“Sharon Sala’s Blessings, Georgia series is filled with unforgettable charm and delight!”—ROBYN CARR, #1 New York Times bestselling author What do you do when your whole life is turned upside down?Sully Raines sets out to find his birth mother, and ends up in Blessings, Georgia. A new surprise awaits him here, but of the best kind—his childhood sweetheart, whom he hasn’t seen since she moved away … childhood sweetheart, whom he hasn’t seen since she moved away when they were teens, is living in Blessings now. He’s not sure she’s as happy to see him as he is to see her, but it’s been a lot of years, and a lot of water under the bridge…
Sully’s heartfelt search for answers about his past might just turn out to be the key to his future…
The Blessings, Georgia Series:
You and Only You (Book 1)
I’ll Stand by You (Book 2)
Saving Jake (Book 3)
A Piece of My Heart (Book 4)
The Color of Love (Book 5)
Come Back to Me (Book 6)
Forever My Hero (Book 7)
A Rainbow Above Us (Book 8)
The Way Back to You (Book 9)
Praise for Sharon Sala:
“Sharon Sala is a consummate storyteller. Her skills shine in her Blessings, Georgia series. If you can stop reading then you’re a better woman than me.”—DEBBIE MACOMBER, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
“Blessings sure sounds like a great place to put down roots. Enjoy!”—Fresh Fiction
“You cannot go wrong with a book by Sharon Sala!”—RT Book Reviews
“Will bring a tear to your eye and put a smile in your heart.”—Harlequin Junkie for The Color of Love
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Blessings, Georgia is my favorite series by Sharon Sala with The Way Back to You becoming another reason as to why this is true. The story does not begin in Blessings so the reader sees the town through the eyes of Sully Raines as he drives into town. His opinions, his perspective and his first impressions are all what made this story a page turner from the beginning. Then I was thrilled to see Missy Dean also receive her own story. How they meet again, nothing short of uniquely believable.
In a style that I can only describe as down to earth, Sully’s search is told. His finding Melissa Dean in Blessings is an added life changing bonus for him. Reading The Way Back to You is like sitting down with a trusted friend who is relating their story to you. Easy to read but also a page turner. I found myself thinking just one more chapter, then just one more chapter; not wanting to put the book down. The kind of book that you love to see how it concludes but also sorry that you have finished reading the book. Now I can’t wait for the next visit to Blessings, Georgia.
An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Blessings, Georgia, a town that may be small but is big in heart. All of the citizens of this town care about each other and look out for one another during times of strife. But overall, this is the kind of town that I wish still existed in our country. It isn’t perfect and there is some crime, but overall it would be a peaceful place to live out my life.
In this book, we meet Sully, a retired firefighter on the search for his biological mother. He has tracked her down to Blessings but no one seems to recognize his mother’s name. A freak accident spurs Sully into action, saving a woman from a car that explodes, and discovers a childhood sweetheart. I’m sure you can guess the outcome here, they reconnect and find their way back to each other. Along the way, Sully discovers who he is and where he wants his life to continue.
All of the books in this series are sweet, like cotton candy, and while for the most part are conflict free, there are some scenes that create that conflict that all books need to have to be multi-dimensional. There are outcomes that you can see coming, but the ride to that ending is sometimes like a roller coaster with the emotional ups and downs but ending in a satisfying journey.
While all of these books can be read on their own, it is best to start with the first book in this series so you can get to know the citizens of Blessings and celebrate their joys and mourn their losses.
We give this book 5 paws up and I can’t imagine what the next book holds for us.
I love this story and all the folks in Blessing, GA. This is the story of Sully. The story line is great and I love the way it flows. I felt sadness, excitement, fear, and love while I was reading. Blessings is small town at its best and I love small towns. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll just say I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. I received this book from NetGalley but my opinion is my own.
Sharon Sala delivers another wonderful addition to the Blessings series! I have been a fan of this series since The Curl Up and Dye and The Way Back to You is second chance love perfection. If you have been reading the series you know Melissa Dean. She is a woman that has been dealt her share of misfortune over the years. Well as fate would have it her life is going to change in a big way. John Sullivan Raines thought that he knew who he was and what his life was all about. Upon his mother’s death he finds out that he was adopted as a baby. Now as a man over 40 he wonders what ever happened to his birth mother? His search leads him to Blessings and back to his childhood sweetheart Melissa. Together these two rediscover each other as well as Sully rediscovering his heritage. This was a lovely story that makes you believe in love. Love for your friends, family and your heart. The Way Back to You was written from multiple POV and will warm your soul.
Sullivan Raines learns that he was adopted when his mother passes away. He is stunned as he looks at his birth certificate and a cross necklace…a necklace that belonged to his birth mother. He has retired from the fire department and knows that he needs to search for his biological mother. The search will take him to Blessings, Georgia where he will find his childhood girlfriend, Melissa. Melissa has been a widow for the past twenty years and is thrilled to be reunited with Johnny, aka Sully. This series will make you wish that your town was Blessings along with the many wonderful characters that are woven in and out through the series. Travel along with Sully and Melissa as they try to unravel the clues to his birth mother. This series continues to get better with each story as old friends become acquainted with the new members of Blessings. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)
My heart is filled with joy as I tell you about this small town romance which returns us to Blessings, Georgia. I love this series and this book stays true to the nostalgic, sweet, and often emotional telling.
Sully comes to town in search of his biological mom who gave him up for adoption at birth. He stumbles upon and reconnects with his high school sweetheart, Melissa.
This couple is in their forties and have had previous marriages. Their teenage relationships didn’t come to fruition due to Melissa moving away. I love who they are as people and the journey they take together to find Sully’s mom. During this experience, they rediscover each other as well as their dormant feelings.
Another beautiful piece of this story is all the amazing side characters, some we have met before and some new to this series. I love how it supports the rich stage continually being set in this community. It also offers little side stories that give this read more depth.
I don’t want to retell the story because everyone needs to experience it for themselves but I will say, you get all you questions answered. I was really pleased that no one was villainized with the topic of adoption. That can be such a volatile subject matter and often has a lot of emotion connected to it. All I can say is well done Ms Sala, well done.
If you are looking for extreme angst, this isn’t that kind of read. It a tender, lovely romance. It feels deserving of all 4.5 stars. Happy Reading Everyone!
Sala gives hearts the full package. From emotional angst to heartbreaking loss, The Way Back to You gives feelings quite a workout. What begins as his story because their journey. Sully is on the move. Searching for answers and reaquainting himself with his past. Melissa is working her way back from an almost tragedy. When the boy that broke her heart, reveals himself to be the man that saves her life, could a second chance be on the horizon? Blessings, Georgia, is my all time favorite Sharon Sala series, because there resides a bit of every heart inside of each character that she writes. From captivating to relatable, Sala has dreamed up the perfect place to misplace your heart and fall in love.
I love stepping into this series, its quirky town and wonderful characters. Fate, karma, whatever you wish to call it was drawing these new people into town. I was so engrossed in the drama, relief, love and families that I missed the possible clues and didn’t see it coming. Which is actually is a good thing because what a wonderful surprise. I read the final chapters with such happy tears in my eyes. You can read the book yourself to see what I’m talking about.
A brilliant heart warming tale from this author. I’ve been a fan for many years so it’s fitting to see this year of 2019 out with a feel good story from her.
Oh, how I love returning to Sharon Sala’s Blessings, Georgia series, for a good dose of the warm fuzzies, as well as not one second chance at love story, but two of them in the same book! All I can say is that this ninth book in the series doesn’t disappoint, and it gets 5 stars from this reader.
Like all of the Blessings books, The Way Back to You works just fine as a standalone, but be good to yourself, and meet the wonderful characters Ms. Sala has created to people this series starting from the very first book, because almost all of them appear and re-appear throughout the series, and it’s helpful to know their history, what brought them to Blessings, and what keeps them there.
In this novel, we meet a new character, Sullivan (Sully) Raines. He’s 45, recently retired from his career as a firefighter in Kansas City, Missouri, and his mother has recently passed away. While going through his parents’ safe deposit box, he finds a short letter from his mother, as well as his original birth certificate. He stunned to discover that he was adopted, and even more so because his parents never told him so. He also finds an ornate silver cross necklace which was left to him by his birth mother when she gave him up. Her name was Janie Chapman, she was a teenager when she had him, and Sully, who was wondering what to do now that he’s retired is now on a mission to find her, and even hires a DNA geneaologist to help him track her down. The trail eventually leads him to Blessings, Georgia, and no sooner does he arrive to start his search when one car runs a stop sign and plows into another car on Main Street. There’s a terrified woman inside the car that was hit, screaming to get out because her car is going up in flames. It’s Sully to the rescue, and, as the EMT’s take Sully, injured during the incident, and the woman he rescued to the ER, he’s in for another shock. Her name is Melissa, and she recognizes him. Sully, known as Johnny to her, was her first kiss and her first love, but her family moved away, ending their relationship.
In the real world, what are the chances that these two young sweethearts would ever find each other again? In most cases, I’d say the chances were slim to none, but this is the magical town of Blessings, after all, and no sooner do Sully and Missy see each other again, when they realize they’re still attracted to one another, and it’s certainly not the only coincidence in this charming, heartwarming novel by a long shot. He never married, and Missy was widowed almost 20 years earlier, and she hasn’t even dated since then, choosing to close herself off and live day to day. Seeing Sully again changes that for her, almost immediately.
There’s more drama and danger to come, in the case of another character we met in a previous Blessings novel, a criminal, who manages to pull off a prison escape, and he’s heading to Blessings because his aunt, his last known relative, still lives there. Hang onto your hat, because the chase is on when Missy becomes his hostage, and to tell you any more would give away too much of this intricately woven story, so you’ll just have to get yourself a copy, curl up in your favorite chair, and settle in for a story that will grab you from the very first page and keep you reading long into the wee hours of the morning, just as it did with me.
While I know that Blessings isn’t a real place, just as Shangri-la wasn’t a real place in James Hilton’s novel, Lost Horizon, both share a commonality–they make you homesick for places you’ve never been, places that only exist in our dreams, places where kindness and decency abound, places where neighbor helps neighbor, places where love is true and forever, and where everyday miracles occur on a regular basis. What better time to fall in love with the town and the people of Blessings, than at the holidays, the season of miracles? I strongly recommend that you do.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
I have loved the other Blessings, Georgia books, but this one a little less. The characters were fun and interesting, but things just fell into place a little too easily. It made the whole premise of the book feel fake and rushed to me. There were just WAY too many coincidences for it to feel real. Slightly disappointed. I rarely give 3 stars, but just can’t go any higher on this one.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
Sully Raines learns that he was adopted, armed with a name and some help from a genetic researcher, he sets out to find his birth mother.
After traveling to several towns, Sully learns the last known address for his birth mother was in Blessings, Georgia. He heads there. No sooner does he arrive, when his instincts take over and he jumps into action when he sees a woman trapped in her car following an accident. Little does he know that the woman he saved, is none other than his childhood sweetheart, Melissa Dean.
Melissa has been a widow for over twenty years, but when she is with Sully feelings she thought were dormant re-surface.
It’s been many years, and they both are willing to find out if there is still something between them.
Meanwhile, Sully’s search for his birth mother has come to a dead end. After hearing about Elliot Graham’s ability, Sully asks to meet him and is told something he had no knowledge of.
Sully set out to find his mother, but now not knowing if he’ll ever meet her, he’s content that he’s found Melissa.
I love this series! I wish I lived in Blessings, that is a community that pulls together to help their own, and while reading each one feels, that they’ve become a friend. The stranger that arrived in town, who threw me off thinking they were someone else, I hope her story is told in the next Blessings, Georgia book!
I received an ARC from NetGalley via Sourcebooks Casablanca and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.