Audiobook Review: A Certain Kind of Starlight by Heather Webber #MagicalRealism #SmallTowns #Alabama

AUDIOBOOK DESCRIPTION (FROM AMAZON)

In the face of hardship, two women learn how to rise up again under the bright side of the stars in A Certain Kind of Starlight, the next audiobook from USA Today bestselling author Heather Webber, “the queen of magical small-town charm” (Amy E. Reichert)

Everyone knows that Addie Fullbright can’t keep a secret. Yet, twelve years ago, as her best friend lay dying, she entrusted Addie with the biggest secret of all. One so shattering that Addie felt she had to leave her hometown of Starlight, Alabama, to keep from revealing a devastating truth to someone she cares for deeply. Now she’s living a lonely life, keeping everyone at a distance, not only to protect the secret but also her heart from the pain of losing someone else. But when her beloved aunt, the woman who helped raise her, gets a shocking diagnosis and asks her to come back to Starlight to help run the family bakery, Addie knows it’s finally time to go home again.

Tessa Jane Wingrove-Fullbright feels like she’s failing. She’s always been able to see the lighter side of life but lately darkness has descended. Her world is suddenly in shambles after a painful breakup, her favorite aunt’s unexpected health troubles, and because crushing expectations from the Wingrove side of her family are forcing her to keep secrets and make painful choices. When she’s called back to Starlight to help her aunt, she’s barely holding herself together and fears she’ll never find her way back to who she used to be.

Under the bright side of the stars, Addie and Tessa Jane come to see that magic can be found in trusting yourself, that falling apart is simply a chance to rise up again, stronger than ever, and that the heart usually knows the best path through the darkness.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW

Addie and Tessa Jane are half-sisters, but they barely know each other. Kept apart by the manipulations of others, they are both called back to Starlight, Alabama, when their Aunt Bean’s health worsens. Connected by the amazing Starlight field, a field created by a fallen star that glows with its own special auroras in the evening, Tessa Jane and Addie begin to grow closer. But secrets and a manipulative relative who wants the field for himself threaten to drive both of them away from Starlight once again, and for good.

I just love Heather Webber’s books. I adore small-town fiction, and that little touch of magic she throws in just adds that special ingredient to make the story even more fascinating. This one was no exception. The entire cast of characters comes alive, and I felt like a part of this town. As an added treat, a flock of starlings becomes an important character of its own. There are sweet romances and lessons learned throughout the book. Each chapter is headed by baking tips from Aunt Bean, who owns the town bakery. This is a story filled with heartache and disappointment, but also love. It is a lesson about family, and what makes a real family. It is a lesson about people, and how some can surprise, and others disappoint and even harm, whether they are related to you or not. I loved every bit of this magical story, and I can’t wait to read her next one.

The audiobook narrators, Hallie Ricardo and Stephanie Willis, did a great job of conveying all the emotions and portraying the varied characters in this special town.

A Certain Kind of Starlight will be released on July 23, 2024.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Heather Webber (aka Heather Blake) is the author of more than twenty-five novels and has been twice nominated for an Agatha Award. She loves to read, drink too much coffee and tea, birdwatch, crochet, and bake. She currently lives near Cincinnati, Ohio, and is hard at work on her next book. She can be found online at www.heatherwebber.com and www.heatherblakebooks.com.

PURCHASE LINKS

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