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Come This Way
A hiking and outdoor enthusiast, fifty-year-old Fern Conrad can’t imagine spending her time doing anything else, much to the dismay of her daughter, Colby. Kara Dawson, a twenty-five-year-old student therapist, has shut life out to focus on her sister’s illness. That is, until a chance meeting pushes her to confront the possibilities—by letting go and moving forward. Eighty-three-year-old Nettie Campbell heals in the hospital while facing the consequences of her actions. Can she repair relationships and forge new bonds as she comes to terms with the truth? Come This Way is an emotional, honest look into the lives of women who are discovering their own strength. It is a story about difficult choices and the people around us who help us find our way.
- GenresFiction
261 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 21, 2016
About the author
Michelle Schlicher
8 books121 followersMICHELLE SCHLICHER is the author of contemporary novels, including The Blue Jay, Gracie’s Song, Come This Way,
Me & Milo the Great
and The Way of Lessons, and the Murphy McWoo children’s book series, featuring
A Gnome Story: Adventures with Murphy McWoo
and A Birthday Gnome Story: Murphy McWoo Turns 302.
She lives with her family in a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa.
Find more info at michelleschlicher.com or by following @michelleschlicher on Instagram.
She lives with her family in a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa.
Find more info at michelleschlicher.com or by following @michelleschlicher on Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 17, 2017
Synopsis :
A hiking and outdoor enthusiast, fifty-year-old Fern Conrad can’t imagine spending her time doing anything else, much to the dismay of her daughter, Colby.
Kara Dawson, a twenty-five-year-old student therapist, has shut life out to focus on her sister’s illness. That is, until a chance meeting pushes her to confront the possibilities – by letting go and moving forward.
Eighty-three-year-old Nettie Campbell heals in the hospital while facing the consequences of her actions. Can she repair relationships and forge new bonds as she comes to terms with the truth?
Come This Way is an emotional, honest look into the lives of women who are discovering their own strength. It is a story about difficult choices and the people around us who help us find our way.
Review :
(Spoiler alert *though it’s not that much)
This book has given me lots to think about. A free river of raw emotions flows through it. To be very truthful though I had not absolutely disliked the synopsis of the book, I didn’t really like it. I thought the book is going to turn out to be a free advising medium and a feminism advertisement. i myself am not very clear about this particular concept because all I do everyday is go to college, return home, study, do something productive and then have a not-so-fulfilling sleep. I would really like to known about this concept more but through someone’s mouth, not through a book. However, all my worries were false. It did not present itself as any of the two I had feared it would turn out to be.
The book narrate 3 different stories of 3 different people and the people around them.
Fern and her daughter ColbyKaraNettie
First, about Fern, she is fifty-year-old. She loves hiking and finds peace and excitement in doing that. She is a divorcee with her husband having moved on in his life, married a girl named Chelsea. However, she has never stopped loving her and still unsure of where it all went so much wrong that their love wore off and divorce came in. Their daughter Colby, claims of not being much outdoor enthusiastic as her mother. Even though her parents have divorced and she is planning to move out to New York with her boyfriend, she loves her mother too much to go away without spending a proper day with her. So she plans of going on a small hike with he mother where they would sort it all out and they can have some mother-daughter time. However< the plans goes wrong with Fern having not taken a map with her leading to them getting lost deep into the forest. How will they find their way out? Will they be able to survive?
Next comes Kara who though is physically twenty-year-old, the illness of her twin sister, her other half, Kate has made her look and feel much older. She has forgotten how to enjoy life, how to spend time with herself, the thought holding absolute importance is that of her sister. Kate has always been a free spirited girl, she loves socializing and knowing new people, she is adventurous and full of life. To see such a person down on bed while she herself is well & good is what Kara couldn’t agree with. Her life has stopped somewhere with her learning about the fact the Kate is going to die sooner or later. BUT, suddenly her quiet life stumbles upon Erik Ford and she finds herself rapidly getting soaked into the stream of romance. No sooner had she started feeling a bit normal than Kate is moved out from the hospital into their home sweet home which is a clear sign of her reaching the end of it and never family’s for the last few days or months.Kara doesn’t know what to do and what not to. She has never thought of living along, without Kate by her side. Will she be able to overcome this pain? Will she learn to live her own life?
Last but not the least comes Nettie, eighty-year-old lady who is healing in the hospital while facing the consequences of her actions. She loves her only son Nat with all her heart. She still feels pain of the fact that her beloved with not with her anymore. She recalls all those days they had spent together, the never ending love they had for each other, the care her love had for her. Now, while staying there lying all day in bed she slowly understands what a terrible mistake she had done, how she had almost given up on life. Now having realized her mistake, will she turn around? Will she give a meaning to her life from now on?
How this three completely different stories come all together as the end of the book slowly approaches is something that a reader has to find out himself/herself. It’s an experience that cannot be jotted down just in words, it needs the feels.
I learnt many things from the book. First thing I have learnt is to never just to merely lead a life because you are still alive, make it worth living at every moment. Never give up on yourself when someone dear and near you goes away or passes away. If he/she was so dear to you, they won’t ever want to see you in such a mess. One ting I personally took in was to never make yourself feel down. I am among those kind of people who love to feel pain flowing through their veins, hurting every time, passing into the body in the form of a jet of raw emotions, making me believe – yes, I’m alive. But that cannot be the only possible way to feel alive. All you have to do is live in the moment, not leaving any space for regret, like, what if I had not given up? What if I had just tried a little more? What if, I had done that then and not thought all these now?
THAT’S MY POINT, and the book’s as well to some extent, LEARN TO LIVE THE LIFE AND NOT JUST SURVIVE. LEARN TO FEEL ALIVE THROUGH ENJOYMENT AND NOT THROUGH PAIN. Because when it comes to tears, remember, while people pour down tears in pain, there exists something known as “the tears of joy”.
However, I found the ending a little dissatisfying. Somewhere I felt the absence of something. Which, being unknown to me, makes it impossible to be discussed about. The amount of positive impact the book has on me is enough to leave this little bit unnoticed.
A hiking and outdoor enthusiast, fifty-year-old Fern Conrad can’t imagine spending her time doing anything else, much to the dismay of her daughter, Colby.
Kara Dawson, a twenty-five-year-old student therapist, has shut life out to focus on her sister’s illness. That is, until a chance meeting pushes her to confront the possibilities – by letting go and moving forward.
Eighty-three-year-old Nettie Campbell heals in the hospital while facing the consequences of her actions. Can she repair relationships and forge new bonds as she comes to terms with the truth?
Come This Way is an emotional, honest look into the lives of women who are discovering their own strength. It is a story about difficult choices and the people around us who help us find our way.
Review :
(Spoiler alert *though it’s not that much)
This book has given me lots to think about. A free river of raw emotions flows through it. To be very truthful though I had not absolutely disliked the synopsis of the book, I didn’t really like it. I thought the book is going to turn out to be a free advising medium and a feminism advertisement. i myself am not very clear about this particular concept because all I do everyday is go to college, return home, study, do something productive and then have a not-so-fulfilling sleep. I would really like to known about this concept more but through someone’s mouth, not through a book. However, all my worries were false. It did not present itself as any of the two I had feared it would turn out to be.
The book narrate 3 different stories of 3 different people and the people around them.
Fern and her daughter ColbyKaraNettie
First, about Fern, she is fifty-year-old. She loves hiking and finds peace and excitement in doing that. She is a divorcee with her husband having moved on in his life, married a girl named Chelsea. However, she has never stopped loving her and still unsure of where it all went so much wrong that their love wore off and divorce came in. Their daughter Colby, claims of not being much outdoor enthusiastic as her mother. Even though her parents have divorced and she is planning to move out to New York with her boyfriend, she loves her mother too much to go away without spending a proper day with her. So she plans of going on a small hike with he mother where they would sort it all out and they can have some mother-daughter time. However< the plans goes wrong with Fern having not taken a map with her leading to them getting lost deep into the forest. How will they find their way out? Will they be able to survive?
Next comes Kara who though is physically twenty-year-old, the illness of her twin sister, her other half, Kate has made her look and feel much older. She has forgotten how to enjoy life, how to spend time with herself, the thought holding absolute importance is that of her sister. Kate has always been a free spirited girl, she loves socializing and knowing new people, she is adventurous and full of life. To see such a person down on bed while she herself is well & good is what Kara couldn’t agree with. Her life has stopped somewhere with her learning about the fact the Kate is going to die sooner or later. BUT, suddenly her quiet life stumbles upon Erik Ford and she finds herself rapidly getting soaked into the stream of romance. No sooner had she started feeling a bit normal than Kate is moved out from the hospital into their home sweet home which is a clear sign of her reaching the end of it and never family’s for the last few days or months.Kara doesn’t know what to do and what not to. She has never thought of living along, without Kate by her side. Will she be able to overcome this pain? Will she learn to live her own life?
Last but not the least comes Nettie, eighty-year-old lady who is healing in the hospital while facing the consequences of her actions. She loves her only son Nat with all her heart. She still feels pain of the fact that her beloved with not with her anymore. She recalls all those days they had spent together, the never ending love they had for each other, the care her love had for her. Now, while staying there lying all day in bed she slowly understands what a terrible mistake she had done, how she had almost given up on life. Now having realized her mistake, will she turn around? Will she give a meaning to her life from now on?
How this three completely different stories come all together as the end of the book slowly approaches is something that a reader has to find out himself/herself. It’s an experience that cannot be jotted down just in words, it needs the feels.
I learnt many things from the book. First thing I have learnt is to never just to merely lead a life because you are still alive, make it worth living at every moment. Never give up on yourself when someone dear and near you goes away or passes away. If he/she was so dear to you, they won’t ever want to see you in such a mess. One ting I personally took in was to never make yourself feel down. I am among those kind of people who love to feel pain flowing through their veins, hurting every time, passing into the body in the form of a jet of raw emotions, making me believe – yes, I’m alive. But that cannot be the only possible way to feel alive. All you have to do is live in the moment, not leaving any space for regret, like, what if I had not given up? What if I had just tried a little more? What if, I had done that then and not thought all these now?
THAT’S MY POINT, and the book’s as well to some extent, LEARN TO LIVE THE LIFE AND NOT JUST SURVIVE. LEARN TO FEEL ALIVE THROUGH ENJOYMENT AND NOT THROUGH PAIN. Because when it comes to tears, remember, while people pour down tears in pain, there exists something known as “the tears of joy”.
However, I found the ending a little dissatisfying. Somewhere I felt the absence of something. Which, being unknown to me, makes it impossible to be discussed about. The amount of positive impact the book has on me is enough to leave this little bit unnoticed.
August 25, 2016
I have to say that this is my favorite of Michelle's books. I have read and love them all, but the style of this one differs from her other two. I love the different perspectives and how the stories turn out. The characters are well developed and I felt as if I really knew them. I promise that you will not be disappointed by this book!
January 12, 2017
--Read my full review of the book at seriesousbookreviews.com! Spoiler Free!
**I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by my source.**
This book really surprised me; I knew I was going to enjoy it, but I didn't think it would touch me this much. Simply a beautiful story.
The format reminded me a lot of The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants: four completely different girls navigating the next phase of life. But here, you have women in all stages of life with such unique yet relatable stories to read about. I found myself in little pieces in each of them and that was what surprised me the most. I really didn't think I would relate to all of the characters (I'm not a grandmother or mother) but I was immediately drawn into all their stories.
I also loved how realistic this story was. These are situations many people will find themselves in; and these are relationships that most of us will have in our life times. It was just so well-rounded in that respect.
Needless to say, this was a great read about life, love, family and being comfortable with yourself. I think lots of readers will enjoy this for its simple yet compelling stories.
Check out more spoiler-free book and series reviews on my blog SERIESousBookReviews.com as well as read book series recaps!
Full Review: http://wp.me/p7hLUw-1Um
Actual Rating: 5/5
**I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by my source.**
This book really surprised me; I knew I was going to enjoy it, but I didn't think it would touch me this much. Simply a beautiful story.
The format reminded me a lot of The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants: four completely different girls navigating the next phase of life. But here, you have women in all stages of life with such unique yet relatable stories to read about. I found myself in little pieces in each of them and that was what surprised me the most. I really didn't think I would relate to all of the characters (I'm not a grandmother or mother) but I was immediately drawn into all their stories.
I also loved how realistic this story was. These are situations many people will find themselves in; and these are relationships that most of us will have in our life times. It was just so well-rounded in that respect.
Needless to say, this was a great read about life, love, family and being comfortable with yourself. I think lots of readers will enjoy this for its simple yet compelling stories.
Check out more spoiler-free book and series reviews on my blog SERIESousBookReviews.com as well as read book series recaps!
Full Review: http://wp.me/p7hLUw-1Um
Actual Rating: 5/5
November 15, 2016
Once again, Michelle has written another wonderful, touching story, a story that I could relate to in so many ways. Come This Way is basically three stories in one. There are three threads or storylines in the book and each chapter rotates through these different people's lives.
As I came to know and care about these characters, in the back of my mind I kept thinking - where is the author going with this, why are there these separate threads to the story? And then it all starts to come together and the pieces all start to fit. The further I got into the book, the more I saw how the characters were all connected in some way, ways that made perfect sense and made everyone's story so special. I love the idea of our interconnected lives and how we are all unknowing characters in other people's stories.
As I mentioned, Come This Way touched me in many ways. There are events in the story that have been a part of my life so the words became very personal to me. I don't want to go into too much detail because I don't want to give anything away but those connections made this book all that more endearing to me. I'll just say that the sick woman who was dearly loved and the elderly women who is forced to give up so much truly touched my heart.
Come This Way is a beautifully written, emotional story that stayed with me long after I closed the cover. I highly recommend it and I look forward to Michelle's next book.
As I came to know and care about these characters, in the back of my mind I kept thinking - where is the author going with this, why are there these separate threads to the story? And then it all starts to come together and the pieces all start to fit. The further I got into the book, the more I saw how the characters were all connected in some way, ways that made perfect sense and made everyone's story so special. I love the idea of our interconnected lives and how we are all unknowing characters in other people's stories.
As I mentioned, Come This Way touched me in many ways. There are events in the story that have been a part of my life so the words became very personal to me. I don't want to go into too much detail because I don't want to give anything away but those connections made this book all that more endearing to me. I'll just say that the sick woman who was dearly loved and the elderly women who is forced to give up so much truly touched my heart.
Come This Way is a beautifully written, emotional story that stayed with me long after I closed the cover. I highly recommend it and I look forward to Michelle's next book.
February 23, 2017
This is the first Michelle Schlicher book that I am reading and I would have easily missed this book had not the author emailed me a copy for review. I usually spend most of my time nose deep in classics such that I always miss the works of newer contemporary writers. Fortunately, blogosphere has helped a great deal in this regard by introducing me to the latest and the lesser known works of talented writers. Come This Way was no different. This simple yet beautiful book was so refreshing that it filled me with lot of energy to dive deep into other books by Schlicher. The plot of the book is very female-centric and this was my main attraction towards this novel as I really enjoy reading books with female protagonists.
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June 23, 2017
Tenuous Relationships
The author takes a group of women and follows them through hardships and heartaches. The story jumps continuously back and forth between Fern, Colby, Kara, and Nettie. Although the author touches on sensitive situations and feelings, it lacks the angst found in well-developed characters. The repetitiveness and overuse of ellipses distracted from the story.
I was randomly chosen through a Goodreads Giveaway to receive this book free from the publisher. Although encouraged, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
The author takes a group of women and follows them through hardships and heartaches. The story jumps continuously back and forth between Fern, Colby, Kara, and Nettie. Although the author touches on sensitive situations and feelings, it lacks the angst found in well-developed characters. The repetitiveness and overuse of ellipses distracted from the story.
I was randomly chosen through a Goodreads Giveaway to receive this book free from the publisher. Although encouraged, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
June 7, 2017
I absolutely loved this book. The author took complicated matters of the heart and told each story so well. Themes were the care and decision making involved when you have elderly parents, mom and daughter relationship and a twin who has a dying sister. However, the book was not overly dramatic or sad. It just made you take pause and think. The author has talent. I received this book a while ago from a goodreads giveaway and I am grateful for having the opportunity to read and enjoy it.
May 20, 2017
Interesting storyline but thin in places. Could have used more editing.
November 30, 2016
If you've read The Blue Jay and Gracie's Song, then you will definitely not be disappointed by Come This Way.
One of my favorite things about reading books is when stories come together in the end. Michelle Schlicher's writing in Come This Way demonstrates three very powerful stories and intertwines them in a way that gives the reader a heartwarming experience. I started reading this book at 3 pm on a Friday at Newark airport and I didn't put it down until I boarded my plane at midnight.
The story starts out by introducing you to Fern and Colby. The way this mother-daughter relationship is depicted really drew me in because it shows how their relationship is breaking apart and how the communication gets lost between the two. I liked the fact that they were struggling with their issues and that it took the two of them being put into a life or death type situation before they could finally get past the issues and really say what they needed to say to one another. There are a lot of times it takes a scary event, like being lost in the woods, to create an avenue for rebuilding relationships or two people coming together and bonding again.
The second story that we get introduced too is Kara. This was my favorite story within the three because I have a sister of my own and could really relate to it on a lot of different levels. It was also the story where most of the romance happened, which is an important factor in any good novel (in my opinion). The unconditional love that Kara and Kate had for one another and reading about them dealing with Kate's impending death made me pretty emotional. The way they communicated and understood each other felt similar to how I communicate and understand my own sister. I really liked the relationship between Kara and Eric too. It mirrors current relationships today in the way of how you may meet someone and have a connection but the timing just isn't right. He comes in and out of Kara's life at the times when she needs him and this story showed that there are good guys out there that can be patient and understanding. In previous books that I have read by different authors, I see the male characters depicted in a more negative light; but the fact that Michelle makes Eric's character a very like-able one made me enjoy Kara's story even more. I rooted for the two of them all the way through the book.
The final story is with Nettie. Nettie is a very strong, opinionated character and I think all readers can enjoy this story because most have all dealt with a "Nettie" in their life. As you start out, Nettie's character is sharp and harsh with people, but then you quickly find out more of why Nettie is the way she is. Upon further reading, you find out how she ended up in the hospital, which explains the strain between her and her son. I really liked the fact that Nettie had so many interactions with a lot of different people too. Her relationship with her son Nat, her granddaughter Tish, and the nurse June and her son Brady. The in depth look into Nettie's life created a perspective from an elderly lady's point of view that I tend to overlook in books. However, the background life story about her and her late husband Richard, explained a side to Nettie that made me like her and want to keep reading. The specific details of all three stories made each story so interesting that I just couldn't put this book down.
My favorite thing about this book was the fact that each story kept you guessing on what would happen next and it kept introducing new aspects about each character to make the reader better understand each one. I love characters that are well rounded and 3-dimensional. Michelle does a really good job in giving background history to each one so that you can see these characters as real people.
I highly recommend reading this book as these three stories are so different, yet the way they all come together at the end makes for a great ending. Out of all three amazing books, Michelle Schlicher has written, this one is at the top. I can't wait to see what the next book entails!
One of my favorite things about reading books is when stories come together in the end. Michelle Schlicher's writing in Come This Way demonstrates three very powerful stories and intertwines them in a way that gives the reader a heartwarming experience. I started reading this book at 3 pm on a Friday at Newark airport and I didn't put it down until I boarded my plane at midnight.
The story starts out by introducing you to Fern and Colby. The way this mother-daughter relationship is depicted really drew me in because it shows how their relationship is breaking apart and how the communication gets lost between the two. I liked the fact that they were struggling with their issues and that it took the two of them being put into a life or death type situation before they could finally get past the issues and really say what they needed to say to one another. There are a lot of times it takes a scary event, like being lost in the woods, to create an avenue for rebuilding relationships or two people coming together and bonding again.
The second story that we get introduced too is Kara. This was my favorite story within the three because I have a sister of my own and could really relate to it on a lot of different levels. It was also the story where most of the romance happened, which is an important factor in any good novel (in my opinion). The unconditional love that Kara and Kate had for one another and reading about them dealing with Kate's impending death made me pretty emotional. The way they communicated and understood each other felt similar to how I communicate and understand my own sister. I really liked the relationship between Kara and Eric too. It mirrors current relationships today in the way of how you may meet someone and have a connection but the timing just isn't right. He comes in and out of Kara's life at the times when she needs him and this story showed that there are good guys out there that can be patient and understanding. In previous books that I have read by different authors, I see the male characters depicted in a more negative light; but the fact that Michelle makes Eric's character a very like-able one made me enjoy Kara's story even more. I rooted for the two of them all the way through the book.
The final story is with Nettie. Nettie is a very strong, opinionated character and I think all readers can enjoy this story because most have all dealt with a "Nettie" in their life. As you start out, Nettie's character is sharp and harsh with people, but then you quickly find out more of why Nettie is the way she is. Upon further reading, you find out how she ended up in the hospital, which explains the strain between her and her son. I really liked the fact that Nettie had so many interactions with a lot of different people too. Her relationship with her son Nat, her granddaughter Tish, and the nurse June and her son Brady. The in depth look into Nettie's life created a perspective from an elderly lady's point of view that I tend to overlook in books. However, the background life story about her and her late husband Richard, explained a side to Nettie that made me like her and want to keep reading. The specific details of all three stories made each story so interesting that I just couldn't put this book down.
My favorite thing about this book was the fact that each story kept you guessing on what would happen next and it kept introducing new aspects about each character to make the reader better understand each one. I love characters that are well rounded and 3-dimensional. Michelle does a really good job in giving background history to each one so that you can see these characters as real people.
I highly recommend reading this book as these three stories are so different, yet the way they all come together at the end makes for a great ending. Out of all three amazing books, Michelle Schlicher has written, this one is at the top. I can't wait to see what the next book entails!
November 21, 2016
Find more reviews on my blog at https://beyondbookish.com
I was given Come This Way by the author for review purposes. This in no way affects my thoughts or opinions. All are my own!
After receiving this for review, I was very excited to read it! I enjoy reading many different genres (both YA and Adult) but haven’t read/reviewed much “women’s fiction” before. Normally, I find that these kinds of stories are often filled with flat characters, unrealistic scenarios and a lot melodrama. But, gladly, Schlicher’s novel was a very pleasant surprise.
Characters
Fern and Colby
Fern and Colby, are like many mother/daughter relationships. There is definitely love there but it also strained due to Fern’s divorce and her feeling that she has little in common with her daughter. I definitely could see Colby in many young women I know, but through a lack of communication and time, a strain is definitely there. While, not as compelling of a story for me (I connected more with Kara and Nettie), Fern and Colby’s story just highlights how our family can love us, but often hurt us even without intending to, which I feel anyone can relate to. In the end, with their extended time in the woods, they come to the understand that they need to in order to reevaluate their relationship and develop a deeper understanding of who each woman are and come to a comfortable resolution.
Kara
Kara was probably my favorite story of the group. Being a twin myself, reading Kara watching her own twin sister die and not being able to do anything really hit home. I could definitely understand the guilt that she feels throughout and the often debilitating need to be there whenever possible. I found it interesting that Kyra works in a treatment center, hiding in other people’s pain in order to mask her own. Of course this is a universal plight that only goes to reinforce her own troubles. I found the romance between Kara and Eric to be sweet but not an overwhelming part of the plot which I appreciated. While their romance developed quickly, it was not intrical to the overall plot but gave Kara the resolution she need to begin to move on. It was a good addition, to Kara’s overall story.
Nettie
I’m not going to lie, I didn’t always love Nettie. She is complicated, but also wonderfully, beautiful human. Losing her husband and getting estranged from her son and his family (even if self-imposed) definitely colored her world in such a way that she became depressed and complacent the people that loved her most. When her son chooses to disengage from her after finding out that she tried to commit suicide, I began to feel for Nettie in a completely different way. Here was a woman: lonely, bitter and incredibly sad. I could not help but feel angry at Nat for choosing to isolate himself from her, but also understanding it at the same time because he was scared too. He obviously has a lot of love for Nettie, even if displaced. In the end what was really beautiful was seeing Nettie reconcile with her granddaughter who loved her as well and begin to heal her own internal wounds.
I will say my own caveat of this story was the inclusion of June and her son to the overall plot. After reading this I do understand that it was need to help the story come to its final resolution but I definitely felt it was the weakest storyline of the book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and find Schlicher’s writing to be very good. The characters felt very human to read about and I connected to all of them in one way or another which is extremely important to me as a reader. I will definitely be picking up her other novels and look forward to seeing what she has coming up in the future!
I was given Come This Way by the author for review purposes. This in no way affects my thoughts or opinions. All are my own!
After receiving this for review, I was very excited to read it! I enjoy reading many different genres (both YA and Adult) but haven’t read/reviewed much “women’s fiction” before. Normally, I find that these kinds of stories are often filled with flat characters, unrealistic scenarios and a lot melodrama. But, gladly, Schlicher’s novel was a very pleasant surprise.
Characters
Fern and Colby
Fern and Colby, are like many mother/daughter relationships. There is definitely love there but it also strained due to Fern’s divorce and her feeling that she has little in common with her daughter. I definitely could see Colby in many young women I know, but through a lack of communication and time, a strain is definitely there. While, not as compelling of a story for me (I connected more with Kara and Nettie), Fern and Colby’s story just highlights how our family can love us, but often hurt us even without intending to, which I feel anyone can relate to. In the end, with their extended time in the woods, they come to the understand that they need to in order to reevaluate their relationship and develop a deeper understanding of who each woman are and come to a comfortable resolution.
Kara
Kara was probably my favorite story of the group. Being a twin myself, reading Kara watching her own twin sister die and not being able to do anything really hit home. I could definitely understand the guilt that she feels throughout and the often debilitating need to be there whenever possible. I found it interesting that Kyra works in a treatment center, hiding in other people’s pain in order to mask her own. Of course this is a universal plight that only goes to reinforce her own troubles. I found the romance between Kara and Eric to be sweet but not an overwhelming part of the plot which I appreciated. While their romance developed quickly, it was not intrical to the overall plot but gave Kara the resolution she need to begin to move on. It was a good addition, to Kara’s overall story.
Nettie
I’m not going to lie, I didn’t always love Nettie. She is complicated, but also wonderfully, beautiful human. Losing her husband and getting estranged from her son and his family (even if self-imposed) definitely colored her world in such a way that she became depressed and complacent the people that loved her most. When her son chooses to disengage from her after finding out that she tried to commit suicide, I began to feel for Nettie in a completely different way. Here was a woman: lonely, bitter and incredibly sad. I could not help but feel angry at Nat for choosing to isolate himself from her, but also understanding it at the same time because he was scared too. He obviously has a lot of love for Nettie, even if displaced. In the end what was really beautiful was seeing Nettie reconcile with her granddaughter who loved her as well and begin to heal her own internal wounds.
I will say my own caveat of this story was the inclusion of June and her son to the overall plot. After reading this I do understand that it was need to help the story come to its final resolution but I definitely felt it was the weakest storyline of the book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and find Schlicher’s writing to be very good. The characters felt very human to read about and I connected to all of them in one way or another which is extremely important to me as a reader. I will definitely be picking up her other novels and look forward to seeing what she has coming up in the future!
October 18, 2016
This is a trimmed down version of my review, to view the full review visit The Book Ramble.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Come This Way follows 3 plots that slowly entangle. Fern and her daughter Colby get lost in the woods while they are out attempting to reconnect before Colby moves across the country. Kara Dawson is about to lose her sister to cancer when she meets Eric and starts to fall in love – something she’s scared to do with Kate only weeks away from death. And finally Nettie Campbell is the hospital isolated from a family who feel betrayed by her recent actions. Come This Way examines these women’s lives and the tough decisions they have to make when it comes to living, loving, and family.
Come This Way is several stories in one, all of the stories look at women in love and loss. Each of the women in this book have lost something, and are in some way or another trying to repair or reconnect with someone. I liked the fact that the characters didn’t really need to meet each other across the 3 stories, in fact that 4 main leads don’t actually meet at any point. The thematic connection was enough.
There are 3 main plot lines – Fern and Colby, Kara, and Nettie. I think the strongest overall was probably Fern and Colby. The characters had a good sort of chemistry, and the progression from distance to re-connection was really strong in that particular portion of the book. The pacing was really what gave this section the most strength, the book only takes place over a few days, and Fern and Colby’s days feel like 2 days. There’s a strong sense of time and movement to their story.
Nettie’s section was probably my favourite. I think the characters were the best developed. I did feel at times that Nettie’s portions of the book expressed something almost a little too similar to Fern’s feelings, I think they do diverge significantly by the end which makes that overlap a little easier to deal with.
For me Kara’s story was the weakest. I feel like the whole romantic plot line with Eric should have been more to the background, and the situation with Kate should have been more the focus. Kara and Eric’s relationship was one I didn’t really buy into unfortunately. It felt way too rushed for me, I didn’t see a spark and Eric felt like a he was more of a stock perfect guy than any kind of appropriate match for Kara. It all felt kind of forced and I think finding a life outside of the hospital would have been a more worthy accomplishment for Kara.
I liked a lot of the characters, I don’t think I personally identified with any of them but I certainly see how many other people could, which is a good thing. I think Nettie and side character, June, were probably the most well developed characters in the whole book. They had the strongest back stories for me, which I really liked, I just wish everyone else was as well developed as these two were.
The writing overall was a huge improvement over Schlicher’s previous book. The threads of the story flowed really well and I think the story was stronger with characters that were markedly more developed. I really enjoyed reading it, I wouldn’t say it was outstanding but I do think this is a good book, and I would actually recommend it for fans of this sort of family drama genre.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Come This Way follows 3 plots that slowly entangle. Fern and her daughter Colby get lost in the woods while they are out attempting to reconnect before Colby moves across the country. Kara Dawson is about to lose her sister to cancer when she meets Eric and starts to fall in love – something she’s scared to do with Kate only weeks away from death. And finally Nettie Campbell is the hospital isolated from a family who feel betrayed by her recent actions. Come This Way examines these women’s lives and the tough decisions they have to make when it comes to living, loving, and family.
Come This Way is several stories in one, all of the stories look at women in love and loss. Each of the women in this book have lost something, and are in some way or another trying to repair or reconnect with someone. I liked the fact that the characters didn’t really need to meet each other across the 3 stories, in fact that 4 main leads don’t actually meet at any point. The thematic connection was enough.
There are 3 main plot lines – Fern and Colby, Kara, and Nettie. I think the strongest overall was probably Fern and Colby. The characters had a good sort of chemistry, and the progression from distance to re-connection was really strong in that particular portion of the book. The pacing was really what gave this section the most strength, the book only takes place over a few days, and Fern and Colby’s days feel like 2 days. There’s a strong sense of time and movement to their story.
Nettie’s section was probably my favourite. I think the characters were the best developed. I did feel at times that Nettie’s portions of the book expressed something almost a little too similar to Fern’s feelings, I think they do diverge significantly by the end which makes that overlap a little easier to deal with.
For me Kara’s story was the weakest. I feel like the whole romantic plot line with Eric should have been more to the background, and the situation with Kate should have been more the focus. Kara and Eric’s relationship was one I didn’t really buy into unfortunately. It felt way too rushed for me, I didn’t see a spark and Eric felt like a he was more of a stock perfect guy than any kind of appropriate match for Kara. It all felt kind of forced and I think finding a life outside of the hospital would have been a more worthy accomplishment for Kara.
I liked a lot of the characters, I don’t think I personally identified with any of them but I certainly see how many other people could, which is a good thing. I think Nettie and side character, June, were probably the most well developed characters in the whole book. They had the strongest back stories for me, which I really liked, I just wish everyone else was as well developed as these two were.
The writing overall was a huge improvement over Schlicher’s previous book. The threads of the story flowed really well and I think the story was stronger with characters that were markedly more developed. I really enjoyed reading it, I wouldn’t say it was outstanding but I do think this is a good book, and I would actually recommend it for fans of this sort of family drama genre.
April 23, 2017
Come This Way is a self-published contemporary women’s fiction novel. I’m not sure I’d ever read a self-published book before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. This book was amazing. It had parallel story lines with multiple characters that all come together at the end. It focuses on all different kinds of love and has a sort of Love, Actually feel to it.
Fern, a hiking enthusiast, and her twenty-something daughter Colby get lost in the woods. Their cell phones don’t work, and they have limited supplies. Most horrific to me, Colby didn’t bring her glasses, so after the second day she has to remove her contacts and trust her mother to guide her around.
Twenty-five year-old Kara has put her life on hold to spend time with her dying twin sister. When she meets an amazing man, she finally allows herself to enjoy life. Eric is truly swoon-worthy. I kept waiting for something horrible to happen with this plot line because he seemed too good to be true.
Nettie, eighty-three, is recovering in the hospital after a failed suicide attempt. Her son Nat no longer trusts her, and she’s not comfortable losing control of her life. She develops a kinship with her nurse, June, who is facing her own troubles with her college-age son.
I read this book in two days. That how enthralled I was. The unfortunate thing with plowing through a book that fast is that the details leave my mind quickly. I know I loved it (because of the rating), but I can’t recall specifics on why. If you enjoy parallel story lines and multi-generational characters. This book may be for you. It’s available in paperback and Kindle formats on Amazon at least. Check it out.
http://opinionatedbooklover.com/revie...
Fern, a hiking enthusiast, and her twenty-something daughter Colby get lost in the woods. Their cell phones don’t work, and they have limited supplies. Most horrific to me, Colby didn’t bring her glasses, so after the second day she has to remove her contacts and trust her mother to guide her around.
Twenty-five year-old Kara has put her life on hold to spend time with her dying twin sister. When she meets an amazing man, she finally allows herself to enjoy life. Eric is truly swoon-worthy. I kept waiting for something horrible to happen with this plot line because he seemed too good to be true.
Nettie, eighty-three, is recovering in the hospital after a failed suicide attempt. Her son Nat no longer trusts her, and she’s not comfortable losing control of her life. She develops a kinship with her nurse, June, who is facing her own troubles with her college-age son.
I read this book in two days. That how enthralled I was. The unfortunate thing with plowing through a book that fast is that the details leave my mind quickly. I know I loved it (because of the rating), but I can’t recall specifics on why. If you enjoy parallel story lines and multi-generational characters. This book may be for you. It’s available in paperback and Kindle formats on Amazon at least. Check it out.
http://opinionatedbooklover.com/revie...
October 31, 2016
I received an ARC of Come This Way in exchange for an honest review.
This is a shortened version of my review. Read the full review at acciolibri.wordpress.com
Come This Way is the first book I have read from Michelle Schlicher. Women’s fiction is my go-to genre if I don’t feel like reading heavy stories with intense emotions. Come This Way tugged on some strong emotions I wasn’t expecting but I was glad it did.
It follows the story of three strong-willed women: Fern, Kara and Nettie. Each character is faced with a problem, regarding their families to be exact. These characters all have a similar trait, it’s their determination and courage. Fern is an outdoorsy mother trying her best to connect with her daughter. It’s the usual mother-daughter problem everyone is aware of. Kara is living most of her days in the hospital, fighting her fears of being separated from her sister and managing to include love in her life. Nettie is a feisty old woman just stuck in the hospital. And because of her old age, she is tirelessly arguing with every human being she comes across with, even her son.
Every story is relatable; it deals with fixing forgotten and broken relationships with family members and trying hard enough to fight their own battles. I love that it’s told in different perspectives. I get to see glimpses of their lives and how they deal with their struggles. Reading Come This Way was a tear-jerker for me. I couldn’t help but miss my Mother and my Grandmother while reading it. Each chapter was sweet enough that gives a fuzzy feeling to the heart. It was obvious that the stories were close to author’s heart, you could feel her emotions in her writing.
Come This Way by Michelle Schlicher tells the story of ordinary women that we come across in our daily lives. Each one desperately rebuilding broken relationships and overcoming the fear of loss and heartaches. Sharing with us that no matter what happens, in the end, everything will be okay.
This is a shortened version of my review. Read the full review at acciolibri.wordpress.com
Come This Way is the first book I have read from Michelle Schlicher. Women’s fiction is my go-to genre if I don’t feel like reading heavy stories with intense emotions. Come This Way tugged on some strong emotions I wasn’t expecting but I was glad it did.
It follows the story of three strong-willed women: Fern, Kara and Nettie. Each character is faced with a problem, regarding their families to be exact. These characters all have a similar trait, it’s their determination and courage. Fern is an outdoorsy mother trying her best to connect with her daughter. It’s the usual mother-daughter problem everyone is aware of. Kara is living most of her days in the hospital, fighting her fears of being separated from her sister and managing to include love in her life. Nettie is a feisty old woman just stuck in the hospital. And because of her old age, she is tirelessly arguing with every human being she comes across with, even her son.
Every story is relatable; it deals with fixing forgotten and broken relationships with family members and trying hard enough to fight their own battles. I love that it’s told in different perspectives. I get to see glimpses of their lives and how they deal with their struggles. Reading Come This Way was a tear-jerker for me. I couldn’t help but miss my Mother and my Grandmother while reading it. Each chapter was sweet enough that gives a fuzzy feeling to the heart. It was obvious that the stories were close to author’s heart, you could feel her emotions in her writing.
Come This Way by Michelle Schlicher tells the story of ordinary women that we come across in our daily lives. Each one desperately rebuilding broken relationships and overcoming the fear of loss and heartaches. Sharing with us that no matter what happens, in the end, everything will be okay.
December 27, 2016
This is my first book that I heave read by this author. Throughly enjoyed this book.
November 21, 2016
As with her other two novels, Michelle wrote another book I just couldn't put down! The book starts introducing you to Fern and Colby. They are the typical mother/daughter duo who don't see eye to eye on everything but work to keep their relationship strong. Next, you meet Kara who struggles to balance life with dealing with a sister who is ill and trying to be there for her as much as possible. Finally, you meet Nettie. Nettie is an elderly woman stuck in her ways but wanting to have a better relationship with her only son and granddaughter. At first I wondered how these four characters' stories would intertwine. I loved reading how their stories developed and seeing just how their lives were intertwined. Michelle did a wonderful job of keeping me hooked the whole time and making all the characters and storylines so relatable. I felt like I knew the characters personally. I always feel like I could see this as a great movie when I put the book down! I look forward to reading future novels by this amazing author!
November 23, 2016
(this is not the whole review. The full review will be on cactusreadsbooks.wordpress.com!)
Wow. Just wow. I finished this beauty about an hour ago and just wow. The amazing Michelle Schlicher contacted me and asked if I would review this and let me just say that it was one of my favorite reads of 2016! I don't normally enjoy the more characterization-based books because I am a plot-driven person, but this was an extraordinary book. I could relate to all of the characters, and I am in love with Kara! She is such an amazing character. Really, all of the characters were very well developed.
I just had one thing wrong with it: I don't understand why it's called Come This Way. It could be because I have been reading this on and off for a few weeks, but if anyone could let me know, that would be great! :)
Other than that, I highly recommend this book. It felt so real and was a pleasure to read. I will be sure to check out some of Michelle Schlicher's other books in the near future!
Wow. Just wow. I finished this beauty about an hour ago and just wow. The amazing Michelle Schlicher contacted me and asked if I would review this and let me just say that it was one of my favorite reads of 2016! I don't normally enjoy the more characterization-based books because I am a plot-driven person, but this was an extraordinary book. I could relate to all of the characters, and I am in love with Kara! She is such an amazing character. Really, all of the characters were very well developed.
I just had one thing wrong with it: I don't understand why it's called Come This Way. It could be because I have been reading this on and off for a few weeks, but if anyone could let me know, that would be great! :)
Other than that, I highly recommend this book. It felt so real and was a pleasure to read. I will be sure to check out some of Michelle Schlicher's other books in the near future!
October 17, 2016
Come This Way follows the story of Nettie, Fern, and Kara as they are forced to face some of the most difficult situations in their lives. This book is heart warming and reassuring story about how even when things seem impossibly difficult, we can make it through.
I absolutely loved Nettie and think she was my favorite character throughout the entire book. Even in her old age she is a feisty lady who loves adventure and still carries a torch for her Richard. I hope one day I can experience a love like Nettie's and Richard's.
Nettie, Fern, and Kara have never met each other, but as the story progresses we begin to see how they are connected and how their actions unknowingly impacted the lives of others. Seeing how the lives of these three women were connected was my favorite part of Come This Way.
I absolutely loved Nettie and think she was my favorite character throughout the entire book. Even in her old age she is a feisty lady who loves adventure and still carries a torch for her Richard. I hope one day I can experience a love like Nettie's and Richard's.
Nettie, Fern, and Kara have never met each other, but as the story progresses we begin to see how they are connected and how their actions unknowingly impacted the lives of others. Seeing how the lives of these three women were connected was my favorite part of Come This Way.
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