Review: Bitter Blessings by Christine Mehring

(From the back cover)  After the tragic death of her mother, everything seems to spin out of control for Megan.  Taking care of her grandmother-who refuses to receive help from anyone-and her two younger sisters, Megan must depend on her best friend Adam to get through these hard times.  But when she discovers an old family secret, Megan must choose between trusting her family and following what her heart tells her to be true.

First off, let me say that I am grateful to be a part of the blog tour for Bitter Blessings.  Second, before the actual review, I have to say I love the cover for this book.  So pretty!


Okay, so the title of this LDS fiction book, Bitter Blessings, both intrigued me and made me a bit hesitant.  Bitter Blessings doesn't exactly sound happy.  It's sort of a contradiction in and of itself.  But, the more I thought about it and the farther I got into the book, the more I realized that a lot of the blessings we do receive are the result of something hard and maybe even bitter beforehand.


Megan and her family deal with so many real life issues.  Life really seems to dump the hard on Megan's shoulders.  She had such a weight to carry.  I loved how hard she tried to keep it all together.  Her love for her family is obvious.


Adam, to me, was all that I wish to be.  He was a good friend, loyal and steady.  He reminded me of the song "Lean On Me", you know the one?  "Lean on me.  When you're not strong.  I'll be your friend.  I'll help you carry on.  Sometimes in our lives.  We all have doubts.  We all have sorrows.  But, if we are wise, we know that there's always tomorrow."  Adam didn't preach his beliefs, he didn't force religion or anything else.  He was just there.  Living what he believed and loving his friend.  I think I love Adam.


I loved the AZ setting for this book.  I lived in AZ for quite awhile and I could totally relate to the Monsoons, the heat and letting the hot air rush out of the car before you got into it so you didn't die in there!  I had a dish towel in my car too so I didn't burn my hands on the steering wheel.  :)


I saw a video clip as I was reading this book urging us to believe the best in people before believing the worst.  Giving people the benefit of the doubt.  One of the initial problems in this story came because someone was willing to believe things that were bad before really knowing for themselves.  They believed what someone else told them and acted on that before finding out for themselves.  It changed the lives of so many people, and not for the better.  I wonder how life and relationships would be changed if we just assumed the best before we assumed the worst in people.


This was a quick read, I polished it off in a day, and I really enjoyed my journey with Megan and Adam.  It was real and touching.


You can purchase Bitter Blessings on Amazon.