Glory Road by Lauren K. Denton is a 2019 Thomas Nelson publication.

A sweet and gentle southern story about family and second chances.

Jessie McBride is content with her life as it is. She owns a garden shop, is raising her non-conformist daughter, Evan, and is trying to manage her headstrong mother, Gus. The thought of romance has long since left the arena, and Jessie is just fine with that.

But a few life altering changes occur shaking up Jessie’s quiet and peaceful life. First, wealthy and successful Sumner Tate asks Jessie to do the flowers for his daughter’s wedding. Reluctant at first, Jessie is swayed by Sumner’s smooth and easy- going charm. However, she is knocked for loop when her old friend, Ben returns home with his teenage son in tow. Her old feelings for Ben rush to the surface, but rumor has it, Ben as girlfriend living in another city.

This is my first book by Lauren K. Denton, and I must say I very much enjoyed this charming story. Life is full of change- some good, some bad, some scary, some sad. This story touches on all those things, but the tone is pleasant, never too heavy, despite the seriousness of the subject matter at times. The romance is clean, with just a small dollop of angst. The theme is centered around a mature, and deep abiding love, which was beautiful and felt very authentic.

I loved all the characters, the setting, the gardening tips included at the beginning of each chapter and the humor injected along the way. Gus nearly steals the show a time or two and was the character I formed a real attachment to. But, the real cherry on the cake was that adorable conclusion!

This is just one of those truly lovely stories that rewards the reader for their time with a spirit boost, a warm feeling of contentment and hope.

4 stars

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Glory Road. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Glory Road is a well crafted story about second chances at love, with all of the complications of real life. Jessie McBride came home to be near her mother, with her small daughter in tow, after she discovers her husband's infidelity. Almost a decade later, Jessie is finally willing to take a chance at finding love again. Although running her garden shop is very fulfilling, the possibilities of a happy future end up falling into Jessie's lap. Will a look to the past or will an opportunity in the present provide Jessie with the happiness that she so richly deserves?

Although there was a whole aspect of the plot that seemed to exist only to move the story along to its inevitable conclusion, I enjoyed reading Glory Road. The novel shows how many families are in today's society, living in close proximity to each other, showing support and helping where needed. Although the main story is focused on Jessie, it is nice how the other characters are not just a part of the background. The idea of second chances is a good one for a romance novel, as the author is able to explore the background of the characters and their connection to each other as part of their development. This rich history gives the characters depth and makes them more realistic. Glory Road is a great summer beach read, with its engaging characters and their strong connection to each other.

This is such a lovely and heartwarming story. I've read The Hideaway and Hurricane Season -- and Glory Road is a great addition! In fact, this might be my favorite of Denton's novels. I enjoyed the perspectives of Jessie, Gus, and Evan and was quickly swept up in their drama. I loved the message about family and the romance angle is sweet as well. The small town Alabama setting is evocative and comforting. I appreciate how Denton writes "clean" stories that nonetheless have emotional depth.

I adore this author and have absolutely loved all 3 of her books. Glory Road is the perfect mix of Southern small town charm, motherhood, emotional romance (chaste - no steam!), gardening, and taking care of an aging parent. Denton's writing is so atmospheric and this setting is one I will remember for a long long time. I just want to sink into the worlds she creates and burrow in. Oh, and this cover? GORGEOUS.

Jessie is content, if not happy, running her flower shop with her mom and daughter in her hometown. Then, an old flame returns to town, a handsome wealthy man starts showing her attention, and her mom begins acting strangely. What decisions does Jessie need to make, and how will they affect her small family's future?

This was such a lovely book. While there was no great plot to rush the reader to the end, the slow moving glimpse of daily life for this little, unorthodox, family of three was heart warming. None of the characters were made out to be perfect, and there were certainly challenges they needed to overcome, but none of it felt contrived. Instead, it just felt like real live. Even when Jessie needed to choose between the two men who were interested in her, neither man was the clear choice, and the book could have ended just as happily for her if she'd made a different choice. But choosing life and to live it, rather than to hide oneself away, was the clear theme of this book. Whether you're almost 70 and had a happy marriage, whether you're nearing 40 and have been badly burned by love in the past, or whether you're 14 and getting your first taste of a crush as well as deciding which voice inside of you you're going to follow, these three generations of women demonstrate that being yourself and loving your family go a long way towards a happy life.

I give this book 4 stars. I enjoy seeing characters thrive in unusual circumstances, and I enjoyed watching this family set boundaries and cross them and love each other along the way.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

I started reading this book and was Intriqurd by the country road called Glory Road. I liked how the neighbors all knew each other and helped one another. It sounds like a wonderful place to live. Well, fast forward and I’m visiting my friend in New York. Well, she has her own Glory road. Her family all lives within walking distance of each other. .I enjoyed this story a lot. It’s set from the perspective of three different women. Gus, Jessie and Evan. Jessie’s story was the main one and the other two filled in well. Each one of these women had to figure out their life and what the Lord wanted them to do. I also don’t know a lot about gardening so that was fun to read.
I think the reader can learn valuable truths along with the characters.

I recommend this book to my family and friends.

I received this book from the publisher to read and give my honest opinion. All thoughts are my own.

You couldn’t help but feel at home with Lauren Denton’s latest, Glory Road. This had a backwoods Southern charm that you feel part of the family, right at home. I love reading stories through characters from the generational perspective within a family.

Glory Road, is told through three exceptional gals who embrace strength, love and tradition. We are introduced to Gus, the matriarch. She’s got some fire to her personality that is so charming. She is witty, loving and makes you just want to pull up a chair and eat a slice of pie with her. She was lucky to have experience great love and when he died, she was like so many of her generation, they lived for their children.

Then we have her daughter Jessie. She could’ve crawled under a rock and just gave up but she didn’t. After experiencing infidelity on her husband’s part and going through a divorce, there is no place like home to pick you up and embrace you to mend again. She came back “home” to rebuild and start a new life with her daughter and in the process had her past revisit her to show her love and life can start again.

And finally we have her daughter, Evan. She is so adorable heading into that awkward phase of life where she is being challenged by new experiences and testing the waters of staying on the right path. Peer pressure has a way of drawing you in but she is definitely responsible despite of. She is very thoughtful and considerate of her mom’s perception of her and despite of view temptations explored, she has a gentle innocence to her that makes her so nice to read.

During this one summer, they all are put on a path that bring uncertainty but open life lessons that are memorable. The joy they experience, the up and downs, bring them closer together for a journey that will warm the reader and appreciate the time you have with your family. I really enjoyed the experience and journey with these gals and found this read to be consistent with how lovely Lauren creates memorable characters. I’d recommend adding this to your tbr.

Glory Road was a great read. The story line was very good and the charcters had great detail. I wish there was more of. Aback story on Gus as well as the relationship or lack there of of Sumner and Jessie. I think Sumner got a raw deal. He seemed to be so much more than his money. Overall I give the book 5 stars.

Southern fiction at its finest! Glory Road is the story of three generations of women. The main story is about Jessie McBride. She is sandwiched in between her own mother and her daughter. She's moved back home after a nasty divorce to heal and grow.

The story is a mixture of each woman's perspective on life that weaves all three together. I enjoyed this book so much. If you find yourself in the position of mother, grandmother, or daughter I think you will find something to related to in this book. It's southern fiction so there are quirky characters involved, but there is also a very poignant depth to it as well.

4.5 stars

Southern fiction is a such a fun genre for me to read. I had never really differentiated books set in regional places, until I was in college and read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. It was then that I fell in love with Southern fiction.

It was very clear that books set in the South have a unique voice all their own and I simply can’t get enough. Whether it’s Southern Gothic (my absolute fav) or Southern romance, Southern beach reads, or Southern Women’s Fiction—I simply love it all, except there just aren’t a ton of books to pick from like there are for larger genres like historical fiction for example.

So that said, when this book came up for review, I was thrilled to read it! The author is a new to me author, but the fact that it’s set in the South and labeled Southern Romance just made me all the more excited to give it a shot!

Summary

Nearly a decade after her husband’s affair drove her back home to South Alabama, Jessie McBride has the stable life she wants—operating her garden shop, Twig, next door to her house on Glory Road, and keeping up with her teenage daughter and spunky mother. But the unexpected arrival of two men makes Jessie question whether she’s really happy with the status quo.

When handsome, wealthy businessman Sumner Tate asks her to arrange flowers for his daughter’s lavish wedding, Jessie finds herself drawn to his continued attention. Then Ben Bradley, her lingering what-could-have-been from high school, moves back to the red dirt road, and she feels her heart pulled in directions she never expected.

Meanwhile, Jessie’s fourteen-year-old daughter, Evan, is approaching the start of high school and navigating a new world of 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, is suffering increasingly frequent memory lapses and faces a frightening, uncertain future.

In one summer, everything will change. But for these three strong Southern women, the roots they’ve planted on Glory Road will give life to the adventures waiting just around the curve (summary from Goodreads).

Review

While this book is a romance, I would argue that it’s more complexed than that and more of a women’s fiction book with romantic interests as a secondary focus. I liked this approach and felt that the mother/daughter relationship focus was tender, interesting and heart warming. One of the things that I loved the most about the relationships in this book (all of them) was that for the most part they were healthy and positive. The romances played second fiddle so to speak but I found that the romances were well done, believable, sweet, and swoon worthy and also healthy.

This book was very atmospheric and I adored that! I am not from the South, I have never visited the South (beyond the odd airport or two) so I have no experience beyond books and movies when it comes to the South. But for me that region holds a very romanticized idealistic small town feel and this book capitalized on that feeling. I loved the own descriptions and everything about this setting radiated Southern charm.

I throughly enjoyed reading this novel each moment I could. It was refreshing, charming, and interesting. While this novel does have some Christian elements to it, the focus is truly on the lives of the three women characters and the men that come into their lives. It was a wonderful read and I would highly recommend this book to moms/daughters this spring, especially just in time for Mother’s Day!

You might think Glory Road is about the boys of summer - and in a small way it sort of is. You might think that three generations of southern women living on the same plot of land would leave little room for those boys - and you’re kind of right. While mom Jessie keeps her heart safe from the high school ex boyfriend and the wealthy newcomer, daughter Evan throws caution to the wind, as expected from a young teen. Matriarch Gus keeps her own secrets while keeping tabs on her daughter and granddaughter. I loved every sweaty-in-the-garden, slow-walk-down-the-dusty-road moment. There was a constant lingering tension between characters, without being contrived or putting you on the edge of your seat. Glory Road gave me a slice of slow, sweet, southern summer days, I felt like I watched three lovelies move past their fears and into their glory ... all from my virtual porch rocking chair next door.

A charming bit of Southern fiction by Lauren K. Denton

This book follows the story of three generations of women that all live on a old dirt road, called, Glory Road. As they struggle with matters of the heart over the course of a hot Alabama summer.

A Great Mother/Daughter story that warms the heart. The Southern setting is vivid and full of detail. A fun read for Southern Romance Fans. It is a book worth checking out.

In Glory Road, Laura Denton explores the idea of what happens when you return to your childhood home. Settling down with this book was delightful. The reader is pulled into the story as though you are sitting on the porch with the characters, the writing is so descriptive you can almost taste the southern humid air and the peach cobbler.
Jessie, our main character, is running her own gardening business and raising her teenage daughter with the help of her mother who lives next door. The appearance of a new client and an old love create an inner struggle for Jessie. A touching book that explores childhood expectations, family struggles and being true to who you are.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the advanced copy of Glory Road by Lauren K. Denton.

Loved this authors first book The Hideaway and loved this one also.
Three women in one family and the story of their lives. So true to life.
Read it!!
You will enjoy it!!

Today's post is about Glory Road by Lauren K. Denton.  I have read a couple of Ms. Denton's previous books so when I learned about Glory Road being available for review as part of my association with BookLook Bloggers, I was definitely interested! I have found that Ms. Denton's books are the perfect example of what folks expect when they read southern fiction!

Glory Road revolves around three generations of strong McBride family women, telling their stories from each of their points of view, Jessie, Evan, and Gus, dealing with the changes occurring in each of their lives.  They battle their own doubts and disappointments while stirring the embers of hope.

Jessie McBride and her teenage daughter, Evan, have returned home for safety and comfort after having left a broken marriage behind. Jessie, Evan and Jessie’s mother, Gus, together run a garden shop.

The story is set against a backdrop of a red Southern dirt road in Perry, Alabama and shares some great southern charm.  From the very first chapter of Glory Road, readers feel that they were dropped right into the story where life is the same and yet still ever changing.

Ms. Denton has great character development with the right combo of love, loss, growth and change.  I wanted to rush through the story because I was so invested, but at the same time, I wanted to savor it all.

I truly appreciate that BookLookBloggers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book to read in exchange for my personal and honest opinion and unbiased review.

I truly loved this sweet story! I must say it came as a surprise that it didn't receive more five star reviews.
Jessie McBride married her dentist and thought she'd have happily ever after, but it was not to be. She says he grew tired of her and found someone else. Since high school, she had tried to fit in and be someone she wasn't, which carried over into her adulthood. Once her baby came, (Evan) she grew tired of pretending.
Jessie, with Evan, returned to her hometown and moved in with Mama on Glory Road. Eventually, she purchased a place next to Momma' s and opened a plant nursery, which she named Twig. Adorable name!
After almost ten years there, two men come into her life. One, a wealthy man wanting her to do the flowers for his daughter's wedding. Another, Ben from her childhood. Ben had loved Jessie back then. Jessie, unfortunately, discovered much later that she, also loved Ben.
Jessie's daughter, Evan, is a young teenager who helps her mom at the garden shop. She's a great kid! Wouldn't we all like to have teenager who truly care for their momma like Evan does? Evan meets the new boy on Glory Road--none other than Ben's high school son. Wow!
Then, there's Gus. Gus is Jessie's mother who is becoming quite confuse and forgetful. Sad, this horrible disease is. Gus is a wonderful character. All of the characters are, in fact. I felt like I knew each of them.
The story is told from each Jessie, Evan and Gus's perspectives. Love the way the author did that.
The story is told over the course of one summer. Wonderful story!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

There’s so much to love about Glory Road. Anyone who loves Southern food will linger over the mentions of fried peach pies, cobblers, and shelled peas cooked to creamy goodness. Those who love flowers will be dreamy-eyed about the descriptions of posies and small potted plants. I think I want to be Jessie McBride when I grow up!

The mother/daughter relationship theme is strong, covering three generations of McBride women in this novel. I don’t know how she did it, but author Lauren Denton made me relate to each character, despite age and personality differences. I love the way the romance took a back burner to the deeper family ties, but still played an important role in the story. Glory Road is clean without being preachy. It’s a lovely novel that will capture your heart.

Climb into your hammock with this book. Enjoy it on the porch swing with a cup of iced tea (sweet, of course.) Lounge on the rocking chair and take in a couple of chapters. Whatever you do, just don’t miss Glory Road.

Jessie McBride is in her late 30s, a garden shop owner, and divorced when she thinks romance is not in the cards for her. She has a willful daughter and a brazen mother, and they are all she needs.

Two handsome men move to the area, and now Jessie’s interest is piqued. Sumner Tate’s daughter is getting married, and he asks Jessie to arrange her flowers. Ben Bradley is an old question mark from high school.

Also challenging is that Evan, Jessie’s daughter, is about to start high school and has her own mixed emotions about boys and relationships. On top of that, Gus, Jessie’s mother, is becoming more forgetful.

Something will change this summer, maybe multiple things? How will these women weather the storm together?

Lauren Denton writes charming southern stories. There’s plenty of love and an atmospheric setting. Delightful storytelling and likable characters take the center stage. Smooth writing, brilliant characters, and the red dirt road draw you completely into this story.

Glory Road is another wonderfully enriching and huggable story from Lauren Denton!

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

I’ve read a couple of books lately that center on home. I’m drawn to these kinds of stories and love the soft-place-to-fall feel that these stories evoke. After reading The Hideaway and Hurricane Season, I expected to enjoy Lauren Denton’s newest book, Glory Road. And I wasn’t disappointed. I love the southern setting and the charming characters. Ms. Denton is a gifted writer and now one of my must-read authors.

Glory Road is told from 3 POVs and each gives a special and unique impression. I connected with all three main characters—Jessie, Gus, and Evan, and I sympathized with their struggles. I love the themes of family and home, and really didn’t want this story to end. Beautiful story, engaging characters, and a satisfying end.

#GloryRoad

Author: Lauren K. Denton
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Pages: 368
First Line: I’d been on the porch steps shelling purple hull peas for less than an hour and my thumb nails had already turned purple.
Source: I received an advanced reader copy (ARC) from BookLook and NetGalley.

Love this book about three generations of Southern women--a beautifully written story of three women Evan, Jessie and Gus, daughter, mother and grandmother and their amazing relationship. So sweet, great family, love the look at the generations of women and how they are growing and changing, falling in and out of love, and dealing with life's twists and turns as well. Loved the Southern setting. Great characters, read, great writing, will definitely look for more from this author!