THE MAGIC CONTINUES....BEYOND FIREFLY LANE

They met when they were very young--Tully Hart and Kate Mularkey--on Firefly Lane. They became tullyandkate, inseparable, even when their lives took them away from where they began.

But on a September night in 2010, Tully's world crashes...literally. And as her loved ones visit her in the hospital, and their stories play out for us from each of their perspectives, we see through flashbacks how time has taken its toll, starting four years before with Kate's death. Like a severing of a limb, the loss sears through Tully...as well as through Kate's husband Johnny, their daughter Marah, and the twins Wills and Lucas.

Will any of them get a second chance? Can the wounds of the past be forgiven? And will Tully recover from her injuries, both physical and emotional? How will the return of Cloud, the mother who abandoned Tully in childhood, play a role in her healing? And like a guiding spirit, how will Kate's presence from beyond help lead Tully home?

Set against the gorgeous backdrop of Bainbridge Island, Snohomish, and the streets of Seattle, the characters shine. We see Mason jars hanging by twine from trees, fireflies dancing, and two young girls riding their bicycles....

An emotional read that took me through the very human mistakes and erroneous choices to redemption at last, I could not put Fly Away down until I reached the conclusion. I loved the very flawed characters and seeing how they struggled to right their wrongs, even when the challenges seemed insurmountable. Definitely a story for fans of Kristin Hannah and the book that introduced these characters to us. Five stars.

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FEMALE CAMARADERIE WITH A DOLLOP OF CRAZY -- A REVIEW

Set in Connecticut and revolving around the lives of five women and their hopes and dreams, Cocktail Hour spotlights the varying friendships of women and how they come to depend upon each other in a number of ways.

What sets these friendships apart is the seemingly charming Bianca, who is almost the ringleader. She begins setting up the regular cocktail hours, introducing the other women to one another.

Chelsea has known Bianca since high school, and Kate's husband Grant was Bianca's fantasy hunk back then. Back when she was a pimply-faced skinny girl. Now she is gorgeous and revels in the rush she gets from male attention. Lucie is a would-be caterer, but still cringes at the memory of a humiliating failure at the company that employs Chelsea and Sharon, even as she struggles to follow the career that is her true passion.

But what is Bianca's secret agenda? Why does she seem to befriend Kate, but with a nefarious goal in mind? How will she carry out a plot that will unfold to its full evil like a blazoning banner, even as most of the women refuse to believe that Bianca is anything but the good hearted friend?

In each chapter, we see a different woman's point of view and gradually come to realize what is going to happen in the end. I followed the drama of this story with eagerness, and the characters were like people I could relate to and enjoy. Except for Bianca, of course, but I could understand what drove her. What I didn't like so much was the tentative dialogue, with repetitive question marks. At first Kate seemed to be the primary character with these issues, but others also seemed to fall prey to the tendency. Nevertheless, my overall ability to engage with the story was sufficient for me to award four stars for this one. Recommended for those who appreciate female camaraderie mixed with high drama.

RECLAIMING LOST CONNECTIONS -- A REVIEW

Is it possible to reinvent ourselves at a late stage of life?

When Cecilia Ross (Cece), a motivational speaker and writer of self-help books, loses her best friend Penny to death, she is at that point in her life when nothing seems worthwhile any longer. And then one day she receives a postcard from Dennis, the love of her life, someone she has not seen in many years. And he's back in the states.

What an opportunity, Cece thinks. If she can find the courage. Is it possible to find each other again?

Almost as if she is guided by Penny, Cece decides to sell her house and finds another home where she can rent a room. She has been considering this possibility for awhile, so she takes that leap of faith. Her new roommates are of varied ages, and for some reason, they all fall into a comfortable compatibility. As they all begin to share with one another, there is a realization.

Each of them has someone they want to reconnect with, so a road trip is in order.

Tapestry of Fortunes: A Novel is a wonderful read that reminded me of all the lost moments in my own life, and also served as a beacon of how hope, faith, and a special kind of courage can lead us where we need to go.

My favorite parts of any Berg novel are how she brings the characters and settings to life. I could visualize the people and the rooms in the big house where the women came together in their newly reinvented lives. And then again, I could see Cece, near the end, as she began again. I like this sentiment that seems to sum up the journey:

"Now I look again at the people gathered in my backyard, feeling a deep appreciation for the events that brought us all together: We are a convergence of fates, a tapestry of fortunes in colors both somber and bright, each contributing equally to the Whole."

I am never disappointed by any book that brings out those real-life moments we all experience sooner or later. And I revel in them. Five stars.

LAYING BARE THE SECRETS OF A NEW ENGLAND TOWN -- A REVIEW

Hildy Good has lived in Wendover, Massachusetts, her whole life. Descended from Sarah Good, who was allegedly a witch, she has a kind of psychic ability that allows her to study someone and then zero in on what they're thinking and feeling. She calls it a parlor trick, but it has served her well. As a realtor, she also believes that she can tell a lot about people by their houses.

Divorced from Scott after several years of marriage, Hildy is lonely. All day long she is interacting with clients and loving it; at night, she feels that restlessness....What we learn almost immediately about Hildy is that her daughters, Tess and Emily, organized an intervention a few months ago that led to a 28-day stay for her at Hazelden, an alcohol treatment center. For months, Hildy has been "good," since she knows her daughter Tess will punish her if she drinks again: she'll refuse to let her babysit Grady, her grandson.

Narrated in Hildy's voice,The Good House was a story that reached out and encircled me and kept me engaged throughout. Hildy's conversational tone made me feel what she felt, even though I had not had her experiences. When she began to "experiment" with her drinking, and when everything seemed fine, I, like Hildy, believed it too. For awhile, I also wondered if perhaps her daughters and everyone else had overreacted. I sensed her frustration when people kept asking her how she was doing.

How does everything change subtly for Hildy when she befriends a new neighbor, Rebecca McAllister, who has her own agenda and who has a way of pulling others into her problems? Will Hildy's longtime friendship with Frank play a role in how everything starts to look different for her? Is it paranoia if everyone really seems to be out to get you? Are you in denial if you don't believe what everyone else believes about your drinking?

Then when a tragic event brings the whole community together in a quest, how will Hildy's world seemingly unravel and leave her more alone than ever before?

When the denouement arrived, I was startled by some events, but satisfied with a feeling of closure, even as I wanted to stay longer in Hildy's world; she was a character who felt so real, with all her flaws and tangled thinking. I could relate to her. On our worst days, we all might feel as she did. Five stars.

HEARTFELT STORY OF LOSS, GRIEF, & MOVING ON -- A REVIEW

In a story set in Seattle, we are introduced to Grace McAllister and Victor Hansen, two people who are looking for the kind of love they have not found as yet.

Grace is the director of a program for victims of domestic abuse, and Victor owns a restaurant. He also has two kids from a former marriage: Ava, 12, and Max, 7. Grace has reservations about the children, since she had decided early on in her life that she never wanted to be a mother.

But as their relationship grows, and when she meets his children, she thinks she can manage this part-time role in the kids' lives. What she hasn't counted on or expected is that one day, out of the blue, Kelli, Victor's ex-wife would die.

The aftermath of the death unleashes a host of issues, including how to manage the children and their overwhelming grief; how to strike a good balance as partners in parenting these children; and most of all, how to understand what really happened to Kelli.

What secrets has Kelli been keeping about her past? Why would her parents disown her and refuse to even meet their grandchildren? How will the bits and pieces of information that both Ava and Grace have separately uncovered from Kelli's possessions lead them to more questions? And what will finally turn the tide between Victor and Grace, as they struggle to overcome the secrets, the lies, and the rage unleashed by the grief that suffuses them all?

Heart Like Mine: A Novel was narrated from alternating perspectives. When Grace told her version of events, I felt total empathy for her and experienced her frustration with the kids and Victor. But as I read Ava's point of view, I felt compassion for her and what she was feeling. Interspersed between these perspectives were bits and pieces of Kelli's story, told in the third person. The characters felt real, and I could identify with each of them as they moved through the pain of their issues. Definitely a book for those who enjoy family dynamics and how loss affects those who are experiencing it in many different ways. Five stars.

 

 

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE SWIRLING RIVERS OF LIFE -- A REVIEW

When Neil Kazenzakis and his wife Wendy are on a trip with their son Chris, the unthinkable happens.

Neil is listening to a speaker at a conference, while his wife and son are enjoying the pool in the hotel. A helicopter medi-vac hovers overhead, and soon someone is airlifted away. In the next few moments, Neil is summoned and learns that his wife was involved in a near-drowning.

When the story picks up a few years later, we see the aftermath of Neil’s life: his son is ready to finish high school and is planning for college; and his wife is in a vegetative state in a long term facility.

The story is narrated in Neil’s first person voice, and we learn through flashbacks and memories about his journey forward, replete with all the pain of the loss and the continual reminders of what was and what will never be.

Living in Port Manitou, Michigan, on the farmland owned jointly with Wendy’s widowed mother Carol Olsson, Neil has fashioned a kind of normalcy for himself and son Christopher. He teaches science at the local high school and coaches the girls’ track team. He has started a relationship with Lauren, the hospice nurse who works with Carol. But the two of them are keeping their relationship a secret until just the right time for Neil to tell his son.

But unfortunately, life doesn’t hold back its punches for just the right moment, and soon Neil is engulfed in a horrifying scandal regarding an event at his school…and he could lose everything he loves. Again.

The Banks of Certain Rivers is a captivating story that leads the reader through all of the swirling rivers of life that can engulf a person, much like the dangers of the river that flows through the property. Will Neil manage to work his way through the allegations against him? Will his relationship with Lauren and with his son survive the onslaught that descends upon them?

Finding out kept me rapidly turning pages until the satisfying conclusion. I loved the characters and the author’s ability to engage me and draw me right into the midst of the emotional morass that swirled about them all until the very end. Five stars.

HEARTBREAKING & INSPIRATIONAL -- A REVIEW

Louisa Clark's life is a small one, in that she has never been farther afield than the castle in the tourist town where she lives. But she is comfortable working in the local cafe and with her long-time boyfriend Patrick. Her only problem with living at home with her parents is that she has to live in a "box room" so that her sister Katrina and her son can have the bigger bedroom.

But then the cafe closes and Louisa is forced to find a new job. At twenty-six, she has very few skills to recommend her. Nevertheless, the option of a job as a caregiver for a quadriplegic man named Will Traynor does not seem very appealing.

But she signs a six-month contract and manages to get through the first days and weeks with the acerbic, moody boss who doesn't seem at all amenable to her attempts to cheer him up.

Then Louisa discovers something shocking. Something that will change everything about the next six months. And as she strives to make every day positive for Will, she also begins to find her own life and her own outlook changing, too.

Me Before You: A Novel is one of those kinds of stories that grips the heart and plumbs the depths of one's soul. I felt happy, sad, and inspired as I joined Louisa and Will on their explorations. Told from Louisa's perspective, and then alternately joined by other narrators, like Mr. and Mrs. Traynor and Louisa's sister Katrina, I had the opportunity to see inside each of them as they struggled with Will's choices.

A part of me kept hoping for some kind of miracle, but even as I realized that not everything would turn out the way I'd imagined, I was also pleasantly surprised by a nice mix of sadness with feel-good moments. A lovely, unforgettable love story full of inspiration. Five stars.