Right before Thanksgiving, a freak tornado descends on Larkspur, the small town in Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains where matriarch and candy magnate Loretta Cisco - affectionately called "Cisco" by her grandchildren - lives, and levels the home she's inhabited for fifty years. Then there's more bad news: Cisco's beloved triplet grandchildren, Hannah, Sara, and Sam, all newlyweds, are experiencing marital problems and they refuse to confide in their grandmother about what's wrong. Sam's wife, Sonia, has left him, and Hannah and Sara fear that their husbands are having affairs. Why else would they be coming home so late every night and seem to be keeping secrets? As the citizens of Larkspur help to rebuild Cisco's home in time for Christmas, she vows to work a holiday miracle that will hold her family together. With Family Blessings Fern Michaels uses her keen insight into the emotional bonds between family members and the passions that bring men and women together to create an enduring novella that celebrates love, family, and forgiveness, and shows why she is one of the world's best-loved storytellers.
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"I really enjoyed this book. I felt like she really showed the characters growth by the end of the book and there was a good resolution of all the chaos. Probably not a good idea to read it if you're having relationship problems with your significant other though. Might be too real. "
— Lauren (4 out of 5 stars)
“Michaels delivers another flawless novel…She craftily combines humor and emotions into a truly enjoyable novel. Longtime readers and newcomers alike will be pleased with this warmhearted, down-home read.”
— RT Book Reviews, 4 stars“Funny, lively, and filled with down-home charm, this sweet, family-and-community-centered novel will appeal to fans of Debbie Macomber and other contemporary Americana authors.”
— Library Journal“[Written] in the same winning and humorous manner the ever-popular Michaels always employs in her believable and highly entertaining tales.”
— Booklist" I listened to this book twice. My grandson came home today for lunch, walked in & said, "How's the triplets today, Nana?" Now he wants to get the books to read them. "
— Odetta, 2/19/2014" I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would - at times the characters were unbelievable and I found Sam to be a little annoying. However, I kept reading and was rewarded by a happy, teary-eyed ending that made it worth the read. "
— Emma, 2/19/2014" Family Blessings was a good read for the holidays. Although it didn't warm my heart like I had hoped, I still liked it. "
— Daisy*•.♥.•*, 2/13/2014" The Cisco family story continues. Good reading. "
— Pat, 2/12/2014" This was such a sweet book , No tragic events but very interesting, I started on it last night and have already finished it. "
— Julie, 2/5/2014" I read this novel last year at Christmas time too. Still a great read the second time around. "
— Sarah, 1/24/2014" I was disappointed in this book. I was quite disgusted with it actually. I had high hopes for it because the first book was so good. Still I gave it 3 stars. I kept reading, hoping it would get better; waiting to see what was going to happen. "
— Rayni, 1/18/2014" I actually read the book but they didn't have it listed. "
— Ginny, 1/16/2014" who wants to listen to people fight the whole book? and guess what it ends happily though. "
— Elizabeth, 1/12/2014" I enjoyed FAMILY BLESSINGS by Fern Michaels. This is the 2nd book she has written about the Cisco family. The story takes place just before Thanksgiving. The plot is inspirational. "
— Carol, 1/11/2014" Nice story with a satisfying ending. Light reading for a quiet afternoon. "
— Laurie, 12/20/2013" Heart warming family story about the importance of communication and one another. "
— Marilyn, 12/20/2013" Usually love Fern Michaels books but this was not one of her better ones. It's basically about the lives of three adult triplets who's marriages are falling apart. "
— Joanne, 12/19/2013" drivel - almost not worth reading :( "
— Cindy, 12/10/2013" Another book highlighting the need for total honesty and openess in a marriage. Secrets almost broke yp 3 marriagaes. "
— Carol, 11/24/2013" This book is a good book, although poorly written. It has a great happy ending :) "
— Whitney, 10/31/2013" Had this on my list to read for a long time finally found it at a book sale. It was a Thanksgiving story so I waited until Nov. to read it. It was just alright. Not really anything to write home about. I do have the Christmas one of this series so hopefully that will be better. "
— Deann, 10/21/2013" This book did not have much of a plot. It was kind-of boring. The characters argue way too much and the story is repetitve. Just was not that good, an easy read, but not that good "
— Teresa, 8/31/2013" First book I've read by the author. By other reviews of her other books, I started with one of the worst! :( The story was a good plot, but got lost inside the characters. I didn't feel the love between any of them. Very hard for me to even finish, thankfully a short read! "
— Becky, 6/3/2013" Too simple, too repetitive, too predictable, too corny for me! "
— Laura, 12/24/2012" This was the second book from Fern Michaels about the Cisco family. No Place Like Home was a much better story. This one did not have much of a plot. It was not enjoyable when most of the book was the family fighting with each other. "
— Dawn, 10/5/2012" I really enjoyed this book. I felt like she really showed the characters growth by the end of the book and there was a good resolution of all the chaos. Probably not a good idea to read it if you're having relationship problems with your significant other though. Might be too real. "
— Lauren, 8/26/2012" Awful, boring, predictable, don't bother. "
— James, 8/7/2012" I was looking for a heartwarming holiday story and this was not it. The first half of the book I was just annoyed with the characters. Then the ending wrapped up too quickly. I read it in about 3 hours otherwise I would have been more annoyed that I wasted my life on this. "
— Andrea, 3/15/2012" I was disappointed in this book. I couldn't like the characters as they came off as a group of adult spoiled brats. The only somewhat likeable character was the local parish priest. "
— Anna, 11/3/2011" I have no complaints about this book. I enjoyed it and found myself reading through it quite easily. Simple beach/weekend read. "
— Michael, 11/2/2011" This book really drew me to the characters as they are very likable. I like the story it was very nice and simple. This book is really not a remarkable one, I can't really say is a boring one but nothing to be excited about!! "
— Nancy, 10/31/2011" I like the line of her books but they read very much the same all the time- the way she writes makes me think she is writing for a 3rd grader. Enjoyable story but annoying if I read too many of her's in a row. "
— Tiffany, 9/20/2011" Heart warming family story about the importance of communication and one another. "
— Marilyn, 5/13/2011" I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would - at times the characters were unbelievable and I found Sam to be a little annoying. However, I kept reading and was rewarded by a happy, teary-eyed ending that made it worth the read. "
— Emma, 5/8/2011" Usually love Fern Michaels books but this was not one of her better ones. It's basically about the lives of three adult triplets who's marriages are falling apart. "
— Joanne, 4/16/2011" I was disappointed in this book. I was quite disgusted with it actually. I had high hopes for it because the first book was so good. Still I gave it 3 stars. I kept reading, hoping it would get better; waiting to see what was going to happen. "
— Rayni, 2/11/2011" This book is a little different from many of the others I have read by this author. It is more about Christmas and family living than the others, but it is a good read and is enjoyable. <br/> <br/>J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'" "
— J., 5/12/2010" drivel - almost not worth reading :( "
— Cindy, 12/11/2009" The Cisco family story continues. Good reading. "
— Pat, 12/2/2009" First book I've read by the author. By other reviews of her other books, I started with one of the worst! :( The story was a good plot, but got lost inside the characters. I didn't feel the love between any of them. Very hard for me to even finish, thankfully a short read! "
— Becky, 8/30/2009" Nice story with a satisfying ending. Light reading for a quiet afternoon. "
— Laurie, 2/28/2009" This was the second book from Fern Michaels about the Cisco family. No Place Like Home was a much better story. This one did not have much of a plot. It was not enjoyable when most of the book was the family fighting with each other. "
— Dawn, 10/26/2008" This book did not have much of a plot. It was kind-of boring. The characters argue way too much and the story is repetitve. Just was not that good, an easy read, but not that good "
— Teresa, 10/24/2008" I like the line of her books but they read very much the same all the time- the way she writes makes me think she is writing for a 3rd grader. Enjoyable story but annoying if I read too many of her's in a row. "
— Tiffany, 7/31/2008" who wants to listen to people fight the whole book? and guess what it ends happily though. "
— Elizabeth, 1/14/2008Fern Michaels is the USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of thirty-five books in the Sisterhood series, as well as novels in eleven other series and seventy-two stand-alone novels. There are over ninety five million copies of her books in print. She has built and funded several large day care centers in her hometown, and is a passionate animal lover who has outfitted police dogs across the country with special bulletproof vests. Visit her website at FernMichaels.com.
Laural Merlington is an audiobook narrator with over two hundred titles to her credit and a winner of multiple Earphones Awards. An Audie Award nominee, she has also directed over one hundred audiobooks. She has performed and directed for thirty years in theaters throughout the country. In addition to her extensive theater and voice-over work, she teaches college in her home state of Michigan.