The Sweet Gum Tree

Ew.

The writing really sucked me in, but I wish it hadn't. I didn't like how anything played out, I didn't like any of the characters, and yet I felt bad for all of them at the same time for having the great misfortune of suffering one another.

There was so much built up tension and conflict (some of which made no sense which lead me to believe maybe some (most?) of them were just stupid), but it all deflated out like a leaky balloon. Everyone tried to shoulder the blame for how things played out but no one tried to take responsibility.

The main character felt justly angry, (at almost every character in the book at some point) articulated the exact, very logical reason for why she was angry, and then it was kinda just magically ok...somehow...
Years of trauma, anger, betrayal repressed and then it's just kinda gone?

Ew.

I can't understand all of the glowing reviews for this book. The author's use of foreshadowing drove me crazy and the entire plot revolved around a dreaded Big Misunderstanding that could have easily been resolved if the hero and heroine talked to each other like rational human beings instead of jumping to conclusions and flying off the handle. Comparisons between this book and Deborah Smith's beloved A Place to Call Home are laughable. This book isn't close to being in APTCH's league.