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A review by bargainsleuth
Honeysuckle Season by Mary Ellen Taylor
5.0
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Honeysuckle Season is a story of two adoptions and three women. How and why their stories intertwine is what makes this a must-read book if you are a fan of women's fiction. Modern-day Libby is divorced after a series of miscarriages and switches careers from oncology nurse to photographer. Her father, a doctor, has died recently and Libby moves back home to her dad's house. Her childhood best friend lives next door with her mom after her husband recently died.
World War II-era Sadie is a poor country teenager barely making a living with her mother and brother by making and selling moonshine. The moonshine uses honeysuckle syrup in the mash, and is a local favorite. Another brother has already left for the war, and Sadie's remaining brother says he is going to join up and leave her to fight in the war and make more money than he had at a local factory that sometimes hired him.
Libby is hired to be the wedding photographer at a country estate that she used to visit with her adopted mom during a public opening of the gardens every year. The estate owner, Elaine, is thinking of turning the estate into an event venue since she lives in a nearby city and works as a lawyer. She hasn't lived at the estate in years. While the house and some of the grounds have been restored to their former glory, there's a greenhouse that hasn't been touched since the 1990's. Elaine wants to hire Libby as the photographer for a possible website, and invites her to shoot the restoration of the greenhouse. Libby meets the caretaker, Colton, a widower with two young boys who also grew up on the estate, and there's an immediate attraction.
I can't give away much more than that without giving up some of the story's secrets. Mary Ellen Taylor does an expert job weaving a tale of love, loss, betrayal, discovery, acceptance and renewal. When I thought I had figured out the connection of Sadie and Libby, I was thrown a curve ball. It wasn't until the end when the whole truth comes out and the pieces fit together. I highly recommend Honeysuckle Season.
Honeysuckle Season is a story of two adoptions and three women. How and why their stories intertwine is what makes this a must-read book if you are a fan of women's fiction. Modern-day Libby is divorced after a series of miscarriages and switches careers from oncology nurse to photographer. Her father, a doctor, has died recently and Libby moves back home to her dad's house. Her childhood best friend lives next door with her mom after her husband recently died.
World War II-era Sadie is a poor country teenager barely making a living with her mother and brother by making and selling moonshine. The moonshine uses honeysuckle syrup in the mash, and is a local favorite. Another brother has already left for the war, and Sadie's remaining brother says he is going to join up and leave her to fight in the war and make more money than he had at a local factory that sometimes hired him.
Libby is hired to be the wedding photographer at a country estate that she used to visit with her adopted mom during a public opening of the gardens every year. The estate owner, Elaine, is thinking of turning the estate into an event venue since she lives in a nearby city and works as a lawyer. She hasn't lived at the estate in years. While the house and some of the grounds have been restored to their former glory, there's a greenhouse that hasn't been touched since the 1990's. Elaine wants to hire Libby as the photographer for a possible website, and invites her to shoot the restoration of the greenhouse. Libby meets the caretaker, Colton, a widower with two young boys who also grew up on the estate, and there's an immediate attraction.
I can't give away much more than that without giving up some of the story's secrets. Mary Ellen Taylor does an expert job weaving a tale of love, loss, betrayal, discovery, acceptance and renewal. When I thought I had figured out the connection of Sadie and Libby, I was thrown a curve ball. It wasn't until the end when the whole truth comes out and the pieces fit together. I highly recommend Honeysuckle Season.