Rachael Lucas

I'm disappointed that Grace's teachers are unhelpful and not compassionate, but her mom and her best friend regularly fail her, too. Grace wouldn't struggle nearly so much if some minor accommodations were made. This level of ignorance just doesn't ring true to me. Nor does the fact that another character was disowned because she came out as a lesbian to her parents. I mean, this doesn't take place in the Bible Belt of the US, after all.

Anyway, it's not nearly as cute as the cover. There's way too much alcohol, for one. And Grace does have a lot going for her, including a best friend who is usually good for her, and a mom who is usually supportive, and even a horse... so she shouldn't be whining so much, I think, it just doesn't seem quite believable.

But that's just me. It's a sweet book, with a happy ending, and it's *very* heartfelt. I can only say that my rating is for my own personal enjoyment, and I'm not dis-recommending it.

"... today I'm winning at being a human."… (more)

Rilla Clark's father has died, and she's off to the village of Applemore in the Scottish Highlands. It's been a long time since she was there, even though it holds such cherished memories. Lachlan Fraser is part of those memories, and neither is aware that they are returning to the village simultaneously. Lachlan is returning to the village to have a critical family meeting with his 3 sisters. The Applemore House has been an ancestral home for 150 years for the Fraser family. House may be part of the name, but truth be told, it's a castle in disrepair, and there is a burden of death and inheritance taxes due as Lachlan and his sisters' father died several months before Rilla's father.

I loved the blended themes of a second chance at love unexplored in their younger lives, the balancing act between the continuation of a dream partnership and familial duty by a son not only to carry on the family legacy but for his sisters and future generations, women rekindling friendship, the rescue of a dog, and discovery of a secret. Can the past still be meaningful in the present, or is it just a brief interlude of delights?

After reading "The Telephone Box Library," I knew I wanted to read more of the author's writing. I look forward to returning to Little Maudley and Applemore in the New Year.… (more)