The Sound of Glass by Karen White

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

This was the first book by Karen White that I have ever read. I'm glad I did! This book had an interesting premise from the start. It started with a horrific plane crash back in the early 1950's with a witness and a secret. 

Flash forward to present day and we meet Merritt Heyward who is moving to the Low Country from Maine after she inherits her late husband's grandmother's home. Merritt wants to be left alone to grieve her husband's death. But, that is not to be.

All of a sudden, enter Loralee, Merritt's young stepmother and her son (Merritt's half brother Owen). They show up unannounced on Merritt's new doorstep, and Merritt hasn't even met them yet, being estranged from her father who has since passed away. 

To say that Loralee and Owen's presence is unwelcome is an understatement. But, Loralee is also harboring a secret, one that she's not willing to reveal at first. 

These characters seemed very authentic to me. I couldn't wait to find out what the connection was between the plane crash back in the 50's and the "present day" characters. I also couldn't wait to find out what Loralee's story was. I couldn't wait to see Merritt and Loralee work out their issues. And, finally, I also wanted to see what was going to happen between Merritt and her deceased husband's brother in law (although that part was probably more obvious than the rest of the story). 

I thought the author did a wonderful job of spreading the story out just enough to keep me interested in the characters and story line. This may be my first Karen White book, but it won't be my last. 

The Love Letters by Beverly Lewis

Hello! In this post, I will be reviewing The Love Letters by Beverly Lewis. I received a free copy through the Bethany House blogger program in exchange for an honest review. 

Beverly Lewis is one of my automatic read authors. She writes it, I read it! That being said, I REALLY enjoyed this one. I thought it had a very unique story line to it. 

Without giving anything away, Marlena is staying at her grandmother's house for the summer to help with the chores since Marlena's grandfather passed away. Then, for reasons I won't expose, Marlena is tasked with taking care of her sister's baby, Angela Rose. 

Also on Marlena's plate is a crisis of faith that she must see through. 

The other side of the story involves Marlena's grandmother's neighbor, Jake Bitner, who is 14 years old. Jake was born with a few problems and due to his stature he is nicknamed, "Small Jay". What a heart this character has! He befriends a what is thought to be a homeless man, Boston Calvert and the lessons learned on both sides are more than heartwarming. 

I felt that I was reading two wonderful stories. I was really involved in what was going to happen to all the characters. That is one of my favorite things about a book-getting to know the characters and honestly caring about what happens to them. Some of these felt so real and I am thankful that Mrs. Lewis shares them with us. This was actually one where, while everything was really wrapped up in the end of the book, I wouldn't mind seeing more of these characters. 

Thank you to Bethany House for the copy of the book!