Friday, April 6, 2018

Book Review - High Cotton by Debby Mayne

Book Synopsis
Some families are filled with so much love they can’t help but drive each other crazy.

Shay Henke has mixed feelings about going to her family’s next reunion. On the one hand, she’ll get to see everyone in her mama's family—folks she loves unconditionally. On the other hand, she knows there’ll be more drama than you can shake a stick at. 

The days leading up to the event bring one surprise after another. First Shay must deal with her sister-in-law’s deep, dark secret. Then she has to contend with the childish ways of her business-mogul twin cousins. And when her high school crush wants to be her date to the reunion . . . well, it may have been a dream come true for Shay’s teen self, but the woman she’s become doesn’t know what to make of this. 

Shay’s contentment is challenged, and she’s determined to shake things up a bit. But will she find the excitement she’s looking for, or will Shay realize she prefers her quiet and predictable life? One thing is certain: Life in the Bucklin family is never boring. 
 


My Review
High Cotton is a southern novel set in the small town of Pinewood, Mississippi.  Shay Henke is at the heart of the novel.  She receives an invitation to a family reunion at the same time that she reconnects with her high school crush.  And then there is a lot of family drama, especially from a secret her sister-in-law asks her to help keep and her younger twin cousins, who seek her advice.  This is the first book in the Bucklin Family Reunion Series.

This was a really enjoyable read!   The author, who has clearly spent a lot of time in the south, captured small town southern life perfectly.  I am a native southerner and loved that aspect of this book -- the southernisms of the language, the pacing, the food, the family dynamics.

The book is told in alternating chapters by different members of the family.  At first I was a little wary of this, because it really seems to be Shay's story at heart, but as the novel went on I really got to know the other characters (Missy, Punkin, and Sally) as well and cared about them.  I enjoyed their storylines and seeing the way all the stories fit together.

The dialogue was particularly strong in this novel.  I could just visualize scenes, like a movie, because it was so engaging and well written.

I recommend High Cotton for fans of Southern fiction, women's fiction, and Christian novels.  I am already looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

I received a copy of this book from Gilead Reviewers.  

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