Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone

By: Phaedra Patrick

Narrated by: James Langton

Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's Summary

Phaedra Patrick's debut novel, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, was hailed as "poignant" and "utterly endearing". Now she returns with Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone, a gem of a novel about family, forgiveness, and one man's second chance at happiness.

Moonstone for empathy. Azurite for memories. Lapis lazuli for truth. In the quiet village of Noon Sun, Benedict Stone has settled into a complacent and predictable routine. Business at his jewelry shop has dried up; his marriage is on the rocks. His life is in desperate need of a jump-start.

And then a surprise arrives at his door.

Gemma is Benedict's audacious teenage niece - the daughter of his estranged brother, Charlie. The two Stone brothers had a falling out and haven't spoken in almost two decades, since Charlie left for America. Reckless and stubborn, Gemma invites herself into Benedict's world and turns his orderly life upside down. But she might just be exactly what he needs to get his life back on track.

Filled with colorful characters and irresistible charm, Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone is a luminous reminder of the unbreakable bonds of family and shows that having someone to embrace life with is always better than standing on your own.

©2017 Phaedra Patrick (P)2017 Harlequin Enterprises, Limited

Great second novel

The writing style that was so successful in Arthur Pepper is continued in this book. I enjoyed Benedict, though similar in some respects to Arthur different enough to make him interesting. I loved the use of food and small village life that was so endearing in Arthur Pepper.

Such a fun, sweet story!!

Loved this book! James Langton does a wonderful job of bringing Patrick's characters to life!

What is family?

Loved the story and the characters! It was great to listen to a story that everything was just believable. The story was charming and touching with some chuckles and moments of yelling at the characters "what are you thinking?" as you listen to their struggles. Phaedra Patrick takes you on a wonderful journey in Noon Sun England where one thinks of their past and how it can effect our present and the future, where we learn what family truly is, and how to be true to ourselves and others. Beautifully written and wonderfully narrated by James Langton I really enjoyed this book. Especially the details about all the stones!

Rise and Shine BendEdict Stone

Enchanting, fum, so interesting. I cannot wait for the sequal to come out in June.

Loved these characters and this book

It was a delight to spend time with these characters and the story was wonderful.

Really aggravating..spoiler alert

For me it would have been of value if the publisher had mentioned in their summary that the plot of the story focused on the infertility of the main male character and his wife.
I thought this was going to be a fun, easy read and a bit of holiday fluff...and part of it was...
BUT the constant whining of the main male character became SO aggravating and boring I had to grit my teeth to get through the novel..
I was only able to hang in because I wanted to hear about the rest of the gemstones and how their properties related to the characters and the plot.

Cute, lightweight story but, if I'd know that the main 'focus' had been about infertility, I wouldn't have touched this novel with a barge pole....let alone pay money for it.
I liked, but wasn't overwhelmed by the Arthur Pepper novel, and based upon this novel won't purchase another of Ms. Patrick's novels.

Nice

I really enjoyed The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper so I was all over this book when it came out. Benedict is the underdog of underdogs. He's separated from his wife and though he desperately wants her back, he's too scared and insecure to truly try to win her back. Just when he's at his lowest, his teenage niece shows up unexpectedly in the middle of the night and pulls him completely out of his comfort zone.
There are bits of the story that are predictable, but between the supporting characters, Patrick's writing and Langton's narration come together and make it a worthwhile listen. My only complaint is that Gemma may be a little too angst-y, but she's a teenager so. . .
Overall, a good book and an enjoyable listen.

Ugh

First half was whimsical enough, for me, the last half was torture. Teenager had a kind of tone that became more and more irritating over time. Characters rarely said what they really wanted to with each other. This was exhausting. So by the end I really didn't care what happened to any of them.
Loved the previous book!

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Charming and enchanting

This story is a lovely trek into a fractured family's journey to redemption through the lore of gemology.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful