One

Very realistic

I wasn’t sure whether I’d like this book or not since it wasn’t the usual genre I read, but I was pulled into the story right away. The characters were engaging, and the relationships and struggles realistic. Marcus was maybe a bit too perfect (after his initial actions), but this IS a romance, so I wasn’t too surprised about that. LOL Aunt Tweet was a dear, but I also got frustrated with her myself! She could be so unpredictable, her behavior often scaring her inexperienced caregiver. The relationships of the sisters seemed real–close, but they had a few misunderstandings too.… Read more »

I thought very highly of the book and saw that it is part of a series. I have been unable to find book #2, Here For You at my library. I have read the excerpt and am anxious to keep reading. I can’t even recommend this book at mylibrary. Considering Lean On Me is be read nationally, please advise libraries to have the whole saga.

I was drawn to this book for numerous reasons. I grew up watching my mother as a caregiver to my father who had suffered a massive stoke in his 50s. His 30 year road to recovery was never complete, but we loved him like these girls loved Aunt Tweet. As a Caucasian, the insight into African Americans was interesting. Although I wonder how realistic this aspect is portrayed. All come from stable, well educated, successful families. It reminds me some of The Cosby Show (leaving out the controversy with Bill Cosby). I pray this will/is becoming more “mainstream” but I’m… Read more »

I loved this book.. I am a cna myself who works with Alzheimer’s patients. No one ever tells u just how hard as a care giver these situations are gonna be … Only By the LORD’S HELP CAN ANY OF US DO THIS FOR FAMILY.

I liked the book and the although the characters were a little underdeveloped and the subject matter was intense the main thing that I got out of it was that training of individuals that are going to take on this role for is necessary and support must be in place before because this is a huge task to undertake and thing can get rough quickly. When dealing with someone in a different capacity than you are accustomed to can be very challenging. Tabatha has always been able to rely on her aunt Tweet and now she can’t in that same… Read more »

I really got into this book because I am a caregiver of a dementia patient. The problems that the characters face resonated with me. Great read for anyone directly or indirectly dealing with this disease.

I wasn’t thrilled with the book. I kept waiting for something more to happen.

I am dealing with a dementia relative. I need to often breathe deep before I react to his behavior. The issue now is he thinks we should be at his beck and all, even as late as 11:00PM! I understood the sister’s frustration. Now that I have retired I can be more available. I pray each day for Dad and other family members. It is true God does keep us in the palm of His plans. This book showed the truth of caretaking. The romance part was less believable.

it is so sad

I liked the book well enough. I wish there had been more of a build up of Marcus’ character. He really did an about face. And he was way too good to be true. I am not a caregiver, but felt that Aunt Tweet diminished rather quickly. I kept thinking she might know more of what is going on than she let on. Tabitha was at wits end. But I have sisters and those relationships were spot on.

I really liked the book. It was very realistic and kept you wanting to know what was going happen next.

It was awesome!

This was a different genre from most book I have read, but quickly got caught up in the story line. Found the characters engaging. Aunt Tweet was my favorite. Found the relationship between the sisters when together rather tense. There was early predictability on the relationship between Marcus and Tabitha

I thoroughly enjoyed the book from beginning to end. I wanted to see the characters grow and learn from each obstacle that was put before them. The book very realistic about the effects that Alzheimer’s can have on a person. The emotions and feelings the caregivers were experiencing with each phase of disease was very important.

I enjoyed the book. As a nurse, I could empathize with the caregiver role and emotional conflicts. I enjoyed the biblical references and appreciated how that strengthened their ability to deal with each day. I liked the well educated characters and their belief in family first. Overall great story I look forward to reading the rest of the series!

I hope with the next book we find out if the stories Aunt Tweet are telling true. If so, why the secrecy? Then again that generation wasn’t always the best with sharing their life stories.

Not my usual book type, but I really enjoyed it for the most part. The last quarter of it annoyed me.. mainly his ‘girlfriend’ endearment. I don’t know about anyone else, but that brings to mind California sisters more than a boyfriend. The end part was also just a little bit too sappy for me. Still, I really liked it!

In the beginning it was boring and annoying with the authors over use of the word caretaker. But it did show the difficulties and the life changes caretakers must go through along with the constant stress and worrying.

My sister and I shared care for our mother although she didn’t have Alzheimer it was still hard keeping track of doctors appointment and other things
She became very demanding in her old age we should have hired someone to help sooner tha we did

I hated Marcus. At first he was a total piece of work. And after he sees Tabitha as gorgeous and a quest he became a completely different person. And the change was before his religious awakening. I felt his character was self righteous, pushy, obnoxious, and manipulative.

Loved Aunt Tweet but I feel incomplete – was she a beauty queen? What happened to her true love? What about her other questionable adventures?

Tabitha was strong and I appreciated her religious journey. And her struggles to balance everything.

Loved the clean romance

I’m about 20% into this book and I don’t think I can do it. The characters are fairly one-dimensional, and the dialogue wooden. It’s doing absolutely nothing for me.
I’m not a book snob and will read almost anything, but this is like pulling teeth. It needs some humor or something. 7 chapters and nothing.

Well overall I liked the story, but if you looked at the plot as a whole there really wasn’t much going on. I’m glad the romance wasn’t more sexually involved , I think that for me,- made it more likable….. I did enjoy it though, it was a nice break from my usual reads and very uplifting spiritually! Good time spent today- enjoy everyone. Smiles

I wanted to like this book, as I have a hard time finding good Christian novels. I’m still on the hunt. The characters didn’t seem well-developed and the dialogue seemed a bit forced. Even as a Christian who cries every Sunday at worship, this book’s faith portions did not give me goosebumps or inspire me. While I admire the temerity it must require to put yourself out there as an author who is Christian, and to try to infuse Jesus straight into a book, I really felt there was a real missed opportunity to dig much deeper with developing the… Read more »

At first the character Marcus made me skeptical about the storyline. I thought his behavior was extra. Once he softened I was able to settle into the characters. My overall thoughts. Love is real life not fairytale. You never know how it will show up. Alzheimer’s and dementia are cruel diseases. Even the best laid plans for life require flexibility. The LORD, good family and friends are important.

I enjoyed the read

Facebook was surprisingly different than what I was expecting. Touching on the subject of caretaking for a person with dementia is a subject that has been drastically under talked about. This book shows the raw and accurate picture what it’s truly like on a daily basis of caretaking someone with this condition. The author knocked this subject out of the park

I ended up skimming by the end. Overall, I didn’t care for the writing, so that was part of it. I was also surprised that such a religious book would be picked for a wide scale book club like this. But the characters were where my main problems were. Aunt Tweet for example. At the beginning of the book she’s described as still being herself some of the time, yet we don’t see any real conversations with her, just one sided story telling or her doing things she shouldn’t. She felt like a very 2 dimensional character who was there… Read more »

These people seem to be my friends. Their challenges are so real. I love that they pray and go to church. Many characters are only self-reliant. I believe faith heals all kind is situations and helps us cope with large trials like care for Aunt Tweet.

Realism, written in broad overstokes of caregiver difficulties, overlayed with contrived romantic development gave added plot twist & provided comic relief. Enjoyable read.

The writing felt juvenile and trite, but I guess that could be the romance genre. I wasn’t a big fan of the religious aspect. It’s not my cup of tea in a fictional story, so I wish it had been mentioned in the synopsis. I’m a spiritual person, so that wasn’t the problem. It just felt too perfect. Caregiving is a daily struggle. I’m glad to see it portrayed in mainstream fiction. But, really, the second time a person with dementia goes on a walk-about, it’s time to install locks, and that’s what we did. So, I found some aspects… Read more »

Loved the book. It is reality! I am presently a care giver for the third time, so this book hit home a lot. My husband and I took care of both his parents in our home for several years. I loved taking care of them, they were very special people. Presently my oldest sister is living with us. She has been with us for 6 months. We love her dearly, but we are much older that when we cared for his parents and it is more difficult. Still wouldn’t change it.

It was powerful. Very realistic and heartwarming. Life gives us ups and downs and surrounding ourselves with loving and caring people will get us through.

I found this book to be so much less than it could’ve been. It was not smart. It didn’t feel authentic or believable to me. There were a lot of words but it lacked depth. I really didn’t care for any of the characters. Marcus was incredibly unlikable. I didn’t care for his brother. I don’t know enough about his parents to even be able to decide. Tabatha is still a mystery to me. I don’t feel like I know her at all. I am hard-pressed exactly to say anything I liked about it. Would normally have DNF it but… Read more »

The first book in along time I could not put down. Read it in two days. I was a caregiver for my grandmother, and both my parents, plus I am a CNA and daily I see how dementia affects people. Amazing book that covers so much of a caregivers emotions and struggles with a wonderful twist of romance. God bless all caregivers and remember most important if you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of them.

I enjoyed the book and the very real problems and guilt caregivers live with. Loved the development of the characters and how Marcus became a much more caring and compassionate person.

I wasn’t sure about this book at first, as it’s not a genre I typically choose. I found myself enjoying it though. I have lost several relatives to Alzheimer’s and it it truly heartbreaking. I came away with a new appreciation of how important it is to support caregivers.

I cared for my mother for several years until she passed. This book is very realistic in that capacity. Caring for a parent can be both a blessing and a burden

How was a book based on the transformative power of a Christian life deemed appropriate for a national read? I am a practicing Catholic and find this choice offensive in so many ways. We should be focusing on things that bind us together as humans . We are a nation based on religious freedom and choice, why focus on just one faith ?

Easy read – difficult topic, but at times the writing seemed a little juvenile.

What a wonderful read!!! So glad to find a writer who can write in the caliber of Debbie Macomber, about something that is vital (God and family) to all of us, who isn’t trying to revive “Joy of Sex”, as a way to do it!!! She makes her readers aware of this issue, while not burying them in a somber end of life situation. And, while doing so, she smoothly introduces God into the situation, without pressure, and then romance. A very good read, and, mark my words, she’s going to be the next Debbie Macomber! Thank you Pat, for… Read more »

This book kept my interest but it’s not my usual type nor could I recommend it to anyone else. It was informative in dealing with the care of an Alzheimer’s patient and in learning simple and succinct prayers. It definitely was more romance then caregiving. Still Alice was much more powerful as an Alzheimer’s book.

I thought the book was great. I love myself a cheesy romance and throwing the Alzheimer’s into the plot was bold and great. I used to oversee a Alzheimer’s and dementia neighborhood so the way that this was portrayed was great. My grandfather also has Alzheimer’s so I even saw the family aspect. The strain it puts on the family, the “know all” until they see all, and what it can do to the relationships. I say bold because Alzheimer’s and dementia can be different from person to person. The stats a few years ago was that there was 84… Read more »

Realistic story with good education on caregivers & family relationships. Good read

An inspiring book… a reminder of what’s important in life. My mother passed away from complications due to Alzheimer’s… this was very true to the experience of seeing someone slip away from you. It touched my heart.

I really enjoyed this book so far. I think that it portrays the relationships between caregivers and incapacitated persons quite realistically. The book is also well written. I think that this book gives readers a correct perspective of the hardships faced in caregiver situations. I also think it will inspire realizations, understanding, and sympathy in real life as well to such situations.

I enjoyed the book. I did feel that Marcus’ character was a bit unrealistic but this was a romance novel. I would have liked some of the questions about Aunt Tweet’s past to have been answered.

I really enjoyed the book. I enjoyed the Christian aspect. I enjoyed the scriptures. I enjoyed Aunt Tweet. And I enjoyed the differences between the brothers. I thought it was a beautiful story that accented many of a caregivers griefs, joys, etc.

Having cared for my Uncle, who was only 12 years older than myself, this book is entirely realistic. Uncle John had Lewy Bofy dementia. We used a baby monitor to keep track of him at night across the Street at first…. I stayed with him during the day. My uncle got confused often and swung on me when he couldn’t remember withdrawing money to purchase the house. Even though I wanted to care for him to the end, I was counseled by professionals to call on an agency to care at night and eventually 24 hours. Had to move him… Read more »

I downloaded this book not even reading the description, just intrigued with reading with a group. I promptly forgot about it and almost missed out. Now onto the book… I was pleasantly surprised to see such a familiar story for my life. Aunt Tweet reminded me of my mother from the wandering to the red hat (my mom’s hat was purple). Having been a caregiver for years I found the progression very realistic. The second guessing of your own abilities, the insinuations from others on what you could be doing differently. I appreciate that monetary means were not used as… Read more »