5 stars Thanks to Netgalley for another great book. I was unfamiliar with the author, but pleased to discover she competently portrays a depth of emotion not found in all books within this genre. Here, she addresses the issues of grief and guilt and how they can haunt a person (or persons) who stays stuck in the past and fails to face the possibility of a happy future. Cassandra lives in the past, devoted to a fiance who died on the day of their impending wedding, leaving her pregnant with a now-13-year-old “illegitimate” daughter. She lives in a state of perpetual grief, feeling as if she cannot even consider betraying the love she once pledged to Timothy. Devlin lives in a state of perpetual guilt for deaths he feels he caused, though of course, he is not ultimately responsible. As a result, neither feels deserving or capable of loving the other, though for different reasons. As we all know, the heart often has a will of its own and pursues love despite our mental gymnastics to prevent it. Penelope, Cassandra’s daughter is exceptionally incisive and mature with observations like this one: “You want to hold on to the past, the present, and the future all at the same time. You want Papa to come back and for no other person to take his place...Except he’s not coming back. Not ever. So it’s time for you to let go and move on or you’ll never be truly happy. And I’d really like for you to be happy, Mama. I want it more than anything else in the world.” Although there aren’t many 13-year-olds with the level of maturity demonstrated by Penelope, there’s no reason not to believe she is exceptional, considering the circumstances of her life and upbringing. Luckily, Cassandra takes her words to heart. Meanwhile, Devlin is realizing he loves Cassandra and is desperate to win her love. At one point, wracked by his guilt, he “needed at least three glasses of brandy in order to think straight. Or perhaps not to think at all, he decided while trying to figure out what he should do.” The confusion, and sometimes torment, experienced by those in love are on full display, the author describing such emotions in vivid and compassionate detail. It’s difficult not to become ensnared in the passions of the characters. I absolutely loved this book and I’m anxious to read more from this author. June 20, 2020
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Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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