Love Finds You in Sisters, Oregon

by Melody Carlson

Hope Bartolli has avoided Sisters for yearsboth her hometown of Sisters, Oregon, and her two sisters who live there. But when the thirty-two-year-old corporate lawyer returns home to attend her beloved grandmothers funeral, shes surprised to learn that she has inherited Nonas old house, her little dog, Andy, and an unexpected friendship with Nonas handsome attorney. If she had any hopes of burying the hatchet with her sisters, these gifts from Nona arent going to help. Hope wants more out of lifebut is she willing to take the risks to get it? And can she trust her family to stand by her side? Author: Melody Carlson Format: 320 pages, paperback Publisher: Summerside Press (2009) ISBN: 9781935416180

Genres: Christian Fiction, Romance, Christian, Fiction, Christian Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary

311 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 2009

About the author

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus.

She also writes many teen books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series.

Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon.

Reviews

[Zette · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read a bunch of the Love Finds You books and I am sorry to say that this is my least favorite so far. The books in this series usually have a light, fun and romantic feel that I will choose to read when I just want to relax. There is no way anyone could relax to this story of three sisters who have so much pain and anger spewing from them like erupting volcanos which, by the way, is a comparison in the storyline. I was actually saddened and a little depressed after reading about halfway through but I kept trudging on because I just knew that this was a Christian book and the resolution at the end would be worth the wait. Unfortunately, that didn't happen and I was left with that same sad, hopeless feeling that I endured throughout the rest of the book. There was almost no Christian message at all other than a few of the characters mentioned going to church or quoting a Bible verse that their grandmother used to say etc. Two of the sisters were selfish, angry, bitter and spiteful throughout the story and barely changed for the better right before the end because they went to see a counselor. I was expecting some kind of "come to Jesus" moment with them all but it never happened and they continued on with their lives hoping that things would get better somehow. Also, the romance is definitely a side note and only mentioned sparsely throughout the book. I really don't like giving bad reviews but I would not recommend this book to anyone.

[Loraine · Rating 2 out of 5]

SUMMARY: Hope Bartolli has avoided Sisters for year. But when she inherits her beloved grandmother's old house, Hope must decide whether to once again run away from the two sisters who have caused her nothing but trouble--or stay in the charming town and risk her heart.

REVIEW: Melody Carlson is one of my favorite authors, but I have to say she dropped the ball on this one. First, it contains very little Christian thread throughout the storyline. Second, I saw very little development within the characters and what development there was was very rushed. Third, I felt like this book had a beginning and end and no middle. Perhaps this was why I felt that there was no growth and depth to the characters. Finally, I felt like the ending was very abrupt. I have really enjoyed the Love Finds You series but felt this one just wasn't up to par. There was so much more room for development in the relationship between the three sisters and it just wasn't there.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a series. I really think it should be if it isn't. So much more to write about each of the daughters.

Nona (grandmother) has died and Hope returns to Sisters, Oregon for the funeral. Intending to spend only a couple of days there because of her relationship with her father and her sisters, Faith and Charity. The reading of the will changes all plans! Melody Carlson is a Christian author. One of my favorite lines was from Faye's (Faith) 13 year old nephew. Something about the sisters not living up to their names. Faith didn't have faith, Hope had no hope, and Charity (aka Cherry) had no charity/love.



I have also enjoyed the 4 books in the 'Bloomberg' series Melody wrote. I have other books lined up to read that were written by the same author.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was interesting how the 'romance' aspect of the story wasn't the main focus. Instead, we meet Hope and find out about her familial relationships, especially those with her sisters. I liked that as she tried to figure out what to do about the inheritance she received from Nona, Hope was lead to some deep introspection and prayer, in parts inspired by some pretty unexpected sources.
To be honest, there were 4 chapters left in the novel and pretty much nothing had been resolved. I was wondering if Melody Carlson would pull it off, but she did, and I'm pleased with the dual 'happily and hopefully' ever afters that Hope got.

[Rhiannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up at the airport and looked at it. It seemed like a cute little niche idea, to write books set in real towns, so I dropped it onto the Kindle. And I really liked it. For Fluffy Chick Lit the author did a good job of creating a believable story line, likable characters and a good flow.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really struggled with this book, because her sisters were waaaayyy out there, and then the ending was tied up in a nice little bow. I guess that is why it is fiction. It was an ok story line, a lot unrealistic, but fun to read about Sisters, Oregon and the Sisters mountain range.

[Nancy Kroneberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It was light-hearted and not too heavy, and yet had some realistic family drama and conflict—plus, a little romance! I like Melody Carlson’s writing style: it s pretty concise and straight-forward, without being flowery or overly descriptive. I am also the middle of three sisters, and we also have some similar family strife, envy, and jealousy—especially in regards to family inheritances, and so, of course, this book seemed right up my alley! I have never been to any parts of the state of Oregon, but felt that Carlson’s descriptions of the mountains and the scenery gave me a vivid picture in my mind of what it would look, smell, and feel like to live there. I truly enjoyed this book, and would be open to read more of Melody Carlson’s books.

[Elaine Bain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family

Entertaining, interesting. Sisters learning to live together. Families growing and taking care of each other.Loved Andy story . Like a story when authors write well enough to make you feel like you are there and can see the people in the story. Appreciate the clean story.

[Penny Evenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't normally read romances but this was an exception. It is a "light" romance but mainly deals with family relationships. It was so good I started it yesterday and read until late last night! Finished it this morning and loved the surprise ending!

[Jack Vasen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells a complete story. It is part of the Love-Finds-You series which is by different authors. The only loose tie for the series is that each story is about US communities and all appear to be by Christian writers.

This is not a typical Romance story and in that sense unlike most of the other books in the series. It is more of a family struggles story than a Romance. I felt like the Romance was tacked on. I love Sisters stories, but this isn't like those I love either. Almost the entire book except for the last 30-40 pages was like war. Hope, the main character, is the enemy of at least the other two.

None of the women are likeable, except maybe some of the friends who are mostly secondary characters. Hope is the most reasonable, but even she is a mess and frequently makes choices that are at best poor. The other two sisters are less mature than their children, the oldest of which is 14. Throughout the book, one or more of these kids rationally discusses the erratic behavior of their moms.

The entire tone of the book changes, like I said, in the last 30 pages or so. Like a Hallmark movie, miracles happen. It is all far too abrupt, rushed.

Don't think there is no romance to the story. But as I said, it plays second fiddle to the Sisters story and makes little progress until suddenly it blooms. And by little progress, I mean none since neither character involved shows by their actions that it is going anywhere. It's tacked on.

The Sisters story is engaging but the pace is on and off. There is some interesting stuff going on in it even if you sometimes wish they would grow up and move on.

The author uses a lot of plays on words, especially the sisters and the mountains after which they are named. But there are others also. This makes some of the dialogue sparkling.

This is nominally a Christian book. There is some God in it, but the characters are very inconsistent in their faith. At times you forget that they claim to be Christians, and at times their actions do deny it. Faye and Cherry are particularly bad. Revelations as the book progresses throw even more doubt on their sincerity.

Mature themes: except for one (I think) kiss, there is no sex described. There is a lot of discussion of divorce. There is a reference to a miscarriage. At least one character appears clinically depressed and deals with it through denial.

Regarding my rating: as a Romance 1 star (lowest possible). As a study of a family struggling with numerous issues 3 or 4 stars. If you are looking for light hearted, this isn't it.

[Debby · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main character was supposed to be a corporate lawyer, but in her personal life she seemed to make instantaneous decisions about major life changes. She didn't seem to pay any attention to possible consequences of her decisions. And her sisters seemed to be rather nasty, selfish, spiteful people. I won't be reading any more books in this series.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe a 2.5. I don't give this a low rating because it was a bad book but rather because the characters were rather unlikable. They were whiny and had odd relations with one another. There were a few interactions between characters that left me rolling my eyes but most of the time I thought they were well portrayed and written just annoying. I did enjoy the teens though.

[Salinn Barth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this book. It was stupid, pretty much pointless and it focused on all the wrong things I thought. I would not recommend. I really wanted to enjoy it so I was disappointed. It also didn’t feel like a real town to me.

[Judine Brey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a hard book to get into, but the pay off was quite good. I love the teenage characters, and their aunt's reaction to them and their mother issues.

[Sharon Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, I enjoyed it.

[Kristy Rawls · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little romance set in my town! Fun!!

[Debbie Sue · Rating 1 out of 5]

Definitely did Not like this one. Hopes sisters are two of the meanest women ever. how it managed to get a happy ending i am still not sure but i wont read it again and I cant recommend it

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Hallmark type romance! Just what I needed - some lighthearted reading and happiness to get away from all our bad news!

[Elizabeth Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was entertaining and held my attention to the end.

[Victoria (hotcocoaandbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hope's grandmother "Nona" dies in her sleep in her 90's. She loved her so much and was very close to her as a child, and wrote her letters on a regular basis. Hope hadn't been home for a long time though. She hadn't even seen her two sisters in a long time either. She and her sisters Faith and Charity were named for the three mountains in Sisters, Oregon. Will Hope be able to get along with her sisters, get through things that happened in the past that drove her away from her hometown and family, and would she ever find contentment or love at all?

I read this within a day, and there was so much drama in it and so many misunderstandings and heightened emotions, that sometimes it actually irritated me (which meant I felt the story). However, it did seem not very Christian-like either. It seemed like the "Christian" people were okay with living like the world or not facing their problems at times to get their own way. There were things about God mentioned and the Bible here and there, but I don't think enough. Also there were some sentence structure issues at times. I don't know how some of these things slipped past the editors.

I do think this story was a bit realistic in certain ways and at the same time I think other issues were too well patched up too. This book didn't have much of a romantic tale and I felt like I couldn't connect or didn't get to know certain characters as well as I would have liked to. It wasn't bad, but definitely not one of my favorites in the "Love Finds You" books (which I've read over a dozen of these).

[Lauralee Bliss · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute, easy to read book about a lawyer trying to decide what's best for her life and the lives of those she loves. The author did an interesting job of comparing the area of Sisters and its volcanic region to the volcanic region of her family. But it was too over the top for me. As a sister with two younger sisters, I must admit I was really getting depressed by their interactions. It seemed WAY too much. Two of the sisters had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Their kids hated them. So did their husbands or exs. And I could see why. They were always angry about something. And it was sad to see. Whereas the heroine never got angry over what the other two did. Again, it just seemed unbelievable.

The other thing is the romance. There was none. A few guys pop up, but when the heroine finally decides on who the hero should be (and one never knows, really), it seemed unbelievable also. There was nothing to set them up but one candlelight dinner in the middle of the book and a few encounters by the last few pages. And the guy helping paint the house.

The dog is also a star. He gets lots of play. I think I knew him better than the hero. :) he he

This book is an interesting read for the heroine and the setting. But the heroine is way more tolerant of sister volcanoes than I could ever "hope" to be... :)

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been to Sisters, Oregon and it’s beautiful. I liked that I’ve seen the places that she mentioned. I enjoyed how the sisters resembled the mountain sisters. The story was also a good story but I discovered something about myself while reading this one. Romantic Christian fiction makes me mildly depressed and now I know why. A story (thanks DM) is about someone that wants something and overcomes conflict to get it. In romantic Christian fiction, that something they want is a meaningful life with love, the conflict is almost always relational and I HATE relational conflict. So when I read a book about someone who is down and has to fight and forgive and let go and have miscommunication and finally in the last chapter overcome and get the right guy (but then they don’t go into how you have to keep doing these things), it bothers me and I feel down the whole time I’m reading it. So if you can handle this genre then you’ll like this book, but I know now to continue staying away from it!

[Angela Pearson]

I loved it

This is a story about 3 grown sisters who have parted ways over the years and have alot of anger and jealousy built up between them. The middle sister moved away from their hometown years ago to escape problems and pain caused by the younger sister. The oldest sister just recently moved back to town after getting divorced. Their grandmother dies and her Will brings the middle sister, Hope, back to town. The grandmother had hoped it would force the sisters to mend their rift. My only complaint was just how angry the younger and older sister acted toward the middle sister and how the middle sister never really took up for herself during arguments. But! I still loved it and highly recommend you read it. It was hard for me to put down and I was in tears by the end. :'-)

[Lissie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reunite sisters in Sisters, Oregon. After several years away from home, Hope Bartolli comes back for her Nona's funeral, only to find out that she's inherited Nona's old house and her silly looking dog, Andy. Hope isn't exactly excited about this but ends up seeing that God wants her in Sisters to be with her sisters, Cherry(Charity) and Fay(Faith). This book is a good book and it's cool how the author compares each sister with the Three Sisters Mountains in Oregon: North Sister, the eldest(Fay); Middle Sister, the middle(Hope); and South Sister, the youngest(Cherry). This book is great and the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that it left me feeling a bit depressed afterwards. Otherwise it was a great book and helped me get to my goal of reading all the Love Finds You books. Good story with good ending. Not my favorite, though.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was visually appealing, charcters were well written and defined, and the story was great. If you have sisters, you can relate to Hope and her sisters. Although distant, they come together for their grandmother's funeral and fireworks start flying immediately.

Having driven through Sisters in the late eightes, it was a nice place to visit and see again. It really makes me want to go back and spend some time there. Although this book didn't have the humor that some of Carlson's books have, it was still a wonderful trip into the Bertolli sister's lives.

Note to publisher: About half way through, I started noticing typos, word reversals, and grammar errors. Although annoying, luckily it didn't distract from the story much.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had the usual feel of Christian romance. Although there wasn't the usual constant mentioning of going to church like in most of this type of novel. This one had a long standing conflict among three sisters, that continued throughout the entire story. While I enjoyed the book, I think it wrapped everything up too quickly. I think most of these books work so hard to get a story written, and then quickly end it without it being realistic.

That being said, it was a sweet story and was a quick one to read through.

[Judine · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first this novel was hard to get into, especially since there was a lot of background that needed to be set up for when Hope, the middle of three sisters, inherits her aunt's entire estate. Where the book really shone was when Hope started bonding with her teenaged niece and nephew, who were some of the most well-drawn teenage characters I've read in a while. For the most part, the plot line flowed well, but some of the changing relationships between the sisters needed to be better established. Overall, though, it's worthwhile.

[⚜️XAR the Bookwyrm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was very well written. It talks about the bonds of sisterhood and how those bonds can be tested by the actions of the sisters involved. While it is a Christian romance, it is not overly preachy. It is easy to identify with all of the sisters mentioned in the story and the situation that presents itself for one of them. We don't really get a connection with the story's hero, Lewis, as it is very much a story about the reconciliation of the sisters. This is my second time reading it, and I'm considering getting a copy for my keeper shelf!

[Connie]

Once again, I really enjoyed this title in the Love Finds You series. As I have said before, I do not usually read Romance fiction, but I intend to read everyone of the books in this series because I really enjoy learning about the different geographical regions.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

uplifting and positive. Although, I didn't like how after the major climax and everything erupts, all of the sudden, everything is perfect and they just have a wrap up chapter. Not an exciting ending, although it's a happy ending.