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How I Came to Sparkle Again
Set in a Colorado ski town, Kaya McLaren's How I Came To Sparkle Again is a remarkable breakout novel that chronicles three people and their journey from loss to love; heartbreak to hope
Jill Anthony spent her young adulthood in the ski town of Sparkle, Colorado. But more than a decade has passed since she left when, only weeks after a very late miscarriage, she finds her husband in bed with another woman, she flees Austin, Texas for the town she knows: Sparkle.
Lisa Carlucci wakes up one morning after another night of meaningless sex, looks in the mirror and realizes that she no longer wants to treat her body like a Holiday Inn. She’s going to hold out for love. The only problem is, love might come in the form of her ski bum best friend, who lives next door with his ski bum friends in a trailer known as “the Kennel.”
Cassie Jones, at age ten, has lost her mother to cancer and no longer believes in anything anymore. She knows her father is desperately worried about her, and she constantly looks for messages from her deceased mother through the heart-shaped rocks they once collected in the streams and hills of Sparkle.
Three people at the crossroads of heartbreak and healing. Three lives that will be changed one winter in Sparkle. One tender, funny, tear-jerking novel you won’t soon forget.
Jill Anthony spent her young adulthood in the ski town of Sparkle, Colorado. But more than a decade has passed since she left when, only weeks after a very late miscarriage, she finds her husband in bed with another woman, she flees Austin, Texas for the town she knows: Sparkle.
Lisa Carlucci wakes up one morning after another night of meaningless sex, looks in the mirror and realizes that she no longer wants to treat her body like a Holiday Inn. She’s going to hold out for love. The only problem is, love might come in the form of her ski bum best friend, who lives next door with his ski bum friends in a trailer known as “the Kennel.”
Cassie Jones, at age ten, has lost her mother to cancer and no longer believes in anything anymore. She knows her father is desperately worried about her, and she constantly looks for messages from her deceased mother through the heart-shaped rocks they once collected in the streams and hills of Sparkle.
Three people at the crossroads of heartbreak and healing. Three lives that will be changed one winter in Sparkle. One tender, funny, tear-jerking novel you won’t soon forget.
337 pages, Hardcover
First published October 2, 2012
62 people are currently reading
3122 people want to read
About the author
Kaya McLaren
7 books263 followersIn January 2020, my new title will be released, WHAT'S WORTH KEEPING, a story of healing and renewal inspired by but not based on my own experience with breast cancer, treatment, and recovery. My other titles include: THE ROAD TO ENCHANTMENT (Jan. 2017), THE FIRELIGHT GIRLS (2014), HOW I CAME TO SPARKLE AGAIN (2012), ON THE DIVINITY OF SECOND CHANCES (2009), and CHURCH OF THE DOG (2008).
In addition to being an author, I've been an archaeologist, a massage therapist, an art teacher, an elementary teacher. After spending a couple winters in Mexico, I've returned to my roots in Washington, where I'm teaching middle school art.
When I'm not working, I love to play outside-- kayak, telemark ski, cross-country ski, stand-up paddleboard, skate ski, bicycle, ride horses, and attempt to surf. And if I can't be outside, I like to play cello and bass, guitar, and banjo. I enjoy painting, sculpting, and every once in a while I make a quilt or stained glass window. I love to spend time in my garden, too.
My dog, Frida Kahlo, adopted me on the streets of Mexico and has been enriching my life ever since.
In addition to being an author, I've been an archaeologist, a massage therapist, an art teacher, an elementary teacher. After spending a couple winters in Mexico, I've returned to my roots in Washington, where I'm teaching middle school art.
When I'm not working, I love to play outside-- kayak, telemark ski, cross-country ski, stand-up paddleboard, skate ski, bicycle, ride horses, and attempt to surf. And if I can't be outside, I like to play cello and bass, guitar, and banjo. I enjoy painting, sculpting, and every once in a while I make a quilt or stained glass window. I love to spend time in my garden, too.
My dog, Frida Kahlo, adopted me on the streets of Mexico and has been enriching my life ever since.
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February 7, 2024
"How I Came to Sparkle Again" was a Magic Bookcase selection - I have mentioned the Magic Bookcase in other reviews. It is completely owned and curated only by me; but I constantly find books that I swear I've never seen before.
As I was reading it, I kept having delusions of being a movie producer because if this wouldn't make an adorable, guaranteed hit movie, I don't know what would. If there are any Hollywood people reading this review - you're welcome.
The novel takes place in the ski town of Sparkle, CO. Jill grew up there and has returned to lick her wounds and heal after the double trauma of a miscarriage, and then catching her husband in bed with another woman. Her best friend Lisa still lives in Sparkle, and she welcomes Jill with open arms. Lisa lives next store to the Kennel - a collection of trailers inhabited by lovable, womanizing ski bums and their dogs, all of whom are named after types of beer.
The other main characters are Mike, who has recently lost his wife to cancer, and his daughter Cassie. Since Jill needs a job to make ends meet until her divorce comes through, she becomes Cassie's babysitter.
Everyone in Sparkle works and skis and hangs out and has fun and tries to find friendship, sex and love. That's pretty much it. The relationships are foregone conclusions from the first page, there aren't many surprises. It's not a deep story, or especially original, but it was great fun to read, with likable characters, and many moments both funny and heartwarming sprinkled throughout.
As I was reading it, I kept having delusions of being a movie producer because if this wouldn't make an adorable, guaranteed hit movie, I don't know what would. If there are any Hollywood people reading this review - you're welcome.
The novel takes place in the ski town of Sparkle, CO. Jill grew up there and has returned to lick her wounds and heal after the double trauma of a miscarriage, and then catching her husband in bed with another woman. Her best friend Lisa still lives in Sparkle, and she welcomes Jill with open arms. Lisa lives next store to the Kennel - a collection of trailers inhabited by lovable, womanizing ski bums and their dogs, all of whom are named after types of beer.
The other main characters are Mike, who has recently lost his wife to cancer, and his daughter Cassie. Since Jill needs a job to make ends meet until her divorce comes through, she becomes Cassie's babysitter.
Everyone in Sparkle works and skis and hangs out and has fun and tries to find friendship, sex and love. That's pretty much it. The relationships are foregone conclusions from the first page, there aren't many surprises. It's not a deep story, or especially original, but it was great fun to read, with likable characters, and many moments both funny and heartwarming sprinkled throughout.
September 2, 2012
How I Came to Sparkle Again is such a sweet book. The topics it touches, infidelity and cancer, aren't new by any standard and the story is beyond predictable, but Kaya McLaren's writing won me over in the end. I really had no idea I would care so much for these quirky yet lovable characters - add in a light dose of faith and the result is this heartwarming, feel good novel that leaves behind a warm fuzzy feeling.
But I really do mean it when I say this book won me over. I could pretty much see where the plot was headed almost as soon as Jill leaves her cheating husband and moves to Sparkle, Colorado, settling in with her old friend Lisa and babysitting Cassie, a ten year old who just recently lost her mother. Maybe it's because Lisa is jaded in the romance department, living next to the Kennel, not a boarding place for dogs but a house with a bunch of womanizing single guys who each own a dog, but Jill and Lisa didn't really interest me at first. A lot of their escapades with the guys went over my head, especially since besides Tom I had a lot of trouble keeping track of who's who. The only character I liked right away was Cassie, not just because I'm a sucker for the sad kid who just lost a parent sob story, I'm not, but the way Cassie's written, part depressing, part contemplative, it really got to me.
The rest of the plot's easy to predict from the premise. Mike, Cassie's father, is grieving the death of his wife but sees the hole in his family. Jill, shattered by her miscarriage followed days later by her husband's betrayal, is looking to get on with her life. Cassie's hoping something or someone will help her accept her mother's death. It's really easy to see where this is going, but thankfully McLaren ends her story before it got too sappy. Instead, it really is all about second chances, a second chance for Mike, a second chance for Jill, a second chance for Cassie. For Lisa and Tom too, their story is just as equally transparent, but I also think ends in just the right place too, mostly sweet but with a touch of sadness as well.
The thing that really surprised me though was how philosophical Sparkle is at times, without too much dragging on the plot. There's a wise old man character, Uncle Howard, always ready to dispense witticisms, but even everyday discussions between Tom and Lisa, or Tom and Jill, or even Mike and Cassie, there's some deep discussions of human nature, romance, dating, life, often cloaked in jokes and simpler things. It’s easy to read this book as a light story of second chances, but just as easy to read this book as something more, an exploration of the effects of tragedy on life.
For a story set in a simple ski town, How I Came to Sparkle Again surprised me by tying ski season together with some very personal lives. Though it takes awhile to pull all its punches, it’s really good when it does.
But I really do mean it when I say this book won me over. I could pretty much see where the plot was headed almost as soon as Jill leaves her cheating husband and moves to Sparkle, Colorado, settling in with her old friend Lisa and babysitting Cassie, a ten year old who just recently lost her mother. Maybe it's because Lisa is jaded in the romance department, living next to the Kennel, not a boarding place for dogs but a house with a bunch of womanizing single guys who each own a dog, but Jill and Lisa didn't really interest me at first. A lot of their escapades with the guys went over my head, especially since besides Tom I had a lot of trouble keeping track of who's who. The only character I liked right away was Cassie, not just because I'm a sucker for the sad kid who just lost a parent sob story, I'm not, but the way Cassie's written, part depressing, part contemplative, it really got to me.
The rest of the plot's easy to predict from the premise. Mike, Cassie's father, is grieving the death of his wife but sees the hole in his family. Jill, shattered by her miscarriage followed days later by her husband's betrayal, is looking to get on with her life. Cassie's hoping something or someone will help her accept her mother's death. It's really easy to see where this is going, but thankfully McLaren ends her story before it got too sappy. Instead, it really is all about second chances, a second chance for Mike, a second chance for Jill, a second chance for Cassie. For Lisa and Tom too, their story is just as equally transparent, but I also think ends in just the right place too, mostly sweet but with a touch of sadness as well.
The thing that really surprised me though was how philosophical Sparkle is at times, without too much dragging on the plot. There's a wise old man character, Uncle Howard, always ready to dispense witticisms, but even everyday discussions between Tom and Lisa, or Tom and Jill, or even Mike and Cassie, there's some deep discussions of human nature, romance, dating, life, often cloaked in jokes and simpler things. It’s easy to read this book as a light story of second chances, but just as easy to read this book as something more, an exploration of the effects of tragedy on life.
For a story set in a simple ski town, How I Came to Sparkle Again surprised me by tying ski season together with some very personal lives. Though it takes awhile to pull all its punches, it’s really good when it does.
July 17, 2012
I won this book through Goodreads First Reads.
I really wanted to like this book. The idea behind the story is a heartwarming one, but the book just fell flat for me.
I felt like the author did a poor job of developing the characters. I felt no emotional connection with them due to the lack of their depth, so I didn't feel like I cared one way or the other about what eventually happened to them. Some of the dialogue and character movements felt forced and unrealistic. The writing style at times felt amateurish.
There is also an overuse of the 'f-bomb.' I can take occasional cursing, but it seemed like the author threw the word in there purposefully at times when it wasn't needed, and it certainly didn't add anything to the story. In fact, I would argue that it made it less of an enjoyable story.
On a positive note, I did enjoy the scenery descriptions and setting. For someone who has never been snow-skiing and isn't familiar with the terms and vocabulary, I was still able to get the gist of the sport. Also, this is a very easy and light read; I was able to finish it in only a couple of days.
Overall, the book was just okay for me.
I really wanted to like this book. The idea behind the story is a heartwarming one, but the book just fell flat for me.
I felt like the author did a poor job of developing the characters. I felt no emotional connection with them due to the lack of their depth, so I didn't feel like I cared one way or the other about what eventually happened to them. Some of the dialogue and character movements felt forced and unrealistic. The writing style at times felt amateurish.
There is also an overuse of the 'f-bomb.' I can take occasional cursing, but it seemed like the author threw the word in there purposefully at times when it wasn't needed, and it certainly didn't add anything to the story. In fact, I would argue that it made it less of an enjoyable story.
On a positive note, I did enjoy the scenery descriptions and setting. For someone who has never been snow-skiing and isn't familiar with the terms and vocabulary, I was still able to get the gist of the sport. Also, this is a very easy and light read; I was able to finish it in only a couple of days.
Overall, the book was just okay for me.
July 29, 2012
I got this amazing book through First Reads giveaways.
Let me start off by saying that this is not my normal kind of book. I am an avid fantasy/science fiction reader. I love the fantastical things because real life is hard and often times sucks. However, when I saw this book in the list I stopped dead. The title is bright and pretty and the title seemed like something good was coming. I read the little blurb and cried. I lost my mother to cancer (of the brain) on October 27th 2009 and I haven't healed very well from it. To see someone, even fictional, go through that is hard. Jill's story is no easier to read at first. A woman loses a child and expects that her partner will stay by her side. For him to betray her is horrendous and heartbreaking. I love the characters being so real with real common problems to deal with. I love the back drop for the story and the little mini story, if you will, of other characters. I in a way have possibly found a way to truly start healing because of this book. I know I'll never be healed completely but this book gives me ideas of how to remember and not be so sad. This is a great read and I am so thankful I won it.
Let me start off by saying that this is not my normal kind of book. I am an avid fantasy/science fiction reader. I love the fantastical things because real life is hard and often times sucks. However, when I saw this book in the list I stopped dead. The title is bright and pretty and the title seemed like something good was coming. I read the little blurb and cried. I lost my mother to cancer (of the brain) on October 27th 2009 and I haven't healed very well from it. To see someone, even fictional, go through that is hard. Jill's story is no easier to read at first. A woman loses a child and expects that her partner will stay by her side. For him to betray her is horrendous and heartbreaking. I love the characters being so real with real common problems to deal with. I love the back drop for the story and the little mini story, if you will, of other characters. I in a way have possibly found a way to truly start healing because of this book. I know I'll never be healed completely but this book gives me ideas of how to remember and not be so sad. This is a great read and I am so thankful I won it.
October 9, 2012
3.5 Stars
Chick-Lit...Two women and a 10 year old girl all dealing with life changes.
Six weeks after suffering a traumatic miscarriage and life saving hysterectomy Jill finds her husband in bed with another woman. Devastated, she runs to the childhood hometown in Colorado to heal her heart.
Lisa has been running her entire life even though she has never left Sparkle, Colorado. One morning after her latest one night stand is sneaking out of her bed, she decides it's time for a change.
Cassie's mother died of breast cancer a year earlier. Living with her father she is consumed by grief. When Jill takes a job as her sitter, she finally finds someone who understands her loss and begins to heal.
How I came to Sparkle Again is not a religious book, but it's very spiritual...almost uncomfortably so. It reminded me of Emily March's Eternity Springs books a little. It was a slightly melancholy but ultimately fulfilling journey of discovery.
Chick-Lit...Two women and a 10 year old girl all dealing with life changes.
Six weeks after suffering a traumatic miscarriage and life saving hysterectomy Jill finds her husband in bed with another woman. Devastated, she runs to the childhood hometown in Colorado to heal her heart.
Lisa has been running her entire life even though she has never left Sparkle, Colorado. One morning after her latest one night stand is sneaking out of her bed, she decides it's time for a change.
Cassie's mother died of breast cancer a year earlier. Living with her father she is consumed by grief. When Jill takes a job as her sitter, she finally finds someone who understands her loss and begins to heal.
How I came to Sparkle Again is not a religious book, but it's very spiritual...almost uncomfortably so. It reminded me of Emily March's Eternity Springs books a little. It was a slightly melancholy but ultimately fulfilling journey of discovery.
June 20, 2015
To be honest, I almost abandoned this book after 20 pages because I thought it was a Christian fiction book. There was so much talk about God and people losing faith. It was so heavy on faith and it turned me off. I checked online to see if it is a Christian fiction book and it is not, it's actually a chick lit book. That surprised so I kept on reading. Then we are introduced to Lisa and her crew of male friends and the book just gets crude and immature. But I stuck with it because the story of Cassie who has lost her mother and is going through a really tough time intrigued me. But don't get me started on Uncle Howard, the philosophical zen skiing dude who just seems way too over the top and a caricature of a real person. I did, however, keep going and found myself tearing up at the raw emotions that Cassie and her father, Mike, portrayed.
This book seems to have an identity problem. Is it a Christian fiction book masquerading as a chick lit book? Is it supposed to be a light, chick lit book intended for a younger than myself audience? Is it an emotional story of the struggles of a young girl? I have no idea how to classify this book but the author really should have picked just one genre of book. It's far too heavy on religion for the everyday reader but it's far too vulgar for the Christian fiction reader. If the author had left out all the sex talk by Lisa and the sex-crazed male neighbors next door this book would be more appealing as these sections of the book are highly crude and immature. If the author had toned down the come-to-Jesus moments that Lisa had and the struggles with faith that Mike had, the book would also be more appealing.
But yet, I had a hard time putting this book down. Cassie's story really tugged at my heart strings as did Jill's story. (I do wish that the author had picked different names for Jill and Lisa, I had a hard time remember who was who). The faith part of the story really dropped off after a while and it makes me question why the author even included some of it in the first place. The author did tie everything together at the end and the reader is left with a warm feeling. It makes it very difficult to rate this book!
This book seems to have an identity problem. Is it a Christian fiction book masquerading as a chick lit book? Is it supposed to be a light, chick lit book intended for a younger than myself audience? Is it an emotional story of the struggles of a young girl? I have no idea how to classify this book but the author really should have picked just one genre of book. It's far too heavy on religion for the everyday reader but it's far too vulgar for the Christian fiction reader. If the author had left out all the sex talk by Lisa and the sex-crazed male neighbors next door this book would be more appealing as these sections of the book are highly crude and immature. If the author had toned down the come-to-Jesus moments that Lisa had and the struggles with faith that Mike had, the book would also be more appealing.
But yet, I had a hard time putting this book down. Cassie's story really tugged at my heart strings as did Jill's story. (I do wish that the author had picked different names for Jill and Lisa, I had a hard time remember who was who). The faith part of the story really dropped off after a while and it makes me question why the author even included some of it in the first place. The author did tie everything together at the end and the reader is left with a warm feeling. It makes it very difficult to rate this book!
January 3, 2013
This novel is a delightfully warm and wonderful book. It is a beautiful story of friendship, romance, recovery and fun.
The four main characters are each facing a demoralizing loss. Six weeks after a miscarriage, Jill hears her husband making love to another woman in their bedroom, and in a shocked daze heads to the one place she feels she belongs, Sparkle, Colorado. Fireman-paramedic Mike Jones and his ten-year-old daughter Cassie are coping with the devastating death of wife and mother from breast cancer. Waking up one more time with a guy who has no interest in her as a person, Lisa comes to realizes that she has lost her self-respect and is wasting herself in the bar to bed to bar cycle that she has outgrown.
When Jill disappears, her husband thinks something bad has happened to her and cancels all of her credit cards and her bank access. With limited funds and no job, she must figure out how to take care of herself. Her friend Lisa has only a couch to offer, so Lisa’s neighbor Tom offers Jill a cheap room in his trailer, the infamous Kennel. Beyond that, he is able to offer her a job with the ski patrol for the rest of the season. Between the tacky but affordable housing, a job in the first aid room, and an overnight babysitting job every third day with Cassie, Jill has room to breathe while she figures out where to go from there.
The guys in the Kennel are mostly late twenty-ish males who work for the ski patrol while they fight off growing up. Lisa warns her that all the guys are Peter Pans who keep score of the women they sleep with, and the nurse in Jill has a problem with the hygiene of the house, but she soon comes to understand that the Kennel and its denizen have much more to offer than germs, drink and pot.
Working together, living together, and playing together brings this wonderful group of people into a warm bonding that helps her through the first tough days and on through the winter. Relationships grow and the characters grow stronger as winter passes in to Spring in this endearing novel.
From the introduction to the characters and their losses in the first chapter, I wondered if this was going to be a heavy handed “get right with God” story, but most definitely it is not. I enjoy Christian literature but this story isn’t even quite that. It is a story that tells us that we all need something to hold on to but it isn’t about church or religion, it is about people and the things they hold on to and the things they let go.
I won an ARC copy of this novel in a Goodreads First Reads drawing. The contests are offered in the hope that winners will review the book. It was my pleasure to do so, and I hope I did justice to this heartwarming book.
Note: I seldom give 5 star rating on Goodreads because I am comparing these books to the best I ever read. At other sites, I rate just to show much I recommend a book. This is a 5 star recommendation
The four main characters are each facing a demoralizing loss. Six weeks after a miscarriage, Jill hears her husband making love to another woman in their bedroom, and in a shocked daze heads to the one place she feels she belongs, Sparkle, Colorado. Fireman-paramedic Mike Jones and his ten-year-old daughter Cassie are coping with the devastating death of wife and mother from breast cancer. Waking up one more time with a guy who has no interest in her as a person, Lisa comes to realizes that she has lost her self-respect and is wasting herself in the bar to bed to bar cycle that she has outgrown.
When Jill disappears, her husband thinks something bad has happened to her and cancels all of her credit cards and her bank access. With limited funds and no job, she must figure out how to take care of herself. Her friend Lisa has only a couch to offer, so Lisa’s neighbor Tom offers Jill a cheap room in his trailer, the infamous Kennel. Beyond that, he is able to offer her a job with the ski patrol for the rest of the season. Between the tacky but affordable housing, a job in the first aid room, and an overnight babysitting job every third day with Cassie, Jill has room to breathe while she figures out where to go from there.
The guys in the Kennel are mostly late twenty-ish males who work for the ski patrol while they fight off growing up. Lisa warns her that all the guys are Peter Pans who keep score of the women they sleep with, and the nurse in Jill has a problem with the hygiene of the house, but she soon comes to understand that the Kennel and its denizen have much more to offer than germs, drink and pot.
Working together, living together, and playing together brings this wonderful group of people into a warm bonding that helps her through the first tough days and on through the winter. Relationships grow and the characters grow stronger as winter passes in to Spring in this endearing novel.
From the introduction to the characters and their losses in the first chapter, I wondered if this was going to be a heavy handed “get right with God” story, but most definitely it is not. I enjoy Christian literature but this story isn’t even quite that. It is a story that tells us that we all need something to hold on to but it isn’t about church or religion, it is about people and the things they hold on to and the things they let go.
I won an ARC copy of this novel in a Goodreads First Reads drawing. The contests are offered in the hope that winners will review the book. It was my pleasure to do so, and I hope I did justice to this heartwarming book.
Note: I seldom give 5 star rating on Goodreads because I am comparing these books to the best I ever read. At other sites, I rate just to show much I recommend a book. This is a 5 star recommendation
November 14, 2012
Received a copy of this book through First Reads. It was ok, overall a good story, but nothing spectacular. I found there were almost too many 'side' characters, i.e. the guys in the Kennel, it was hard to keep track of who was who and in the end you didn't really need to know, they didn't really add anything to the story.
August 13, 2015
How I Came to Sparkle Again by Kaya McLaren was more a book of dichotomies for me. There were sections that I really enjoyed and that really touched me; there were sections that were just juvenile considering the adults involved in the story. I would have loved to have had more background development of Jill and Lisa. It was touched on, but I wanted more. I could have done with less description/activity of the Kennel and its residents.
There was one aspect of the book that really bothered me. I am not a Mormon nor do I pretend to understand the theology of that particular religion. But I felt the portrayal of the parents was harsh in that they were cold and not in the least bit loving.
Overall, it was a "good read" and I would read another book by Kaya McLaren.
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There was one aspect of the book that really bothered me. I am not a Mormon nor do I pretend to understand the theology of that particular religion. But I felt the portrayal of the parents was harsh in that they were cold and not in the least bit loving.
Overall, it was a "good read" and I would read another book by Kaya McLaren.
Go Cards! L1C4!!
February 19, 2014
I enjoyed this for the most part. It was pretty predictable, but was still an enjoyable read. It was very sad at times and got me to cry here and there. Overall though I think it went on a bit too long for me.
I thought the Mormon religion was given a bit of a bad rap in this book. Being a member and also being pretty open to how weird we can be sometimes I just feel like I have to defend my church a bit here. The way one of our MCs is treated in this is not how the whole of the church treats family that has decided the church is not for them. I'm sure sometimes that isn't the case, but it isn't what is taught.
Other than that though I think this is a pretty nice little read if you like novels that just explore human nature. I'd read another book by this author.
I thought the Mormon religion was given a bit of a bad rap in this book. Being a member and also being pretty open to how weird we can be sometimes I just feel like I have to defend my church a bit here. The way one of our MCs is treated in this is not how the whole of the church treats family that has decided the church is not for them. I'm sure sometimes that isn't the case, but it isn't what is taught.
Other than that though I think this is a pretty nice little read if you like novels that just explore human nature. I'd read another book by this author.
November 10, 2012
I liked the book, although I can't say that I loved it. It was a little predictable in the romance department. I do have to say, though, that I was impressed that the author got me to actually "like" the kennel guys because initially I was just turned off by their lifestyle and personality. She was able to make them more appealing as the story progressed. It was a light read that really makes you remember that there is always something special about where you came from.
January 30, 2016
I loved this book. I found it funny, moving and - for me - very relatable. Highly recommend.
August 13, 2012
How I Came To Sparkle Again
By
Kaya McLaren
My "in a nutshell" summary...
Two women, one girl and a mountain in Sparkle, Colorado...all three are learning about themselves.
My thoughts after reading this book...
This book is really about Jill...dealing with an unfaithful husband, Lisa... dealing with too much of her own unsavory behavior and Cassie...trying to live with the sadness of her mother's illness and subsequent death.
They all live in Sparkle and they are all trying to heal.
This is a sweet sad funny story about the sort of quirky people who live in this ski town.
Jill ends up living with all male coworkers in a house called the "Kennel" and nightmares about how clean or not their bathroom is. Lisa loves to cook...and care for people...sometimes too much. Cassie is sad and resents Jill...and is desperate to hold on to the memories of her mother.
It's really about the lives of lots of ordinary people who live and work in this ski town. People are close and they care for each other and eventually they heal. They grow and they adjust and they help each other.
What I loved about this book...
Small town life in a ski town...the guys who lived in the "Kennel"...Jill' s uncle and his Siddartha books scattered all over town. I loved the way Jill treated Cassie. I loved the way Lisa learned to eventually treasure her body. I loved the way Cassie missed her mother.
What I did not love...
Oh my goodness...the boys and dogs and germs in the "Kennel". Jill's heartbreak and cheating husband. Jill's overly religious parents...who were seemingly out of touch with their daughter.
However...this is what made this book so readable and so good.
My final thoughts...
I found this to be an entertaining novel with realistic issues. It was a fast paced book that made me cheer for Jill, Lisa, Cassie and some of the boys, too.
By
Kaya McLaren
My "in a nutshell" summary...
Two women, one girl and a mountain in Sparkle, Colorado...all three are learning about themselves.
My thoughts after reading this book...
This book is really about Jill...dealing with an unfaithful husband, Lisa... dealing with too much of her own unsavory behavior and Cassie...trying to live with the sadness of her mother's illness and subsequent death.
They all live in Sparkle and they are all trying to heal.
This is a sweet sad funny story about the sort of quirky people who live in this ski town.
Jill ends up living with all male coworkers in a house called the "Kennel" and nightmares about how clean or not their bathroom is. Lisa loves to cook...and care for people...sometimes too much. Cassie is sad and resents Jill...and is desperate to hold on to the memories of her mother.
It's really about the lives of lots of ordinary people who live and work in this ski town. People are close and they care for each other and eventually they heal. They grow and they adjust and they help each other.
What I loved about this book...
Small town life in a ski town...the guys who lived in the "Kennel"...Jill' s uncle and his Siddartha books scattered all over town. I loved the way Jill treated Cassie. I loved the way Lisa learned to eventually treasure her body. I loved the way Cassie missed her mother.
What I did not love...
Oh my goodness...the boys and dogs and germs in the "Kennel". Jill's heartbreak and cheating husband. Jill's overly religious parents...who were seemingly out of touch with their daughter.
However...this is what made this book so readable and so good.
My final thoughts...
I found this to be an entertaining novel with realistic issues. It was a fast paced book that made me cheer for Jill, Lisa, Cassie and some of the boys, too.
May 13, 2016
Once I saw that Kristin Hannah had written a comment about the book, I was swayed to choose it at my local library. Yes, authors do have that much power!
The book begins with Jill, a married nurse who has just suffered a heart breaking loss. Arriving home from work one day she discovers her husband, in bed, with another woman. Basically functioning on autopilot, Jill thinks about the one place where she really feels like herself- the town of Sparkle, Colorado.
In Sparkle, the reader is introduced to a number of quirky but loveable characters. There is Lisa, Jill's messed up best friend, who is tired of having one bad relationship after another and swears off sex and men all together. There are the guys of the "Kennel", who are the part of the crew that work on the ski slopes- Hans, Eric, and Tom. Uncle Howard, who took Jill in as a teenager and who always encourages ski lovers to enjoy books. Then there is Cassie, a ten-year-old girl, who is coming to grips with losing her mother to breast cancer.
Admittedly, I am not much for skiing but McLaren's book made me want to hop on a plane and head to her world of Sparkle. That is how real these characters felt to me!
The only complaint I might have is that the ending felt rushed and it left almost no time for Jill and Mike. Maybe it is just me but I felt that Mike was pushing the relationship a little more than Jill.
All in all, it was great start to my summer vacation!
The book begins with Jill, a married nurse who has just suffered a heart breaking loss. Arriving home from work one day she discovers her husband, in bed, with another woman. Basically functioning on autopilot, Jill thinks about the one place where she really feels like herself- the town of Sparkle, Colorado.
In Sparkle, the reader is introduced to a number of quirky but loveable characters. There is Lisa, Jill's messed up best friend, who is tired of having one bad relationship after another and swears off sex and men all together. There are the guys of the "Kennel", who are the part of the crew that work on the ski slopes- Hans, Eric, and Tom. Uncle Howard, who took Jill in as a teenager and who always encourages ski lovers to enjoy books. Then there is Cassie, a ten-year-old girl, who is coming to grips with losing her mother to breast cancer.
Admittedly, I am not much for skiing but McLaren's book made me want to hop on a plane and head to her world of Sparkle. That is how real these characters felt to me!
The only complaint I might have is that the ending felt rushed and it left almost no time for Jill and Mike. Maybe it is just me but I felt that Mike was pushing the relationship a little more than Jill.
All in all, it was great start to my summer vacation!
October 24, 2014
This book is so cute, that my word for it cute and sparkly and things that are nice. The story is not exciting or mysterious it is very straight forward and normal I would say. But I just found it so captivating and cute that I couldn't stop reading. Every story I wanted to read over and over again and each story I wanted to be a part of their lives. The characters are amazing and funny, witty and special. They are all unique and its amazing how they are all connected in a way. It's a nice story to read with hot chocolate and spend a nice night watching the stars and reading this book. It's special and the themes it touches are very well written. The only think I disliked about the book was the fact that I though the ending was a bit forced and too fast. All the story is paced and it takes its time to develop and that's good for this type of story but the ending happened for my taste to fast and to quickly to appreciate it well enough.
July 16, 2012
This was a beautiful story. It was a story of loss, building friendships, finding ones self, romance, and yet it was a fun read. I went through a roller coaster of emotions while reading. I'm so glad I was one of the winners that won ARC on goodreads giveaway. I have already recommended this book to many friends and family and hope that you pick up a copy too. You will not be disappointed. A Must Read!
January 17, 2023
4.0, this was a great Chick Lit novel and a definite cut above the rest. Highly recommend for anyone who loves reading romances that are deep, anyone who struggles with faith in a world where young people die, and anyone who loves skiing.
What wasn't as good: The writing was average/good meaning it was totally fine but not excellently crafted, and relatively unpolished. The author is a person who does many things probably quite well and who has had many fun or interesting jobs and hobbies, and it is clear she isn't a pro at writing.
But this is well worth reading because:
The main characters have each suffered a terrible personal tragedy prior to the story's beginning and the book covers a span of time between November and June during which they each recover as best they can together and as individuals. I loved that the romance between them wasn't the reason that they grew and healed, but rather their own soul-searching along with the outpouring of love from other sources such as friends and the community. I liked that the story held no evil people--the worst person was a cheating husband who was portrayed more as weak than incorrigible or cruel.
The 10 year old girl Cassie was realistic for her age, difficult, annoying, and vulnerable.
I loved the shout out to First Responders (a main character was one)--oh my God what Emergency Medical Personell, Firefighters and Paramedics have to endure. Highly recommend for anyone who has contact with ambulance crews.
I loved that the story took place in a small Ski Town in Colorado and the integration of skiing and snow reports into the story. The randy raunchy ski bums were hilarious at times and I laughed out loud more than once at the antics of the "The Kennel" Crew with their dogs named after varieties of Beer: Bud, Stout and Amber Ale.
What wasn't as good: The writing was average/good meaning it was totally fine but not excellently crafted, and relatively unpolished. The author is a person who does many things probably quite well and who has had many fun or interesting jobs and hobbies, and it is clear she isn't a pro at writing.
But this is well worth reading because:
The main characters have each suffered a terrible personal tragedy prior to the story's beginning and the book covers a span of time between November and June during which they each recover as best they can together and as individuals. I loved that the romance between them wasn't the reason that they grew and healed, but rather their own soul-searching along with the outpouring of love from other sources such as friends and the community. I liked that the story held no evil people--the worst person was a cheating husband who was portrayed more as weak than incorrigible or cruel.
The 10 year old girl Cassie was realistic for her age, difficult, annoying, and vulnerable.
I loved the shout out to First Responders (a main character was one)--oh my God what Emergency Medical Personell, Firefighters and Paramedics have to endure. Highly recommend for anyone who has contact with ambulance crews.
I loved that the story took place in a small Ski Town in Colorado and the integration of skiing and snow reports into the story. The randy raunchy ski bums were hilarious at times and I laughed out loud more than once at the antics of the "The Kennel" Crew with their dogs named after varieties of Beer: Bud, Stout and Amber Ale.
July 13, 2019
I thought this was a good book. Growing up in a ski town myself, I felt that the author's portrayal of the culture of a ski town using the fictitious name of Sparkle was quite accurate. I liked the general positive tone of the novel even though it very realistically dealt with a couple tough life tragedies. The story kept my attention and I even felt I learned some things through the characters and how they navigated through their problems in the book. Unlike many of today's other novels, I put the book down feeling a slight overall sense of hope in spite of the unexpected curve balls life can bring into each of our lives.
January 21, 2026
For some reason this book was exactly what I needed to read right now and I enjoyed it so much. I loved the characters, it was funny and cheeky but also heartwarming. I am genuinely sad it’s over. Ugh. Side note, my aunt gave me this book when I was in middle school and I am bummed I didn’t read it back then because I think it would have been a good thing for me to read when I was tween.
Also, I was low key obsessed with the Kennel.
Also, I was low key obsessed with the Kennel.
August 5, 2020
Very sweet story. Lovely characters.
November 28, 2024
I started this and didn’t think I would like it but as time went on a couldn’t put it down. Probably finished the second half in one day. It appealed to my ski bum heart. I like Jills no nonsense approach to Cassie. Over all a story of all types of love and it made my heart happy.
July 21, 2012
Well, I just loved the book. If I knew how to ski and loved the snow as much as the people in this book, I would move to Sparkle, Colorado too.
Jill Anthony is still mourning the miscarriage of her baby, but has gone back to work as a nurse. One day upon arriving home early she happens upon her husband, David, and another woman in her bedroom going to it. She snaps a picture with her phone and quietly flees from the house and from Austin, Texas and drives herself back to her childhood home of Sparkle, Colorado. There her friend, Lisa, welcomes her with open arms and hopes to help Jill. Jill had not left a message for David, but later when he called she did send him the picture she snapped on her phone. Enough said.
Jill gets work at a medical outpost on the mountain to help with injuries and any other mishap that should occur. She meets a variety of townspeople and begins to relax a bit. After staying with Lisa for a while, she moves into the Kennel, where the guys live that work on the mountain during ski season. She has her own room and enjoys their company. No strings.
Jill also takes on a job as a babysitter for Cassie Jones, 10, who has lost her mother to cancer and is having a hard time adjusting to this loss. Her father, Mike, is also a lost soul after his wife's death too. Jill does what she can to bring Cassie around and get her interested again in skiing. Cassie also finds that she likes to cook and that is another way to get her mind off her sorrow. Jill suggested that Cassie journal about her mother so that she will not forget her as Cassie is afraid that might happen. Jill adores Cassie. And, Mike is becoming attracted to Jill as well. Will this work out for Jill, Mike and Cassie? Could they eventually become a family?
I loved all of the characters in the book. Sometimes you cry, sometimes you laugh and then you want more. I hope there is a sequel to this book.
How I Came to Sparkle Again was a book that I had won through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I was so happy to have gotten this book. As I said, it was a really enjoyable book. Thanks Goodreads and Kaya McLaren.
Jill Anthony is still mourning the miscarriage of her baby, but has gone back to work as a nurse. One day upon arriving home early she happens upon her husband, David, and another woman in her bedroom going to it. She snaps a picture with her phone and quietly flees from the house and from Austin, Texas and drives herself back to her childhood home of Sparkle, Colorado. There her friend, Lisa, welcomes her with open arms and hopes to help Jill. Jill had not left a message for David, but later when he called she did send him the picture she snapped on her phone. Enough said.
Jill gets work at a medical outpost on the mountain to help with injuries and any other mishap that should occur. She meets a variety of townspeople and begins to relax a bit. After staying with Lisa for a while, she moves into the Kennel, where the guys live that work on the mountain during ski season. She has her own room and enjoys their company. No strings.
Jill also takes on a job as a babysitter for Cassie Jones, 10, who has lost her mother to cancer and is having a hard time adjusting to this loss. Her father, Mike, is also a lost soul after his wife's death too. Jill does what she can to bring Cassie around and get her interested again in skiing. Cassie also finds that she likes to cook and that is another way to get her mind off her sorrow. Jill suggested that Cassie journal about her mother so that she will not forget her as Cassie is afraid that might happen. Jill adores Cassie. And, Mike is becoming attracted to Jill as well. Will this work out for Jill, Mike and Cassie? Could they eventually become a family?
I loved all of the characters in the book. Sometimes you cry, sometimes you laugh and then you want more. I hope there is a sequel to this book.
How I Came to Sparkle Again was a book that I had won through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I was so happy to have gotten this book. As I said, it was a really enjoyable book. Thanks Goodreads and Kaya McLaren.
July 18, 2012
*Received ARC through Goodreads giveaway*
This book is about two women, and a girl who have all come to a crossroad in their lives and are really just finding what can bring them happiness again. Jill has caught her husband cheating and returns to the town she grew up in. Lisa is looking for love and no longer wants to sell her self short. And Cassie is a ten year old who has recently endured the loss of her mother. Each character is looking for some sort of calm after the storm that is their lives.
I wouldn't categorize this specifically as romance because it's not super gushy or any "take me nows"... women's literature is a great way to categorize it. This novel is very inspiring and warm. There are sad, happy, triumphant, and surprising moments in this book. I was never bored. I just wanted to keep turning the pages.
My only gripe is that at times I thought I was reading Christian fiction. Every character at some point talked about their relationship with God or some higher being. Speaking of characters, they were all pretty well drawn out. It was easy to feel for Cassie and Jill because they had been through the most and I cheered for them finding some resolve the whole time.
The setting was extremely picturesque and made me wish I could visit a skiing town. Although I'm no fan of snow or winter, this author was able to remind me that sometimes winter is beautiful. I would love to read more by this author.
This book is about two women, and a girl who have all come to a crossroad in their lives and are really just finding what can bring them happiness again. Jill has caught her husband cheating and returns to the town she grew up in. Lisa is looking for love and no longer wants to sell her self short. And Cassie is a ten year old who has recently endured the loss of her mother. Each character is looking for some sort of calm after the storm that is their lives.
I wouldn't categorize this specifically as romance because it's not super gushy or any "take me nows"... women's literature is a great way to categorize it. This novel is very inspiring and warm. There are sad, happy, triumphant, and surprising moments in this book. I was never bored. I just wanted to keep turning the pages.
My only gripe is that at times I thought I was reading Christian fiction. Every character at some point talked about their relationship with God or some higher being. Speaking of characters, they were all pretty well drawn out. It was easy to feel for Cassie and Jill because they had been through the most and I cheered for them finding some resolve the whole time.
The setting was extremely picturesque and made me wish I could visit a skiing town. Although I'm no fan of snow or winter, this author was able to remind me that sometimes winter is beautiful. I would love to read more by this author.
August 2, 2017
Do not read this book unless you are wearing waterproof makeup or none at all. When I picked this book up, I was expecting a light, fluffy romance. There is romance, but it isn't a light, fluffy read. Cassie's story will break your heart and were the hardest parts to get through dry-eyed. Jill's and Lisa's stories are far less tear-jerking, but still deep and emotional. The two women and young girl find themselves under new, challenging circumstances and are forced to discover who they are and where they are going in their new lives.
On a more personal note, this book got me thinking differently about how I've journaled in the past, or rather attempted to journal. I was never quite good at it. There are two types of journals discussed in this book, one a collections of things one of the characters does not wish to forget and another of wishes one character is leaving for another. I always looked at journaling as a chronicle of one's life, but most of the time life is boring and monotonous - there are only so many times you can make doing laundry sound exciting. As such I've never been good at regular journal writing. But the idea of capturing things I never want to forget and to impart wisdom to others - I like those ideas. That might turn me into a regular journaler yet.
At the end of the day, this book got me thinking and any book that gets me thinking is a winner.
On a more personal note, this book got me thinking differently about how I've journaled in the past, or rather attempted to journal. I was never quite good at it. There are two types of journals discussed in this book, one a collections of things one of the characters does not wish to forget and another of wishes one character is leaving for another. I always looked at journaling as a chronicle of one's life, but most of the time life is boring and monotonous - there are only so many times you can make doing laundry sound exciting. As such I've never been good at regular journal writing. But the idea of capturing things I never want to forget and to impart wisdom to others - I like those ideas. That might turn me into a regular journaler yet.
At the end of the day, this book got me thinking and any book that gets me thinking is a winner.
August 7, 2012
I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
This is an easy read. It deals with familiar topics regarding loss and grief. There really isn't much of a plot as far as romances go, but I have to admit...it made me laugh in all the right places.
I was describing this book to some friends over the weekend and found myself using the words realistic and yet fun when a storyline deals with death and the hole it leaves behind. Don't get me wrong, it isn't making fun of death, but the comic relief is present in the way that only friends can bring you when you are trying to heal. It actually made me reminisce about my university days and why we called our dog Kokanee.
I'm not a skier and I doubt I will ever be more than a speeding projectile with planks on my feet and poles in my hands that are somehow supposed to reassure me, when I have no idea what those suckers are even for. With that said, there is very little in this book that makes the no skier uncomfortable with reading...unless of course you are wondering if more snow is good or not...but really, it didn't affect my enjoyment.
Let loose with this one as I did...I'm not a huge romance fan, but this one tickled my fancy...and made me look at a few things differently in regards to my own personal losses.
This is an easy read. It deals with familiar topics regarding loss and grief. There really isn't much of a plot as far as romances go, but I have to admit...it made me laugh in all the right places.
I was describing this book to some friends over the weekend and found myself using the words realistic and yet fun when a storyline deals with death and the hole it leaves behind. Don't get me wrong, it isn't making fun of death, but the comic relief is present in the way that only friends can bring you when you are trying to heal. It actually made me reminisce about my university days and why we called our dog Kokanee.
I'm not a skier and I doubt I will ever be more than a speeding projectile with planks on my feet and poles in my hands that are somehow supposed to reassure me, when I have no idea what those suckers are even for. With that said, there is very little in this book that makes the no skier uncomfortable with reading...unless of course you are wondering if more snow is good or not...but really, it didn't affect my enjoyment.
Let loose with this one as I did...I'm not a huge romance fan, but this one tickled my fancy...and made me look at a few things differently in regards to my own personal losses.
August 20, 2012
I received this book thru Goodreads giveaways and I really enjoyed it. It is one of those books that have tears and cheers throughout. The Kennel which is an old trailer where four men who work on the mountain seasonally live but when one is out from injuring they have a woman move i with them. Jill has ran away from her husband after finding him in their bed with another woman. She recently had a miscarriage as well so wants to go back to her roots and hook up with an old friend and her Uncle who raised her. Jill takes a babysitting job with a ten year old girl who has recently lost her Mom to cancer and her Dad works nights as a fireman rescue driver. They all three are at a place where they need to heal and get on with their lives. It is a well written story of loss,rekindled friendships,and finding a new life. This book makes you do some thinking about your life and how things do change as we learn thru error.
Reccomended to anyone who enjoys skiing and the mountains and some lighthearted fun. This is my first time to read this Author but will check out her other books as well.
Reccomended to anyone who enjoys skiing and the mountains and some lighthearted fun. This is my first time to read this Author but will check out her other books as well.
October 3, 2020
During a low point in my life, I started skiing again, and because I was telemark skiing, a small group of guys took me under their wings. They were a funny group of characters (one had been a straight A math student in college, then a professional kick boxer, and at one point served time in San Quentin), generally stoned at all times, and all of them had at least one item patched with or held together by duct tape. They were not what people think of when they envision angels, and yet these guys were absolutely MY angels. When I wrote this book, I set out to write something to celebrate the unconventional or unlikely angels in this world, because I do believe with all my heart that they take all forms. I hope you enjoy the world this book will take you into, and appreciate sometimes some pretty rough-around-the-edges people really do save the day.
October 4, 2012
Book Review & Giveaway: I have to admit that the book cover was what first attracted me to How I Came to Sparkle Again by Kaya McLaren. Since the title was also very interesting, I read the publisher’s blurb and knew it was something I wanted to read. Particularly with the economy still limping along, I love books about strength and renewed hope. This one definitely fit that description. This novel is for all of you who like new beginnings, skiing, sweet stories, and/or fairly clean romance. It’s a definite counterpoint to all of the gory stuff we feature for the month leading up to Halloween. Read the rest of my review & enter our giveaway at http://popcornreads.com/?p=4699.
November 21, 2016
Full review coming Thursday, November 24th, 2016 to our blog For the Love of Dewey found at www.fortheloveofdewey.blogspot.com!
This novel was my first book by McLaren, and I really enjoyed it. I liked how McLaren took the broad topic of heartbreak and began to tell a story from different characters who have experienced it, but in different ways. McLaren touches upon heartbreak from loss of child, loss of parent, loss of spouse, and loss of a marriage. She also explores what constitutes love vs. lust, and how one can learn to respect themself while also becoming open to new relationships.
But why 3 out of 5 stars?.... I guess you'll have to read the blog to find out! ;)
This novel was my first book by McLaren, and I really enjoyed it. I liked how McLaren took the broad topic of heartbreak and began to tell a story from different characters who have experienced it, but in different ways. McLaren touches upon heartbreak from loss of child, loss of parent, loss of spouse, and loss of a marriage. She also explores what constitutes love vs. lust, and how one can learn to respect themself while also becoming open to new relationships.
But why 3 out of 5 stars?.... I guess you'll have to read the blog to find out! ;)
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