Where The Grass Grows Blue
REVIEWS AND PRAISE
"A sweet tale of finding love and redemption that fans of strong female leads will particularly enjoy."
"The author crafts a complex will-they, won’t-they romantic dynamic that delves into the importance of confronting personal demons and the irony of finding yourself in the place you tried to leave behind."
"Although primarily a romance narrative, the multifaceted plot is refreshing in that the hero, a mother entering middle age, is allowed the room to find and understand herself in addition to becoming embroiled in a romance plot."
-Kirkus Reviews
"In Where the Grass Grows Blue, Hope Gibbs examines Penny Crenshaw’s journey to pick up the pieces and begin again after divorce. But this mother of three sons soon learns that if she wants to move forward, she’ll have to first go back to the start. Readers will enjoy this fast-paced southern story about second-chances, lifelong friendships, and the healing power of forgiveness."
-Julie Cantrell
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Perennials
"Where The Grass Grows Blue hit me in all the right places. Young lovers separated by a misunderstanding reunite twenty years later, only to discover that although their love never faded, their choices are insurmountable. Or are they?
Gibbs skillfully weaves the dark side of life with the beauty of a love that has only grown stronger over time. Keep an eye on this author – she is one to watch!”
-Barbara Conrey
USA Today Bestselling Author of Nowhere Near Goodbye
"Where the Grass Grows Blue is the most authentic and endearing book I’ve read in ages. Penny’s difficult and heartbreaking rural background in Kentucky (the Bluegrass state) and her high society life in Atlanta could not be more different. But when she can’t hide from her past anymore, her life comes full circle.
I think Penny is my new fictional best friend. There were times I wanted to read quickly to see how everything unfolds, but this story is to be savored. Don’t rush this Southern gem."
-Cindy Dorminy
Author of The Foster Wife, In a Jam, In a Pickle, In a Nutshell, David is an Ugly Word
"Hope Gibbs drops the reader into a colorful, southern, small-town setting where Penny Crenshaw—a divorced mother with a tumultuous childhood—is desperate to outrun her past.
Where The Grass Grows Blue is one woman's story of perseverance despite her painful past. A story of small-town living and second chances, romance and resilience, friendship and forgiveness.
One you’ll think of long after you turn the last page."
-Award-Winning Author Jill Hannah Anderson
Author of A Life Unraveled, The To-Hell-And-Back Club, and Crazy Little Town Called Love
"Where The Grass Grows Blue is an evocative story-with a southern flair-about going back to the place that brought so much pain for a second chance at love and redefining oneself.
This is one you'll fall in love with."
-Donna Norman-Carbone
Author of All That Is Sacred
"Hope Gibbs' debut, Where the Grass Grows Blue, is worthy of taking its place among true Southern fiction novels where the banter is witty and the women are true steel magnolias.
It’s a delightful, engaging story about following your heart.”
-Grace Sammon
Award-Winning Author of The Eves, and host of The Storytellers
“Where the Grass Grows Blue was a page-turner from the beginning. The author’s writing was like paint on a canvas, creating a vibrant picture of life in Kentucky, so much so that I was easily transported there. Moreover, through flashbacks and introspection, Penny’s character development was flawless, and I was invested in all her relationships. If you’re craving an immersive storyline, this book provides the perfect escape!"
-Reader Views Five Star Gold Seal Review
Read the full review here.
"Where the Grass Grows Blue is as refreshing as a glass of sweet tea served on the front porch during a heatwave.
Deeply-drawn characters, relatable circumstances, and romance are deftly blended with the culture and ambiance fans of Southern women’s fiction love."
-Elizabeth Bass Parman
Member of WFWA
"Where The Grass Grows Blue by Hope Gibbs brought me right back to memories of my small southern hometown. It makes you miss the days of church potlucks, small town gossip and the smell of the honeysuckle growing on the side of the barn. It filled me with nostalgia of growing up in a place like Camden, with people like Penny and Bradley.
I didn’t want to put Where The Grass Grows Blue down, but I also didn’t want it to end. It made you root for Penny and Bradley, laugh at the supporting characters and get mad at some of her family and her ex-husband. It also made me call my grandmother, who I knew was out in her yard with her flowers, her girls."
-GoodReads Review
goodreads.com
"Readers will rally behind Penny as she discovers that tugging at the roots of a difficult past is the only way to see a better future bloom. Falling down and standing back up, reinventing yourself, and getting a much deserved second chance at love—Where the Grass Grows Blue is in equal parts a gut-wrenching and hopeful story set against an artfully painted Southern backdrop.”
-Lisa Roe
Author of Welcome to the Neighborhood