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Then She Was Gone
By Lisa Jewell
Atria Books, 9781501154652, November 2018, 384pp.

The Short of It:

One minute Ellie is there, the next minute she is gone and the wake of her disappearance leaves a family changed forever.

The Rest of It:

The Mack family, fairly happy and close knit as far as families go is forced to learn how to live without their oldest daughter. Ellie, the golden girl. The perfect daughter whose light and personality resonates with just about everyone she meets, doesn’t come home from school one day and her parents and family are left to pick up the pieces.

Laurel, can’t quite put her finger on why she thinks Ellie is still alive but as the years go by and nothing new is discovered, the case goes cold. As a mother, can you really let go without any real closure?

The Mack family is affected by Ellie’s disappearance in many ways. A sister, who lives a very secret life and can’t find ways to be close to Laurel like Ellie was. An ex-husband who was a good man, but had to move on with his life. A son who distances himself from the family as soon as he’s able, and then Laurel, who tries desperately to hang on to hope, but quickly realizes that it’s okay for her to find happiness too.

Until a new development is discovered in the case.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast read but I felt for these characters. The author did a really good job of presenting all the conflicts and keeping the story fresh. I felt Laurel’s pain over her daughter’s disappearance but I also felt her need for happiness. The story came together in a good way too. Not too predictable or over the top.

I’ve read one other Jewell book and I know she has many others. I am happy to have found an author I can keep reading for awhile.

Source: Purchased
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

Summer Dance
By Nan Rossiter
Kensington Publishing Corporation, Paperback, 9781496705051, May 30, 2017, 352pp.

The Short of It:

Rossiter revisits the much-loved characters of Nantucket and goes a bit deeper into the family’s history, giving us the long-awaited love story between Coop and Sally.

The Rest of It:

Nantucket is the perfect setting for new beginnings so when Sally ends up there, she’s hopeful that a new job and change of scenery is just what she needs to recover from an abusive marriage. One evening at a dance with her friends, she sees Coop across the room and after just one dance, she begins to think that happiness is not far off. Summer Dance is the story of Coop and Sally and how their love for one another challenged them in ways they never thought possible.

I am a huge Nan Rossiter fan. She writes such beautiful stories with great settings (Nantucket, Cape Code, etc.) and all of her stories center around characters who are flawed, but genuine and typically good, family minded individuals. I shy away from the typical “summer” read because usually there isn’t enough for me to sink my teeth into.

In Summer Dance, there is plenty for you to sink your teeth into. Sally was raised in the Catholic Church and this greatly affects her relationship with Coop. Her childhood friend Lizzy, also Catholic becomes Jewish in order to marry and so Sally is left wondering what religion means to her.

Can you be a good person even though you may not be perfect in the eyes of the church?

Sally is torn between doing what is right and doing what feels right and whether religion is a part of your life or not, I think most people can relate to this dilemma which is why this book would be great to discuss with a group.

I really enjoyed Summer Dance. It’s a great book to kickoff these hot summer months. I suggest you grab some wine, grill some scallops, find yourself a shady spot and dig in.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

This giveaway is for one copy of Summer Dance and is open to the US and Canada. A winner will be chosen randomly by me. The book will come directly from the publisher/author. Only one entry per person. Giveaway closes on June 9, 2017 (pacific). I will contact the winner for his/her mailing address.