Wind Chime Point by Sherryl Woods

Reviewed by Charlotte Lynn

Gabi Castle finds out she is pregnant, her boyfriend does not want anything to do with the baby, and she loses her job because she is pregnant.  Retreating to her grandmother’s home in North Carolina she knows that difficult decisions have to be made and with her families support she will find the answers and possibly more.

Wade Johnson met Gabi at her grandma, Cora Jane’s, restaurant when he was doing repairs caused by storm damage and fell for her immediately.  Using patience and gently persuasion he hopes to win her heart and get her to stay with him and make them a family.

Wind Chime Point is the second book in the Ocean Breeze Series and I highly anticipated it.  Sherryl Woods did not let me down.  At the end of the first novel I knew something was going to happen to Gabi, but never did I foresee her being pregnant.

I loved that there were lists for everything.  For pros and cons, lists for things to be done, lists for Gabi’s future goals.  If you walk into my house you will see lists.  This was something I easily related to and understood.  The research and lists showed how independent and serious Gabi was about making her future her own and making she was making the correct choices.

The relationship of Wade and Gabi’s was amazing.  The support and patience Wade showed in letting Gabi make her own decisions in her own time make him the dream man.  His gentle guidance and suggestion made his sensitivity shine.  The ending of their story was perfect even if it was predictable.  Getting there was so much fun.

Waiting for book three to be released will be tough and I have already added it to my list of books to be on the lookout for.  In the meantime I will revisit  the first two books often and recommend them to all my friends.

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The books we review on this site (A NOVEL REVIEW) are sent to us by publishers, authors or downloaded from Netgalley. This is a very common practice.  We never take payments for these reviews and all the reviews on this site are our own thoughts and feelings and are not influenced.

THE BEST OF US by Sarah Pekkanen

Reviewed by Laura Kay

A group of college friends embark on a week long trip together to Jamaica to celebrate a birthday of one of their own. The ladies are excited  to get a break from the reality of their daily lives. Tina is a mom of four and her days and nights seem like a blur. She needs to get a good night sleep and just a little time to herself. Allie recently found out her biological father and his father both died from a genetic family illness. Savannah has been hiding the news her husband cheated on her and is now in the process of a divorce. Last is Pauline, she is hosting the party for her husband Dwight's birthday. She is an outsider to the group dynamic, but she is putting an all out effort to make this trip a huge success hoping to win back some favor with her husband. 

What could be more perfect than a group of friends spending a week together dining on gourmet dinners, languishing hours on the beach, drinking till all hours of the night? As the weather turns from perfect to a pending hurricane the groups begins to falter. Forcing each woman to reexamine herself and her priorities. Each of the woman seeing even her friends differently than before they arrived. 

I immediately connected with Tina, what mom wouldn't! I related also to Allie. They were my favorite characters from the beginning, even their husbands. I could picture all of them so easily, their lives are so like mine. Savannah not so much. But I could respect how she was trying to push through better than ever and let's be honest there is always a Savannah in a friendship! You could see potential issues with someone like Savannah, so that really didn't shock me. But I was surprised most by Allie! 

We try very hard to limit visits with others to just a few days, I swear no good comes after about day four! Not only are the characters dealing with their own issues and each others issues, but a hurricane makes a sudden change of course heading right to them. Reminding them all what matters most.

I love Sarah Pekkanen's writing! Her characters are always so authentic and their issues seem to easily connect to her audience. It's real life at it's best and worst. When I first read about the book I had this idea of a bunch of ladies getting together and hanging out at a resort living the life, maybe things get a little sexy. I was wrong. It's a story about couples, friendships, and finding your strongest self to get through the hard stuff. 

I am definitely recommending THE BEST OF US! So as the weather gets warmer this will be a perfect book to throw in your beach bag as you head to the beach!

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The books we review on this site (A NOVEL REVIEW) are sent to us by publishers, authors or downloaded from Netgalley. This is a very common practice.  We never take payments for these reviews and all the reviews on this site are our own thoughts and feelings and are not influenced.

Secrets from the Past by Barbara Taylor Bradford

Reviewed by Charlotte Lynn

American journalist Serena Stone has followed in her dad’s footsteps being a front line was photographer.  She chooses to leave the front lines when her father dies unexpectedly of a heart attack.  Serena finds out her former boyfriend and fellow was photographer, Zac, has returned from the front lines and is struggling with PTSD and is asking for her.  In heading to help him she knows that her life will never be the same.

Secrets from the Past is a captivating story in which every character jumps right off the page and becomes real.  Serena is the main character but I loved Harry.  As Serena’s dad’s best friend since childhood, he has stepped into the role of “father” and protects and nutures Serena and her sisters.  I loved that he let Serena live her life, but still managed to guide her in the right direction.  He was also the keeper of secrets and knew when it was time to share and when to step back and let things go unsaid.

Zac and Serena’s relationship would be described as true love.  The turbulence side of their relationship troubled me.  To know that Zac, even before PTSD, has a tendancy to yell and scream at Serena when mad scares me.  I understood that they were “it” for each other and truly enjoyed their relationship when it was good and healthy.

This is an emotional book with secrets, betrayal, redemption, and love.  You will not be able to put this story down.  I highly recommend it 

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The books we review on this site (A NOVEL REVIEW) are sent to us by publishers, authors or downloaded from Netgalley. This is a very common practice.  We never take payments for these reviews and all the reviews on this site are our own thoughts and feelings and are not influenced.

Marriage Matters by Cynthia Ellingsen

Reviewed by Charlotte Lynn

When I wrote “The Whole Package”, a novel about three best friends who lose everything and decide to open a scandalous business together, I noticed that lots of women were asking me to sign copies to send to their best friends from high school and college. “The characters just remind me of our crew,” one woman told me. “I can totally see us doing this. Listen to this story…”

This made me start thinking about what to write for my next book. It struck me that it might be fun to write something that women could share with their mother and grandmother. Since love is universal, that became the theme. “Marriage Matters” is  the story of a mother, daughter and grandmother who all get engaged at the same time and decide to share a wedding, with all sorts of antics in between.

Here’s what thrills me: Women are indeed coming up to me now and saying, “Oh, my gosh. The naughty grandmother? She took lessons from my grandmother. Listen to this story…”

Mission accomplished. 

Chloe, Kristine, and June are all planning weddings.  Well, all planning a wedding for three, they are grandma, mom, and granddaughter and are all getting married in one sensational ceremony.

Chloe and Ben have been best friends for almost their whole lives.  When Chloe gets engaged to Geoff with a G she is terrified to tell Ben, her best friend.

Married for 25 years, Kristine and Kevin are renewing their vows.  Since Kevin’s job has him traveling more than he is home, their marriage is struggling.  A trip that she goes on with an employee to Rome makes her wonder if her marriage is worth saving.

June is a meddling grandma and mom.  She takes charge of planning this family wedding after her neighbor Charlie proposes.  The rest of the family is struggling to keep her under control.

As I started reading Marriage Matters, I knew I would love this romantic comedy.  I found myself putting faces to the characters and making them real people and making them my friends.  I also loved that it was writing in a place I am very familiar with, Chicago.  Living right outside the city I could relate to the weather, the closeness of neighbors, the cabbies, and the location.

As the wedding plans were made I could see exactly where each character was heading and was really looking forward to seeing how they got there.  I was surprised that such a light read could have so much depth in the relationship and romance.  I highly recommend this novel.

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The books we review on this site (A NOVEL REVIEW) are sent to us by publishers, authors or downloaded from Netgalley. This is a very common practice.  We never take payments for these reviews and all the reviews on this site are our own thoughts and feelings and are not influenced.

Beautiful Disaster by Laura Spinella

Reviewed by Charlotte Lynn

Mia, as a college student,  is swept away by the mysterious and dangerous Flynn.  The love affair is ended when Flynn leaves her with no note or goodbye.  Mia is devastated, that is the one thing Flynn promised her he would never do.  It takes six long years and very few dates for her to move on with her life.  Michael Wells, her husband,  gives her an amazing life.  Her career as an eco-friendly interior designer is about to come true, bet she has never really moved past Flynn.

Roxanne, Mia’s college roommate, has become a doctor and calls Mia when Flynn is brought to her hospital after a motorcycle crash.  Mia arrives finding him in a coma and keeps a bedside vigil.  Flynns return to her life will force her to be true with Michael about her feelings and their marriage.

This is Laura Spinella’s debut novel.  Once you read it you will think I have my facts mixed up.  Every chapter was beautifully written and very enjoyable.  I was unable to put it down.  The emotions and thoughts the character had were shared perfectly.  In fact, so perfect I felt like I was friends with Mia, Flynn, and Roxanne for years and had lived through the happiness, heart break, and tears. 

The fact that Laura tells the history, the Athen chapters, and the present made the story so real.  I enjoyed getting the history and then seeing how it related to what was happening in the present.  I got so lost in this story.

Beautiful Disaster is definitely a love story.  But there is so much more to it.  This is a story of love, honor, morals, and believing in each other.  I will most certainly share this with all my friends.

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The books we review on this site (A NOVEL REVIEW) are sent to us by publishers, authors or downloaded from Netgalley. This is a very common practice.  We never take payments for these reviews and all the reviews on this site are our own thoughts and feelings and are not influenced.

A dog run for the chickens

We are at it again! Today the hubby is outside building a second chicken coop. We have nine chickens; three are for meat and the other six for eggs. We needed a second coop because we read the egg layers will become stressed when the meat chickens leave and don’t come back.

Meat Chicken

It’s taken me a little time to come to peace with meat chickens. It seems mean. Then I think, I have no idea what all is going into the chicken I feed my family this way I will. After getting the meat chickens it is a little easier, they are so different from the egg layers. When we go into the yard the egg layers interact with us, run and play with the kids. The meat chickens, they lay huddle together and eat. They seem less pet like.

Also, to give the chickens more space we bought a dog run. This way they have the area of the dog run to eat and run around. We are now thinking of options to make a cover to protect them from predators (the cat). 

The predator (Scout)

The Paradise Guest House by Ellen Sussman

Reviewed by Laura

The tragic night club bombing in Bali was life altering for American adventure guide, Jamie Hyde. The novel opens up a year after the bombing, as Jamie returns for a ceremony to mark the anniversary. She isn't really sure if she's ready, but she is really interested in finding Gabe Winters. For Jamie coming back to Bali is about closure from the attack and a possibility of opening up her heart.

The novel begins with Jamie's return, we get to know current day Jamie and those around her in Bali. I wasn't sure at this point about the book, it was ok but wasn't really drawing me in. Then in part two Sussman takes you back to Jamie's first trip to Bali--to the night of the attack. You get to relive the experiences for Gabe and Jamie, the bombing, what happened after. You also get to know Gabe in this part of the story, find out what brought him to Bali. I was totally hooked by the end of part two. You know she is returning to Bali, you know he is still there, so there is a build up as to what happens between them. Then coming back to present day. Can there be resolution after so much time, so much pain?  I felt this was a perfect way to tell her story, she was coming back to face what she left...so she would need to go back not only physically, but mentally and emotionally too.

I absolutely loved THE GUEST HOUSE. I'll be honest, I figured I would enjoy the book. I had some preconceived ideas of what would happen. I can't say I was totally off the mark, but I will say I hadn't expected to be so caught up in the story of Jamie and Gabe. Mid way through the book I didn't want to put it down. The stories of the bombing, I hadn't expected them to bring tears to my eyes. I can't imagine anyone not falling in love with this book, I highly recommend you grab a copy before you take off for any summer vacations!

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Ellen Sussman’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Tuesday, March 26th:  Unabridged Chick

Wednesday, March 27th:  A Bookish Affair

Thursday, March 28th:  BookNAround

Monday, April 1st:  A Chick Who Reads

Thursday, April 4th:  Linus’s Blanket - author Q&A

Monday, April 8th:  Suko’s Notebook

Friday, April 12th:  A Novel Review

Monday, April 15th:  Amused by Books

Tuesday, April 16th:  Caribousmom

TBD:  Books in the City

The books we review on this site (A NOVEL REVIEW) are sent to us by publishers, authors or downloaded from Netgalley. This is a very common practice.  We never take payments for these reviews and all the reviews on this site are our own thoughts and feelings and are not influenced.

The Next Time You See Me by Holly Goddard Jones

Reviewed by Laura

In the small town of Roma, KY, a woman goes missing. Like many small towns in the 90's there are lines drawn by how much money you make and the color of your skin. Those lines become blurred when Ronnie Eastman is missing and the lives of numerous residents are about to collide and will never be the same. 

At the tender age of thirteen, is an awkward girl, a loner, an outcast. Emily is hiding a dark secret. Suzanna is a teacher, wife and mother. She is struggling with her marriage and the decisions of her past when her sister goes missing. Wyatt, an older guy who has spent his life in a factory and never found love. Last, Tony. Tony a former baseball player who had been perusing his dreams to play in the major league, when an accident cost him his career--sending him back to Roma. Their lives become more and more tangled until the shocking end. 

The Next Time You See Me is told by multiple viewpoints, I really felt this allowed me to 'see' the characters as others saw them, as well as get to know them. By doing this I really got a sense of each of them, making me more sympathetic to them, where written differently I might not have. Even though the story is told using multiple points of view, it was very easy to follow along. 

I really enjoyed being swept away into this mystery/suspense novel. The most well written descriptions I've read in a book, I could hear the sticks cracking and leaves rustling about as Emily walked through the woods. The cast of characters were all flawed, so I never really loved or hated any of them. At the end of the story, I was surprised by my final thoughts of the different characters. Even though I pretty much figured out the 'who done it' part of the book pretty early on, I really enjoyed the book. The characters really drove the story, so the story became less about the who and more about the why. I am recommending The Next Time You See Me!

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The books we review on this site (A NOVEL REVIEW) are sent to us by publishers, authors or downloaded from Netgalley. This is a very common practice.  We never take payments for these reviews and all the reviews on this site are our own thoughts and feelings and are not influenced.

Arabelle’s Shadow by Fleur Gaskin

Reviewed by Charlotte Lynn

Taken from Amazon:

Everything in Arabelle's life is coming together. She has confidence, great friends, she's even dating Naak, a wealthy Thai socialite. But there are too many models in Bangkok.  Arabelle’s broke, she can’t find an agent in New York, and Naak isn’t as wonderful as he first appears. Slowly the Shadows creep back into Arabelle’s mind, bringing with them thoughts of hopelessness and despair. The vile Shadows know something Arabelle’s refusing to remember and, if she’s not careful, they’ll use it to destroy her. Based on a true story, Arabelle’s Shadows takes us on a journey through the struggles of growing up, not quite making it as an international model, and attempting to overcome a crushing depression.

Review:

Arabelle’s Shadow is written as a diary, so it took me some time to get us to the writing style.  I felt like I was spying on Arabelle, reading her personal thoughts and feelings.  By reading her diary I also felt like I very much understood her and her shadows.

When I first starting reading I was worried that this would just be a story of Arabelle’s struggles with modeling.  There was so much more to the story.  It was a story of a broken family, torn apart by alcohol and money.  The struggles Arabelle shared with us opened my eyes to the world models live in.  It isn’t all high power parties and fun.  The drugs, self doubt, sex, and money struggles were alls ome of Arabelle’s shadows.  Knowing that this was based on a true story made this an even more touching story.

I would put this novel in contemporary or realistic fiction.  It was a very real novel that I enjoyed very much.

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The books we review on this site (A NOVEL REVIEW) are sent to us by publishers, authors or downloaded from Netgalley. This is a very common practice.  We never take payments for these reviews and all the reviews on this site are our own thoughts and feelings and are not influenced.

The Last Telegram by Liz Trenow

Review by Charlotte Lynn

Lily Vernow lived through World War II and this is her story.  Her family owned a silk weaving factory where during the war they wove parachute silk.

Lily’s brother, John, takes in three Jewish boy refuges from Germany and they start working at the factory.  One of these boys, Stefan, catches Lily’s heart and their love grows.  But even in their safe little town being a Jew from Germany could be a problem.

I am not sure I can describe how much I enjoyed this book.  The Last Telegram was perfectly written,  telling a beautiful story of love, family, loss, and guilt during World War II.  Liz Trenow did an amazing job teaching me about silk.  Every chapter gave facts about where silk came from and how it was used in the 1940’s, but yet the story was not about silk.

I loved Lily.  From her journey into silk as a young girl, to an old lady who had survived it all she was my favorite character.  The relationship between Stefan and Lily showed exactly how much they were meant for each other.  The chapters with their story in them were my absolute favorite. 

The Last Telegram is perfect.  I was captured by the first page.  This is a story I am sure I will read over and over.  

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The books we review on this site (A NOVEL REVIEW) are sent to us by publishers, authors or downloaded from Netgalley. This is a very common practice.  We never take payments for these reviews and all the reviews on this site are our own thoughts and feelings and are not influenced.

Fender Bender Blues by Niecey Roy

Reviewed by Charlotte Lynn

Craig’s driving along, minding his own business, when crash.  A fiery red hear, Rachel, plows into his mint condition Camaro.  Little did he know how much Rach would change his life. 

Rachel Bennett is on a break from her job as a social worker after doubting if that is the job she wants.  She declares no distractions until she figures out where her life is headed.  The fender bender ends up throwing a wrench into her well laid plans.

Craig Larsen feels the constant need for control and success. He is a wealthy and successful business man.  The fender bender turns his controlled world upside down.  He has to figure out what he wants for his future.

Every day for Rachel is an adventure.  Anyone who gets in her path gets to experience that adventure.  I laughed so many times at her.  Never had I met anyone who had such horrible luck and even when something was going her way she manages to do something to mess it up.  Many times I just wanted to yell at her to get her life together and realize how good she has it.  All that being said Rach was a character that I could easily relate to and enjoy getting to know. 

This story was perfect.  It had humor, romance, and erotica.  I could not put this story down and finished it in one day.  I cannot wait for the next book by Niecey Roy.

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The books we review on this site (A NOVEL REVIEW) are sent to us by publishers, authors or downloaded from Netgalley. This is a very common practice.  We never take payments for these reviews and all the reviews on this site are our own thoughts and feelings and are not influenced.

Giveaway: GLOW by Jessica Maria Tuccelli

“Fans of The Help, this one’s for you: A tale of ghosts, slavery, racism, and redemption.” —Ladies’ Home Journal

(From GoodReads):

October 1941. Eleven-year-old Ella McGee sits on a bus bound for her Southern hometown. Behind her in Washington, D.C., lie the broken pieces of her parents’ love story—a black father drafted, an activist mother of Scotch-Irish and Cherokee descent confronting racist thugs. But Ella’s journey is just beginning when she reaches Hopewell County, and her disappearance into the Georgia mountains will unfurl a rich tapestry of family secrets spanning a century. Told in five unforgettable voices, Glow reaches back through the generations, from the red-clay dust of the Great Depression to the Blue Ridge frontier of 1836, where slave plantations adjoin the haunted glades of a razed Cherokee Nation. Out of these characters’ lives evolves a drama that is at once intimately human and majestic in its power to call upon the great themes of our time—race, identity, and the bonds of family and community.

Lushly conceived, cinematically detailed, and epic in historical scope, Glow announces an extraordinary new voice in Southern fiction.

BUY IT! 

 GLOW by Jessica Maria Tuccelli 

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Sand Castle Bay by Sherryl Woods

Review by Charlotte Lynn

Emily Castle ran away from her home and the love of her life, Boone Dorsett, to live her dream of becoming an interior designer.  After she left Boone found another woman got married and had a little boy, BJ.

Emily returns home to help after a huge storm.  She finds Boone, not a successful restaurant owner and widow.  They realize their feelings are still there and decide to give it another try.  But will the former in-laws allow them to succeed in their relationship?  Will fate be on their side?

I love the setting of Sand Castle Bay.  The small picturesque town with the wonderful small town diner and restaurants.  I work in a small family diner and know exactly what Cora Jane, Emily’s grandmother, feels when her diner gets damaged during the storm.  The fact that all “her girls” come rushing home to help her save the diner and get her life  back on track made this a feel good story.  A story of family above everything.

 Instead of picking one character and rooting for them I was just hoping for a happy ending.  Emily and Boone needed to figure out how to make things work. The fact that Gabi and Sam, Emily’s sisters, also come home and show 100% support for Emily even when they do not always agree made me think of the relationship me and my sister have and how I am sure we would do the same for each other.  Cora Jane’s meddling, however good intending it was, made me laugh.  I see my mom in her.  Always wanting control and what is best for her girls. 

 Sherryl Woods wrote a great novel and I cannot wait to get the next one in this series and lost myself in it.  I cannot wait to see what Cora Jane and Sherryl have in story for Gabi and Sam.   I am sure there are a lot more great stories to be told in Sand Castle Bay.

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The books we review on this site (A NOVEL REVIEW) are sent to us by publishers, authors or downloaded from Netgalley. This is a very common practice.  We never take payments for these reviews and all the reviews on this site are our own thoughts and feelings and are not influenced.

Double Review: And Then I Found You by Patti Callahan Henry

The She Reads April Book Club Selection

Reviewed by Charlotte Lynn

Kate Vaughn thinks she has fallen in love, but before she can take the next step with Rowan she has to put her past to rest and tell Rowan her secret.  She goes back to her first love Jack Adams to try to come to terms with the fact that on March 20, 1997 Kate gave birth to Luna and then gave her up for adoption.

By the very first chapter I was hooked.  I could not put this novel down.  The characters were so real.  I could feel Kate’s pain at loving her daughter so much  but yet knowing that she could not give her the life she deserved and having to give her away.  Jack’s fear at losing his life and his reputation in his small town because of his secret.  The fact that this novel told the history and the present gave me much insight into the characters, making the character seem like friends that I grew up with.

I was unsure of what I was hoping to happen.  Did I want Kate to be ok with her decisions and move forward with Rowan?  Can I see Kate and Jack getting back together?  Where did Luna fit, if at all, into her life?  I had no clue how this story would end, but am extremely happy with how Patti Callahan Henry finished this novel. 

I cried and smiled during this novel.  The fact that it was based on a true life story made me love it much more.  This love story is timeless and everyone should check it out. 

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The books we review on this site (A NOVEL REVIEW) are sent to us by publishers, authors or downloaded from Netgalley. This is a very common practice.  We never take payments for these reviews and all the reviews on this site are our own thoughts and feelings and are not influenced.

Reviewed by Laura

At the age of thirteen Katie Vaughn feel in love with Jack Adams at the age of thirteen, the first day of spring. There will always be something special about the first day of spring for the couple. They grew up together believing they would be together forever. And they were for a very long long time. But life happens, choices are made and once some decisions are made they can't be undone. Something the young couple realized too late.

Fast forward thirteen years after their break-up. Kate has found a great life. She is close to her family, owns a successful shop, and has found a great guy, Rowan. What could possible be the problem? Kate finds an engagement ring. Almost in a cold sweat, Kate realizes she is going to need to totally open herself up to him--and she wants too. She believes the only way she can move forward is to deal with her unsettled past.

But can her past lead her to her future?

AND THEN I FOUND YOU, is a sweet soft spoken story of a young woman trying to make a life for herself after making a life changing decision. A decision she knew was right, but leaves her wondering of what could have been.

At first, I didn't really get Kate. I mean you could really feel Kate holding herself back from Rowan. It seemed sorta wrong, like she knew in her heart he wasn't the one for her. I didn't like it, he was putting so much in and it just didn't feel like she was. But honestly, this is how real life works. We have baggage that we carry, Kate had baggage. Kate wanted to not have baggage and it took her a very long time to realize it was time to own it and realize it was time to deal with it, she couldn't carry it forever--not alone. Once she started being honest with herself, I connected with her.

The novel is a love story, a story of lost love, a story of finding ones way home. Once Kate found herself, Kate found more than what she expected. A touching story. Highly recommend.