Dress Rehearsal Rag

Orryn has a room of her own, a part-time job and, for the first time in her adult life, real friends. If not for her sister’s constant attempts to get her to spend time with her newborn nephew and her new roommate William’s unsettlingly pleasant company, she would be quite at peace. When Wardens, officers of the dreaded morality police, arrive in their rural neighborhood for a surprise inspection, the entire group is reminded that their safe haven isn’t as safe as they’d like to believe.

Dress Rehearsal Rag is the sequel to Going Home and continues to tell the story of Orryn and the others’ life at the commune.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Emma Lindhagen opens her main character up to the idea of hope and happiness in her novel, Dress Rehearsal Rag. In the future, where laws are strict and deviant behaviors are looked down upon, Orryn has lived in fear. Now, she has finally found somewhere safe in which to live and come to terms with her past. 

Orryn is a quite complicated character. She's secretive, unsure of herself, scared of being caught and labelled as a deviant, and confused. Orryn's past is scarred with memories of unaccepting parents and being convinced to give up her child. She keeps everyone at arm's length, terrified of anyone knowing her truths. Readers will empathetically and sympathetically connect with Orryn, even if they haven't experienced the same situations. The mental anguish of not being accepted is understandable, as is the heaviness that loss creates. 

This sequel easily continues from the first novella. Orryn is living in the commune with her sister and a few others, hiding their magic, and their different beliefs. But now the new baby has arrived and Orryn cannot go anywhere near him. Her own past interrupts her forming a connection with her nephew. Their fear of wardens becomes validated when they pay an unexpected visit to the commune. As Orryn's sister Thea, her partner Kella, and the father try to decide what is best for their future, Orryn finds herself having feelings for one of her housemates. With an open ending, anything could happen in the next installment. For surely, there must be more. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Going Home

Orryn ran away from home as a young teenager. After years spent trying to forget, she is forced to face the memories she’s been hiding from.
Thea never understood why her sister left. Her childhood was happy and she lives her adult life surrounded by people she loves, but she never stopped wondering.
When the two sisters meet again, a struggle to mend the bond they once shared, and reconcile their differing memories of their childhood, begins.

In a world where blending in is valued above everything else, scars can be a dangerous thing to show. After years of drifting and hiding, Orryn returns to her homeland and must choose between baring her scars and losing her sister a second time.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Emma Lindhagen shares the first in a novella series with Going Home, a story about sisters reuniting in England. Though the novella focuses on Thea and Orryn's relationship, it also introduces the setting for the future novel. This is a world where magic is a tool that can be honed, but it is also considered a deviant act, those caught practicing are treated like criminals and Wardens are watching. 

Orryn and Thea are sisters who have lived in two separate countries for most of their lives. Orryn ran away, across the Atlantic, when she was a young teenager. Thea remained with her parents unsure of why her sister left, upset that Orryn had abandoned her. Now, years later, after both parents have passed away, Thea invites her older sister back and Orryn dares to accept. Orryn is a very secretive and afraid young woman. Readers don't get the whole story in this novella, but they learn a lot about her past that allows them to initiate an emotional connection with Orryn. Thea is a settled woman, living with her loving partner Kella in a commune of sorts. Thea still looks up to her big sister but wants to understand why she left. When the truth comes out, Thea struggles to believe it. 

Usually I feel like novella's lack enough back story to form strong connections with readers, but Going Home shatters that idea. The entire novella is an emotional experience between two sisters where their back stories are revealed. This first installment does it's job perfectly, connecting the readers with the characters. It piques the interest for the main plot line with the creepy Wardens and illegal magic. I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read and am looking forward to the next book. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

WWW Wednesday (146)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

          

01. Currently Reading:
To All the Boys I've Love Before by Jenny Han. Lara Jean writes letters to the boys she falls in love with, but never sends them. Someone finds her letters and mails them creating a world of chaos for Lara Jean.

02. Recently Finished:
Finding Home by Emma Lindhagen. A novella, that serves as a prequel, revolving around two sisters who are reunited years after a secret forced one of them to run away.

03. Reading Next:
Fancy Pants Poetry by Agostino Scafidi. Going to switch gears a little later on in the week and read a poetry collection that promises humor, sarcasm, and cynicism.



Note: I know that Should Be Reading has stopped hosting WWW Wednesdays, but I've always enjoyed posting them and reading other lists so The Coffee Pot will continue to post WWW.

Teaser Tuesday (152)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers



Going Home (Kindle 3%)
   - Emma Lindhagen

She doubted she'd get any more sleep. She rarely did after that dream, so instead of trying she pressed the call button on the panel above her head.