Review: Sweet Forgiveness

Sweet Forgiveness

by Lori Nelson Spielman

Why did you choose this book? Loved the cover!

When did you read this book? April 2015

Who should read this book? readers of women’s fiction who enjoy a mystery

Source: Penguin First To Read

Here is a synopsis of Sweet Forgiveness from Penguin First To Read

A story about embarking on a journey of forgiveness and finding the courage to right past wrongs to keep a family together.  

The Forgiveness Stones craze is sweeping the nation—instantly recognizable pouches of stones that come with a chain letter and two simple requests: to forgive, and then to seek forgiveness. But New Orleans' favorite talk show host, Hannah Farr, isn't biting. Intensely private and dating the city’s mayor, Hannah has kept her very own pouch of Forgiveness Stones hidden for two years—and her dark past concealed for nearly two decades. But when Fiona Knowles, creator of the Forgiveness Stones, appears on Hannah’s show, Hannah unwittingly reveals on air details of a decades-old falling out with her mother.

Spurned by her fans, doubted by her friends, and accused by her boyfriend of marring his political career, Hannah reluctantly embarks on a public journey of forgiveness. As events from her past become clearer, the truth she’s clung to since her teenage years has never felt murkier. Hannah must find the courage to right old wrongs, or risk losing her mother, and any glimmer of an authentic life, forever.

My Review

I saw this one offered as part of the Penguin First To Read program and it sounded interesting, so I picked it up. I wasn’t sure what I was getting with it, but I thought it would be a light happy read. I wasn’t exactly wrong; it was a very good read, but with a lot more depth than I had anticipated. The book opens with the ‘Forgiveness Stone’ craze sweeping the country. This reminded me a lot of the Pet Rock craze of the 70s when people were paying for a …. box with a ROCK!? In the Forgiveness Rock craze though, you get TWO rocks (WOW!); one to send as a token of forgiveness, and the other to send as a request for forgiveness. Hannah Farr is a popular talk show host in New Orleans, who ironically, is the recipient of one of the original Forgiveness Stones. She went to school with the originator.

Hannah has a past and she needs to forgive someone, as well as to be forgiven. She knows she needs to seek a reconciliation with her mother, but there is a complication; she is dating the Mayor of New Orleans, and HE feels bringing up her past will be bad news for HIS political ambitions. If there was one thing that annoyed me about Hannah, it was her naivety. It was obvious to everyone but Hannah, including the reader, that she needed to dump this guy….and quickly! Aside from the mayor though, Hannah had some very interesting, and kind, people in her life; the mother of the man she almost married,  her makeup artist, and the vintner she met on a trip to Michigan, among others.

This was a quick, fun read with a good story about forgiveness. I enjoyed it very much and would definitely read this author again!

My Rating:  ★★★1/2     4 Stars

I received an advanced review copy of this book through the Penguin First To Read program in return for an honest review.