Review: What Matters Most

Title: What Matters Most

Author: Bette Lee Crosby

Series: N/A

Publisher: Bent Pine Publishing

Published: April 20, 3013

Format: Print Copy

Pages: 287

Dates Read: July 30-August 3 2017

Source: Received from the author in
exchange for an honest review

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 My Rating: 2 Stars

Synopsis:

Louise Palmer is a settled-down person. A woman who wants nothing more than to remain in the same house until the day she dies. When her husband, Clay, announces an intention to quit his job and move to Florida, her life is thrown into a turmoil of mixed emotions and strained loyalties. Torn between Clay’s desire for “the good life” and the lifelong friendships of her quilting club, Louise struggles with what to do…until her best friend hatches a scheme to thwart the move.


Before she discovers the truth of what matters most, a marriage will be tested, family relationships will fall apart and the friendships Louise tried to hold onto will change dramatically.

Melissa's Musings

The premise of this one caught me up. And then, sadly, let me down.

At the beginning of the story I felt I could learn to like the characters, but found myself wishing that there were more backstory. As the story progresses, there are a few holes in things that are just too much for me.

Like how Louise and Clay can move to another state without having a real, in depth conversation about it. Clay announces his intentions, Louise tries to hatch a scheme to get out of it. It doesn't work, and she slowly, (so slowly) resigns herself to life in Florida.

I don't like Louise as a character much at all. She's passive agressive, and whines entirely too much. She had this quirk of believing that double initials make a person lucky. Which, if I had liked her, I would have thought was a nice character quality. But, as that got repeated throughout the story, it got old, and annoying, and was eventually proved wrong by the events of the story itself.

I do like some of the more minor characters though. They add fun, liveliness, and even a little drama to the story. And, I did like the comaraderie between the characters. It was pleasant to read how the people of Tall Pines were kind  and welcoming to Louise and Clay.

I hoped this story might redeem itself at the end, but the resolution was too quick and tidy. I would have liked to see more exploration of the back half of this story rather than all the exposition on Louise's adjustment to life in Florida. I also found the cover of this book confusing once I finished the story. The main character is an older woman with grown children and so the young woman on the front cover doesn't really go with the plot.

I've read other books by this author and enjoyed them, so I'll consider trying another book by her in the future.

Have you ever had to make an interstate move like Louise? How did you adjust?