Family

The Confessions from the Quilting Circle by Maisey Yates is a 2021 HQN publication.

Hannah, Lark, and Avery have returned home after the death of their grandmother to sort through their inheritance. Each of the sisters is dealing with very different personal circumstances, and have been semi-estranged in a way.

But now they have a regularly scheduled meeting to work on a quilt together, which is the perfect opportunity for the women, and their mother, Mary, to finally air their grievances about one another, to confess what their lives are really like behind the veneer, and let their guard down, taking stock of where they’ve been, where they are now, and where they want to go from here…

This is the first ‘contemporary fiction/women’s fiction’ novel I’ve read by this author, which is a slight departure from the other books I’ve by Yates.

I admit this type of book is more my style than the contemporary westerns she typically writes- and I’m happy to see her ‘graduate’ into a more substantial space-which is why I was eager to give this one a try.

Unfortunately, this review may sound a little contradictory-

I like lighter books a lot- but usually require some depth to a story, which is why I mentioned the ‘substantial’ quality to women’s fiction compared to straight up contemporary romance as the stories are normally more ‘mature’ without all that angst involved.

But in this case the story was way too heavy for my current mood, plus, I might have judged the book by its cover just a little, presuming it to be closer to ‘heartwarming’ than super heavy drama- which is why I have found myself struggling with this review.

If I disregard my ‘mood’ and put my critical thinking cap on instead, the only real criticism I would mention in a ‘professional’ review would be that the story is way, way, way too busy.

Each sister has her own thread, and all three deal with very heavy and emotional subject matter. Then we have Mary, who is dealing with her perceived parental failings, plus historical diary entries, and the romantic developments the sisters rekindle, and the dramas each of those relationships must overcome before we can get to the happily ever after’s. The author handled all that, somehow, with more balance than most- but it was still too much all crammed inside one book, in my opinion.

On a personal level, the emotional drama was more than I bargained for, and it left me feeling exhausted by it all. While I recently praised an author for combining three threads into one story, instead of breaking it up into three separate installments, in this case, it might have been best to divide the stories into a trilogy, with a romantic side added in for good measure, simply because the emotional density might be too much to absorb all at once.

That said, I will repeat my earlier assertion that I am happy to see this author branching out into new territory. I have another one of her ‘women’s fiction’ novels in my ‘wish-list’, and next time, I’ll be better prepared to tackle weightier topics.

Overall, this is a solid effort by Yates. I hate that my mood wasn’t aligned with the story this time around, but I can certainly appreciate the merit of the book’s various themes, and the effort put into the novel, despite the emotional overload.

3 stars ( )

Confessions from the Quilting Circle by Maisey Yates has Mary Ashwood and her three daughters reuniting in Bear Creek after the death of Addie, Mary’s mother. The four women jointly inherited two properties along with the contents from Addie and now they need to decide what to do with the homes. While in the attic of one of the homes, Lark Ashwood finds a quilt swatch book along with the pattern for a special quilt. Lark suggests that the four women finish Addie’s creation. The four women go on a journey of self-discovery that will bring long buried emotions and secrets out in the open. These ladies can bring their family back together one stitch and revelation at a time. I thought Confessions from the Quilting Circle was well-written with developed, realistic characters. The story it told from Mary, Hannah, Avery, and Lark’s point-of-view plus there are diary entries from two of their ancestors. It did take me a little while to get into the story with the changing viewpoints. This book touches on some difficult topics. The author handles them very well. We see what happens when emotions and secrets are kept suppressed. It is important for each person to discover their own path and follow it--To be your own person. It was interesting learning about a craft café. I thought it was a clever idea. Confessions from the Quilting Circle has family, relationships, misunderstandings, secrets, communication issues, love, depression, and so much more. Confessions from the Quilting Circle is an emotional novel with sister squabbles, creative crafts, surprising secrets, unfinished issues, teenage to-do’s, and a gregarious grandma. ( )

The cover and description of Confessions from the Quilting Circle by Maisey Yates suggests a light summer beach read, but the book deals with serious issues - death, loss, rape, abuse, teenage pregnancy, domestic violence, and other situations in which women are the victims but often mistakenly take on the burden of guilt. Trigger warning! What starts as a light summer beach read leaves an impression of strength, resilience, and hope.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2021/05/confessions-from-quilting-circle.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and and the HTP Women’s Fiction Summer 2021 blog tour. ( )

This read quickly became a page turner, I had to know how what was going to happen to these woman.
A Grandmother has passed and the three Granddaughters are now home, they are deciding what to do with the house and the candy store.
Great ideas are put out and action is taken, and soon the house is being renovated and the Candy store turned into a Craft/Bar, but what happens is they finally decide to make their Grandmother’s sketched out design and hidden gems into a quilt. Now along with the drapes, wedding gown, etc. comes diaries. We are off on several adventures, and updating on lives that have been on hold.
Wow! Secrets sure do fall, and surprises abound,
This is one read you won’t want to put down, so get cozy and be prepared for a long sit.
Enjoy!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Harlequin, and was not required to give a positive review. ( )