ABOUT THE BOOK
- ASIN : B0CLVQYLPG
- Publisher : Lake Union Publishing (June 11, 2024)
- Publication date : June 11, 2024
- Print length : 314 pages
An achingly romantic novel about chance meetings, buried secrets, and the multiple facets of love and family bonds by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Kerry Lonsdale.
Raised by her fiercely passionate and free-spirited grandmother, Julia Hope has never gone without love. But as she tends to her only living relative during her final days, Julia struggles to overcome her fear of being alone.
A thousand miles away, Matt Gatlin has managed to avoid the coldhearted grandmother with whom he once lived. But after twelve years of her being blessedly out of sight, she needs him. His resentments still raw, Matt packs up his car and reluctantly heads to California to confront a bitter past he thought was long gone.
Over the next six days, Julia’s and Matt’s fates intersect. An old diary exposes the tragedy of a long-lost love. A history of secrets in two families comes to light. And on a lonely back road, Matt picks up an unusual yet captivating hitchhiker with a secret of her own.
For Julia and Matt, something heartbreaking and heartwarming, mysterious and beautiful, will touch their lives—with neither of them realizing that maybe they’re destined for each other.
My Thoughts
I don’t know where to start to describe the genre of this book since it is steeped in romance, mystery and a little fantasy along the way, too. Matt Gatlin and Julia Hope are two sympathetic and relatable protagonists, both facing a difficult future after traumatic childhoods. Both were cast off by parents and raised by a grandmother. Julia’s grandmother, Mama Rose, was nurturing and kind, but there are secrets that Julia is discovering now that Mama Rose is dying and it would have been better for Julia if Mama Rose had been totally honest. Matt was raised by his grandmother, too, a Hollywood legend named Liza who was distant and cold to him, even leaving the room when he was present. His childhood was marked by rejection, first by his mother and then by his grandmother, so it is no wonder that he has a few problems with the present situation in which his grandmother is dying and requesting to see him. The way these two come together, via a nursing home where both grandmothers reside, is an original take on a meet-cute situation. Matt’s trip to get to his grandmother’s bedside is fraught with his own personality as he uses drugs along the way, hallucinates a relationship (maybe…not sure about what this really was but it was interesting) and finally arrives at the nursing home to actually meet Julia in person. The two have so much in common that it seems inevitable that they must become a couple, but that cannot happen until both of them deal with their pasts. I enjoyed the intricacies of this story, all of the background information about Liza, Mama Rose, Matt and Julia that were woven into the main story of a loss that was certain to come soon. This is a multi-layered, well-crafted story of relationships, secrets, forgiveness and finding hope in the most unlikely places. It is also a story of acceptance and love even in the middle of a messy life. The characters are deeply touching, unique and realistically flawed representatives of life. The complications in the plot are thought-provoking and I encourage readers to go through the discussion questions at the end of the book because they are a great way to reflect on the truths encountered within its pages. Insightful, captivating and magical, this book is a brilliant look at overcoming one’s past and facing a new future.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kerry Lonsdale is the award-winning Amazon Charts, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Kindle bestselling author of the Everything series (Everything We Keep, Everything We Left Behind, and Everything We Give), No More trilogy (No More Words, No More Lies, and No More Secrets), and multiple standalone novels that include All the Breaking Waves, Last Summer, Side Trip, and Find Me in California. Her books have been Amazon Editors’ Picks, translated into twenty-seven languages, and have been covered by PopSugar, Buzzfeed, Parade, Redbook, Coastal Living, Travel & Leisure, Medium, Refinery29, and multiple other media outlets. She’s a founder of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and lives in Northern California with her husband and three rescue cats. For more information about Kerry and her books, visit her website at Kerry Lonsdale
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 
This book sounds so unique and different. I’m ready for something different. Maybe I’ll check this book out. Thank you forvthe great review, Vickie!
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