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The Fortune Quilt
Carly McKay's life is going just fine until she produces a television piece on psychic quilt maker Brandywine Seaver and receives a quilt with an enigmatic reading telling her that everything is about to change. And it does. She loses her job and her best friend (who proclaims his unrequited love for her). And her mother, who deserted the family seventeen years ago, returns, sending Carly into a serious tilt.
Convinced it's the quilt's fault, Carly races down to the small artists' community of Bilby, Arizona, to confront its maker, and ends up renting a cabin from her. Carly even starts to enjoy her reimagined life, until her old life comes calling. Now Carly has to decide what parts of each world she wants to patchwork in...and how much she's willing to leave to fate.
Convinced it's the quilt's fault, Carly races down to the small artists' community of Bilby, Arizona, to confront its maker, and ends up renting a cabin from her. Carly even starts to enjoy her reimagined life, until her old life comes calling. Now Carly has to decide what parts of each world she wants to patchwork in...and how much she's willing to leave to fate.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews
November 9, 2009
Carly McKay is content with her life as the producer of a local morning TV show. She has a great relationship with her dad and plays surrogate mother to her two younger sisters. (Her mom left when she was 12-years-old.) Her best friend, Christopher, works closely with her as her cameraman.
It isn't until Carly is sent to Bilby, AZ to interview a psychic quilt maker for a fluff piece that her life is turned upside down. The quilt maker provides Carly with a specially made quilt and a very specific "reading". Carly is skeptical, but she accepts the quilt. Shortly thereafter, her show is cancelled. She loses her job. Her best friend confesses that he is in love with her. Her mother re-appears hoping to mend fences.
Deciding it must be the evil quilt's fault, Carly returns to Bilby to confront Brandy, the quilt's maker. However, Carly discovers she has a connection to Brandy as well as many of the colorful residents of the small town. She unexpectedly finds a job at an art store. She rents a cabin from Brandy and is introduced to her sexy neighbor, Will, a local artist and truly sensitive Beta male. (Note: Will also happens to be Carly's younger sister's ex-boyfriend.)
This book was hilarious - full of snark and the author's dry sense of humor! - and yet it definitely had its deeper moments too. My heart broke for Carly when her mother returned and her family was forced to deal with issues that had long been buried. I found myself cheering for Carly as her relationship with Will developed and laughed again when he gave her an ugly sugar dish in the shape of a frog. "Quasitoado" took on a life of his own by the end of the book.
I originally checked out Lani Diane Rich's books after I discovered her close relationship to Jennifer Crusie (a favorite author). Their writing styles and the humor in their books is very similar; however, I've learned there is more emotional depth to Rich's books while Crusie's books contain more suspense. The Fortune Quilt is by far my favorite book by Rich - a very unique book - and has earned a place on my keeper shelf.
It isn't until Carly is sent to Bilby, AZ to interview a psychic quilt maker for a fluff piece that her life is turned upside down. The quilt maker provides Carly with a specially made quilt and a very specific "reading". Carly is skeptical, but she accepts the quilt. Shortly thereafter, her show is cancelled. She loses her job. Her best friend confesses that he is in love with her. Her mother re-appears hoping to mend fences.
Deciding it must be the evil quilt's fault, Carly returns to Bilby to confront Brandy, the quilt's maker. However, Carly discovers she has a connection to Brandy as well as many of the colorful residents of the small town. She unexpectedly finds a job at an art store. She rents a cabin from Brandy and is introduced to her sexy neighbor, Will, a local artist and truly sensitive Beta male. (Note: Will also happens to be Carly's younger sister's ex-boyfriend.)
This book was hilarious - full of snark and the author's dry sense of humor! - and yet it definitely had its deeper moments too. My heart broke for Carly when her mother returned and her family was forced to deal with issues that had long been buried. I found myself cheering for Carly as her relationship with Will developed and laughed again when he gave her an ugly sugar dish in the shape of a frog. "Quasitoado" took on a life of his own by the end of the book.
I originally checked out Lani Diane Rich's books after I discovered her close relationship to Jennifer Crusie (a favorite author). Their writing styles and the humor in their books is very similar; however, I've learned there is more emotional depth to Rich's books while Crusie's books contain more suspense. The Fortune Quilt is by far my favorite book by Rich - a very unique book - and has earned a place on my keeper shelf.
December 9, 2014
4 ½ stars. Quality story. I smiled and chuckled a lot.
I enjoyed the various characters including the wisecracking heroine. It’s not predictable run-of-the-mill-romance. There is romance but not a lot. It has some chick lit feel. There is a little bit of magic but not overdone. The ending is feel good and sweet.
The supporting characters include a transsexual, a woman whose parents are two gay guys, and a psychic quilt maker.
I don’t like 1st person narratives. And even worse is 1st person present tense which is this book. But because she made me laugh, I’m accepting it.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 1st person present tense. Story length: 262 pages. Swearing language: strong including religious swear words but not often used. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: two, but they are referred to or assumed, no details. Setting: current day Arizona. Copyright: 2007. Genre: humorous contemporary romance with a little fantasy.
OTHER BOOKS:
I’ve reviewed the following Lani Diane Rich books.
5 stars. Time Off for Good Behavior (you must do the audiobook, the narrator Hillary Hawkins really makes it)
4 ½ stars. Wish You Were Here
4 ½ stars. The Fortune Quilt
3 stars. Crazy in Love
2 stars. A Little Ray of Sunshine (too sad, teary moments, womens fiction)
I enjoyed the various characters including the wisecracking heroine. It’s not predictable run-of-the-mill-romance. There is romance but not a lot. It has some chick lit feel. There is a little bit of magic but not overdone. The ending is feel good and sweet.
The supporting characters include a transsexual, a woman whose parents are two gay guys, and a psychic quilt maker.
I don’t like 1st person narratives. And even worse is 1st person present tense which is this book. But because she made me laugh, I’m accepting it.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 1st person present tense. Story length: 262 pages. Swearing language: strong including religious swear words but not often used. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: two, but they are referred to or assumed, no details. Setting: current day Arizona. Copyright: 2007. Genre: humorous contemporary romance with a little fantasy.
OTHER BOOKS:
I’ve reviewed the following Lani Diane Rich books.
5 stars. Time Off for Good Behavior (you must do the audiobook, the narrator Hillary Hawkins really makes it)
4 ½ stars. Wish You Were Here
4 ½ stars. The Fortune Quilt
3 stars. Crazy in Love
2 stars. A Little Ray of Sunshine (too sad, teary moments, womens fiction)
July 8, 2008
I would have given this more stars if not for bad language. I hate that! I was intrigued by the story and kept going. Carly is a tv producer and does a story on a pyschic quilt maker, Brandywine Seaver. Brandy gives Carly a reading and her life changes topsy turvy in a matter of days. Her best friend (a man)declares his undying love for her, she gets laid off of her job, and her long lost mother shows up.
There were times I laughed out loud in this story. I'm not sure I would reccomend it to most of my friends on this site.
There were times I laughed out loud in this story. I'm not sure I would reccomend it to most of my friends on this site.
February 3, 2013
Wonderful story! I'm glad I found it. Sadly, I might have passed on it had it not been a free Kindle book that day, only because I've overdosed on formula romances over the years and developed an allergy to them. I'm fine with a good story that includes some romance, though, and this one sounded like it could be one of those.
It certainly is, and better than I expected. I'm fascinated by quilts, and loved the psychic quilter immediately. Brandy is quite an individual, and for all of Carly's snarky skepticism, she wasn't completely immune, I think. She took her quilt and the reading, after all.
The concept of being "Towered" is a great way to describe life suddenly becoming a train wreck. When Carly's train derails, she flees the scene, ending up on Brandy's doorstep. There she doesn't find all the answers, but does find friendship and comfort, and the space to breathe, cry, and think. New friends and a new job help her gain some perspective. The romantic interest is there, as well, but is not the whole story.
I enjoyed all the characters and thought them well done, even though some of them only appear briefly. The book moves at an even pace, and the ending is just right. I enjoyed it very much from start to finish.
I'm looking forward to reading more of the author's work.
It certainly is, and better than I expected. I'm fascinated by quilts, and loved the psychic quilter immediately. Brandy is quite an individual, and for all of Carly's snarky skepticism, she wasn't completely immune, I think. She took her quilt and the reading, after all.
The concept of being "Towered" is a great way to describe life suddenly becoming a train wreck. When Carly's train derails, she flees the scene, ending up on Brandy's doorstep. There she doesn't find all the answers, but does find friendship and comfort, and the space to breathe, cry, and think. New friends and a new job help her gain some perspective. The romantic interest is there, as well, but is not the whole story.
I enjoyed all the characters and thought them well done, even though some of them only appear briefly. The book moves at an even pace, and the ending is just right. I enjoyed it very much from start to finish.
I'm looking forward to reading more of the author's work.
April 13, 2013
A super cute, light fun read with some some great wisdom sprinkled throughout. It seemed almost too short, and some of the characters seemed kind of sketched out to me and not fully developed. Most of the characters were likable, but I found myself a little aggravated with the two sisters in the book and thought the dad was a wimp that lacked loyalty and understanding to his daughter (Carly the heroine). As soon as the flaky, missing mother (for 17 years!) reappears she is instantly forgiven and respected....and given authority over issues with the family she abandoned. This didn't feel right to me. I enjoyed reading about the funky artist/misfit town of Bilby, Arizona and want a summer home there! The romance between Carly and Will was sweet, but I don't fully understand Christopher's (the best friend who's in love with Carly) role in the book, and felt more could have been done with his character, and his roommate Lindsay for that matter who just sort of disappeared. Overall though, I think this is a good weekend read, and nice "brain vacation". I'd read more from this author.
February 26, 2008
Twice a year our library compiles a "Reader's Choice" table. They compile newer books that are liked by the library staff, but may not getting a lot of cirrculation. I am constantly looking for new reading material and read almost all of their selections. I have yet to be disapointed. I picked up this book off that table this week and again was delighted by something new and different.
I found the Fortune Quilt a lovely story of picking up the pieces of your life after it all comes crashing down. I loved this family from the get go. The warmth and affection they had for each other is a testament to the fact that a single parent home can be a sucessful one. That under the surface of any family, as great as it can look from the outside, hard feelings can still exsist, and that those too can be healed with time and nurturing. It is great feel good story that makes you think about fate and faith in relationships of all kinds.
I found the Fortune Quilt a lovely story of picking up the pieces of your life after it all comes crashing down. I loved this family from the get go. The warmth and affection they had for each other is a testament to the fact that a single parent home can be a sucessful one. That under the surface of any family, as great as it can look from the outside, hard feelings can still exsist, and that those too can be healed with time and nurturing. It is great feel good story that makes you think about fate and faith in relationships of all kinds.
April 14, 2008
I really enjoyed this book. I loved Carly's character. I neglected children, husband and housework this weekend because I kept picking up the book!
Three things that could have been a little better developed...
Jannesse and Brandy's relationship.
Christopher sort of disappears in the middle of the book.
I didn't feel like I got to know Will well enough.
Hmmm, maybe the book just needed to be longer. As I was getting to the end of it, I kept thinking, how the heck is she going to wrap this up in the next few pages? But she did. It was good, and I'll definitely be reading more by Lani Diane Rich!
Three things that could have been a little better developed...
Jannesse and Brandy's relationship.
Christopher sort of disappears in the middle of the book.
I didn't feel like I got to know Will well enough.
Hmmm, maybe the book just needed to be longer. As I was getting to the end of it, I kept thinking, how the heck is she going to wrap this up in the next few pages? But she did. It was good, and I'll definitely be reading more by Lani Diane Rich!
October 4, 2008
I started "The Fortune Quilt" this morning and finished it before dinner; I honestly couldn't put it down. It's the story of one woman's life being "Towered," basically falling apart, and her efforts to rebuild something even better. It's a good old love story with lots of chemistry and tension. The characters are human and loveable. The dialogue is smart and enjoyable. And at the core of the book is the question of whether our lives are ruled by fate or by what we will to be. It made me think...but not too hard! This one is "fun" reading.
March 4, 2008
This was a great light read. It does have some interesting characters in it when she goes to Bilby which is an artist community such as a man becoming a woman and other alternative lifestyles. They don't go into it very much and they are secondary characters. I Loved the main character Charly and read through this really fast. It was light and fun and talked a lot about forgiveness and how to make yourself go through the process. Good book
October 20, 2012
This was my first book by this author, and I was skeptical at first, especially because I downloaded it to my Kindle for free. Unexpectedly, I loved this novel. In fact, I loved it so much that I went to Amazon and bought 5 other novels by Lani Diane Rich. I happily anticipate reading them.
The novel starts on a quiet, even uncertain note. There is no defined hook, nothing ‘explodes’ (as it often does in genre fiction), but the more I read, the more the story pulled me in. By the time I lifted my eyes from the pages and looked at my watch, I was half way into the novel and loving it.
The protagonist, a TV producer Carly, is hurt and confused in the beginning. She has been a surrogate mother to her two younger sisters since she was twelve, when their mother left, and their father, consumed by grief, withdrew into his work. When other girls her age flirted with boys and hung out in malls, Carly nursed her baby sister through illnesses and cooked family dinners every night.
Now at 29, she is stagnating and unhappy in both professional and personal senses. Her career just nosedived, her romantic relationships floundered, and her mother suddenly reappears. And everyone – the father and both sisters – want the woman back.
Carly can’t forgive her mother for bailing out all those years ago. She also can’t forgive the other family members for their instant forgiveness and acceptance. Her life is unraveling from all ends, and nobody seems to care. Feeling bitter and unwanted, Carly does what her mother had done all those years ago: she drives away.
She ends up in Bilby, a small, artsy town, where she is trying to make sense of what has been happening to her. She is re-imagining her life, learning to love and accept and forgive. In a way, Carly’s arrival in Bilby is the real beginning. Before that moment, the humor that permeates the story is almost invisible, unshaped. Carly too seems only half-formed, blurry at the edges. Only when she reaches Bilby, not only as a place on a map but as a way of life, her personality solidifies, and the author’s humor at last bursts to the surface.
“You have been Towered,” one of Bilby residents says to Carly. The reference to Tarot’s Tower and its meaning of upheaval is amazingly fresh. In all my readings, and I read a lot, this book is the first time I found this reference, and I appreciate its originality and its universal truth.
Practically everyone in Bilby, as well as the town herself, had been Towered, at least once. Wounded people came to Bilby to heal and stayed because the town accepted them. In Bilby, there is no need to hide, to pretend. The citizens of Bilby can be themselves, and in turn, they accept every newcomer, no matter how whacky or cranky, thus passing the torch of healing forward.
The town is like another character in the novel; with her own quirky personality and her therapeutic ambience. She was a mining town before, but after the mines closed, the town refused to die. Like her current residents, she reinvented herself as an artists’ retreat, a town of misfits, a refuge and a nursing ground for the injured creativity.
I love this short novel. Although it might be classified as chic lit, its lightness doesn’t have a fluffy component, and its simplicity is enriched by the author’s irreverent but subtle humor. The novel is tightly focused: no unnecessary words and no extraneous characters. The plot and the narrative are crystal clear and inviting. I want to go to Bilby. I want to live there. And although Carly leaves the town in the end, she leaves transformed and better for the change. And her journey makes a charming story I’d recommend to anyone.
The novel starts on a quiet, even uncertain note. There is no defined hook, nothing ‘explodes’ (as it often does in genre fiction), but the more I read, the more the story pulled me in. By the time I lifted my eyes from the pages and looked at my watch, I was half way into the novel and loving it.
The protagonist, a TV producer Carly, is hurt and confused in the beginning. She has been a surrogate mother to her two younger sisters since she was twelve, when their mother left, and their father, consumed by grief, withdrew into his work. When other girls her age flirted with boys and hung out in malls, Carly nursed her baby sister through illnesses and cooked family dinners every night.
Now at 29, she is stagnating and unhappy in both professional and personal senses. Her career just nosedived, her romantic relationships floundered, and her mother suddenly reappears. And everyone – the father and both sisters – want the woman back.
Carly can’t forgive her mother for bailing out all those years ago. She also can’t forgive the other family members for their instant forgiveness and acceptance. Her life is unraveling from all ends, and nobody seems to care. Feeling bitter and unwanted, Carly does what her mother had done all those years ago: she drives away.
She ends up in Bilby, a small, artsy town, where she is trying to make sense of what has been happening to her. She is re-imagining her life, learning to love and accept and forgive. In a way, Carly’s arrival in Bilby is the real beginning. Before that moment, the humor that permeates the story is almost invisible, unshaped. Carly too seems only half-formed, blurry at the edges. Only when she reaches Bilby, not only as a place on a map but as a way of life, her personality solidifies, and the author’s humor at last bursts to the surface.
“You have been Towered,” one of Bilby residents says to Carly. The reference to Tarot’s Tower and its meaning of upheaval is amazingly fresh. In all my readings, and I read a lot, this book is the first time I found this reference, and I appreciate its originality and its universal truth.
Practically everyone in Bilby, as well as the town herself, had been Towered, at least once. Wounded people came to Bilby to heal and stayed because the town accepted them. In Bilby, there is no need to hide, to pretend. The citizens of Bilby can be themselves, and in turn, they accept every newcomer, no matter how whacky or cranky, thus passing the torch of healing forward.
The town is like another character in the novel; with her own quirky personality and her therapeutic ambience. She was a mining town before, but after the mines closed, the town refused to die. Like her current residents, she reinvented herself as an artists’ retreat, a town of misfits, a refuge and a nursing ground for the injured creativity.
I love this short novel. Although it might be classified as chic lit, its lightness doesn’t have a fluffy component, and its simplicity is enriched by the author’s irreverent but subtle humor. The novel is tightly focused: no unnecessary words and no extraneous characters. The plot and the narrative are crystal clear and inviting. I want to go to Bilby. I want to live there. And although Carly leaves the town in the end, she leaves transformed and better for the change. And her journey makes a charming story I’d recommend to anyone.
October 28, 2012
I am a quilter, and so the title, The Fortune Quilt, drew me in first. I was delighted to find that this book was also a romance, with a touch of the "we're not in Kansas anymore" setting. Lani Diane Rich has written a fast paced story in a laid back setting where personal growth and family relationships are key themes.
Three sisters and a dad are abandoned by a postpartum-depressed mother who has named each daughter after a singer: Carly (Simon) is the eldest, Ella (Fitzgerald) the middle child who pleases all, and 'Fiver' who chose her own name from a Sesame Street episode 'brought to you by the number Five' because she was not happy with her given name (read the story to see what it was.) Carly, at twelve, takes on a number of maternal duties in the absence of her mother, missing much of her age-appropriate social involvements as a result. She becomes a strong, independent woman who is then unable to establish trust in romantic relationships.
The setting away from home that Carly chooses is so radically different from all that she knew, and in that Oz-like, technicolor place, she begins to discover her own and others' alternate life styles. Having lost her career job, she becomes a store clerk in an art supply shop, where she is befriended by a transgender owner who has left her psychic, quilt-making wife; she also meets a seventeen year old who has been adopted by two gay partners and who has far too much life-advice to share with Carly, right down to the cappuccino flavor of the day. She is surprised by her ex-fiance at her sister's wedding, and again surprised by her best friend's admission of love - all in the course of a few fast months in the Arizona foothills.
The quilt, and the fortune that accompanies it, plays a minor role in the story, but is key in helping Carly to both put aside her former rigid skepticism and open her heart to new possibilities. I did reach for a tissue at a few spots in the story, and did laugh out loud at others. Five stars for this unexpected treasure!
Three sisters and a dad are abandoned by a postpartum-depressed mother who has named each daughter after a singer: Carly (Simon) is the eldest, Ella (Fitzgerald) the middle child who pleases all, and 'Fiver' who chose her own name from a Sesame Street episode 'brought to you by the number Five' because she was not happy with her given name (read the story to see what it was.) Carly, at twelve, takes on a number of maternal duties in the absence of her mother, missing much of her age-appropriate social involvements as a result. She becomes a strong, independent woman who is then unable to establish trust in romantic relationships.
The setting away from home that Carly chooses is so radically different from all that she knew, and in that Oz-like, technicolor place, she begins to discover her own and others' alternate life styles. Having lost her career job, she becomes a store clerk in an art supply shop, where she is befriended by a transgender owner who has left her psychic, quilt-making wife; she also meets a seventeen year old who has been adopted by two gay partners and who has far too much life-advice to share with Carly, right down to the cappuccino flavor of the day. She is surprised by her ex-fiance at her sister's wedding, and again surprised by her best friend's admission of love - all in the course of a few fast months in the Arizona foothills.
The quilt, and the fortune that accompanies it, plays a minor role in the story, but is key in helping Carly to both put aside her former rigid skepticism and open her heart to new possibilities. I did reach for a tissue at a few spots in the story, and did laugh out loud at others. Five stars for this unexpected treasure!
April 13, 2013
There are some stories that when you read them you simply can't put them down. Then there are others that you read over several days. While still others are simply just okay or complete stinkers.
The Fortune Quilt by Lani Diane Rich is just okay. At one point, I was almost disappointed, but perhaps I was just reading it at the wrong time. I didn't find anything that was really outstanding about it, save for the fact that it was about a mystical woman who makes a lot of quilts and waits for the owners to show up so she can give it to them.
Some of the things that happen to the main character, Carly McKay, could be considered real life, but there was really nothing that I would call tragic. Okay, so her runaway mom returns, and she loses her job, goes back to Bisby, AZ (the site of where she meets the mysterious quiltmaker) to find herself, and then somehow miraculously gets herself another job. All because of a quilt! Hardly. While I am a firm believer in destiny, I also believe in making things happen for yourself. I can't really feel sorry for Carly. At some point all I remembered thinking was "suck it up and get on with it."
Frankly, I wish that Ms. Rich would have spent a little more time developing some of the ancillary characters. It would have helped provide a bit more color to the story.
The Fortune Quilt by Lani Diane Rich is just okay. At one point, I was almost disappointed, but perhaps I was just reading it at the wrong time. I didn't find anything that was really outstanding about it, save for the fact that it was about a mystical woman who makes a lot of quilts and waits for the owners to show up so she can give it to them.
Some of the things that happen to the main character, Carly McKay, could be considered real life, but there was really nothing that I would call tragic. Okay, so her runaway mom returns, and she loses her job, goes back to Bisby, AZ (the site of where she meets the mysterious quiltmaker) to find herself, and then somehow miraculously gets herself another job. All because of a quilt! Hardly. While I am a firm believer in destiny, I also believe in making things happen for yourself. I can't really feel sorry for Carly. At some point all I remembered thinking was "suck it up and get on with it."
Frankly, I wish that Ms. Rich would have spent a little more time developing some of the ancillary characters. It would have helped provide a bit more color to the story.
October 16, 2012
I had never read a book by Lani Diane Rich, but I was in the mood for something light-hearted and brainless after finishing the Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling and this title on my kindle seemed like it might fit the bill.
Well it really didn't, there ended up being a lot of current issues to deal with, a girl who had to turn "Mom" at 12 when her Mother abandons her and her younger siblings then finding herself out of a job due to the economy just as her mom reappears and her best friend declares that he has always been in love with her. There was also a woman who's husband decided he was really meant to be a woman, There was a husband who wanted his wife back for a decade and finally has his dreams answered but then loses his daughter. There was forgiveness and anger and a lot of running away and trying to find your way home. There was also some wonderfully funny humor, some characters worth getting to know and a lot of dreams coming true.
I am glad I read it, I was at the point where my mood needed lifted and this was perfect at doing exactly that.
Well it really didn't, there ended up being a lot of current issues to deal with, a girl who had to turn "Mom" at 12 when her Mother abandons her and her younger siblings then finding herself out of a job due to the economy just as her mom reappears and her best friend declares that he has always been in love with her. There was also a woman who's husband decided he was really meant to be a woman, There was a husband who wanted his wife back for a decade and finally has his dreams answered but then loses his daughter. There was forgiveness and anger and a lot of running away and trying to find your way home. There was also some wonderfully funny humor, some characters worth getting to know and a lot of dreams coming true.
I am glad I read it, I was at the point where my mood needed lifted and this was perfect at doing exactly that.
January 11, 2008
I LOVED this book! It was so great! It's about a girl who goes to a little town to interview a psychic quilt maker and thinks she's absolutely full of bunk. Before she leaves, the quilt maker gives her a quilt of her own and a reading--vague things like: "return the frog. Accept the book with the amber spine. Take the cab." (The heroine sarcastically asks if that's like "Leave the gun, take the cannoli?") Anyway, when things that were predicted start to come true and her life turns upside down, she goes back to the little town to return the quilt and ends up living there. The book was great and it was a fast read. I cannot tell you how much I identified with the heroine and her issues stemming from her childhood...ugh! Anyway, read the book, it was great. WARNING: There are a few F bombs here and there(not enough to be distracting)--hope you're not squeamish.
November 19, 2014
This was a fun story. Carly, the main character, is a reporter who interviews a psychic who makes and uses quilts for her readings. Carly is skeptical about it all, but after receiving her own quilt and reading, she ends up moving to the quirky, artsy town where the psychic lives. Actually, it was more of a running away from her problems. This story covers a lot in a short time, but the author does a great job keeping the most important aspects in the forefront and keeping it light with humor. This is the first book I've read by this author, and I look forward to reading her other books.
April 25, 2015
I was actually pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Sometimes you get away from a true romance with a twist of paranormal (or is it belief) you decide once you read this heartwarming story. The characters were likable, quirky, and probably like none other you will ever read about. Lani Diane Rich wrote a story and told it like many others could try but could probably not do. It was a great book and it was free. I don't know what it is now but go try it and you might like it, too!
February 13, 2008
I liked this book. It was a quick read, straightforward, and I enjoyed the author's wit. I found her descriptions not too weighed down with details but there were enough to make me feel involved in the story. I would have given it an additional 1/2 star if that was possible, but 4 stars would have been too many given that there was S&S (swearing & sexual inuendos) that I don't feel were absolutely vital to the story line.
December 31, 2013
Again, lovely scenes and characters, but this time the story felt far too close to A Little Ray of Sunshine in having a terrible mother and the adult daughter having to come to terms with her as a changed woman. What worked in ALROS didn't work so well here, and the romance didn't feel very moving as a result.
September 13, 2014
Found it at the library, grabbed it on a whim. It's light. It's fun. It's easy to read. It's like a Julia Roberts movie from the 90s. Not much to it, but somehow it's pretty enjoyable. Sometimes I end up liking a book like this and don't know what else to do but give a little shrug and admit that yep, I liked it.
April 12, 2016
This was such a good book!! I read it for a book club and wasn't sure what to expect as I was not familiar with the author. I really liked the main character, Carly, and seeing her grow throughout the book. The little town of Bilby was so cute and I adored the quirky residents. There was some family tension that was nicely resolved. All in all, a great read!
November 30, 2012
3.5 stars
This is a nice little story, but nothing special. The hero was nice enough but so beta that for the longest time I wasn't sure the heroine was really going to end up with him. It was a tad hard to feel the chemistry. I really liked her best friend Christopher better.
This is a nice little story, but nothing special. The hero was nice enough but so beta that for the longest time I wasn't sure the heroine was really going to end up with him. It was a tad hard to feel the chemistry. I really liked her best friend Christopher better.
April 10, 2008
Oh this is such a good book! I laughed and cried. The characters are just so wonderful, that you never want to stop reading about them.
June 12, 2012
This is the first novel I've read by Lani Diane Rich and I loved it! She's snarky and funny and her writing reminds me so much of Jennifer Crusie whom I LOVE!
January 15, 2010
This was a great book. Really likeable characters, good humor yet a very substantial & emotional plot!
December 20, 2013
What a fantastic book! I was laughing and getting teary eyed sometime at the same time. I also read this book in an afternoon because I couldn't put it down. So wonderful.
April 9, 2016
This was exactly what I needed when I stuck my nose in and couldn't pull it out. I loved the story and the characters and look forward to our discussion.
April 27, 2014
Cute and quirky. Chick lit with a twist, it was a nice respite from my other reads.
March 19, 2018
I listen to some of Lani Diane Rich’s podcasts and knew her name from reading a book of hers a long time ago, since she published a book she wrote for NaNoWriMo. I actually read this book in 2007 and remembered liking it so I read it again and loved it. I love the premise and the hint of magic and the characters and the writing style. I think it is my favorite of her books so far.
April 14, 2020
Carly produces a piece about a psychic quilt maker for her news show, and is given a quilt and a reading. The quilt maker tells her that her whole life is going to change. When the reading comes true, she must decide if she is going to embrace the change or fight for her old life. If you are a fan of magical realism books, this one is for you!
September 4, 2021
It has been a while since I read a book by this author and I forgot how witty she was. I enjoyed the journey and growth of the characters. The main character was likeable despite herself. However it was unpleasant to read how the transfer character was handled. I don't know the cause or reasoning but it negatively impacted the book for me.
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