Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Today, we're joining TLC Book Tours for a stop along their current promotion featuring the work of author Barbara O'Neal. It's a title that is celebrating its BOOK BIRTHDAY today via Lake Union Publishing and let me tell you, you're going to want to make room on your summer reading list for this one. What's that? Summer days are nearly done? Well, then welcome in your fall reading with this burst of beauty because no matter WHEN you partake of its pages, what truly matters is that you DO. Ladies and gents, please join me as we discover the wonderful work that is today's blog tour guest and book of choice...
by
Barbara O'Neal
9781503901391
Lake Union Publishing
About the book...
When Olivia Shaw’s mother dies, the sophisticated food editor is astonished to learn she’s inherited a centuries-old English estate—and a title to go with it. Raw with grief and reeling from the knowledge that her reserved mother hid something so momentous, Olivia leaves San Francisco and crosses the pond to unravel the mystery of a lifetime.
One glance at the breathtaking Rosemere Priory and Olivia understands why the manor, magnificent even in disrepair, was the subject of her mother’s exquisite paintings. What she doesn’t understand is why her mother never mentioned it to her. As Olivia begins digging into her mother’s past, she discovers that the peeling wallpaper, debris-laden halls, and ceiling-high Elizabethan windows covered in lush green vines hide unimaginable secrets.
Although personal problems and her life back home beckon, Olivia finds herself falling for the charming English village and its residents. But before she can decide what Rosemere’s and her own future hold, Olivia must first untangle the secrets of her past.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a story filled with unexpected surprises, angles, and viewpoints.
It's about finding yourself, taking advantage of second chances, grabbing on to all that life has to offer, yet keeping a levelheadedness about yourself for balance. It's about love...of others, of ourselves, and of places/things. It's about knowing when to take the risk, as well as when to proceed with caution. It's about one woman's journey to reveal the mystery behind the family she thought she knew, and the heritage she now uncovered, only to discover that it was only half-truths...but the full picture is SO much more robust.
This is one of those sweeping novels that carries you away on a journey to lands far away (or not, depending on your geographic location), to a time not so unlike our own, into dusty memories that seem best forgotten, but you'll never truly know until they are brought fully into the light. I loved getting to know Olivia, as well as Caroline, and further down the family tree, because she was such a beautiful vibrant force, yielding like the willow, but with an inner strength like the oak. She wasn't afraid of a challenge (such as the hidden animosity of the townspeople at her sudden appearance), whether it be weather (so much rain!), structure (Rosemere Priory has indeed seen better days), or of the heart (decisions need to be made, and pasts dealt with before a future can be decided upon). Though memories shared at times could be quite overwhelming, she knew how to stay grounded in the here and now, living fully while coming to terms with her hidden history, and while not all things turn out the way initially hoped, Olivia still leaves her mark on the hearts of the villagers as they do on hers.
In the end, it was a magnificent piece that I thoroughly enjoyed from the moment my eyes hit the cover to the final turn of the page. It was truly a journey to remember, and one I'd highly recommend for Fiction and Women's Fiction fans.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About the author...
Barbara O’Neal is the author of eleven novels of women’s fiction, including How to Bake a Perfect Life and The Lost Recipe for Happiness. Her award-winning books have been published in a dozen countries, including France, England, Poland, Australia, Turkey, Italy, Germany, and Brazil.
Barbara lives in the stunningly beautiful city of Colorado Springs with her beloved, a British endurance athlete who vows he’ll never lose his accent.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Special thanks to Lisa at TLC Book Tours for the chance to bring this tour to you and to the author for the signed copy for review. (THANKS YOU!) For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, THIS TOUR, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today!
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
No comments:
Post a Comment