Hope Landon has been rewriting other people’s greeting cards since she was six years old. There’s always a funnier caption in there somewhere. She’s ready to chase her creative dreams in New York City with her fiancé—until he leaves Hope at the altar.
That may give her something to write about . . .
Hope disappears for the time that would have been the couple’s month-long honeymoon, and upon returning learns of her own funeral. Everyone concluded Hope must have killed herself after being jilted. Needing a fresh start more than ever, she heads for the Big Apple only to discover it isn’t easy to rent a place when you’ve been declared dead.
Taking shelter at the YMCA, Hope lands a job at an inspirational greeting card company assisting Jake, the guy who shut down his organization’s humor department. She has lost her faith in love; he needs to find something or someone that will make him laugh again.
Fun and faithful, Greetings from the Flipside will keep turning over in your mind.
Rene Gutteridge is the award-winning and best-selling author of more than eighteen novels, including the beloved Boo Series and Heart of the Country, her novelization release with director John Ward and Tyndale House Publishers. Her recent suspense titles include Listen, Possession and the award-winning Seven Hours project Escapement. She's been published by Bethany House, Tyndale House, WaterBrook Press, Thomas Nelson and B&H and novelized the successful motion picture The Ultimate Gift. She is teaming again with screenwriter Cheryl McKay for the romantic comedy Greetings from the Flipside from B&H and releasing her new suspense title, Misery Loves Company from Tyndale in 2013. Her romantic comedy Never the Bride won the 2010 Carol Award for Best Women’s Fiction. Her upcoming literary projects include the novelization of the motion picture Old Fashioned with Tyndale House Publishers and filmmaker Rik Swartzwelder.
Her adaptation of her novel My Life as a Doormat is in development with Kingdom Pictures and she is also a creative consultant for Boo, a film based on her best-selling novel, in development at Sodium Entertainment with Cory Edwards attached as director and Andrea Nasfell as screenwriter. She is also co-writer in a collaborative comedy project called Last Resort with screenwriters Torry Martin and Marshal Younger. Her screenplay Skid is currently in production and scheduled to begin filming in April of 2013. Find her on Facebook and Twitter or at her website, www.renegutteridge.com
If you thought the synopsis of this book was unique and interesting, I'm here to tell you the story is even more unique than it appears!
I first heard about this book a few months ago, it really intrigued me. So when I was given the opportunity to review it, I jumped at the chance!
I pleased to say that I loved this book! I was drawn into the story from the first page! I hated to put the book down, I read one hundred pages in a single sitting and finished it the next day!
There really isn't anything I didn't like about this book! There are some key plot points that aren't mentioned in the synopsis (But I understand why they weren't!) which some people may view as weird or bizarre, although I personally loved it and thought it was perfect! Sorry to be so vague but I don't want to risk giving away any spoilers! I know this review is kinda short but I honestly don't know what else to say, besides I loved, loved, LOVED this book! This book would make an awesome movie!
To sum up, Greetings From The Flipside is a fun, unputdownable read which I highly recommend. I know I'll definitely be reading it again many times in the future!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via CFBA in exchange for an honest review. The above is my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own.
I got this book because it looked cute and funny, but it was NOTHING like I expected. At all. The book blurb is really misleading. It tells you, technically what happens...but not really. So I don’t think I had ever been more confused in my life about a book. For the first several chapters I was scratching my head because it made NO SENSE. At all. Finally, I understood that everything written in third person is what was really happening in the story; everything written in first person was what Hope was dreaming while she was in a coma. Strange. Parts of this book were really funny (after, you know, I actually figured out what was going on) but about halfway through, it lost my interest and I had a hard time finishing it. This book just didn’t work for me. Most of Hope’s card ideas I just didn’t find particularly funny. And it was just so…bizarre. I just had a hard time getting into a book when half of it wasn’t even what was really happening.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Love this book! The story is creative and stuck with me afterwards. It's such a fun, unconventional romantic comedy, and there is a lot to relate to and root for in each of the characters. Fans of their previous book, Never the Bride, will enjoy it for all the observational and situational humor throughout the book. I laughed out loud at parts, and frankly embarrassed myself as I was reading the book in public!
For those that have commented about not liking the book or not getting all the way through it, I would highly recommend that you give it a second try and let yourself get immersed in the story. I'm excited to read whatever these ladies publish next. Greetings from the Flipside: A Novel
Like the rest of us, Hope Landon lives in two worlds. There’s the crazy-making physical world she yearns to escape, and the flipside world inside her mind that’s every bit as challenging. Worst of all, those pesky worlds keep colliding. It’s enough to make a bride run screaming. After all, what’s a woman to do after she’s been left at the altar by the man of her dreams, then promptly presumed dead by her mother? But that’s not even the half of it. Rene Gutteridge and Cheryl McKay had me from the first page in this rollicking page-turner of a tale. Laughs, tears, romance, and soul—this clever novel has everything, most of all a heroine you’ll root for, all the way to its greeting card worthy conclusion.
No one can accuse this story of being a rehash of every other love story out there. It's refreshingly original. This writing team first caught my attention with the oh-so-fun rom-com, Never the Bride: A Novel. They seem to think "outside the box" with their stories, that's for sure. You think "Greetings from the Flipside" will be another normal story until you get to Chapter 3, where it says "Greetings from my Life". Then all of a sudden it takes a turn and we get to explore the flipside of life. I don't want to ruin it for you by saying too much about that, but trust me... it's a very entertaining read. The way they take us through the ups and many downs of Hope Landon's life is with a lot of heart and humor. If you're a fan of "While You Were Sleeping", snag this one.
This didn’t make any sense. I had no idea what was going on the entire time. I only finished it because it’s one of my books for the pop sugar reading challenge.
p.s. apparently this needs to be said but if I ever find myself in a coma and you’re a random guy from grade school do NOT to sit by my hospital bed for weeks and hold my hand. that’s some Joe Goldberg nonsense. k thanks 🙏🏻
This was a very interesting and odd story and not what I was expecting. Rather confusing too until I read a bit further and could figure out what was going on. I understand why the authors told the story the way they did and they did a great job, but I wish they'd given a few more clues and that the summary didn't make you expect something else.
Actually the summary does the reader a big disservice in that it completely misleads your expectations. Though I think I understand why the publisher, agent, whoever it is who writes book summaries went this route.
The summary is correct in that what it describes does happen. Except that it doesn’t. Those events take place in Hope imagination as she lies comatose in the hospital. Yep, the story is about a woman in a coma and the man who sits by her bedside willing her to wake up. (And mentioning that in a blurb probably isn’t a great marketing idea. Maybe?)
I’ve always thought that people in a coma are somewhat aware of what’s happening around them and can hear too. So I found it fascinating to read a story of a character who absorbed bits and pieces of who was around her and what they were saying while she was in a coma.
Both story lines were engaging and the characters were interesting. I really liked Mikaela and her straightforwardness in the coma world. And Jake was a great hero. Sweet on Hope since childhood he never was bold enough to approach her after she bluntly critiqued his card in first grade (or was it kindergarten?), but now that he was there when the accident happened and she’s lying there comatose…well, he can’t stay away.
Now that you’ve been warned about the very out of the ordinary plot and aren’t expecting a “normal” romance where the couple heals each other’s past hurts and find their hearts restored to love. Except that’s exactly what happens. Just not in the way you’d expect. Now that you've been warned, go read this book if you enjoy unique contemporary romance stories, or stories about coma patients.
Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
I hadn't really planned on reading this book right now, but I saw a reviewer mention that this was the strangest book she'd read in a long time. Well, that was enough for me! Christian fiction doesn't tend to overly sway to the "odd" side very often, especially in the realistic(ish) realm. Being quite the odd person myself, I feel a strong pull towards books that dare to be weird.
Hope lives on the sarcastic side of life, and she feels the need to rewrite greeting cards. Who needs rainbows and butterflies all the time?! She thinks a nice, sarcastic touch of humor is just the thing needed to make it through the tough moments of life.
When Hope's fiancé doesn't show up on their wedding day, some unusual turn of events land Hope in a coma. From there, the story alternates between reality and "coma world". I think, especially at the beginning, the authors had a blast making the "flipside" as odd as possible. I kept laughing at how ridiculous it was. I loved it! ;) The great thing about it, for me, was the fact that they still keep everything realistic. As "out there" as everything is, it's still possible.
Hope's momma was the highlight of the story for me! Sometimes(mostly) I wanted to smack her upside the head, but other times, I liked her. Either way, she added a great deal of color to an already colorful story.
As the story progresses, the oddness wears thinner and thinner. The story becomes more and more emotional. At one point, I had chills run down my spine as tears flooded my vision. It turned into a sweet story, and one that I don't think I'll forget.
Overall, if you'd enjoy a walk in the weird side for a little while, I *highly* recommend you give this story a try!
*For anyone that has read this book: What was up with the cats?! Did I miss what their meaning was? This is the second book I've read in the past few months that left me wondering about the cats. (The Real Boy being the other read.)
**Thank you to B&H Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Two thumbs up for Greetings from the Flipside! Gutteridge and McKay combine to make this a book full of humor( I laughed outloud more times than I could count); a book of tears( I barely contained them); and a book of double entendre and a puzzle aimed at the reader. Some may read the book, which has two main viewpoints, and complain it doesn't make sense. However, that's the beauty of the writing style... the reader has to figure out just where the writers are taking the story, and just exactly how all the characters truly fit together. Who, for example, is Mikaela, really? Why does the grandma talk to her, but not to Hope? Where is Hope's father? Kudos to whomever named the book... I think many of the characters in some way or another hailed from the flipside.
Jilted on her wedding day, Hope is viciously assaulted in the parking lot of the church and left in a coma. The florist, who has had a crush on her since childhood, finds her and calls 9-1-1. Somehow, he ends up taking turns with Hope's certifiable mother watching over Hope in the hospital. The puzzle begins as the reader is challenged to figure out what is reality and what is not...or if what is perceived as reality can affect the actual reality.
Have you ever started reading a book and all of the sudden you ask yourself, "oh my gosh, what just happened?" Personally, I like unexpected turns. This week, I started reading "Greetings from the Flipside" by Rene Gutteridge and Cheryl McKay. They are a Romantic Comedy writing duo that creates novels (based on screenplays) that are humorous and have a storyline of watching the main character move through interesting (sometimes very challenging) circumstances with unexpected twists and turns. I really enjoyed this book. It was very different from "Never the Bride" (written by the same Authors), and for a while, I was asking that question... "what just happened?" but then it hit me... "Oh! That's what's going on." It caught me by surprise and even at times, stirred emotions I didn't expect. I was intrigued by the characters on "the flipside" and sometimes shaking my head at the choices the main character, Hope Landon, makes after being left at the altar and running away to NYC to escape her pain and make her dream a reality. You should check out this book and don't stop reading when you ask yourself "what just happened?" Keep reading to discover the surprises. It's a good story and a fun read.
Greetings From the Flipside was so weird and strange, and yet so good! I loved how the story alternated between the real world and then Hope's "coma" world. It was fun to see how things that really happened made it into that storyline...and some so bizarrely.
The romance was great. Would I have liked an epilogue to show how things eventually turned out? Yes, but it was still a good ending without that.
All in all, a lovely book and I definitely recommend it if you like romantic comedies.
*I received a complimentary copy of this for my honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*
Greetings from the Flipside is an entertaining read, but it's also an inventive look at the emotional healing that can take place inside a person's mind. Things seem so real on the flipside, frustratingly so, all while Hope is coaxed to deal with what sent her through the looking glass in the first place. As much of a "huh?" as some elements seem at first, in the end, you think back and realize that everything on the flipside matters. A lot. I won't say more and spoil it for you, but even though it's fiction, this book reminds me of that verse where it says God uses sleep to minister to His beloved [maybe even if it takes a bonk on the noggin to get us there].
This is not your ordinary rom-com here. This story will have you laughing, crying, and thinking of quirky greeting card ideas as you follow Hope Landon through the ins and outs of her life after being jilted at the altar. Step into her alternate reality and follow along with her as she pursues her dream of writing her own, snarky, and hilariously irreverent greeting cards. I also really got a kick out of Hope’s colorful mom Cici. She is a real character. Check out Greetings from the Flipside. You will not be disappointed by this funny, quirky, non-formulaic novel.
This book was completely weird for me. The blurb about the book sounded so interesting I was expecting something completely different. Not at all what I got. There were parts I absolutely adored....like Jake reading her all those cards or the ending with Jake and Hope and the card from elementary school. Other parts left me confused like how did Jake get all those cards from Hope's grandmother. and what is up with the alternate reality while she was in a coma. I have a feeling this will be a love it or hate it type book.
A man who throws a temper tantrum is not the man of your dreams. Nor is he an example of a man that God desires. The one overtly religious individual in the work is cast as an insane woman, which does not bode well for those who do not believe in Christ who do find themselves reading this book. The characters are one dimensional and unrelatable, and the actual message of the author is difficult to decipher. Bad call B&H. One star for it getting published and actually becoming a book. A second for keeping my interest until chapter 14 of 17.
It’s an interesting setup for a book like this. I can tell the writer team is trying hard on something unique and impressive but I am not quite sure they are capable of handling details very well to support the setting of story because some of plots are just making nonsense or not strong enough to work together. I am glad I took a peak at other’s reviews before I started this book. At least, it gave me an idea what I would be reading about based on some low-score comments. I wish this book can give a little bit deeper meaning and better descriptions of some interesting characters.
This was one of the oddest books I've read in a long time. The premise is good, but the execution of the premise is not handled well at all. Why would I care about any of the things that happen to Hope in the coma if I know she's "dreaming" all of it in the first place? If I didn't know, maybe I'd be mad for feeling tricked (see: Comfort and Joy by Kristin Hannah)but at least I'd care more about the plot as it was unfolding.
When I first started the book I was confused about what was happening. Was she in a coma or not. But as the story progressed it became clear what was happening and I thought it unique and interesting. The ending was a little abrupt, but the story on the whole was quite enjoyable. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys contemporary Christian fiction.
I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.
I was very disappointed in this book. Critical plot point left out of the synopsis...the blurb they have written on the back of the book does not show that it takes place while she is in a coma. I was not very impressed with the characters and the writing was lacking in some points. I just felt very let down by what I was hoping to be a fun, light read (with how the back of the book described it). I don't think I will be checking out another book by these authors again in the future.
What a whirlwind! The first few chapter's I was thoroughly confused, but eventually decided to catch on. By reading the back of the book, I never would've guessed this being the story and am not sure that I would've picked it up, maybe I would've maybe I wouldn't have, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise and enjoyable..
It's been such a long time since I've read Rene Gutteridge's books that I'd forgotten just how quirky they could be. I don't know if I've outgrown my liking for books like that, or what, but I didn't enjoy this book the way I thought I might. Not an entire waste of time, but probably the last one of hers I'll read...
The concept was unique, and looked interesting... it was the execution of the idea that makes this book awful. But to be fair, and the reason I gave it 2 stars, I think the book would work well as a movie.
Other cons: The mother's character was offensive The daughter's character was unredeeming The males in this story were "un-perfectly" flawed
I tried to read this novel about 10 years ago. I gave up thinking I might come back to it later. My mom was in a coma and I just couldn't find this novel funny. I know bad timing. I just haven't had the desire to come back to it and today I don't think I ever will. With a 3.45 Goodreads rating I'm going to take others advice and skip this one. DNF.
Chose this book because written by Rene Gutteridge & have read the Boo series. Lots of symbolism as Hope ends up in a coma after being stranded in a coma. Brings tears to your eyes at the end as love never gives up hope.
I admit, I had a hard time getting into this book. It seemed a little cliche with a woman falling into a coma and then dreaming up an imaginary world where she supposedly ‘died’ but didn’t. It was hard to read but worth it in the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.