Chasing Sunsets

I thoroughly enjoyed this story from beginning to end and cannot wait to read the other 2 books of the series. In reading the prologue I felt like I was reading my divorce story...seriously. My name is Kim, my ex is Charlie, and I have 2 boys! It was slightly creepy. I only wish I could have run off to a town like Cedar Key. I honestly feel the story is very well written. I love the glimpses into the past of the characters, and I can seriously relate to the 5 weeks of summer spent without your children after a divorce.

CHASING SUNSETS by Eva Marie Everson is the first book I’ve read by this author and I think I’ve found a new favorite author to follow!

This is a book of hope, forgiveness, introspection and love. I love the fact that the main character decided to take a trip to Cedar Key by herself to do a little relaxing. For the first time since college, she’s alone for 5 weeks in the summer. She seemed to be at loose ends until she meets her neighbor and “wise woman”, Patsy. This time alone gives Kimberly the opportunity to examine her life, her ended marriage, her family's "hidden" issues and what she wants to do in the future. As in real life, it’s a difficult road to take.

I love that the characters in the book are developed – it’s show more like you actually know them. When an author can pull that off, I’d say the book will be a success. You want to take sides in the character plots but Ms. Everson brings out both the good & the not-so-good qualities of everyone. No single character is black or white---just like in real life---but they have awesome traits and everyday flaws. Personally I like that in my reading.

Chasing Sunsets is a fabulous summer read---by the pool, in a chaise lounge, or even on the patio. Bring out a fruity drink & you have the makings of a relaxing time just for you. I’m giving this a 5 star rating and look forward to the next book in the series!

Available June 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. show less

evastated by a divorce, Kimberly Tucker is searching for answers. How could a marriage that seemed to be so perfect have fallen apart? What had she done to cause her husband to turn to some one else? Kimberly had been a people-pleaser and problem fixer since she was a child. She depended on others approval of her and was determined to fix all things around her.

Will a trip to the family vacation home at Cedar Key force Kimberly to come face to face with truths that she had buried deep in her heart?

This book starts out in the court room as Kimberly and Charlie Tucker are meeting before the General Magistrate to determine the summer arrangements for their two boys Cody and Chase. There Kimberly is told that the boys would be with their show more father for 5 weeks of the summer. Absolutely devastated at this announcement Kimberly is left feeling as if her heart is shattered. To distract her from the heartbreak her father sends her on a job to the family vacation retreat - a place she had not returned to since her mother's death.

In this place Kimberly is forced to look at the past and face the ugly secrets of life that were locked up there. She must decide if she will allow God to rekindle and old flame and redeem the things she thought were lost. But this will mean that Kimberly must also admit some truths about herself and her family that will forever change her - and will set her free.

I could not put this novel down. The author has carefully developed each character in such a way that the reader feels as if they know them personally. I enjoyed the fact that there were chapters that were flashback style - so that the reader could gain more knowledge about the past of each character so that the current choices, actions and feelings make more since.

I could not put this book down. I can't wait for the second book!! I will be anxiously awaiting it's print date to see how this story unfolds more - to see what happens to the others in this book.

Available June 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

Thank you Revel publishing for this free review copy. show less

Due to some glitches with my book club’s selections this fall, I was scrambling to find an alternate for our October discussion. Looking through the many titles on my Kindle, I came upon Chasing Sunsets by Eva Marie Everson. That title had been in the TBR queue for a while and my group read and enjoyed two of her other novels, Things Left Unspoken and The Potluck Club. Add that the book is currently FREE on Kindle, and we got our book! What at first seemed like a second choice soon became a boy-am-I-glad-I-chose-this-one book. Chasing Sunsets is sure to be a hit with my group and create great discussion.

Kim Tucker is one year divorced and still not sure how it happened. As the novel opens things are strained between her and her ex, show more Charlie. He wants an extra week with their two boys and she is unwilling to give up without a fight. But a biased judge forces Kim to give up some of her time with her kids and gives her an opportunity to go back to Cedar Key to handle a few housekeeping issues for her father. Cedar Key holds wonderful childhood memories for Kim, but was also the scene of heartache and lost love. But being the responsible and dutiful oldest daughter, Kim reluctantly agrees to spend at least a few days at the vacation home. What Kim finds there opens old wounds, exposes secrets and offers a second chance at love.

There are a lot of things to examine in Chasing Sunsets – life after divorce, giving over control to God and confronting past demons. Kim grows in her relationships with family and friends, as well as with God. Characters are credible in their actions and reactions, both good and bad. Kim had a lot to learn and by the end of the book she is well on her way to peace. There are a few loose ends left in the book, making way for two additional books in the series that I am eager to read (Waiting for Sunrise and Slow Moon Rising). A great book for those who like women’s fiction with the plus of being set on a Florida island, Chasing Sunsets will make you eager to grab a cool drink, kick up your feet and lose yourself in its pages.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: Adults. show less

Kimberly Claybourne Tucker didn't want to be swept away by the magic of Cedar Key, Florida. A painful divorce and the responsibility of rearing two sons leaves Kimberly stressed and without the answers as to why things happen. When a judge orders her sons to spend five weeks with their father, Kimberly's father pushes her to visit Cedar Key, a place she has avoided for years because of the bittersweet memories. Her goal is to visit the area as quickly as possible and return. However, a chance meeting with Steven Granger, her first love, disrupts her plans. As she spends time in Cedar Key, she discovers the need for faith, the shadows of the past, and that sometimes there are second chances.

I thoroughly enjoyed Chasing Sunsets by Eva show more Marie Everson. I live on the Gulf Coast of Florida so I easily identified with the atmosphere and vivid imagery. The intricate stories of the characters drew me back to this book until I finished it. There's no doubt that Everson is a talented author, but I wish there was more closure to the plot. The book is well-over three hundred pages, yet the story is incomplete when the book ends. Thank goodness there is a sequel planned. The first chapter of it is in the back to the book.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fiction with a mixture of romance, sisterhood, and life issues.

Available June 2011 at your favorite bookseller, from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." show less

It took me a while to get into this book, but when I did I liked it pretty well. There were glimpses into the past as well as the current story, all which had to do with Kimberley's growing as a person and a Christian woman.

evastated by a divorce, Kimberly Tucker is searching for answers. How could a marriage that seemed to be so perfect have fallen apart? What had she done to cause her husband to turn to some one else? Kimberly had been a people-pleaser and problem fixer since she was a child. She depended on others approval of her and was determined to fix all things around her.

Will a trip to the family vacation home at Cedar Key force Kimberly to come face to face with truths that she had buried deep in her heart?

This book starts out in the court room as Kimberly and Charlie Tucker are meeting before the General Magistrate to determine the summer arrangements for their two boys Cody and Chase. There Kimberly is told that the boys would be with their show more father for 5 weeks of the summer. Absolutely devastated at this announcement Kimberly is left feeling as if her heart is shattered. To distract her from the heartbreak her father sends her on a job to the family vacation retreat - a place she had not returned to since her mother's death.

In this place Kimberly is forced to look at the past and face the ugly secrets of life that were locked up there. She must decide if she will allow God to rekindle and old flame and redeem the things she thought were lost. But this will mean that Kimberly must also admit some truths about herself and her family that will forever change her - and will set her free.

I could not put this novel down. The author has carefully developed each character in such a way that the reader feels as if they know them personally. I enjoyed the fact that there were chapters that were flashback style - so that the reader could gain more knowledge about the past of each character so that the current choices, actions and feelings make more since.

I could not put this book down. I can't wait for the second book!! I will be anxiously awaiting it's print date to see how this story unfolds more - to see what happens to the others in this book.

Available June 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

Thank you Revel publishing for this free review copy. show less