2019 Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal for Chick Lit
FAPA 2019 President’s Book Award Gold Medal for Romance
“A sweet novel that aims to remind readers that the best moments in life may sometimes be the most ordinary.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A Year of Extraordinary Moments is an intricate tale which weaves a grandmother’s dying wish with the harsher realities of abandonment, alcoholism, and lost love. Each story so heartrending and complete, I felt like I’d read five books in one.” —Rebecca Rosenberg, The Secret Life of Mrs. London
“Bette Lee Crosby has a magical way of guiding readers to see ordinary moments in life as extraordinary. The title for this heartwarming story could not be better. Despite loss, pain, disappointment, and other challenges, Crosby assures there is always forgiveness, love, and hope. All of that is skillfully crafted on these pages.” —Patricia Sands, bestselling author of the Love in Provence series
“Bravo. Crosby is truly a story whisperer; she tells a tender tale as though she is in a cafe sharing something that happened to people you know and care about. The women in A Year of Extraordinary Moments are the kind of characters who live on long after the last page is turned.” —Marilyn Simon Rothstein, author of Lift and Separate
“A Year of Extraordinary Moments is that rare book that makes you believe in the power of love. Filled with memorable characters and important life lessons, Betty Lee Crosby’s latest is a Southern treat to the last page.” —Anita Hughes, author of California Summer
“Engrossing and warm, the Magnolia Grove series has it all. Southern charm, heartfelt characters and a family-driven storyline that quite magically blurs the line between fiction and reality. Add to that more than a few surprises and A Year of Extraordinary Moments is my favorite Magnolia Grove story to date!” —Heather Burch, bestselling author of Something Like Family
2018-07-05
In International Book Award-winningnovelist Crosby's (The Summer of New Beginnings, 2018, etc.) continuation of her Magnolia Grove series, a woman focuses on building a life for herself and her hearing-impaired son when the past comes knocking at her door.Tracy Briggs finally feels like things are coming together for her. She runs Snip ‘n Save, the coupon magazine that her family owns; her son, Lucas Briggs,is getting the education and help that he needs; and she starts acknowledging her romantic feelings toward the man who founded her son's school. But just when she thinks that she's put Lucas' father, Dominic DeLuca,in her rearview mirror, he arrives back in town to look after his dying grandmother. He's finding it difficult to move on, and his actions threaten the stability of Tracy's new life. Crosby effectively explores relationships between siblings, between parents and their children, and between romantic partners in this novel, as well as showing how one can allow the past to dictate one's future. As Tracy realizes that her passion may not lie with the magazine, her sister Meghan voices a desire to maintain her father's legacy, despite the fact that she has other priorities in her life. Dominic's grandmother, Alice DeLuca, wants to leave her farm to her great-grandson, but Dominic allows old grievances to warp his worldview. Meghan and Tracy's mother, Lila Briggs, sums it up best: "If you keep the past in there, crowding your closet, you won't have room for what you need for the future." Throughout this book, the author beautifully explores the theme of letting go of the past while preserving its best parts, and its intense third act will hit home with any parent who's ever had to deal with an estranged ex. Crosby's storytelling is straightforward and uncomplicated, and the characters' conversations feel consistently lifelike and authentic. A sweet novel that aims to remind readers that the best moments in life may sometimes be the most ordinary.
