The Married Girls (The Girl With No Name #2)

Wynsdown, 1949. In the small Somerset village of Wynsdown, Charlotte Shepherd is happily married to farmer Billy. She arrived from Germany on the Kindertransport as a child during the war and now feels settled in her adopted home.

Meanwhile, the squire's fighter pilot son, Felix, has returned to the village with a fiancée in tow. Daphne is beautiful, charming... and harbouring secrets. After meeting during the war, Felix knows some of Daphne's past, but she has worked hard to conceal that which could unravel her carefully built life.

For Charlotte, too, a dangerous past is coming back in the shape of fellow refugee, bad boy Harry Black. Forever bound by their childhoods, Charlotte will always care for him, but Harry's return disrupts the village quiet and it's not long before gossip spreads.

The war may have ended, but for these girls, trouble is only just beginning.

*May Contain Spoilers*

After WWII, England was in a time of rebuilding and her citizens were trying to move on with their lives. The Married Girls, the second in the series by Diney Costeloe, presents interwoven stories that explore marriage, love, family, finances, and loss after the war had ended focusing on members of a small village in Somerset.

Charlotte is the main character of the book and it seems that all other story lines revolve around her. She was a German refugee during the war and was taken in by foster parents during it. In this book, Charlotte (whose German name was Lisa) is married with two children. She's a strong character whose two main qualities are beauty and kindness. Many of the villagers like Charlotte and her sweet, caring nature are demonstrated with how she treats those around her. Through the novel, Charlotte has to face a few difficult situations and how she reacts to and handles these events define her strength and highlight her resolve. Readers will connect with Charlotte through her personality first and her reaction to events second. As the life she built seems to crumble in the second half of the book, readers will not only be cheering for Charlotte's emotional survival, they'll be hoping for a happy ending. 

Billy, Felix, Harry, and Daphne are the main supporting cast of characters. Billy is Charlotte's husband and is an amazing father to their children. Though he does present a bit of jealousy when Harry returns to visit Charlotte. Harry Black (also known as Victor) is a member of the criminal world. He's been hiding in Australia for a few years, hoping the England Police have forgotten him. He returns to finish up a bit of business for his dying boss and is emotionally pushed to find Charlotte again. This creates a cloud of gossip around Charlotte and marks the beginning of her struggles. 

Felix and Daphne are engaged (and married in the later parts of the book), but their relationship is one built on lies. Daphne wants to be happily married to a rich man that can provide her every wish. She sets her eyes on Felix and does everything she can to marry him. Yet, Daphne doesn't get the life she thought she would and starts to resent Felix. Her biggest secret, the fact that she has a daughter, threatens to come out and Daphne does everything in her power to keep it under wraps. Daphne is not a likeable character and readers will hope that Felix somehow escapes from her grasp. Felix is a  good, kindhearted, caring, and dependable man. When his father dies unexpectedly, he moves back to Wynsdown to care for his mother and restore the family estate. Though his married life is full of unhappiness, he tries to make it work. I think readers will feel a strong connection to Felix, as he certainly doesn't deserve the kind of treatment Daphne provides. 

The Married Girls follows the relationships of these characters as they rebuild their lives after the ending of the war. By focusing on the character's lives, this book provides readers with strong connections to its characters.  There are several side plots that build the action and evoke emotional responses from readers. Yet, the main focus of the story is love. By the end, readers will see that this whole novel has really only been about two characters who find happiness and peace with each other. However, the ending is a bit abrupt and I felt like I didn't get a sense of closure for all the characters. As this is the second in the series, I can't help but wonder if there will be a third installment. With Costeloe's writing style and her power to bring the past to life, accurately and thoroughly evoking the emotional and lifestyle struggles of the time period, I would definitely recommend this book as well as be excited to read anything else by this author. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

The Fifteenth of June

Can we lose a loved one without losing ourselves?

Twenty-eight-year-old Drew Thomson is haunted by a troubled past. After struggling for years with alcoholism and antisocial behavior, he ends a stable relationship with his girlfriend and finds himself without a home, job, or purpose.

Just as he learns that his father is terminally ill, he meets a stranger who offers him a flicker of hope for a better future. But is he ready to bury the past?

Rich with dark humor and a keen insight into the human condition, this debut fictional release from author Brent Jones delves into life’s most pressing trials—destructive relationships, love, loss, and pursuing happiness.

*May Contain Spoilers*

The Fifteenth of June by Brent Jones explores the impact of childhood trauma onto adulthood and how much strength, courage, and help it takes to move on. As the main character, Drew, deals with the twentieth anniversary of his mother's murder as he also deals with a relationship ending and a terminal diagnosis for his father. 

Drew Thomson is not the easiest character to like. He's very troubled and deals with his depression and lack of emotions with drugs and alcohol. Drew has never been taught how to understand and truly face the struggles that come with life. So he hides from them, alone and inebriated to an extreme point. Right from the start, readers will undoubtedly feel pity for him. I could even see some readers not liking him at all as he doesn't exactly try. His father has always advised him to take life as it is, just accept it, and go with the flow. Yet, following this (bad) advice has only pushed Drew to further dislike himself and create a bad environment around himself. His best friend, Neil, is a horrible person, using drugs, alcohol, and women to create a facade of success and happiness. Though, I think this does well to symbolize the idea of rock bottom that Drew has sunken to. And truly, the only way for Drew to go is up. With the help of a complete stranger, Sierra, Drew decides to try. Try to live, try to improve, try to find his truth and live it. 

The position that Drew starts from is one of darkness and depression. At first, it seems like Drew has completely given up, ready to accept his drinking and drug-induced haze as a way of life. This does make it hard to connect with Drew at the beginning of the book, but it also offers a starting point from which to grow. As the book continues, Jones does a good job at bringing readers to a sense of understanding. There are always reasons behind a person's actions and Jones subtly highlights the motives that deeply effect Drew in order to bring readers into his corner. However, it does become a little frustrating as a reader and a witness to read all of Drew's destructive behavior. Even though, there is a echo of hope as Drew realizes that if he just tried, then maybe something good could come of it because he really has nothing left to lose. 

While Drew faces these internal struggles, his father, Russell, is dying from lung cancer. Russell seems to be the only constant in Drew's life and readers will witness the fear Drew feels as that consistency is threatened. The Fifteenth of June focuses on Drew's inability to live and feel as he thinks a normal person would and then compounds that stagnant and unfeeling nature with external circumstances that could push Drew over the edge. Throughout the novel, though, as Drew makes bad decision after bad decision, he comes to a metaphorical crossroads. He learns that though it won't be easy, by any means, he is capable of change. Because of that, this book can be taken as an inspirational story about a man who overcomes his darkness and looks to the future with a new sense of hope and humanity. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

The Taste of Air

A simple phone call disrupts Nell Williams’s well-ordered life. Her mother, Mary, is in a hospital in Vermont. But her mother is supposed to be safely tucked away in an assisted-living facility in Massachusetts, so Nell can’t fathom why she would be so far from home.

After notifying her sister, Bridget, Nell hops on a plane and rushes to her mother’s side. There, she discovers that her mother has been living a second life. Mary has another home and a set of complex relationships with people her daughters have never met.

When Nell and Bridget delve deeper into their mother’s lakeside hideaway, they uncover a vault of family secrets and the gateway to change for all three women.

*May Contain Spoilers*

One mother's secret becomes a beacon of hope and freedom for her two daughters in Gail Cleare's novel, The Taste of Air. An unexpected illness uncovers Mary's secret hideaway in Vermont when her daughter Nell is called to her hospital bedside. What begins as anger and confusion as to why Mary would keep a second life hidden from her family, becomes understanding and newfound confidence, as Nell and her sister, Bridget, dig to find out why their mother kept the secret at all. 

Mary, Nell, and Bridget share the narrator position as this novel unfolds, spanning decades. Mary's story is told in the past, sharing her time as an army nurse. As readers see her fall in love with Thomas, struggle through his MIA status, and seek comfort in the arms of another man, they'll slowly begin to understand why she had her secret hideaway. Mary worked as a nurse and that defined her personality throughout the book. She was always caring, loving, and willing to provide comfort. She also had a strong sense of duty that she let direct her life. Yet she craved freedom from the role. Readers may be just as confused as her daughters as they discover Mary's secret, but throughout the flashbacks, her decisions become crystal clear and readers will undoubtedly understand her motives. Though they may not completely understand why she kept the secret from Nell and Bridget for so long, as this was one main point I struggled with. 

Nell is semi-happily married with children of her own, yet she also craves freedom from her role as mother and wife. Nell is a strong woman who can carry a lot on her shoulders, but this secret life of her mother's definitely throws her for a loop. She also has the gentle, caring spirit of her mother, but she wants answers and she's determined to find them. Readers will most likely side with Nell immediately. She feels like her mother lied to her and is understandably upset. Though as the novel progresses, Nell realizes that she wants, and needs, exactly what her mother wanted -- room to breathe and be herself. 

Bridget experiences nearly the same thing, but with different factors. She's in a loveless marriage that borders on abusive. She's determined to leave her husband and rediscover herself as a single woman. Though she's upset by her mother's secrets, it doesn't seem to affect her as much as it does Nell. Bridget's attitude and personality are also a lot different from Nell's. Bridget is more flirtatious, open-minded, and playful. She gives the story an air of fun while also tackling a couple big issues like finding the daughter she was (unoffically) forced to give up and escaping an abusive, manipulative husband. Readers will enjoy watching Bridget grow and evolve while she's trying to help unravel her mother's mystery. 

The Taste of Air begins with Mary's illness and the discovery of a secret second life in Vermont by her daughters, Nell and Bridget. The main plot line follows them as they sort the clues and piece them together to form a bigger picture. It's a family mystery that is both intriguing and nerve-wracking, though it becomes completely understandable. Nell and Bridget discover so much about themselves, their family, their past, and their mother. The story is very well written and the pieces are placed perfectly so that readers begin to make connections just as Nell and Bridget are finding them, leading to the fact that everyone needs a little freedom in their lives to just be themselves. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Tesserae: A Memoir of Two Summers

Mathias B. Freese shares his life with readers through Tesserae: A Memoir of Two Summers. Tessera is the smallest piece of tile used to create a mosaic and Freese uses this definition as an outline for his memories. As he travels back to his childhood and splashes through time much like a Vonnegut pond, Freese sets it all out to dry. He wades through his memories, vulnerable and open, showing readers how life can change with one moment, one person, or even two summers.

This memoir is both about Freese spending two summers in Woodstock and not about Freese spending two summers in Woodstock. It's more focused on how those two summers changed him and though the timeline is a jumble of water droplets, touching and coalescing, readers will be able to grasp the before and after.

Before Woodstock vs. After Woodstock.

Before Woodstock Freese was an emotionally stunted man and he attributes the finding of himself and semi-acceptance of himself to the openness that Woodstock created. Or rather, allowed. As a child, Freese was raised by a depressed mother and a father who never made contact. Freese was alone and therefore lonely. He felt unloved, though he didn't know what love was. This bold pronouncement will undoubtedly pull readers into a sense of emotionally charged empathy. Therefore, Freese the writer gains the vote of the reader. The sympathy associated (or demanded) from a child who admits that he never received love from his parents is given freely. Freese bares his soul in this and readers respond.

Though the two summers at Woodstock are never fully laid out for the reader, Freese does share that the creativity and music were the main attractions for him. Important to note, the drugs were not. Woodstock let Freese be open for the first time in his life. The town, the events, they let him get lost in the creative magic and melody of life and love. Readers take in the impact that Woodstock had on Freese and see how much it helped him. However, he still struggled with love, commitment, understanding, and acceptance.

Mathias Freese is an inspiring and inspired man, often quoting philosophers and other writers, even movies. And he has his scars much like anyone else. Freese, while sharing his change for the better, doesn't leave out the bad. He admits to being a shoddy father and an adulterer. He blames himself for many things, trying, yet failing, to hide from their repercussions. This doesn't allow readers to like him anymore as a narrator, but it does make him more trustworthy. Sharing the bad is much more difficult than sharing the good and Freese faces that head-on.

The memoir is written as a collection of essays jumping through the years in a non-linear way. It truly reminded me of Vonnegut's lake in Slaughterhouse Five. The memoir even includes therapy session scripts, which I assume are legitimate, and chapters written from the perspective of his children, which may just be creative nonfiction, though I'm not sure. They seemed of the same writing style of Freese and one was written in past tense (as if Freese had died) so I'm leaning more towards the fact that it could be a projection of sorts.

Tesserae: A Memoir of Two Summers is so much more than a memoir. It's a study of life and love and shattered pieces of the soul that somehow make up a person. It's a self-analysis with as much honesty as can be given, each tile laid out to create the whole.

Rating: 4.5/5 Cups



The Sun That Shines & The Storm That Will Always Pass

This collection of poetry is about love, truth, life, and light. Four words everyone seems to live for. From the kings and queens of the world all the way down to the beggar on the street. All is a part of a living organism. It is of the wise soul who remembers his or her intrinsic personal philosophy while treading down the dark roads into the unknown.

**

 

Derek Warmington explores four main themes in his book of poetry, The Sun That Shines & The Storm That Will Always Pass. Those themes include love, truth, life, and light, outlined in the synopsis of the collection. Though how he illuminates these themes is the important aspect.

 

Warmington writes of love as something that can be chosen, as if it's sitting right in front of you. But also as something that happens, as if it's inspiration. The truth he writes of is a journey. He searches for the truth behind life, often including questions in his poems. The poems that focus on life hinge on the desire to live without fear and sometimes disagreeing with the search for meaning. He even toys with the idea that there is no meaning in life, it just simply is. And light, well, Warmington tackles the darkness of depression, exploring what exactly is meant by seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Warmington uses a few specific techniques in his poetry. The main one he uses is rhyme. Now, I'm not a big fan of rhyme because I think it can cause a line to be misinterpreted due to it's obvious emphasis on certain words. And I think that happens in some of the poetry in this collection. With Warmington's lack of punctuation to show where a thought begins and ends, the reader makes those choices subconsciously, which in turn can change the meaning of the poem. Warmington also uses alliteration and personification. In "Big World, Small Mind" he writes: "silent sidewalks sing their songs of sincere serenity," which exemplifies both techniques. Though these themes are universal, I think the focus on rhyme will hinder Warmington's connection with poetry readers.

 

Rating: 2.5/5 Cups



Finding the Rainbow

Holly Newbury’s life is on hold in the cozy English village of Chilton Crosse. While her friends are marrying, having children, and embarking on successful careers, Holly is raising her three younger sisters and working part time at the village art gallery. Her life feels incomplete, but family is more important to her than anything. Then a film crew’s arrival galvanizes the community, and Holly becomes fast friends with Fletcher Hays, the movie’s love-shy American writer.

The production of an Emma film isn’t the only drama in town, though. Their father makes a choice that threatens everything she gave up her dreams for. Holly’s sisters endure growing pains. And Fletcher plans to return to America as soon as filming is over, ruining any chance of their relationship blossoming further. After years of sacrificing for others, Holly must find the courage to take a risk on a future she never dared to expect.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Traci Borum continues sharing Chilton Crosse with readers in her new book, Finding the Rainbow, the sequel to Painting the Moon. Though Adam and Noelle make their own appearances, this novel focuses on Holly, who has her own love story to share. 

Holly is a young woman in her late twenties, living back at home, helping raise her three younger sisters since their mother passed away six years prior. Holly is an engaging, busy, aspiring woman who feels her life is in a sort of limbo. She left college to help her family, and though she continues to take online classes, Holly is unsure of her purpose. This is a foundation for readers to build upon. We've all wondered where our paths will take us, what our future holds. This uncertainty and vulnerability allows readers to care about Holly and her future. Her loving personality and understanding nature will only add to the initial character connection. 

Readers will also enjoy Fletcher, the Texan who's transplanted himself onto English soil. He's a sweet man who plays the hero to a few damsels in distress. Though the love story is slow, emulating Emma, I believe, since a film adaptation is being shot in Chilton Crosse, there is a romantic plot. The main focus of the novel is really just Holly. Borum explores her career goals, the relationship between her and her sisters, as well as her love life. Through ups and downs, readers watch as Holly's life becomes her own. 

The relaxed nature of the book did drive me a bit batty towards the end, as everything wraps up. I wanted a bigger climax in the romantic plot. Though the big scene is deliriously sweet, it's a little predictable. I loved watching the relationships between Holly and her sisters shift with various situations and events. I think that dynamic was my favorite. Also, I am a little jealous of a certain part of Miss Holly's happily ever after. The career that drops perfectly into her lap is a fond dream of my own (and other book lovers, I'm sure!). Finding the Rainbow elicits various emotions throughout and shows that there is also calm after the storm, when the rainbow appears. Readers who enjoy a book that takes its time and a love that is slow to bloom will thoroughly enjoy this meandering story.

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

Book 1 of the Chilton Crosse Novels

If I Stay

Just listen, Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel.

I open my eyes wide now.
I sit up as much as I can.
And I listen.

Stay, he says.

Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?

Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it's the only one that matters.

If I Stay is a heartachingly beautiful book about the power of love, the true meaning of family, and the choices we all make.

*May Contain Spoilers*

By now, a lot of Gayle Forman fans have seen the movie adaptation of the book, If I Stay. I have to admit, I saw the movie in theaters when it first came out and have only just now finished the novel. I wish I wouldn't have waited so long to read it; it is quite wonderful, poignant, heartwrenching, and more. However, since I had already seen the movie, I knew what Mia's choice was going to be. (Unless something happened like in My Sister's Keeper and the endings were totally different... but that isn't what transpired.) That being said, knowing the ending did not save me any emotional exploration or experience with Miss Mia. And wow, what a day we both had. 

The first twenty-four hours are critical for a patient in a coma. The readers experience this limited time frame with Mia as she realizes her grave condition, learns that the outcome is her choice, and finally makes a decision. Mia is a high school senior who loves the cello and a boy named Adam. She's modest, sophisticated, loving, generous, and knows exactly how blessed she is. Mia is open with the readers in her uncertainty and nervousness at living in a world without her family in it. Readers will completely understand how difficult her decision is. And either way, we accept that it's her choice to make. The terrible tragedy of her parents dying instantly at the beginning immediately forms a foundation with readers. The bond is solidified forever when Teddy, her little brother, passes. The hope of Adam and Mia's love story, the faith of Mia's grandparents, and the fierceness of her best friend give Mia a reason to fight, but is the loss too much to bear? 

If I Stay covers a little more than twenty-four hours of a random day in Oregon when a family of four went for a drive and tragedy struck. Inspired by true events, Gayle Forman explores the choice of life or death, struggle or peace. Readers will undoubtedly connect with Mia as she shares her life story while watching the consequences of her accident unfold. The honesty of Mia's indecision is both powerful and honorable. The writing style is clear and concise while sharing the most intimate details of Mia's short life. I am very interested in where Mia went after her decision and, though I am probably the last one, I cannot wait to read the next book. 

Rating: 4.5/5 Cups

Obstacles

A child will die. You're afraid to live. Would you go to all lengths to save him? Darkness knows no bounds, as Alcott, an African American doctor sees all too well. The man is petrified by death. His fragile existence rests at the mercy of the universe. This fact is far too much for him to handle. From unyielding nightmares to elevator terrors, he's lost in paranoia.

Assigned to look after an ill child, Alcott's horrors only heighten. Gari is a nine-year-old boy with a fatal disease. He will surely pass on within the year. Alcott bonds with him more and more each day. Part of him knows this grim fate just isn't right.

Alcott befriends a hospital patient. This lunatic forces him to lug home an ancient text on bringing back the dead. Despite the man's obvious dementia, Alcott attempts the scheme. Charging up a cliff, he recites the chant over ocean gusts.

A god woman glides in from the horizon. She instructs Alcott on the trials to save Gari's life. These fearsome Obstacles require true strength. From battling sharks to wielding a flail, he must prove fortitude against genuine danger. Alcott decides his fate at this moment.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Obstacles is a paranormal fantasy novel, by Christopher Reardon, that examines what one group of people would do to change the fate of someone else. When Alcott is given an ancient tome that presents a chance to change a young boy's death sentence, he decides to take it. 

The novel shares the evolution of Dr. Alcott. He begins as a frightened man suffering from unexplained nightmares who focuses his waking hours on saving lives. Alcott is immediately respected by readers because of his profession. Even more so when he decides to try to save the sick boy's life. By agreeing to the challenge of the Obstacles, he also agrees to take the place of Gari if he succeeds. Through the story, Alcott's character is revealed. He is brave, strong, loyal, inspiring, and faithful. Readers will root for Alcott's success while he faces terrifying situations that seem impossible to overcome. 

The story line of the novel begins with the introduction of Alcott and his patient, Gari. Shortly after, Alcott is given a book that contains a way to challenge fate. To save Gari, Alcott must face six obstacles. If he wins three of them, he'll take Gari's place. If Alcott loses four, then he'll return to his life with no memory of ever being in the paranormal platform. Teamed up with four others who challenged fate, Alcott must fight for his life as he battles for Gari's. The story line is engrossing with a simplistic writing style, though the word usage was repetitive. Overall, Obstacles was both intriguing and creatively entertaining but I struggled with forming a full connection to the main character. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Shoveling Snow

Ben and Caroline barely recognize each other any more. Their once solid relationship now broken and beaten by unfathomable events, leaving only a shell of past promise. When pressure cracks the last vestiges of their bond, Ben hastily leaves their Southern California home, pointing the car east to what he hopes is the edge of the Earth. After driving until he can no further, he settles in the small, coastal town of Swintonport, Maine to lose himself in quiet and anonymity, renting the quaint guesthouse of Maggie and her ten-year-old daughter, Smoof. But when tragedy strikes his landlord’s family, Ben is confronted with a sobering truth reminiscent of the one he left behind.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Brett Sills shares a story of searching for a better place in his novel, Shoveling Snow. After receiving life changing news, Ben escapes California and doesn't stop driving until he hits the coast, searching for a better place in life. Smoof is a ten-year-old girl who has lived in Maine for less than a year. She and her mother left Boston after tragedy struck. Now she is searching for a way to make her mother better. Rose is a new teacher, who settled down in Maine after traveling the globe. She's searching for a better place to build to a relationship with the son she left behind. Life and luck have brought these three strangers together but it's up to them to use this happenstance as a guide to move forward. 

Ben was happy and hopeful. He was excited to see where life would take him. As a painter, he paid the bills and exercised his creativity. But after beginning a not-so-bad life with Caroline, things take a turn for the worse.  Now Ben is cynical. He's also rude, introverted, and completely lost. Readers learn right away that something pushed Ben to escape California. Something horrible. And throughout the novel, readers learn what happened to the love he once shared with Caroline through flashbacks. The first connection with Ben is through curiosity and wonder. As the plot continues and his secrets are revealed, empathy and understanding complete the connection. 

Smoof's mother is sick. Maggie spends most of her time in bed, leaving young Smoof to pay the bills and fend for herself. She has an atrocious attitude, is incredibly blunt while using inappropriate language, and secretly she just wants to be a little girl again. The sadness and unfairness of the situation create the initial bond between Smoof and readers. Her behavior is easily looked over as her world crumbles and she reaches out for any help she can get. 

Rose was young when she had her son, George. That doesn't excuse her leaving him and the father to travel the world. Now he lives a few towns away and she has a stack of letters that she has never mailed. Letters that explain, excuse, admit, and blame. But with her student Smoof, maybe Rose can make a difference. She has to try. Readers will first connect with Rose through her desire to help Smoof, but eventually sympathy and understanding will solidify the connection, even if readers don't agree with Rose's past choices. 

The plot of Shoveling Snow follows Ben across the country, from California to Swintonport, Maine. He moves into the guest house of Smoof and her mother. When Smoof gets into trouble, the school calls and they reach Ben. Thus, he is introduced to Rose. As each character battles their own demons, they find solace and understanding in each other. The entire novel is a heart wrenching story of loss, love, and wrong choices. Though the plot moves slowly, taking its time to reveal each detail, the intrigue lies in the mystery that is the past and the hope that could be the future. I liked that each of the characters were real. They had their flaws and Sills wasn't afraid to flaunt them. Though liking the actual characters took time, for one in particular it took the entire novel, Shoveling Snow breathes hope into finding a better place. Even if that place is the life left behind. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Photo Friday

(Found on Pinterest) 

That about sums me up. 

Heart of Eternity

When you are invited to dance with the muse of love, when you are driven to the edge by the pain of the past, when you hold the remedy for what ails you in your arms you will find yourself in the heart of eternity.
Set in the Blue Mountain’s town of Blackheath in New South Wales, Australia, the novel Heart of Eternity introduces two very different characters, Jay and Naida, who encounter each other at a challenging time in each of their lives. Their individual expressions of the feelings they provoke in each other give rise to a turmoil that could ultimately claim their lives. When two people understand so deeply the pain each other has faced will it force them into the abyss of darkness or will their combined need for healing allow love to enter both their hearts?

*May Contain Spoilers*

N. Jay writes a story of spiritual survival in her novel, Heart of Eternity. Naida is a gifted young woman who is dying from cancer. She believes that if she can reach the core of her spirituality then her body can begin to heal. Jay is plagued by darkness with a demon residing in his heart, forcing the evil within him to the forefront. Their only hope is to find each other and fight against the darkness together. 

Naida is a positive and hopeful character. Though she is terminally ill, she refuses medical treatment and resorts to spiritual treatment instead. Naida uses persistent meditation to discover her inner light and then uses that light to heal herself while also helping others. Readers will enjoy the spiritual journey that Naida embarks upon, connecting with her through a generalized hardship. 

Jay is a villain born of the world. He's experienced more pain and loss in his life than he could bear. This caused him to devolve into a malicious being, constantly looking to cause pain and share his misery. Readers will sympathize with Jay, hoping that it isn't too late to save him from his inner demons. The connection between Jay and readers will revolve around feelings of understanding and empathy. 

The plot of Heart of Eternity introduces Naida when she first begins her spiritual journey, including unexpected visions of a man she's never met but one who needs her help: Jay. The story is a little confusing at times as the line that separates reality and the incorporeal is heavily blurred for both characters. The dialogue and descriptions of the spiritual journey are also difficult to understand. The writing forces readers to slow down and breath in the words to comprehend their meaning. These difficulties created a struggle for me, as a reader, and I found myself falling behind and unable to fully grasp the plot and evolution of the characters. 

Rating: 2/5 Cups