Juvenile romantic fiction about three dear friends in a southern town. Not for me, though I read the whole thing waiting for something significant to happen. ( )

This is the second book flop for me this month. The problem is not so much that this was Christian fiction, as the shallowness of the characters.

This is the story of three female childhood friends who face a heartbreaking ordeal together. The narrator is the most immature person I have ever encountered, and I do read YA sometimes. Surely, it is a story of a small town, but not all small-town's people are this shallow and self-absorbed. There are a few nice quotes about grief, about the importance of friends and family. There are a couple of apt observations or jokes about small town life, or life in the South. It is however all too stereotypical. Characters are either whiny (the narrator Carrigan) or super wonderful and caring (Laine and Carrigan's husband Jack). The rest suffer from various degrees of irresponsibility (and sometimes sheer stupidity. I would never be able to carry a two-minute conversation with anyone in this book.

There was a minor point in the story that irritated me repeatedly whenever I thought about it. I find it extremely unlikely that in a small southern town a girl can get married at 17 and then stay childless by choice into her thirties. And this happened to TWO of the women. Carrigan has also married to the only son of a wealthy plantation owner, and I find it really hard to believe that there was absolutely no pressure on them to produce offspring.

On a positive note, the narrator put me to sleep quickly one night, and she gave a very nice rendition of a song at one point in the book. The few gems of wisdom about life, love and friendship were drowned in all the small-talk and trivial banter of most women (and some of the men).

I recommend this book to people with craving for sugary sweet unrealistic reading material, and those who can put up with trivial dialogue straight out of a soap opera on an eternal daily run.

( )

This was a great book about Southern friendships and life. It's a sad but yet a feel good story. Life never goes as planned and you have to take the good with the bad and just keep on going. ( )

I had wanted to read The Secret to Hummingbird Cake since I saw its yummy cover and read its intriguing blurb. Oh yeah, this was a book I knew I would love. And I really did. I laughed out loud and ugly cried, sometimes within the span of just minutes. This small-town novel is filled with wonderfully drawn characters that are as close as family and just as exasperating! The book’s charm lies in the small town of Bon Dieu Falls, Louisiana and the three women who have been close since childhood. Carrigan, Ella Rae, and Laine have always stood by each other through indiscretions, melees, and life in general. But their friendship and faith are sorely tested as they all have to face life with their big girl pants on. If you are a fan of Southern fiction, women’s fiction, or both, then this book is for you. I have just one caveat though. Although this book is published by Thomas Nelson, a Christian imprint of Harper Collins, there are some things that readers of Christian fiction may not want to read — alcohol, some mild language, and sex outside of marriage viewed as okay under the right circumstances. (This book would have earned 5-stars if not for the above-mentioned.) But if you can overlook those shortcomings, then I think you will really enjoy The Secret to Hummingbird Cake.

Recommended (with some reservations, see review).

Audience: adults.

(I purchased the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )

The main theme in this delightful book is friendship. Don't we all like to have those special friends that just make us feel at home? We can talk to them about anything, sit and chat over coffee and cake and just relax . This is the kind of friendship these three women from the book have. It is easy, comfortable and lasting friendship that makes this story so inviting.

As we get to know each woman, the author gives us a look into their lives. Some will face tragedy, pain and even loss . It is written with depth and true emotion. Yes you may want to grab a tissue for this book. The different subjects in the book are well defined with sensitivity and gives you a glimpse into what true friendship means. I really enjoyed the happiness the women felt at being a housewife. It is not an easy task, but the rewards are priceless. They took great care of their home and it showed through their actions. I loved the southern charm throughout the book and I could picture myself sitting with them on the front porch. We would be drinking iced tea and perhaps eating a slice of cake as we discussed our day. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great story that explores friendship and perhaps along the way discover THE SECRET TO HUMMINGBIRD CAKE.

I received a copy of this book from The Fiction Guild for an honest review. . ( )