Wild Raspberries

Wild Raspberries #1

by Connie Chappell

When Callie MacCallum sews her first quilt after the death of her lover Jack Sebring, she doesn't realize she'll be drawn into a Sebring family battle between wife and daughter-in-law. She simply wants to fulfill her promise to Jack to visit their cabin in the West Virginia mountains, where their long love affair was safely hidden.

Instead, her emotionally reminiscent trip becomes crowded with the two Sebring women, a grief counselor, and the massive role Callie assumes. She must speak for Jack in order to protect his four-year old grandson Chad from his stubbornly manipulative and blame-passing grandmother and his recently widowed and power-usurping mother. Callie understands both women grieve the loss of Chad's father. He died when a raging storm split the tree that crushed him.

Grief isn't the only common thread running between the four women. One by one, their secrets are revealed on the West Virginia mountaintop.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Womens Fiction, Ebooks, Amazon, Contemporary, Chick Lit

319 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 20, 2015

About the author

Connie Chappell is a bestselling author of literary fiction and literary mystery. A Springfield, Ohio, native, she devotes as much free time as possible to anything out-of-doors. Flowerbeds, golf, walking, and bicycle riding are particular favorites.

In her Wrenn Grayson Mystery Series, Wrenn is a historian and archivist in her hometown of Havens, Ohio. Best Thrillers claims Wrenn’s one-of-a-kind investigative process will have readers flipping pages in her fast-paced mysteries. Chappell take readers into the world of small-town Ohio with its unique combination of local charm and unexpected intrigue. Blending history and modern-day sleuthing, these novels provide a delightfully witty cast of new and returning characters.

Her novel, Every Cloud, is a humorous family drama, packed with mystery, romance, and fun. Readers’ Favorite provided a five-star review. “The plot is engaging and paced with great skill, moving between characters’ individual stories in order to expertly keep the reader engaged at all times.”

The Wild Raspberries Trilogy is complete. These deeply emotional family dramas tell stories of love, loss, and second chances. They have touched the hearts of readers all across the country. The titles are: Wild Raspberries, Proper Goodbye, and Summers Only.

Chappell is the recipient of many writing awards and honors. The Ohio House of Representatives presented her with a commendation in 2019, honoring her writing skills.

Whether literary or mystery, Chappell’s characters are bound to captivate readers till the very end. All of her novels are standalone books that may be read in any order.

Make contact with the author through her website, www.conniechappell.com. While you're there, sign up for her newsletter to learn about future releases.

Reviews

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a slow read for me. It took me a while to sort out the characters and their relationship to each other. The whole idea of a counselor, a widow, her mother-in-law and the mistress of the mother-in-law's husband all going off to "caucus" to decide on the mother-in-law's access to her grandson seemed a bit far-fetched, as did the actions of the women towards each other. Despite all that, I eventually got interested in them, and the outcome, and decided I liked it in the end.

[Judi Easley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit to some confusion at times keeping track of whom they were speaking since there was so much family involved, two deceased husbands, but three grieving women. And, of course, it seemed that everyone was plotting. Full review soon on my blog.

My Review:

I kept saying to myself and then out loud all through the book, "Why did they all get together in one place? These three women should never have been together in this place of all places!" But it made a really good story. It just frustrated me that they were crazy enough to try to do this!

There was a lot of tippy-toeing around and secret phone calls. Lots of conversations that couldn't be shared with more than two people. Lots of explanations that should have been made to clear up the problems before they reached the boiling point since those secrets were bound to become common knowledge sooner rather than later.

I felt outraged for what was being done to the deceased's widow. I felt sympathy for how trapped the deceased's "widow" felt bringing along this woman to the home the couple had shared together. I empathized with the counselor wanting to help these two women before she left to take care of her own problems. I felt embarrassed for the people who got dragged into the scenes as the mess was played out and all the deceit was revealed on all sides. This book really is a roller coaster of emotions in the traditions of women's lit. So if you're a fan of women's lit and roller coasters, take a look at this one.

I was provided an eARC of this book from Black Rose Writing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I am not being compensated in any way. All opinions are fully my own.
~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat Review.

[SOM · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down, and when I did, I could not stop thinking about the characters. The issues are seen from various characters points of view. The problems facing these intertwined characters are complex, and the very real reactions makes the reader wonder what he/she would do. This book would be excellent for a book study group.

[LaDonna Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful debut novel about love,grief and the healing process by a group of women that are connected by their losses. Between the strife are some funny moments that will make you smile. It is one of those books that is hard to put down. Highly recommended.

[Mary E · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know if enjoyed is the right word for this book. I was annoyed, amused, saddened and frustrated at various times with different situations. I can't imagine being in that situation but I know each character in my own life. At times I may be each character.

The book reminded me why I often don't like women and at other times it made me acutely aware that sometimes only a woman can understand.

[Toni L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorry I just couldn't get into the book. Will probably try it again later.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (12/2/2019)! 🎁

[Sandee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good story about four strong women dealing with separate issues from infidelity, love, abandonment, grief and anger and how they try to handle it, along with everything else in their lives. It makes you stop and think about things in your own life that you may or may not have regretted and how to get beyond them. It was a tear-jerker for me and I hated it to end.

From Amazon:
When Callie MacCallum sews her first quilt after the death of her lover Jack Sebring, she doesn't realize she'll be drawn into a Sebring family battle between wife and daughter-in-law. She simply wants to fulfill her promise to Jack to visit their cabin in the West Virginia mountains, where their long love affair was safely hidden.

Instead, her emotionally reminiscent trip becomes crowded with the two Sebring women, a grief counselor, and the massive role Callie assumes. She must speak for Jack in order to protect his four-year old grandson Chad from his stubbornly manipulative and blame-passing grandmother and his recently widowed and power-usurping mother. Callie understands both women grieve the loss of Chad's father. He died when a raging storm split the tree that crushed him.

Grief isn't the only common thread running between the four women. One by one, their secrets are revealed on the West Virginia mountaintop.

[Ellie Midwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Wild Raspberries” is a truly extraordinary novel, which centers around four women, whose lives are interconnected in the most unexpected way. After a few chapters in, I was wondering, how can a widow and a matriarch of the family, Arnett, and her passed husband’s mistress, Callie, find a way for reconciliation? How can a daughter-in-law, Lizbeth, who blamed Arnett for her husband’s tragic death and who threatens to take her son away from a dominant grandmother, find a compromise that would benefit the boy they both deeply care about? And finally, how can these three women and a psychologist Beebe, who took a role of a negotiator, survive a whole week in a cabin, which used to be Callie and Jack’s love nest?
The writing was highly emotional, with dialogues that revealed the deepest hidden secrets that the women tried to hide not only from each other, but from themselves as well. I was following their progress of coming to terms with their grief and emotions on the edge of my seat, and was touched immensely by each woman’s personal story, hopes and fears. Brilliantly written psychological portraits, vivid characters and incredibly touching memories and flashbacks made this novel an amazing read. Highly recommended!

[Barbara "Cookie" Serfaty Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wild Raspberries

The story of lose, the feeling of three women, and how they love one man. A southern family lose a father, a husband and a lover. How the creation of a quilt bring the family together. Ok story.

[MHarris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually prefer stories that contain more dialogue than description. However, the author thoroughly immersed me in the physical surroundings and emotional tone of the story through her excellent narratives/perspectives told through the eyes of the five main characters. The dialogue was emotional, spirited, and sometimes humorous and fit each main character. The plot is interesting and held my attention.

The book is well worth buying and is an enjoyable read. As the first published novel from this author, it's very well done literature. I look forward to her next novel.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read, thoroughly enjoyed it...

This book's title struck a chord with my childhood memories, and I just had to read it. The characters and the storyline grabbed me from the first page, and kept me reading to find out how things would turn out. The idea of memory quilts also intrigued me. I found it hard to put down. I'd recommend this one to anyone looking for a quick, easy, summer read!

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the good fortune to read the last quarter of this in one sitting, with tears rolling down my face. The characters, all people hurting in their own ways, behaved how they should. They felt authentic. Like people rather than just characters in a story. The pain was well expressed, and back stories were filled in with ease and grace. A book that I found at the right time for myself.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting relationship story. Four women come together to grieve the loss of their male companions. One is the grief counselor who doesn't realize the work she is doing for herself, one is the wife and one is the mistress of a man and the fourth is the widow of the son. Lots of twists and turns then a good ending.

[Karen S. Stockton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written story!

I thoroughly enjoyed the way she wrote the story and the way she introduced her characters. At first, I thought the story would be kind of silly. But the more I read, I became very engrossed in the story and thoroughly enjoyed it all the way through. I especially like the ending.

[Sherry V Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

This book is wonderful. It is not your typical love story. In fact it about familial love and the hard work that sometimes has to be done to insure the family unit stays intact. The characters are very real and makes you wish you knew them personally if for no other reason than to shake them and tell them to listen up. Good good story.

[Terry Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book and on goodreads.com

It has taken me a while to get to this book but now that I've read it, I wish it had lasted longer. I don't say that about many books.

Book extraordinaire

[Bonita M. Felice · Rating 1 out of 5]

A waste of time

A ridiculous story filled with many self-serving and unlikable characters. I finally made it through and wondered why I bothered.

[Dorothy Fleming · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wild Raspberries

Too many people; too many stories; too much happening; just too much......... Too involved in each other's lives; too many problems

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written engaging story. Looking forward to sequel!

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I purchased this book on Kindle due to its West Virginia setting. It tells the story of four women. Beebe is a minister/grief counselor who decides that the other three need to engage in a week of healing together in a remote but luxurious West Virginia cabin, the love-nest for Callie shared with her married lover Jack. Jack's daughter-in-law Lizbeth is concerned about her mother-in-law's violent temper and controlling personality. Arnett was Jack's wife and she's painted as the villain, who excels at turning outsiders against the other three and whose initial instinct when confronted is to throw things.

The plot itself is odd, but it's plausible that Callie and Lizbeth would want to participate in an extended week of group therapy as the only way to ensure that Lizbeth's son Chad grows up in a stable, harmonious family. Both Jack and his son (Lizbeth's husband) are recently dead: Jack, of cancer; Dan, of a freak lightning strike.

The setting is well-described and the plot propelled me through the novel, but I thought the shifts in point-of-view were distracting. I especially disliked the author's use of the omniscient voice, when I saw all characters described from the outside. The characters were so emotionally vulnerable that seeing them from an objective outside perspective made me squirm.

The novel entertained me on a recent trip to Canada, so I can't complain about it too much. I still find the premise weird, but necessary in order for the characters to move past their grief. It's not great literature, but it's entertaining, and it introduced me to the world of therapy, where difficult emotional situations can be entered without damaging the participants.

[Linda C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Far fetched premise

Although the premise of getting these women to agree to meet all together at the selected location seems unrealistic, once together the development of the story was captivating. The characters were strong and well developed. Bits were revealed as the story progressed making me want to read on to see what else was revealed and how it was dealt with. Friendships can form under unusual circumstances. This is well demonstrated within. If we allow it, we can find commonalities with even those we think could not possibly be similar to us. And clearly we can rarely know what someone else is dealing with internally. We all harbor secrets which affect our lives, even if it’s only our reaction that we are hiding to something. I would read another book by this author.

[Dede Janzen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good book. It is about three women and a therapist all connected to one man, Jack Sebring, in different ways. Callie was his lover. Arnett was his wife. Lizbeth was his daughter-in-law. Lizbeth also last her husband Chad in a tragic accident. All three ladies are trying to get over their grief and Grief counselor, Beebe, is there and recommends a get away for all the ladies can openly discuss the issues at hand. They go to a cabin that Jack and Callie shared as lovers and is know is Callie's possession. The story continues at the cabin where each women has a caucus and can talk openly and freely with the other women. Stories come out and the women are able to work through a lot of issues. I liked the book and would recommend it.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about grief, infidelity, anger and the relationships between women. Jack Sebring died and within the year, his adult son was suddenly and tragically killed. The women that loved them are grieving. The manipulative wife, the angry daughter in law and the heart broken mistress. The therapist wants to take these three ladies into a cabin in the middle of nowhere for a week and help them begin to heal. These three do not even want to be in the same room with each other so why does she think this is a good idea? There is lots of drama, lots of emotion, threats and secrets. Can these three women move to a place of healing?

[Cheryl Alsippi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although it was an interesting concept - bringing ex-wife, late husband's lover of many years, daughter-in-law whose husband recently passed and counselor together for grief counseling in a cabin in the mountains--the cabin being the hide-a-way of the late husband and lover--I had a hard time getting through this one. There were point of view change-ups within paragraphs which confused me at times. Some interesting character portrayals helped but I wish I could have found more likability in some of them. It does give a good sense of the emotions connected with grief after loss.

[teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming

Grief, family relationships and misconceptions can make this grief even tougher. Add the other women in the picture and you have even more emotions. This a love story behind compare. This is real life, where living day to day gets in the way of the relationships. Follow these four strong, emotional, stubborn women as they grieve together. Definitely an author to follow

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Premise was better that the story. Meh. I am guessing there will be a market for this book as it has a small group of women at odds with each other over a dead man and a young grandchild. But story was not for me. Just too unlikely.

I received a Kindle ARC in exchange for a fair review from Netgalley.

[Kathleen J Kunkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific story

The characters in this book are very real. I could imagine their lives and how they intertwined with each other. Many hurts, losses and love shine through. Thoroughly enjoyed this read.

[Marie (UK) · Rating 2 out of 5]

For me this was another of those books which spend a lot of time reiterating the things you already know. Perhaps the scene changes but the facts don't. It takes a long time to get to where its going but does have the required happy ending

[Paula O'sullivan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Im wondering did I read a different book from everyone else. I thought the storylinewas far fetched and ridiculous. Time I will never get back. I understand Im in the minority here everyone seemed to love it.