I received a complimentary copy of REVIVING THE HAWTHORN SISTERS by Emily Carpenter to read and review. Thank you to Emily Carpenter and Lake Union Publishing!
Rating: 4 / 5
REVIVING THE HAWTHORN SISTERS follows two timelines. In the present day Eve is the granddaughter of evangelist Dove Jarrod, renowned for her faith healings and messages. Eve works for the foundation formed in Dove’s name and while they do good work, Eve knows that her grandmother was actually just a successful fraud. She is working on a documentary on her grandmother’s life when she is approached by a stranger who gives Eve only a few days to find a lost treasure or else he will reveal all of Dove’s dark secrets.
The second timeline follows Dove herself, a young girl who escapes from the psych hospital where she was born and heads out to forge her own life with nothing to her name. Soon she is part of the Hawthorn Sisters, taking their inspirational show on the road. Things aren’t all smooth sailing as someone from her past poses a threat to her future.
I had seen a few great reviews of this book, so I was really excited to get the opportunity to read it myself and I am so glad I did! This was a perfect read for a chilly fall night and I was kept hooked throughout! The author does an excellent job of developing both Eve and Dove as characters you want to get to know better. While Eve has presented Dove as a complicated woman and a con artist, Dove’s story quickly shows there is more to the story.
The mystery itself is well drawn out with clues and interesting characters added in at a good pace. There were some twists I was able to predict, but a few more that kept me guessing which is always the sign of a good novel! This is one I would recommend that you add to your TBR!
DG Reads 