In the Shadow of Lakecrest by Elizabeth Blackwell

Publisher: Lake Union

Source: Publisher

Rating 3.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The year is 1928. Kate Moore is looking for a way out of the poverty and violence of her childhood. When a chance encounter on a transatlantic ocean liner brings her face-to-face with the handsome heir to a Chicago fortune, she thinks she may have found her escape—as long as she can keep her past concealed.

 

After exchanging wedding vows, Kate quickly discovers that something isn’t quite right with her husband—or her new family. As Mrs. Matthew Lemont, she must contend with her husband’s disturbing past, his domineering mother, and his overly close sister. Isolated at Lakecrest, the sprawling, secluded Lemont estate, she searches desperately for clues to Matthew’s terrors, which she suspects stem from the mysterious disappearance of his aunt years before. As Kate stumbles deeper into a maze of family secrets, she begins to question everyone’s sanity—especially her own. But just how far will she go to break free of this family’s twisted past?

 

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing| Source: Publisher| Rating: 3.5 Cups

 

Last night, I dreamed Lakecrest was on fire. I watched, indifferent, as flames devoured the brocade curtains and wood paneling, ashes coating my tongue and face. The windows shattered in a violent blast of heat, and turrets and walls and paintings crumbled around me. Lakecrest was dying and I was content to see it burn.

 

After reading the opening of the prologue, I knew I was in for a treat and I wasn’t wrong. The majority of the book had me riveted as the story of the ‘strange Lemont family’ unraveled yet the last two chapters let me down.

 

Here’s what’s going on. Kate Moore had one ambition in life: marry into money. Things seem to be going swimmingly when she catches the eye of rich and handsome Matthew Lemont. Marrying him was the easy part, but living in Lakecrest, his mysterious childhood home, is much harder then she imagined, especially when she learns of his aunt’s mysterious disappearance and the skeleton’s hiding in the Lemont’s closets.  Will Kate be able to survive Lakecrest and the Lemonts?

 

At times, I found it very hard to like Kate. She’s very selfish and sort of manipulative. Lies just seem to spout from her lips and I’m never quite sure if she actually means anything she says or if she’s just saying things to further her quest to secure herself a financially sound future. As the book progressed, she sort of grew on me, although I still found myself questioning some of her actions.

 

I found myself feeling sorry for Matthew. He has PTSD, or ‘shell-shock’ as they called it then, from being a medic during the war but he’s also dealing with things he witnessed as a child, plus, I’m sure, the odd ‘treatment’ he received from his mother compounded to the problems he’s dealing with. The mysterious disappearance of his Aunt Cecily also plays with his mind. He’s a tortured, troubled man but he irritated me because he has no backbone; he’s content to simply sit back and allow his mother to take over every aspect of his life. I was waiting for him to put his foot down and tell his mother enough is enough but, sadly, it never happened.

 

Hannah, Matthew’s mother, is a control freak. I could not stand her. She’s definitely the puppet master of the Lemont family and Lakecrest. Everyone does her bidding and it’s going to be her way or no way. Marjorie, Matthew’s twin sister, is even more messed up than Matthew is. She’s definitely a wild-child who needs to grow up.

 

The mystery aspect was interesting. Fifteen years ago, Cecily Lemont walked into the Labyrinth she had built on the grounds of Lakecrest and simply disappeared.  No one knows what happened to her and no one in the family is talking about it. Although Kate discovers that there was a bit more to Cecily than what the Lemonts want to people to know. She was the leader of this odd little cult of sorts and rumors of orgies and human sacrifices have been flying around since before Cecily disappeared. 

 

As Kate uncovers more about Cecily and her strange behavior, she starts learning more about just how strange the family she married into really is and starts questioning Hannah’s motives. She stumbles upon an interesting scene that makes her wonder about incest in the Lemont family.

 

There is a gothic tone to this book and some parts of it are atmospheric. Yet I was slightly disappointed by the fact the author never followed through with any of the gothic elements. Why was Kate constantly hearing water dripping? Yes, it was a brilliant way to add that gothic touch, but, seriously, why was the dripping following her around?

 

While I enjoyed the majority of the book, the last few chapters let me down and I was left scratching my head saying, ‘really? That’s it? That was how you’re going to play it?’. The explanation didn’t meet the facts presented or add up for the way Kate was being treated. Seriously, what was the point in drugging Kate’s milk if that’s how you were going to play it out?

 

Then there was the ending. It was another head-scratcher for me. After everything Kate was put through why would a simple argument, that nowhere matched the scope of arguments or even events that happened before this, provoke Kate to do what she did? Especially given that they had been living in accord for several years. It just didn’t mesh with me. If Kate was going to do it, I just felt like it would have happened years before.

 

Overall, as a whole, I enjoyed this one. I wish a few things had been developed a bit more and the ending could have been different, yet it still piqued and held my interest.

 

Review also featured on Simply Angela

 

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Audiobook Review: Big Vamp on Campus by Molly Harper

Series: Half-Moon Hollow  # 5.5 

Publisher: Audible 

Narrated by: Amanda Ronconi

Length: 2 hours and 36 minutes

Genre: Paranormal

Source: Publisher

Ratings—Story: 3.5 Crowns Performance: 4 Crowns

 

In Molly Harper's newest paranormal romantic comedy set in her beloved Half Moon Hollow, a vampire princess must learn how to navigate life as a college student - including living with her messy, annoying, frustrating new roommate.

 

Ophelia Lambert, 400-year-old vampire princess and college freshman, suddenly finds herself domesticated by humans and forced to suffer the indignities of dorm rooms, communal bathrooms, and a roommate with sticky fingers.

 

As one of the hundreds of undead venturing into postsecondary education, Ophelia has a lot more to learn than just "undead studies" - she has to learn to get along with her fellow vampire classmates and, worst of all, her human ones, along with getting back into the good graces of the World Council for the Equal Treatment of the Undead.

 

Can this once all-powerful vampire princess balance classes and campus life with romance, human and vampire relations, and not sinking her teeth into her annoying roommate?

 

I’m always a sucker for a new Half-Moon Hollow story, even if it is a quickie. And this really was a quickie, but a very satisfying one.

 

So, here’s what’s going: As her part of her punishment and rehabilitation, Ophelia Lambert has been sent to college. Yes, you’ve heard that right, the cold as ice (and not because she’s undead) Hello Kitty loving vamp with a major attitude and desire to wreak havoc has been sent to college, which means she has to get along with her co-eds and live in a dorm with vamps, humans, and an undead roommate who nicks her stuff.

 

Oooh this one was so good. I loved seeing the former head of the undead council adjust to being somewhat normal. If you’re a fan of the series, you’ll know that Ophelia isn’t a sweet little vamp. She’s been trouble since she was sired and used to getting her way. So, to see her actually making human friends and living a somewhat destruction-free life was very interesting. We also see her learning a bit more about herself.

 

I do want to warn readers that, while we learn about Ophelia, this novella is actually prepping readers for the next book The Accidental Sire so there are a few strings left hanging that will be addressed in the next book.

 

Once again, Amanda Ronconi is brilliant as the narrator. She’s delivers the perfect amount of snark and truly brings each and every resident of Half-Moon Hollow to life.

 

Overall, fans of the Half-Moon Hollow series will be delighted to see this new side of Ophelia. I’m not really sure that this book is suited for newcomers, so reader be warned.

Wild Ghost Chase by E.J. Copperman

Series: Haunted Guesthouse Mystery #3.5

Publisher: Audible

Narrator: James Patrick Cronin

Length: 2 hours 34 minutes

Genre:  Cozy Paranormal Mystery

Source: Publisher

Ratings: Story: 4.5 Crowns  Performance: 3 Crowns

 

Phantom PI Paul Harrison from the national best-selling Haunted Guesthouse mysteries returns with a tale of his own in a house full of ghosts, secrets, and spectacular oceanside views.…

 

Three years ago in a large Victorian house on the Jersey Shore in the town of Harbor Haven, fledgling private investigator Paul and his client, Maxie Malone, were murdered. Since then, recent divorcée and reluctant ghost whisperer Alison Kerby and her 10-year-old daughter, Melissa, have moved in and converted the place to a guesthouse, where Maxie and Paul are now checked in for an eternity and ready to solve any case that comes their way - or at least spook the guests (who love it). Alison’s got a lot on her plate at the moment, however, so when Paul discovers the 300-year-old ghost of a small boy in the house, he decides not to involve her in the case. The boy, named Eagle of the Sun, says he’s searching for his missing mother. Paul’s happy to help Eagle of the Sun find her, though something about the boy’s story doesn’t add up. But why would a lost little ghost lie?

 

 My Thoughts:

Extra guests and bathroom renovations have taken over Alison Kerby’s time so when her daughter, Melissa, and her resident PI ghost, Paul, find a 300-year-old ghost boy playing in the guesthouse closet Paul decides that they’ll handle the situation on their own. With the help of Melissa, Maxie, and Loretta they soon discover the little boy calling himself ‘Eagle of the Sun’ is searching for his mother. Although through research they soon find out that this little ghost boy isn’t telling the truth, now they need to figure out why.

 

So, this one was super short, just a bit over two-and-a-half hours, yet the plot was well-rounded. I really felt that this was a nice addition to the series. For someone bingeing on the series, this was a nice breather before gearing up to tackle the next full-length book in the series.

 

I really liked the mystery in this one. I was kind of expecting it to be short and to the point but I’m happy to report that it was drawn out a bit. Things were reveled slowly allowing me to enjoy each discovery. I also liked that I wasn’t really sure what was going on with the little ghost boy. At first, I was convinced that he was telling the truth, that he was a Native American boy, then as the story progressed and more was revealed, I too started questioning the little boys story. When everything was finally revealed, I made sense and I wondered why I hadn’t picked up on it earlier on.

 

I was so excited when I realized that this was told from Paul’s POV. So far, the full-length books have been told from Alison’s POV, and while we get a good sense of the characters, I’ve always wanted to know more about Paul because he seems to be a bit of a mystery. While there wasn’t too much revealed about Paul that wasn’t already known, which was a bit disappointing, there were a few bits of information thrown in that made him even more interesting. Although we did learn a bit more about Paul’s PI business. 

 

The attraction between Alison and Paul is finally brought up. Alison had briefly mentioned it in previous books, but we finally get to see Paul’s take on it. It’s slightly odd, seeing as he’s a ghost and she’s a living person, but it actually sort of made sense. It was also nice to see Paul acting as a father figure to Melissa. He’s definitely a protector and that shows in the way he acts towards Melissa, Alison, Maxie, and Loretta.

 

As this book was centered, basically, around the mystery there was no romance thrown in making it a nice change.

 

So, I wasn’t overly thrilled about James Patrick Cronin, the narrator. While I could listen to his narration, I felt that it fell a bit flat. His portrayal of Maxie came off as annoying and when he voiced Loretta, Alison’s mom, he made her sound like an old lady. There’s also a mistake where Maxie is called Molly.

 

Overall, while the narrator was lackluster the story made up for it. It was short but well written and worth it.

 

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Audiobook Review: An Uninvited Ghost by E.J. Copperman

Series: Haunted Guesthouse Mystery
Publisher: Audible
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 Performance 3.5 Story

Alison and her resident gumshoe ghost are on their next case when the deceased Scott MacFarlane floats in worried that he accidentally killed a prominent local woman. Turns out she's still alive...that is, of course, until she's murdered - in Alison's house. Now, between the demands of her guests and the arrival of a reality television crew, Alison must find the killer before she sees reality from the other side.

 

Another amazing book in the Haunted Guesthouse Series.

 

Here’s what’s going on. Alison’s guesthouse is finally up and, thanks to Paul (one of her resident ghost), she now has her private investigators license. If Paul and Maxi agree to help Alison put on a show for the senior tour group Edward Rance has booked, she has agreed to help Paul on cases since neither he nor Maxie can leave the house.

 

Their first case comes in the form of Scott MacFarlane, a ghost who believes that he may have inadvertently murdered an elderly lady named Arlice Crosby. Luckily, Arlice is alive although she’s soon murdered during one of Alison’s séances that’s being put on for the tour group. Now Alison and her group of family and friends, both living and dead, must figure out who murdered Arlice.

 

And to make matters more confusing, her guests include contestants of a reality show that’s being filmed in her house.

 

So, this one was such an interesting cozy mystery and, like the first book in the series, this one pulled me in and it held my attention all the way through.

 

Alison is now running her guesthouse so she’s dealing with her resident ghosts as well as living guests. She’s also just received her P.I. license and has agreed to help Paul take on cases of other ghosts. To make matters trickier, Alison has also agreed to allow a reality show to film in her guesthouse. She’s not as frantic as she was in the first book and she’s more accepting of the ghosts, which I enjoyed.

 

In addition to the regular lovable cast of characters, Alison’s intuitive and charming daughter, her Pollyanna-type mother, her two best friends—one who amusingly refuses to acknowledge the ghosts, Paul and Maxie there is also a group of new characters. We have the senior tour group that Edward Rance has booked and the young, and somewhat annoying cast of the reality show Down the Shore. They really shake things up and make things interesting.

 

What I enjoyed most about this one was the mystery. Someone wanted Arlice dead. They were hoping that Scott, the ghost, would accomplish this but when he failed, they realized they had to have someone else do the job. I was never really sure who the murderer was until the end then it actually made sense.

 

Like in the previous book, Detective Macaloney allows Alison to work with her on the case and actually steers Alison in certain directions. It’s refreshing to find a detective in a cozy that’s actually interested in working with and not against the main character.

 

So, there’s an inkling of a romance between Trent, the producer of Down the Shore, and Alison. There’s a lot of flirting but it never really goes anywhere. And I was a bit disappointed that they never touched on what happened with Ned Barnes, Melissa’s history teacher and Alison’s love interest in book one.

 

Once again, Amanda Ronconi was brilliant. I especially loved the Scottish accent she used when reading Scott MacFarlane. And the book seemed to fly by.

 

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. I never would have guessed the murderer and that nice. Although I never really felt onboard with the whole reality show thing thrown it. It wasn’t bad, and it did add to the show, but, at times, it just seemed annoying.

 
*Review also posted on Simply Angela

 

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The Little Pieces of You and Me

Title: The Little Pieces of You and Me

Author: Vanessa Greene

Publisher: 21 April 2016 by Hachette Australia - Sphere

Pages: 320 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: womens fiction, contemporary

My Rating: 3 crowns

Synopsis:

Best friends Isla and Sophie made each other a promise a long time ago: to never let life pass them by. Years later, Isla is in love, living abroad and fulfilling her dreams. But for Sophie, things haven't turned out the way she was expecting and she hasn't achieved any of the things she and Isla talked about.

And then, in one sudden moment, life irrevocably changes for both women.

Isla and Sophie have hard decisions to make but above all else they must face up to the uncertainty that lies ahead. It's only when they realise that this is easier together, two friends standing side by side, that each woman can embrace whatever the future holds for them.

Emotional, poignant and uplifting, The Little Pieces of You and Me is a story about old friends, new beginnings and what happens when being strong is your only choice. It will take your breath away.

My Thoughts

"Life was no longer about the little pieces of her, of him - of anyone. It was about the big picture - about what happened when those pieces fell together into a whole."

Having read a Vanessa Greene book before, I was eager to dive into another of her famous female orientated stories.  With yet another tea cup on the front cover - reading and tea ... the two just go together so naturally, don't you think - I was ready to pour a cup myself and sit down to read. 

With Greene's tales you are guaranteed some good female leads, beautiful settings and just an all round feel-good ambiance. Friends coming together to battle some antagonism and never giving up hope.  This particular story focuses on two firm friends and, although there are the obvious relationship dramas, I particularly enjoyed the health aspect twist to this one. If you are looking for a read on genuine friendship and fresh starts, then this is the book for you.

However, I have to confess that although I very much enjoyed my first Greene book, I found this story to be lacking somewhat, I found myself wanting that little bit more, that extra something. Overall it did not really work for me and I think the problem was that things all seemed a bit contrived and too convenient. The potential was there, however, there was not enough depth to evoke real sympathy. For example, personally, I found the whole saga with Sophie hypocritical - just as she herself labelled it - so there went my true sympathies out the window.

This was a 'nice'/3 star/average read. I wanted to like it so much more, but it was just a bit too simple for me. Perhaps it needed more tea included and not just the lone cup on the cover. 

"Life can be complicated - but those complications don't make it any less worth living - in fact, sometimes they're the very things that make it worth living. Those little pieces are what make you, you , and me, me". 

Visit Helen @ Great Reads & Tea Leaves

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Happy People Read and Drink Coffee by Agnes Martin-Lugan

Title: Happy People Read and Drink Coffee

Author: Agnes Martin-Lugan

Publisher: 10 May 2016 by Weinstein Books

Pages: 256 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: contemporary, womens fiction, romance

My Rating: 2 crowns

Synopsis:

Diane seems to have the perfect life. She is a wife, a mother, and the owner of Happy People Read and Drink Coffee, a cozy literary cafe in Paris. But when she suddenly loses her beloved husband and daughter in a tragic car accident, the world as she knows it instantly vanishes. Trapped and haunted by her memories, Diane retreats from friends and family, unable and unwilling to move forward. 
But one year later, Diane shocks her loved ones and makes the surprising decision to move to a small town on the Irish coast, finally determined to heal and rebuild her life alone—until she meets Edward, the attractive yet taciturn Irish photographer who lives next door. At first abrasive and unwelcoming, Edward initially resents Diane’s intrusion into his life of solitude . . . until he can no longer keep her at arm’s length, and they fall into a surprising and tumultuous romance. But will it last when Diane leaves Ireland, and Edward, for the home she once ran away from in Paris? At once heartbreaking and uplifting, Diane’s story is deeply felt, reminding us that love remembered is love enduring.

My Thoughts

I was drawn in by the title of this book, "Happy People Read and Drink Coffee" - what book lover wouldn't be. Unfortunately, the title proved way more inviting that the actual story. So consider yourself warned. This is not a book about reading, it's not even really about coffee and it certainly is not about happy people. How ironic. 

It's a short read, more like a novella but everything about it was sadly caricatured and stereotypical. It was simplistic and adopted the overused storyline of: woman loses everything, moves to another country to find herself, meets handsome but moody neighbour and eventually they link up.

The only thing that was not thankfully predictable was the ending. It is not what you would have expected. However I did not feel any connection with the one-dimensional characters and very quickly tired of their constant smoking, and then another smoke and then, let's just have another. 

It wasn't terrible but it just wasn't any good. It had such potential with such an inviting title, but it didn't deliver at all. I think the major flaw of the book is its shortness. With such a sweeping array of emotions, its difficult in such a short span to find them believable! The author portrayed desperate grief to new found resolutions in the intake of a breath. It is a tall order to ask the reader to take that on board in the space of less that 300 pages. 

The bickering between the lead characters was juvenile and mundane, bordering on rude. A sign to me of the amateurish writing. I found the main character just so unlikeable - she was drama filled, depressed and depressing. 

"Who'd want anything to do with you you? There's nothing interesting about you."

The later actions are unbelievable because of the vehement dislike openly spoken and acted upon between the two leads. All up, a majorly disappointing read. 

"Before going inside, I glanced at the sign. Happy people ... " and it was anything but!

Visit Helen @ Great Reads & Tea Leaves

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

The Atomic Weight of Love by Elizabeth J. Church

Title: The Atomic Weight of Love

Author: Elizabeth J. Church

Publisher: 3 May 2016 by Algonquin Books

Pages: 320 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction, womens fiction

My Rating: 3.5 crowns

Synopsis:

In the spirit of The Aviator’s Wife and Loving Frank, this resonant debut spans the years from World War II through the Vietnam War to tell the story of a woman whose scientific ambition is caught up in her relationships with two very different men.
 
For Meridian Wallace--and many other smart, driven women of the 1940s--being ambitious meant being an outlier. Ever since she was a young girl, Meridian had been obsessed with birds, and she was determined to get her PhD, become an ornithologist, and make her mother’s sacrifices to send her to college pay off. But she didn’t expect to fall in love with her brilliant physics professor, Alden Whetstone. When he’s recruited to Los Alamos, New Mexico, to take part in a mysterious wartime project, she reluctantly defers her own plans and joins him.

What began as an exciting intellectual partnership devolves into a “traditional” marriage. And while the life of a housewife quickly proves stifling, it’s not until years later, when Meridian meets a Vietnam veteran who opens her eyes to how the world is changing, that she realizes just how much she has given up. The repercussions of choosing a different path, though, may be too heavy a burden to bear.

Elizabeth Church’s stirring debut novel about ambition, identity, and sacrifice will ring true to every woman who has had to make the impossible choice between who she is and who circumstances demand her to be.  

My Thoughts

"By marrying them we tacitly agreed to a contract in which we would sublimate. They did not have to subjugate - we did that for them."

This is a deep and thoughtful reflection on the life of women from a different generation. Church's book is very well written and at times, quite unusual with its mixture of history, culture, science and art. At its heart, it investigates the role of women in the 50s and 60s and the sacrifices they made once married. Goals, dreams, talents were all forgotten as they followed where their husbands led. 

The book also delves into a range of other topics. It extends the whole marriage theme and evolves it into the pursuit of empowering women. Other topics that are richly considered include: science and the atomic bomb; Vietnam war and returned soldiers; hippy lifestyle; ornithology, namely the study of crows; and generational love. All in all, I found the writing to be superior:

"the first snowfall begin as a light, dry powder and morph into those luscious, fat, lazy flakes that sashay downward and accumulate into weighty drifts."

This is the story of a young Meri who falls in love with a professor. He marries her and takes her away Los Alamos where he will pursue his scientific career. His career and life are to take precedent, and so Meri finds she has to abandon her own dreams to become the dutiful housewife. This then takes the expected route - Meri is miserable, doesn't relate to any of the other wives, ends up finding love elsewhere, and ultimately in the end reinvents herself. 

A distracting issue is the big jumps that begin around the middle of the book - these were hard to follow and did not allow for substantial plot development. Too much time was passing too quickly and some things were glossed over rather rapidly instead of delving into the events that shaped these people's lives. It was also in parts extremely scientific:

"The experiment involved bringing a hollow hemisphere of beryllium around a mass of fissionable material."

Overall, however, the author provides prose that is poignant, as she attempts to correlate Meri's life with that of the crows she studies - how she struggles to find her wings, let go and take flight. Church provides the reader with many thought-provoking issues, at the heart of which is the examination of the sacrifices women make and the courage needed to take that solo flight.

Visit Helen @ Great Reads & Tea Leaves

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

A Drop in the Ocean by Jennie Ogden

Title: A Drop in the Ocean

Author: Jenni Ogden

Publisher:  3 May 2016 by She Writes Press

Pages: 300 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: contemporary, womens fiction

My Rating: 4 crowns

Synopsis:

On her 49th birthday, Anna Fergusson, Boston neuroscientist and dedicated introvert, arrives at an unwanted crossroads when the funding for her research lab is cut. With her confidence shattered and her future uncertain, on impulse she rents a cabin for a year on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. However Turtle Island, alive with sea birds and nesting Green turtles, is not the retreat she expected. Here she finds love for the eccentric islanders who become her family; for Tom, the laid-back turtle whisperer; and for the turtles whose ancient mothering instincts move her to tears. But Anna finds that even on her idyllic drop in the ocean there is pain, and as the months fly past her dream for a new life is threatened by a darkness that challenges everything she has come to believe about the power of love. Evocative and thought-provoking, A Drop in the Ocean is a story about second chances and hard lessons learned in the gentlest of ways."

My Thoughts

"I simply carried on in the same old way because that's all I know. I'm a fraud. I've always known it deep down, and now I've been sprung."

It was refreshing to read a book about an older woman and the issues she was facing. Anna is 49 years old, an introvert, research scientist who has just had her funding cut. Wondering what is next in life for her, she decides to journey to a remote island off the Australian coast for a year. Throughout the year Anna will meet new friends, fall in love, but more importantly, make a journey of self discovery. Immersing herself in island life, Anna helps with the turtle research and becomes involved with other islanders in their daily lives. 

One cannot help but appreciate the amount of research Ogden has gone into for this story. I enjoyed learning about the marine conservation efforts for turtle research and the very real issues surrounding Huntington's disease. 

It is written so well it reads like a biography, even autobiography. You will listen to Anna and the array of emotions that run through her over the course of the year. Life on the coral cay was idyllic and, even when Anna travelled to visit her mother in Scotland, I likewise enjoyed the Shetland island descriptions - two extremes in island living.  

The characters are real and the plot engaging, as you journey with her in learning that life at 50 can really only be just beginning. It was anything but:

"A pedestrian account of a dried up, middle-aged academic's broken dreams."

Visit Helen @ Great Reads & Tea Leaves

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.