What it means to truly forgive someone you love.
A MOTHER LIKE MINE (Berkley) by Kate Hewitt is the third book in a series, but it stands alone if you haven’t read the other two. It’s an emotional journey of healing, forgiveness and new beginnings, within four generations of one family.
After her fiancé dies, Abby Rhodes returns with her five year-old son, Noah, to live with her grandmother, Mary. Mary is ailing with heart problems and Abby plans to help her run their little town of Hartley-on-the-Sea’s, beach café.
One evening, Abby’s mother, Laura shows up after being away for twenty years. She left Abby when she was two, to be raised by her grandmother and communication has been spotty, at best. She announces she plans on staying, focusing on the future and doesn’t want to revisit the painful past.
Laura Rhodes has made a lot of mistakes in her life (ya think?). As she spends more time with her mother, daughter and grandson, Laura begins to wakeup to the depth of the hurt her selfish abandonment caused.
Abby and Laura begin to take tentative steps toward each other, but then tragedy strikes and life becomes even more complicated. They will now discover truths, both sad and hopeful that will slowly bring them together and to some level of forgiveness.
Kate Hewitt’s writing is beautiful and I got to know her characters well. I appreciate how Laura and Abby’s journey toward forgiveness is portrayed, but I can’t help but feel as if Abby’s entitled to caution, perhaps even some resentment. I also can see how she would want Noah to have a grandmother in Laura, but perhaps over time they’d come to an understanding that I as the reader, understand. I personally have problems with stories of mothers abandoning their children and then coming back as if everything is “going to be a cabaret.” I would think part four may have been perfect for their reconciliation. But that is just me, one reader’s opinion.
Purchase Links
Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble
About Kate Hewitt
Kate Hewitt is the USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty books, including the Hartley-by-the-Sea novels Rainy Day Sisters and Now and Then Friends, and more recently, the Willoughby Close series. A former New Yorker, she now lives in Wales with her husband five children. She also writes as Katharine Swartz.
Connect with Kate
Website | | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Thanks to TLC Book Tours, we have one book to giveaway. Just tell us a little something about how your relationship with your grandmother is or was. We’ll announce a winner next week.
Cindy Reads & Writes 
I loved my grandmothers but they both died when I was young.
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I had loving relationships with both of my grandmothers.
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My grandmothers both died when I was very young, so I didn’t get to know them. I have three grandchildren now and they are the greatest joy in my life.
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I loved both of my grandmas very much. I have quilts made by one of my grandmas, and I have her wedding ring which I wear daily.
denise
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We had a special relationship. I would stay over on weekends. She always made sure to show me a good time. Card games like Old Maid!! Special treats were always on her menu as well.I miss her but her legacy lives on. I come from a large family so she would be sure to give extra TLC!
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Both of my grandmothers died before I was born so I never knew them. I wish I had, though!
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I had a wonderful relationship with my maternal grandmother. She lived in a small border town an hour away from us so every summer I’d go a few times and spend a week or two with her and my aunt. It was a fun time. Sadly, she passed away the day after my wedding.
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Unfortunately, my maternal grandmother lived across the US in California and I only saw her twice. My paternal grandmother died when I was seven. She lived on a farm and I would stay over twice a year on the weekend. She would give me fresh milk from the cows and in the afternoon a big bowl of ice cream.
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Both grandmothers had the same name, or I might have had 2 middle names.
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I was closer to my paternal grandmother. She died when I was 12. My maternal grandmother was much more reserved & died when I was 21.
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Me n my granma were very close she was like a mum to me I went everywhere with her on holidays when I turned diabetic when I was 8 I was in hospital for a month I was allowed out for a day and I went to my grans house instead of home, I lived with my gran up until I was 23 my gran was the first person I turned to for anything she was my mum in my eyes, she died when my 2nd child was 10 weeks old of a sudden heart attack that I day I broke into a million pieces my world stopped I still miss her 10 years on my gran was the most amazing person in my life xx
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I loved visiting my grandparents as a child. We’d all get in the van and drive for 2 1/2 hours to visit over the weekend. I had the front bedroom, my brothers the back porch bedroom, and my parents the sofa bed in the living room. I wasn’t what you call close to my grandmother as we only got to visit maybe three times a year, but we shared the love of family and good food. As soon as we got to their house, I always looked for the McCall magazine and looked for the page with the Betsy McCall’s paperdoll and clothes to cut out. She knew my love of dolls and gave me my grandfather’s china head doll he had as a child. (I know–unusual then for a boy to have a doll–glad his parents were good with that–he was an outdoor man, growing their own fruits and vegetables and hunting every fall and fishing.) Even though they were very conservative, when it came to family, support was there. My cousin was the first to come out as gay. He had their love and knew how to make my grandmother feel special. LOL
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The only Grandmother I ever knew was my mother’s mom. She was a devoted, card carrying Southern Baptist that read the Bible from cover to cover numerous times. I know she loved me but I was also representing the many things she did not like….tattoos….”living in sin”…and divorces. She has been gone since 2003 and I still get misty eyed when I remember how she would always throw a blanket over my legs to cover my tattoos if I was wearing shorts 😚😚
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I have beautiful memories of both of my grandmothers! Grandma L with here little chickens and Grandma W with her huge garden and huge Victorian farmhouse that I still dream about!
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I wish I had fond memories of my grandmother. It wasn’t her fault as there was a ‘family feud’ between here and my mother. When I left that home and started my own, I didn’t have much time to get to know her and am sad about that.
My other grandparents lived across the states so geography kept that relationship from being real for me.
Now that I am a grandmother myself, I do my best to be a part of my grandchildren’s lives. It’s a good feeling…I know on both sides. 😉
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I had a great relationship with my Grandmother. She use to live right next to my grade school and I would go to her house for lunch and after school. I always had a good time with her. She was a great Grandmother.
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Both my grandmothers died when I was young so I didn’t get a chance to have a relationship with either one.
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One grandmother lives with us for 7 years. My other grandmother was loving, wonderful and devoted.
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it’s great
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Oh, my grandmother is wonderful. We weren’t close when I was younger, but we grew very close when I was a teenager. We don’t see each other often anymore, but I try to let her know that I still think of her all the time.
Dianna
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I have a great relationship with my grandmother, and from her I have learned determination and fight. A cancer survivor and now a widow, I have also learned the power of being a strong female. Thank you, Kate, for writing about relationships such as this!
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I would spend weekend with my grandma we would watch hee has together, talk all night even wrote in her diary!
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Thanks for being a part of the tour.
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