A Long Story Short discussion

It's May Day and officially time to start our May read Dark Days of Promise. As you make your way through the first few chapters, leave your first impression of the characters, writing, story, etc. here!!

Happy Reading!

I have read 4 chapters. Usually I would be much farther, but it just is not holding my interest. So far I'm just not a huge fan. From the description I did feel like I would enjoy it. It sounds like a good easy read plot line, though likely predictable and sappy, but every once in a while I like a good sappy predictable love story. However, the writing style is really taking me out of the story and just not allowing me to get hooked.
First, the concept of time within the writing baffles me. One minute she is hanging laundry, the next in the car, and then at church. It is so unclear to me how much time has actually passed since her ex-husbands death in the first chapter to when they are at church or her son is shoplifting. It feels like the author had a thought and jotted it down and didn't think to clearly join them together with a nice flow. She just seems to be speeding through and taking it way too fast.
She gave us no time to get to know the characters and feel an emotional connection with them before killing off the ex. A scene where the military comes to tell someone that their soldier is gone can be a huge emotional, sad, chilling moment and when it happened in literally the first sentence. It just didn't hit home for me the way it could have. I would have loved some back story first so we are hit in the feels a little harder and care for this family a little more.
I also get annoyed with the main character Vicki. All she talks about is how she is going to be a single parent now and grapples with how do it... but haven't they been divorced and subsequently already a single parent due to him cheating? Her feelings about this and about her ex are very confusing and contradictory. I may have missed what era this story is taking place in (due to the story line trying to move at hyper speed) but it feels that Vicki has the ideals of a 1950s house wife. If it is meant to take place in that time, then her character is a little more acceptable for me, but if not I can't stand how all she is worried about is how her family will make it without a strong male head of house. I get this is smack out of the sappy love story handbook, but Vicki beats it to death and with this subject matter and plot I was hoping for something a little deeper. I want to see a strong independent lead female that wants a man to stand beside her not lead her. Right now she seems absolutely helpless to the point where it is nauseating. I hope as the novel continues, she will evolve into that.