The Dilemma

 It’s Livia’s fortieth birthday and tonight she’s having a party, a party she’s been planning for a long time. The only person missing will be her daughter, Marnie.

But Livia has a secret, a secret she’s been keeping from Adam, her husband, until the party is over. Because how can she tell him that although she loves Marnie, she’s glad their daughter won’t be there to celebrate with her?

Adam is determined everything will be just right for Livia and the party is going to be perfect… until he learns something that will leave him facing an unbearable decision.

I am a huge fan of B.A. Paris' first 2 novels, but the last two have just been ugh for me.  I thought she was the author for me, but I am not so sure anymore.  I just could not relate to this book at all.  Who choses to live in a smaller house for years just so they can have a fancy birthday party?  Totally unbelievable.  Also, every problem in this book could have been handled quickly if people would have just spoken to one another.  I mean, honestly, you fear your daughter is dead but you can pretend like nothing is happening and you don't tell your wife so she can enjoy her party???  I just didn't buy an of it.  Sorry, I will try another novel by this author but maybe I need to move on.  

    * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

Darling Rose Gold

 

For the first eighteen years of her life, Rose Gold Watts believed she was seriously ill. She was allergic to everything, used a wheelchair and practically lived at the hospital. Neighbors did all they could, holding fundraisers but no matter how many doctors, tests, or surgeries, no one could figure out what was wrong with Rose Gold.

Turns out her mom, Patty Watts, was just a really good liar.

After serving five years in prison, Patty begs her daughter to take her in. The entire community is shocked when Rose Gold says yes. And Rose Gold is no longer her weak little darling...

And she's waited such a long time for her mother to come home.

A very intriguing read, but that's because it's written directly from a story that dominated the headlines for weeks.  However, the author never once acknowledges that fact.  I thought the book was written pretty well and kept me turning pages, but it just felt like it was cheating.  I couldn't give it any more than 3 stars because I needed the author to explain where the story came from and at least reference the real people involved.  I understand in a historical fiction book that imagines what it was like because we don't have the ability to know the facts, but why not do the research and write an accurate, based on facts narrative non-fiction? 

    * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

The Night Swim

 

After the first season of her true crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall is now a household name―and the last hope for thousands of people seeking justice. But she’s used to being recognized for her voice, not her face. Which makes it all the more unsettling when she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help.

The small town of Neapolis is being torn apart by a devastating rape trial. The town’s golden boy, a swimmer destined for Olympic greatness, has been accused of raping a high school student, the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. Under pressure to make Season Three a success, Rachel throws herself into interviewing and investigating―but the mysterious letters keep showing up in unexpected places. Someone is following her, and she won’t stop until Rachel finds out what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago. Officially, Jenny Stills tragically drowned, but the letters insists she was murdered―and when Rachel starts asking questions, nobody seems to want to answer. The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the two cases that will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved.

This book is an example of the podcast world colliding with the literary world and I am here for it!  I ended up picking this up on audio and it really intensified the story so I'd highly recommend you give it a listen.  The author did a great job of combining two different stories and timelines without making it too confusing.  I was totally invested in both storylines.  I only had one main issue that made me take it down a half a star in my final rating, but I can't really talk about it without spoiling it.  While I am seeing a trend of podcasts in books, as long as they continue to be this good I'll keep on reading them.

    * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

Craigslist Confessional

 After graduating from law school, Helena Dea Bala was a lobbyist in Washington, DC, struggling to pay off her student loans. She felt lonely and unfulfilled but, after a chance conversation with a homeless man she often saw on her commute, she felt…better. Talking with a stranger, listening to his problems, and sharing her own made her feel connected and engaged in a way she hadn’t in a long time. Inspired, she posted an ad on Craigslist promising to listen, anonymously and for free, to whatever the speaker felt he or she couldn’t tell anyone else. The response was huge—thousands of emails flooded her inbox. People were desperate for the opportunity to speak without being judged, to tell a story without worrying it would get back to friends, family, or coworkers—and so Craigslist Confessional was born.

The forty confessions in Craigslist Confessional are vivid, intimate, and real. Each story is told in the confessor’s voice; they range from devastating secrets (like addiction, depression, and trauma), to musings on lost love and reflections on a lifetime of hard choices. Some confessions are shocking, like the husband who is hiding his crippling sex addiction from his wife. Others are painful, like the man who is so depressed he rarely leaves his hoarder apartment. Some give us a glimpse into a brief chapter of someone’s life—like the girl who discovered that her boyfriend was cheating on her with a mutual friend, or the college student who became a high-end call girl. Others are inspiring, such as the woman who lost her son too young, but sees his memory live on through the people who received his donated organs.

This was such an interesting premise for a book and it worked so well!  I couldn't believe how honest people were to a complete stranger.  Kuddos to this author for taking the time and having the ability to listen to these stories with no judgement.  It was a reminder to me that you truly have no idea what another person is dealing with in life.  A person is often defined by what we see, but there is so much more under the surface that we have no idea about, good and bad.  I would definitely read another volume of these stories.

        * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

Leave the World Behind

 

Amanda and Clay lead out to a remote corner of Long Island expecting a vacation: a quiet reprieve from life in New York City, quality time with their teenage son and daughter, and a taste of the good life in the luxurious home they’ve rented for the week. But a late-night knock on the door breaks the spell. Ruth and G. H. are an older black couple—it’s their house, and they’ve arrived in a panic. They bring the news that a sudden blackout has swept the city. But in this rural area—with the TV and internet now down, and no cell phone service—it’s hard to know what to believe.

Should Amanda and Clay trust this couple—and vice versa? What happened back in New York? Is the vacation home, isolated from civilization, a truly safe place for their families? And are they safe from one another? 

I have to admit that I don't think a book has left me so unsure about my thoughts in a long time.  I am really torn between hating this book and enjoying the story so my rating falls at 2.5 stars.  I read it pretty quickly and I think I understand what the author was trying to portray, but something is just missing for me.  I really don't think I'd use the word thriller or mystery which is what I thought this book was going to be.  I also have to add, that I just felt certain parts of the book were vulgar and as a reader, it just felt inappropriate and unnecessary.  For those reasons I probably wouldn't recommend it.  For lack of a better word, I just found the book to be weird.  So if the author's intention was to leave readers with a "what the heck did I just read?" feeling, I think it was accomplished.

             * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

Beach Read

A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.

They're polar opposites.

In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer's block.

Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She'll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he'll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really.

This book was just okay, I definitely can't say I loved it as much as others.  There was a disconnect for me that I can't quite put into words.  I think it was the mixture of a rom-com with serious topics, such as infidelity and cults that felt wrong to me.  If a book is sold as a rom-com I want it to feel entertaining and somewhat light-hearted.  Also, and this will be a spoiler, I have a pet peeve in books when a character is upset about something, in this book, marital infidelity.  Yet when January learned that Gus was married, she continued to pursue a relationship with him solely taking his word that the relationship was over.  It felt hypocritical.  Overall, it just wasn't the book for me, but it was smart and well-written.  

        * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

Truths I Never Told You

With her father recently moved to a care facility for his worsening dementia, Beth Walsh volunteers to clear out the family home and is surprised to discover the door to her childhood playroom padlocked. She’s even more shocked at what’s behind it—a hoarder’s mess of her father’s paintings, mounds of discarded papers and miscellaneous junk in the otherwise fastidiously tidy house.

As she picks through the clutter, she finds a loose journal entry in what appears to be her late mother’s handwriting. Beth and her siblings grew up believing their mother died in a car accident when they were little more than toddlers, but this note suggests something much darker. Beth soon pieces together a disturbing portrait of a woman suffering from postpartum depression and a husband who bears little resemblance to the loving father Beth and her siblings know. With a newborn of her own and struggling with motherhood, Beth finds there may be more tying her and her mother together than she ever suspected.

Exploring the expectations society places on women of every generation, Kelly Rimmer explores the profound struggles two women unwittingly share across the decades set within an engrossing family mystery that may unravel everything they believed to be true.

I have read most of Kelly Rimmer's previous books with my favorite being A Mother's Confession.  I don't think I will ever forget that book.  The others I have read have all been solid 4-5 star books.  When I saw she had a new book, it was on my list of Must Read!  I so wish this review was the same as the others, but unfortunately it's not.  I really disliked this novel, it kills me to say this.  It started out strong and I was intrigued with her covering the topic of postpartum depression.  But after about 20% the book became repetitive and boring.  Then, without giving away spoilers, I felt like the book shifted to another topic entirely and I wasn't interested.  I had no connection to the characters and just never really cared about any of it.  And I've always been 100% emotionally invested in the characters in Rimmer's other books.  Even though this was a miss for me, I will still pick up whatever she writes.  I look forward to the other stories I know she has to tell.     

     * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

Big Lies in a Small Town

North Carolina, 2018: Morgan Christopher's life has been derailed. Taking the fall for a crime she did not commit, she finds herself serving a three-year stint in the North Carolina Women's Correctional Center. Her dream of a career in art is put on hold—until a mysterious visitor makes her an offer that will see her released immediately. Her assignment: restore an old post office mural in a sleepy southern town. Morgan knows nothing about art restoration, but desperate to leave prison, she accepts. What she finds under the layers of grime is a painting that tells the story of madness, violence, and a conspiracy of small town secrets.

North Carolina, 1940: Anna Dale, an artist from New Jersey, wins a national contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. Alone in the world and desperate for work, she accepts. But what she doesn't expect is to find herself immersed in a town where prejudices run deep, where people are hiding secrets behind closed doors, and where the price of being different might just end in murder.

Diane Chamberlain has done it again and this is definitely on my short list of favorites from her.  She has crafted a perfect novel in many ways.  The structure made is compelling and kept me turning the pages quickly!  The characters were complex and designed in such a way that I just wanted to know more and more about them.  One thing I love about historical fiction books is when there is a dual timeline that involves some type of mystery, and this book did an amazing job of meshing those two thing together.  If you thought art restoration sounded boring, you need to read this book.  It was a fascinating process of discovery in many ways and I loved the author's use of it in the story.  Please pick this book up as soon as possible!

       * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

The Fifth Avenue Story Society

An invitation to join The Fifth Avenue Story Society gives five New York strangers a chance to rewrite their own stories. 

Executive assistant Lexa is eager for a much-deserved promotion, but her boss is determined to keep her underemployed.  Literature professor Jett is dealing with a broken heart, as well as a nagging suspicion his literary idol, Gordon Phipps Roth, might be a fraud.  Uber driver Chuck just wants a second chance with his kids.  Aging widower Ed is eager to write the true story of his incredible marriage.  Coral, queen of the cosmetics industry, has broken her engagement and is on the verge of losing her great grandmother’s multimillion-dollar empire.

When all five New Yorkers receive an anonymous, mysterious invitation to the Fifth Avenue Story Society, they suspect they’re victims of a practical joke. No one knows who sent the invitations or why. No one has heard of the literary society. And no one is prepared to reveal their deepest secrets to a roomful of strangers.

Yet curiosity and loneliness bring them back week after week to the old library. And it’s there they discover the stories of their hearts, and the kind of friendship and love that heals their souls. 

I started and finished this book during COVID-19 and it was the book that finally got me back in my reading groove.  I absolutely loved everything about this story!  Honestly, everything about this book was beautiful.  The characters were so well developed and even though the story unfolds from five perspectives, I enjoyed every single one.  I've read several books by Rachel Hauck, but this was above and beyond the best one!  And I have to say, that this isn't just a "cute" book.  It has real life problems and situations that weren't neat and tidy, but handled in a easy to digest way.  I highly recommend this book, it hits many themes that are relevant to so many.

         * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

The Wife and the Widow

Set against the backdrop of an eerie island town in the dead of winter, The Wife and The Widow is an unsettling thriller told from two perspectives: Kate, a widow whose grief is compounded by what she learns about her dead husband’s secret life; and Abby, an island local whose world is turned upside when she’s forced to confront the evidence of her husband’s guilt. But nothing on this island is quite as it seems, and only when these women come together can they discover the whole story about the men in their lives. Brilliant and beguiling, The Wife and The Widow takes you to a cliff edge and asks the question: how well do we really know the people we love?

I really enjoyed many aspects of this book, but it just didn't hit the overall mark for me.  I needed more about the characters.  It wasn't enough.  I needed a reason to feel the connections.  There was such a great build up and turn, but I wanted more to care about in the beginning and the reasons at the end just felt icky and off.  My final rating for this book was 2.5 stars unfortunately, but I would read this author again. 

 

    * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

The Familiar Dark

Set in the poorest part of the Missouri Ozarks, in a small town with big secrets, The Familiar Dark opens with a murder. Eve Taggert, desperate with grief over losing her daughter, takes it upon herself to find out the truth about what happened. Eve is no stranger to the dark side of life, having been raised by a hard-edged mother whose lessons Eve tried not to pass on to her own daughter. But Eve may need her mother's cruel brand of strength if she's going to face the reality about her daughter's death and about her own true nature. Her quest for justice takes her from the seedy underbelly of town to the quiet woods and, most frighteningly, back to her mother's trailer for a final lesson.

Amy Engel crafted a wonderful thriller with this release.  It was a solid 4 star read and I highly recommend the novel if you are looking for a fast paced thriller to fly through.  Even though the book is relatively short, the characters were well developed.  The story never lagged and was well paced.  I would definitely read another book by this author.  During a time when I was struggling to pick anything up, this was perfect to get my back into my reading groove.

        * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

In the Middle of the Mess

In her long-awaited new book, Sheila Walsh equips women with a practical method for connecting with God’s strength in the midst of struggle. From daily frustrations that can feel like overwhelming obstacles to hard challenges that turn into rock-bottom crises, women will find the means to equip themselves for standing strong with God. Using the spiritual applications of confession, prayer, and meditation on Scripture to form a daily connection to Jesus, women will learn how to experience new joy as a child of God who is fully known, fully loved, and fully accepted. 

In In the Middle of the Mess, Walsh reveals the hardened defenses that kept her from allowing God into her deepest hurts and shares how entering into a safe place with God and practicing this daily connection with him have saved her from the devil’s prowling attacks. Though we will never be completely “fixed” on earth, we are continually held by Jesus, whatever our circumstances.

This was my first book by Sheila Walsh and I am a little sad to admit that I didn't really connect with it.  I understood what she was trying to say, but it felt repetitive and disjointed in places.  I've heard Sheila speak and was motivated to pick this up after that because I really enjoyed her live, but it just didn't translate as well on paper.  This won't be the last book I read by her, I really think this is more a case of just not totally connecting.

            * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

Boy Mom

This guidebook, packed with wisdom, practical advice, resources, and encouragement, explores how moms can equip their sons with what they most need to succeed in life.

Monica Swanson knew she'd tapped a heartfelt concern when nearly two million readers shared her blog post "What a Teenage Boy Needs Most from His Mom." In this helpful book, she takes mothers deeper into the insights they need for the boy-raising journey, covering topics from dealing with the daily influences of friends and technology to helping a boy grow to be physically, spiritually, and emotionally healthy. She also addresses learning and finding passions, perspectives on relationships and dating, and work ethics and money management. Each chapter features relatable stories, handy checklists, and practical advice based on a combination of research, experience, and biblical truth to guide and equip a mom in helping her son achieve his God-given potential.

What an amazing resource this book was!  I will pick this one up again and again because the advice is so helpful as a mom of 2 boys.  If you find yourself needing some guidance on how to raise those little human boys God has given you I would highly suggest you put this at the top of your list.  The author has done a fabulous job putting this together, I truly felt she gave her heart to help us!

       * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

An Anonymous Girl

Seeking women ages 1832 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.

When Jessica Farris signs up for a psychology study conducted by the mysterious Dr. Shields, she thinks all shell have to do is answer a few questions, collect her money, and leave.

Question #1: Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt?

This book gave me the creeps, which was exactly what I had hoped for!  I thought this was a completely unique thriller that had me guessing and wanting to keep moving through each page.  This writing duo certainly knows how to craft a book to keep you on the edge of your seat.  It made me stop and think about what have I done that has required me to trust someone else and if that was a good choice or not.  Don't hesitate, pick this one up!

   * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

The Dearly Beloved

Charles and Lily, James and Nan. They meet in Greenwich Village in 1963 when Charles and James are jointly hired to steward the historic Third Presbyterian Church through turbulent times. Their personal differences however, threaten to tear them apart.

Charles is destined to succeed his father as an esteemed professor of history at Harvard, until an unorthodox lecture about faith leads him to ministry. How then, can he fall in love with Lily—fiercely intellectual, elegantly stern—after she tells him with certainty that she will never believe in God? And yet, how can he not?

James, the youngest son in a hardscrabble Chicago family, spent much of his youth angry at his alcoholic father and avoiding his anxious mother. Nan grew up in Mississippi, the devout and beloved daughter of a minister and a debutante. James's escape from his desperate circumstances leads him to Nan and, despite his skepticism of hope in all its forms, her gentle, constant faith changes the course of his life.

This is a beautifully written novel that was captivating from the first page.  The characters were well developed and thought out.  I could really tell that the author took her time crafting each sentence and character structure.  But for all the good, as a Christian I didn't really find myself in any of these characters.  I didn't see people around me reflected either.  I have no doubt that there are religious people very similar to the couples, but I just don't see it so that felt a bit off.  If you can put this aside, it's a well written book that deserves to be read.

        * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

After the End

Max and Pip are the strongest couple you know. They're best friends, lovers—unshakable. But then their son gets sick and the doctors put the question of his survival into their hands. For the first time, Max and Pip can't agree. They each want a different future for their son.  What if they could have both?  A gripping and propulsive exploration of love, marriage, parenthood, and the road not taken, After the End brings one unforgettable family from unimaginable loss to a surprising, satisfying, and redemptive ending and the life they are fated to find. With the emotional power of Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper, Mackintosh helps us to see that sometimes the end is just another beginning.

As a parent, this book rocked me.  What choices you make as a parent can seem tough day to day, but the decision Max and Pip are faced with is unbearable.  This book was so unique I don't think it's getting near the attention and accolades it deserves.  I don't reread too many books, but I want to read this one again soon.  Pick it up - you won't regret it!

    * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

  

The 5 Love Languages of Children

Discover your child’s love language

Understand the link between successful learning and the love languages

See how the love languages can help you discipline more effectively

Build a foundation of unconditional love for your child

Find dozens of tips for practical ways to speak your child’s love language. 

Discover your child's primary language, then speak it, and you will be on your way to a stronger relationship and seeing your child flourish.

I have previously read the sister title to this book, The 5 Love Languages, but I was interested to see how the languages would relate to children.  It really opened my eyes to the needs each child had individually and how I can change my behavior for them to feel more loved.  I think this book is a perfect way to strengthen the parent/child relationship and further develop that bond.  Even if you have read the other book, the ideas as they relate to kids is so different I think it would still be beneficial to pick this one up.

      * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

Little Secrets

Marin had the perfect life. Married to her college sweetheart, she owns a chain of upscale hair salons, and Derek runs his own company. They're admired in their community and are a loving family. Up until the day Sebastian is taken.

A year later, Marin is a shadow of herself. The FBI search has gone cold. The publicity has faded. She and her husband rarely speak. The only thing keeping her going is the unlikely chance that one day Sebastian reappears. She hires a P.I. to pick up where the police left off, but instead of finding him, she discovers that Derek is having an affair with a younger woman.

Kenzie Li is an artist and grad student—Instagram famous—and up to her eyeballs in debt. She knows Derek is married. She also knows he's rich, and dating him comes with perks: help with bills, trips away, expensive gifts. He isn't her first rich boyfriend, but she finds herself hoping he'll be the last. She's falling for him—and that was never part of the plan.

Discovery of the affair sparks Marin back to life. She's lost her son; she's not about to lose her husband, too. Kenzie is an enemy with a face, which means this is a problem Marin can fix. But as she sets a plan in motion, another revelation surfaces. Derek's lover might know what happened to their son. And so might Derek.

This was my first book by Jennifer Hillier and it did not disappoint!  The book was very intriguing from the start.  I read it with 3 other women and we were all captivated by the idea of losing your little boy.  It felt so real, I was sick to my stomach.  It's hard to say much about the book, but just pick it up and enjoy all the twists and turns.  I will say that the characters are not very likable so if that bothers you this may not be for you.  Without saying much, I just had one little problem which kept me from 5 stars but overall a great thriller!

        * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

In 1936, tucked deep into the woods of Troublesome Creek, KY, lives blue-skinned 19-year-old Cussy Carter, the last living female of the rare Blue People ancestry. The lonely young Appalachian woman joins the historical Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and becomes a librarian, riding across slippery creek beds and up treacherous mountains on her faithful mule to deliver books and other reading material to the impoverished hill people of Eastern Kentucky.

Along her dangerous route, Cussy, known to the mountain folk as Bluet, confronts those suspicious of her damselfly-blue skin and the government's new book program. She befriends hardscrabble and complex fellow Kentuckians, and is fiercely determined to bring comfort and joy, instill literacy, and give to those who have nothing, a bookly respite, a fleeting retreat to faraway lands.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a powerful message about how the written word affects people--a story of hope and heartbreak, raw courage and strength splintered with poverty and oppression, and one woman's chances beyond the darkly hollows. Inspired by the true and historical blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the brave and dedicated Kentucky Pack Horse library service, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek showcases a bold and unique tale of the Packhorse Librarians in literary novels — a story of fierce strength and one woman's belief that books can carry us anywhere — even back home.

I had really high expectations for this one, but it didn't quite reach what I was hoping.  I enjoyed the story of Cussy, but something kept me from feeling connected to her.  I felt like the emotions of her struggle didn't come through.  I loved hearing about the Packhorse Library and the Blue People, but often found myself wanting to skim sections.  I think if you are a lover of books like I am you will be drawn to this story, I just wanted more.

     * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

The Empty Nest

Kat remembers the days when her only daughter Amy wouldn't leave her side. Amy was the baby who cried when you walked out of the room, the toddler who was too shy to speak to strangers, the small child who clung to Kat's legs in the school playground.

But now Amy is grown up, and Amy is gone – to university in a town several hours away. Kat's house – which once felt too full, too noisy, too busy – is deathly quiet, and Kat awaits the daily phone call to tell her that her beloved daughter is thriving and happy.

But one day Amy doesn’t call. Kat’s husband and friends think she is being paranoid – surely Amy is just out, having fun with her friends. But Kat knows right away that something is very wrong. Her daughter would never forget to call. She would never just disappear... After all, Amy has nothing to run from. Or does she?

A gripping and suspenseful psychological thriller with more twists and turns than a rollercoaster. Fans of The Wife Between Us, The Girl Before and Gone Girl will be gripped by this unputdownable story about a mother’s obsessive love for her child. 

Kat is an overprotective mom.  She loves her daughter more than anything.  This book definitely explored what happens when secrets are kept between a mother and her child as the child leaves the nest.  There were great sections of this book that I loved.  I enjoyed trying to piece together what happened to Amy and I got somewhat close.  The downfall of this book was just many parts felt repetitious and the epilogue was not needed at all.  This book did take a unique look at the relationship between parents and grown children, which I thought was well done.  

     * I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *