The Best of Me is the last book in the Blessings, GA series. *sad face* The author did an exceptional job of wrapping up the series (dare we hope for a second generation spin-off). There's laughter and pain, happiness and tears, families lost and families found. All the feels imaginable were in this book.
I definitely recommend reading this book...along with a box of tissues.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

The last book of this wonderful series by Sharon Sala, this story contains 2 stories in one. This one is full of feelings and Kleenex is needed while reading. The first story concerns Ruby and Peanut Butterman who have woven through most of the books. A young girl named Carlie has been left alone with no family but with a letter from her mother asking Ruby to be her legal guardian. The other story is of Ladd and Deborah who were once young lovers and neighbors, who through the death of their parents reunite. As always a satisfying small town read.

#netgalley #thebestofme publication date 26 April 2022
Wow wow wow This book is absolutely the BEST it is in my top 5
I have read thousand and thousands of books but this is the first book I have ever read that had me in tears in the first chapter. I read it extra slow because I didn't want it to end. Heartbreaking and uplifting. I loved how Carlie handles her bully. 5/5 + stars

The Best of Me is the thirteenth story, and the final story in the Blessings, Georgia series – and what a story to bring it all to a final close. If you don’t have tissues on hand right now, go, run to the store to make certain you’re prepared for a tear-filled story that will break your heart, heal it back up again, and give you some happy tears by the time you come to the story’s and the series’ ending page. I really don’t think there could be a better title for this one, for in so many ways it is indeed the best of the stories that Sharon Sala has given us all in this charming, Southern town where everyone knows not only your name but your heart as well.

Carlie and her mom arrived in Blessings minutes before her mom would collapse and died. Carlie, at the tender yet wise age of almost 8 has been tending to her ailing mother for the last few years. They made this final journey together to Blessings, Georgia as one vital woman who had touched Carlie’s mom’s life lived here… and into whose care Carlie would go as Ruby and her husband, Peanut, are Carlie’s new guardians and eventual adoptive parents. This might have come as a surprise to Ruby but those who have been here for the earlier stories know that Ruby’s heart is huge, and she couldn’t have had a better gift than Carlie to look after – especially as Ruby never had children of her own to love and guide through life.

While there is a smaller romantic story here… this is Carlie’s story in so many important ways. She’s lost her mother, she’s living with strangers in an unknown town, meeting people who mean well but are a tad overwhelming. She’s in a new school where she is the subject of bullying – and where she meets her own champion in the form of young Melvin Lee. (someday in the future I hope we get a return to Blessings, Georgia novella, maybe at Christmas where we find these two as loving adults about to begin another adventure together in love)

The Best of Me is emotional, tender, uplifting, and proof that life holds so much more than we ever thought possible when we simply wait and accept when the blessing comes along. We’ll get to run into several familiar faces, share the anger at Carlie’s bully, and the sadness Carlie holds as she slowly begins to let others into her life. This is one brave little girl, and you will fall in love with her quite easily. I’m going to miss this series, I’ve always looked forward to the next visit to one of my favorite fictional towns. But, now we get to see what new adventure is in store for us next. All series eventually come to an end – and what an emotional, loving way to say goodbye to the folks of Blessings, Georgia.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Before the first chapter of The Best of Me: Warm and Heartfelt Southern Romance (Blessings, Georgia #13) had been read I had to stop and get a tissue. The most poignant opening I have ever read. Sharon Sala has written an emotionally rich, heartbreaking realistic, and even funny at times. Thank you for Melvin Lee!

There is also a romantic subplot that is just as attention holding awesome as the main story of Carlie, Ruby and Peanut. Then there are the many, many references that make this a truly Southern story such as purple hull peas and the fact that no one makes the hairdresser mad in a small town. Now that last one is so true!

Rarely does a series comes along that I love every book in it but Blessings is that unique series. Somewhere I read that this is the final book in the series. Please tell me it is not true. Melvin Lee, Carlie and the second generation of Blessings need their grownup stories too.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

THE BEST OF ME is the thirteenth and final book in the Blessings, Georgia series, and I am sorry to see it end. The characters have become like family, and it will be sad not to see where they are headed next. A Christmas novella might just be what fans need to be able to return to this small town with a big heart. (Hint, Hint!)

Carlie was an orphan at a young age. Fortunately, her dying mother had the foresight to plan ahead. Unbeknownst to Ruby and her husband, Peanut, they are given guardianship. They fill holes in each other’s lives since Carlie needs a family and Ruby and Peanut are unable to have children yet have so much love to give. THE BEST OF ME is an emotional story on many levels. Throughout the tears and heartache are heartwarming moments of laughter and love. So much attention is paid to details that enrich the story. There are layers to the characters, and that depth makes them feel real.

The plot moved swiftly, everyday happenings mixed in with some of the more heartbreaking events, which kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. I read it in less than twelve hours, it was that good! There is nice closure on several fronts and some feel-good happily-ever-afters. And I love the vibrancy of the cover.

Ms. Sala is an author whose books I’ve enjoyed. She’s definitely on my TBR list!

A Recommended Read!

This is the last of the Blessings, GA, series, and oh, my heart, this incredible storyteller is closing it out with a bang! Blessings stories always touch my heart, but this one had me bawling from the very beginning. Seriously, get the tissues. This one cues the waterworks multiple times with an unforgettable, heart-warming read.

Ruby and Peanut Butterman (The Color of Love) are fixtures in Blessings. He's the only attorney in town and she owns the only hair salon. They’ve found their ever after together, but they’ve never been able to start the family they both want. When a blast from the past shows up at the police station, Ruby and Peanut get a call. Eight-year-old Carlie Duroy is now an orphan, with a letter from her mother asking Ruby to take care of Carlie.

Little Carlie couldn’t be in better hands, with not only Ruby and Peanut claiming her as their own, but pretty much the entire town of Blessings welcoming her with open arms. She finds an unlikely ally in young Melvin Lee Wilson, and their friendship couldn’t be any more precious. With all that Carlie has lost, Blessings and its people are slowly mending her broken heart.

Ruinously heartbreaking and devastatingly beautiful, this extraordinary story and its exceptional characters are seared on my soul. A masterful, poignant story of love, loss, and found family, this one will leave its permanent mark on your heart. Sweet, profound, emotional and magical, this is the perfect ending to a uniquely special series and a definite must-read!

I received an ARC of, the Best of Me, by Sharon Sala. This book has all the feels, Sadness, happiness, loneliness, etc. I really enjoyed this book.

So I had no idea that this was a new edition to an ongoing series. While I could get the just of most of story I do wish I had read all the others priors. That being said this was a cute small town story and the topic of grief was handled really well. However at times I did think the author was pretty pushy with how relationships should be considered and thought of which didn’t really pair with my own opinions. Overall it was ok but I probably won’t go back and start the series now

This is the final book in this wonderful series <sigh> and if you have not read this series, I wholeheartedly recommend you start with the first book and be ready for life in Blessings, Georgia. A woman is dying and wants the best for her daughter and that would be Miss Ruby. They barely arrive in town when Carlie’s mama dies and Miss Ruby becomes her “guard”. Ruby was unable to have children, but she has the love of her life, Peanut Butterman, by her side. Can they give Carlie all the love she needs as they open a new chapter in their lives, one they never thought was possible? The town of Blessings comes together when someone is in need and they will do so for Carlie (as does Melvin Lee). Ladd Daltry and Deborah Ryman (his wonder woman) are dealing with his recovery from a run in with a bull, will they give their love a second chance? I don’t even have to read the summary of Ms. Sala’s books to know that it will be another wonderful read! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

What I enjoyed most about the book was the primary storyline of a little girl who lost her mother and her journey to finding her place within a small town. There was so much good about this book, while there were also small portions that I struggled with. The authors view of how relationships should be and my views of relationships differ and things she posed as good to things within relationships made me uncomfortable. However if you are reading the book as a whole rather than for certain pieces, overall it was an enjoyable read.

The stories set in Blessings are always heartwarming. This one is no different. I was literally crying in the first chapter of the book. It pulled at all the strings on my heart. The story shows both the highs and lows in life and left me feeling hopeful. This book has a couple of stories in it and I enjoyed both immensely. The message that strongly comes out is that things happen for reasons and the way they are meant to be. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This was an ok read for me. There was a lot going on in this book. We have a death just as the story begins and that sets up Carlie's story with the Butterman's ...Peanut Butterman, really? Deborah and Ladd was another storyline. I felt that Deborah was made to be a Superwoman. This was my first and only visit to Blessings, GA.

Sharon Sala takes us back to Blessings, Georgia where we meet Shirley and her daughter Carlie as they step off the bus and make their way to the police station. What happens from there sets the stage for them and for Ruby and Peanut Butterman. We get to see how they take life's challenges thrown at them and how love and patience always wins out. We also meet childhood sweethearts Ladd Daltry and Deborah Ryman back at their home ranch. Along the way, we are reunited with the familiar faces of the people we've met in Blessings.

Sharon Sala brings us the last story from Blessings. Her characters make you love and root for them. Her stories takes you on a roller coaster of feelings. This one was no different. From the beginning, she draws you in as you meet Shirley and Carlie and why they made the bus trip all the way to Blessings. You keep turning the page to see what happens and how Ruby and Peanut are connected to them. Then we meet more people from Blessings and how their lives are intertwined with each other and this town. And we get to reconnect with the other residents from all the other stories she shared with us. I always looked forward to the next story in Blessings, so it is hard knowing that this was the last one. All this means is that I get to reread and rediscover everyone's story all over again as I wait for another adventure from her.

I voluntarily read and reviewed and advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this privilege.

I've loved this series right from the beginning but this one was the cherry on top. I'm sad that it's the end but I'm sure this author will give us new characters and places to love.
I was hooked and in tears from the first chapter to the last, sad tears, happy tears and heart wrenching tears. Oh my goodness this story had all the feels.
This town is the place where you'd want to live, the characters are wonderful. Ms Sala just brought it to life, a visual delight in my mind.
Young Carlie's story will have you teary all the way and there is also a second chance romance happening, both lots of characters weaving throughout the book.
Sharon Sala I thank you for the entertainment and joy from this series and especially this finale. I've read your tales for years and can't wait to see what is next.

Ruby and Peanut are font and center in this last in the Blessings Georgia series. Callie is left in their care and together they forge a family. Melvin Lee is back, as is the usual sub stories. Wish this wasn't the end of the Blessings series, however, Sharon Sala has gifted us with a winner.

I love to travel to Blessing, root for the characters, and enjoy this heartwarming and compelling stories.
This one is poignant and life-affirming, it moved me and made me smile.
Sharon Sala delivers relatable and fleshed out characters and is an excellent storyteller.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Best of Me by Sharon Sala, book thirteen in her Blessing, Georgia series a place where people were kind, thoughtful, appreciative of the little things in life, honest, helpful, and caring. You are going to fall in love with the people of Blessings, Georgia as they gain a new resident, but keep tissues nearby because you're going to need them.

The weight of the world, and the responsibility that goes with it, have been on seven-year-old Carlie Jo Duvoy’s shoulders for 2 years while she took care of her dying momma. Carlie and her mom leave Arkansas and travel by Greyhound bus to Blessings, where they manage to make it inside the police station where her mom takes her last breath. Carlie's mom has prepared her as best she could for this sad ending to her life, but there's no way losing your mom at any age is ever easy. Unknowingly, Ruby Dye Butterman has been assigned as Carlie's guardian; a woman she once worked for. Ruby and her husband, Peanut, an attorney, are childless, and never thought they'd be parents, but with hearts as big as the ocean, they accept the role they've been given and quickly fall in love with this adorable little girl. They are the perfect people to protect and care for Carlie. Carlie makes her first friend in 8-year old Melvin Lee, a firecracker who has decided he would be Carlie's protector. You have to love a little boy who teaches Carlie how to stand up for herself and not take any gruff.

Running parallel throughout this novel is a secondary story, one of second chance love. Ladd and Deborah were each other’s first love but when Ladd went off to college the two eventually drifted apart; chasing their own goals. Years later they are both back in town, each losing a parent and somehow these two find their way back to each other and a loving future.

Ms. Sala wrote a realistic look of a child coping with becoming an orphan but having appreciation that a loving couple is ready to love her more than she ever thought she could be love by anyone other than her mother. The reader is taken through Carlie’s journey as she adjusts to her new home and the new adults now raising her. This is a very emotional story that tugged at the heartstrings, was moving, sweet and filled with a lot of sadness. No matter what, Blessings, Georgia is definitely the place to find acceptance, love and second chances. I highly recommend The Best of Me and this series to other reader and I'd give it 10 stars if I could..

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Thank you Ms. Sala for 13+ outstanding Blessings books, it has been a privilege and pleasure. And to all my friends in Blessings, you will be greatly missed; Ruby & Peanut, Dan Amos & Alice, the Knox family, Phoebe & Aidan, Mercy and Lon Pittman, and especially Dori and Johnny, you both had to grow up so quickly, but you both meet and exceeded the challenges you faced. All the best my friends. Stay in touch.

Blessings, Georgia……like Virgin River, I would love to live here. Ms. Sala has a gift of welcoming the reader in to be part of the community and all it entails, whether rain or shine, good or bad. In this segment, a newly married couple receives a special delivery that will change not only their lives but those around them. Five stars for a book that ales you feel at home from start to finish.