Review: Mattie’s Call – Stacy Campbell

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

When their mother goes missing from her nursing home, three estranged siblings must fulfill the requests left in her will before they can find closure—or receive their inheritance.

Mattie Benson feels trapped in Grand Oak Acres Nursing Home. Abandoned by her adult children and missing her deceased husband, she takes matters into her own hands and leaves the facility. A Mattie’s Call is issued, and soon, the siblings learn things about their mother they never knew—namely, her ability to bring them together through the conditions of her will.

Gabrielle, the eldest daughter, must stop living life on her looks, get a job, and move out of the family home. This feat proves difficult for a forty-nine-year-old woman accustomed to the generosity of wealthy men.

Joshua, the runaway groom, must reconnect with the son he never knew existed. He isn’t against the idea, but facing the only love of his life proves more difficult than he anticipated.

Alice, Mattie’s baby girl, has been trapped in a loveless marriage for years. The stipulation that she complete her college degree scares her more than climbing a mountain, but an unforgivable moment with her husband proves she must move forward with her life.

Stumbling and ultimately rising to the challenge, the siblings get to know one other as their parents’ legacy mends old wounds and paves the way for new beginnings.

Buy Link: http://amzn.to/1SY2Pwg

“My children are a waste of tears and stretch marks!” That’s the first line I read when I opened Mattie’s Call. The plan was to read a few pages and come back to it later. Later turned out to be a few hours – I completed this book in less than 24 hours. This is the same thing happened a few years ago when I read Author Stacy Campbell’s debut book, A Dream Girl Awakened. That book was my Top Read of 2014. Click the link below to read my review of Dream Girl Awakened. Now let’s get back to Mattie’s Call.

Dream Girl Awakened Review 

Mattie Benson is living at Grand Oak Acres Nursing Home. If she had it her way, she would be living on her own or with one of her kids. Mattie Benson is a feisty woman who still has her faculties – so she feels she shouldn’t be residing in a nursing home. Even though there were one or two incidents that questioned Mattie’s ability to take care of herself. Tired of feeling abandoned by kids – Mattie decides to hit the road. Literally…

Once the employees of the nursing home realize Mattie is missing, they issue a Mattie’s Call. (no pun intended) FYI: Mattie’s Call is an American law-enforcement-initiated public notification system to locate missing elderly, or otherwise physically challenged persons. It was created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly in 2006.

Mattie’s children must put aside their grudges and come together to find their mother. But Mattie kids lives aren’t picture perfect either – they are drifting through their life in a sea of dysfunction.

Gabrielle, Mattie’s oldest child, is a grown baby by all meaning of the phrase. She depends on wealthy men (married or not) to take care of her daily needs. She feels as though she should be taken care of instead of taking care of herself.

Joshua, Mattie’s only son, is allergic to long-term relationships. As soon as the relationship starts to get serious – he jumps ship.

Alice, Mattie’s youngest child, is trapped in a marriage with a controlling husband that won’t even let her sneeze without his permission.

Will Mattie’s children be able put their differences aside long enough to locate their mother? Will they be able to fix their lives in the process or it is too late?

I felt the author wrote with an authenticity that made the character’s words matter to me. There were parts of the book that pulled at my heartstrings because it felt familiar to me. I was so invested and concerned about their well-being of these characters that I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The story flowed so effortlessly that I didn’t want their story to end.

Mattie’s Call is a book that invites readers to take that first step to mend broken relationships with friends & relatives before it’s too late. It also teaches us a valuable lesson that it’s never too late to experience new beginnings.

Author Stacy Campbell continues to amaze me with her growth as a writer. She’s never the one to write in a “safe” place – she continues to explore topics that are thought-provoking and relevant to the lives of readers. As an avid reader, I not only love that quality in an author – I appreciate it.

Reviewed by: Orsayor

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