The Bright Side Of Disaster by Katherine Center

Title: The Bright Side Of Disaster

Author: Katherine Center

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Release Date: Published June 26, 2007

Jenny Harris always expected that she’d fall in love, get married, and have a baby–in that order. Now, very pregnant and not quite married, she actually doesn’t mind that she and her live-in fiancé, Dean, accidentally started their family a little earlier than planned; she’s happy to have so much to look forward to. But Dean–whom Jenny loves enough to overlook his bad facial hair, his smoking habit, and his total commitment to a cheesy cover band–is acting distant, and not in a pre-wedding-jitters kind of way. The night he runs out for cigarettes and just doesn’t come back, he demotes himself from future husband to sperm donor.

And the very next day, Jenny goes into labor.

In the months that follow, Jenny plunges into a life she never anticipated: single motherhood. At least with the sleep deprivation, sore boobs, and fits of crying (both hers and the baby’s), there’s not much time to dwell on her broken heart. And things start looking up. She learns how to do everything one-handed, makes friends in a mommy group, and even manages to give dating tips to her sweet, clueless father–who’s trying to court her sassy mother again, fifteen years after their divorce. She also gets to know a handsome, helpful neighbor–with a knack for soothing babies–who invites her out dancing. But Dean is never far from Jenny’s thoughts or, it turns out, her doorstep, and in the end Jenny must choose between the old life she thought she wanted and the new life she’s been lucky to find.

A spirited debut novel with a terrifically appealing voice, a fantastic sense of humor, and a lot of heart, The Bright Side of Disaster reminds us that sometimes it takes the worst-case scenario to show us the best in everything.

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Continuing with my desire to read everything written by Katherine Center, I had to go back to her beginnings. The Bright Side of Disaster was her first published novel. Although, I do wonder about her Duran Duran fanfic :)

The Bright Side of Disaster is about a young pregnant woman, Jenny Harris. When the story begins, Jenny is staying home waiting for the arrival of her first child. Jenny is sure it's a boy. She's enjoying her pregnancy and she's happy and in love with her fiance, Dean. But her happiness won't last. Dean becomes distant and suddenly one day, he just leaves and never comes back. The day after, Jenny is in labor and all her careful birth planning goes out the window. Being a single mother is not easy. The painful birth, the lack of sleep, the battered nipples, the constant worry about this new life you have created are all things carefully brought in by the author.

There were many things I enjoyed about The Bright Side of Disaster. Katherine Center has a knack for making me smile and sometimes laugh out loud. Her characters can make me quite angry and some I wish I could hurt them physically. Dean was a perfect example. He was simply a bad man. A man who was not happy with his life and who was not mature at all. He thought Jenny was beneath him. He used her and left her high and dry when she was counting on him the most. A despicable man.

I hated that Jenny decided to sleep again with Dean. It was bad enough that she knew he wanted her friend instead of her back when they first met. I was mad enough when she let him stayed at her home but when she slept with him, I was furious. I also didn't like that Jenny decides to hide it from Gardner. He deserved the truth. Starting a relationship with omitted lies is not a good idea.

Other than Dean's parts at the end of the novel, the rest was quite enjoyable. I wished I had seen more of Jenny and Gardner together. Maybe after a year has passed.

Cliffhanger: No

3.5/5 Fangs

The Lost Husband by Katherine Center

Title: The Lost Husband

Author: Katherine Center

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Release Date: August 1, 2013

"Dear Libby, It occurs to me that you and your two children have been living with your mother for -- Dear Lord! -- two whole years, and I'm writing to see if you'd like to be rescued."

The letter comes out of the blue, and just in time for Libby Moran, who, after the sudden death of her husband, Danny, went to stay with her hypercritical mother. Now her crazy Aunt Jean has offered Libby an escape, a job and a place to live on her farm in the Texas Hill Country. Before she can talk herself out of it, Libby is packing the minivan, grabbing the kids, and hitting the road. 

Life on Aunt Jean's goat farm is both more wonderful and more mysterious than Libby could have imagined. Beyond the animals and the strenuous work, there is quiet, deep, country quiet. But there is also a shaggy, gruff (though purportedly handsome, under all that hair) farm manager with a tragic home life, a formerly famous feed-store clerk who claims she can contact Danny "on the other side," and the eccentric aunt Libby never really knew but who turns out to be exactly what she's been looking for. And despite everything she's lost, Libby soon realizes how much more she's found. Libby hasn't just traded one kind of crazy for another; she may actually have found the place to bring her little family, and herself, back to life.

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“You can’t just wish strength for yourself. Or wisdom. Or resilience. Those things have to be earned.”

Another great novel by Katherine Center!

After reading 3 books by Katherine, I've come to appreciate her writing style. I'm a fan for life.

The heroine of this novel is Libby Moran. She's a widow and has two children, Abby and Theo. Her husband, Danny, passed away three years ago in a motor vehicle accident. Her daughter Abby was hurt during the same accident and she still walks with a limp. Libby still feels residual guilt about his passing. They had an argument the morning before the accident.

For the last year, Libby has been living with her mother. They don't get along and arguments are always present. Then a letter from her aunt arrives. In this letter, her aunt offers her a job at her goat farm and a place to live for her and her children. Libby doesn't think about it twice. She immediately packs their few belongings to start a new chapter in her life and the life of her children.

At the farms, things are different. She has to wake up early to milk the goats. She's dressing in overalls and makeup is a thing of the past. She has to learn to deal with the farm manager, who has a lot of facial hair. Her children are starting a new school and she worries about Abby and her limp. So many changes but at the end of the day, she's happy she made this choice.

The shaggy manager, James O'Connor stole my heart. He was so good to Libby's children. He was sweet and caring. I love all of their interactions.

“That’s not a farm manager,” I said. “That’s Chewbacca.”

The Lost Husband is quite inspirational. It's about family, loss, despair, love, and hope. It's also about moving forward and adapting to changes.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah

Title: Between Sisters 
Author: Kristin Hannah
Publisher: Ballantine Books

Meghann Dontess is a woman haunted by heartbreak. Twenty-seven years ago she was forced to make a terrible choice, one that cost her everything, including the love of her sister, Claire. Now, Meghann is a hotshot divorce attorney who doesn’t believe in intimacy - until she meets the one man who can change her mind.

Claire Cavenaugh has fallen in love for the first time in her life. As her wedding day approaches, she prepares to face her harsh, judgmental older sister. It is the first time they have been together in more than two decades. Over the course of a hot Pacific Northwest summer, these two women who believe they have nothing in common will try to become what they never were: a family.

Tender, funny, bittersweet, and wonderfully moving, Between Sisters celebrates the joys and heartaches that can be shared only by sisters, the mistakes made in the name of love, and the healing power of new beginnings - all beautifully told by acclaimed author Kristin Hannah.

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“If love is the answer, could you please rephrase the question?”

Another great novel by Kristin Hannah!

Between Sisters had a blend of romance, despair, and hope impacting a very dysfunctional family.

Two sisters have been estranged for decades. Meghann Dontess and Claire Cavenaugh grew up together until events in their lives separated them. 

Meghann the oldest, took care of Claire when their mother was more interested in dating and later on acting than taking care of the baby. Meghann did everything for Claire but in the present, they don't even talk much to each other. The occasional phone calls always seem to be forced. 

Meghann is a successful divorce attorney. Her firm is sought by many. Her plate at work is always full without time for anything else. When she needs company, she just takes a younger man to bed from a bar she frequents and that's that. Meghann realizes she has issues. She has been undergoing therapy for years but she tries never to share things that are too personal with Harriet, her therapist. She prefers to joke about it than to admit she's lonely. 

Claire Cavenaugh is a single mother. She works hard at her father's resort. She came to live with Sam, her father when she was just a little girl. She has good friends she can trust and she's happy with her life. The one thing missing is the love of a man. Someone to hold her and share her the rest of her life.

Shortly, both women will have a chance at happiness and a chance to connect with each other again. 

“They were always doing that to each other, misinterpreting, imagining the worst. No wonder every conversation bruised one or the other.”

It's hard to stop reading a book by Kristin Hannah. Once you start it, the world she creates keeps you trapped. Between Sisters is not an exception. 

I liked both main characters. Meghann with her blunt and straightforward personality. Claire with her content and happy attitude. From the beginning, I was rooting for them to bury the hatchet and forgive each other. In a way, they reminded me of Kate and Tully from Firefly Lane.  As with such book, it's probably a good idea to have some tissues close by.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs