Title:Everything We Keep
Author:Kerry Lonsdale
Narrator:Amy Landon
Published:August 2016, Brilliance Audio / Lake Union Publishing
Length:9 hours, 9 minutes / 306 pages
Source:Publisher / Netgalley
Sous chef Aimee Tierney
has the perfect recipe for the perfect life: marry her childhood
sweetheart, raise a family, and buy out her parents’ restaurant. But
when her fiancé, James Donato, vanishes in a boating accident, her
well-baked future is swept out to sea. Instead of walking down the aisle
on their wedding day, Aimee is at James’s funeral—a funeral that leaves
her more unsettled than at peace.As Aimee struggles to
reconstruct her life, she delves deeper into James’s disappearance. What
she uncovers is an ocean of secrets that make her question everything
about the life they built together. And just below the surface is a
truth that may set Aimee free…or shatter her forever.A luminous
debut with unexpected twists, Everything We Keep explores the
devastation of loss, the euphoria of finding love again, and the
pulse-racing repercussions of discovering the truth about the ones we
hold dear and the lengths they will go to protect us.
My thoughts:This is Kerry Lonsdale’s debut novel and I have to say, for a debut novel…she knocked it out of the park! As soon as I started this book, I couldn’t stop thinking about it – the story line, the characters, what was going to happen next, what had already happened – I was totally invested in this story and really enjoyed it.
I loved the characters in this book – in fact, that’s what really sets this book apart. They are all so well-developed. Aimee just comes alive on the pages. As soon as we meet her, it’s hard not to connect with her at some level. I found myself often wondering what I would do if I were in her position…would I make the same choices? This book definitely makes you ask those hard questions!
This is definitely not a light-hearted, romance, but it’s also not a heavy, dark psychological thriller either. But, it does in a sense pull from both of these genres to give us a well-rounded, tightly woven story that will pull you in from the first page and take you on an emotional roller-coaster of a ride until the very last page. The twists and turns will keep you guessing as to how things are going to turn out.
I cannot wait to see what comes next from Kerry Lonsdale…I know for sure I’ll be reading/listening to it without a doubt!!!
Audio thoughts:This is the first time I’ve listened to this narrator and I thought she did a great job. Her pacing throughout the story was good and she gave each character a unique voice. I will be looking to see what else she has narrated.
Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale is one of BookSparks “Fall Reads” reading selection picks.
Follow the #FRC2016 hashtag on twitter to read reviews on this book as well
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Kristin, it sounds as if you enjoyed this character-driven novel very much. Excellent, enthusiastic review! I will keep this book and author in mind.