The Garden of Happy Endings: A Novel (edition 2012)

I have to agree with many of the other reviews. This was an enjoyable book. It was my favorite kind of books - one where the characters go through a ton, but learn a ton from their experience. It was well written and the characters were real, interesting, and likable. I look forward to other book by this author, because I also really enjoyed, The Lost Recipe for Happiness. O'Neal seems to have a way of creating awesome characters and I can't to find more of them.

I enjoyed it very much. The characters were quite real, and well developed. Usually I don't like switching from character to character, but I didn't mind in this book ( )

I received this book as a free Early Reviewers giveaway and enjoyed every moment reading it. I think I may have even found a new favorite author. I loved the depth of this book. It explored love and relationship from some very fresh perspectives. It explored young love just beginning, an old relationship that is at the end of the road, a relationship that was lost may years ago and the strength that comes from building a relationship on friendship. While this story tackles some very intense subjects, it was a joy to read. I kept turning the pages hooked on what would happen next. I highly recommend this book! ( )

Another "LT" free book. This book was a joy to read, its about Elsa who is a Unity minister, and she has to deal with a crisis of faith, she finally makes peace with it. Faith based it allows you to realize that even those of us who are deep believers can reach our lows. Would recommend this book to anyone, I also look forward into reading other books by this author. ( )

Another winner from one of my favorite authors.
Reverend Elsa Montgomery is going through a crisis of faith after the brutal murder of a young parishioner. She's so angry that God would allow such an unspeakable act that she's not sure she can continue as a minister. She takes a sabbatical from her Seattle church and goes home to Pueblo, Colorado to work through things. When she gets there she finds her sister Tamsin going through a life-changing upheaval of her own. Her missing husband has been charged with running a Ponzi scheme that stole millions. She finds herself homeless, penniless and not sure where to turn.

Elsa and Tamsin wind up living in the small house where they grew up. Elsa reconnects with the parish priest who also happens to be her former boyfriend. He broke off their engagement twenty years earlier when he had a calling to the priesthood. They managed to stay friends and kept in touch over the years. Ultimately he becomes the catalyst to Elsa finding her way back to her faith. Through him she meets many people (wonderful primary and secondary characters) who help her along the way.
Tamsin has lived a life of privilege but is now happy to accept a job in the fabric department at Walmart. She also helps out with a new community garden program at the parish. She learns that she may not have been as happy or content in her old life as she thought. In fact, she realizes how lonely her life had become. Watching both women find their way on such personal journeys made for an emotional reading experience.
Barbara O'Neal is a wonderful storyteller. Her characters and story truly resonated with me. I can't ask for more than that. ( )