Tea & Read: Never Say Never

Title: Never Say Never

Author: Lisa Wingate
Rating: Two cups of tea

Blurb: Kai Miller floats through life like driftwood tossed by waves. She's never put down roots in any one place--and she doesn't plan to. But when a chaotic hurricane evacuation lands her in Daily, Texas, she begins to think twice about her wayfaring existence. And when she meets hometown-boy Kemp Eldridge, she can almost picture settling down in Daily--until she discovers he may be promised to someone else. Daily has always been a place of refuge for those the winds blows in, but for Kai, it looks like it will be just another place to leave behind. Then again, Daily always has a few surprises in store--especially when Aunt Donetta has cooked up a scheme.

I discovered Lisa Wingate at the library. My local branch often sneaks in Christian authors under the radar. I often have to go to the library with my CBD catalog to find them. Something to Talk About was the first book in the Daily, TX series that I read and immediately fell in love with Wingate’s storytelling style. Never Say Never is more of the same great storytelling and memorable characters.

I loved the way Wingate captured two very different personality types, overprotective grandmother and orphaned drifter, and how beautifully the two types intertwine in this story. I love Kai longing for family and Donetta longing to know the truth about her family. Their longing keeps the story moving. And of course, who could forget the Holy Ghost Church members. It was amazing because they collectively seemed like one person, but the ones Wingate focused on were quite unique and memorable.

Another thing I loved about this story is how real the hurricane felt. I’ve never been caught in a hurricane or tornado, but I can imagine how it would feel. Wingate did a great job of capturing the panic and desperation people escaping the storm. But I must admit, if I’m going ride out a storm, the characters in her book would make some great companions.

The pacing was great and I love Wingate’s feel for Texas slang. Part of my family is from North Carolina, so I know southerners can come up with some odd sayings and this book is full of them. It’s also full of downright laugh out loud moments. If Donetta, Imagene and Lucy had their own TV show, it would be called “Old Ladies Behaving Badly.”

I’ve got one more book to read in this series and I’m looking forward to it.