dominic is a deadbeat guy who left Tracy soon after she gave birth to their son. This is a character who I found to have very few redeeming qualities. He is a chronic liar and a self-involved guy who was insecure even about his son getting more attention than him.

At the beginning, I thought this book would be about the redemption of Dominc. I found that to be intriguing because like I said - I didn't find many redeeming qualities in him. But no, this book wasn't about his redemption. I still can't narrow it down to one story or an arc or even a character this book was about.

But as I mentioned before I got distracted by my own train of thought, if I were to pick a main character, I'd have to mention Alice. This is a woman who has only a few months to live because of Cancer. Her only wish before she dies is to see her grandson mend his ways and move his life to the right track. She feels that it would be possible if Dominic reconciled with Tracy and his son Lucas - both of whom she only heard about through town gossip but never from Dominic himself. Dominic is tight-lipped about it when she asks him about it. So she takes it upon herself to make some much needed changes.

On the other hand, we have Tracy. She's a great mother to Lucas who is deaf and has recently just started hearing because of Coachlear implants. She has her mother, an elder sister Meghan and a friend Gabriel as her support system. I must say, it took me some time to warm up to her, even though she had all the makings of a genuinely nice character from the very beginning.

The first time we meet her, she is insistent on not letting her friendship with Gabriel become more anything more. In the next scene, Gabriel asks her out and she enthusiastically says yes. What a whiplash! I would've liked a better transition from point A to point B. But like I said, I do slowly warm up to her eventually.

I also would've loved to see some insight into what made Tracy fall in love with Dominic in the first place. There was barely any romance in the book but I didn't mind that. But I'd have preferred a bit more depth in the love story we do see.

Bette Lee Crosby's writing style is not what I'm used to. I think my issue with this book was that I never became a part of it. I know it sounds odd but I felt like an outsider throughout the book. Do you get what I mean? But I'll just chalk it up to the "It's not you, it's me" factor.

This book was a good read about families, relationships and flawed characters. An extra star for being able to surprise me, which is a rarity.

Another winner by Bette Lee Crosby. She has extreme talent in making her characters so lifelike you feel you know them personally!

I loved this book! It was so good and picked up where the last one ended.
I will have to read more of her books!!

Welcome to a Magnolia Grove, Georgia. Tracy Briggs is a single mother raising a son that is hearing impaired (Lucas). Fortunately for her, she has her mother Lila and sister Meghan there to help, as well as a wonderful school especially for the deaf. Tracy runs the family paper, Briggs Snip N’ Save. Meghan used to run the paper but since getting married, she and her husband Tom have started a vet clinic. Life seems absolutely perfect in Magnolia Grove until one day when Dominic DeLuca, Lucas’ daddy comes back to town.

This story is full of wonderful characters, each one offering something different. From Alice DeLuca, grandmother to Dominic, to Charlie, Alice’s good friend, to Dominic, Alice’s grandson and Lucas’ father. From Tracy Briggs, Lucas’ mommy to her mother Lila Briggs, to her sister Meghan Whitley and Meghan’s husband Tom. From Gabriel, who runs the deaf school to Lucas Briggs, the child himself. You cannot help but care and truly like and dislike some of these people. A beautifully written story of unconditional love, relationships and family.

Bette Lee Crosby has written a truly enjoyable and heartwarming story. I absolutely loved this book and recommend it as highly as I possibly can. You can’t go wrong with this one! Well done Bette Lee Crosby and thank you for writing such a beautiful story.

A Year of Extraordinary Moments is the second book in the Magnolia Grove series by author Bette Lee Crosby. The story continues the story of Tracy (the main focus in this book) and her sister Meghan. We are also introduced to Alice DeLuca, a strong Southern woman with a well-defined sense of right and wrong. Her grandson Dominic is the father of Tracy's son Lucas. In this continuation, Tracy is getting her life together while always making Lucas her focus of attention. Sometimes she neglects other things to this end, however. Alice starts the book with her declaration that the cancer has spread and she is terminal. That sets the tone for the book. What would you do if you knew you were terminal? She tries to do the right thing, although Dominic doesn't see things her way. Meanwhile Tracy's romantic interests start to reluctantly include Gabriel, the founder of the deaf school that Lucas attends.
This story once again tackles some very sensitive issues - terminal illness, domestic violence (briefly), single parenthood, letting go of dreams and making new dreams, and moving on from grief and death.
I received a copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This is yet another hit from author Bette Lee Crosby!

Bette Lee Crosby is a gifted storyteller. She can wrap you around her little finger in the first few paragraphs of her books. I should know. I've read all of them!

This book is part of a series. I recommend reading the first book for background, but the author helps you out if you don't read the first one. It is the story of family, home and love. It's a beautiful story and I highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

It's all about the Relationships!

I have said this many time of Bette Lee Crosby’s books and it is true of this book. The relationships are what shine in this book (as well as the story). A Year of Extraordinary Moments is the second in the Magnolia Grove series and I highly recommend reading this first book (The Summer of New Beginnings) in the series first.

This book begins where the previous book leaves off. Tracey Briggs has finally gotten her act together. Her hearing-impaired son, Lucas, is enrolled at a wonderful school, and she is running her deceased father's business with the help of her sister, Meghan. Tracey is looking forward to a new romance and happier life. Her sister, Megan is happily married and helping her husband run his Veterinary office/business. She helps Tracey out with the family business from time to time and struggles with separating her father from the business.

It was wonderful to see the characters from the previous book and even better getting to know Alice Deluca who is the great-grandmother of Tracy's son, Lucas. Lucas's father Dominic continues to not accept responsibility for his son, but Alice is determined to know Tracey and her great-grandson.

The Author continues to tackle serious subjects such as Cancer, hearing impairment, single mothers, absent fathers, and loss with grace. Her stories focus on family and the relationships between all the family members and their romantic partners/spouses. Most of the characters in this book are extremely likable and I enjoyed reading their thoughts and motivations in the italicized sections. I enjoyed this book more than the first book in the series mainly due to the character of Alice. I loved her strength and dedication to family.

This book is heartwarming and pulled on my heartstrings. Pull up a comfortable chair, grab a glass of sweet tea, have the tissues handy, and immerse yourself into the world of the Briggs and DeLucas.

Thank you to Bette Lee Crosby, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.
Expected publication: October 16th 2018 by Lake Union Publishing

A year of Extraordinary moments is the second book in the new Magnolia Grove series, but don't worry, if you've missed the first one (What a shame, equally as enjoyable!) You won't be lost!
Bette Lee Crosby can weave a warm your heart tale like no other! I was drawn in from the first sentence, and found it hard to put down to the end. Her writing makes you feel like you are not just a reader of the story, but an observer. You become concerned with the characters and their feelings and what happens to them. Her writing flawlessly flows and the plot is outstanding. Her characters are full of personality and mesh together so well! I So love this story and fully recommend you read it!! Definitely a 5 star!

The Brigg family saga continues. Meghan is happily married but still tied to keeping her fathers business running. Tracy has finally started to blossom and her give her five year old son is doing well years after a cochlear transplant.
But then Dominic returns. Just what is he up to? The plot is filled with unexpected turns.

Author Bette Lee Crosby writes stories that bring emotions of all kinds to the reader. I cried, I became angry, I laughed, I felt fear, I experienced hope and peace. In this very special story, lives twist and turn and something extraordinary happens with the characters that gives the possibility of hope and love. Excellent read. I received a copy of this book from the author and Net Galley. This is my own personal opinion. No review was required.