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Book Review of Bitter Sweet

Bitter Sweet
Bitter Sweet
Author: LaVyrle Spencer
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Romance
Book Type: Hardcover
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LaVyrle Spencer has always been a favorite author; however, this book is incredibly wordy. There's no way around it; it beats around the bush too much. Perhaps I've noticed this because I read at least 200 books each year. It has been about five years since I read one of LaVyrle Spencer's books. Perhaps I've come to appreciate more terse authors in the intervening years. Don't get me wrong; this is a great story -- that could have been told more succinctly.

This is a very emotional story. It begins about a year after Maggie becomes a widow. Having loved her husband Phillip, Maggie is devastated. However, when she calls high school friends (a job given to each grief group member), she is convinced to return to Wisconsin for a quick visit.

This leads to Maggie deciding to come back home and reside with her friends and parents. She also reestablishes a friendship with her high school boyfriend, Eric. Unfortunately, Maggie's old boyfriend is married to a gorgeous woman, Nancy. However, there is trouble in paradise because Eric wants a child, and during eighteen years of marriage, Nancy refuses.

There are lots of intense emotions between the characters. Maggie's mother, Vera, is a constant shrew. Maggie's daughter, Katie, is very similar to her grandmother. Both are judgmental and want life to be as they order it. When Maggie returns to Wisconsin (from Seattle), Katie is enraged. On the other hand, Roy, Maggie's father, is kindness personified.

Maggie's return to her hometown releases a whirlwind of changes and tensions. This is a great story.