Joyce DeBacco

Sylvie has always been a pleaser, doing exactly what was expected of her. On the day she is to be wed, she finally makes a decision for herself, one that leads her to Serendipity House and changes the course of her future.

This novel is packed full of lovable, realistic characters and a wonderful, if rocky, romance. Despite its length (the equivalent of about 180 pages) it covers over two years, but the author does this well. She focuses on the events fully, then expresses the passage of time in a way that flows and feels natural.

I love a good romance, and this was a great romance, with a bit of mystery, suspense and enough strife to make me really feel for the characters without seeming contrived. I look forward to reading more from this author.
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This was a pretty dark book. Unimaginable pain wracks both of the protagonists, for different reasons. Jeffrey has decided to kill himself, and he almost succeeds. When he wakes up hurt, he can't remember anything. He finds himself on Megan's doorstep in a horrific storm. She lets him in and tries to nurse him back to health. Meanwhile she is dealing with the horrific pain of losing her husband and only child. This is a story of the depths of human suffering, and the slow, tortuous climb back to normalcy.… (más)

I am a huge fan of this author, and have been since I first read Tomorrow Blossoms. The Tea or Sympathy series is a wonderful showcase of her talent. Willow Strong is book 4 of this series, and revisits couples joined in previous books as well as introducing a new one. Wendy, who works in Maggie's bakery, has been avoiding Brian's advances because his father cheated her father in a shady business involving the family's tree farm. When she finally starts to warm up to him, she is terrified that if he knew her history, he wouldn't want her anymore. This book follows their story in a heart-warming way, with some moderate angst and witty good humor. A good summer beach read. Loved it!… (más)