After the death of his grandfather, Noah’s life is thrown into chaos as he faces a repressed past that threatens everything he believes to be true. In the course of trying to come to terms with his loss, Noah must also navigate a difficult relationship with his sister, Kelly, as they reflect on their turbulent childhood – when they were taken from London to live in the Kent countryside following the breakdown of their parents’ marriage.
Set between the 1970s and the more recent past, Adventures About To Begin chronicles a collapsing marriage as experienced by its children and reflects on how memory shapes our decisions at crucial junctures during our lives.
It is both funny and touching, as well as a sensitive insight into British family life during a period of great social and cultural change.
BOOK REVIEW
Adventures About to Begin starts off on a humorous note and is funny, alarming, and incredibly sad at times. The time period changes from 2005 to 1976 as Noah deals with the death of his grandfather and remembers the breakup of his parents’ marriage. The differences with which members of the same dysfunctional family deal with difficult times are well portrayed. This book is very, very British, but there is a wonderful appendix in the back (Noah’s cultural appendix) that provides definitions and references for Americans like me. The mingled tones throughout of humor, irony, and sadness were very well done. Warnings: Racism and abuse.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aside from writing fiction, Allen Therisa also writes for blogs on everything from popular culture to politics, outside of his working life in the world of social media and website design. Adventures About To Begin is his debut novel.
A mysterious letter. An offer taken. And the chance to move forward.
When Ava Harrison receives a letter containing an unusual job listing one month after the sudden death of her ex-boyfriend, she thinks she’s being haunted. The listing—a job as a live-in caretaker for a peculiar old man and his cranky cat in Driftwood, Alabama—is the perfect chance to start a new life. A normal life. Ava has always been too fearful to even travel, so no one’s more surprised than she is when she throws caution to the wind and drives to the distant beachside town.
On the surface, Maggie Mae Brightwell is a bundle of energy as she runs Magpie’s, Driftwood’s coffee and curiosity shop, where there’s magic to be found in pairing the old with the new. But lurking under her cheerful exterior is a painful truth—keeping busy is the best way to distract herself from the lingering loss of her mama and her worries about her aging father. No one knows better than she does that you can’t pour from an empty cup, but holding on to the past is the only thing keeping the hope alive that her mama will return home one day.
Ava and Maggie soon find they’re kindred spirits, as they’re both haunted—not by spirits, but by regret. They must learn to let go of the past to move on—because sometimes the waves of change bring you to the place where you most belong.
Maggie is the heart and soul of Magpie’s Coffee and Curiosity Shop. The shop had belonged to her mother, who was caught in a riptide, disappeared years ago, and is presumed dead by everyone but Maggie. Although her father has been talking about selling the shop lately, Maggie is determined to hold on to Magpie’s, which she still considers her mother’s shop. Maggie also has concerns about her father’s strange behavior lately and is thinking about hiring an aide to live with him. She creates and then discards an ad for someone to care for a cantankerous old man. When Ava receives a strange letter and a crumpled advertisement for a job as an aide to an older man in Driftwood, Alabama, she decides this is the perfect fresh start after the death of her ex-boyfriend. Ava closely guards two secrets. She had epilepsy as a child, and she developed some extrasensory abilities after her last grand mal seizure.
I loved every bit of this book, from the coffee shop, to the town, to the quirky characters. Driftwood is a typical small town where everyone is in everyone else’s business, but it also has some very unique residents. Estrelle, who always dresses in black, might just predict your future or give you bad breath if she chooses. Maggie has a gift for picking out the perfect “curiosity” for friends and customers, and the newcomer Ava’s gifts are special indeed. In addition to gifts, the town holds many secrets, and so much love that the reader will feel pulled right in. There is romance in every corner, but the themes of loss, trusting others, and moving forward shine through. I hope there will be a sequel, because this town already has a place in my heart.
The narration of the audiobook was very well done by Hallie Ricardo and Stephanie Willis, who perfectly captured both the characters and magic of this small town.
I received a free copy of this audiobook via Macmillan Audio. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Heather Webber, aka Heather Blake, is the author of more than twenty-five novels. 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.
Originally from Bloomfield, New Jersey, Hallie was introduced to the performing arts by her Broadway performer parents. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Acting from the University of Southern California’s School of Theatre in Los Angeles and now works as a professional film and television actress and audiobook narrator. She has narrated over 100 titles over the past five years across various genres, including bestselling series Ivy+Bean and most recently the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award winning series Beak and Ally. Hallie is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and is unabashedly obsessed with her two cats, Vinny and Josie.
Stephanie Willis is a professional actress, instructor, and voice-over artist. She is a graduate of Oglethorpe University in Atlanta and has taught with Georgia Shakespeare and several other performing arts schools. She also records narration for videos and audiobooks.
When Tara Connelly is released from prison after serving eighteen months on a drug charge, she knows rebuilding her life at thirty years old won’t be easy. With no money and no prospects, she returns home to live with her siblings, who are both busy with their own problems. Her brother, a single dad, struggles with the ongoing effects of a brain injury he sustained years ago, and her sister’s fragile facade of calm and order is cracking under the burden of big secrets. Life becomes even more complicated when the cop who put her in prison keeps showing up unannounced, leaving Tara to wonder what he wants from her now.
While she works to build a new career and hold her family together, Tara finds a chance at love in a most unlikely place. But when the Connellys’ secrets start to unravel and threaten her future, they all must face their worst fears and come clean, or risk losing each other forever.
The Connellys of County Down is a moving novel about testing the bounds of love and loyalty. It explores the possibility of beginning our lives anew, and reveals the pitfalls of shielding each other from the bitter truth.
BOOK REVIEW
The Connellys of County Down is a riveting combination of family drama and romance that deals with making mistakes, starting over, and judging others. It’s also about a family that is worn down from hard times, but still tries to help each other. It’s a heartwarming novel.
Issues that some of the characters deal with are control, keeping secrets, prison sentences, and hoarding. The romance is a nice touch that does not overtake the main themes of the book. The relationships between the siblings are very realistic and show their ups and downs. They are far from a perfect family, and that makes the book better.
The audiobook was narrated by Barrie Kreinik, who expertly conveyed all of the personalities, emotions, trials, and fears of the characters. I was riveted by the performance.
My rating is 4.5 stars, rounded up to five on sites with no half-star option.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from MacMillan Audio. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tracey Lange was born and raised in New York City. She graduated from the University of New Mexico with a degree in psychology before owning and operating a behavioral healthcare company with her husband for fifteen years. While writing her debut novel, We Are the Brennans, she completed the Stanford University online novel writing program. She currently lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband, two sons, and beloved German Shepherd.
Barrie Kreinik is an actor, singer, writer, and audiobook narrator based in New York City. She was nominated for a 2023 Audie Award for her narration of A House Full of Windsorby Kristin Contino.
On January 29th, Barrie performed in the first public reading of Dublin Noirby Honor Molloy as part of Origin Theatre Company’s 2023 1st Irish Festival.
Barrie’s narration of Michelle Hart’s debut novel We Do What We Do in the Dark was named one of the Best Audiobooks of 2022 by the New York Times.
Summer Wilde is a wannabe country music star. But when her latest girl band abandons her in a motel outside Tulsa, she is forced to face the shadows of her past.
Twenty years ago, the summer of ’77 was supposed to be the best summer of her life. She and her best friends, Spring, Autumn, and Snow—the Four Seasons, 4ever—had big plans.
But those plans never had a chance. After a teenage prank gone awry, the Seasons found themselves on a bus to Tumbleweed, “Nowhere,” Oklahoma, to spend eight weeks as camp counselors. Arriving with hidden secrets and buried fears, those two months changed their friendships and the course of their lives.
Now, thirty-something and with no direction for her future, Summer is at a crossroads. Returning to the place where everything changed, she soon learns Tumbleweed is more than a town she left and never wanted to see again. It’s the place for healing, for reconciling the past with the present, and for finally listening to love’s voice. Celebrating the songs of our hearts, the joys of love, and the threads of friendship that tie us all together, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hauck’s radiant story perfectly captures all the romance, heartache, and hope of the best summer ever.
BOOK REVIEW
Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Snow–the Four Seasons–are headed off to be camp counselors during the summer of 77, a summer that will change their lives forever. They have no idea that hidden anger, wreckless choices, and long-kept secrets will combine to try and tear them apart. Twenty years later, in 1997, Summer is a struggling singer, still trying to make it big in music. She makes commitments to no one, especially Spring, Autumn, and Snow, who she left behind years ago.
This is a wonderful coming-of-age story with explosive hidden secrets that will keep the reader riveted to the page. The characters are easy to connect with, and The Four Seasons are a special group. All of the relationships in this book are complex and nuanced, and the author brings in real-life tragic events–the murder of three girls at Camp Scott, Oklahoma, in 1977, and the Ted Bundy murders at Florida State in 1978. There’s a special character named “The Preacher” who brings a spiritual level to the story in almost a paranormal way.
With a compelling plot and memorable characters, this story will touch your heart.
I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rachel Hauck is the NY Times, USA Today, & Wallstreet Journal bestselling author of over thirty novels. She lives and writes from sunny central Forida with her pastor husband.
Indie Weekend is my effort to help Indie Authors with marketing. Indie authors have to do it all, and if I can help spread the word even a little bit, I’m happy to do it. You can help too by sharing this book far and wide. Below see a book review and Q&A with Darlene Foster.
BOOK DESCRIPTION (FROM AMAZON)
A collection of short stories inspired by growing up on a prairie farm in the fifties and sixties. Some of the stories are humorous and others sad, but all heartfelt. Stories about family life, cowboy wisdom, immigrant grandmothers, an inspiring teacher, and the arrival of a new sibling are part of this collection of tales from another time and another place. Proof that you can take the girl from the prairie but you can’t take the prairie from the girl.
BOOK REVIEW
This is a wonderful collection of stories from Darlene Foster about growing up on the Canadian Prairie in the 1950s and 1960s. Every story is a well-written look at the past and the hard-working life of farmers. There is also a bit of history of emigration to the Canadian prairie.
My favorite story is probably Bambi at Home, about an antelope who was adopted by Darlene’s family as a baby, and the bond they all shared. Darlene’s tributes to the life and character of her parents and grandparents are heartfelt and touching. Each story lays out the life of a hard-working family, but underscores their devotion to each other. Good Hands, a loving tribute to Foster’s father, is another favorite because it shows the hard daily tasks of a farmer while also underscoring her father’s happy and loving personality. Every story chronicles life on the prairie and the enduring bond of a family.
This is a quick read, but a memorable one, and the love and care with which it is written shines through. Highly recommend.
Q&A WITH DARLENE FOSTER
I’m happy to do another Q&A with Darlene Foster, this time about her book “You Can Take The Girl From the Prairie,” about growing up on the Canadian prairie. Welcome back, Darlene!
Bonnie: In these Q&As, I always ask the author to go beyond the bio and tell us something we might not know about you from reading your bio. You have answered this question before in a previous Q&A. Is there anything else about you that we might not know from reading your bio?
Darlene: I’m quite good at eavesdropping and often use that skill to collect material for stories. As a result of growing up within a large extended family where everyone spoke at once, I can listen to a number of conversations at one time, which comes in handy. I’m also quite observant and notice little things like what people are wearing, their mannerisms etc. This is useful as a writer. I’m also good at making up things, which is great as a writer but can also get me in trouble at times.
Bonnie: It was interesting to read about your German Canadian heritage and see a recipe. Do you have any other German traditions you still follow or recipes you still use? Did any of your family speak German?
Darlene: My parents spoke German at home and I could speak German as a little girl, before I learned English. I still use some German words occasionally but I’m not fluent. We ate a lot of German and Eastern European food growing up. Mom’s perogies were delicious and I often crave them. I can make them, but they are never as good as hers. I have some of my great-grandmothers’ recipes that were passed down to my grandmother and mother. I also have an old Bible written in German that was most likely brought over to Canada when they immigrated.
Bonnie: The winter weather sounds particularly cold and snowy. What about the spring and summer weather? What was your summer weather challenge growing up on the Canadian prairie?
Darlene: Winters were often severe with temperatures as low as -40 degrees (Celsius) but the summers could get very hot and dry reaching +40 degrees (Celsius). Dad was always worried about prairie fires and he lost his crops to drought on more than one occasion. The hot summers brought out the grasshoppers which were annoying.
Bonnie: In one story, you refused to speak to your mother when you were a teen because she was going to have another baby. Did you ever look back on that and laugh when you became a Mom?
Darlene: Years later mom and I often laughed about that. When I became a mom, I soon realized how difficult teenagers could be. But like my mom and I were, my daughter and I are now best friends.
Bonnie: My favorite story was probably of Bambi, the adopted antelope, and her life that was split between the farm and the wild. I was wondering how long Bambi lived?
Darlene: I’m not sure, but she would have lived for at least six years, possibly more.
Bonnie: I looked up immigration to Canada in the early 20th Century, and there was a huge wave of settlers immigrating to the Canadian prairies between 1897 and 1929. Was there a land act similar to the Homestead Act in the United States in the 19th Century?
Darlene: Yes there was. In Canada it was called the Dominon Lands Act and was similar to the Homestead Act in the US. The Act gave a claimant 160 acres of land for free, the only cost to being a $10 administration fee. Any farmer who was at least 21 years of age and agreed to cultivate at least 40 acres of the land and build a permanent dwelling on it (within three years) qualified. This act helped to populate the Prairie Provinces.
Bonnie: What was your favorite story in the book?
Darlene: Probably the story about when mom brought my second brother, baby Timothy, home. It is such a special memory.
Bonnie: Thanks again, Darlene for answering my questions! I really enjoyed the book.
Darlene: I am so pleased you enjoyed these stories, Bonnie. Thanks for having me as a guest on your wonderful blogsite once again.
*If you read the book, please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.
*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help Indie authors go a long way!
Indie Weekend is my attempt to help Independent Authors with the task of marketing. Indie authors have to do it all, from cover design to editing, promotion, and more. If I can help even a little bit by sharing their wonderful books with others, I’m happy to do it.
Please share this review with your social media followers as well so we can spread the word about great Indie books as far as possible.
BOOK DESCRIPTION (AMAZON)
In 1998, the American Jorgenson family had been on a year-long road trip in Australia. On a humid, storming night, the mother – Elsa Jorgenson – vanished in an isolated stretch of Australian everglades. Elsa was never seen again.
That night, twelve-year-old Lily Jorgenson was left alone and terrified in the family camper—even her teenage sister Iris is missing. When Iris comes racing back through the rain, she refuses to tell where she’s been. Lily is certain her sister is hiding a dark secret.
24-years later, Lily is a travel writer living a settled life with her son in Pennsylvania, USA. Lily and Iris are estranged, with Iris’s secret having torn them apart. When floods dredge up their mother’s backpack from the everglades, tantalising clues are uncovered, and the police reactivate the cold case.
Lily returns to Australia, determined to force Iris to finally tell her secret – and to do that, she’ll have to reunite with her. But when Lily unlocks the gut-wrenching events of the past, everything she thought was true about her family is about to shatter.
BOOK REVIEW
In 1998, Elsa Jorgenson suddenly disappears during a road trip with her daughters, Lily and Iris, in Australia. Iris also vanishes briefly, but returns, and the girls begin a tumultuous journey without their mother, who has completely vanished. Twenty-four years later, Lily returns to Australia, determined to get answers. She will start with her estranged sister, Iris, for Lily is convinced Iris is keeping secrets.
Birds in Flight is a compelling and nuanced mystery that will keep you guessing. The secrets and revelations are riveting. Among the serious issues discussed are mental health, depression, abuse, abandonment, and cult-like behavior. This book is so richly layered, and as each layer is lifted, more of an absolutely intriguing mystery is revealed. It’s a dynamic story of family secrets and the quest to finally solve them. It’s also a road trip book in more ways than one, as Lily and Iris retrace their mother’s footsteps and learn her life story.
I had a hard time putting this mystery/adventure down, and the conclusion is clever, heartbreaking, and unexpected. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a complex mystery that explores family dynamics. This is a story you won’t soon forget.
I also listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, Harriet Gordon-Anderson, was phenomenal. She was able to voice different characters and accents with ease. And her ability to truly make the characters who were talking on the phone actually sound that way was astonishing.
Five stars for the story. Five stars for the narration.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
*If you read the book, please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.
*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help Indie authors go a long way!
Are you caring for your chronically ill husband? Did you grow up with suicidal, alcoholic parents? Are you searching for a loving relationship? Have your efforts at starting a fulfilling career been thwarted by someone determined to hold you back? Maybe you’ve postponed your own dreams in order to keep from making waves with a significant other. Does your life seem to be heading a long wat from where you’d wish it to be? Any of these can steal your happiness or keep you from achieving your potential. All can crush your hopes and dreams.
This is the story of a woman who grew up in a dysfunctional family, was trapped by a predator at age 8, was suffocated by an abusive marriage, grappled with being a single mother, finally found her soulmate, struggled with a blended family, juggled the incompatible roles of wife and caregiver, yet maintained her faith, at least most of the time. She did it thanks to some special women who supported her in ways she didn’t recognize until she unconsciously drew upon their influence.
We hope you’ll learn to call on the influencers in our own life. Possibly you’ve drawn on them in your past and can now appreciate their impact on you.
BOOK REVIEW
In The Women in Me, Nancy Maloney-Mercado looks back at her life and the women who influenced her, especially four relatives who knew her from birth. She shares the lessons she learned from them and the characteristics she tried to emulate.
This reads more as a memoir than a self-help book, but it does inspire the reader to look back at the people who influenced them and guided them through problems in their own lives. Nancy’s experiences, which include having a suicidal mother, marriage to an alcoholic, and becoming her husband’s caregiver are experiences with which many readers may be able to relate. As Nancy talks about different struggles in her own life, she shares how her influencers helped her get through them, either directly or by using lessons they had taught her. Her influencers are described well, and with love and gratitude.
Although I would classify this as a memoir, it is a helpful memoir because it talks about very challenging life circumstances and one woman’s way of dealing with them. Most importantly, it emphasizes that it is vital to lean on the support and experiences of others and not to try and get through these things alone. And it might inspire you to be an influencer for someone else.
I received a free copy of this book. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Nancy Maloney-Mercado was born in Chicago, IL., but spent most of her adult life living in San Jose, CA. She began teaching in her late 20s, and she has happily walked that career path ever since, along the way building a reputation as a valuable member of many educational programs and institutions. When her latent artistic talent pushed its way to the surface, she began drawing and painting. Soon it was an integral part of who she was. In 2019 her beloved soulmate, Raymond, passed away after a long illness. She spends as much time as possible with her two daughters and granddaughter. As the existence of this book indicates, she continues to teach, at the same time finding new techniques to let her art express her life, experiences, and beliefs.
Jackie O’Donnell is a CA native. Her life has been spent in teaching, writing, and editing. She has four adult children—a devoted, caring son and daughter-in-law, plus another son and daughter who are far more than “step”—plus three grandchildren. Her beloved husband, Frank, succumbed to Agent Orange complications in 2016. She has published seven books, including one on saving money while helping the environment, another on everyday activities to make our world kinder and more just, one about helping people with disabilities cope with new 141 parenthood, and a volume of poetry (descriptions on her website (link below). Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JackieODonnell.
*If you buy the book, please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.
*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help indie and self-published authors go a long way!
Meet Aisha, Sophy and Mel. Three new mums. All absolutely shattered.
For her social media fans, influencer Sophy has the picture-perfect life. But why does she feel so lonely all the time?
Older mum Mel wasn’t planning on being a mum later in life. What does this all mean for the career that she loved? Can she ever go back?
And Aisha, whose much loved twin boys bring her so much joy, but have caused a rift in her own family that she isn’t sure she can ever fix.
Navigating this new world of motherhood is hard. And the only sanity these three friends have is their 3am mums’ club, where they can chat and support each other in the dark of the night as their babies, finally, finally sleep.
But in the still of the night, secrets are revealed that could turn all their lives upside down…. more than they already are!
Bestselling author Nina Manning is back with a brand-new story of mum guilt, parenting pitfalls and friendship around the clock.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nina Manning studied psychology and was a restaurant-owner and private chef (including to members of the royal family). She is the founder and host of Sniffing The Pages, a book review podcast. The Daughter-in-Law is her debut psychological thriller. The Guilty Wife published in March 2020, The House Mate published in October 2020. The Bridesmaid published May 2021 and Queen Bee in January 2022. Her latest thriller The Waitress published in July 2022. Nina also writes mum-lit and The 3am Shattered Mums’ Club published in October 2022. She lives in Oxfordshire with her family.
Over one hundred years before COVID-19, the flu pandemic of 1918 sweeps through Georgetown, South Carolina, claiming the life of young, pregnant Alice Virginia Freeman Pow. Alice’s little girls, three-year-old Tante and five-year-old Dixie, board the train for Savannah, Georgia to live with their grandmother, Aunt Sissy, leaving their beloved father alone in Georgetown. When, after seven years, Daddy remarries, Tante and Dixie return to their father and his new wife, losing yet another mother, Aunt Sissy. Shortly after the girls’ arrival, The Great Depression engulfs the country, followed closely by Daddy’s sudden and tragic illness. Tante equates train rides with tragedy and loss, but, despite the heartache of separation and the uncertainty that awaits at the end of each journey, the young woman recalls a childhood of family who loves and nurtures her and the Real Mother who promises she’ll never leave.
BOOK REVIEW
This is a true story and a tribute by the author to her family. After the 1918 pandemic kills her mother, 3-year-old Tante and her sister Dixie leave South Carolina and board a train. Their father will remain behind and they are going to stay with their grandmother. Several years later, when their father remarries, they board a train and go to live with him and his new wife, leaving behind their beloved grandmother. Then the Great Depression begins, and her father falls ill. The author beautifully weaves together the story of her family, filled with love, loss, and train rides,
This is a gorgeously written novel in which trains become a symbol of heartbreak, loss, and new beginnings that aren’t exactly welcome. It is the coming-of-age story of the author’s mother, but also a history of significant events in the early 20th Century United States. The author brings her departed loved ones to life and introduces them to the reader so well that they become dear friends. The love of family and their resilience in hard times make this a hard one to put down. I must also mention the amazing cover, which immediately draws you in. Highly recommended to fans of US historical fiction.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Padgett Gerler was born on the coast of South Carolina but grew up in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, in the heart of the Alleghany Highlands. (Padgett’s husband, Ed, calls it Dick and Jane Country.) She has spent most of her adult life in the Coastal and Piedmont regions of North Carolina. She graduated from North Carolina State University (in a brief 28 years) with a degree in accounting and enjoyed a career as a CPA in public and corporate accounting. In 2010, when her love of writing leapt way ahead of her love of accounting, she left her hard-earned profession to pursue a career in fiction writing. Because of her immersion in southern culture and dialect, Padgett writes of the southern experience, from the mountains to the coast. (She is a scholar of y’all, y’all’s, and all y’all’s.)
When she isn’t writing, Padgett loves reading, especially other authors’ takes on the southern experience. She also enjoys the beaches of North Carolina, travel, aqua aerobics, knitting, NC State basketball, and doing nothing.
*If you buy the book, please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.
*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help self-published authors go a long way!
Colby Mills once felt destined for a musical career, until tragedy grounded his aspirations. Now the head of a small family farm in North Carolina, he spontaneously takes a gig playing at a bar in St. Pete Beach, Florida, seeking a rare break from his duties at home.
But when he meets Morgan Lee, his world is turned upside-down, making him wonder if the responsibilities he has shouldered need to dictate his life forever. The daughter of affluent Chicago doctors, Morgan has graduated from a prestigious college music program with the ambition to move to Nashville and become a star. Romantically and musically, she and Colby complete each other in a way that neither has ever known.
While they are falling headlong in love, Beverly is on a heart-pounding journey of another kind. Fleeing an abusive husband with her six-year-old son, she is trying to piece together a life for them in a small town far off the beaten track. With money running out and danger seemingly around every corner, she makes a desperate decision that will rewrite everything she knows to be true.
In the course of a single unforgettable week, two young people will navigate the exhilarating heights and heartbreak of first love. Hundreds of miles away, Beverly will put her love for her young son to the test. And fate will draw all three people together in a web of life-altering connections . . . forcing each to wonder whether the dream of a better life can ever survive the weight of the past.
BOOK REVIEW
I’m really torn on this one. I enjoyed the love story, and I don’t always enjoy love stories. It was written really well, as all of Sparks’ books are. However, it employs a plot device that I absolutely hate and which I personally feel is a copout. Thus I cannot give it more than three stars.
I cannot go into the plot device too much without providing spoilers, but this particular device just ends up making me mad. This has great characters and a great story, but I ultimately felt cheated by that particular tactic. Others may not have a problem with it at all.
If you want to see more about my issue with this book, here is my Goodreads review. On Goodreads, spoilers can be hidden. So, if you wish to go to the review and unhide the spoilers, you will see what I’m talking about.
I received a copy of this book from Random House via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nicholas Sparks is one of the world’s most beloved storytellers. All of his books have been New York Times bestsellers, with over 105 million copies sold worldwide, in more than 50 languages, including over 75 million copies in the United States alone.
You must be logged in to post a comment.