This book went a completely different way than I thought it would, and I couldn’t be happier about that. I do love it when a book surprises me like that. Although, now that I think about it, even if the book had been more straightforward without the intrigue (more on that later), I still would have enjoyed it.
The author set the scene perfectly in the opening chapter with Amanda’s drive through the fog on her way to Avalon Springs. Aside from being well-described and atmospheric, it also illustrated the mental fog that Amanda was in personally.
As always, I know that sounds cryptic, but I don’t want to spoil anything in this review. Suffice to say that the fog that Amanda encounters on the California Coast can hide many secrets. And that is another thing the author gets absolutely right: small-towns and their hidden stories.
(On a side note, the descriptions of the location, the redwood groves, in particular, reminded me of growing up in the SF Bay Area and our cabin in the Sierra Nevada that was surrounded by giant redwoods. Good memories.)
In an isolated area, there are not always options for…well, almost anything. It is effortless for people to grow up and stay in the area because it is comfortable or because something is holding them to it. Both are true in Avalon Springs. Add in the recession or the diminishment of industry, and you can get more of a ghost town.
It also applies to the people of such a town. Their lives are often inextricably woven together, whether by choice or by circumstance. That is what Amanda finds herself in the middle of as she tries to uncover her past. The characters’ interactions weave together naturally, and nothing feels forced or trite. I liked how even Amanda’s kids were fully-realized characters and not just “props.”
The intrigue of who knew what, or who did what, had me second-guessing what I thought I knew. It also kept me turning pages, but not in a roller coaster “what’s going to happen next” way. Rather, it was the slow revealing of secrets and unraveling of lies that made this an entertaining and thought-provoking read.
Author Bio
Lauren Westwood writes dark and romantic women’s fiction and is also an award-winning children’s writer. Originally from California, she now lives in England in a persnickety old house built in 1602, with her partner and three daughters.
Lauren loves hearing from readers, so if you wish to get in touch, please visit her here:
- Website: https://www.laurenwestwoodwriter.com/
- Twitter: @lwestwoodwriter https://twitter.com/lwestwoodwriter
- Facebook: @Lwestwoodbooks https://www.facebook.com/Lwestwoodbooks/
