The Will of Wisteria by Denise Hildreth

Denise Hildreth's latest release is a complete departure from her other novels. Instead of one main character, "The Will of Wisteria" features and entire family--four siblings, two brothers and two sisters.

Which made me a little nervous, but I absolutely ADORE Denise, and the cover was way cool! I am very happy to announce, not only does the cover rock--BUT SO DOES THIS STORY!

Clayton Wilcott, the patriarch of the Wilcott family, was true blue blood through and through. I say was, because the novel opens with him deceased, and his four children anticipating the reading of his will.

Or rather, salivating over the reading of his will. But it seems that Clayton's blue blood became washed in the crimson tide of Calvary, and his will has changed. Much to the consternation of the Wilcott children, the terms are hard to swallow, and even harder to live by.

Each of the four siblings must fulfill the provision stated in dear old dad's will or forfeit their sizeable inheritance. Can Elizabeth, Jeffrey, Mary Catherine and Will accomplish what their father demands from the grave? Or will the inheritance go to the mysterious Executor?

Each of the four Wilcotts has their own issue with Dad, and each has their own battle to wage. Elizabeth, the successful and independent attorney; Jeffrey, the successful and philandering plastic surgeon; Will, the youngest and the most definite "failure to launch"; and Mary Catharine, the favorite and the most gullible of them all.

I fell in love with this family, and was enthralled as the story unfolded. Denise took me by surprise many times over in this story, but it fit like a well constructed puzzle, with each piece completing the overall picture of the Wilcott family.

I have grown to absolutely love Southern lit, and while Charles Martin is my favorite Southern gentleman, Denise is my Southern belle! You just cannot be disappointed by anything she writes...at least, I'm not. I only wish she could write faster:-)

I give "The Will of Wisteria" six out of five bookmarks with a silver spoon charm--slightly tarnished. Coming from my own disfunctional family, I loved the theme of love and such other stuff that I won't divulge here that permeated this novel. A perfect Christmas gift for siblings to exchange with one another, I highly recommend "The Will of Wisteria"...although, I'm longing for a sequel (Oh, Denise...!)

Happy Reading!

Deena