The Light On Horn Island Review

About the Book

 When Edie Gardner's life in New York comes crumbling down, her grandmother Adele "Punk" Cheramie urges her to return to Bayou du Chêne, a tiny hamlet in coastal Mississippi where Edie spent many happy summers growing up. Punk and her three closest friends introduce Edie to the Trove, a fascinating gallery and antique shop that seems to have appeared out of nowhere.

The Trove's proprietor, Jason Toussaint, has a gift for reading his customers' needs. He gives Edie a Victorian parlor game called Confessions, which asks players a series of ever-more-personal questions. It seems like harmless fun at first. But the game has a way of uncovering secrets--including a heartbreaking disappearance that has haunted one of the players for decades.

Banding together, these women are determined to mend each other's hurts, encourage each other's dreams, and find the answers that will bring healing. (Goodreads)

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My Thoughts

This is such an enjoyable Southern read! As the chapters went on, I was completely immersed as if I was eating gumbo and hanging out with Edie in southern Mississippi. The food in this book will make you hungry and the wit of grandmother "Punk" and her friends is an absolute delight. There are SO many things going on in this story and quite a few that I didn't see coming. The secondary characters are great and I laughed out loud many times. There is so much heart and humor and love and candor that fill the pages. Edie's character growth is enjoyable to read all while dealing with some tough topics. 

At times I thought perhaps the author was cramming in too many things and stories into one book so the ending seemed a bit rushed. But I still really enjoyed this novel and I highly recommend if you are in need of a southern escape!

Four stars. 

"I received this book from NetGalley for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."

Letters From My Sister Review

 

 

 About the Book

 Two Sisters. One Single Event. A Family Changed Forever.

At the turn of the twentieth century, sisters Emmy and Callie Bullock are living a privileged life as the only daughters of a wealthy Alabama cotton farmer when their well-ordered household gets turned upside down by the arrival of Lily McGee. Arrestingly beautiful, Lily quickly--and innocently--draws the wrong kind of attention. Meanwhile, Callie meets a man who offers her the freedom to abandon social constraints and discover her truest self.

After Lily has a baby, Callie witnesses something she was never meant to see--or did she? Her memory is a haze, just an image in her mind of Emmy standing on a darkened riverbank and cradling Lily's missing baby girl. Only when the sisters are separated does the truth slowly come to light through their letters--including a revelation that will shape the rest of Callie's life.

Bestselling author Valerie Fraser Luesse weaves a complex and suspenseful tale dripping with intrigue, romance, and Southern charm. (Goodreads)

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My Thoughts

I just love the cover of this book! I was excited to read another book by Valerie Fraser Luesse and I really enjoyed the first half of this story. The main characters are intriguing and I was interested in Lily and what her life was all about. Some of this part of the book seemed a bit choppy to me so at times I had a hard time following what the author was writing. There is a running "mystery" that doesn't really develop until a few chapters in. The romance is sweet and doesn't overtake the entire plot. I wanted to find out what happened in the end but this book did take me a bit to finish. It was a slow read and so for me it wasn't my favorite read by this author. I did enjoy the diverse cast of characters and the historical perspective of life in Alabama.  

 

Three Stars. 

 

"I received this book from Revell for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."

Under the Bayou Moon

 

 

 

 

 

 About the Book

 Restless with the familiarity of her Alabama home, Ellie Fields accepts a teaching job in a tiny Louisiana town deep in bayou country. Though rightfully suspicious of outsiders, who have threatened both their language and their culture, most of the people in tiny Bernadette, Louisiana, come to appreciate the young and idealistic schoolteacher as a boon to the town. She's soon teaching just about everyone--and coming up against opposition from both the school board and a politician with ulterior motives.

Acclimating to a whole new world, Ellie meets a lonely but intriguing Cajun fisherman named Raphe who introduces her to the legendary white alligator that haunts these waters. Raphe and Ellie have barely found their way to each other when a huge bounty is offered for the elusive gator, bringing about a shocking turn of events that will test their love and their will to right a terrible wrong.

A master of the Southern novel, Valerie Fraser Luesse invites you to enter the sultry swamps of Louisiana in a story that illuminates the struggle for the heart and soul of the bayou. (Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts

 

This is the first book by Valerie Fraser Luesse that I have read and I don't plan on it being the last. I was completely captivated by this story. I loved the setting as it is an area in Louisiana I was able to visit this year. I wish more novels were set in the bayou because I find it to be a unique way of life. The characters in this novel were just wonderful. Very different, fun, and real. There is a lot of pain but also so much humor you can't help but laugh at times. A lot seems to happen in a short span of time but in reality for the time period in which this book is set I found it to be believable. The friendships in this book really stood out to me and I so enjoyed having that be a main thread instead of a dramatic love story. Don't get me wrong there is a sweet love story here too, a couple in fact. But I love it when secondary characters leave their mark on the story in a lasting way. 

The ending was terrific and I am eager to get my hands on more books by this author. 

 

Five Stars.
 

"I received this book from Revell for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."