The Book Bag: Finding Libbie by Deanna Lynn Sletten ~ My Thoughts and a Giveaway!

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Finding Libbie by Deanna Lynn Sletten ~ My Thoughts and a Giveaway!

Finding Libbie

Finding Libbie by Deanna Lynn Sletten
Paperback and e-book, 344 pages
Published: September 6th 2016 by Lake Union Publishing

Poring over a dusty hatbox of photographs in her grandmother’s closet, Emily Prentice is shocked to discover her father was married to his high school sweetheart before meeting her mother.

In the summer of 1968, Jack and Libbie fall in love under the spell of their small town, untouched by the chaos of the late sixties. Though Libbie’s well-to-do parents disapprove of Jack’s humble family and his aspiration to become a mechanic, she marries Jack a year after they graduate high school. But soon their happiness crumbles as Libbie’s mental state unravels and she is drawn to alcohol and drugs. Despite his efforts to help her, Jack loses the woman he loves and is forced to move on with his life.

Now that Emily’s mother has passed away, Jack is alone again, and Emily grows obsessed with the beautiful woman who had given her father such joy. Determined to find Libbie, Emily pieces together the couple’s fragmented past. But is it too late for happy endings?

My thoughts about Finding Libbie ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—'You never know what the day will bring, Emily Prentice thought as she stepped outside her townhouse into the May sunshine.'

I absolutely loved Finding Libbie!! I have read all of Deanna's books and this one is right up there at the top as one of her best. Her stories just keep getting better and better.

Finding Libbie is a book full of memories. And sorrow. And heartache. And tears. And love.

Emily discovers, after her mother passes away, that her father had been married before. After finding a box full of old pictures, Emily's grandmother tells her the story of her father's first love, his first wife, a love that had been hidden away in the closet all these years.

Jack and Libbie were so much in love and had such a beautiful relationship. They were indeed soul mates. And then things started to go bad. They went through so much together and my heart broke with the pain that they were both feeling. Sometimes love has to be sacrificed and what a terrible cost that can be.

As Emily learns more and more about Jack and Libbie's story, she can't get Libbie out of her mind.

It's just that dad and Libbie's story is so sad, I feel a need to find out if Libbie is okay, wherever she is.

This is such a beautiful, heartbreaking story, so full of emotions. I was completely in love with the characters, the love story, and the perseverance of Emily as she tried to find Libbie. I felt all of the love, happiness, frustration, and determination that were on the pages of the book. I laughed, loved, and cried right along with the characters. This is a story that had me experiencing so many feelings. I loved every minute of it!

Finding Libbie is truly a story of memories and love. I am a memory keeper and I have the boxes to prove it. I love the references in the book to the keeping of memories and how important memories are. Even memory smells are important.... and so strong.

Emily felt comforted by her familiar scent. She smelled of spices from baking and flowery fabric softener that lingered on her soft cotton blouse. To Emily, it was the smell of love.

Deanna's words brought back memories for me as I was reading this lovely book. The 1966 Mustang—one of my favorite cars and one that I am lucky enough to have in my garage. And the Carnegie library that Libbie loved—I loved our small town Carnegie library and this stirred up memories for me as I spent so much time there growing up.

Finding Libbie is a beautiful, sweet love story that will break your heart. It is a story full of sad tears and happy tears. You will not want to put it down and you will not want it to end.

About the author

Deanna Lynn Sletten grew up on the sunny coast of southern California before moving to northern Minnesota as a teenager. Her interest in writing novels was sparked in a college English class and she has been writing in some form or another ever since. In 2011, Deanna discovered the world of self-publishing and published three novels she'd written over the years. After that, she was hooked.

Deanna enjoys writing heartwarming women's fiction and romance novels with unforgettable characters. She has also written one middle-grade novel that takes you on the adventure of a lifetime. She believes in fate, destiny, love at first sight, soulmates, second chances, and happily ever after, and her novels reflect that.

Deanna is married and has two grown children. When not writing, she enjoys walking the wooded trails around her home with her beautiful Australian Shepherd or relaxing in the boat on the lake in the summer.

Connect with Deanna

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