Review: Aging With Gracie by Heather Hunt

Welcome to Manhattan #1

Book Cover and Synopsis:

Nerdy Emma Grace Woodhouse has struggled with her weight and her mother’s meddling for years. When she is assigned to manage her father’s corporation’s latest acquisition in Manhattan, she is ecstatic that she will finally have a chance to prove herself. Unfortunately, Grace’s joy takes a sudden downward spiral when she discovers that the assignment is the overhaul of a retirement home in Manhattan…Manhattan, Georgia, of all places.

Grace resigns herself to tackling the overwhelming task of turning the retirement home into a welcoming and safe place for its elderly residents...a task made even more difficult by the destructive presence of a vindictive pair of former workers. Armed with a newfound sense of God's grace, the friendship of a pair of feisty elderly residents, and a blossoming relationship with handsome general contractor, Jackson Ellis, Grace discovers that God's plans for her life are not necessarily the ones she would have imagined…they are so much more amazing!

My source for book: Personal Library

My Thoughts:

This is a fun one! Right from the beginning the interactions between Grace and Jack were entertaining, with a fun flirty vibe woven in amid their frustrations with each other. I really liked the speed of their relationship; they let a friendship blossom before proceeding any further, even though it was fairly obvious to both that things could and would turn more serious. Jack's habit of calling Grace by the nickname of "Gracie"--despite her protests--was cute, and always brought me a smile.

The seniors at the retirement home added some nice dynamics to the story, and I enjoyed seeing Grace mature in her attitude towards them as she discovered their worth as people, despite her original reservations and a less than graceful first impression. Mixing a younger person with a group of seniors is often a sure-fire plot for a great story, and that certainly holds true here.

The one thing that put a slight damper on my enjoyment was towards the end, when the "required" conflict popped up to push Grace and Jack apart. Grace's reaction to it seemed a bit over the top, and it frustrated me that she wouldn't let Jack explain his side of the situation. Things went unresolved a bit too long for my taste, and then when the issue was cleared up, it seemed just a bit too easy.... especially after the way Grace had been acting about it.

Overall, I did very much enjoy the story, despite my nitpicking of the events near the end. The characters were quite likeable, and the dialogue and writing was good. Honestly, the book reads more like a novel from a larger publisher, rather than the kindle-only novel that it is. In my opinion, Aging With Gracie is a rare find, a jewel in the flooded market of kindle novels!

My Rating: 4.5 stars