The Scarlet Ribbon
by Anita Dawes (author) and Jaye Marie (editor)
“Scarlet Ribbon” is a story that made me wonder about the afterlife and what is in between. Maggie was out with her husband when she was run down by a car. She ended up in a coma for two long years, but her time became relative as she found herself in a strange place. Her body was in the hospital, but her mind or soul was experiencing a different reality. While she was under, she could see what her husband was doing and was taken to other worlds and the past. She wanted to help, especially a young girl. There was cruelty and a blissful existence that coincided in the different places. As she seeks answers to her dilemma, she finds out more than she wanted to about how sheltered a life she had and people’s true side. I have always wondered what goes on when people are in a coma, and this was a fascinating idea of what could happen. There never seems to be one simple answer or outcome to Maggie’s desires. I love her determination to do what is right, but within her new world, I felt her confusion as she bounced from one situation to another. I was rooting for the person she connected with on the other side. The story picked up the pace when she emerged from the coma, and work began for her to heal and try to remember. The ending was a surprise but didn’t feel done just yet. I hope there are more versions of her life to come and I will be reading them.
I read and loved “Old Mountain Cassie” and was eager to see where Ms. Penrose took us next. Abby was coming home from a trip when she found herself in a place that wasn’t on her map. The town’s name, Charm, is fitting as she meets the people who live there. She quickly finds out she can’t leave the town and starts the journey to find out why. Nash is the town’s single and handsome mayor who offers her a place to stay with him, his sister, niece, and nephew. The town has a fairytale-like quality to it filled with beauty and unexplained happenings. What Abby finds in this place is its important to find one’s true self. I was completely enmeshed in the story when she went forest bathing with Nash. This is something I do that brings me great peace in my own life. Part of Abby’s journey were things I have explored, while the rest—I only wish I could. A peaceful read, with delightful characters, and a surprise or two thrown in. It is a place I hope exists and would love to run across in my travels someday. A book I can highly recommend for those, like me, who are taking or looking for that unique journey in life.
by J.Q. Rose
Jim and Gloria leave their frigid winter home yearly to reside in Citrus Ridge Senior Community and Golf Resort, Florida. Jim is a first responder who sees some unusual and gruesome deaths. This leads to an entire community trying to figure out what is happening. Their group of friends was as varied as you would expect in a retirement neighborhood like this. There were good friendships, humor, and plenty of activities mixed with a few surprises. I would never have guessed the killer or how it was being done. A fun read with realistic characters and a setting that held my interest until the end.
UPDATES:
There will be no post next week, I’ll be on vacation celebrating our 39th Wedding Anniversary! June Book Reviews Part 2 is moved to June 20th. I will be quiet over vacation recovering from my book release, my daughter’s and redoing book covers. At least I finally sat down and learned some programs, like Affinity and Vellum.
That’s why I’ve been mostly quiet. My focus was elsewhere and a headache or two cropped up.
I only post my 4 & 5-star reviews. If I don’t like a book, I won’t finish it. It doesn’t feel right leaving a review in that case, but I have been known to email the author:) Life is too short not to enjoy every book you read!
Embrace your inner child with a huge hug by reading a great book! D. L. Finn
