Unraveling the Pieces by Terri DuLong

• Title:  Unraveling the Pieces
• Series:  Ormond Beach #3
• Author:  Terri DuLong
• Genre:  Women’s Fiction
• Published:  November 2016 – Lyrical Press
• Source:  Publisher; NetGalley

Description:  Petra Garfield has no real attachments tying her down to one place. She’s ready for an adventure, so what could be better than an extended stay at Koi House with new friends and old in enchanting Ormond Beach. Having recently lost her mother, Petra is riddled with questions about the father she never knew. She certainly never thought she’d begin to find the answers in a tiny town in Florida…
 
As much as she wants to search for the truth, Petra knows she can’t spend all her time wallowing in the past, and her friends at the Dreamweaver yarn shop aren’t about to let her. The ladies encourage her to volunteer at a local animal shelter, where she hits it off with a young boy—and his handsome father. Tangled in secrets she didn’t even know she had, Petra must learn to stitch her life back together even as she unravels lifelong mysteries—and perhaps she’ll find unexpected happiness along the way…  (publisher)

My take:  Unraveling the Pieces is the third book in Terri DuLong’s Ormond Beach series. It was fun to see familiar characters from the previous books. I recommend reading them in order.

Petra was in a previous book but as a friend to another woman – more of a support character. Now it’s her time to shine. Petra moves to Ormond Beach where she fits in perfectly with the friends she’d already made when visiting her friend the year before. She works from home so she can usually set her own hours which leaves her time to volunteer, knit, and enjoy her new friends. She also is searching for information about the father she never knew. The search will take her back to the places and people her mother knew when Petra was born.

I enjoyed this novel. There are two narratives: Petra’s and her mother’s. I liked the theme that sometimes you have to unravel the pieces of your past in order to move forward. There were some scenes in the book that were truly emotional. I don’t tear up very often while reading but I did during one particular scene when Petra starts to get answers to her questions.

Knitting is always happening in this series (as well as DuLong’s Cedar Key series). There is a pattern included that was part of the novel. I recommend Unraveling the Pieces to fans of Terri DuLong, Women’s Fiction, and knitting. I can’t wait to read the next novel in the series.

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About the author: Born and raised north of Boston, Terri DuLong was previously a resident of Cedar Key, Florida. She now resides on the east coast of the state in Ormond Beach with her husband, three dogs, and two cats. A retired registered nurse, she began her writing career as a contributing writer for Bonjour Paris, where she shared her travel experiences to France in more than forty articles with a fictional canine narrator. Terri’s love of knitting provides quiet time to develop her characters and plots as she works on her new Ormond Beach novels.

You can find out more by visiting her website or Facebook fan page.

Patterns of Change by Terri DuLong

• Title:  Patterns of Change
• Author:  Terri DuLong
• Genre:  Women’s Fiction
• Pages:  304
• Published:  November 2015 – Lyrical Press
• Source:  Publisher/NetGalley

Description:  New York Times bestselling author Terri DuLong turns a new page in breezy Ormond Beach, Florida, where a woman looking for a fresh start discovers her dreams coming true in ways she never imagined…

Chloe Radcliffe was ready to shake the dust of Cedar Key off her feet and sink her toes into the warm sands of Ormond Beach with her soon-to-be husband. But when tragedy struck, she found herself alone, unraveled—and unsure where she belonged…

A series of vivid dreams of a Victorian house with a beautiful fish pond convince Chloe to take a leap of faith and rent a condo in Ormond Beach. There, she makes fast friends with a group of knitters and the owner of a tea shop, who also happens to have a house nearly identical to the one in Chloe’s dreams—and she’s willing to rent her the property. Just as Chloe begins casting on her grand plans for the home, her tangled past comes back to haunt her—but her dreams and newfound friends just might point her toward the love she’s been missing all along…  (publisher)

My take:  I’ve read a few of Terri DuLong’s Cedar Key series so I knew I’d want to read her novel set on the east coast of Florida. Patterns of Change is about Chloe who leaves Cedar Key for Ormond Beach and a new chapter in her life. I had to admire the guts it took to make such a change at age 52 but circumstances in Cedar Key made it easy for her to leave.

What Chloe didn’t know was what or who would be waiting for her in Ormond Beach. She certainly landed on her feet and was welcomed into the community by some of the pillars. A person couldn’t ask for more – perhaps it was because she was open to change and her personality reflected that. There were a few times when I wondered how someone could be so fortunate to have things work out the way they did for Chloe but I guess that’s how life can be sometimes.

I liked that the author continued the knitting theme from the previous series. I enjoy knitting and was pleased to see a pattern for a beautiful shawl included with the novel. I’d recommend Patterns of Change to fans of the author, knitting and novels about women’s friendship.

Finding Hope by Stacy Finz

• Title:  Finding Hope
• Series:  Nugget #2
• Author:  Stacy Finz
• Genre:  Contemporary Romance
• Published:  January 2015 – Lyrical Press
• Source:  Publisher

Synopsis:  The small mountain town of Nugget, California, is way off the beaten path. But somehow it helps the lost and lonely find a new beginning in life—and in love…

One solitary day at a time is the only way cookbook writer Emily Mathews can restart her life—and cope with consuming loss. Still, the former city girl is finding all kinds of odd inspiration and advice from Nugget’s proudly eccentric residents on everything from new recipes to opening her heart again. Especially when it comes to her rugged rancher landlord …

His no-drama new tenant is the first break Clay McCreedy has had in a long time. He’s got his hands full enough dealing with his wife’s scandalous death and his sons’ unresolved grief. Clay can’t help but be drawn to Emily’s quiet understanding and strength. When their fragile trust turns into passionate healing, he longs for much more. And when both their pasts come calling, he’s determined not to walk away…  (publisher)

My brief take:  Stacy Finz’s story is one of people trying to move forward after experiencing life-altering loss. Separately, Emily and Clay are barely hanging on but once they get  together they find support, compassion and the possibility of a new life.

Clay’s sons figure prominently in the novel. They too are working through the fall-out from the loss of their mother. I thought Finz wrote a realistic look at grief from a child’s perspective as well as the adults.

I haven’t read the first book in the series yet but by the end of this second book I felt caught up with the previously featured characters and many secondary characters. I look forward to reading the third book in the series.