Book Review: The Road to Enchantment

When she was a child, Willow’s father cheated on her mother and left their family in shambles. She and her mother moved to New Mexico, where she felt like an outsider among the Apache people. Her only saving grace in her mother’s strange and eccentric new life was Darrel, a young Apache boy who would become her best friend in the world.

Fast forward many years, and Willow is a musician living in Los Angeles. She finds out she’s been dumped, and that her mother has died in a tragic accident on the same horrible day. And when she returns to New Mexico to settle her mother’s affairs and sees Darrel for the first time in years, he realizes before she does that she is pregnant with her ex-boyfriend’s child. She also discovers that her mother had financial problems. All she has left is her mother’s winery. Will it be enough? Will she be able to get back on her feet and figure out her next step?

Kaya McLaren’s The Road to Enchantment is a touching story that brings the past and present together, all told from Willow’s unique and subjective perspective. Earlier in her life, Willow viewed her mother as a selfish and strange person, but as the story unfolds, Willow begins to recognize her mother’s strengths and the positive moments that they had together. Though Willow is not perfect, she learns a lot along the way. In many ways, this book is a real coming of age tale, as Willow steps on to a new path and discovers what she really wants. This story is also about the family that we find during our journey through life, the people that come alongside us and lift us up when we fall. Darrel and his grandparents, full of wisdom and intense love for Willow, are those people.

I made my way through this book in just a few short days, and many of its words still resonate with me. If you love a good book about discovering yourself and appreciating the good people in your life, you’ll love this story.

This review originally appeared on Luxury Reading.  Luxury Reading provided a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.  I received no compensation and all opinions expressed here are my own.

Book Review: The Possibility of Somewhere

Eden Moore is on track to become the valedictorian of her high school class, despite the fact that she’s grown up in a trailer park with her often out-of-work father and stepmother. Since her birth mother left her when she was just a child, Eden’s only ever had one goal: to leave her small town and life there behind.

Her classmate Ash Gupta has never quite understood how Eden, with her sharp and sarcastic nature, could possibly become valedictorian. But when the two of them are thrown together to complete a class assignment, they begin to get to know each other for the first time, and Ash recognizes her intelligence and depth. The two of them couldn’t be any more different, considering that Ash comes from a rich and affluent family, but soon the two find themselves falling for each other. But when the two realize they are competing for the same scholarship, will it tear them apart?

The Possibility of Somewhere tells the story of two young people from opposite walks of life who share the same desire: to leave their small town and make their own way. Ash desires to leave his strict and wealthy family to pursue studies at Stanford, while Eden longs to leave the trailer park and rumors about her family behind to become a teacher. This is a feeling that any young person can relate to, and author Julia Day’s portrayal of two very different characters and how they interact is fantastic. There’s drama, there’s romance, and there’s family trouble, all of which make Ash and Eden feel like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet.

Recommended for grades 9 and up, this book would be perfect to share with a young person who is wondering about what life may look like after high school. As an adult, I enjoyed the book very much.

This review originally appeared on Luxury Reading.  I received a copy from Luxury Reading, and all opinions expressed here are my own.  I received no compensation in exchange for my review.

Book Review: A Portrait of Emily Price

Art restorer Emily Price has spent her entire life trying to fix things, from her directionless younger sister to the priceless art she works to preserve.  A new project for her insurance firm takes her to Atlanta, where she meets Joseph Vassallo, who also works in her field.  He introduces her to his younger brother Benito (Ben), and sparks begin to fly.  Soon Emily finds herself helping to breathe new life in to a restaurant owned by Ben and Joseph's aunt and uncle, and falling hopelessly in love with Ben.  Emily has always been the picture of responsibility, which is part of the reason that everyone is shocked by her decision to accept a quick marriage proposal from Ben and return to Italy with him.

But what follows is not the fairy tale that either of them imagined.  Ben's father Lucio's health is failing, and his mother Donata is anything but welcoming to Emily.  Despite doing all that she can to attempt to fit in with Ben's family, she is unable to find a rhythm in Italy.  She buries herself in her own heart, hoping to create something of her own rather than restoring the work of others.  As she begins to open herself up, Lucio asks her to take on a special project at their local church.  But as Emily works on this special assignment for Lucio, she begins to uncover dark Vassallo family secrets, secrets that drove Joseph to America and a seemingly permanent wedge in their family.  Will Emily's meddling help the family to come back together, or will her presence make everything worse.

Katherine Reay weaves an interesting and compelling story of love and family in her most recent work, A Portrait of Emily Price.   It's no coincidence that Reay mentions Jane Austen's novel Emma within these pages, as Emily often personifies Emma in her insistence on striving to fix the problems of her new family, often with disastrous results.

Despite the problems in this family, we are reminded throughout this work of the importance of forgiveness and grace.  Emily so desires to bring restoration, but it is really Lucio that starts that process.  His character is one of my favorites within this novel, as he wishes to mend fences and restore his family to what it once was. He is also very accepting of his new daughter-in-law, despite her short courtship with his son.  And it is Emily's painting of Lucio that she begins to find her own talent and ability to capture life in her art.

I will say that while I devoured Reay's other works, I had a hard time getting through portions of this one.  Ben and Emily's relationship was incredibly rushed, and I think neither of them really knew or understood each other before they went to Italy.  It was difficult to believe that two newly married, virtual strangers could overcome the obstacles they faced upon their arrival.  But somehow, they overcame it all, which of course was a desirable outcome.  I also felt that the ending of the novel was rushed, after building up the characters.  I wanted to learn more about where they were heading, and the conclusion just wasn't that satisfying to me.  All of that said, Reay really does transport readers to Italy, and make them feel that they are walking down those beautiful streets with the Vassallo family.   If you're a fan of Katherine Reay, you're sure to enjoy her latest book!

I received a copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers.  I received no compensation in exchange for this review, and all opinions expressed here are my own.

Book Review: Summer of Love

Single mother Sian Bishop has just moved from the busy city to a quiet country town with her son Rory. Determined to create a new life for her son, Sian busies herself with organizing their small rented cottage. She soon meets her new neighbor Fiona, whom she immediately bonds with, and Fiona works to get Sian acquainted with her neighborhood and the characters within it.

Sian is shocked to encounter Rory’s father when he turns up at a dinner party, and it is announced that he is Fiona’s son. Having not seen him since their one night together several years ago, Sian agonizes over telling him and Fiona the truth about Rory’s connection to them. Will she tell them the truth? And if she does, will she lose them forever?

Katie Fforde’s Summer of Love is a wonderfully told tale of romance. The perfect late summer read, you’ll get swept up in Sian’s story as she decides what her future holds. Will she choose a quiet life with her lifelong friend Richard, who encouraged her move? Or will she find a way to be with Gus, whose free spirit caused her to quickly fall for him all those years ago?

I loved the characters in this novel, along with the quiet town that served as its setting. Sian is a wonderfully flawed yet completely relatable character. You’ll root for Sian and Gus to reunite, and fall in love with Fiona’s effervescent personality and humor. This fun read is one you won’t soon forget.

This review originally appeared at Luxury Reading.

A copy of this book was provided to me by Luxury Reading.  I received no compensation in exchange for this review.  All opinions expressed here are my own.

Book Review: The Fifth Avenue Artists Society

Virginia Loftin is a gifted writer, and one of five talented children in a family that is struggling financially after the death of their father several years prior. Set in New York City in the 1890’s, author Joy Callaway brilliantly captures the plight of women during this time. Virginia struggles to make her way as a writer, facing rejection after rejection from major publishers due to her sex. In addition to this, she is forced to watch as Charlie, her friend and the man she has loved forever, proposes to another woman.

Absolutely shattered, Virginia reluctantly accepts an invitation to attend a salon in a Fifth Avenue mansion, hosted by her brother Franklin’s friend, John. It is here that Virginia’s talent and her work begin to flourish, due in part to her conversation with other musicians, writers and artists, but also to her growing relationship with John. But when Charlie inserts himself back into her life, she is torn between the man she has loved forever, and a new exciting relationship with John.

When a young woman from the Fifth Avenue Artists Society is found dead, many difficult truths about the salon, John and Virginia’s brother are revealed. Will these truths ruin the Loftin family for good? And will Virginia finally have the opportunity to share her work with the world?

I’m always a fan of books about the Gilded Age, and The Fifth Avenue Artists Society is no exception. As noted, the author captures the struggle women faced during this time period, to make their mark in a world dominated by men. But even Charlie must marry a woman of wealth for his family to survive, which was an interesting addition to this narrative.

And while there were many twists in this novel that I found a little perplexing, I very much enjoyed reading it. I also found the ending to be less than satisfying, but I will say that considering the rest of the novel and how the story evolved, it seemed appropriate and realistic. If you’re a fan of historical fiction, you’ll like following the lives of the Loftin family.

This review originally appeared at Luxury Reading.

A copy of this book was provided to me by Luxury Reading.  I received no compensation in exchange for this review.  All opinions expressed here are my own.