What do you think?
Rate this book
Sugar Tree #3
Go Tell It on the Mountains
Years have gone by since the death of Noah his special needs son, and Wiley Cantrell realizes it’s time to move on. He and his husband Jackson try to adopt little Tony Gorzola, a deaf boy with HIV who is emotionally traumatized.
Difficulties quickly set in. Tony is a sweet boy but very damaged by abuse and neglect. And Tony’s mother, in prison, is unwilling to relinquish her parental rights. No sooner do they get the go ahead to foster Tony when another child they had considered becomes available -- the daughter Jackson always wanted.
With two children on their hands, life is complicated -- wonderfully so. But just as things begin to settle down, Tony, his immune system compromised, falls ill with pneumonia ... and Wiley and Jackson find their little family faced with crisis once again.
Difficulties quickly set in. Tony is a sweet boy but very damaged by abuse and neglect. And Tony’s mother, in prison, is unwilling to relinquish her parental rights. No sooner do they get the go ahead to foster Tony when another child they had considered becomes available -- the daughter Jackson always wanted.
With two children on their hands, life is complicated -- wonderfully so. But just as things begin to settle down, Tony, his immune system compromised, falls ill with pneumonia ... and Wiley and Jackson find their little family faced with crisis once again.
412 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 22, 2016
6 people are currently reading
208 people want to read
About the author
Nick Wilgus
21 books202 followersI sold my first short story to The Horror Show Magazine at the age of seventeen and I've been writing ever since. An award-winning movie was based on my first novel, MINDFULNESS AND MURDER, and I was also nominated for a Lambda Award.
A former newspaper editor and author of more than a dozen novels and two screenplays, I currently live in Tupelo, Mississippi right down the street from the house where Elvis grew up..
A former newspaper editor and author of more than a dozen novels and two screenplays, I currently live in Tupelo, Mississippi right down the street from the house where Elvis grew up..
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
March 13, 2016
3,5 stars
The first two books in the series blew me away. I love them both to pieces.
It is why I was delighted to hear that the author decided to write one more book in the series.
Now when I finished it, I can't say that I loved it as much as I loved the previous books. Actually I have very conflicting feelings about it.
There were a lot of moments that reminded me WHY I loved this series so much, and as always I admired this special talent of Nick Wilgus to make readers cry and laugh on the same page. Not many authors are capable of it.
But I also have to admit, that this book has other moments that I personally found pretty annoying, and if someone would have asked me after I had finished it, "WAS IT REALLY NECESSARY TO HAVE THE BOOK#3", I would have probably answered with "No".
I started this book totally virgin, it is why the beginning put me IMMEDIATELY in a state of shock.
I don't think I spoil you the story if I'll say, that Noah died 6 years ago and we meet Wiley and Jackson at the period of time when they try to adopt Tony,a seven year old boy. They want an orphan kid, whom nobody else wants, and yes, you can be sure, that Tony doesn't have a line of needy couples behind: he is a messed-up traumatized deaf kid with HIV and, "according to the reports in his file, about 40 percent of his body, including most of his low back, his right hip, and his genitals, had been severely burned when he was four year old".
Of course it is not that easy and cloudless in RL for our MCs as one can imagine. There are some obstacles on their way to a happy family. Tony's health, Tony's mother who is in jail but who still has her rights to decide WHO can adopt her son, then there are suddenly some personal problems of our married couple....Though the life has never been EASY for Wiley and Jackson, but they always managed it the best way.
Nick Wilgus has presented Wiley Cantrell, his first person narrator, always from both sides: not just as a loving and caring father, but also as a respectful and passionate partner. In Go Tell It on the Mountains he has to face one of the most important choice in his relationship of nine years.
My favorite parts of the book include Tony and Wiley. Nick Wilgus writes MAGIC if it about Tony. And OMG, HOW he does it! It is always SOOOO personal and intimate and emotional and heart-breaking...
He DID already magic to me making me to a fan of the series, because I. NORMALLY. DON'T. LIKE. KIDS. IN. MY.BOOKS. Not at all.
But I couldn't have enough of Noah, and I couldn't have enough of Tony.
I think it could have been a fantastic book, maybe a 5 stars book for me, if the author hadn't brought Amelia in the story. The idea itself, to adopt two children, didn't convince me.
Amelia appeared from nowhere and doesn't matter how I really tried to like her, I didn't, unfortunately. Just the opposite: her presence suddenly reminded me that I actually dont't like kids in my books. It was too much of her, she talked too much, and BECAUSE Tony couldn't talk but just sign, his character downgraded unexpectedly to a secondary role. And...I started to lose my interest in the story.
Thanks God, the last part of the book has been devoted to Tony alone, even if the circumstances were dramatic.
Bottom line:
-Nick Wilgus is a great writer, who can make you smile, laugh and cry hot-swap non-stop.
-I believe that he can inspire people to adopt needy children. And it is awesome.
-The author tells the story mostly with DIALOGUES. The whole book is written in the form of dialogues. You HAVE to like it to enjoy it.
-I don't think this series needs more books. If Nick Wilgus will decide to write one more sequel, I think, I'll skip it.
You just can't miss it if you've already read the first two books of the series. You have to read it. Period.
*** ARC provided to Gay Book Reviews by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.***
The first two books in the series blew me away. I love them both to pieces.
It is why I was delighted to hear that the author decided to write one more book in the series.
Now when I finished it, I can't say that I loved it as much as I loved the previous books. Actually I have very conflicting feelings about it.
There were a lot of moments that reminded me WHY I loved this series so much, and as always I admired this special talent of Nick Wilgus to make readers cry and laugh on the same page. Not many authors are capable of it.
But I also have to admit, that this book has other moments that I personally found pretty annoying, and if someone would have asked me after I had finished it, "WAS IT REALLY NECESSARY TO HAVE THE BOOK#3", I would have probably answered with "No".
I started this book totally virgin, it is why the beginning put me IMMEDIATELY in a state of shock.
I don't think I spoil you the story if I'll say, that Noah died 6 years ago and we meet Wiley and Jackson at the period of time when they try to adopt Tony,a seven year old boy. They want an orphan kid, whom nobody else wants, and yes, you can be sure, that Tony doesn't have a line of needy couples behind: he is a messed-up traumatized deaf kid with HIV and, "according to the reports in his file, about 40 percent of his body, including most of his low back, his right hip, and his genitals, had been severely burned when he was four year old".
Of course it is not that easy and cloudless in RL for our MCs as one can imagine. There are some obstacles on their way to a happy family. Tony's health, Tony's mother who is in jail but who still has her rights to decide WHO can adopt her son, then there are suddenly some personal problems of our married couple....Though the life has never been EASY for Wiley and Jackson, but they always managed it the best way.
Nick Wilgus has presented Wiley Cantrell, his first person narrator, always from both sides: not just as a loving and caring father, but also as a respectful and passionate partner. In Go Tell It on the Mountains he has to face one of the most important choice in his relationship of nine years.
My favorite parts of the book include Tony and Wiley. Nick Wilgus writes MAGIC if it about Tony. And OMG, HOW he does it! It is always SOOOO personal and intimate and emotional and heart-breaking...
He DID already magic to me making me to a fan of the series, because I. NORMALLY. DON'T. LIKE. KIDS. IN. MY.BOOKS. Not at all.
But I couldn't have enough of Noah, and I couldn't have enough of Tony.
I think it could have been a fantastic book, maybe a 5 stars book for me, if the author hadn't brought Amelia in the story. The idea itself, to adopt two children, didn't convince me.
Amelia appeared from nowhere and doesn't matter how I really tried to like her, I didn't, unfortunately. Just the opposite: her presence suddenly reminded me that I actually dont't like kids in my books. It was too much of her, she talked too much, and BECAUSE Tony couldn't talk but just sign, his character downgraded unexpectedly to a secondary role. And...I started to lose my interest in the story.
Thanks God, the last part of the book has been devoted to Tony alone, even if the circumstances were dramatic.
Bottom line:
-Nick Wilgus is a great writer, who can make you smile, laugh and cry hot-swap non-stop.
-I believe that he can inspire people to adopt needy children. And it is awesome.
-The author tells the story mostly with DIALOGUES. The whole book is written in the form of dialogues. You HAVE to like it to enjoy it.
-I don't think this series needs more books. If Nick Wilgus will decide to write one more sequel, I think, I'll skip it.
You just can't miss it if you've already read the first two books of the series. You have to read it. Period.
*** ARC provided to Gay Book Reviews by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.***
February 25, 2016
I'll let you in on a little secret-
How do I know I LOVE a book I'm reading?
At night, when I get ready to read in bed, I brush my teeth like every night, but unlike every night- I'm in such a hurry to read, that I do not floss!
It's rare, but it happens.
Last night I did not floss!
The blurb tells you some of the heartache you are about to experience, but there's more, a lot more.
Tony, OMG, I have no words to even start to describe what I felt while reading about this sweet, and so broken little boy, no words!
Every time he said "True?" another piece of my heart broke.
But, of course, like always, there is also humor and hope. , and Mr Wilgus delivers it in his own special and beautiful way.
I won't say too much, but I will highly highly recomand it!
How do I know I LOVE a book I'm reading?
At night, when I get ready to read in bed, I brush my teeth like every night, but unlike every night- I'm in such a hurry to read, that I do not floss!
It's rare, but it happens.
Last night I did not floss!
The blurb tells you some of the heartache you are about to experience, but there's more, a lot more.
Tony, OMG, I have no words to even start to describe what I felt while reading about this sweet, and so broken little boy, no words!
Every time he said "True?" another piece of my heart broke.
But, of course, like always, there is also humor and hope. , and Mr Wilgus delivers it in his own special and beautiful way.
I won't say too much, but I will highly highly recomand it!
imma-big-ole-chicken-bawk-bawk
January 26, 2016OMG, I put this on my TBR before I ever read the blurb.
What. The fuck.
Noah?????
I may be too chicken to read this one.
February 23, 2016
If you know me, you know that the last thing I'd want to do is to read a book with a strong focus on kids. Well, every book in this series has a very strong focus on kids, and families and doing right by your family, no matter the odds, and I loved every minute of them.
I can't really say too much about this book right now except to say that it made me laugh, it made me cry more than once, sad tears and happy tears and sometimes happy/sad tears at the same time (like now).
I'm just a wreck right now...but in a good way.
Everyone should read this series. Reading these books is just like meeting some really interesting people and getting to know them like family. You will hurt, but you will also laugh and laugh...
You will not regret it.
Previously:
Dammit Noah!
I can't really say too much about this book right now except to say that it made me laugh, it made me cry more than once, sad tears and happy tears and sometimes happy/sad tears at the same time (like now).
I'm just a wreck right now...but in a good way.
Everyone should read this series. Reading these books is just like meeting some really interesting people and getting to know them like family. You will hurt, but you will also laugh and laugh...
You will not regret it.
Previously:
Dammit Noah!
February 22, 2016
As usual, I begin my review with my notice to you that this isn't a romance. This is a family drama about an established couple, Wiley Cantrell and Jackson Ledbetter, who've been together for many years, and who've both seen heartbreaking tragedy and loss.
I begged for an early copy, and Nick graciously provided me with one, before the book was even listed on Goodreads, before I had even seen a cover or a proper blurb.
I didn't care. I've been waiting anxiously for this book to arrive, waiting with bated breath to find out whether Nick would do what he hinted at in book 2 (and on Facebook, where he routinely posted teasers.).
And he did. I think he had to, and this 3rd book wouldn't have felt as authentic if he hadn't done what he did.
Noah dies between book 2 and book 3. Since I hadn't seen the blurb when I read this book, I didn't know. And this isn't a spoiler, because it's right there in the blurb for this book. Noah dies.
But I knew before I even started reading. Deep down, I knew. Because it had to happen, it had to. Wiley has always known that Noah likely wouldn't make it past the age of 13 or 14, once he became a teenager. The odds were stacked sky-high against his survival, and I knew. I think that may have been the reason why Wiley was so adamantly against putting Noah in a home, to the point of defying his entire family, or even sending him to a special school, because he knew, he KNEW, that their time would be short, that it would come to an end much sooner than either of them was ready for.
In this book, we see Wiley grieve. His pain is real, it's palpable, it jumps off the pages into your heart and tears it to shreds. He lashes out in anger, and there were times when I wasn't sure that Wiley and Jackson would make it. Because not only did they lose Noah, but when their new foster son Tony, deaf, HIV-positive, malnourished and severely neglected by his mother, falls ill with pneumonia, something his little body isn't equipped to handle, it's as if history might repeat itself, and Wiley loses it for a while.
See, Wiley hasn't quite let go of Noah, not even after six years have passed, not even if he knows that Noah wouldn't want him grieving like this, and with Tony, he gets a second chance to not lose a child. To defy the odds Noah couldn't, to win this fight, when he lost the first one.
Still, I didn't feel as if Wiley saw Tony as a replacement for Noah, even though Tony resembles Noah in so many ways, but I think Wiley definitely saw Tony as his redemption, to right all the mistakes he made with Noah.
I cried so many tears while reading, but I don't regret a single one. I cried for Wiley and for Noah, I cried for Tony, this most adorable little boy, whose life has been so tragic up until he finds a home with Wiley and Jackson, and I even cried for Mrs. Ledbetter and Jackson, because death visits the family again.
Nick Wilgus sets a quick pace in this novel by switching between moments of utter despair, moments of quiet grief, and moments that will have you in stitches. Usually, for the latter, Mrs. Ledbetter, Jackson's mother, is present. She still doesn't mince words, but Wiley gets her. He sees beyond her sharp tongue and outrageous words, and there's a kind of kinship between the two. When tragedy strikes again, we finally see the real vulnerability in this woman, the one only hinted at between the lines so far, and I was very happy to see Wiley's momma form a tentative friendship that isn't based so much on similar outlooks on life, but on similar experiences. I think they get each other even more than Wiley gets her.
Much like his mother-in-law hides behind her outrageousness, Wiley hides behind jokes and snark, and occasionally anger. In contrast, Jackson deals very differently with grief and fear, and the two come to blows more often than not, until Wiley pulls his head out of his ass.
When Amelia joins the little Cantrell-Ledbetter family, she soon becomes the daughter of Jackson's heart. She feels older than her years, which is understandable after having lost her father, and then her mother as well, but she also is still a little girl as well. She's in complete contrast to Tony, of course, but she's kind to him, and even bonds with Grandma Ledbetter.
I was also quite happy to see some closure to the tension and disapproval between Momma Cantrell and Wiley, as well as Billy, Wiley's brother. Perhaps losing a grandson/nephew and seeing your son/brother nearly croak from grief and pain helps you overcome your bigotry and anger, and you find yourself softening to the point of wanting to make amends. It was long overdue, and it's a real testament to Wiley's strength of character that he doesn't hold grudges. I don't know that I would have been so forgiving after what they put him through.
This is definitely a book that should be read at least twice, so you can accurately capture the many nuances Nick so carefully and brilliantly builds into his writing, to allow you to read between the lines, to get those OMG and AHA moments that ever so subtly creep up on you.
I could probably write an entire essay about this book, because it touched me so deeply, because it made me feel all the things, because Nick has yet again created an utter masterpiece, and because, like Wiley, I'm not ready to let go.
I'd like to hear more from them all. Soon, if I'm honest. Even if it's just a little novella to catch up with them in a few years time.
** I received a free copy of this book from its author. A positive review was not promised in return. **
I begged for an early copy, and Nick graciously provided me with one, before the book was even listed on Goodreads, before I had even seen a cover or a proper blurb.
I didn't care. I've been waiting anxiously for this book to arrive, waiting with bated breath to find out whether Nick would do what he hinted at in book 2 (and on Facebook, where he routinely posted teasers.).
And he did. I think he had to, and this 3rd book wouldn't have felt as authentic if he hadn't done what he did.
Noah dies between book 2 and book 3. Since I hadn't seen the blurb when I read this book, I didn't know. And this isn't a spoiler, because it's right there in the blurb for this book. Noah dies.
But I knew before I even started reading. Deep down, I knew. Because it had to happen, it had to. Wiley has always known that Noah likely wouldn't make it past the age of 13 or 14, once he became a teenager. The odds were stacked sky-high against his survival, and I knew. I think that may have been the reason why Wiley was so adamantly against putting Noah in a home, to the point of defying his entire family, or even sending him to a special school, because he knew, he KNEW, that their time would be short, that it would come to an end much sooner than either of them was ready for.
In this book, we see Wiley grieve. His pain is real, it's palpable, it jumps off the pages into your heart and tears it to shreds. He lashes out in anger, and there were times when I wasn't sure that Wiley and Jackson would make it. Because not only did they lose Noah, but when their new foster son Tony, deaf, HIV-positive, malnourished and severely neglected by his mother, falls ill with pneumonia, something his little body isn't equipped to handle, it's as if history might repeat itself, and Wiley loses it for a while.
See, Wiley hasn't quite let go of Noah, not even after six years have passed, not even if he knows that Noah wouldn't want him grieving like this, and with Tony, he gets a second chance to not lose a child. To defy the odds Noah couldn't, to win this fight, when he lost the first one.
Still, I didn't feel as if Wiley saw Tony as a replacement for Noah, even though Tony resembles Noah in so many ways, but I think Wiley definitely saw Tony as his redemption, to right all the mistakes he made with Noah.
I cried so many tears while reading, but I don't regret a single one. I cried for Wiley and for Noah, I cried for Tony, this most adorable little boy, whose life has been so tragic up until he finds a home with Wiley and Jackson, and I even cried for Mrs. Ledbetter and Jackson, because death visits the family again.
Nick Wilgus sets a quick pace in this novel by switching between moments of utter despair, moments of quiet grief, and moments that will have you in stitches. Usually, for the latter, Mrs. Ledbetter, Jackson's mother, is present. She still doesn't mince words, but Wiley gets her. He sees beyond her sharp tongue and outrageous words, and there's a kind of kinship between the two. When tragedy strikes again, we finally see the real vulnerability in this woman, the one only hinted at between the lines so far, and I was very happy to see Wiley's momma form a tentative friendship that isn't based so much on similar outlooks on life, but on similar experiences. I think they get each other even more than Wiley gets her.
Much like his mother-in-law hides behind her outrageousness, Wiley hides behind jokes and snark, and occasionally anger. In contrast, Jackson deals very differently with grief and fear, and the two come to blows more often than not, until Wiley pulls his head out of his ass.
When Amelia joins the little Cantrell-Ledbetter family, she soon becomes the daughter of Jackson's heart. She feels older than her years, which is understandable after having lost her father, and then her mother as well, but she also is still a little girl as well. She's in complete contrast to Tony, of course, but she's kind to him, and even bonds with Grandma Ledbetter.
I was also quite happy to see some closure to the tension and disapproval between Momma Cantrell and Wiley, as well as Billy, Wiley's brother. Perhaps losing a grandson/nephew and seeing your son/brother nearly croak from grief and pain helps you overcome your bigotry and anger, and you find yourself softening to the point of wanting to make amends. It was long overdue, and it's a real testament to Wiley's strength of character that he doesn't hold grudges. I don't know that I would have been so forgiving after what they put him through.
This is definitely a book that should be read at least twice, so you can accurately capture the many nuances Nick so carefully and brilliantly builds into his writing, to allow you to read between the lines, to get those OMG and AHA moments that ever so subtly creep up on you.
I could probably write an entire essay about this book, because it touched me so deeply, because it made me feel all the things, because Nick has yet again created an utter masterpiece, and because, like Wiley, I'm not ready to let go.
I'd like to hear more from them all. Soon, if I'm honest. Even if it's just a little novella to catch up with them in a few years time.
** I received a free copy of this book from its author. A positive review was not promised in return. **
May 19, 2020
I'll be honest and admit I was scared to read this third book in Nick Wilgus's 'Sugar Tree' series. Not because I thought it would be bad…oh no! But because Noah is gone, and I loved that little boy so much. I couldn't imagine being back with Wiley and Jackson, and no Noah, since the heart of the first two books really was the love between a father and a son. I knew the author was going to break my heart all over again, so I'll warn you now - bring tissues, you'll need them.
"He taught me how to deal with kids like him. And now I’m going to do it. We’re going to do it, Jack. We’re going to find some traumatized, messed-up kid and love him back to the real world. And if we can do that, then Noah’s death won’t have been some pointless, stupid thing. It’ll mean something good could come out of it. And I don’t know about you, but I need to know that his life wasn’t just a cosmic joke.”
Wiley broke my heart. He reached in, grabbed it from my chest, and it just shattered in his hand. It's been six years since Noah died, and Wiley wants nothing more than to be a daddy again. No matter how hateful his family still is, or even as disbelieving as Jackson's parents are, when Wiley meets Tony, he knows this is the little boy for them. Tony is deaf, has HIV, and was burned pretty severely in a meth fire his mom started when he was four. Believe me, when I met him, I wanted to wrap him in my arms and love him.
Please find my full review at Rainbow Book Reviews
"He taught me how to deal with kids like him. And now I’m going to do it. We’re going to do it, Jack. We’re going to find some traumatized, messed-up kid and love him back to the real world. And if we can do that, then Noah’s death won’t have been some pointless, stupid thing. It’ll mean something good could come out of it. And I don’t know about you, but I need to know that his life wasn’t just a cosmic joke.”
Wiley broke my heart. He reached in, grabbed it from my chest, and it just shattered in his hand. It's been six years since Noah died, and Wiley wants nothing more than to be a daddy again. No matter how hateful his family still is, or even as disbelieving as Jackson's parents are, when Wiley meets Tony, he knows this is the little boy for them. Tony is deaf, has HIV, and was burned pretty severely in a meth fire his mom started when he was four. Believe me, when I met him, I wanted to wrap him in my arms and love him.
Please find my full review at Rainbow Book Reviews
February 27, 2016
"There is no other love like a father's love for his child."
Storytelling at its best!!!
Storytelling at its best!!!
March 1, 2016
Have you ever read a book with a true HEA that leaves you gutted and crying? You might think the two things are incompatible but … well, let me begin at the beginning. I’ll start by saying this is a love story, but it isn’t a romance. There is a difference, as you will discover. And it does have a Happy Ever After ending, or as close to that as it is possible to get without a crystal ball.
Go Tell It on the Mountains is book three in the Sugar Tree series. This series of stunning books tells the story, in first person, of Wiley Cantrell and his little family. Wiley and his girlfriend used meth and had unprotected sex, which resulted in little Noah being born addicted to meth and with the agonizing complications of severe birth defects. I’m not giving away any spoilers that you can’t get from this book’s blurb. Between books two and three, Noah has died, but the void left by his death fills Wiley’s thoughts and the pages of this book with the deepest of sorrows, even while everyone tries to move on with their lives.
Wiley and his husband, Jackson, miss Noah more than words can say, but they also miss being parents. Not satisfied with adopting a child with no challenges, Wiley wants to love a child who really needs them, so they foster Tony with the idea that eventually they would like to adopt him. Tony is deaf, has HIV, is plagued with night terrors and can't connect with strangers due to an as-yet-unnamed trauma in his past. Along the way, Wiley and Jackson also bring into their home a little girl who is bright, misses her dead mother and is way too adult for her years. With these two children wrapped around their hearts, Wiley and Jackson begin the difficult transition from parents fully involved with their grief to parents who open their hearts and home to two children who need their love.
As with the first two books, the secondary characters are so wholly developed that it is almost incorrect to consider them as “secondary” to the story. The two grandmothers are just as flawed as everyone else, but so full of love that their failings become endearing strengths rather than weaknesses. The children — Tony, Amelia and even Noah — bring love and challenges that lead to personal growth for Wiley, Jackson and the rest of the extended family. Every character is critical to the plot and to the lives of the main characters, Wiley and Jackson. There are crises to encounter that require everyone pulling together to get through. There are even encounters with fully formed beings whose existence it is difficult to explain rationally.
The ending of the book is heart-meltingly perfect and left me reeling. How can you say goodbye to a child who needs you as much as you need him and still come out whole? Nick Wilgus is a master wordsmith who makes this conundrum work and brings the reader to the conclusion that she has read something transcendent. To say I loved this book is too weak an analysis, but I don’t have words to truly express how meaningful this story is. I recommend this as a book you must read.
Go Tell It on the Mountains is book three in the Sugar Tree series. This series of stunning books tells the story, in first person, of Wiley Cantrell and his little family. Wiley and his girlfriend used meth and had unprotected sex, which resulted in little Noah being born addicted to meth and with the agonizing complications of severe birth defects. I’m not giving away any spoilers that you can’t get from this book’s blurb. Between books two and three, Noah has died, but the void left by his death fills Wiley’s thoughts and the pages of this book with the deepest of sorrows, even while everyone tries to move on with their lives.
Wiley and his husband, Jackson, miss Noah more than words can say, but they also miss being parents. Not satisfied with adopting a child with no challenges, Wiley wants to love a child who really needs them, so they foster Tony with the idea that eventually they would like to adopt him. Tony is deaf, has HIV, is plagued with night terrors and can't connect with strangers due to an as-yet-unnamed trauma in his past. Along the way, Wiley and Jackson also bring into their home a little girl who is bright, misses her dead mother and is way too adult for her years. With these two children wrapped around their hearts, Wiley and Jackson begin the difficult transition from parents fully involved with their grief to parents who open their hearts and home to two children who need their love.
As with the first two books, the secondary characters are so wholly developed that it is almost incorrect to consider them as “secondary” to the story. The two grandmothers are just as flawed as everyone else, but so full of love that their failings become endearing strengths rather than weaknesses. The children — Tony, Amelia and even Noah — bring love and challenges that lead to personal growth for Wiley, Jackson and the rest of the extended family. Every character is critical to the plot and to the lives of the main characters, Wiley and Jackson. There are crises to encounter that require everyone pulling together to get through. There are even encounters with fully formed beings whose existence it is difficult to explain rationally.
The ending of the book is heart-meltingly perfect and left me reeling. How can you say goodbye to a child who needs you as much as you need him and still come out whole? Nick Wilgus is a master wordsmith who makes this conundrum work and brings the reader to the conclusion that she has read something transcendent. To say I loved this book is too weak an analysis, but I don’t have words to truly express how meaningful this story is. I recommend this as a book you must read.
Want to read
January 26, 2016What the hell?? Noah????
I'm not sure I want to read this...
I'm not sure I want to read this...
April 30, 2016
By far, one of the most heartbreaking stories I’ve ever read. And what makes it even worse is that we’d gotten to know, and love, these guys through the two previous books, and with all the pain they’ve suffered, it’s just unimaginable that it not only continues, but gets a lot worse. There is no big surprise because the blurb itself is a big neon warning sign. If you go into this unprepared, that’s on you.
But, this is also a story of second chances, unconditional love, moving forward, and creating a life worth living. We lost Noah, and fortunately it was in between books, but his memory is prominent in this story because Wiley can’t let go. Noah and Wiley defied the odds, defied family and society, defied anything and everything because for so long their love for each other was all they had. Then they welcomed Jack into their lives and created a family. The south continued to rail on their “lifestyle”, the church was still very unGod-like, but the Cantrell and Ledbetter families made tremendous strides in learning to not only accept their little family, but love them as they were. And then Noah dies. So completely unfair, but it was alluded to in book two that some things were happening with Noah, but still…so unfair.
Tony is the star of this book. He is by far the cutest, most adorable, and most tragic child to live…and no wonder Wiley wanted him, he saw Noah in everything about the little boy. He was not a replacement, and I never once felt like it was unfair that Noah died and Wiley and Jack bought a new son. It was nothing like that. Six years pass and Wiley is still haunted by his loss, but he and Jack have the ability to help another unwanted and special child, and they do.
What they didn’t expect was two children. Amelia has her own tragedies to overcome, yet she is healthy and not deaf, just orphaned and alone. I liked her okay, but she did come across as a little sarcastic for a nine year old, especially one that was a little rude and ungrateful… maybe that’s not too unusual and just like a child. I just know she irked me a bit and I wanted her to get over herself. She eventually ends up being a great daughter and big sister to Tony, so I got over it.
I loved that Wiley and Jack’s moms became friends. Mrs. Ledbetter deals with a heartbreak of her own and that put a little perspective in her life. She is still the same woman who spoke her mind without apology, but you see a vulnerability in her that was missing in the earlier books. Mrs. Cantrell and Billy seemed to put their church’s teachings aside and became a real family to Wiley. I guess when you lose a grandson and nephew then see your son and brother fall apart, it becomes a big wake up call on how you’ve wronged the guy. I was glad to see that aspect of the story find closure.
I always write long reviews for this series so I will stop now. Just be prepared for tears, grief, more tears, sad farewells, and family drama. But all that is tempered with the typical humor that we remember. It’s a beautiful tragedy, but I guess that’s life.
The Blogger Girls
But, this is also a story of second chances, unconditional love, moving forward, and creating a life worth living. We lost Noah, and fortunately it was in between books, but his memory is prominent in this story because Wiley can’t let go. Noah and Wiley defied the odds, defied family and society, defied anything and everything because for so long their love for each other was all they had. Then they welcomed Jack into their lives and created a family. The south continued to rail on their “lifestyle”, the church was still very unGod-like, but the Cantrell and Ledbetter families made tremendous strides in learning to not only accept their little family, but love them as they were. And then Noah dies. So completely unfair, but it was alluded to in book two that some things were happening with Noah, but still…so unfair.
Tony is the star of this book. He is by far the cutest, most adorable, and most tragic child to live…and no wonder Wiley wanted him, he saw Noah in everything about the little boy. He was not a replacement, and I never once felt like it was unfair that Noah died and Wiley and Jack bought a new son. It was nothing like that. Six years pass and Wiley is still haunted by his loss, but he and Jack have the ability to help another unwanted and special child, and they do.
What they didn’t expect was two children. Amelia has her own tragedies to overcome, yet she is healthy and not deaf, just orphaned and alone. I liked her okay, but she did come across as a little sarcastic for a nine year old, especially one that was a little rude and ungrateful… maybe that’s not too unusual and just like a child. I just know she irked me a bit and I wanted her to get over herself. She eventually ends up being a great daughter and big sister to Tony, so I got over it.
I loved that Wiley and Jack’s moms became friends. Mrs. Ledbetter deals with a heartbreak of her own and that put a little perspective in her life. She is still the same woman who spoke her mind without apology, but you see a vulnerability in her that was missing in the earlier books. Mrs. Cantrell and Billy seemed to put their church’s teachings aside and became a real family to Wiley. I guess when you lose a grandson and nephew then see your son and brother fall apart, it becomes a big wake up call on how you’ve wronged the guy. I was glad to see that aspect of the story find closure.
I always write long reviews for this series so I will stop now. Just be prepared for tears, grief, more tears, sad farewells, and family drama. But all that is tempered with the typical humor that we remember. It’s a beautiful tragedy, but I guess that’s life.
The Blogger Girls
February 27, 2016
To quote Charles Dickens "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair" .
The years have pasted but Wiley and Jackson are till haunted by the death of their son Noah. Now in Boston visiting, they decide to adopt. There is one little hitch, the boy Wiley wants, Tony is deaf and HIV positive. Wiley's reasons are both good and selfish, which has Jackson balking. Jackson is taken by a beautiful little girl named Amelia. She is not burden with any physical handicaps, leaving the two to consider adopting two instead of one.
Wiley and Jackson are tested in their bond and relationship by family tragedies, a move to the north, and the two new lives they want to care for. This is not just a story of two gay men, but a story of all men and women. It is the universal theme of bonds and relationships. Can adversity make you stronger, or shatter the ties that bind? Can we mature and change without losing our essential selves?
This is an amazing series. It is one that remains long after the last page is turned.
The years have pasted but Wiley and Jackson are till haunted by the death of their son Noah. Now in Boston visiting, they decide to adopt. There is one little hitch, the boy Wiley wants, Tony is deaf and HIV positive. Wiley's reasons are both good and selfish, which has Jackson balking. Jackson is taken by a beautiful little girl named Amelia. She is not burden with any physical handicaps, leaving the two to consider adopting two instead of one.
Wiley and Jackson are tested in their bond and relationship by family tragedies, a move to the north, and the two new lives they want to care for. This is not just a story of two gay men, but a story of all men and women. It is the universal theme of bonds and relationships. Can adversity make you stronger, or shatter the ties that bind? Can we mature and change without losing our essential selves?
This is an amazing series. It is one that remains long after the last page is turned.
February 4, 2020
I’m writing these thoughts almost 5 days after completing the latest offering in the “Sugar Tree” series - my emotions being more in check and my thoughts more settled. What can I add to the plethora of reviews making almost universal comment on being in tears and wracking with laughter alternately throughout the reading – yup … happened to me too. But then I guess that’s is to be expected since the previous two titles (especially Stones in the Road) had exactly the same effect on me – one could say that is a trademark style of Mr Wilgus’ non-murder/mystery books.
The timeframe of this latest instalment is several years after its predecessor with some major family-life charges having occurred in the meantimes; most significantly being Noah’s death/passing. WTF??? I was quite upset when there were hints of this in the months prior to the release and the author has already posted his thoughts/comments regarding the unhappiness of his readership on this plot-point. I loved Noah as a character … and I thought I would be feeling quite bereft of his absence in the reading of this title. Give it to Mr Wilgus … the grief and loss felt by Wiley and others comes through loud and clear, but amazingly – Noah is present all through the book, through flashback recollections and memories, being referred to in conversations by the characters, and even through an amazing event which I will not give away here. My feelings mirror Wiley’s in that I didn’t want to be disloyal to Noah when the character of Tony was introduced – and what an impression making character he is! I guess I’m just a sucker for badly damaged/deeply traumatised boys who need lots of TLC parenting; just exactly the sort of character that brings out all of Wiley’s mama bear protective instincts. The prospective adoptive parent-child relationship unfolded throughout the book is sheer joy to read as several hours of sleep and some meals were forsaken as I remained glued to my Kindle.
Almost all the marvellous characters from the previous books come back into play at some point; longtime partner Jackson Ledbetter stands head and shoulders above them - stalwart, emotionally withdrawn in his own pain and loss. Jackson’s mother, Eunice continues to produce her expected ‘tell it like it is’, ‘I-can’t-believe-she-just-said-that’, ‘shoot from the hips’ snarks and snipes … resulting with the majority of the hysterical laugh-out-loud reading moments. Death and new beginnings continue on as concurrent themes in this latest book of the series. The redemption of antagonist characters happen again … I had to smile broadly through tears near the ending with the BBQ reconciliation scene – sniffles.
Having to battle ‘the system’ (again) for the sake of a lost child brings out all the high emotional dramas and meltdowns in Wiley – I sometimes felt like smacking him as he escalates into one of his ‘all about me’ moments; in fact he is repeatedly informed of this annoying trait by several people having to ‘speak the truth’ to him – which makes for an interesting character development arc for our Wiley.
I’d hate to think this is the end of the road for the Sugar Tree series … I so so so deeply wish there would be one more book outlining where Wiley and Jackson find themselves and their immediate as well as extended families a decade on. That would be the cherry on the icing do y’hear that Mr Wilgus? An unreserved 5 plus stars rating from me.
The timeframe of this latest instalment is several years after its predecessor with some major family-life charges having occurred in the meantimes; most significantly being Noah’s death/passing. WTF??? I was quite upset when there were hints of this in the months prior to the release and the author has already posted his thoughts/comments regarding the unhappiness of his readership on this plot-point. I loved Noah as a character … and I thought I would be feeling quite bereft of his absence in the reading of this title. Give it to Mr Wilgus … the grief and loss felt by Wiley and others comes through loud and clear, but amazingly – Noah is present all through the book, through flashback recollections and memories, being referred to in conversations by the characters, and even through an amazing event which I will not give away here. My feelings mirror Wiley’s in that I didn’t want to be disloyal to Noah when the character of Tony was introduced – and what an impression making character he is! I guess I’m just a sucker for badly damaged/deeply traumatised boys who need lots of TLC parenting; just exactly the sort of character that brings out all of Wiley’s mama bear protective instincts. The prospective adoptive parent-child relationship unfolded throughout the book is sheer joy to read as several hours of sleep and some meals were forsaken as I remained glued to my Kindle.
Almost all the marvellous characters from the previous books come back into play at some point; longtime partner Jackson Ledbetter stands head and shoulders above them - stalwart, emotionally withdrawn in his own pain and loss. Jackson’s mother, Eunice continues to produce her expected ‘tell it like it is’, ‘I-can’t-believe-she-just-said-that’, ‘shoot from the hips’ snarks and snipes … resulting with the majority of the hysterical laugh-out-loud reading moments. Death and new beginnings continue on as concurrent themes in this latest book of the series. The redemption of antagonist characters happen again … I had to smile broadly through tears near the ending with the BBQ reconciliation scene – sniffles.
Having to battle ‘the system’ (again) for the sake of a lost child brings out all the high emotional dramas and meltdowns in Wiley – I sometimes felt like smacking him as he escalates into one of his ‘all about me’ moments; in fact he is repeatedly informed of this annoying trait by several people having to ‘speak the truth’ to him – which makes for an interesting character development arc for our Wiley.
I’d hate to think this is the end of the road for the Sugar Tree series … I so so so deeply wish there would be one more book outlining where Wiley and Jackson find themselves and their immediate as well as extended families a decade on. That would be the cherry on the icing do y’hear that Mr Wilgus? An unreserved 5 plus stars rating from me.
March 10, 2016
Title: Go Tell It On the Mountains Author: Nick Wilgus Publisher: Dreamspinner Press Reviewer: Anya
Release Date: Feb. 22, 2016 Genre(s): MM Contemporary Romance Heat Level: 2 flames out of 5
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Absolutely BRILLIANT! Read this series! You won't regret it.
Words cannot express how much I love these characters.
My heart seized when I read the burb. It’s hard reading the words: "Noah’s dead.” Noah, Wiley’s adorable son stole my heart the minute Wilgus described him. There were so many heart wrenching moments whereby which I wanted to reach through the pages and hug Wiley & Jack. Though none of these characters are “real” they feel real and familiar to me regardless. Simply put Wilgus, has a way of telling a story that we can relate to in a very tangible way. You would think after two books, he would kinda run out of steam but with each book, Noah, Jack and the rest of the family just keeps getting better and better.
I’m so in love with this latest installment and honestly, everything I’m writing is just off the top of my head, pouring out of me. Disjointed. Real.
Let me restart. There’s so many reasons why I love this book:
1) A portion of the proceeds are being donated to the Kentucky Youth Law Project. Wilgus included the website so I'll include it here as well: www.Kylpinc.org
3)I love that all the crazy is still left out on the front porch to entertain the neighbors.
4) I love the Heart in this book. Every character have grown and changed in a very realistic way and all you want is more! more! More
5)Sex is mostly fade to black which in this case, I DON’T CARE! The story is so engrossing and so well developed that the last thing i’m thinking about is sex but I appreciate the mention of it ;)
7) I love the fact that three books in and this book is just as good. Different yet familiar as the first.
Wilgus, you sir made my official Automatic buy list. I love how authentic your stories are. I love how much heart and depth your characters have. I love how your stories make me FEEL.
Thank you for an unforgettable journey.
You write it. I will read it.
*ARC Copy*
February 27, 2016
Well I asked for a really happy HEA and I got it, (I hope.)
I knew going in this was gonna be a tear jerker and that was exactly what I got, but I also got love and humour.
Wiley and Jack never cease to make me smile while making me want to bash their heads together. A more complicated but realistic couple I've yet to meet. They are in love of that there is no doubt, but they don't have smooth sailing all the way. They have troubles and they can sometimes be insensitive to each other. But they don't give up. They try and try and keep trying.
Every scene that mentions Noah had me choking up, even now, I'm so sad he couldn't live. But knowing he paved the way for Wiley to take in kids like Tony somehow made it easier.
Meeting up with the Cantrells again was a surprise. I never thought I'd ever want to hug Billy, but by the end I did. And as for Mrs Ledbetter, well despite her often crude talk she has grown on me and I like to think I understand her better.
I really hope to see these guys again, but only if they all live. I really don't think I can say goodbye to Tony as well as Noah.
A wonderful love story about 2 guys just wanting to be together and raise a family dealing with all that real life throws at them.
February 22, 2016
When I read the synopsis for this book, I almost didn't buy it. I, like anyone else who "met" him, fell in love with Noah, and couldn't imagine his father without him.
I just finished the book about ten minutes ago, so this won't be a long review, but I had to put out there that I'm very glad I read the book. Not having Noah around broke my heart, the pain his daddy and papa dealt with was almost too heavy to shoulder, but little Tony, and Amelia, gave me hope for this family.
Tony can't replace Noah, but you can't help but think they would have loved each other as only brothers can.
I just finished the book about ten minutes ago, so this won't be a long review, but I had to put out there that I'm very glad I read the book. Not having Noah around broke my heart, the pain his daddy and papa dealt with was almost too heavy to shoulder, but little Tony, and Amelia, gave me hope for this family.
Tony can't replace Noah, but you can't help but think they would have loved each other as only brothers can.
February 24, 2016
I have absolutely loved every book in this series.
This was such an emotional read but I didn't want it to end. Amazing writing, amazing characters - love Wiley!
This was such an emotional read but I didn't want it to end. Amazing writing, amazing characters - love Wiley!
May 30, 2017
So, I read all three books in this series in a row and this is going to be kind of an amalgamated review.
They are very much family drama rather than m/m romance - though there is a relationship between Wylie and Jackson it's about much more than that.
Wylie is a struggling author, bringing up his son Noah, a meth-baby whose mother abandoned him at birth. Noah is also deaf and has various congenital issues which affect his health - that doesn't stop him though - and in the first book his aim is to find his father a boyfriend. Enter Jackson - a paediatric nurse with issues of his own. The pair get together, but it's not a smooth ride - particularly with Wylie's rather eccentric family - from his outspoken and deliberately provocative grandfather, his long suffering mother, bible bashing older brother and his family..
By the second book, Jackson and Wylie's relationship seems quite solid - till Jackson's parents come to stay for the month and things start to fall apart. Add a tornado and the fact that Noah's health is starting to fail and life becomes very complicated for all of them.
The third book starts some six years after the second - and Noah - the character who really the first two books revolves around has died (not a spoiler - it's in the book blurb). But Wylie doesn't seem to be able to move on. Jackson and Wylie's relationship is a bit stagnant, and changes are on the cards - including adoption of two young children - a deaf HIV positive abused six year old boy and a slightly older girl who has lost both her parents. Things don't run smoothly but we do get to see the new family settling down.
There isn't so much a happy ending to this series - I couldn't see the family waltzing off into the sunset as the set up leaves it clear that real life is always going to be an issue, but there was a feeling of closure.
This series made me both laugh and cry and I am very glad I read it.
They are very much family drama rather than m/m romance - though there is a relationship between Wylie and Jackson it's about much more than that.
Wylie is a struggling author, bringing up his son Noah, a meth-baby whose mother abandoned him at birth. Noah is also deaf and has various congenital issues which affect his health - that doesn't stop him though - and in the first book his aim is to find his father a boyfriend. Enter Jackson - a paediatric nurse with issues of his own. The pair get together, but it's not a smooth ride - particularly with Wylie's rather eccentric family - from his outspoken and deliberately provocative grandfather, his long suffering mother, bible bashing older brother and his family..
By the second book, Jackson and Wylie's relationship seems quite solid - till Jackson's parents come to stay for the month and things start to fall apart. Add a tornado and the fact that Noah's health is starting to fail and life becomes very complicated for all of them.
The third book starts some six years after the second - and Noah - the character who really the first two books revolves around has died (not a spoiler - it's in the book blurb). But Wylie doesn't seem to be able to move on. Jackson and Wylie's relationship is a bit stagnant, and changes are on the cards - including adoption of two young children - a deaf HIV positive abused six year old boy and a slightly older girl who has lost both her parents. Things don't run smoothly but we do get to see the new family settling down.
There isn't so much a happy ending to this series - I couldn't see the family waltzing off into the sunset as the set up leaves it clear that real life is always going to be an issue, but there was a feeling of closure.
This series made me both laugh and cry and I am very glad I read it.
July 15, 2021
Sweet conclusion to Wiley and Jack's story. I really loved Tony and wanted more time with him. It seemed that when Amelia joined the family, we lost some Tony details.
February 14, 2016
So I will start of this review by admitting that I have read book #1 in this series and loved it but I did not read book #2 before this one. But I felt like this book Go Tell It On The Mountains caught be up enough with what happened in book #2 that I did not feel lost at all.
Jackson and Wiley are trying to move pass the pain of losing Noah their son. They want to adopt Tony who has health issues and is emotionally traumatized due to things his mother let happen to him. No sooner then being approved to foster Tony they find out they have been selected to adopt a daughter too. With two children these men will go through a lot on the road to being a family.
I have to say in this series Wiley has been my favorite character and after reading this book I love his character so much more! He is just so funny at times with the way he banters back and forth with Jackson and his family. There were some painful times also in this book for him while he deals with the loss of his child. But the love he shows to his adopted/fostered children was just so sweet and caring I just could not help loving his character more!
Now this is where I am going to say I was not a huge fan of Jackson character for most of this book. He just came across so selfish to me and sometimes the things he would say to Wiley seemed so hurtful and rude. As a mother myself I can not even imagine losing one of my children and for him to expect Wiley to just get over it was beyond irritating to me. That was just one of the parts of this book that I was not a fan of what he said to Wiley. I do not want to go too much more into the things he said and the way he treated him because I really do not want to give away any spoilers. He did eventually grow on me more after the first half of this book though.
There were some very painful moments in this book while these men dealt with their loss and there were also some humorous moments too between the banter and the things that Wiley would say that had me laughing so much there were tears in my eyes.
I have to say I loved the way this author wrote these characters "yes even Jacksons when I eventually warm back up to him" and this story which I thought was just so beautiful!
I would recommend this book!
I received a ARC of this book from the publisher for a honest review!
Jackson and Wiley are trying to move pass the pain of losing Noah their son. They want to adopt Tony who has health issues and is emotionally traumatized due to things his mother let happen to him. No sooner then being approved to foster Tony they find out they have been selected to adopt a daughter too. With two children these men will go through a lot on the road to being a family.
I have to say in this series Wiley has been my favorite character and after reading this book I love his character so much more! He is just so funny at times with the way he banters back and forth with Jackson and his family. There were some painful times also in this book for him while he deals with the loss of his child. But the love he shows to his adopted/fostered children was just so sweet and caring I just could not help loving his character more!
Now this is where I am going to say I was not a huge fan of Jackson character for most of this book. He just came across so selfish to me and sometimes the things he would say to Wiley seemed so hurtful and rude. As a mother myself I can not even imagine losing one of my children and for him to expect Wiley to just get over it was beyond irritating to me. That was just one of the parts of this book that I was not a fan of what he said to Wiley. I do not want to go too much more into the things he said and the way he treated him because I really do not want to give away any spoilers. He did eventually grow on me more after the first half of this book though.
There were some very painful moments in this book while these men dealt with their loss and there were also some humorous moments too between the banter and the things that Wiley would say that had me laughing so much there were tears in my eyes.
I have to say I loved the way this author wrote these characters "yes even Jacksons when I eventually warm back up to him" and this story which I thought was just so beautiful!
I would recommend this book!
I received a ARC of this book from the publisher for a honest review!
March 21, 2016
So many things happen in this book that I don't know where to start...I think when I read Noah was dead and Wiley and Jack were thinking about adopting I wondered how the author was going to do not to make me feel like they were trying 'to replace' him. I didn't have to worry though because he handled it perfectly well. Tony and Amelia are adorable AND Wiley and Jackson's grief was so well described, felt so real that I never thought for a second that they were going to forget Noah with their new family. Loved this book and I really hope Mr Wilgus will write another one. I'd love to know where they all are in let's say 10 years from now.
April 1, 2016
I really loved this series!!
Even though there was a lot of humorous banter between Wiley, Jackson, and their families (which I admit, at times I could see how it was a little offensive to some reviewers) it was also a tearjerker with several serious topics: meth addiction, child sexual abuse, HIV, unwanted neglected children, deafness, death, etc.
My heart just hurt for everything Wiley, Jackson, and these poor kids went through but you know a book is great when it makes you cry (quite a few times) but you just can't put it down!
Even though there was a lot of humorous banter between Wiley, Jackson, and their families (which I admit, at times I could see how it was a little offensive to some reviewers) it was also a tearjerker with several serious topics: meth addiction, child sexual abuse, HIV, unwanted neglected children, deafness, death, etc.
My heart just hurt for everything Wiley, Jackson, and these poor kids went through but you know a book is great when it makes you cry (quite a few times) but you just can't put it down!
March 23, 2016
I have a headache from crying buckets. I don't know if Nick Wilgus has ever experienced the death of child, but he sure got the emotions right in Go Tell It on the Mountains, with heart and gut-wrenching accuracy. A beautiful end to the story of a family I have loved getting to know.
March 15, 2016
OMG OMG OMG OMG!!! I loved this book!
Major tissue alert on this book.....
Major tissue alert on this book.....
Want to read
February 2, 2016Read the blurb, started to cry. Just no. Oh Noah... *wails*
February 22, 2016
Wow! Just wow!!!!
Great more crying....lol! A sweet touching, heartbreaking story of love,redemption, unconditional acceptance....and this author always makes me cry! No fair!
Great more crying....lol! A sweet touching, heartbreaking story of love,redemption, unconditional acceptance....and this author always makes me cry! No fair!
March 14, 2016
REVIEW @Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
I fell in love with this author’s stories since I read Shaking the Sugar Tree, the first book in the Sugar Tree series by Nick Wilgus. Although all his books left me a mess, they are addictive and I always wanted more. If you haven’t read the series yet and you are planning to do it, please do not go on with my review, you don’t want to know what happens in the third book now.
That said, as you can read from the blurb, this story takes place years after Stones in the Road, years after the death of my beloved Noah. I can admit it was a huge shock, I wasn’t expecting the author to go where its forbidden to go. Before reading it, I thought I would have preferred a third book in this series was not written. Not because I don’t love the author’s works, just because I would have preferred wondering about what would have happened to Noah and not actually know. I thought for a moment I was going to skip this book cause I wouldn’t like it. But I couldn’t. I’m too much into these characters’ lives and so I had to put aside my beliefs. I appreciated the author gave me just some glimpse of the time when Noah was dying. My heart couldn’t have taken it all.
The first chapter opens with Wiley and Jackson ready to adopt a seven years old deaf boy with HIV. They already meet other children but Tony is special and Wiley knows he can be the only parent to that kid. His stubbornness and courage will lead them in a beautiful journey to a possible happiness.
And when the sweet Amelia will join their new family, the circle will be completed. The story is full of obstacles and trauma to discover and try to overcome with the only thing all these characters need, love.
I was happy to meet Wiley and Jackson again and find out Wiley is still Wiley. They are still funny together, bantering and making fun of each other, and six years after the death of Noah they are at a point in their lives where they are still recovering yes but can maybe see a family again in the future.
Let’s be honest and say I cried a lot, maybe too much; some scenes, like the ones at the cemetery, were very emotional and too hard to take. Wiley is not ready to let Noah go, he’s still hurting, grieving. I cried through all the story till the last word. And it was okay. I cried for Noah, for Wiley, for Tony, for Amelia, for all the love I breathed from the pages, for the braveness of these flawed persons.
Go Tell it on the Mountain is a beautifully written book, as always the author was able to let me feel every good and bad emotion the characters felt. That’s one of the reasons why I read his books even if they break my heart. IMO Sugar Tree is one of the best series I read so far. I have no idea if this is going to be the last book in the series or there will be more. If it is, I will of course be sad but it’s the perfect conclusion for a series like that.
Go Tell It on the Mountains is a love story, powerful and touching. I wish I could give it two thousand stars. My words are not good enough to really express my feelings about this book and I think it’s not easy to do it. I just want to highly recommended it. Just a warning: the series is not a light one. If you’re looking for romance, you’ll find it somewhere else, but if you’re looking for love, Sugar Tree is the right place, you’ll get every shade of love to fill your heart.
The COVER ART by Anne Cain follows the style of the covers of the previous books, well done.
I fell in love with this author’s stories since I read Shaking the Sugar Tree, the first book in the Sugar Tree series by Nick Wilgus. Although all his books left me a mess, they are addictive and I always wanted more. If you haven’t read the series yet and you are planning to do it, please do not go on with my review, you don’t want to know what happens in the third book now.
That said, as you can read from the blurb, this story takes place years after Stones in the Road, years after the death of my beloved Noah. I can admit it was a huge shock, I wasn’t expecting the author to go where its forbidden to go. Before reading it, I thought I would have preferred a third book in this series was not written. Not because I don’t love the author’s works, just because I would have preferred wondering about what would have happened to Noah and not actually know. I thought for a moment I was going to skip this book cause I wouldn’t like it. But I couldn’t. I’m too much into these characters’ lives and so I had to put aside my beliefs. I appreciated the author gave me just some glimpse of the time when Noah was dying. My heart couldn’t have taken it all.
The first chapter opens with Wiley and Jackson ready to adopt a seven years old deaf boy with HIV. They already meet other children but Tony is special and Wiley knows he can be the only parent to that kid. His stubbornness and courage will lead them in a beautiful journey to a possible happiness.
And when the sweet Amelia will join their new family, the circle will be completed. The story is full of obstacles and trauma to discover and try to overcome with the only thing all these characters need, love.
I was happy to meet Wiley and Jackson again and find out Wiley is still Wiley. They are still funny together, bantering and making fun of each other, and six years after the death of Noah they are at a point in their lives where they are still recovering yes but can maybe see a family again in the future.
Let’s be honest and say I cried a lot, maybe too much; some scenes, like the ones at the cemetery, were very emotional and too hard to take. Wiley is not ready to let Noah go, he’s still hurting, grieving. I cried through all the story till the last word. And it was okay. I cried for Noah, for Wiley, for Tony, for Amelia, for all the love I breathed from the pages, for the braveness of these flawed persons.
Go Tell it on the Mountain is a beautifully written book, as always the author was able to let me feel every good and bad emotion the characters felt. That’s one of the reasons why I read his books even if they break my heart. IMO Sugar Tree is one of the best series I read so far. I have no idea if this is going to be the last book in the series or there will be more. If it is, I will of course be sad but it’s the perfect conclusion for a series like that.
Go Tell It on the Mountains is a love story, powerful and touching. I wish I could give it two thousand stars. My words are not good enough to really express my feelings about this book and I think it’s not easy to do it. I just want to highly recommended it. Just a warning: the series is not a light one. If you’re looking for romance, you’ll find it somewhere else, but if you’re looking for love, Sugar Tree is the right place, you’ll get every shade of love to fill your heart.
The COVER ART by Anne Cain follows the style of the covers of the previous books, well done.
February 27, 2017
Nick Wilgus has that rare and talented ability to make me cry and laugh out loud whilst on the same page! How does he do that?
I loved this story, but out of the three in this trilogy, it was my least favourite. Was this because Noah is no more and Wiley and Jackson are on a mission to replace him with another challenged child? It's hard to say....I do know that although Noah has died by the time we reach this novel, Wiley's heart is still as big, generous and unconditionally loving as it was and is in the first two novels.
Great story, emotional read.
I loved this story, but out of the three in this trilogy, it was my least favourite. Was this because Noah is no more and Wiley and Jackson are on a mission to replace him with another challenged child? It's hard to say....I do know that although Noah has died by the time we reach this novel, Wiley's heart is still as big, generous and unconditionally loving as it was and is in the first two novels.
Great story, emotional read.
December 17, 2016
I love family dramas and thoroughly enjoyed the first two novels in the Sugar Tree series. Go Tell It on the Mountains felt like a wonderful reunion (albeit bittersweet) with characters I've come to know and care for thanks to this author's amazing talent.
Wiley's profound grief and despair over the death of his son was heartbreaking, but so very believable, and I grieved right along with him, turning the pages with blurry eyes. Jackson's take-charge attitude in getting them away from the constant reminders was admirable and long overdue. I had a better appreciation for Mrs. Ledbetter, despite her outrageous comments, and watched in amazement as Wiley and Jack opened their hearts again, taking on new challenges in the form of Tony, another child with severe medical issues, and Amelia, a sassy twelve year old orphan who brings a badly-needed breath of fresh air into this beleaguered family. If you're in the mood to get on a roller coaster of emotions, I highly recommend this story. Pick up the whole series if you haven't already done so.
Wiley's profound grief and despair over the death of his son was heartbreaking, but so very believable, and I grieved right along with him, turning the pages with blurry eyes. Jackson's take-charge attitude in getting them away from the constant reminders was admirable and long overdue. I had a better appreciation for Mrs. Ledbetter, despite her outrageous comments, and watched in amazement as Wiley and Jack opened their hearts again, taking on new challenges in the form of Tony, another child with severe medical issues, and Amelia, a sassy twelve year old orphan who brings a badly-needed breath of fresh air into this beleaguered family. If you're in the mood to get on a roller coaster of emotions, I highly recommend this story. Pick up the whole series if you haven't already done so.
March 21, 2016
My heart will always belong to "Stones in the Road," the central book of this trilogy by Nick Wilgus, but "Go Tell It on the Mountains" serves as a nicely satisfying wrap-up to the series. Almost all the favorites are back - Wiley, Jackson, Mama Cantrell, Mr. and Mrs. Ledbetter. Six years have passed since the events of "Stones in the Road" and Wiley and Jackson find themselves in Jackson's hometown of Boston, where Wiley is the fish out of water. But they want to restart their family, and are searching for just the right child or children to do it with.
With the usual mix of happiness and tears, and a couple of detours for exploring thoughts of spirituality, "Go Tell It on the Mountains" is almost guaranteed to leave you ultimately smiling.
With the usual mix of happiness and tears, and a couple of detours for exploring thoughts of spirituality, "Go Tell It on the Mountains" is almost guaranteed to leave you ultimately smiling.
July 18, 2019
This was absolutely perfect. Everything about it was perfect. I was glad to know that Wiley was no longer working at that dead end job. Very sad about Noah. I like how Mr Wilgus handled it in the book though. He didn't waste five chapters going into excruciating details about Noah's death. It was obvious he will not be in this book from the ending of the previous book. Highly recommended. 10 stars. Unfortunately l have a feeling this might be the end but hopefully am wrong.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews