TOUR, EXCERPT, REVIEW & #GIVEAWAY - Lacewood: A Novel of Time and Place by Jessica James
@GoddessFish, @jessicajames
Thrust together by chance. Bound together by destiny. A disillusioned socialite and a special operations veteran find a way to save a small town while healing themselves. A haunting read about the journey to restore an abandoned 200-year-old mansion and the secrets it reveals about a long-lost love.
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Will watched Katie move easily around the kitchen, as if she’d lived in this house for years, not mere weeks. As usual, her long blond hair was braided in a single pigtail—but there was no ball cap today. She seemed somehow elegant and refined despite the blue jeans and tank top.
She turned and held a mug toward him. “Here you go.”
Without thinking, Will reached out and touched a tendril of hair that had come loose and lay spiraled near her cheek. “You have paint in your hair.”
She stood perfectly still, her deep brown—almost black—eyes gazing into his with an expression he couldn’t quite read. Slowly, she reached up and ran her fingers through the strands in an effort to remove the hardened glob. “I probably look a mess.”
Will knew he should make a comment, but he didn’t know what it should be. Yes, she looked a mess—but he had a feeling her interpretation of the word didn’t correspond with his. Even though her expensive jeans were marred with paint, and her white tank top was streaked with what might be walnut wood stain, she exuded the type of beauty that could both daze and haunt.
“Do you take sugar or cream?”
It took Will a moment to realize she was speaking to him. She nodded toward the mug that had somehow been transferred into his hand.
4 out of 5 (very good)
Lacewood is a standalone story where the main character and setting is a house. Set in Virginia, the reader learns about the Civil War, and what it was like during that time for all involved. Annie, one of the characters from the past, is from New York, so she has a bit to contend with! Katie, from the present, is also from the 'North', but has her roots in the Virginian soil.
There was information about Katie, but nothing too much about what she did prior to being at Lacewood, just that she was very wealthy. You learn more about the characters from the past as Katie delves into the stories behind Lacewood. Will is the main character in the present, and to be fair, what you see is what you get with him. You don't actually get too much backstory, or even that much involvement, with him.
Although I enjoyed having this book split into three parts (present, past, present), at the same time it was a bit jarring when it changed. There was no build-up to the change, it just happened. And when we returned to the present, it felt like quite some time had passed, and yet I have no idea how long it was.
For me, the main characters were Annie and Jon. They are the ones that made this story for me, involving me in their lives, and wanting to know exactly what had happened to them. I also wanted to know more about Molly and her baby, and how they coped after Luke was killed.
A gentle read, with oodles of Southern charm, I have no hesitation in recommending this. This was the first book by this author I have read, and I wouldn't mind reading more of her work.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
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Jessica James believes in honor, duty, and true love—and that’s what she writes about in her award-winning novels that span the ages from the Revolutionary War to modern day.
She is a two-time winner of the John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction, and has won more than a dozen other literary awards, including a Readers' Favorite International Book Award and a Gold Medal from the Military Writers Society of America. Her novels have been used in schools and are available in hundreds of libraries including Harvard and the U.S. Naval Academy.
James is a member of the Romance Writers of America, the Historical Novel Society, and the Independent Book Publishers Association.
Website: https://www.jessicajamesbooks.com
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Tour hosted by: Goddess Fish Promotions
