Wow Catherine Ryan Hyde did it again! Another great book. All of her books are different and I have loved every one of them. I read this in 2 days. You won't be able to put it down.

Alex, a registered nurse, and Dr Margaret ‘Maggie’ Blount run Doctors on Wheels, along with a doctor couple, John and Lacey Bishop. The four voluntarily head out to areas affected by natural calamities, and offer medical aid to those in need, without charging a cent.

During one such trip to Louisiana, the site of a hurricane, Maggie treats two newly orphaned sisters, 16-year-old Jean and 13-year-old Rose, who are suffering from pneumonia. She finds herself drawn to the two girls and chooses to take them home.

Predictably, Maggie’s daughters, 16-year-old Willa and 13-year-old Gemma aren’t happy. Already in a conflict-ridden relationship with their mother, they lash out at their mother’s decision to foster/adopt the two girls and go off to stay with their father.

Will this group of conflicted individuals ever become a true family?



I have read this author’s work before and have found her writing to be engaging. Unfortunately, this was far from her best work. The story lacked depth and I found so many issues that didn’t sit right.

The doctors are supposed to be helping victims of natural disasters. Although the anchor, Eleanor Price, commends their bravery, we never get the sense of them being in any real danger. The book sees them through a hurricane and a wildfire, but the danger is always past by the time they get there.

Even the trauma that Jean and Rose suffer, of which we hear a lot, is not something that we see in the present, not even in a flashback. It’s just something we are told about.



The descriptions do nothing to make the scenes come alive. The dialogues were cheesy and banal in some cases, and unreal in others, sounding almost like a counselling psychology textbook. Utterly unlike the way normal people would speak.

I didn’t like any of the characters. Not one. They all came across as fake and flat. Jean and Rose have no flaws. They are just so perfect. On the other hand, there’s no let up to the selfishness of Willa and Gemma, no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

Alex was so passive, he was totally unnecessary. Early on, he tells Maggie that Jean and Rose are his favourites among Maggie’s daughters.

Maggie was so ‘good’, it was unbelievable. Especially with the attempts to set the parents of Jean and Rose as being terribly flawed. The girls talking to Maggie as if she was some great saviour was off-putting.

The anchor, Eleanor, was so brash, I wanted to slap her. I couldn’t imagine why Maggie would choose to invite her to do follow up stories with her family.

The only character who stood out miles above the others was Sunny, the little stray that Rose adopts.

Maggie couldn’t seem to make up her mind about Jean and Rose. She flitted back and forth between calling them fostered and adopted. At one point, she told Eleanor that they had been officially adopted. And then, a few pages later, the word, fostered, was used again.

Maggie’s motivation for adopting or fostering the girls was unclear. Why was she so taken up with them? Naturally, her daughters were upset with their mother.

Speaking of the girls, miffed at their mother’s actions, they go to their dad’s house and return more than ten months later. During that time, there is no mention of school. Presumably, they went to school while at their dad’s house, but there was no mention of school for Jean and Rose during those nine months. No mention of the challenges they might have faced. Not even one sentence to say they even went to school.

Also, during that period, as Maggie informs Eleanor, she doesn’t go to work, apparently to help Jean and Rose to adjust. Adjust to what? Willa and Gemma are away, so there are no challenges. How does Maggie earn a living during that period? How does she sustain her lifestyle, including the big house with the swimming pool? She returns to her clinic only at the 88 percent mark in the book. So what does she do during those ten-odd months?

The first chapter, with the interview with Eleanor, is one long and elaborate ‘tell’ exercise. It is boring and the worst way to seek to engage the reader in the lives of the characters.

Maggie does not recognize her own mother just because she has had some work done on her face.

The book has its heart in the right place, the idea that family is irreplaceable and that nothing else matters quite as much, but it takes too long, and the most circuitous route, to establish that. Not exactly an engaging story.

Of course, there is a happy ending, but though the characters’ emotions are wrung through, I was just glad it was over.

Another good read by Catherine Ryan Hyde. I have always liked her stories. This story centers around Dr Maggie Blount and her family. Maggie and her fiance Alex run a charity " Doctors on wheels" they have a mobile office built in an Rv. Maggie is divorced with two spoiled teenager daughters. They stay at their dad's while doctors on wheels go to the site of wildfires or hurricanes, etc, to offer medical care for free to patients that can't afford it or overflow from the ER's. During a terrible storm, two teen girls are brought to them for treatment. No parents around. After treating them,They keep them overnight to monitor as they have pneumonia and need meds at regular times. Social services reports both parents are dead.They were killed when roof caved in.
Social services find the grandparents and takes them there, but they were too feeble to care for girls. Maggie decides to foster the girls .
Don't want to give any spoilers so stopping here...
Just know it's worth reading to find out how it ends...

I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Catherine Ryan Hyde writes honest, relatable stories with characters who are easy to connect with. This is a story of family - who and what makes a family - and how families can grow and change. It was interesting to read about how the teenage daughters reacted to everything, and everyone around them. I hope this family is somehow mentioned in a future book, just to see how they are doing years later.

This may be a difficult read for anyone who has experienced a hurricane. The descriptions are not all that graphic in my opinion, but the emotional toll was well written.

As usual Catherine Ryan Hyde hit the mark. The story of Maggie and Alex who helped in disasters with Doctors on wheels, a volunteer, non profit service came to me at a time when horrible hurricanes were happening in the south. Not only was this story packed with wisdom and thought provoking reminders but it made me more aware of the effects that climate disasters have on those affected. The relationships among Maggie's biological daughters and her two adopted daughter, although predictable, was enjoyable to read as it progressed. I always enjoy this author’s books!!

This year I have not loved many of my favorite authors new books. While I always look forward to a new Catherine Ryan Hyde book, this one was disappointing. Rolling Towards Clear Skies is about relationships between mothers and daughters, another topic I usually enjoy, yet I could not at all relate to how Maggie treated her daughters. I did not like her or her decisions. Her two daughters were evil, though if I had a mother like Maggie I may have been too. The topic had potential but it missed the mark. Thank you Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of Rolling Towards Clear Skies in exchange for an honest review.

After a slow start, Rolling Toward Clear Skies finally captured my interest and kept it throughout. At times I thought that the contrast between the two sets of sisters was a bit over the top. However, the difficulties of blended families were well presented, with enough tension to make it believable. I always look forward to Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books. They present a novel way of looking at things.

Once again I was totally enthralled. CRH has written another book that I quickly found myself wholly invested in.

The story begins with Dr. Maggie Blount and her comfortable life with her two daughters and medical practice. She’s part of Drs On Wheels and often attends to emergencies for those that needed it most. We get our first glance at her teenage daughters, Willa and Gemma and it’s obvious they are typical teenagers. (Perhaps more selfish and spoiled than average?)

When Maggie meets and helps Rose and Jean, it becomes obvious the story has changed. What comes next is family changes, tough lessons and the beginnings of redemption. The writing is so good I was uncomfortable for Maggie and the girls.

The audio of the story is great and brought all the characters to life.

Advance reader copy provided by Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

Catherine Ryan Hyde has done it again. She has written a book that is easy to read, has a good storyline and I couldn't wait to see how things turn out.

This book is about a blended family. Normally, this creates resentment and chaos in the beginning. This time it involves a mother with two teenage girls who brings in two more teenage girls, initially as foster children, but adoption is in process. Naturally, it is not a fairy tale. The two sets of girls are opposites. The new sisters are well-mannered, polite and grateful. The original sisters are not!

It is interesting how differently the 2 sets of girls deal with their new lifestyle. Actions and words are hurtful. Mom makes mistakes. But, they are all human.

I love how this author often brings dogs or other animals into her stories. Animals are always therapeutic, as is the case in this book. This time it was a homeless, scared dog who wormed his way into a family in turmoil.

I don't think this is one of the author's top three books but definitely enjoyable. Can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

I was happy with the ending. Very realistic!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "Rolling Toward Clear Skies" and all opinions expressed are my own. I like books by this author. It's always an interesting story that flows smoothly.

Rolling Toward Clear Skies superbly reflects the complexities of blended families, but what I loved about this book was the kindness, the compassion and the mercy that spilled from the pages.
This story demonstrates how life is full of change. Change can be hard, but it’s those hard times that allow a person to grow.

Wonderful storytelling from Catherine Ryan Hyde. The pace and flow were perfect; the characters were compelling and I was easily absorbed into the story.
My first experience of Catherine Ryan Hyde novels and it won’t be the last!

I am grateful to the publisher, Lake Union Publishing, via NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It is always a delight to read Catherine Ryan Hyde's trademark emotionally heart tugging, thought provoking novels, here featuring divorced Californian medic, Dr Maggie Blount, a mother of 2 children, Willa and Gemma, with a nurse boyfriend, Alex. She is a principled woman who puts her private practice, when required, on hold, when disaster hits, the children staying with their father. Emergency response charity, Doctors on Wheels, takes her and Alex to the latest nightmare of a devastating category 5 hurricane in Louisiana, which is where she encounters 2 homeless and traumatised orphan sisters, Jean and Rose,and the puppy, Sandy. Her bond with them will not allow her leave them behind when it is time to come back.

Maggie returns to Vista del Mar into a world of troubling conflict and the fallout from becoming a foster parent, her spoilt, entitled, self absorbed teen daughters are far from happy to have their home opened up to these interlopers. Jean and Rose are their polar opposites, shell shocked, they find themselves in unfamiliar, well off surroundings, but they are lovely, kind, grateful, and appreciate what they now have. Maggie is more than aware that she has played her part in how Willa and Gemma have turned out be like, as she tries to tackle the issues that arise with a newly blended family. It is not easy to address the damage done to her girls as foster mum Maggie endeavours to meet the needs of all the girls, not to mention the puppy!

Once again the author charms and engages in her ability to weave a sensitive, spellbinding, and captivating story as we wonder if Maggie can make her new family work. Perhaps some of her characters are little too black and white in their depiction, but this did not spoil my enjoyment of this uplifting family drama, with its core issues of identity, inequalities, being a teenager, social media, along with the nature of blended and flawed families. Fans of the author are likely to love this, as indeed are those readers who are new to her. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

In Rolling Toward Clear Skies Catherine Ryan Hyde brings the reader another realistic, heartfelt book. A divorced female physician travels with her boyfriend to disaster areas to help those in need. When away she leaves her two privileged daughters with their father. On one of these trips she connects with two humble teenage girls who have been through devastating loss and have no one to care for them. A new family is created even though the girls couldn’t be more different. A heart warming story!

Sadly this one is a DNF at 40% for me, I really like the premise of this novel but found the characters so unrealistic, her biological daughters were so unrealistically unpleasant and the adopted / rescued girls far too sickly sweet and nice that it was almost impossible to connect. I also found the main characters thoughts and then the reality were too coincidental and everything seemed too neat.

Not my favourite by this author but will definitely not be the last I pick up as I have enjoyed earlier works. If you like the author then I would recommend giving this a go.

Catherine Ryan Hyde has been consistently writing at least two books a year. Readers are presented with the wonder of a new book twice a year. I don’t know how she keeps coming up with new, fresh subjects so often, but I am glad she does it. This one is about a couple, she’s a doctor and he’s a nurse, who operate a doctors on wheels with two other doctors. They make their way to disasters and help the people involved for free. At one disaster, Maggie ends up bringing two teenage girls and a dog home. She already has two teenage daughters from a previous marriage so you can imagine the conflicts that occur. This is such a great story, I didn’t want it to end. Bravo to Catherine Ryan Hyde for another winner!

The thing I love most about a Catherine Ryan Hyde book is that it is going to make you think. It make you look at yourself and situations in a new light or from a new perspective.

This book has so many great things about it. You have Maggie, a doctor that travels to disaster areas and provides free medical care. This doctors on wheels was started by her younger boyfriend and nurse Alex. They along with two other doctors travel and help people when they are probably at their lowest. Maggie has two teenage daughters she shares with her ex-husband. Maggie is concerned that her daughter maybe a selfish and entitled.

Alex and Maggie head to a hurricane to offer relief to those affected by the tragedy. There two teenage girls come for medical care. They soon find out the girls were orphaned by the hurricane. Maggie after caring for the girls and due to circumstances regarding their family decides to foster the girls. The differences between the orphaned teens and her own soon become obvious.

I loved how Maggie went about bridging the gap between the girls. She loves her own daughters but becomes a mother to Jean and Rose easily. The transition for all the girls is difficult. Through counseling and some hard learned lessons this family becomes just that. This story was heartwarming and realistic.

I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I've read a few Catherine Ryan Hyde books and she never disappoints! This is a story about a mother, Maggie who has two teen daughters and decides to adopt two more teen daughters when their parents are killed in a hurricane. When the four daughters are living together, there is chaos but it ends up being a heartwarming story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

I have been a fan of Catherine Ryan Hyde since 1999 and she has never disappointed me. She always finds new and interesting emotional topics to write about. This was a timely one to read because after a natural disaster (Helene anyone?) two teenage girls are left parentless and homeless. Maggie Blount is a doctor who volunteers at such events and is a divorced mom of two teenage girls. When she decides to foster and then adopt the newly orphaned teenagers what follows is a dramatic tale of the impact the adoption has on everyone in the family.

I was quickly absorbed into this tale. Maggie's biological daughters were not very likable and I tried very hard to sympathize with them. While I liked and related to the adopted daughters a lot more I found them to be sickly sweet and not as realistic as the other two. I think the author did that on purpose to show how polar opposites the teens are. I really enjoyed this book about nature versus nurture, the haves and the have-nots. It's about growing up, helping others and blended families and it was told with Hyde's typical sensitivity and wit. This one really touched my heart.

Catherine Ryan Hyde remains one of those authors I consider to give me a comfort factor when reading, like putting on my favorite sweater or sweatshirt. I decided to read her latest “Rolling Toward Clear Skies” for that reason.

Dr. Maggie Blount is a divorced mother of two teenage daughters who lives in California. When natural disasters strike, she and her partner, Alex, head out as part of Doctors on Wheels. The idea for Doctors on Wheels came from Alex, who’s a Registered Nurse. He got Maggie to agree to join, along with another couple who are also doctors.

I read this book in one evening. Maggie meets two sisters, who have been orphaned, and their puppy when Doctors on Wheels arrives in Louisiana after a category five hurricane. Reading this book was a timely choice for me since Hurricane Helene and the aftermath of her destruction was still fresh and present in the news and social media.

As the book progresses, Maggie becomes a foster mother to Jean and Rose while also dealing with her daughters’ resentment of them. Maggie adopts Jean and Rose and continues working on her relationship with Willa and Gemma. The entire time, Maggie learns to navigate the challenges of not only her blended family, but also trying to undo Willa and Gemma’s privileged views on life.

Overall, I recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

I so enjoyed this book. Loved the way the story unfolded and delved into the subject of blended families and how they mix. Would recommend this book.