Karin GillespieCríticas

When I read the information on this book I knew that I just had to read it and boy am I happy that I did! This was entertaining from beginning to end. What a great story about what happens when you die .... I have read many books by this author and always look forward to her next book.

I liked this book a lot because it had such a small town homey feel to it. The characters in this book, especially Attalee made me smile a lot as I was reading! The story was slow but enjoyable and easy to follow. I felt so bad for Elizabeth, wanting to return to work after staying home with her new baby for a few months. I also liked the fact that the author writes about older women and finding love after sixty! If you like a story about a nice southern small town that gives you a good feeling that is also free of swear words then you will enjoy this story.This review was originally posted on

I wanted to listen to a light, humorous, romantic story after some of the heavier ones I had listened to and Girl Meets Class fit the bill nicely. It was a cute story about a pampered young woman, Toni-Lee Wells, whose rich Aunt Cordelia decides that she needs a wake up call. She is told she needs to get and hold a job for one year, pay her own way and follow her aunt's stringent rules about public drunkenness etc. or she will be disinherited. Sounds simple enough but this is one spoiled young lady. After a serious injury takes her off the pro tennis circuit, she wallows in self-pity making a spectacle of herself for the past six months. With nothing but a general degree, where will she find a job that will pay her enough to live? Toni-Lee ends up teaching a Special Education class in a very poor school, where caring for the kids is probably more important than what you teach them.

This was a wonderful story. There was some humour, although not as much as I had anticipated. I enjoyed listening to the story as this young lady learned about how others lived, what it was like to be poor, what is important in life and falling in love with the wrong man, who turns out to be the right one. With a corrupt principal, nasty secretary and backstabbing staff, will Toni-Lee survive the year she needs to put in? Will Toni-Lee sell her integrity for five million dollars or wake up and realize what is really important? This is one story about a poor little rich girl getting a whole lot of lessons on life from the other side and the other side getting a whole new Toni-Lee as a result. This is an entertaining and engaging page turner that I really enjoyed.

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Divinely Yours wasn’t what I was expecting at first, but what a fun quick read. Fans of tv’s The Good Place (before the twist!) will enjoy Skye Sebring’s job as greeter in heaven. You can even take monorail tour of the Supreme Being’s sector. What I really found interesting is how the story was woven together with Ryan, Susan and Emily’s lives on Earth. With a little help from a radio call in show hosted by Minerva and and old hits by the Beatles, Skye’s fascination with Ryan is fully explained in this charming story.

I found this book to be a nice, lighthearted read. I thoroughly enjoyed the author's images of Heaven. It was definitely a unique idea.

A quick read which I really enjoyed.

Thanks to Henery Press and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This is an adorable read that will grab you by the heart and not let go. Skye, who is a greeter in Heaven takes great care with the newly departed and helps them get acclimated to their surroundings. Every once in a while someone will come through her cubicle too soon, and they will be brought back to life. It just wasn't their time yet, as we Southern's say. This happens with a certain man who she finds herself totally infatuated with, she just can't get him off her mind. She has a handsome boyfriend in Heaven who is crazy about her but after meeting this one man, it's not the same. Skye finds out that she is has been given the honor of being moved down to earth, she feels she's not ready and doesn't want to make this change but it's been ordered by the Supreme Being, so she doesn't have a choice in the matter.

The witty dialog between Skye and the other heavenly bodies will have you smiling and I have to admit Ms. Gillespie has quite the imagination and a new fan of this reader. There are quite a few unforgettable characters on earth as well. This is a light romantic comedy, that has a little a something for everyone.

I would like to thank Henery Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this e-galley in exchange for my honest review.

LIVES are intertwined and LOVE is everlasting! Heaven according to Karin Gillespie is just another plane that is a celestial wonderland of peace, getting everything you want when you want it, and just everyday joy. Heaven dwellers are able to voyeur Earth happening, find out about future and past lives, and usher newly deceased into their flock. At first there seemed to be a group of characters that were introduced in the book in a random and unrelated way. But eventually Gillespie made clear how life paths intersect and affect each others destiny. Instead of bible verses and stringent advise; guide lines were suggested through the use of song lyrics from well known groups like the Beatles. Readers with an interest or who lived though the 70's will enjoy this aspect of the book. Teens and Adults will enjoy this. "A copy of this book was provided by Henery Press via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."

Lots of cliches in this still entertaining read. Toni is a spoiled young woman who ends up teaching in tough school with pretty much no experience. She gets involved in school politics, falls in love with the inspiring and dedicated black teacher, discovers the value of teaching, and has to decide between doing what is best for herself or what is better for the school she has become part of.½

A cheeky, fun romantic comedy that has a good-natured laugh at its own expense while mildly mocking the literary crowd as well. I enjoyed every step along the way to HEA (Happily Ever After) Land and loved the surprise at the end.

I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.

This is not really a mystery, though it certainly has a cozy feel. At the Bottom Dollar thrift store the employees and their friends, ladies of a certain age, are getting swept up in the frenzy of the town's upcoming sweethearts dance. Love is in the air. Some of the women embrace it, like the randy Attalee, the octogenarian who is heading towards marriage. Elizabeth, the youngest of the group, is sick of staying home all day with the baby, but she's afraid to voice her feelings to her husband. The ladies all have strong feelings about love and romance, but life doesn't necessarily conform to their desires. It leads to two of the friends competing for the same man, and some of the women finding love when they weren't looking for it.

This is primarily a story about female friendship. It is a book populated by feisty and entertaining characters. This is a book for those who like feel-good reading. It's also a book for those who like sassy southern ladies, and those who prize characters over plot.½

I have very mixed feelings about this book, which I think reflects the fact that the author touched on a number of complex themes and social issues (racism, PPD, family relationships, educational policy, poverty) without really doing justice to any of them.

I initially thought this was a light, 'Southern chick lit' read, but didn't particularly warm to the main character, as she was self-absorbed and self destructive. Despite the stereotypical rich girl, big house, dysfunctional family setting she became more sympathetic as the novel progressed, particularly through her job in a challenging school, and the plot twists did keep me interested.

However, as a teacher (albeit in the UK) I found the depiction of the school and staff insultingly stereotypical, which was a shame as there were lots of interesting ideas, which I feel could have been better developed.

I have very mixed feelings about this book, which I think reflects the fact that the author touched on a number of complex themes and social issues (racism, PPD, family relationships, educational policy, poverty) without really doing justice to any of them.

I initially thought this was a light, 'Southern chick lit' read, but didn't particularly warm to the main character, as she was self-absorbed and self destructive. Despite the stereotypical rich girl, big house, dysfunctional family setting she became more sympathetic as the novel progressed, particularly through her job in a challenging school, and the plot twists did keep me interested.

However, as a teacher (albeit in the UK) I found the depiction of the school and staff insultingly stereotypical, which was a shame as there were lots of interesting ideas, which I feel could have been better developed.

It's always fun to read a book that is aware of itself as a genre - there are all kinds of inside jokes and subtle pokes. I also like books about writing and this one addresses a common debate - good literature versus genre writing. There's a lovely little romance going on and much like the classic 'Pride and Prejudice' a meeting of the minds once prejudices are gotten past.

If you are looking for a Southern romantic comedy that has a mixture of wit and charm, then look no further, Love Literary Style is the book for you.

Author Karin Gillespie weaves a delightfully lighthearted tale set in Georgia that follows the opposites attract romance relationship between literary author Aaron Mite and romance author Laurie Lee. Aaron and Laurie meet at a writers retreat and hit it off immediately, but a case of mistaken identity and opposing / clashing genres leads to hilarious trials and tribulations that Aaron and Laurie need to overcome in order to find a common ground that will lead them to a happily ever after ending.

Love Literary Style is an entertaining romantic comedy that will keep the reader in stitches. You can't help but follow Aaron and Laurie's story as their relationship becomes complicated due to their opposing genres, and cheer them on as they seek common ground and a lasting love.

Author Karin Gillespie weaves a witty tale that is full of sass and charm, it's tongue-in-cheek humor pokes fun at the literary world, and will keep the reader thoroughly engaged and smiling to the very end.

Love Literary Style is simply rom-com at its very best!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2016/11/love-literary-style-by-karin-g...

This is a lovely, Southern charm, "Chick-lit" book. A perfect summer diversion. I will keep reading this series.

Waitress Chiffon, her spinster sister Chenille, and philandering husband Lonnie are at the center of this econd installment. Fast, fun read. I recognize characters from other books, but that's okay with me.

If you are looking for a Southern Chick Lit / Women's Fiction story that has a mixture of sass and poignancy, then look no further, Girl Meets Class is the book for you.

Toni Lee Wells is a twenty-one year old Georgia peach from a well-to-do family. Toni Lee was an aspiring tennis professional, whose career was prematurely cut short when she suffered a permanent injury to her wrist. Tennis was her passion and the loss of her career sent her life spiraling out of control with outrageous spending sprees, heavy drinking, and numerous run-ins with the law for public intoxication. After six months of her endless aimlessness and being out of control, Toni Lee's father and Aunt Cornelia have had enough and decide it is time to implement harsh measures, and teach Toni Lee a life lesson from the school of hard knocks. They take away her very generous monthly allowance, her rent free luxurious condo, and credit cards. Aunt Cornelia gives Toni an ultimatum: get a respectable job, keep the job for one year, stay out of trouble, and she will receive an early inheritance in the amount of five million dollars. With a tennis career gone and a college degree in general studies, Toni Lee attends a career fair and applies for The Teaching Corps, an accelerated teacher training program with a goal to secure a teaching job in the local school system while completing the program. She accepts a special education teaching position at Harriet Hall High School, an inner city high school. So what's a spoiled Southern belle to do when she suddenly finds herself on an unexpected adventure with a difficult challenge that could make or break the lifestyle as she has known it?

Author Karin Gillespie weaves a wonderful lighthearted tale set in Rose Hill, Georgia that follows Toni Lee Wells' journey of self-discovery. Told in the first person narrative by Toni Lee, the reader follows the sassy young lady's adventure into a side of life that she wasn't born and raised in, it's a journey that will open her eyes to what is really important, and teach her a lesson that will ultimately change her life.

I really enjoyed the intertwining of humor and poignancy in the storyline, you can't help but get caught up in Toni Lee's journey as this spoiled young lady learns about the world outside the privileged community that she has grown up in. I really was not a fan of Toni Lee in the beginning of the story, but I did grow to like her as she made a transformation when she encountered the challenges and issues at the inner-city school. I really enjoyed how the author utilized her previous experience as a high school special education teacher to weave a story that is realistic and touches upon the challenges of the inner-city school system and social issues, yet also shows how passionate special education teachers really are.

Girl Meets Class is an entertaining feel-good story that will leave a smile on your face.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2015/09/girl-meets-class-by-karin-gill...

Life goes on in Cayboo Creek, South Carolina for a group of female friends - Attalee, Mavis, Birdie, Mrs. Tobias (Gracie) and Elizabeth. Although each very different people, and ranging in ages from Elizabeth's twenty-something to Attalee's eighty, they still have a strong bond tying them together as they've spent their lives living and working near each other. But lately, things are going to get heated up and change...

Attalee is bound and determined to wed her 78-year-old boyfriend Dooley, and wants a big wedding with all the trimmings, much to the dismay of her friends. Elizabeth is unhappy being a stay-at-home first time mom and wants to return to work, but her husband Timothy is dead-set against it, having been raised by a succession of nannies while his own mother worked. Mrs. Tobias, who lives nearby in Augusta, is longing for something in her life, but never expects that it will come in the form of Rusty, an attractive man who, although from a different social circle as her, shows her a different way of living and makes her happier than she's been in a long time. And when Brewster Clark, an old high school friend of Mavis and Birdie's returns to town, their close friendship might just be threatened.

While Birdie supposedly has supposedly sworn off men, and Mavis figures at her age there probably isn't anyone out there who wants her, both are surprised by the intense rivalry that pops up when Brewster, an ex-football star, returns to Cayboo Creek to take care of a house that was willed to him. Both women have decided to woo the eligible male behind each others' backs. As Brewster convinces Mavis to help him plan a high school reunion, the womens' rivalry intensifies and they stop speaking to each other.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth isn't able to convince her husband she hates staying home, and he starts sabotaging all her efforts to find a part time day care so she can look for a job. It gets to the point where they stop speaking to each other. And Attalee, even though she's eighty, wants a real wedding complete with white floor-length gown, veil, bridesmaids, and all the trappings including a bachelorette party.

Reading this book, I could almost imaging being in a small town in South Carolina. These women, all widowed save for Elizabeth, have developed a bond for each other, and they're just trying to live every day as best they can, while always hoping that maybe, just maybe, there might be someone out there for them again. And even if they find the person they think might just be the perfect one they want to spend happily-ever-after with, they find that it just could be that what you thought you wanted and what you really wanted aren't the same thing after all. Highly recommended.

Sissy: Senior citizens and romance! Those are two things you don't often hear about together, but why not?
Bubby: Definitely something to aspire to when I get closer to your age, Sissy...Read full review at www.bubblebath-books.com

The author has never claimed to have written the next great classic so i definitely do not understand why anyone would read this and not write a positive review. It's a fun read. It's a feel good, make you smile, wish you were there yourself type book. And yes, it takes place in the south.
The Bottom Dollar is just what it sounds like, a dollar store in a small homey town where everyone knows who you are. And as is happening all over the country right now, a big box store moves in and the future for everyone at the Bottom Dollar is obvious...
The story centers around Elizabeth, her 'career', her love life and the brilliant idea she had that could possibly save the store AND the folks she loves.
Simple but solid.

Recently I found myself in our little local shopping mall, with an hour or more before my ride home would arrive and nothing to read (since the bookstore there closed last fall.) Fortunately there was still Big Lots, which I recalled usually has some books on a shelf near the greeting cards. Among all the cookbooks and self-help there were a very few novels, and I was fortunate to find this one, which whiled away the time quite nicely. It's set in a small town in South Carolina near the Georgia line (the big city is Augusta, GA)where the heroine, Elizabeth, is the manager and youngest employee of the local independent Dollar Store. She, the owner, Mavis, and elderly but still feisty Attalee are concerned when they hear that a big chain dollar store is coming to town. But that's not Elizabeth's only problem -- her fiance has dumped her right after their engagement party, and she's not sure about the motives of the wealthy woman who drives in from Augusta to snap up bargains and try to run Elizabeth's life. Humor, romance, and even a little mystery round out this very enjoyable story.

A perfect book for me today! I dragged alawn chair under a sycamore tree and enjoyed a big glass of cold icedtea while I read all about Elizabeth Polk, manager of the BottomDollar Emporium. Elizabeth's little Southern town is facing the worstcrisis in recent memory; a national chain, the Super Saver DollarStore, is headed into Cayboo Creek, and the town isall, "cattywampus". The plot seems to dribble away at the end, butI'd have enjoyed it just for the fresh Southern similes.

Well written and great reading.

Ok, so this is a first novel which is always a dicey thing to sample, plus it's a "Southern" novel, which is usually right up my alley, but this fell flat for me. The words were all there and the story unfolded in the proper manner but it was just missing the zip that makes a book a winner for me. For one thing, it tried too hard to be Southern Hick and missed by a country mile. (I know because I AM a Southern Hick. LOL) The names were just too cutsey poo, the "hickness" too contrived, the story too pat. Besides, it really disturbs me to see a grown woman call her grandmother "Meemaw" and have everybody in town refer to her that way, too.½