BLOG TOUR: Abby's Journey by Steena Holmes + GIVEAWAY!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're playing host to a stop along the TLC Book Tours promotion for the latest release from author Steena Holmes.  Name ring a bell?  Well, it should....if not for her growing body of works, than for the exuberant review I gave the previous book, right here on the site!  Seriously, it doesn't seem like nine months (approximately) have gone by since my last venture into her work, and yet...it has.  Hmm...nine months.  Funny that should be the timeframe...just about the right length of time for a new person to be created too.  Anywho, speaking of new people...

Last time around, we were reading Saving Abby, which was a WONDERFUL READ through and through.  Despite knowing from page one the eventual outcome, the experience wasn't dampened in the least...really, it was just that good.  Needless to say, there were some big shoes to fill, and expectations to satisfy, right from the start.  Were they met?  Ah, well...you're about to find out!  Ladies and gents, today's blog tour guest is on deck...

Abby's Journey

by

Steena Holmes

9781503940321

Lake Union Publishing

About the book...
Twenty-year-old Abigail Turner has only known her mother, Claire—who died shortly after she was born—through letters, videos, postcards, and journals. Abby’s father, Josh, has raised his precious daughter himself, but his overprotectiveness has become stifling. Abby longs to forge out on her own and see the world after a childhood trapped indoors: she suffers from bronchopulmonary dysplasia, which means a case of the sniffles can rapidly escalate into life-threatening pneumonia.

But when Abby’s doctor declares her healthy—for now—her grandmother Millie whisks her away to Europe to visit the Christmas markets that her mother cherished and chronicled in her travel journals. Despite her father’s objections, Abby and Millie embark on a journey of discovery in which Abby will learn secrets that force her to reevaluate her image of her mother and come to a more mature understanding of a parent-child bond that transcends death.

Amazon   |   Books-A-Million   |   Barnes & Noble

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When the first work you read by a new-to-you author leaves you as touched and emotionally charged as Ms. Holmes' did, you're excited to venture into her territory again, and yet a teeny tad scared.  What if the next book isn't as good?  What if something about it changes your perspective on the first one and forever alters that "perfect memory" you had of your time between the pages?  What if...you simply stop worrying about "what ifs" and just give it a shot?  Yeah, so that's what I did because A) I was excited to try another title from this author and B) when I found out it wasn't JUST a new title but a continuation of the story we left in Saving Abby, I knew I couldn't pass it up.  You know what?  I wasn't disappointed either.

Abby is trying to stretch her wings and fly.  She is twenty years old, after all...had to happen some time, but the problem is her dad isn't quite ready to let her go.  Some of the reasons are purely selfish (but in the BEST way possible) and others are health related.  You see, Abby may have been "saved" thanks to her adoring mother Claire but due to complications, she has health risks of her own to deal with...and dealing is what her and dear old dad have been doing for the better part of her life.  Does that dampen her spirits?  Some, yes...but for the most part, she still keeps dreaming, and reaching for a better, less-health-influenced tomorrow...which just might be within her grasp.  Some surprise news of the best-case-scenario sort and TADA...it seems her wishes may be coming true.  Couldn't be more happy for her, honest, but is the worst over or yet to come?  Will this be the chance of a lifetime, or the end of one?  So much is uncertain, so much up in the air, but there are a few things she can count on:  her father will always be there for her through thick and thin, many sides make up even the most perfect person...not all of which are as bright and shiny as the next...and a mother's love can transcend even the barriers of place and time.

In the end, it was a great follow up to the original with enough story of its own to make it worthwhile. I truly enjoyed getting to know Abby while still "visiting" with Claire.  Their connection was authentic and the continued letters could easily move you to tears. The only thing I wished for when reading was for more time (aka pages and detail) between the trip and the finale because it there was room for it to be fleshed out...and I simply wasn't ready to say goodbye.  Good thing I can revisit these wonderful characters any time I want with a simple turn of the page, and who knows...perhaps there will be another story down the line (*hint hint to the author...*).  In any case, if you're looking for a heart warming read that really reminds us of the important things in life, you can't go wrong with this book.

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About the author...

After writing her first novel while working as a receptionist, Steena Holmes made her dream of being a full-time writer a reality. She won the National Indie Excellence Book Award in 2012 for her bestselling novel Finding Emma. Now both a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Steena continues to write stories that touch every parent’s heart in one way or another. To find out more about her books and her love for traveling, you can visit her website at www.steenaholmes.com or follow her journeys over on Instagram @steenaholmes.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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Special thanks to Lisa at TLC Book Tours for the chance to participate in this promotion as well as to the Lake Union Publishing team for the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, or those tours on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now, so seek thee out a copy in your favorite bookstore or online retailer.  In the mean time....how'd you like to WIN A COPY?  ^-^

Thanks to the generosity of TLC Book Tours and Lake Union Publishing, I have the pleasure of giving you a CHANCE TO WIN a copy of this very title!  Interested?  All you have to do to be entered is fill in the Rafflecopter below.

Easy-peasy.

*Entries accepted today through 03/05/17 at midnight CST.  Open to US residents only; no P.O. Boxes please.  Winner will be drawn and emailed for prize send out information.  If not response is received within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.  SFIR is not responsible for lost prizes.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!