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Sandra Hutchison
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The Awful Mess: A Love Story (Lawson Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Sandra Hutchison (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 981 ratings
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All she wants is peace and quiet. What she gets is a giant scandal.

After her husband finally gets someone pregnant and it isn’t her, editor Mary Bellamy starts over in tiny, affordable Lawson, New Hampshire in 2003 just as the dot.com bubble is bursting.

Newly-divorced, Mary assumes her infertility rules out most serious relationships. So she’s taken aback when the local Episcopal priest may be interested in more than just saving her soul. Then there’s the handsome local cop who confuses her by being an excellent kisser who supports gay marriage, but doesn’t believe in premarital sex.

Before long Mary’s keeping a scandalous secret at great cost to her personal happiness. Worse, her deteriorating ex threatens what little she has left. But Mary may find that while her new life has brought dangerous new risks, it can also deliver unexpected blessings.

If you enjoy a snarky heroine, an occasionally spicy love story, building suspense, and a genuine moral quandary, start reading THE AWFUL MESS today.

This stand-alone story includes group discussion questions.

PRAISE FOR THE AWFUL MESS

"It renews me as a reader, to enjoy a book so much; and as a writer, see it done so well." – Tim Farrington, author of THE MONK DOWNSTAIRS

"THE AWFUL MESS is a wonderful read!" – Julia Spencer-Fleming, author of IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER

"Read THE AWFUL MESS: A LOVE STORY and you'll go to bed more optimistic than when you got up today." – Hard to Please Book Lover

“…utterly delightful and refreshing, with believable, unique characters that drew me in right from the beginning.” – Anne M. Bennett

"I enjoyed the writing, cared about the characters, and kept turning the pages to find out what would happen next!" – Alec Hastings

“The characters are unforgettable. Our 'heroine' is as believably funny, self-critical, bull-headed, and resourceful as your best friend.” – E. Browne

“5 of 5 Stars.... Yes, it's romance and a love story, but it's much much much more than that.” – Sue Ward
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  1. Book 1 of 3
    Lawson
  2. Print length
    410 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    January 17, 2014
  5. File size
    1.5 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

What makes this novel hard to put down is the authenticity of the central character.... What redeems her is her self-deprecating humor and her courage to make the best of bad situations.
The Rock Hill Herald (South Carolina)

Whether you're the kind of reader who reads on the run, devouring delicious novels and never looking back, or the kind of reader who savors beautiful language, ironic dialogue and subtle commentary on the human condition, you will fall in love with the heroine of this book by the end of page one.
Lucia Nevai, author of Salvation

This is sterling story telling! And more than that, a compelling read. ... Believable characters. Intriguing plot. Loved the style. The setting. The tone. The pacing. The interesting side characters and sub-plots. Refreshingly addresses contemporary issues ... It's a contemporary "Everyman" tale...(and for women, of course)... who've lived a little and know life.
Gene Hull, author of Chasing the Muse

Author Sandra Hutchison tells the story with economy, grace, and an occasionally comic touch....an intelligent, entertaining novel that faces the truth about life's difficulties without descending into bleakness.
Mary Maddox in Ancient Children

5 of 5 Stars.... Yes, it's romance and a love story, but it's much much much more than that.
Sue Ward inRead Along with Sue

This lovely and humorous love story is about a book editor who moves to a small New England town after her divorce. ...Brings [the town] to vivid life ... through the lens of an endearing and intelligent woman.
Publishers Weekly

From the Author

No actual priests were harmed in the production of this debut novel. However, it's fair to say I have known (no, not that way!) a few priests to find themselves in similar straits. Please see my Amazon author page for more information, including other books, social media links, and recent blog posts. I do not comment on published reviews unless there's a technical question I can resolve, but like most authors I appreciate them very much. I will happily respond personally to you in other channels if you contact me.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00DHX0GNS
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sheer Hubris Press (January 17, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 17, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.5 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 410 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0991186907
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 981 ratings

About the author

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Sandra Hutchison

Sandra Hutchison

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Born and raised in Florida, Sandra Hutchison survived a transplant to a small, snowy New England town during high school and eventually stopped sulking about it, though it's possible she's still working it out in her fiction. She currently lives in Troy, New York.

Before retiring to write and procrastinate full time, Sandra worked as an adjunct English professor, acquisitions editor, marketing manager, copywriter, and creative director. The manuscript for her first novel, THE AWFUL MESS, was one of five general fiction semifinalists for the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.

Learn more at sheerhubris.com (where you can sign up for email notification of special deals and new releases), facebook.com/author.hutchison, or @SheerHubris on Twitter.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
981 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book an engaging and well-written story that explores love. They find the characters relatable, likeable, and colorful. Readers appreciate the skillful writing and pacing. The book is described as intelligent, insightful, and timely.

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ReadabilityStory qualityCharacter developmentWriting qualityPacingIntelligenceRetellingReligious content
175 customers mention "Readability"175 positive0 negative

Customers enjoyed the book. They found the story interesting and engrossing. The characters were well-developed, and the author's writing style was appreciated. Overall, readers felt the book was worth reading.

"...In all a most satisfying read and I was very sorry to reach that 98% point on the Kindle...." Read more

"...It is interesting to follow a perfectly ordinary, good human being into an awful mess--the point being: it can happen to anyone...." Read more

"...and realistic and her sarcastic mental asides felt real and kept me interested. I will read more books by this author." Read more

"...is up a big tree, fending off a lot of rocks, which makes for great reading fun...." Read more

107 customers mention "Story quality"86 positive21 negative

Customers enjoy the story's quality. They find the main characters relatable and likeable. The writing style is evocative and moving, with an engaging romance that is thoughtful and addictive. Readers appreciate the love triangle between Mary, Winslow, and Arthur, and the happy ending.

"...The romantic interest is a satisfyingly good guy but with some quirky aspects: good-looking but with a bit of a paunch, nearing 40 and single,..." Read more

"...She writes romance that is thoughtful, fast paced, addictive, and often uncomfortably real. This book is no exception...." Read more

"...voice” of the main character, Mary; she was pretty down to earth and realistic and her sarcastic mental asides felt real and kept me interested...." Read more

"...of fluff, there's something about Hutchison's writing style that is evocative and moving. And by moving, I don't mean it got me horny...." Read more

81 customers mention "Character development"72 positive9 negative

Customers like the character development in the book. They find the characters wonderful, colorful, and interesting. The main character is resilient and easy to root for, while there are some unsavory characters.

"...But: You do want to read this book. The characters are unforgettable...." Read more

"...The other characters are wonderful (including the ones that are wonderfully horrible), always defying Mary's attempts to stereotype them and guess..." Read more

"...I think the thing I liked the best was the “voice” of the main character, Mary; she was pretty down to earth and realistic and her sarcastic mental..." Read more

"...A great setup for a character whose journey will be interesting...." Read more

55 customers mention "Writing quality"52 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the writing quality of the book. They find it easy to read, with a good plot and well-paced writing. The author is skillful and has a good background for writing. Readers mention the dialogue is among the most believable they've ever read in recent American fiction.

"...The dialogue is among the most believable I've ever read in recent American fiction...." Read more

"I enjoyed this story: the writing was good and it was well edited (a nice change from many of the books I’ve read recently.)..." Read more

"...I'll be reading more by this terrific author, and I recommend this lively story!" Read more

"This first novel is an intriguing and skillfully written tale of Mary Bellamy, a recently divorced editor, who moves from a Boston suburb to a..." Read more

24 customers mention "Pacing"21 positive3 negative

Customers find the book's pacing engaging. They describe it as a quick and easy read that keeps them hooked until the end. The story is well-crafted and modern, keeping readers interested from start to finish.

"...It is interesting to follow a perfectly ordinary, good human being into an awful mess--the point being: it can happen to anyone...." Read more

"...is not too sweet, not too heart-breaking, even not too messy, but just right. I hope you would enjoy it too." Read more

"...Well done." Read more

"...But it's modern and timely, with a crumbling economy, a changing workforce, kindly treatment of an unmarried pregnant woman, and best of all, a..." Read more

19 customers mention "Intelligence"19 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's intelligence and insights. They find the story well-written, with a mix of humor, wisdom, and beautiful descriptions. The lessons learned are important, and the self-reflection and self-acceptance are appreciated. Readers also mention that the book shares how everyday decisions impact our lives and encourages self-introspection.

"...Our 'heroine' is as believably funny, self-critical, bull-headed, and resourceful as your best friend...." Read more

"...couldn't put it down, and by the end I found it to be a mix of humor, wisdom, and beautiful descriptions along with the fairly tame eroticism...." Read more

"...It was not only an interesting and well-written story, it was intelligent...." Read more

"...I loved how Mary could be so dumb and so smart (like real people are) the town and its characters and especially the ending. Well done." Read more

18 customers mention "Retelling"18 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the modern retelling of The Scarlet Letter. They find it a nice country story with good characters and descriptions of small-town New England living. Readers appreciate the universal presentation of human nature and the well-crafted descriptions of the small town and settings.

"...The interesting side characters and sub-plots. Refreshingly addresses contemporary issues, i,e. marriage, sex, babies, divorce, religion,..." Read more

"The Awful Mess is one of those books you open, expecting a good strong small town story. You get that, but so much more...." Read more

"...of an unmarried pregnant woman, and best of all, a universal presentation of human nature, which doesn't change at all, ever...." Read more

"...I loved the questions it posed. And loved that the author was able to leave Mary in peace in spirit. But also in the questions...." Read more

17 customers mention "Religious content"15 positive2 negative

Customers find the book has religious content that reaffirms their faith in humanity and the belief that good outweighs evil. They appreciate the portrayal of God's love and compassion through the actions of others. The story shows forgiveness and love clearly, with an interesting and non-offensive take on religion.

"...The occasional dips into questions of faith, underpinned by the religious leanings of the two main 'love interests', were tasteful and not at all..." Read more

"...the ending with the right amount of danger, romance and a heathy dose of Christian grace. I was kept enthralled to the end...." Read more

"...Forgiveness and love are clearly portrayed. I pushed on through chapters and was delighted by the characters and story end." Read more

"I really enjoyed this book. A little Christian morality ( But not to heavy) Self introspection and a romance that shows how a forgiving heart can..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • E. Browning
    5.0 out of 5 stars Awful mess; wonderful characters
    Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Reading the description of this book's plot, I had grave doubts. Divorce, debt, unemployment, a one-night stand with a priest, unexpected pregnancy...it all sounded a bit too much like real life. :)

    But: You do want to read this book. The characters are unforgettable. Our 'heroine' is as believably funny, self-critical, bull-headed, and resourceful as your best friend. The priest is as creepy and weak-willed as he needs to be. The romantic interest is a satisfyingly good guy but with some quirky aspects: good-looking but with a bit of a paunch, nearing 40 and single, suspected by the town chatterers to be closeted gay, living with his holy-roller but totally loveable farmer dad.

    The dialogue is among the most believable I've ever read in recent American fiction. The plot has some impractical twists including a surprise appearance by the evil ex-husband, and later his radical conversion to born-again Christianity. (Ways to be and not be religious are a sub-theme of the book that is handled very well.)

    In all a most satisfying read and I was very sorry to reach that 98% point on the Kindle. I only have one suggestion for the author: When you introduce a cat, especially one adopted from a shelter for company, you can't just drop him for the next 9 chapters. Do something with him! All the heroine's running around town had me worried for the poor guy. Only near the end of the book does someone remember to feed him. This could have been another nice dimension of the novel but it was not carried through.

    That said, excellent writing and super characterization.
    19 people found this helpful
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  • Ann Norman
    4.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful, fast-paced, addictive fic
    Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    The author, Sandy Hutchison (screen name: Alelou), is the Queen of fanfic for a TV show you have probably never heard of. Her stories rack up 10s of thousands of hits within weeks of being posted. She writes romance that is thoughtful, fast paced, addictive, and often uncomfortably real. This book is no exception. In chapter 1, Mary swears off men, moves out into the middle of nowhere, and buys a cat. This is the last boring chapter in a 41-chapter book. The promised awful mess (a love story) quickly unfolds. :D Since this is the early 2000s, and chatting on the Internet has not become a thing, Mary has a bleak and lonely existence that consists of work and gardening. Into the void, step a range of interesting characters eager to "friend" her, if only to help with the gardening. Yeah, right!!!

    The book is a real page turner. My real life was on hold till I finished it. The character of Mary is a little too prim and proper for my tastes, but I do totally empathize with her plight. It is interesting to follow a perfectly ordinary, good human being into an awful mess--the point being: it can happen to anyone. The other characters are wonderful (including the ones that are wonderfully horrible), always defying Mary's attempts to stereotype them and guess their next move.

    A theme of the book seems to be religion, or rather various degrees of faith and unbelief. The main character is an atheist, or a "heathen," as she herself likes to put it, maybe to distance herself from her small town neighbors. But the neighbors surprise her by expressing their own various positions on the spectrum of belief and continuing to be friendly. Any engaged atheist (I am an atheist) is going to want to jump into this book a few times and shout, "NOOOOO!!!! WRONG!!!" as Mary fumbles the ball for our team. However, this book is not really about the competition between atheism and Christianity. In the long run of history, even if one side of this controversy were to win a huge majority, individuals will always be spread out along a spectrum between religion and unbelief. So the question is how we can all get along despite these differences? This book shows that religion need not be a huge obstacle in human relationships. Relationships are real and God may or may not be . . . so what would you do?
    11 people found this helpful
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  • Claire
    3.0 out of 5 stars Main character has nice snarky inner voice
    Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed this story: the writing was good and it was well edited (a nice change from many of the books I’ve read recently.) The story was interesting and though predictable I stayed interested in how the author was going to get us to the HEA. There was a lot of religion which I hadn’t expected. I think the thing I liked the best was the “voice” of the main character, Mary; she was pretty down to earth and realistic and her sarcastic mental asides felt real and kept me interested. I will read more books by this author.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Rachel Dacus
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Awful Mess is Great Fun
    Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    The mess comes into the backstory for the main character, Mary. Messy divorce, messy employment situation, messy flight from her troubles to a new town where she knows no one -- therefore, possibly messy judgment. A great setup for a character whose journey will be interesting. About a quarter into the story, I wanted to shake her and also laugh with her over coffee about the impossibility of a single woman living alone in a strange town and telecommuting to a job with a shaky future. And an ex who won't stay gone.

    By the end, I didn't want the story to end. The wayward priest is a greatly flawed character. The stubborn cop with romantic interest in her is rigidly principled, principles which may well sink the budding romance. There's a lot of mess and mishaps in the plot's twists, which kept me turning pages. They say the secret to a good plot is to get your protagonist up a tree and then throw rocks at her. Mary is up a big tree, fending off a lot of rocks, which makes for great reading fun. I'll be reading more by this terrific author, and I recommend this lively story!
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Flash
    5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful love story
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 27, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Mary had a disastrous marriage and after her divorce she bought a old slightly run down house. It wasn't long before a local priest befriends her. She feels sorry for him and he calls to see her and one night after enjoying a bottle of wine together she ends up in bed with him. She was led to believe she couldn't have children. She regrets that night but doesn't worry about it. She then meats Winslow and falls for him and he for her but he is deeply religious and when she finds out she is pregnant she feels she must tell him.
    Things go from bad to worse she becomes redundant, her ex husband lands her with debts she was unaware she was connected too. He beats her up one evening after he found out she was pregnant he is sent to prison. Read on to see how it ends but I really enjoyed the twists and turns !!!!!!
    Report
  • Danilo Schöneberg
    4.0 out of 5 stars A compelling read, even for non-native speakers.
    Reviewed in Germany on October 10, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Having known the author for several years as a very respected and one of the most talented authors in fanfiction, buying her first real life publication was really a no-brainer. And I was not disappointed. Buying it over the German amazon branch was no problem at all and even as a non-native speaker with a fair grasp of the English language it was comfortable to read.

    The protagonist of the story is a believably portrayed character, torn and to a degree even scarred from events in the past and what she goes through over the course of this story is everything but smooth sailing, but that's exactly what one has to expect when reading the works of this author and it is, what she excels at.

    I was torn between awarding four and five stars and I gave it four for three reasons:

    1. I need some wiggle room to award a five. Sandra has shown in the past that she can always go one better, even when her readers thought it couldn't get any better.

    2. As an atheist, the story sounded a little 'too religious'. Religion comes as a given if one of the main characters is a clergyman, but the religous beliefs play to major a role for someone, who doesn't believe in the existence of gods if whatever form. This is but a minor nitpick though and probably the opinions will vary.

    3. The 'happy' part was a little bit too short for my liking, but that's a very subjective feeling. I prefer a longer 'happy phase' after a character has been subjected to hard challenges and twists in life,

    Overall I can really recommend the book. It's a very fine debut from an author, who will hopefully create more books of this calibre.
    Report
  • SSReadsALot
    5.0 out of 5 stars I selected this book from Awesome Indies, feeling very comfortable that it would be a good read. I was not disappointed.
    Reviewed in Australia on May 30, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I selected this book from the Awesome Indies catalog, feeling very comfortable that it would be a good read. I was not disappointed. The writing was flawless - indeed, one of the few books I've read where I never, once, had to re-read a passage for clarity. I enjoyed it immensely.

    This is not a sweet romance, nor a squeaky-clean story about God fearing Christians. This is a story about flawed individuals, making mistakes and trying to learn from those mistakes. Many of them are Christians but I will leave it to others to decide how "good" they are or are not. I, for one, loved how it brought to life that whole "let he who has not sinned be the first to cast a stone" message.

    5 stars, without question.
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  • Melba Hard
    4.0 out of 5 stars MORE THAN A LOVE STORY BUT CERTAINLY A MESS
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 12, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I FOUND THIS BOOK A LITTLE SLOW TO START WITH. IT WAS CERTAINLY DIFFENT AND TIPICAL OF SMALL TOWN LIFE.
    VERY DIFFERENT FROM MY USUAL REAS BUT I DID ENJOY IT ANT THE CHARACTERS WERE WELL PORTRAYED.
    Report
  • Bulgy Boar
    5.0 out of 5 stars An enthralling read.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 5, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Written with deceptive simplicity and sometimes brutal honesty, this book draws the reader into the difficult choices faced by the heroine, raw from the wounds of a failed marriage and now facing not only the threat of losing her livelihood but the difficulties faced by a newcomer in a small town where everyone knows - or wants to know - everyone else's business.

    The characters are drawn with accuracy and clarity, achieving individuality with sometimes only a few strokes of the author's pen. They're human and fallible and believable, and Mary herself swiftly becomes someone the reader can identify with and care about. I enjoyed this book enormously and would recommend it to anyone who wants a thoroughly satisfying read.
    Report

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