Goodbye, Lark Lovejoy

By: Kris Clink

Narrated by: Vanessa Moyen, Zachary Johnson

Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

For readers of Katherine Center and Kristan Higgins, an immersive, soul-nourishing novel that dares to hold onto hope when happily-ever-after seems lost. Full of character, wit, and wisdom, Goodbye, Lark Lovejoy explores second chances and the power of connection.

Lark’s lost her husband, and the expiration date has come and gone on her fake-it-till-you-make-it “Happy Mommy Show". Healing her broken family requires drastic measures — like returning to her hometown in the Texas Hill Country. She’s going to need more than clean air and a pastoral landscape to rebuild a life for her young sons.

Her return home is met with reminders of the winemaking dream she jettisoned to attend law school. Lark surprises herself and calls her shot, investing her nest egg in a struggling vineyard. This young mother is determined to work through her grief. The last thing she expects is to fall in love with Wyatt Gifford, an injured Army vet with a past of his own to conquer. Coming home may not be the reset Lark imagined, but it does take her on a journey filled with humor and reconciliation — one that prepares her for a courageous comeback.

©2021 SparkPress (P)2022 Kris Erin Clink Ventures, LLC

Words you can visualize…

I wasn’t sure what I had gotten myself into when I started this book, but I am so glad I did. Kris Clink has a rare ability to write in a manner that you can visualize exactly what is being described. The analogies are spot on and very creative.

I love the strength in the characters. It’s rather refreshing to see such a strong leading lady.

Just when you think you have things figured out there’s a surprising turn of events. This is a very well written piece of work.

I world highly recommend Goodbye, Lark Lovejoy. I am looking forward to Sissie Cline is Completely Normal by Kris Clink as well! I might have found my new favorite author!

Very Enjoyable!

The story of Lark Lovejoy, her family, and the other characters of Fredericksburg, TX is a very enjoyable story brought to life through great narration by the voice actor.

The characters and what they go through is very relatable. The funny, the sad, the highs, the lows, they are all in here. The author does a great job of taking you through this time in the main characters life. You feel invested not only in Lark, but in her two sons and her friends and family.

In a crazy world that we are in, this audio book is the perfect amount of emotion and reality, with also a chance to escape the seriousness of our world today.

10/10 recommend.

Goodbye Lark Lovejoy

This story was amazing. It was entertaining realistic heartwarming and some thing everyone needs to read. It explored deep emotion and realistic life experiences. I cannot say enough good things about this book. The narration was amazing I highly recommend anyone who reads this book to go on and read the next book by the same author and I hope this author continues riding for a long time

Good read

Good storyline and characters. I would have liked to have seen more depth in the characters. The narrators were good. I know that it probably isn't possible, but I think that if the characters had a Texas accent, it would have had more. impact. I really enjoyed your book, Kris. I'm looking forward to your next one.

You'll want to stay in the world Clink creates

4.5 STARS. I listened to the fabulous story of GOODBYE, LARK LOVEJOY, primarily set in Texas Hill Country, and I fell in love with it all -- the story, the characters, and oh yes, the place. The audio book narration was excellent and added a level of familiarity with the main characters Lark and Wyatt (both of whom I fell in love with, but who also frustrated the heck out of me because COMMUNICATE, PEOPLE).

I think what author Kris Clink does best is give us characters who feel real and familiar, and readers will find themselves feeling like they are part of this small-town Texas community.

This is the first book in the Enchanted Rock series, and it seems like book two, SISSIE KLEIN IS COMPLETELY NORMAL, follows another person's path. No matter -- I'll be reading it, too, because I liked living in that world that Clink created in book one.

Sweet story

I love a good story and this delivered.—new life, new beginnings, new love. I recommend it.

Glad I stuck it out

I almost gave up on this listen because the narration was so poor. I actually went into my settings to see if it was at a faster speed than normal. The narration does not do any favors for the story either. When I noticed that Kris Clink's second book in this series was narrated by one of my favorites, Xe Sands, I decided to stick it out. This book is good and provides a backdrop for the next one - with much better narration.

3.5 Stars - Excited for more from this new author!

I may have only given this book an average+ rating, but I enjoyed the story and I'm excited to see where this new author goes from here. It did have a few issues for me, but overall I feel like Kris Clink is a promising author whose work I’ll definitely read in the future.

After spending the last years of her marriage as a caretaker to her ailing husband, widowed Lark moves back to her childhood home with her two young children in tow. She's temporarily living with her parents as she considers life without her husband and what her next move might be.

What I really liked:
- characterizations (main and secondary)
- strong and entertaining heroine
- sweet and sexy hero
- a lovely May/December romance (OW/YM)
- witty banter
- character growth
- story arc
- an emotional connection to the characters

The story faltered with some unnecessary details, as well as having left a few unaddressed. With the removal of some extraneous details that did nothing to advance the storyline, the rudderless elements might not have been an issue. Maybe most readers would overlook them, but I found myself asking what was the point of a couple of significant scenes when never discussed again.

The story was primarily shared through Lark's POV, but with a few chapters from Wyatt where we learned additional details about the effects of his military service. Unfortunately, I felt it only ever grazed the surface of PTSD, etc. As a reader, I'm supposed to accept how he'd worked through his issues and was now inviting Lark into his story. ***POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD*** I wasn't convinced by the scene with Wyatt's psychologist and how it was sprung on Lark. That whole scene didn't ring true for me. It was unprofessional and without Lark's informed consent. ***END OF POSSIBLE SPOILER*** Aside from that misstep, I enjoyed Wyatt and Lark's romance. Although, I would have either preferred the story told solely in Lark's POV or for some equanimity in the development of Wyatt's. Overall, Lark's POV was where the story shined. It was strong and well-developed. I also found it witty and moving. Especially, in the few flashback scenes with Lark's husband. I'll admit I had an ugly-cried moment during one highly poignant recollection.

With some tightening up of extraneous details and a little extra development in a couple of areas, this easily could have been a 5-star read. As it is, I'm giving it a positive 3.5 stars with some added enthusiasm for the author's future stories. The audio presentation was wonderful and had a great effect on story immersion.