Дървото на живота

by Katherine Allred, Катрин Алрид

Студен чай, царевични питки и бобени зрънца — всекидневно пиршество за осемгодишната Аликс Френч, очарователна любопитка от уважавано южняшко семейство. Но няма нищо обикновено в деня, в който тя среща десетгодишния Ник Андерсън, момчето от мизерните покрайнини на града. Въоръжена единствено с кутийка пчелен балсам и твърда решителност, Аликс се заема да лекува жестоките доказателства от скорошния побой, които бележат гърба му — действие, което променя завинаги живота и на двамата.

Минавайки през детски бедствия и тийнейджърски неволи те остават заедно, докато приятелството им не се превръща в любов. Бъдещето изглежда розово, докато една съдбовна нощ Франк Андерсън, баща на Ник и виновник за белезите му, не е застрелян в мръсната си каравана.

Внезапно Ник вече го няма — оставяйки Аликс сама и объркана. През следващите петнадесет години тя се бори с болката от заминаването му, със семейството и с приятелите си. Но когато най-накрая животът й започва да се подрежда, Ник се завръща… и не е сам.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Second Chance, Friends To Lovers, New Adult, Chick Lit

ebook

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Katherine Allred was born in Arkansas and spent her formative years there learning to love books at her grandfather's knee. When she was five, her mother remarried and moved them to Michigan, where they stayed for the next ten years. At age fifteen, the entire family moved back home to Arkansas, and she's been there ever since, except for brief stints in other countries and states while her hubby was in the army.

After receiving a BS in journalism from Arkansas State University, Katherine began her writing in earnest. To date, she's had seven books published, with number eight being released in April, 2009, and number nine just completed.

A member of Romance Writers of America, Katherine has achieved many awards for her novels, including the 2006 EPPIE award, winning the PASIC Book of Your Heart contest in 2002, and having a novel named Best Book of the Year by Romance Reviews Today in 2005. She currently writes for Eos, the science fiction imprint of Harper Collins Publishing.

Reviews

[Aestas Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.5 stars

"You're the only one I've ever wanted, Alix, the only one I'll ever want. That's a promise."

Oh WOW !!! What a BEAUTIFUL, AMAZING book!! Love! love! love!!

I'm a mess - it was an intense, utterly riveting book that I literally could not put down, that kept my heart racing, kept me near tears for a good chunk of it, that had me hanging off of every word that I read, and the story just ripped my heart out but yet still had a very sweet ending.

The writing was beautiful and flowed effortlessly, the characters were vivid, and the story was gripping and sucked you right in from the start.

If you are looking for a captivating, bittersweet, emotional read with a happy ending, this is it!

I started reading this book around midnight after a whole day of traveling expecting to just read for an hour and put it down. Boy was I wrong! I read straight through the night and finished the book around 6am when the sun came up!! I just couldn't tear myself away from it!

The first half of the book starts out in a small Southern town where Alix, an 8 year-old girl from a very well-respected family who reaches out to help Nick, the 10-year old son of a dead-beat drunk who owns the local salvage yard. She befriends him and over the years, her family shelters him as he and Alix grow closer and closer. Even from a young age, they have a connection that is just so beautiful and powerful.

"...while I was vowing to save Nick, he had taken on the job of being my protector and staunchest defender."

As they grow up, it becomes impossible for them to deny the love they've always had for each other.

"There was only one boy I wanted, and I lived for the times when I could be alone with him. It was simple. When I was with Nick, I was happy. When I wasn't, I was restless and miserable."

But when tragedy outside of their control strikes, Nick is forced to leave town. The second half of the book occurs 15 years later when Nick returns home and tries with everything he's got to put their relationship back together.

This book got me so into it, that when I read these words, "Then, fifteen years after he left, Nick came home." , I just felt my heart clenched right up and tears literally just started falling from my cheeks. I just needed things to be made right again so badly.

"Do you want to know the real reason I came back, Alix? It was because of you. You're my roots. Wherever you are would be home to me...I've never stopped loving you. I won't give up that easily."

There is a huge twist to the story with secrets that comes out explaining the true reason why he had to leave that had me almost hyperventilating and clutching at my heart.

This story is about powerful love, loss and betrayal, family, second chances, secrets that test the strength of family and relationship bonds, overcoming prejudices, but most importantly its about a very beautiful and sweet love story that start when Alix and Nick were young and never lets go throughout all the years of hardship.

The book was told from Alix's perspective - almost as if she were retelling it from the end. But I loved how, especially in the first part of the book when she is a child, she explains it through the eyes of child while still giving insight on the side from her adult, mature self.

I just totally fell in love with Nick. He's was exactly my kind of hero - first he was totally HOT, but what really melted my heart was how protective he was. I just love that quality in a man. And he was just such a GOOD guy - so respectful, always trying to do the right thing, and he was just completely, utterly swoony. I'm smiling as I write this just thinking about him.

But that isn't to say that he (or Alix) was perfect - they made their fair share of mistakes but the mistakes were understandable... I didn't always agree with what they did, but I could totally understand why they did it. But the strength of their love for each other won out in the end.

The intensity of Nick and Alix's love took my breath away at times and while there are a fair number of sex scenes, they are not portrayed very graphically. They are more focused on descriptions of emotions rather than acts.

I think fans of Take This Regret will really enjoy this book, and vice versa.

This book is going on my favorites shelf! Absolutely LOVED it!! A must-read!!



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[Kristin (KC) · Rating 5 out of 5]

BREATHTAKING!

Books like The Sweet Gum Tree are why I love to read. Filled with beauty, symbolism, heartache, forgiveness, redemption, and an undying love all around—this ultimate love story turned out to be one of the greatest books I've ever read!

Since the synopsis for this book is generous and intriguing enough, I don't feel a summation of the story here is necessary. But I will say that each and and every one of these characters had been broken and slowly redeemed and held a special place in my heart throughout this extraordinary book.  I enjoyed  being present during Nick and Alix's transition from childhood to adulthood. It was such an incredible way to build a palpable connection and understanding for the characters. 

I love reading books with references to the finer things in life. I was mesmerized by the descriptions of nature and its comparison to humanity. Nick was Alix's "sweet gum tree", and his love stood deeply rooted in Alix's life no matter how the storms threatened to rip them apart. 

Although this story was heartbreaking throughout, it didn't remain tragic or leave me feeling depleted. The  heartache actually intensified its sweetness instead of reducing it. What I loved most about this story was its example that true love is strong enough to forgive and withstand any element that threatens to break it. Most of the time, the choices we make in life deeply affect our future...but some of life's downfalls are completely out of our hands. We have to allow ourselves the time to grieve in order to properly heal so we can, eventually, be able to live again. 


Book Stats:
▪ Genre/Category: Contemporary Romance
▪ Steam Caliber: Moderate/Steamy
▪ Romance: Childhood to adulthood romance. Sweet, angsty, and emotional.
▪ Characters: Damaged, lovable and very well-fleshed out.
▪ Plot: Focused on redemption, forgiveness, and healing. Slight twist.
▪ Writing: Brilliant and cultured. Engrossing storytelling.
▪ POV: First person: Heroine
▪ Cliffhanger: None/Standalone
▪ HEA? Yes

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Beautiful Stars!

If you are like me, and have just had this book sitting on your e-reader for months and haven’t gotten around to it, do yourself a favor and bump it to the top of your TBR list! Such an amazing, beautiful, sweet, and at times- heartbreaking story.

Alix and Nick (as adults)





Alix French and Nick Anderson both grew up in the same small town. They meet when Alix is 8 and Nick is 10. Alix comes from a good family. She lives with her grandfather ‘Judge’, her mama and her two aunts. Nick doesn’t have the same home life. He lives with his drunk father, who runs the junkyard and is abusive to him. He doesn’t have too many friends, and Alix decides to befriend him. A beautiful friendship between the two of them begins.



Nick and Alix grow up together. Nick becomes part of the family to the other French’s. He often stays in the spare room of their barn when his dad is particularly nasty. As they grow up and get older, the feelings the two of them have start to go past friendship. They develop real feelings for one another. Nick never feels good enough for Alix. It’s a hurdle for their relationship.



Nick and Alix start to fall in love. They date ‘secretly’. Alix is technically seeing a guy who her mama wants her with, but she doesn’t love Hugh. She only cares about him like a friend. Nick’s the only man she has ever wanted. She wants to break up with Hugh, but things are complicated with her and Nick.



Nick has a neighbor named Lindsey he is particularly close to. He has been like a big brother to her, and she needs his help. That is why Nick and Alix’s relationship has to be a secret. This goes on for months. Finally, Alix makes Nick chose. He of course, chooses her.



The morning they are going to come clean with her family about their relationship, she finds out something shocking. Nick’s father Frank has been murdered. And Nick is in jail. It looks as though it was self defense, so they give Nick a choice to leave town and join the Army. He takes it. This devastates Alix.



Alix learns that

“You can’t turn love on and off like a light switch, no matter how hard you try.”

Many heartbreaking things happen from here...
Alix finds herself pregnant with Nick’s baby. She is only 18 and getting ready to graduate high school. Hugh, the guy she has been seeing finds out all about Nick and wants to marry her anyway. Because of the circumstances, and Nick telling her he’s never coming back and to move on- she agrees.

Something devastating happens to Alix that year. Her baby, Katie, dies of SIDS at 6 months old. She never gets past it. She is in a loveless marriage for 15 years before she decides enough is enough and files for divorce. She works hard at her company, her job is her life. Her family and friends are worried.

“You walk and talk and breathe and eat, you work and sleep, but you aren’t alive anymore.��

Right before her divorce is final, she see’s him. Nick Anderson is back in town. He brings her back to life, but not in the way you imagine. She blames Nick, hates him for what he did. Especially now that he has brought a son with him. A son that would be the same age as her daughter and looks a lot like Katie Its too much for Alix.

“I do not love Nick. I hate him.”

“No, you only think you do. Alix, the opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference. And you couldn’t be indifferent to him if your life depended on it.”

Nick can’t explain everything quite yet, but he tries to get through to Alix. He loves her, he’s never stopped loving her and he wants to be with her.

“Do you want to know the real reason I came back, Alix? It was because of you. You’re my roots. Wherever you are would be home to me.”

It takes a lot of convincing for Alix to realize this, but once she hears the truth, will she ever be able to forgive Nick? I guessed part of the big twist early on... I knew Nick would NEVER cheat on Alix. I had a feeling the baby was Franks. I wasn’t sure about who killed him, but it didnt’ surprise me that it was Lindsay.

“I swear, I’ll never leave you again.” he whispered
“It wouldn’t do you any good if you did,” I said. “Because the next time, I’d come after you.”

This a solid 5 star read for me, one of my new favorite ya books! Nick and Alix’s journey is sweet and beautiful, but it is also heartbreaking and tragic. Those two went through so much, but through it all, they still had an unbreakable bond. The writing was beautiful, and the ending will make your heart happy!!!

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (New House-Hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ 5 𝔽𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕔 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤 ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

“𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓪𝓷’𝓽 𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓷 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓸𝓷 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓸𝓯𝓯 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓪 𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓼𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓬𝓱, 𝓷𝓸 𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓭 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓻𝔂. 𝓐𝓵𝓵 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓪𝓷 𝓭𝓸 𝓲𝓼 𝔀𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓲𝓽 𝓸𝓯𝓯, 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓫𝓻𝓲𝓬𝓴 𝓪𝓽 𝓪 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮, 𝓾𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓵 𝔂𝓸𝓾’𝓿𝓮 𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝓷 𝓲𝓶𝓹𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓫𝓵𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓪𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓮𝓶𝓸𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼. 𝓐𝓷𝓭 𝓸𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓾𝓲𝓵𝓽, 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓪𝓶𝓸𝓾𝓯𝓵𝓪𝓰𝓮 𝓲𝓽 𝓼𝓸 𝔀𝓮𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓪𝓷’𝓽 𝓼𝓮𝓮 𝓲𝓽 𝓪𝓷𝔂𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮.”

I adore all types of romance stories but some of my favorites are the ones where the characters have known each other since children and their relationship and love blossoms and grows over time. The Sweet Gum Tree was this and so much more. This was the first book I have read by Katherine Allred and I look forward to reading many more from her.

Alix French is the good girl with a heart of gold. She comes from a well known family, is pretty outspoken and I just loved being in her POV from a girl of 8 and as she grows, we, the reader grow with her, experiencing all of her thoughts and emotions.

She meets Nick, who is two years older than her and who doesn’t have such a great upbringing as his father is a drunk and runs the town junkyard. Alix takes Nick under her wing and they form an unbreakable and protective friendship that in my heart is destined to be so much more.

As Alix and Nick grow older and mature through those formidable teenage years, they begin to recognize how their friendship has grown to attraction and mutual love. But as they plan to make their announcement for the world to know, Nick’s father is shot and Nick has to leave town to join the Navy.

Though Alix swears that she will wait for him, she is left alone, pregnant and completely heartbroken and decides to marry someone else.

The series of events that transpires over the course of 15 years before the surprise return of Nick left me crying and torn; my soul just weeping for the possibilities of what could have been for Alix and Nick.

And when Nick returns to town, seeing the love of his life completely changed and seemingly indifferent to him, it was even more heartbreaking and devastating and crushing. To experience every emotion, to experience the loss of time and loss of each other and more, was powerful. I LOVE 2nd chance love stories (when done right) especially the ones that are so heartfelt, emotional, and true and The Sweet Gum Tree is an example of this for me.

I can’t tell you what will happen as I feel that you need to experience this story for yourself. But I will say this….This couple will go through a full circle journey that will touch your soul. You will forget about the outside world for a little while as you immerse yourself into their beautiful world never wanting to stop because it’s so addicting.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ I will say The Sweet Gum Tree had one of the most perfect endings I have read in a long time. Katherine Allred nailed it! I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect read and her beautiful way with words was simply magical.

If you are looking for that next epic love story that will put a smile on your face and warmth in your heart, then look no further than The Sweet Gum Tree…I promise you won’t regret it.

[Zeek · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Sweet Gum Tree started out brilliantly. Expertly setting the scene of small town life in the deep south, I was hooked. Even more so when little Alix French befriends a boy from the wrong side of the tracks by introducing him to her favorite books. They become a fierce unit and it’s easy to see they are destined soul mates. I loved Nick and Alix. Together.

Apart? Not so much, because they were stupid. Period. When things begin to happen to keep them apart, the book fell apart for me too.

Here we go again, "The Big Misunderstanding" plot device. I'm okay with it, truly I am- if the reason that keeps them apart doesn't do so beyond reasonable explanation. With The Sweet Gum Tree? Not so much.

See the secret that Nick holds is supposed to be something deep and mysterious, kept close to his vest. But it was obvious to me from the get go as I'm sure it was for every reader. Which seriously ticked me off- because it screamed- “C’mon- it's gotta something more than that!?”, which made me want to scream at the heroine, "YOU IDIOT! Can't you see what he's doing?!".

To make it worse, he keeps perpetuating the misunderstanding BY NOT TELLING HER THE TRUTH. bbbluuurghhh

Add that to me being already irritated with Alix for clinging to her misplaced hatred toward the man she supposedly once loved to her very soul and I was over my first blush of excitement fairly quickly. (She also came off pretty dang blind by not seeing what was so patently obvious not only with Nick and the woman she thought he was in love with behind her back, but also with her best friend.)

There's nothing I hate more then the feel of manufactured drama. Either make it plausible or go over the top. This just ticked me off.

Oh and one more thing- the author’s heavy handed foreshadowing- no wait, forewarning because there was no shadowing about it- She outright said they were doomed. At. the. end. of. every. chapter.

Though I kept reading, I was done about 40% in.

Generous 2 pts- 1 for keeping me reading and 1 for the magnificent setting and characters. Everything else? Amateur.

[Blacky *Romance Addict* · Rating 4 out of 5]

He brushed my hair back. “You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted, Alix, the only one I’ll ever want. That’s a promise.”

“God, I can’t lose you again.” His whisper was harsh, filled with pain. “Not now, when I’ve waited so long to hold you. I think it would kill me. But I’m so damn scared you’ll hate me when you find out the truth.”

This was both heartbreaking and sweet <3
Amazing romance that spans decades, from childhood sweethearts to adult intense love.
<3




The story

“I didn’t want to stop. It scared me. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Alix. I’m not going to let anything hurt you, not even me. I figured I had to stay away from you for your own good.”

Alix and Nick meet while they are children and form an instant friendship.
As the years go by, they grow up and fall in love <3
It isn't all sunshine and roses because Nick has an abusive father who's making his life hell, and the only good thing Nick has is Alix and her family.
A horrible thing happens that drives them apart and makes Alix hate him:(




Alix and Nick

“I thought I’d lost you,” he murmured. “I’ve never been so afraid in my life. I felt hollow, like part of me had been ripped out.” His shaking finally eased to periodic spasms. “I swear, Alix, someday I’ll make you proud to be seen with me.”

Life was never easy on those two.
Not when they were kids, not as teens and certainly not when they are adults.
Nick's father was always there to make his life miserable and I felt sorry for Nick from the start :(
He grew up to be an amazing man and I love him like crazy <3
Alix... I can't say that I loved her, she was OK and she got on my nerves in the second part of the book, really got on my nerves :D
But as a couple, I loved them and their heartbreaking romance <3




Overall





What I liked:

I enjoyed the book as a whole, I couldn't stop reading! It was emotionally intense, especially when it hit 50%!
The romance was great even though pretty much sad all the time, but surprisingly, it didn't bother me! It was still sweet, especially at the end.
I looooved Nick <3 OMG he is amazing <3

What I didn't like:

The long intro into the real story.
I am not a fan of this, especially when it's to do with their pasts and too much detail.
50% of the book in their childhood/teens is way too long for my taste.
Having said that, the childhood part was interesting, so as the teen years, I can't say I hated reading it cause I loved those two together, I just wish it was SHORTER!

The melodrama at the end.
I am not a melodrama fan either and the ending was a bit weird for me, especially the epilogue. I guess I wanted something more and more intense than what I got.
I did like the ending overall because of what happened between them, again, I just wish it wasn't so melodramatic.



Now I know it seems like I complained a lot, but I only disliked those two things, while I loved the book itself.
Weird but there you go, I even loved the angsty part if you can believe it :DDD

So for everyone who loves a heartbreaking romance with a HEA, grab this one, you won't regret it :)

[Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read 11/23/14...Still powerful...still pissed off...

5 Pissed Me the F&$k Off Stars

This book actually made me create a whole new shelf: my pissed me the fuck off shelf. And yet, I'm giving it 5 stars. Believe me, I am as confused as you. I knew immediately after reading this that I was either gonna rate this 1 star or 5 stars, because I had a love/hate relationship going on with this thing.

The whole time I'm reading this.



And yet, I couldn't put the damn thing down. I stayed up late and am now sleep deprived.

Always the sign of a winner. Now excuse me while I rant.

This was one of those story lines that I love: the whole "we fall in love as children" that sucks me in my every time. I already knew I love that shtick; however, what I did NOT realize until I read this book is that I loathe the "I am going to be a martyr and make myself and everyone around me miserable as a result" shtick. LOATHE it.

I get it. You wanna be all sacrificial for the ones you love. I can respect that. But we gotta draw the line somewhere, damn it.

Nick? Not my favorite.

I get that he wanted to help Lindsey (fuck that bitch by the way). But when you sacrifice your entire life because someone else refuses to take responsibility for their's?

Hell to the no.

He didn't need to take the fall for Lindsey. If they had just been honest and told the truth about the rape, it wouldn't have been any worse for Lindsey. She still would have been pregnant and ended up 5150 (that's cop code for "hold pending crazy", a la Britney Spears).

In fact, maybe being HONEST about what happened might have been healing for her. But no, Nick had to ruin his life, Alix's life, Hugh's life, Jenna's life...you get the idea.

In my opinion, Nick continuously chose to be a martyr for Lindsey instead of being a man for Alix. He kept choosing Lindsey.



I know, I know...I should have sympathy for Lindsey.

But I don't.

Call me cold and callous (because I am), but I just don't have patience for people who refuse to help themselves out. I get that she had a shitty, neglected childhood. But cry me a river, lots of fucking people have. Using your childhood to make excuses for shitty behavior for the rest of your life makes about as much sense to me as this does:



Because she refused to give herself an assist and leave town or - I don't know - CALL THE POLICE, she was basically the catalyst for the ruination of many lives, not just her own. It annoyed the shit out of me and I have no patience for it.



Overall though, this book sucked me in, it was well written, it had solid, defined characters and I loved the reminiscent Southern vibe weaved throughout.

And it takes talent to make a reader love and hate an entire book at the same time.

Well done, Ms. Allred!

[peachygirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bittersweet story of love and loss with unbelievably selfless and stupid characters!.
As much as I loved Katherine's mind-blowing writing, I couldn't stand the tangles of responsibilities and relationships every character wove around themselves. Or the half truths and whole lies. It was like they all wanted to be miserable. And it was ridiculous how Jenna got away with sleeping with Alix's husband with a pat on her back after a mere sob story. Not counting his hundred other affairs. Saintly Alix, pfft.
Decent read, but not something I'd recommend if you're looking for a good time.

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

I liked this one. Didn't make the five star mark for me. The misunderstanding was a bit too much for me. The fact that Nick felt no compulsion to stay irritated me a bit. Saying that, it was quite a good read.

“You can’t turn love on and off like a light switch, no matter how hard you try. All you can do is wall it off, one brick at a time, until you’ve created an impenetrable fortress around your emotions. And once that fortress is built, you camouflage it so well that even you can’t see it anymore.”

“To my surprise, Nick reached under his shirt and pulled out the half-heart pendant. With his gaze fixed on mine, he slid the chain over my head. “No one should have to go through life with only half a heart,” he whispered.”

“A sweet gum tree is the chameleon of wood, it’s corky exterior hiding it’s inner ability to imitate anything from cherry to mahogany. But it’s real value, one unrealized by most people, is it’s deep red heart, steady and strong.”

It was one of these books where I really couldn't figure out what timeline it was written in. It could have been the 50s, the 60s, the 70s..... it had a sort of a timeless feel to it.

[NMmomof4 · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars (Originally Read 3/25/2015)

4.5 Stars (Re-Read 8/1/2017)

Overall Opinion: This will definitely be staying on my favorites shelf after this re-read! I ate this book right up the second time just like I remember doing the first! I was actually worried that I would not feel the emotions that I did the first time I read it, because I knew what was going to happen. While I didn't blubber cry (like I remember doing the first time), I did shed quite a bit of tears still! That tells me that it's just that good! I hate doing it (because I really did love the rest of the book), but I'm going to lower my rating to 4.5 stars. I can't justify a 5 star rating with an ending that felt rushed like it did (see below).

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Alix and Nick's story. They meet officially when Alix is 8 and Nick is 10 when she goes to his father's junkyard to get a car part. They form a unlikely friendship that holds through the years but devolops into something more when they grow older. There is a tragic event that separates them, and when Nick returns ~15 years later he doesn't get the welcome home he was expecting. There are some cute moments, some sad moments, and some sweet moments...and they get a HEA ending.

POV: This was told in Alix's POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Good until the end (see closure section). I never skimmed, and I thought it flowed well otherwise.

Instalove: No, they've known each other for years.

H rating: 4 stars. Nick. I liked him. He was loyal to a fault, but I appreciated that about him (even when I wanted to shake him a few times).

h rating: 4 stars. Alix. I liked her. I especially liked young Alix! She was strong and feisty.

Sadness level: Moderate/high. I cried but I didn't need any tissues this go-round, but I definitely remember crying a lot more the first time!

Push/Pull: Yes The H pushes away in the past, and the h pushes away in the present. Both pursue the relationship at times.

Heat level: Low. The scenes were non-descriptive and more about the emotional connection between the couple.

Descriptive sex: No. This is a perfect example of how fade-to-black or non-descriptive sex scenes can work with a book! The connection was so strong otherwise that I didn't even miss it!

Safe sex: No mentions of any safe sex specifics.

OW/OM drama: Yes There is a OW that grew up always around the H. She causes some drama for the couple.

Sex scene with OW or OM: No

Cheating: Not between mcs Side characters, and the h is dating OM awhile she is secretly with (and intimate with) the H.

Separation: Yes They are separated for about 15 years. The h was married to OM, and there is mention of her being intimate with him. The H says he went on dates but i felt like it was implied that it never went further than dates with those OW.

Possible Triggers: Yes Alcoholic and abusive parent (H - aftermath), prostitution (side character off page), rape/murder (side character off page), attempted rape (on page), unexpected pregnancy (on page), and loss of child to SIDS (off page - through many mentions).

Closure: This had pretty good closure, but I wanted more! I would call it a HEA...but it was super quick, and I wanted to experience more of that happiness after all the bad things I went through with them!

How I got it: I paid $0.99 for it back in 2015 on Amazon.

Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers

- Does Not have cheating by mcs
- Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
- Does have both the h and H pushing away
- Does have a separation between the h and H
- Does Not have abuse by mcs
- Does have a HEA ending

[Annie Brewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG *deep breaths*
Holy shit....that was THE BEST EFFING BOOK I've EVER read....hands down!!!! TWENTY stars. Omg I have a headache and my eyes are sore from the fifty million full on sobs I did.

I shall have a full review soon....

BEFORE I GO INTO THIS REVIEW.....EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS BOOK! EVERYONE! READ THIS BOOK! I MEAN IT! READ. THIS. BOOK. Thank you!


If I could give this book EVERY star in the world, I certianly would. My emotions are still raw after finishing this book at 5 this morning. So a decent review is not feasible right now. But make no mistake, this book is UNFORGETTABLE, EPIC, GUT WRENCHINGLY BEAUTIFUL novel I've EVER read and I can't think straight for the life of me. But I will have a long throrough review when I can function correctly.

Oh Lord, where do I begin?? This book is still so fresh on my mind that I could see every bit of the story through my eyes. It was simply, simply amazing, wonderful, unforgettable. Oh my God, I just love this book so damn much. I want to read it all over again just to be with the characters once again!

I am recommending this book to EVERYONE! It is truly my absolute FAVORITE book of ALL TIME. And though I may say quite often how a book is my favorite blah blah blah....nope....not like this one is! This book and Take This Regret are my TWO favorite books EVER! They are so unique and heartbreaking and gutwrenching and insides twisting....GAH! I'm getting emotional all over again. Dammit!

*deep breaths*

So first of all, I didn't realize this book is 7 years old. I'll admit when I first saw this book on GR, I was a little deterred from reading it because the cover did look kind of old school. I guess the cover doesn't attract many people. But honestly, once you read it, you totally understand what the cover symbolizes which okay it's not the greatest cover but it makes a Hell of alot more sense! I just hope Katherine will update it and make it more eye catching to get more people to read it because IT DESERVES MORE RECOGNITION. But to me, I do love it now that I know what the book is about. So, okay the cover....check.

Ummm, I normally know what I want to cover on my reviews but I am so scatterbrained with this book that I have no idea how to really get into the review itself. This book simply took my breath away. Thanks to Erin, my greatest and wonderful ally and sidekick....she introduced me to the most poetic, captivating, heartbreaking, sweet and fun book I've EVER read! I read her review and saw her updates and it became more and more intriguing....and she was recommending this book like crazy. So as I saw more people reading it and having the same reaction I figured it was time to jump on this book and see what the hype was about.

HOLY SHITBALLS! HOLY SHITBALLS! MY God. Holy Hell. Dammit.

When I started this I was instantly swept away by not only the characters but the descriptions. They were so vivid that I could picture every bit of this amazing place that Katherine painted for us. It was like seeing it firsthand. I felt like I was inside the story and watching it, feeling all the emotions the characters felt. Not one character did I end up not liking and for the life of me, it started out that way. But by the end, I called them all my family. My friends. I cried when I finished because not only is the ending bittersweet, but I didn't want to leave them. Oh my God, I loved them so much! I've read plenty of contemporary romance novels, but by far this is the BEST!

The Sweet Gum Tree takes place within 26 years. Alix, the town's rich kid and Nick, son of start as friends at the age of 8 and 10. Alix(8) befriends Nick(10), saving him from his horrible life. His father is a real asshole and he's abbusive and I wanted to beat the fuck out of him for everything he did. Holy shit, that man is the epitome of a sick fuck! And when you read this, you'll understand my hatred for him. So Nick being scared and worried about what others think, since he is the son of a drunk and white trash, living in a salvage junk yard....he's very skittish. He loves to read but his father thinks reading is a waste of time, but yet he spends all his time drunk off his ass instead of being a father to his son. Slowly, Nick lets his guard down and he and Alix get closer. Their friendship is absolutely captivating and beautiful. He becomes a protector of her, and as they get older and she starts asking him hilarious questions about babies and marriage, I can't help but laugh and feel so much love for them. Alix is so smart and she's very inquisitive, leaving Nick to answer odd questions. But he doesn't mind. When night when he is so beat up by his dad, Alix puts him up in a room in their barn next to their house and her grandfather who lives with them and happens to be the judge of town, helps him with his wounds. Then he goes to Nick's house and tells his father that is he ever hurts Nick again, he'll be thrown in jail.
After that, you don't see him making that mistake....but that doesn't mean he doesn't do some other shit. But still, Nick comes over and sleeps in that room that becomes his own for whenever he wants to get away from his dad, especially after he’s been drinking. He’s made a promise to the Judge that he would, to avoid getting abused again. It works well for Alix and Nick. As their friendship blossoms and gets more intense, you see how much their love for one another is so strong and its beautiful. Though he’s still afraid of what others will say, they don’t tell anyone. As they are in middle school and she goes through changes, so does he. And of course she notices and it’s quite funny. Their banter and conversations between one another is so awesome! Some of his quotes are unforgettable.

“You’re not old enough to have a real boyfriend,” he muttered.
I stiffened.
“If I’m old enough to have babies, then I’m damn well old enough to have a boyfriend,” I ground out. “And just as soon as I decide on who it’s going to be, I’ll let you know.”

Once they became a couple, their relationship was so consuming. You were so in love with both of them. He was the perfect gentleman and very gentle with her. It was really neat that they were both virgins so the first time they have sex was hot but also funny because she wasn’t sure if they were doing it right. I couldn’t help but laugh. I loved it though! He never made her do anything she was uncomfortable with which is why it took them awhile to get it on….I kept hoping early on that they would do it already. But Nick was chivalrous and I loved that about him. Oh there was a scene between them….him thrusting her up against his car while making out was HOT HOT HOT! Ahhhhh, he’s one sexy beast!!
In the meantime, we meet the Judge, Aunt Darla, Aunt Jane, Jenna (Alix’s best friend), Hugh and many more characters that I will never forget.
Once things get good for Nick and Alix, they finally make it a point to tell the family that they are together. But I guess not everything goes your way. Something bad happens, something so life changing your heart starts racing rapidly in your chest and Nick has to leave Alix and his life behind. She is so heartbroken, so beside herself….only to discover something worse-she’s pregnant, with his child and he’s gone. It’s right before graduation and she is dating Hugh, another childhood friend who has liked her since they were kids. Both of their families want them to get married and since she is pregnant and he agrees to father Nick’s child…that’s what they do. Get married.
They go through life unhappy; they don’t really love each other. Alix still wants Nick in her life and Hugh starts looking elsewhere. It’s a disaster. They divorce and her mother becomes angry with her and doesn’t talk to her for a while. It’s one thing after another. Alix’s life if so screwed up with another tragedy that hits her square in the gut……..
But the day Nick comes back, her life is turned upside down. Questions, many unanswered questions remains in the forefront of her mind. Can they mend what was broken? Can they surpass 15 years of agony and pain they both suffered being apart? Can Alix forgive Nick for leaving her, especially when she needed him most?? Can love really conquer all?

“Do you want to know the real reason I came back, Alix?” It was because of you. You’re my roots. Wherever you are would be home to me.”

Nick, oh Nick…oh GOD NICK my heart breaks for you all over again, just remembering everything!!! I don’t want to give much else away since I basically told the story(there are some secrets I left out and they are HUGE). I couldn’t help myself….I want to read this book again…NOW! It’s so emotional. They go through the most raw, painful, agonizing, torture, tragic events that I could bear to watch. Just when you think things are going so well for them…..BAM! Another bomb drops and the floor from under you is pulled so forcefully and it’s so unfortunate for them. I love these characters more than most. I loved Nick with all my heart but also I loved Alix a great deal. She faced more tragedy in her life than most in real life and she really became the strongest young lady because of it. I admire her and put her at the top of my FAVORITE HEROINE OF ALL TIME. As much as I love the whole book, the last half was the best. It does have an HEA but don’t be fooled…you need like 10 boxes of tissues and beware; you probably won’t be able to breathe through most of it. But, you HAVE to read this. I encourage ALL ROMANCE LOVERS to read this! You won’t regret it! It will stay with you the rest of your life!

“He always was someone. Because the core of the sweet gum tree never changes. Like Nick, the deep red wood stays true to its nature. Strong, and steady, and pure.” ~Alix~

“I promise you this. I’ll love you until the day I die even if I have to live without you. And if it’s fifty years from now, you come home, Nick Anderson. Do you hear me? I’ll be waiting on you.” ~Alix~

Those that have read this......we need to form a petition for Katherine to write a novella in Nick's POV. I want to read it sooooooo bad!!!! I want to be in his sexy amazing head and see what he was feeling during this story. We'll all be an emotional wreck for days but I'm already a wreck as it is, so it won't be any different! Ahhh, Nick Anderson...where have you been all my life?

[Smitten's Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dumbfounded. Gobsmacked. Speechless. Blown away. Overwhelmed... <<< That was me after finishing The Sweet Gum Tree at 3am this morning.

What an absolutely stunning book! I picked it up yesterday afternoon and didn't put it down until the very last page. Absolutely amazing. There aren't enough adjectives for me to express how much I loved this book.

I cried. Quite a lot. You know when you're reading a book and you know you're going to get your heart broken, but you just can't help turn the pages... and you can feel your soul investing it's every ounce into the characters and their stories. Your emotions slipping through your fingers and out of your control, sucked in by the words on the page... that was this book.

"I'm Frank Anderson's son and I live in a junkyard. Who'd want to marry me?"
"I'll marry you," I told him decisively. "That way, we can both have kids someday."
He grinned, those dimples emerging in a blaze of glory. "Yeah, you probably would."

This was one of those books that makes my other half grumble "You and that bloody Kindle," because I don't react to any conversation, chaos or prodding.

Nick and Alix's story is so emotional. By 50% I felt like I'd already read an entire book. It was torturous. The love in the book is both palpable and painful. It's an example of innocent people being pulled in so many directions, torn apart and broken down due to circumstances beyond their control... due to their own honor, integrity and goodness, but the poison of others around them.

"I promise you this. I'll love you until the day I die even if I have to live without you. And if it's fifty years from now, you come home, Nick Anderson. Do you hear me? I'll be waiting on you."

Alix falls in love with Nick from an early age, when she decides to 'save' him from his abusive, low-life excuse for a father. The story follows them through childhood and teenage years, until they reach early adulthood... which tears them straight down the middle.

"Nick? Have you ever..."
"No. I've thought about it, but it never seemed right."
"You better wait on me, damn it."
"I don't think I have much choice. You're the only one I've ever wanted, Alix, the only one I'll ever want. That's a promise."

Despite his intense love for Alix, Nick is a protector and he can't help but gravitate towards this role. He has dark secrets that he can't share with Alix and tragedy strikes, forcing Nick to leave town and leave Alix. And then all hell breaks loose in part two of this desperate story.

"I'm sorry, Nick," I whispered, slipping his pendant from my neck. "I didn't know what else to do."

I thought I was distraught when Nick had to leave... I had no idea what was coming. Oh my goodness, my poor battered, bruised heart. It took a beating. Without giving anything away, all I will say is... Katie. Oh my God, I ugly cried like a goodun! But I always say, I don't having my heart torn out, ripped to pieces and stomped all over, as long as it's put back together and restored by the end of the book. And I can promise that this does have the most satisfying happy-ever-after, ever!

"God, I can't lose you again." His whisper was harsh, filled with pain. "Not now, when I've waited so long to hold you. I think it would kill me. But I'm so damn scared you'll hate me when you find out the truth."

Alix is brilliant. She's great as a child, ballsy and comical, always getting up to mischief and into trouble due to her curious nature. And as she grows up, she becomes an amazing young woman. She faces so much trauma in her life and watching her slip away is awful, but she's strong and resilient and makes you root for her to pull through.

I'd read enough to know that one of the symptoms of grief was a deep anger at the loved one who'd died, anger that impaired your judgement, made you want to scream and curse because they'd left you. But Nick hadn't died, and I didn't realize that I was suffering the symptoms of grief.

I think it's safe to say, I am completely in love with Nick. Bless him! What a wonderful man. He made mistakes, yes, but oh wow, if every man was as good as Nick Anderson, what an amazing place the world would be.

"The opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference. And you couldn't be indifferent to him if your life depended on it."

The book ends with the perfect perfect epilogue. I don't need to say any more than that, it's just perfect.

This was a 5+ star read for me. I'm going to go now and look into buying it in paperback because I'm going to force it upon anyone who will give me the time of day. I know a lot of my GR friends have already read it but a lot still have it on their TBR list... if that's you, bump it up and make a priority. If you haven't marked this as 'to read', I strongly recommend that you do. It's honestly amazing and so beautiful and it's certainly one that will sit with me for a long long time to come.

A sweet gum tree is the chameleon of wood, it's corky exterior hiding it's inner ability to imitate anything from cherry to mahogany. But it's real value, one unrealized by most people, is it's deep red heart, steady and strong.

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[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

You have to read this UTTERLY MAGNINIFICENT book!! Nick and Alix's love story will compell you like no other. This is the book I have wanted to read since I can't even remenber. What I loved most about it was all the emotions it induced in me...but most of all, I could not get enough of Nick, Alix and their love...




This is one of the, hands down, most beautiful books I have ever read. It is actually one of the best books I ever had the pleasure of reading ever,period. This book made me feel things hardly any books do. The writing was fantastic, the caracters were amazing and the story, description and development was wonderful. I completely and utterly fell in love with Nick and Alix´s love story. From the moment they met as children until the book stops, 28 years later.It grabs an hold on you and don´t let go. I was literally on the edge of my seat while I read this, with a racing heart. Even now, a few days later, I can´t stop thinking about it. I so wish the author could have given us a little more details but I devoured and savoured every word while reading, and I am satisfied how it all turned out in the end. I would really like to continue to read about these amazing caracters in a sequel. Why oh why, couldn´t it have been longer? I wish there were more books like this, it really touched my heart.

It is books like THE SWEET GUM TREE that is my reason for reading, because every once in a while you stumbles across pearls like this. PERFECTION DEFINED.

Simply BREATHTAKING and TERRIFIC. It is a must read. Go and pick it up today! Please! Be prepared for an emotional roller coaster.....

I have a new favorite author and her name is Katherine Allred.

“He always was someone. Because the core of the sweet gum tree never changes. Like Nick, the deep red wood stays true to its nature. Strong, and steady, and pure.”

[D.G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very frustrating. It read almost like fiction it was so emotionally wrenching, but it also had one of the stupidest Big Misunderstanding plots I’ve ever read, and a really weak characterization particularly on the hero’s part. Maybe it was because the book was written in first person, but while the heroine was really well drawn, the hero acted like a dim-wit and not at all like the man he was supposed to be.

The hero is described as smart, admirable and crazy in love with the heroine but his actions brand him as somewhat dumb, proud and slightly dishonorable. His situation could be illustrated as follows: imagine that you find a stick of dynamite at the end of a long, lit fuse. You find that you cannot extinguish the flame so what would you do? You might be panicked for the first few moments but after a while, you’ll figure out that there’s time to find a solution and you should look for somebody else that could take care of the dynamite and you would get the hell away from there. In this case, our ‘smart’ hero just covered the stick of dynamite and stood there watching until it exploded! Then when the going got tough, he disregarded the heroine’s feelings because he was being ‘noble’ when in reality he was insecure because of his background. Of course, his nobility never extended to the heroine and he never gave a second thought to his dishonorable behavior towards her. Because what would you call a guy that is given a place in a family for 10 years, is fed, housed and protected and then f*cks the daughter of the house on the sly WITHOUT USING PROTECTION? If that’s not dishonorable, I don’t know what it is.

The heroine on the other hand, wasn’t perfect but she made more sense. Her anger at the hero wasn’t rational but it was totally justifiable. If it would have been me, I’d have stab in him in the balls as soon as he got into town. Another clue that this guy was, well, clueless, was that he didn’t wonder why the heroine hated him so much. He was totally surprised by every revelation like those things never even occurred to him. Because you know, having sex never results in children, so of course it never dawned on him that he could have left her in the lurch with a bun in the oven.

I could go on and on about the issues I had with this book. How all the characters except the heroine seemed to be frozen in time without growing up, how the law enforcement aspect wasn't even addressed or the way the issue with Jenna was so easily resolved but I think I’ll end up my tirade mentioning how tiresome was the author’s penchant for foreshadowing. Several times per chapter we see pronouncements like “if I knew what would happen, I’d never have eaten that banana and thrown away the peel.” Note to the author: this kind of literary device is effective when used a few times per book but it becomes very irritating when used so often. We readers know that there will be conflict in the book; you don’t have to warn us every single time.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Broken Hearts Stars!

Reread 11/19 Still a 5 star read for me! I loved this one just as much the second time around!



Alix French was 8 years old when she went to the scrap yard with her grandfather (Judge) and met 10 year old Nick Anderson. While Nick is getting a part off an old truck Alix sees that Nick has been beaten by his father and runs to get some bee balm and tends to his wounds. Their friendship grows from this act of kindness and so the journey begins.
Alix is from a very respected country living family. Nick is not that fortunate. His father is the mean town drunk that everyone hates.
I loved how easily Alix's family became Nicks family. His escape from his abusive father. Judge sets Nick up an old room in the barn for him to use whenever his dad was drunk and on the war path. Of course this room would be where Nick and Alix's friendship grows and eventually turns into more. Where they spend many nights talking and reading and eventually exploring each other.

When the night comes to finally tell her family that her and Nick are going to be together Nicks father gets shot. Nick gets sent away to the Army. Nick tells Alix to live her life and forget about him.
A few weeks later Alix finds out she's pregnant. She marries a man she doesn't love. One that doesn't care that the baby isn't his.

Many years later and when Alix's divorce is almost final Nick shows up in town. Alix is not the same person she was before Nick left.

She was a naïve child who thought love could solve anything, who believed in happily-ever-after endings, and that justice and honor always win out. She believed in the integrity of others and never questioned their motives. She didn’t stand a chance and she’s better off dead.” ~Alix

Nick is still very much in love with Alix. He is determined to win back the woman he let go 15 years ago. Alix will be a tough one to win back. A lot happened while Nick was away and Alix is emotionally detached from everyone. But Nick is determined to tear down those bricks even if he has to do it one at a time.

“Oh, I always knew what I wanted. I just didn’t think I’d ever get it, didn’t think I deserved to get it. I was the son of the town drunk, the guy who was raised in a junkyard. I was terrified the filth would rub off on the best thing that ever happened to me. And because of my own insecurity, I ended up hurting both of us. If I had it to do over again, I’d change a lot of things. But I don’t, and you have every reason to hate me for leaving you. The only thing I can do is ask you to forgive me.” ~Nick

I loved this story. I was up all night reading it. I hate to say I figured out what really happened and why Nick was sent away. I was sad that these two wasted so much of their life apart because they didn't communicate with each other. Don't get me started on the one Nick was protecting!!! Instead of feeling sorry for her I wanted to reach into my kindle and grab her and shake the shit out of her! So much time wasted that could of been spent living with the one you've loved your whole life:(
I was so happy with the epilogue! Thank you sweet jesus we got one!!
If you are like me and love friends to lovers this will be a winner for you! It brought out all my feels.
Thank you so much for the recommend A! It's going on my favorite shelf!

[Robin Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

The Sweet Gum Tree has been in my TBR forever, and good thing I already owned it because you can't even buy it right now. I almost feel guilty for reviewing it. "Read this book; it's awesome! Oh, wait, you don't already have it? Sucks for you..."

Rumor has it, the author is coming out with a new and improved version, fresh with a not-so-eyeroll-ey cover. Thank God. That cover did this book a serious injustice. It was the sole reason it took me so damn long to pick it up. Don't be like me. If you have the opportunity, read this. Right fucking now. AND DON'T READ THE BLURB. It gives way too much away! Just go in blind and don't forget your tissues.

The Sweet Gum Tree is epic. It spans decades. It will make you LOL, swoon, grin, and sob...but rest assured it ends in the sweetest of HEAs.

[Nick Pageant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This thing was like a fricking telenovela... and I LOVE telenovelas!

Thanks to Alona for reading this with me.

This book tells the story of a girl who grows up in a small Arkansas town. She falls in love with the wrong boy, but, of course, he's really the right boy. There are lots of cruel twists of fate:

ABUSE!



SURPRISE PREGNANCIES!



SHAM MARRIAGES!



MURDER!


I really enjoyed this book. The writing was great. I loved each and every ridiculous plot twist. I didn't mind that I stayed up until 3am to finish it. I loved the predictable ending. This thing was a great, soapy, schmaltz-fest that is highly recommended. I barely even noticed the distinct lack of the extra penises I usually expect in a story.

[Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I. Could. Not. Put. This. Book. Down!!!

If you're in the mood for a gripping, emotional roller coaster love story, then this is the book for you. But I'm exhausted!! Not just from staying up late because I couldn't put the book down but also from the emotional drain this book puts you through! But it's so worth it!

The story is about the growing friendship of Alix and Nick. They first meet when Alix is eight years old and Nick is ten. Alix is from a decently wealthy, high moral family and Nick is from the wrong side of town. But Alix sees something in him from the first moment she lays eyes on him and Nick is drawn to her as well.

I loved reading about their growing friendship and all the ups and downs. The author does such a good job detailing everything that it was so easy to picture Alix and Nick and fall in love with them.

Even though I thought it was amazing, that doesn't mean there aren't some problems. As much as I enjoy trying to figure out what's going to happen in the book, Katherine Allred loves to drop bombs before they happen! Just as I thinking something was going to go a certain way... BAM...there's something else. It was hard to get used to and in a weird way, I came to like it. There were some other problems, namely communication! You basically grow up with these characters, hearing them tell each other everything and then they withhold the most important things. I guess it wouldn't be a story without it.

I can't say more without giving things away but I definitely recommend this book!

Loved this:

"He always was someone. Because the core of the sweet gum tree never changes. Like Nick, the deep red wood stays true to its nature. Strong, and steady, and pure."

[Anne OK · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best romance books I've ever read. Set in the south and begins when the lead characters are children drawn together by tragedy. Great storyline with wonderful characters. This is a book I read over and over - it is that good! And my treasured copy will always have a special place on my keeper shelf.

Update on 4/22/2022

Another five years have flown by since I visited The Sweet Gum Tree and Nick Anderson and Alix French. Feeling a little down and sad, I knew I needed to visit old friends. I turned to my bookshelves with all my "best ever" reads for a little help. And this one seemed to jump into my arms and scream "Me, me, me." And so today has been spent back in Morganville sighing, crying, smiling and loving every word just as much as I did when I picked this book up and began reading for the first time in 2005.

I was a bit shocked that there are so many sloppy editing problems -- mostly spelling or incorrect word usages that I let slide in the past. I've aged, become pickier and grumble more about easy fixes that are ignored these days. Other than that, it was a great boost to my day and remains an all-time favorite with characters who'll always be high on the list of my favorites through the years.

Update on 1/8/17

NOTE: I first read Alix and Nick's story back in 2005 -- long before I joined Goodreads. I've read it many times over since then. However, I've never posted a decent review or added it to my list of books read here. Today I am going back to the south to see old and dear friends. Alix and Nick have been calling my name once again. And when I'm finished, I'm making it one of my first goals in 2017 to give The Sweet Gum Tree a proper place on my Goodreads list of books read with an updated review as well. How could I not? It's one of my very favorite books to ever have had the pleasure of reading.

[Libby · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really, really wanted to love this book. Being an Arkansas girl with a dad born and bred in Jonesboro, I was practically giddy to jump into this one. That said, I hate to write a negative review of this book, but there are so many fabulous reviews out there for this one, I feel like another viewpoint is not a bad thing.

Just to put it out there, I thought this book was well written. For those of you who read a lot, you’ll know what I am saying when I express my horror at some of what gets published. While reading this, I didn’t cringe at sentence structure, word selection, inexplicable tense use, and all those problems that overwhelm so many otherwise interesting stories. So, while I thought it was well written, I had problems with the story.

First, the period in which the story takes place was confusing. At first I thought it had to be set in the past. Hey, I was visualizing The Painted House or To Kill a Mockingbird not modern day Arkansas. That’s an important point because so many of the actions of the H and h are based on outdated social mores. It’s been quite a while since an out-of-wedlock child could bring down a family’s reputation.

Second, Alix was portrayed as an absolutely brilliant child – she was reading Tolkein at age 8 for goodness sakes - but she had no plans to go to college. Yep, that wouldn’t have happened. Teachers in a small school district would have been all over that. My guess is she would have had nice scholarships to several small private schools – Rhodes in Memphis or Hendrix in Conway - not to mention a free ride to the U of A which happens to have a top notch creative writing program which just happens to be Alix’s stated career goal – writer.

Third, no matter the family’s influence, no JP is going to alter a marriage certificate for an 18 year old. Nope, that’s not going to happen. Maybe they would do it for his parents, but not at the behest of the 18 year old.

Fourth, the cheating [spoiler alert]. Turns out the “other woman” in Alix’s marriage to Hugh is her best friend Jenna. No sane person accepts and forgives as quickly as Alix forgives Jenna. Finding out the best friend was the other woman was so nasty. What was nastier was Jenna sharing that Hugh cheated on her while she was cheating with him. So, an out-of-wedlock child is a game changer, but adultery between best friends is – what – okay?

Finally, and most importantly, I didn’t buy the HEA. It’s a bad sign when you finish a romance and start imagining an alternate ending for the h that does not include the H. [Spoiler alert] Supposedly, Nick and Alix have one of those once-in-a-lifetime loves. They have pretty much been in love since they were children. Yet, at almost every turn, Nick chooses to provide protection and support to Lindsey at the expense of Alix. First, he makes Alix hide their relationship so he can convince the town that he is seeing Lindsey. He is so anxious to hide their relationship he convinces Alix to keep dating Hugh – for an entire year. Who wants their true love dating another guy? Then we learn that Nick wasn’t forced to leave town and Alix, he made the choice to leave her to, again, protect and support Lindsey. While Alix is marrying a boy she doesn’t love, giving birth to and losing Nick’s baby, and becoming an emotional zombie, Nick is supporting Lindsey through her mental and emotional problems while raising Lindsey’s son as his own. For me, this was too much. I can get behind noble sacrifice when it’s made by the h or the H for the H or h – even if it’s a mistake. I can’t get behind noble sacrifice made for another woman at the expense of the h. Nope, nada, not happening for me. It made me not believe in their love and that’s a critical flaw in a romance novel. When all was said and done, I wanted Alix to say, so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good-bye; take herself to Dallas; become a successful writer; and find a totally awesome alpha guy who supported and protected her.

[Mikee (ReadWithMikee) · Rating 4 out of 5]

❝"No one should have to go through life with only half a heart," he whispered.❞

To be completely honest with you all, I never would've picked this book up for its cover. I don't particularly judge too much on a book's cover but it reminded me of those indie romance novels with half naked men and women clinging to each other plastered right on the front cover. XD BUT I decided to put my hesitations aside and dove right into this book. After bringing The Sweet Gum Tree to a close, I had no regrets except putting this book off for as long as I did. It truly was a hidden treasure. I haven't been able to read and finish a book in two weeks but The Sweet Gum Tree brought me out of my reading funk.

It wasn't the greatest love story I've ever read about but it's definitely up there. I absolutely loved the Southern setting and the family bond that the French family had. We get to see Alix and Nick grow from eight and ten years old to their thirties fifteen years down the line. Although this book was mainly about Alix and Nick, we do get to witness their friends and family overcome their own struggles in life.

I have no complaints with the exception of two key factors that made me sick off a star: the pacing and the miscommunication.

I genuinely wish that this book was longer. For a shorter book, it did handle pacing really well. I see myself complaining about instalove if it was any other book but surprisingly, it worked in The Sweet Gum Tree. However, there were times where I did feel that things were a bit rushed especially towards the end. The book ended the way I hoped it would but we just kinda glossed over it rather than taking the time to cherish what us readers have been waiting for for the past few hundred pages.

Secondly, a lot of everyone's conflict was because of the lack of communication. They all could've avoided wasting so much time hating one another if they were honest about how they felt instead of just keeping it all bottled up. It was frustrating seeing everyone inflict their own problems onto themselves.

The Sweet Gum Tree really did come as a surprise to me. I never expected to finish this book within a few hours nor did I even expect to like this book at all! I was able to predict everything that happened and that was a bit of a bummer but I still enjoyed this book nonetheless. I think this book is definitely worth a read. It's one of the better love stories I've read about in awhile and that means a lot coming from me, a major pessimist when it comes to reading romance novels. XD

[Natasha is a Book Junkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down, the most ENJOYABLE book I have read this year. I know that I say that a lot and I do read a lot of incredible books but I guess the reason why I am making such a statement about this particular book is because it had me from the first page. I was smiling from the moment I started reading it because I immediately had a gut feeling that I was going to love it. It was just my kind of book from the get-go.

The more I kept reading, the more I was certain that it was going to be a heart-wrenching journey, but nothing prepared me for everything that happened in this book. Katherine Allred has such a unique writing style – the only way I can describe it is by comparing it to someone giving you a shoulder massage, getting you to slowly relax and find your happy place, and then suddenly slapping you on the back of the head. I felt like that throughout the book. Just when you think that you can relax again – slap! And the worse slaps were the ‘pre-emptive’ ones where Ms Allred throws a hint here and there, usually at the end of a chapter, of what is to come and it never sounds good. This story had so many ‘gasp’ moments that I had to remind myself to breathe.

The book is written from Alix’s POV and that never changes. However, what changes is her voice – we meet her when she is 8 years old and her POV then matches her age. As she grows older, so does her POV. I just loved that. We get to fall in love with this vivacious and kind little girl who sees the world through such a pure and untainted filter. She meets young Nick, two years her senior, and she immediately wants to save him from his horrific life. She offers him kindness and friendship rather than pity and he slowly becomes Alix’s whole world. While they are young, their bond is purely a friendship but as they grow older their relationship blossoms into a lovely romance. Are you relaxed yet because here come the ‘slaps’? Nick’s father is shot, Nick has to leave town, Nick leaves town, Alix is heart-broken, Alix is pregnant, Alix marries someone else. What follows made me shake my head and cry “No, no, no, no …” so many times that I got dizzy in the end. I won’t spoil the story for anyone by telling you what happens next because I think the book’s synopsis already reveals too much for my taste, but I will tell you that you will laugh, you will curse and you will cry like a baby.

For me, this book is about whether love truly conquers all. It is about our ability to forgive unimaginable hurts and put love first. Alix and Nick’s story spans over a long period of time and the only thing that we are truly certain about throughout the book is Alix’s love for Nick. I really liked Alix as a character and as a woman – she followed her heart and truly did what she thought was best. Not just for her but for everyone she loved. She goes through hell and I just expected her to explode one day, it was inevitable. You can only accumulate so much pain and sorrow inside you before it starts spilling out. I was angry when she was angry, I was heart-broken when she was heart-broken, and I wanted to scream when she just held it all inside.

Nick is truly as perfect as you’re ever going to get in a leading man, in my humble opinion. At no point did I doubt his love for Alix but I did question some of his actions. He made mistakes but he had his reasons and they were always born out of concern for others. He did not consider himself good enough for Alix, he loved her so damn much but he wanted to become the man she would be proud of. I hate that he left but I understand why he left and let’s not forget that he came back. I suspect that a man like Nick would carry the burden of his mistakes for the rest of his life and I was happy that they allowed forgiveness to heal their broken hearts rather than allowing hurt and regret to torture them forever.

The ending was just perfect, I think it couldn’t have ended better. It takes time to erase years of pain and it takes time for broken hearts to heal completely and start embracing happiness. It wasn’t rushed, it was realistic and it satisfied the HEA junkie in me.

A beautifully written book, an elegant and experienced writing style, a delightful story that you will carry in your heart for quite some time, I promise you. I would give this book 10 stars if I could!

~ N ♥

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[Elizabeth (Liz) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay then. Do NOT try reading this story without at least two boxes of Kleenex by your side. And, prepare for emotional exhaustion when you're finished (though, in the very best way). It's sweet, funny, endearing, heartbreaking, and ultimately full of love. It's truly an emotion-driven masterpiece, in my humble opinion. This story draws you in so deeply that it's a shock to the system when you emerge back into real life. As a story, it attracts and satisfies because we are all emotional creatures, and able to identify, to varying degrees, with the strength of feeling evoked. It's so well written (and that's the true gift) that, while you're consciously following the characters' lives, you're subconsciously absorbing the story through the filter of your own life experience and emotions. When a story can do that....well, in my life, it's been pretty rare. Incredibly moving story and, absolutely, a 5-star read!

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started the Sweet Gum Tree I knew from the moment I read the first paragraph that I was in for an exceptional book, and I was right. The 1st person narrative of "Alix French," the heroine, was soothing with her descriptive, velvet tone of life in a small Arkansas town. Her story begins when she is 8 years old and meets the 10 year old hero, "Nick Anderson." Nick is from the wrong side of the tracks, with a disasterous family life of only a father, who is the "town drunk," and who arbitrarily beats him. Alix's family, on the other hand, is the kind of family Nick only wishes he could have; and when Alix decides to invite Nick to their church social, her "school-girl crush," is mightily established.

As I continued reading, not only was I loving an incredibly written story, but I also started realizing that I was falling in love with the characters as well. The author pulls you in, almost without your knowledge, and you find yourself not wanting to stop. The development of each character was brilliant. Their association to the main characters only added a special warmth and understanding of, "we care what people think," small town, U.S.A.

Towards the end of Alix's story, there were several times I wanted to shake her ever-loving head off! (It seriously would have done her more good rolling on the floor!) Her actions, unfortunately, threw the flow of the story off a bit for me, but not enough to heavily influence my 5 star rating. This is definitely a book in my top 5 favorites and even though it was a loan, I plan on buying it to have on my own shelves. It was simply an incredible read.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!

The Sweet Gum Tree is an emotional, gripping tale of a love so raw and bittersweet that will leave you breathless. This will grab your heart and take it on one fantastic ride.

Nick


This is beautifully written, with characters that are realistic and wonderfully flawed. For all you romance fans, you can't go wrong with this. I highly recommend it!

[• Lisa • · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was beautiful, a true honest to the heart love story. The author could not have allowed the reader to feel, hurt or love more than if it was actually happening to yourself.

The character development was so thorough and captivating. The story had a depth and flow. It broke my heart and then picked it right up again.

This is a story that has sat collecting dust on my TBR shelf since joining Good reads. On My usual quest to find a 5 star book, my friend Anna recommended that I read this with out delay, and I was not disappointed.

There is so much to this story, that I couldn't give it justice in trying to sum it up, but if like me you cant resist a romance story, that consumes your time and thoughts and you haven't yet read this then I would whole heartedly recommend that you get one - clicking. I cried, laughed and was utterly swept up in the story of life and love.

Moving, captivating, soul searching ~ a gripping love story about second chances,and opening up your heart ...

5 stars are not enough.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alix came from a wealthy well respected family in a little town in Arkansas. Her grandfather was a Judge and the most influential person in her life.
Nick was from the wrong side of the trucks. His alcoholic, abusive father owned a junk yard.
Nick and his father lived in a tiny trailer at the back of the junk yard.
When Alix and Nick were eight and ten respectively, they struck out an unlikely friendship.

Lindsey was in Alix's class at school. She was the daughter of a single mother with six children, a widow, who lived in poverty in a duelling next to Nick's father's junk yard.
Lindsey's mother had several men visiting her for sex, including Nick's father. She needed the money to survive.
Nick was taking care of Lindsey as nobody did, and Lindsey looked up to him.

Alix's family took Nick under their wing. He spent a lot of time at their house.
With the passing of years Nick's and Alix's friendship got stronger and stronger.
They spent a lot of time together, but he was also spending a lot of time with Lindsey.
Alix and Lindsey were never friends.

When Alix was sixteen and Nick eighteen, they confessed their love for each other.
Alix told him he better wait on her. He told her she was the only one he'd ever wanted.
They kept their platonic relationship a secret.

Alix's grandfather allowed Nick to stay in a room in their barn. Nick was working at a garage as a mechanic.
At eighteen, Alix decided that it was time for them to bring their relationship into the open.
As lately Nick hadn't been coming to her house as often, Alix went looking for him.
She saw him at the back of the garage that he worked, and he wasn't alone.
Lindsey, who grew up to be very beautiful, was with him.
Their postures brought Alix to a sudden halt.
Lindsey's face was lifted to his, and Nick was looking down at her with intensity. His hand curled around her nape and his thumb was moving over her cheek.
Just like that Alix knew why he hadn't been coming to her lately.
Nick looked up and his eyes met Alix's. She fled.
He never went after her that day or any other day for the next three months.

In a reactionary move, Alix started dating Hugh, a nice guy from her own social class.
It was platonic. They would only share a goodnight kiss at the end of each outing.

One night Nick approached Alix. He told her what she saw that day wasn't what it looked like.
He did not try to find her and explain because he was in a complicated situation involving Lindsey.
He'd been helping her.
"What kind of problems?"
"I can't tell you what they are Alix, any more than l'd talk about what you tell me to her. I can't explain. "
"I asked you once Nick, if you'd ever made love to anyone before. You said no. Can you still tell me that Nick?"
He said yes and the two ended up making love in his room for the first time.

Alix wanted to tell Hugh she couldn't see him anymore.
Nick told her not to do that because the mess with Lindsey wasn't over yet and until it was, Alix should continue dating Hugh. He said it was important that people thought he was seeing Lindsey.
"How long will it take Nick?"
"It could be a week, or it could be months."

So every afternoon, Nick would finish from work and spent time with Lindsey. Later at night he would return to his room where Alix was waiting for him.
Alix was feeling bad for Hugh. She did not like the deception. It made her sad that some time she would have to break his heart.
Sometimes while Alix was out with Hugh, she would see Nick with Lindsey.
Alix hated that.
"How much longer is this going to last?"
"I don't know. The situation seems to be getting worse. I am afraid to leave her alone".

Time passed, Alix was dating Hugh for almost a year.
She thought that she'd been more than patient. If Nick really loved her, it was time to do something about it. If he didn't and Lindsey was more important to him than she was, it was better to find out now.
So Alix told Nick that if he wasn't ready to acknowledge their relationship, she would end it.
Nick said that he was going to talk to Lindsey the next day.

What Alix did not know was that it wouldn't be over for many long years, or that Nick's father would wind up dead, lying in a pool of blood on the floor of his trailer.
Betrayal * Secrets * Deception * Revelations * Drama * Chronicle Drama

[Nikki ღ Navareus · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was digging this story so hard, but then out of nowhere the entire story crashed and burned.

I was completely smitten with Alix and Nick as children, and then again as teens when they started to develop true feelings and discover intimacy with each other. Nick's sad childhood and sad self image broke my heart. I was devastated when circumstances forced Nick to be sent away. I was sad when Alix found herself to be pregnant and alone.

Then suddenly the entire story shifted and Alix up and marries Hugh so the whole town won't think she's a whore for getting pregnant before she was married. REALLY????

Fast forward 15 YEARS before these two ever cross paths again. I wanted to pull my hair out. My love for this story totally nosedived after they separated. Practically every character in this story turned out to be a liar, a cheater or both. And I hated the way Nick and Alix not only threw their love away, but also waited so many freaking years to even try to find each other again. And once Nick moved back to town, I absolutely despised Alix’s treatment of him. She acted like a spoiled little asshole.

She blamed him for everything wrong in her life even though she's the one who chose NOT to tell Nick she was ever pregnant, let alone tell him that they had a baby together. And I know a person can never forget a child that they had lost, but it had been 15 years since the baby died. Most people try to heal by that time. Not Alix, she just became even more insanely hateful instead. Alix was especially immature about Lindsey. I didn’t understand that at all, when the thing she was most furious about (Nick moving on with his life), she also did with Hugh. Alix kept this spoiled asshole routine up through the majority of the rest of the story, and was even more annoying once she learned the truth about Nick and Lindsey's secret. Alix wasn’t happy until she tried to destroy what self esteem Nick had finally been able to create for himself after living through his devastating and torturous childhood.

This author has an amazing talent for storytelling and kept me reading until the end. I just wish the heroine didn't completely ruin the second half of this story.

[Alexis *Reality Bites* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoiler Free Review
5 STARS
Genre: Adult Romance

-->Read This Book!!! It's A MUST READ!!

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ!!!! I wept like a baby when i finished this book. I consider this a must read, it kind of reminds me of Beautiful Disaster b/cause the book summary barely scratches the surface of what this book is about. The author manages to take you on this journey that will completely suck you in. I fell in love with all the characters both main and secondary and i needed to know how all their stories ended and the author does it with a beautiful Epilogue.
This story is told in two parts the first half starting when Alix(Heroine)at just 8 yrs old when she meets Nick Anderson(hero)the son of the town drunk and the owner of a junkyard. Nick is 10. Alix of course comes from a nice respectable family in the town, one day while out with her granpa the Judge at a junkyard she see's welts from a beating Nick got from his dad and everything changes. As the story continues you watch the two grow and come to fall in love with one another but one fateful night in the junkyard changes everything again and these two will never be the same.
The second part of the journey shows how Alix has to go through heartbreak after heartache and lost to get back to love. This book is not just a romance like i said before it is a journey it deals with some deep issues such as abuse. Just when you figure one peice of the puzzle the author throws a curve ball that leaves you breathless. Family secrets are revealed and relationships are tested in every aspect. Mother/daughter Father/daughter,sister to sister, Father/son, Friendships, Aunt/neice, cousin/cousin, Boyfriend/girlfriend.
READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!:D And then let's discuss it.

My Ratings
Characters- Lovable
Writing Style- Solid
Plot/Storyline- Good, at times Intense and Emotional
Overall- I Loved it!!

[♡Karlyn P♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think they call this kind of a book a 'sleeper', where it slowly creeps into popularity one review at a time until it becomes a bona fide and popular hit. Written in 2002, published in 2005, and it just now seems to be finding its reading public. In the last year this book was recommended repeatedly both here and at Amazon, and I am so glad to have read it. Simply wonderful, and what a surprising and strong epilogue! Sniff, sniff...

I thought it lived up to the hype. If you like historicals with a southern charm, a small town simple kind of setting, and an emotional storyline that will pull out some tears, this one is for you. I was impressed.