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Reviewed by Heather Osborne for Readers' Favorite
In Where the Grass Grows Blue by Hope Gibbs, the last thing Penny Crenshaw expects when she gets a ring cleaned is to walk away with the stark revelation that her husband has been cheating. After divorcing Penny, her ex-husband swiftly remarries the younger woman. To top it all off, he wants to take his and Penny’s three boys on a twenty-one-day African safari, along with his new bride. Penny decides it’s the perfect time to add misery to misery and clear out her beloved grandmother’s home. But Penny’s past in her hometown of Camden was anything but sunny. Her first love, Bradley Hitchens, was the one bright spot in her youth. However, the relationship didn’t end on the best of terms. Penny could have a second chance at love and happiness, but will she take the plunge, or will she play it safe?
A second-chance romance coupled with elements of women’s fiction, Where the Grass Grows Blue by Hope Gibbs, plays on our empathy for the main character Penny Crenshaw nee Ray. Chapters intermixing past and present slowly peel away her history, unveiling the trauma of Penny’s youth and her happiness. I really liked Ruby Ray's character, and her home descriptions were vivid and well-written. Penny and Ruby shared a lot of traits, right down to their love of gardening. Penny’s relationship with Bradley is also developed very well, and I appreciated the insight into their past. It is a satisfying and comfortable read, and I would like to read more from this author in the future.
