Winter In Full Bloom

 

ABOUT THE BOOK:  Lily Winter’s wings are folded so tightly around her daughter that when empty nest arrives, she feels she can no longer fly. But Lily’s lonely, widowed life changes in a heartbeat when she goes to visit a woman who is almost a stranger to her-a woman who also happens to be her mother. During their fiery reunion, her mother reveals a dark family secret that she’d been hiding for decades-Lily has an identical twin sister who was put up for adoption when they were just babies.  Without looking back, Lily-with her fear of flying-boards a jumbo jet and embarks on a quest to find her sister which leads half way around the world to Melbourne, Australia. Befriended by imprudent Ausie, he might prove to be the key to finding her sister. But her journey becomes a circle that leads her back home to attempt a family reunion and to find the one dream she no longer imagined possible-the chance to fall in love again.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Best-selling and award-winning author, Anita Higman, has over thirty books published (several coauthored) for adults and children. She’s been a Barnes & Noble “Author of the Month” for Houston and has a BA degree, combining speech communication, psychology, and art. Anita loves good movies, exotic teas, and brunch with her friends.  Find out more about Anita at http://anitahigman.com. 

MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK:  The first half of the book was captivating.  The setting felt so vivid that I felt as if I was there. Australia, after reading this book, is definitely on my Bucket List.  I greatly enjoyed the first half of the book, as Lily meets Marcus and her sister Camille and begins to establish relationships with the two. But in the second half of the book, when Lily goes home and she and Marcus both confront their pasts, I began to lose interest in the book and it was as if the writer changed entirely.  This was definitely not an "I just can't put it down" books, Winter in Full Bloom did have an intriguing plotline of sorts and some unpredictable twists. The characters at first made you feel as if you were a part of the story.  Each one had a distinct personality  and they appeared 3-D.   The feelings and emotions within the first pages were very realistic. The journeys experienced by each character showed clarity as they achieved understanding, faith, and forgiveness.  The cover was beautiful.  The book as a whole left me feeling as if something was missing.

STATEMENT OF DISCLOSURE:  I received an ebook copy of this title from LITFUSE as part of their blogger review program . I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.