This was a book of relationships and loss. Kara lost her mother and then her husband and unborn child. She had support in her father, but he was pragmatic toward her till he retired and bought a house away in the countryside. And she discovered the neglected wildflowers. There was a magic in them which uplifted her heart.
Grace Greene has written another fabulous book on love and strength. The characters all felt real and so did their pain. I liked how the author had weaved twists and joy amidst all this. Kara slowly began to live, and her heart resonated with the beauty of the wildflowers.
Then came my niggles, the story was slow and I couldn’t connect initially to Kara, I had to restart the book twice. But once I got into its rhythm, I was swayed by all the emotions.
The story was beautiful and poignant, it was real and reflective. It does touch the heart as most of Grace Greene books do.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher Lake Union Publishing, and this is my journey into its pages, straight from the heart!!
All my reviews can be found here
Grace Greene is an award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of women’s fiction. Her contemporary romances are set in the bucolic reaches of her native Virginia (Kincaid’s Hope, Cub Creek, The Happiness In Between, and The Memory of Butterflies) and on the breezy beaches of Emerald Isle, North Carolina (Beach Rental and Beach Winds). Her debut novel, Beach Rental, and the sequel, Beach Winds, were both Top Picks by RT Book Reviews magazine.
Kara Hart was scarred by loss—first the loss of her mother and now her husband. She feels broken, with no will to move forward, until her father does the unexpected: he moves to the Virginia countryside to restore an old Victorian mansion. Kara decides to go with him, telling herself that it will only be temporary.
The huge house is neglected and derelict, but Kara discovers its breathtaking field of wildflowers and is stunned by their beauty. The house, the grounds, and the quirky neighbors—including a handsome one—are almost as fascinating as her father’s sudden willingness to discuss her mother and his own secret past.
Kara is finding her new normal when tragedy strikes again, forcing her to make difficult choices. Will she go back to her old life and risk losing all she has gained? Or will she face her fears and give herself the opportunity to grow?
Publication Date: 22nd January 2019
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
31 Responses
Great review, Shalini.
Oh how I’ve missed reading your reviews.
When you say there was magic in the wildflowers, do you mean figuratively speaking or literally?
Figuratively… It caused a spark of life in her… And she just seemed to want to live instead of going through the motions
Thanks!!
Glad you connected to the MC on the second time of reading.
I am too… I didn’t want to DNF this as I like this author’s books
I was glad to see your review, I have not read the author before but do have this one on my cloud
Her books are usually on KU
Lovely review
Aww thank you
Wow, this sounds heavy! Brilliant review! x
Nice review!
Aww thank you so much
So sad but so beautiful too. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I did.. On my second read…
I’m so glad you enjoyed this one. This was my first book by this author and I really liked it. I’m trying to find more by her! Great review Shalini!
I have read one more by her, hence I requested for this book
Beautiful review, Shalini. I love that you were able to enjoy the book despite the slow pace at first.
Thank you so much
it was beautiful
What a wonderful review! Love your writing and formatting. Amazing work.
Thank you so much Nicole. You are very kind
My pleasure! So happy to have found your site!!
Aww honey.. I will keep a special watch for your posts
♥️
Nicole there is no comment category in your posts. How will anyone comment then. Kindly check your settings. Interaction would become easy if there is a comment section
Thank you for letting me know this! I am hoping it is fixed now!
Sorry there is no comment section on your post yet, I think you will have to click it in the settings of individual post
Great review of what sounds like a sad, yet beautiful story, Shalini.
Thank you Carla
Interesting comment on the rhythm of the book. Some books have it and others don’t. Some books need a rhythm and others don’t. I can see that this is a book where it would be important because of the emotional content.
This is a series… So this was book 1…hence was probably slow.. But it had its own charm once I got into it.
I recently discovered author Grace Greene, it was love at first read. I’ve yet to not ‘ugly cry’ at least once during each of her books so far. Can’t wait to read this one as well.
Realty enjoying your blog, reviews – glad I found it!
Thank you so much. You are very kind. I too like her books when I need a slow read