This book is true women's fiction. Love, loss, grief, family and friendship are the main themes. I started reading hopeful in the fact that this book would reel me in and keep me entertained. It did, until it didn't. Somewhere around the middle of the book it became very repetitive to me. Consequently, I lost all interest and ended up not finishing the book. The premise was there but I guess I can only read about napping and special tea so many times.

EXCERPT: I don't mind telling you that my sister is a bit of a nutcase about making a Plan. And yes, it's capital-P Plan. She got the trait from our grandmother who started each day by asking the nearest victim, 'What's the Plan?' meaning a list of tasks the victim was going to accomplish for her with a precise time schedule by which they'd be accomplished. Louisa's version is somewhat different. When she sees something she thinks needs to be fixed, she comes up with a Plan to fix it, and if God has something else in mind, well, I've got to say, it might be too bad for God because once Louisa's head is down and she's got her mind set, you might as well fasten your seatbelt because you're going on her ride.

ABOUT THE BOOK OF CAROLSUE: CarolSue and her sister, Louisa, are best friends, but haven't had much in common since CarolSue married Charlie, moved to Atlanta, and swapped shoes covered with Indiana farm dust for pedicures and afternoon bridge. Louisa, meanwhile, loves her farm and animals as deeply as she'd loved Harold, her late husband of forty years.

Charlie's sudden death leaves CarolSue so adrift that she surrenders to Louisa's plan for her to move back home. But canning vegetables and feeding chickens are alien to CarolSue, and she resolves to return to Atlanta--until Louisa's son, Reverend Gary, arrives with an abandoned infant and a dubious story. He begs the women to look after the baby while he locates the mother--a young immigrant who fears deportation.

Keeping his own secrets, Gary enlists the aid of the sheriff, Gus, in the search. But CarolSue's bond with the baby is undeniable, and she forms an unconventional secret plan of her own. How many mistakes can be redeemed?

MY THOUGHTS: I am always up for a book that isn't centred around young, beautiful, rich people. Not that I have anything against them; indeed I aspire to be one. And The Book of CarolSue certainly meets that criteria. The two main characters, Louisa and CarolSue appear to be in their mid-sixties, now both widowed, CarolSue only recently. Louisa, as she is prone to do, takes charge and shepherds the bereft CarolSue 'back home'. The trouble is, CarolSue feels like a fish out of water . . . and a gooseberry around her sister and the town sheriff, Gus, who like to 'nap' noisily in the afternoons.

I liked the feistyness of both these women who each have a strong sideline in sarcasm. But what started out charming and amusing deteriorated into tedious and repetitive by the 50% mark, and I finished the book feeling rather like a hampster trapped on it's wheel. The book loses its focus on CarolSue and Louisa and becomes bogged down by the Gary/Gus/Church/embezzlement debacle, much to its detriment.

I'm afraid that this is another case of one book trying to cover too many issues - sisterhood, grief, love, loss, and family would have been enough, but the addition of immigration and illegal labour issues, con-men, and embezzlement only muddied the waters and overloaded the storyline.

The Book of CarolSue is actually the second in a proposed trilogy, the first of which is The Testament of Harold's Wife, which focuses on Louisa and her loss. I have not read this, and I probably won't. But The Book of CarolSue is easily read as a stand-alone and, in fact, is not promoted as part of a series.

Had the book continued on in the same vein as it started, this would have been an excellent read, but as it stands it only rates ⭐⭐.8 stars from me.

#TheBookofCarolSue #NetGalley

There are lots of little gems in here:
' . . . people disappeared, here to track mud on your clean floor and laugh when you complained about missing chocolate chip cookies one instant, dead the next, and you don't get two weeks notice in the mail that it's going to happen.'

'Isn't it strange how we think one thing is going to happen and something utterly different happens? Inside we are so disappointed and have no idea that life might just have handed us a huge gift.'

'I've not only lost my marbles, but they've rolled way under the furniture never to be retrieved.'

'Life does not follow clean lines, but ones that stagger. We limp along, trying to keep up, carrying baskets unevenly loaded with failures and regrets. We find our joys accidentally, unexpectedly, along the way and must cherish them. Cling to, remember, and cherish them.'

THE AUTHOR: Lynne Hugo is an American author whose roots are in the northeast. She lives with her husband, a former Vice President for Academic Affairs of a liberal arts college and now a professional photographer, in the Midwest. They have two grown children, three grandchildren, and a yellow Labrador retriever.

Ms. Hugo has taught creative writing to hundreds of schoolchildren through the Ohio Arts Council’s renowned Arts in Education program. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College, and a Master’s from Miami University.

When an editor asked her to describe herself as a writer, she responded:

“I write in black Wal-Mart capri sweatpants. They don’t start out as capris, but I routinely shrink them in the drier by accident. And I always buy black because it doesn’t show where I’ve wiped the chocolate off my hands. Now that my son and daughter are grown, my previous high grade of ‘below average’ in Domestic Achievement has dropped somewhat. But I’m less guilty about it now. I lose myself in crafting language by a window with birdfeeders hanging in the branches of a Chinese elm towering over the house. When I come up for air, I hike by the ponds and along the river in a nearby forest with my beloved Lab. My husband, with whom I planted that elm as a bare root sapling, joins us when he can.”

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Kensington Books for providing a digital ARC of The Book of CarolSue by Lynne Hugo for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

CarolSue's husband has died and her sister Louisa takes her back to Indiana. It has been a long time since Carolsue has lived in the country taking care of a garden and farm animals. Then Carolsue's nephew brings a baby for them to babysit. He doesn't tell them that he is the father of the baby. Carolsue finds out Louisa has made the the master bedroom a memorial to the husband she lost.
A very funny and touching book.

Smooth flowing sweet story about 2 sisters and the orphan that falls into their hands. The sisters are vastly different and learning to live with each other after losing their husbands. Such a sweet, well developed story with deep characters that hits you in the emotions.

A life affirming and heartwarming story, full of humour and tenderness.
I loved the well thought characters, the poignant and sweet plot that moved and made me smile, the humor.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “The Book of CarolSue” by Lynne Hugo, Kensington Publishing, August 25, 2020

Lynne Hugo, the author of “The Book of CarolSue” has written a memorable, witty, delightful, and heartwarming novel. The genres for this novel are women’s fiction, and fiction. This is the second in a series, and it can be read alone. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the events or characters. The author describes her colorful and dramatic characters as mostly likable and relatable. They are quirky and dysfunctional. Of course, what enjoyable story doesn’t have chickens goats, cats and dogs? I love the way the author vividly describes the characters, scenery and the events in the story.

Louisa rescues her sister CarolSue when Charlie, CarolSue’s husband passes away. Before CarolSue has a chance to blink she is helping Louisa on the farm picking sweet potatoes, listening to Louisa talk to the chickens, and having “naps” with Sheriff Gus.

Louisa’s son Gary has found religion, and somehow has a knack for finding trouble. As a matter of fact, Gary does turn to ask Sheriff Gus for some help. Sheriff Gus doesn’t really notice what is going on at Louisa’s house. The author discusses the importance of family, friends, love and hope. I would highly recommend this entertaining and humorous novel.

She's done it again! Yes, author Lynne Hugo has most certainly done it again. Told a marvelous, fantastic, touching, wonderful tale that will leave you full and complete and satisfied, and wanting more at the same time. Like its predecessor, The Testament of Harold’s Wife, The Book of CarolSue is about a lot of things: family, farming, small town life, the death of a loved one and the need – and ability - to move on. CarolSue’s circumstances aren’t like her sister Louisa’s, but that gaping hole after the death of her beloved husband Charlie is exactly the same. He had a long illness, but his death was unexpected. She left the Indiana farm life years ago to live in Atlanta with Charlie. A happy, more sophisticated life But now he’s gone and she’s alone, trying to figure out what kind of life she’s supposed to live now if she’s not Charlie’s wife. She always wanted children but that was not to be, so it’s just CarolSue and her memories.

Until Louisa comes along. Sisters take care of one another (even if it turns out they don’t tell one another every little thing). Just like CarolSue was there for her when her husband Harold died, Louisa is there for CarolSue. She packs her up and back they go to Indiana. There’s room in the farmhouse and they’ll have each other for company. Without Charlie, Atlanta is no longer her home, so CarolSue agrees, and it seems okay at first. Until she starts to think maybe you can’t fill a hole with a place, and maybe being back where her memories and the life she’s accustomed to are is the better choice. So she starts planning her departure, but not yet sharing with Louisa (after all, even sisters don’t always tell each other everything).

And then suddenly there’s a baby. Oh, Gracie! What an angel. What a blessing. Just what CarolSue needs. Yes, she does realize she’s old enough to be this child’s grandmother but she can easily care and provide for – and love – this child.

Someone left Gracie on the doorstep of Gary’s church. Gary is an internet preacher with a history of his own troubles. He is desperately trying to find the child’s mother and asks his own mother Louisa and his aunt CarolSue to babysit. Louisa says she wants that baby gone, CarolSue already can’t imagine life without her and Gary is a mess. And Sheriff Gus, Louisa’s new friend that she “takes naps” with, is investigating.

I’m not going to tell you anymore and spoil it. Read it for yourself. Go back and read The Testament of Harold’s Wife while you’re at it. These are stories with smooth, flowing, well-developed plots and language, in a setting that makes you believe you are living in it. Both The Book of CarolSue and The Testament of Harold’s Wife will surprise and satisfy you, make you think about family and loss and just hanging in, hanging on when you sometimes have to. Hope, humor, heart, it’s all there. The characters are delightful, deep, rich, lovable, infuriating. But human, beautifully human. Once you meet them they’ll stay with you always.

Lynne Hugo is no longer a new author to me, but she is now one I will most certainly continue to read and recommend. Such enjoyable, well crafted, engaging stories that make you feel and think. Thanks to the author for an advance copy of The Book of CarolSue for my reading pleasure and honest review. All opinions are my own. I recommend author Lynne Hugo’s work without hesitation.

What I thought was cute and rather charming at the beginning became somewhat tedious as the same things was mentioned over and over again (napping, special tea). This book covered grief, sisterhood, family, love, loss, faith and immigration. Some parts were covered better than others, but even being a short book, this one dragged for me. It’s not a bad book, just one that didn’t reel me in the way I had hoped.

What delight amidst sadness. Carolsue's great love Charlie has just died, making her, like her sister Louisa, a widow. She moves back in with Louisa and helps out with the farm chores (most unhappily) all the while noting that Louisa isn't as over her husband Harold as she wants people, especially Gus, her special nap friend, to believe. When Louisa's son Gary, who is trying to run his own church, is left a baby by Rosalina, the undocumented woman he loved and sent away, everything changes. The baby, Gracia, becomes the child Carolsue was unable to have. The search for Rosalina does not bring good news- she's been rounded up and will be deported; no spoilers from me as to Gracie's fate. Told by Carolsue in the first person with third person contributions from Gary, Gus, and Rosalina (but not Louisa), this is a lovely story of family, I very much enjoyed the first book, which was Louisa's story but this reads just fine as a standalone.. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A wonderful big hearted read.

The Pattern That God Weaves in Our Lives is Rarely Understood
This is truly an awesome work of women's fiction. It brought tears of joy and sadness in a soul encompassing manner. The book is centered around two middle-aged sisters and some awesome changes in their lives. I don't want to give out any spoilers (like details), but this book will haunt me for a while and I will reread it. It ends on an upbeat note that lets the reader know what will happen in the future without getting to experience it in the book. I will be checking out this author's other books. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Thanks, #netgalley @kensingtonbooks for a complimentary e ARC of #TheBookofCarolSue All opinions in this review are entirely my own.

CarolSue and her sister, Louisa, are in their 60s and are both widows. After CarolSue loses her husband suddenly and unexpectedly, Louisa swoops in with a master plan for CarolSue to move back to the farm and live with her. The sisters are very different people: CarolSue loves her life in Atlanta playing bridge and getting pedicures while Louisa loves canning vegetables and feeding her chickens on the farm. CarolSue has difficulty speaking up for herself and lets her sister make all the arrangements. A cast of colorful characters, an abandoned baby, a troubled reverend, and a young, desperate immigrant provide the complications.

Occasionally, readers make personal connections with their reading material and this almost always leads to the best reading experiences! Connections could include a location, a character’s challenges, a point of view, or a set of circumstances.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Book of CarolSue because of connections made and the conversational tone! I especially was touched by the “baby” storyline because of a similar experience in my own life.

The elements I especially loved about The Book of CarolSue:

* Well….we do share a name!
* I love sibling stories, especially sisters! I think the sisters are realistically portrayed and the author demonstrates their loyalty, differences, and personalities.
* I love stories with country folk and a rural setting. I especially love a farm setting because my dad was a farmer and I spent my younger years on a farm.
* I love stories with mature main characters figuring out their best lives.
* I also love quirky characters and this story doesn’t disappoint!
* The most important and emotional connection for me is the care of the baby and the question of placement. I totally empathize with CarolSue and how quickly she bonds with the baby. Our family cared for an 18 month old for a week with the understanding that she was ours….and we had started the adoption process. Suddenly, Mom changes her mind and takes the baby away leaving me with a huge hole in my heart! So, I really empathize with CarolSue who quickly begins to think of the baby as her own.
* I appreciate the friendly and conversational tone of the story. It reads like a visit with a friend who is filling you in on a long and involved life event complete with a little humor, lots of candid (insider) talk, and a bit of life commentary. I feel like I spent the afternoon with a good friend!
* I love characters that grow and change…..even the two somewhat unlikeable characters that I had the least hope for (the sheriff and the reverend) revealed their more likable and honorable sides at the end.

One part of the story that is challenging for me to fully connect with is the stereotypical portrayal of the charismatic church. At times I can appreciate the genuine faith, earnest people, and good intentions, and at other times I feel like it was there for comic relief or entertainment. As a person of faith, I lack the experience to relate to this particular religious experience and these particular parishioners. However, this was a small concern and didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story.

Overall, The Book of CarolSue is a satisfying read with thought-provoking themes that include grief, found family, sibling relationships, life changes, a new and unexpected future, faith, handling life’s unexpected twists and turns, and the undocumented immigrant experience. Even though some of the themes are heavy, there is an overall light tone to the story.

Fav Quote: “We all limp through life. We do the best we can, and it’s never good enough. Everyone’s got their secret despair, terrible regrets they carry from one year to the next. Everyone.”

The Book of CarolSue is the second in a series but it can absolutely be read as a stand-alone (I have not read the first one, The Testament of Harold’s Wife)

I recommend this entertaining, quick reading, and heartfelt story for fans of light women’s fiction and for book clubs.

For me, Lynne Hugo's books usually start a bit manic, and either I settle into her rhythm, or she calms down, but eventually, we get to a middle ground. While there are so many aspects of this book that did not make sense, I continued to read and loved every bit of it.

The Book of CarolSue takes place a few months after The Testament of Harold's Wife. The reader met Louisa in the previous book, and now we are introduced to CarolSue, Lousia’s sister and recent widow, who was bullied into moving from her upscale life in Atlanta to the family farm in Indiana. It is hard to believe that two sisters could be any more different, but still love each other deeply. Through thick and thin they are bonded, and when Louisa’s son Gary gets into a mess that threatens his church and standing in the community, Louisa and CarolSue form a plan and a united front that will have readers and local authorities, shaking their heads.

Gary has appeared on Louisa’s doorstep with an abandoned baby and an unlikely story. CarolSue does not care about the child’s background, she has connected to her in a way that will have everyone rethinking what laws they are willing to break while Gary desperately tries to find the child's mother. Yet, this is not Gary’s only mistake. He has once again fallen victim to a traveling charlatan who is threatening Gary with IRS fines and will alert the authorities as to what is going on at Louisa’s farm if money is not paid. But there is a plan, with Louisa, there is always a plan, and with this strength, they are willing to sacrifice everything for the one thing that matters.

When I finished this book, I realized that there are many more characters to explore, and I certainly hope that Lynne Hugo continues to entertain her readers with Louisa, CarolSue, Gary, and the ridiculous goings-on at the little farm in Indiana.

I really enjoyed this story and had wonderful characters! Very easy reading! Highly highly recommend

This is a book full of emotions. If you are looking for a book that make you laugh, cry and feel every emotion in between, grab this book. This is the first book I've read by this author but it won't be the last. I really enjoyed reading this book. Thank you Kensington Books via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

All in all a fairly enjoyable book. The storyline falters about 80% of the way through the book, but interest in the two main characters is enough to carry the reader through to the end.

Beautiful story of family; Dispite distance of differences in opinions when the chips are down these sisters are there for each other. Lynne Hugo know how to grab you emotions and take you thru them all. happy, sad, love or mad....Very well told in an enjoyable book.
Thank you to Net Galley, Kensington and Lynne Hugo for this advance reader ebook in exchange for my review..
This review is soley my opinion.

Tugs at the heartstrings and makes you long for family that is thousands of miles away. I finished the book and called my mum. :)

This was a slow read for me. Two widowed sisters live on their family farm after CarolSue's husband passed away. Gary, the nephew, is the pastor of a church, but suddenly finds himself in charge of an infant, who's his daughter. CarolSue takes care of the infant while Gary denies the truth. My attention wandered while reading. I liked the locale of the setting, but none of the characters interested me.

More than anything, this story touches my heart. CarolSue and Louisa are not just sisters but also the best of friends. And like many other sisters, these two possessed utterly different outlooks and desires, but despite these differences at the end of the day, they know they have each other. There are a few funny moments in this story and many heartfelt ones. It also tackles immigration issues that are not uncommon for everyone in the same situation. The characters are adorable, and I think this is a sequel though I didn’t feel like I am missing out or anything. It talks about the importance of family, friendship, love, and heartbreaks. But more importantly, it talks about how to overcome differences and be stable amidst all the hardships. It is a good read.

Thank you NetGalley, Lynne Hugo, and Kensington Books for an ARC of The Book Of CarolSue. This is my personal honest review in exchange for the ARC.
CarolSue and Louisa are not only sisters but best friends.
CarolSue got married and moved to Atlanta. After the death of her husband Louisa thought helping CarolSue pack up her life and memories and moving in with her on her farm would ease the pain of losing her husband.
But CarolSue soon learns that farm life is not for her and wants to move back to Atlanta and the life she left behind.
Life of course has a different plan for the sisters when Louisa’s son Reverend Gary brings a baby to the sisters to take care of until he can help the local sheriff find the baby’s mother.
The story takes you into their lives and you will not want to leave.