J. Lynn Bailey

In this touching story by J. Lynn Bailey, two things stood out. For one, Lydia Townsend is one of the strongest female protagonists that I have had the pleasure of reading, and Aaron Casey is one of the most sensitive. The two together, along with the darling little Lilly, made for one fantastic romance.

Lydia is a book store owner who has made a move with hopes of putting her painful past behind her. She has two serious issues with her past, although one issue is facing her regularly. For starters, she was a battered wife and her ex-husband is currently in prison. Secondly, she is suffering with serious health issues that just keep coming her way. But Lydia has everything in the world to live for, and that comes in one small but dynamic package, her six-year-old daughter Lilly.

Aaron Casey is a game warden in Maine. Not only does Aaron deal with various wildlife and related situations, he also cares for the safety of townsfolk and tourists when they engage in outdoor activities, like time on the lake. As much as he takes his job very seriously, and this includes working along with his brothers, Aaron has recently fallen in love. The woman who captured his heart is Lydia. Now, if he can just get her to take him seriously.

There are other wonderful characters in this book. One man in particular, William Davis, is a seventy-something man who frequents Lydia's bookstore. Lydia is truly affected by William, and is drawn to him in a way she cannot explain. What Lydia doesn't know is that William holds a key to her past.

This is a beautiful story, yet it is tinged with sadness. This is especially so when it comes to certain aspects of Aaron‘s job as a warden. What he has to deal with on a daily basis in an environment so beautiful that you can just taste it almost broke my heart at times. Another sad aspect is Lydia's health issues.

There is a wonderful balance, however. I found Lilly to be a well-rounded character in this story. She definitely had a huge role, and it was clear to see why Lydia had so much to live for. Aaron is far more significant. It is not often when I read a male character who is so vocal about his feelings. If I have a favorite in this book, it is most certainly him, and that is why I chose the quote above.

Lilies on Main is the fourth book in the Granite Harbor series. I hadn't had the opportunity to read the previous titles, and this did quite well as a standalone. However, I definitely want to read the previous titles.

Many thanks to J. Lynn Bailey and to Inkslinger PR for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.… (meer)

I had never been to Granite Harbor until I read Lilies on Main. It is indeed a charming place, and I kind of want to go there now. Anyway, on to the story. The setting is thoughtfully and vividly depicted which makes it come alive. These characters are so good! Lydia defines how the struggle is real; however, her misfortune has been character building. All of the atrocities from her past have shaped Lydia into a formidable, insightful and loving woman. Lily is a product of her environmental. She has absorbed the kindness, strength and intelligence of her mother. I was invested in these two, and I wanted all good things for them. Aaron is the kind of man whose very existence is a myth. His type do not exist, yet here he is. A man with feelings who loves and shares it openly and unafraid, well, it's a miracle. Aaron and Lydia meet, and we know their destinies are intertwined. I like Aaron so much as a person. Reading these characters felt like observing reality. They are so relatable, and they jump off the page right into your heart and mind. I loved every aspect of this beautiful story. The premise is perfect, and the town is picturesque. Every little thing is exactly as it should be. It's got all the feels. I will be reading the rest of the series. Lilies on Main has an overarching presence that is hard to explain-it's like the essence of the capacity of the human spirit to love and heal has been captured in a bottle and poured into these pages.
*Thank you to Inkslinger PR and the author for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.*… (meer)

Some books really hit you, yanno? Just knock your feet out from under you and leave you stunned, in a good way. Standing Sideways does that. Takes you on an emotional whirlwind into the deepest pits of grief and despair, then slowly builds you back up, stronger and more sure of yourself then before.

After loosing her twin brother in a horrible tragedy, Livia Stone is trying to return to life as she knows it back in her small town in California as a senior in high-school. She should be applying for colleges, flirting with boys, gossiping with her best friend Cao, and working on her writing but Livia is utterly apathetic. She hasn't written a word since her brothers death, her grades are slipping, her relationship with her mother is strained and her father non existent. She has even started over-medicating with the pills from the psychiatrist. When Daniel moves into town, Livias stagnant existence is shaken. For the first time in what feels like forever, Livia feels again. But feeling again also hurts, and hurting is something she really just can't deal with right now.

It could be that I read this book only a couple weeks after the Parkland shooting in Florida; still raw and hurting from yet another mass shooting that took family, friends, innocents too soon. Or the fact that Bailey is just a stellar writer (yes, that she is for sure), but I really found this book so heartbreakingly moving. Livias grief and despair just permeates through the pages, you want so badly to hold and comfort her (although it probably wouldn't help). It shows the ugly side of grief, how tragedies like Parkland or Newton leave such an immensely devastating wound for the community in it's wake. Grief is hard. It's messy. It hurts us. It makes us hurt. Livia desperately clings to anything that can numb her from those painful feelings. She looks for it in the bed of her best guy friend, in a handful of pills, and the bottom of a bottle. She self medicates her pain to the point where it almost kills her. I thought the relationship with Livia and Daniel was really beautifully written, and appropriate given each of their personal situations. Cao was the best friend everyone should have in their corner. The comic relief when you think the world has gone insane.

Absolutely brilliant book! Poignant and heartbreaking, with rays of hope to light the way to the end. Can't recommend this one enough!

Just as an FYI- ALL proceeds of this book will be donated to the Jason Dale Triumphant Return Scholarship at College of the Redwoods which I think is an absolutely incredible gesture on behalf of the author.… (meer)

Black Five by J. Lynn Bailey takes place in small town Mason where 17 year old Penelope (Penn) Jackson's life gets very complicated, very quickly. After a gruesome murder in town, events unravel leaving Penn questioning her entire upbringing. She discovers that her best friends since childhood, Kendra and Jesse are a Witch and Sentinel (a protector) respectively, part of her security detail since birth as she is one of only two known surviving Black Bloods from the land of Nightmerianotte. Not only was she born a Black Blood, but also a Five, or Sanguine. A precious bloodline who has the gift to heal, they are known as saviors. Only 4 other Fives have been born since the beginning of Nightmerianotte, all of whom have been kidnapped, whereabouts unknown. Whisked away and hid since birth, she has been under a protective spell that soon expires when she turns 18. The evil, murderous Vacavious (the other known Black Blood) has wrecked havoc on Nightmerianotte transforming it into a dark and desolate place, filled with fear. Penn must assume the mantle of the Black Five, using her abilities of healing and mind melding to defeat Vacavious and restore Nightmerianotte to it's former state of peace. Black Five is the first of a planned series, and definitely kicks it off with a bang!
Overall, this was a really great story and fun read. Penn was a totally relateable and likable character, her struggle to accept and come to grips with her new found destiny was both honest and well paced. Kendra was such a loyal, fun, kick-ass side kick BFF, I always enjoyed her scenes, everyone needs a Kendra in their life. And what's a YA book without two dreamy heartthrobs for a good ol' fashioned love triangle? Church, the chiseled, centuries old vampire and Jesse the brooding dreamboat Sentinel, I had such a hard time deciding whose team I was on! (I still don't know to be honest- I love them both). The fictional land of Nighmerianotte was well fleshed out and imagined. I can't wait to read more first hand in the next book as the adventure and battle changes scenery and moves into this arena. The cliffhanger ending left me seriously wanting more, and scared for at more than one beloved member of our groups life. I was left somewhat confused by the Epilogue, but I assume it will be explained in the next book. The dialogue could have been a little stronger in my opinion, perhaps not so stiff, but for a debut novel, it was a fantastic read. I will definitely be following along to see what happens next!… (meer)