Sometimes you read a book that is so emotional that brings readers to tears. I found a book like that after reading this story that I couldn't put down. The author has developed characters that are strong, have flaws but each looking for that special someone to spend their life with.

Weston and Brandy have wanted a child for so long. Their dream is about to come true as Brandy is three weeks away from giving birth. The nursery is ready, her overnight bag is packed and they are both excited about their first child being born . But then a tragedy happens and they lose their child . The loss of their child is overwhelming for both of them. Brandy is dealing with depression so severe she doesn't want to get out of bed or a desire to be with her husband. She has placed blame on herself that the baby died and can't shake the feeling that she didn't take care of herself during pregnancy. Weston is grieving as well , but when he feels his wife pulling away from him, the hurt of rejection is painful.

As their marriage starts to unravel, two people will enter their life that will have a major impact on their future. Will Brandy and Weston be able to save their marriage? What secrets will cause one of them to walk out in anger and hurt? They are each looking for forgiveness and a way to trust again.

This story is a written with such raw emotions and twists and turns that caught me off guard. There were times as I was reading, that I held my breath for fear of what may come next. I was so invested in the characters I was almost scared to turn the page to see if something more devastating was going to happen. The author has written such a great story that the characters become real to you and you find yourself cheering for some and hoping others would slowly go off into the sunset. This has been one of the best romantic novels I've read in awhile and I'm glad I stuck it out till the end. We all want to be loved, and sometimes we mess up only to regret what we had was not so bad after all. The bottom line is we want to be happy with the right person. This story will take you on a journey where four people will intersect into each other's lives and fight for their happiness and try to let go of bitterness and unforgiveness .

"True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be." "The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have."

I received a copy of this book from Librarything and Ravenswood Publishing for an honest review. ( )

Moon Over Alcatraz is an easy-read romance, but with plenty of plot twists thrown in to keep you guessing and to keep the story from becoming predictable. My opinion of two of the main characters did a complete 180 by the end of the story (so don't decide too early who the good guys and the bad guys are in the various relationships). And the twists and turns in the story continue until, almost literally, the last page (really, I was getting angry about how I thought the book would have to end as I neared the final chapters, but the author save me from throwing my Kindle across the room at the last second). Having lived in the Bay Area for several years, I appreciated the way the author described the local flavor of the community in which the story takes place. If you are a fan of stories of romance and relationships tested in almost every way possible, you will enjoy this book. It's not the type of book I would normally pick up and read, but I certainly felt that the time I invested in it was well worth it.
Please note that I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

This is a sweet wonderful book, which can be read in less than a day. However, with it being a short read does not take away from the book. This book starts out with two main characters, which one of the main characters changes into a minor character, and another takes the main characters place.

I rooted for Brandy throughout this whole book. The author did an amazing job creating this character. Brandy goes through a painful experience that no parent should have to experience. The death of a child whether in the womb or 20 years old would be hard on any parent. I do not know how anyone could cope with something this tragic.

However, that tragedy is the starting point in the book. Have several tissues on hand when starting because you will need them. Even though there is heartache in this book it is something I enjoyed reading.

The bunnies and I give this book carrots.

Thanks for an amazing read Patti.

Sorry for such a short, horrible review. I am slowing getting over an illness and I am just tired from everything. ( )

Moon Over Alcatraz by Patricia Yager Delagrange

Patricia Yager Delagrange has written what I would say as an excellent women’s romance novel. Its heart wrenching at times and I will admit I shed a few tears. But it was one of those stories you cannot put down and I would say one of the better romance novels I’ve read in awhile. Patricia’s writing is excellent the words flowed seamlessly and her writing made you feel actual emotions when reading this story. I would compare her writing to someone like Nicholas Sparks; I truly loved this story and couldn’t put it down till I reached the end.

This is a story of love, loss, recovery and moving forward. We are introduced to Weston and Brandy having just lost their baby, Brandy is overcome with sadness and depression blaming herself for the death of her new born daughter. Weston who is struggling and not quite understanding why his wife won’t let him touch her, you see his compassion and you can feel his sorrow. So many words left unsaid, secrets on how they are feeling inside only causes their marriage to begin to weaken. Weston has been asked to go away for work and accepts the job with Brandy’s blessing hoping she get pull herself out of the depression and be the wife Weston deserves. Loneliness and grief cause Brandy and Weston to make some horrible choices that almost causes the marriage to end. Being determined that their love and marriage is worth fightening for they leave their mistakes in the past and try to start over.

But more secrets are revealed and the past mistakes are in the forefront again, Brandy ends up alone and struggling and does a lot of soul searching within herself never really knowing what is going to happen and if love can overcome all of their mistakes. Or will they move on and find new loves of their lifes?

Moon Over Alcatraz is an excellent book and I would recommend this to anyone who loves a true romance novels. I rated this story 4.5 as I truly enjoyed the book and really enjoyed Patricia’s writing. All I will say is go buy this book.



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Brandy and Weston Chambers' world is turned upside down when their baby girl is three weeks early and dies during childbirth. Both of them were struggling and grieving the loss of their daughter, but Brandy felt an overwhelming guilt that it was her fault that their little girl died, and she pushed Weston away unable to accept the solace that he wanted to provide her. Feeling rejected, Weston accepts an out-of-town bridge building project in New York City that would take him away until the new year. Left behind in their Alameda, California home, Brandy tries to deal with her deepening depression, but with tensions running high between them, Brandy's chance meeting with an old high school buddy leads to a one-night stand that will result in serious consequences in her marriage. Will Brandy and Weston be able to put their marriage back together? Will Brandy's one-night stand with Edward Barnes come back to haunt her? There is one thing for sure ... three lives will be forever changed from the chain of actions that arose from the tragedy that started it all.

Moon Over Alcatraz is a heart wrenching story of love, loss, betrayal, recovery, redemption and moving forward. This hauntingly poignant story is narrated in the first person perspective of Brandy Chambers, who takes the reader along on her bittersweet journey of recovering from a tragedy that resulted in her making some very unexpected changes as tries to move forward with her life. The story draws the reader into the lives of Brandy, Weston and Edward, and you can't help but feel the full range of emotions as the story unfolds.

The author creates a cast of characters that are realistic people with issues that occur in their lives that the reader can easily relate to. You'll feel your heart strings being pulled as Brandy, Weston and Edward learn to deal with the results from their actions and situations that they put themselves in, and their flaws, interactions and life changing choices make this story that much more powerful and compelling.

The author weaves a story rich in detail and emotion, it deals with realistic situations and issues that occur in everyday life. This is a story that masterfully intertwines issues that occur in real relationships: love, loss, betrayal, recovery, redemption, closure and moving forward.

Moon Over Alcatraz is a emotional story that is so much more than the usual contemporary romance novel. This is a story that will captivate you and pull at your heart strings, it will make you ponder about the complexity in relationships, and it will leave you emotionally spent but fulfilled with its wonderful ending.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event.

Virtual Book Tour Event: On Wednesday, June 27, 2012, in association with Goddess Fish Promotions, author Patricia Yager Delagrange participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Guest Post on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/06/author-guest-post-patricia-yag...

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/06/moon-over-alcatraz-by-patricia... ( )