Comfort Songs is a heartwarming, beautifully written, easy to read (and harder to put down) contemporary fiction novel that I read in the course of a weekend. It owned that rare magic where you don’t want to put it down all while wanting to stretch out your moments in the book.

This is a story of family and forgiveness, and oh, goodness, is there a LOT of room for forgiveness in this tale! The main character, AJ, is likable and relatable, and you will quickly find yourself wanting to shake everyone around her for what she was put through in her childhood.

I think character development is one of the strengths of the book. Both July and Roger were more layered than I expected them to be, both evolving but still holding on to some of their drama and perhaps less flattering traits.
Author Kimberly Fish is no stranger to the Lone Star book bloggers.

Fans of Mary Kay Andrews and Barbara Delinsky will love this story. Comfort Songs was a delight and I’m looking forward to more stories set it in this lovely Texas town. ( )

Comfort Songs by Kimberly Fish is a 2019 Fish Tales publication.

An all around great story!

We are often a product of our past and AJ’s hasn’t exactly been a bed of roses-

AJ’s parents were country music legends. They reached the pinnacle of success, but their marriage didn’t survive. Her parent’s lifestyle, and the betrayal by the man who promised to marry her, left AJ irreparably changed. She fled the music scene and now owns a highly successful lavender field that attracts tourists from all over.

Eventually, falling prey to the perils of life on the road, AJ’s mother has retired and moved in with her daughter. AJ is relieved to have her mother home, away from Nashville, and on the road to recovery. She’s hoping that at long last she can forge a bond with her mother. But her grandmother is exhibiting the hallmark symptoms of Alzheimer’s and AJ is worried, but also living in denial.

Then handsome Luke English, a music executive from Nashville, shows up unannounced, promising to revive her mother’s career. Suddenly, all of AJ’s hopes and plans go up in smoke, as she desperately tries to protect her mother from the perils of the music business.

If that weren’t enough stress to contend with, her father decides to join in the fun, showing up out of the blue to further complicate matters. As much as AJ wants to despise Luke for interfering in her life, she’s inexplicably drawn to him.

Meanwhile, Luke realizes he’s stirred up a hornet’s nest and will have to rethink his strategy- which now includes trying to win AJ’s heart….

This is a wonderful family drama with all the elements a good story should have. Every character in the book is carrying a burden, a heartache, or is flawed in one way or another. Years of pent up resentments bubble to the surface as AJ grapples with the sudden changes thrust upon her, which force her to take a good long look at herself and the person she’s become.
The scenery is another plus, as one can imagine the beauty of the lavender fields and the peace and comfort AJ finds in her work.

AJ’s journey is difficult, and I understood her wariness, her mistrust of Luke, and why she felt and thought the way she did. She fought change, refused to look at the big picture or see things from a different perspective, and couldn’t bring herself to fully trust Luke.

But in the end, I loved how everyone came together, admitting past mistakes and expressing deep regret. Forgiveness and compromise, letting go of past hurts, learning to love and trust, as well as understanding and acceptance, bring together a broken family, as well as two people who both deserve a long overdue chance at love and happiness.

Overall, this is a great story with a unique plot, filled with interesting, complex characters and situations. Once I started reading the book, I didn’t want to put it down, and found myself thinking about the characters and their lives quite often.

A strong family drama, with a sweet love story- what’s not to love? ( )