5 Stars

*I voluntarily received this book in return for an honest review*

We meet Tracy, a single mother with a hearing impaired son, Lucas, in Magnolia Grove Book 1. Here, in A Year of Extraordinary Moments, her story and that of her young son continues. Her sister is married and following a new job and so Tracy takes over the family paper. Her life is going well, her son is flourishing, and she may just have a new man in her life but then her ex, Dominic,  shows up. Can Tracy let go of her past and build a new and brighter future for her and Lucas? 

I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with Tracy in the first book, but this book focused more on her and she began to grow on me. She grows into a responsible wonderful mother. Im glad she seems to be on a path to peace and happiness. Dominic makes himself known once again in selfish ways and he just makes me so angry. I just can't get used to his selfish ways.

This book was a great story of love and hope for brighter futures. Tracy, Gabriel, Alice, and little Lucas, just warm my heart. The ending had me in tears. It was just beautiful. This was another heartwarming story by an amazing author. I can't wait to read more from Bette.

Reviewed By
Stormi Ellis

Truly loved this book. I had a hard time putting it down. The characters were so full of life and realistic. I definitely will be looking for more from Bette Lee Crosby. Thank you for this unforgettable story. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

Excellent story-telling!

This is my favorite of Bette Lee Crosby’s books that I’ve read (… so far…)!! It is a light, easy read that touched my heart, while also making me think about the messages about life gently pointed out in it. How we should savor each day, especially days spent with family and those we love. And how it is okay to pursue the things that make us happy in life, the things that feel “right”, even if it means making changes. I loved this book, and the ending was completely an “Oh.My.Heart.” experience! I am looking forward to reading more books written by this talented author!

A Year of Extraordinary Moments by Bette Lee Crosby is the second A Magnolia Grove Novel. Dominic DeLuca left Magnolia Grove three and a half years ago and swore that he would never return. His grandmother, Alice calls telling Dominic that her cancer has returned, and she only has months to live. Alice would like him to return home to help her finalize details. Dominic reluctantly returns to Magnolia Grove, but he is not prepared for his grandmother’s interference in his life. Tracy Briggs lives with her mother, Lila and her hearing impaired son, Lucas and manages the Snip ‘N Save magazine that her father began. Tracy has turned her life around since she left Dominic and returned home. Her sister, Meghan is happy working alongside her husband, Tom at the Kindness Animal Clinic. She wants Tracy to have a fulfilling personal life and encourages her to go out with Gabriel Hawke. When Gabriel asks Tracy to accompany him to an awards dinner, it is beginning of their relationship. Alice is unable to get a straight answer from Dominic regarding Lucas’ parentage, and she decides to take matters into her own hands. Alice sets out to get answers and ends up having a special relationship with her great-grandson as well as Tracy. It leads Alice to make decisions that will lead to unexpected repercussions. Come along to Magnolia Grove for A Year of Extraordinary Moments.

A Year of Extraordinary Moments is not a standalone novel. You need to read The Summer of New Beginnings before embarking on A Year of Extraordinary Moments. I did find the story to be a slow starter. The beginning was off-putting to me, and I wish the author had started A Year of Extraordinary Moments on a different note. However, the pace slowly increases, and the story becomes more intriguing. By the halfway mark, I was engrossed and kept reading until I finished. I was surprised to find foul language and intimate relations before marriage included in A Year of Extraordinary Moments. I thought A Year of Extraordinary Moments was a Christian novel. The characters were well-developed, and I like that they keep evolving (except for one). Alice was such a loving character. You could feel the love she had for family and the pain she was experiencing from her illness and Dominic’s actions. The point-of-view alternates between Meghan, Dominic, Tracy, and Alice. It allows the reader to see each person’s perspective and understand what they are thinking and feeling. However, it is also distracting and made it hard to become fully engaged in the book. Bette Lee Crosby portrays what a family experiences when a child is hearing impaired. In this book, Lucas is learning to speak with the aid of his cochlear implant and speech therapy. I appreciated that the author shows the difference between a job and career that someone enjoys. It is important to find your niche and follow your dreams. I did feel the romance between Gabriel and Tracy was rushed. One minute Tracy states they are just friends and then he asks her out for which he receives a resounding yes (I experienced whiplash at her sudden change of mind). I was happy to see them become a couple, but their relationship seemed rushed. There are some loving moments with Alice, Tracy, Charlie, and Lucas that will touch your heart. A Year of Extraordinary Moments has family love and drama, friendship, romance, hope, faith and tension blended into one absorbing novel.

I just couldn't get into this book. The characters just didn't seemed fleshed out. Too good, too bad and sort of cliched. I enjoy books with more realistic conflicts.

I just reviewed A Year of Extraordinary Moments by Bette Lee Crosby. 

Another heart-warming "all the feels" novel from Bette Lee Crosby. Family, love, friendships and small-town extraordinary moments. The title is perfect for this gem of a story. What I love about this author is that she always makes me think "what would I do?" Or "how would I feel" all the while being connected with the amazing characters and transported to the places you're reading about. A joy to read. 5 stars.

#AyearOfExtraordinaryMoments #NetGalley

Family, relationships, and connections are the heart of this novel. Tracy Briggs has had a tough time, but things finally seem to be coming together for her. Her son is healthy and making strides, and, outside of her family, Gabriel Hawke has been a big part of moving forward and putting her son’s father, Dominic DeLuca, well into the past. When Alice DeLuca comes knocking on her door hoping to meet her great-grandson, Tracy has some decisions to make about the future of her small family.
This is the second novel in the Magnolia Cove series, but this was my first visit. The author did a great job of giving background, and I didn’t feel lost, but I did feel reading the first novel would have helped give me a better understanding of the dynamic between Tracy and her sister, as well as the family magazine’s importance.
This novel pulled out so many emotions…love, anger, and tears. The story was well-written with true-to-life characters. There is some romance, but this more about family: the one you are born with and the one you make for yourself. I really enjoyed this novel, and flew through it. I can’t wait to read more by this new-to-me author.
#AYearofExtraordinaryMoments #BetteLeeCrosby #LakeUnion

This book I would consider in the romance category. It was a quick read (2 nights) and fairly typical of the romance genre. The characters were likeable and there was a good story line. It was not overly cheesy. I would recommend this if you are a romance fan or if you need a little break after a more intense read.

Author, Bette Lee Crosby takes us back for a visit to Magnolia Grove For Tracy’s story as she learns to let go of her past and ignite her future. Bette Lee Crosby’s stories are heartwarming and touching. They are about love and loss and life’s hardest moments leading to the “extraordinary” ones. Grab your favorite hot cup of tea, a cozy blanket, and settle in with A Year of Extraordinary Moments!

Thank you NetGalley and Bette Lee Crosby for an ARC of "A Year of Extraordinary Moments!. It's the sequal to "The Summer of New Beginnings" and I loved catching up with the Briggs family and getting to know Alice who is Dominic's grandmother.

This story focuses more on Tracy as she continues to find her path in life and learns what's important for her and Lucas.

Bette always creates such a special group of characters that could be a family in your neighborhood with everyday problems which makes them so easy to relate to. Please choose this wonderful story as your next read!

A Year of Extraordinary Moments (A Magnolia Grove Novel) ★★★★★ from Ahmapal72 on October 16, 2018

Choices we make...regret or redemption?

Bette Lee Crosby has written another heartwarming story of relationships. I found my self wondering if the “bad boy” was ever going to redeem himself. Would Tracy, for whom the story revolves, choose Dominick, the biological father of her deaf son, Lucas or, choose Gabriel, the steady, uncomplicated Principal of the deaf school Lucas attends. Woven in is Alice, Dominick’s Grandmother. She is everything you would want a grandmother to be. She fervently hopes that Dominick will redeem himself and accept Lucas as his son and has her own stories of love and loss. Sometimes in order to be an even stronger family, everyone has to let go of what they thought was important.

Ya know, some people are just hard to understand. You just really wonder what makes them tick. Others are so good that you just know there will be a special place for them. I didn’t like some of these characters, but they certainly help make the story what it is. We all have to deal with those who are unpleasant at times and if we’re lucky enough we also have some Alice’s and Charlie’s in our life. This is a story that could be happening in your town and you probably wouldn’t even be aware of it. Families dealing with family things. Some are so hard to deal with and others are a joy. I’ve loved every Betty Lee Crosby book I’ve read. I think you will too. I received this book from NetGalley. My opinion of it is my own.

The best part about this book is it is a book about life and lessons learned. The story touched my heart and made me cry at one point. I did not want to stop reading. It made me fall in love with some of the characters, hope the best for some of them, and really dislike one character who only cared about himself. The story also had a lesson to it that in order to build a future you had to let go of the past. Memories can be held onto forever. There were some surprises along the way which I enjoyed. Everyone should have a Grammy Alice in their family.! I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

(4.5) Bette Lee Crosby continues the story of the Briggs family in A Year of Extraordinary Moments, Book 2 in the Magnolia Groves series. This book focuses more on Tracy Briggs, her hearing-impaired son Lucas, and the budding relationship between Tracy and Gabriel, owner of the Hawke School for hearing-impaired children. Things seem to be going rather smoothly for Tracy and then suddenly, her deadbeat ex-boyfriend and Lucas' dad returns to Magnolia Grove supposedly help out his ailing grandmother, Alice. Will he try to get Tracy and Lucas back and be a part of their lives or will he just make complicate life for Tracy?

I very much enjoyed this book and its characters, well, except for the ex-boyfriend, Dominic, but even with that one unlikable character, I was captivated from beginning to end and really cheering Tracy on. This is a story with family drama, suspense and romance, but the most important thing I got from this book, and book #1, is the importance of family. That is what I have loved about Bette Lee Crosby's books. This one will not disappoint. I do recommend reading the first book in the series, A Summer of New Beginnings, before reading this one.

Thank you to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Bette Lee Crosby, Lake Union and NetGalley for this ARC. I loved being able to read the second Magnolia Grove book to see how the Briggs girls were doing since The Summer of New Beginnings. Crosby used this second book to tell more of Tracy’s story with Lucas and brought in some beloved characters by way of Alice and Charlie. I love how authentic Crosby makes her characters and storylines. These characters are down to earth with real life problems. I love this book that told a beautiful story that was both happy and brought tears to my eyes. It is easy to read with an entertaining storyline not to be put down until finished. I highly recommend. Five stars again for Magnolia Grove!

Nice story about the paths we choose and what we're willing to do to get on track and/or stay on track. Good plot, nicely written but not a story I'll likely remember in a month.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 5

Tissues, tissues, and more tissues! You will need to have tissues by your side as you read A Year of Extraordinary Moments by Bette Lee Crosby.

What it's about: Book 2 of the Magnolia Grove series focuses more on the life of Dominic, Lucas' father and Tracy's baby daddy/ex. Tracy Briggs finally has her life together - Lucas is going to a good school that helps with his hearing, she is managing the Snip 'n Save and finding her life's passion helping out at Lucas' school, plus she has a love interest. When Dominic shows up trying to reenter their lives, Tracy must decide between her possible future, and the life she left behind.

It sounds like it's more about Tracy, but there are quite a few chapters that focus on Dominic which was really nice. He really is a terrible person, but it was interesting to see how things were going through his head and just how self-entitled he thought he was. The novel also has a large chunk about his grandmother Alice, and she is one of the characters that really made this book for me.

Tracy, Meghan, and Lila are all as sweet as ever, and I don't think I will ever tire of hearing their stories or about the small Southern town of Magnolia Grove. There was so much heart in this novel (maybe even more than the first book), and plenty of great missives and thoughts about life. A Year of Extraordinary Moments is packed with serious topics, and once again the author made me cry like a baby.

"... but life is so much more complicated than we realize. It's not one long stretch of time that starts on the day you're born and ends on the day you die; it's a collection of meaningful moments with spots of happiness and sorrow in between."

Final Thought: I really love Bette Lee Crosby as an author, and that is just after reading the 2 Magnolia Grove novels. There is just something about her writing that hits me right in the heart, and her characters (most of them anyway) are positively endearing. If you haven't checked this series out yet I highly recommend doing so. They should be read in order so as not to not spoil anything and get the full picture of what is going on. There are only the 2 right now and the writing flows so well that these books can be read in a day if you want to. I definitely can't wait to see more of these characters if she chooses to further the series!

GRIPPING!

A Year of Extraordinary Moments (Magnolia Grove #2) by Bette Lee Crosby is is gripping! This book may be read as a stand alone, but to be best understood, it needs to be read in order in the Magnolia Grove Series. Crosby is masterful in crafting stories that deal with families and peeling back all the layers and finding the backstory that’s not obvious at first glance. That’s particularly true of this novel. Her characters are realistic, complex and lovable. The relationships between the characters are easy to understand because they are the types many experience within their own families - responsible children, irresponsible children who turn out all right & those children that just won’t get their lives together regardless of how old they are. Crosby also includes characters from a toddler to senior adults and they all play significant roles and she shows the importance of cross-generational relationships. She shows the wisdom of the oldest being passed down to the youngest. One of my favorite parts of this novel is when an old hidden Bucket List is used to bring about freedom to two generations of a family. Crosby peels back all the layers - and reveals how the older generation teaches the younger - often when neither has a clue the “teaching” is actually taking place - as it should be. I was provided an ARC of this novel by Lake Union Publishers and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence. I have preordered a copy for my own personal library.

This is the second book in the Magnolia Grove series and I recommend that you read the first book Summer of New Beginnings first to get the background on the Briggs family. (It's a fabulous read.)

The Briggs family had a difficult summer two years ago, but their lives are settling in. Meghan is happily married to Tom, the veterinarian and is working as a veterinary technician in his office. Tracy is running their father’s coupon magazine and her son Lucas has been attending the school for hearing impaired. Lucas has recently had successful cochlear implant surgery and he can now hear the world around him. And Tracy has found love with the founder of the school..

It's good to see a book that treats hearing impairment as a fact of life but not a tragedy. Lucas acts as any child his age would, and the family doesn’t pamper him or excuse his behavior.

Then Dominic DeLuca, Lucas’ biological father and all-around scumbag, returns to Magnolia Grove. He’s broke and angry (nothing new on either condition). His grandmother Anne has reached out to Tracy and become part of the Briggs family, getting to know her great-grandson. Dominic claims he wants to know his son, but, in typical fashion, he continues to manipulate, lie, steal and cheat.

Bette Lee Crosby leads the family on an emotional roller coaster but with a satisfying resolution to all issues. I read the book in two days (I have a long commute by train, that helps, but I kept putting the book down, only to pick it up almost immediately.)

Picking up and reading A Year of Extraordinary Moments was like going back to my old neighborhood and visiting again with my dear, dear friends. I was able to pick up with their lives just like I had never left them. That's what I love about Bette's books—her characters are so memorable that they stay with me and I think about them long after I've finished the book.

This book, #2 in the Magnolia series, focuses on Tracy, an unwed mother with a beautiful son who is loved by everyone who meets him. After a wild start to her life, Tracy seems to be settling down and making good decisions, all because of the love she has for her son. But when her son's father comes back into town looking to reconcile, Tracy's life starts spinning out of control again. How is she going to be able to choose the right path to take?

Bette's stories are always such gentle and loving stories and are always full of wonderful bits of wisdom that can apply to almost everyone in their everyday lives. I always learn so much about how to live life and always come away with a positive outlook about things when I finish one of her books. I highly recommend that you read A Year of Extraordinary Moments and I know you'll love this series as much as I do.

Bette, an extraordinary woman and writer, has penned yet another extraordinary tale!