Romance

3.5 stars. ( )

A pleasant, light read that moves back and forth between 1901 and 2012 and the troubled stories of our two protagonists. The characters are complex and are just slightly unlikeable, which makes them interesting. Still, the reader ends up rooting for all of them, and breathes a sigh of relief at the happy endings. ( )

Wonderful Story. Just my cuppa-tea! A mix of past and present stories that blends well and intrigues with just the right amount of hope and romance. ( )

I found this a book I kept hurrying back to so I could see what was going to happen, and also so I wouldn't lose track of all the threads. It was a complex and engaging story, set in two time frames. I thought the interweaving of the two stories was very well done. I found myself drawn into both Libby and Isabella's stories. Though there were similarities in their characters, they were excellently differentiated by their historical time frame. I found both women engaging, flawed enough to be real, and endearing enough to have me longing for a resolution to their search for peace of mind, happiness, and love, and their freedom from the men in their lives who had used and abused them. The story raises issues of morality, and the consequences that flow from choices and behaviours. I did think it ended a little too abruptly, and that some of the lessons Libby and Isabella had to learn could have been explored more thoroughly, but these were there for the reader to reflect on. ( )