True Blend
True Blend by Joanne DeMaio
Paperback and e-book, 394 pages
Published March 4th 2014
New York Times bestselling author Joanne DeMaio returns to small-town New England in this compelling love story where truth is veiled by secrets.
Vintage bridal shop owner Amy Trewist thinks she'll never recover her quiet life at her beloved farmhouse on an old country road. Not after her two-year-old daughter Grace is kidnapped in an elaborate crime. On one clear morning, in mere minutes, Grace is gone and Amy's world spins into a heartbreaking new place.
George Carbone often spends easy time with his brother. Whether at a ballgame or taking a day trip, it's how they connect. Until one sunny day when the trip is to a bank parking lot and George is drawn into a crime he never sees coming. And into a stricken mother's life he cannot ignore.
In a summer that simmers with the unsolved crime, George is haunted by a bankroll hidden behind kitchen tiles, by a brother who dragged him into this, and by a father who instilled in him a conscience. A conscience challenged when a young child and beautiful woman crossed paths with him and unexpectedly took hold of his heart.
Set among the red barns, lush cornfields and sparkling wishing fountain of Addison, Connecticut, True Blend is a captivating novel that steals your heart and does not let go. Because like the lace wedding gowns hanging on Amy's clothesline, waltzing in the summer breeze, love and secrets twist and spin together in their own mesmerizing dance.
My thoughts about True Blend ~~
I have been a huge fan of Joanne's books from the very first time I saw the cover of Whole Latte Life, even before I 'met' her virtually. Then I met her, read Whole Latte Life, and was hooked! I anxiously await each new book and know I am going to be in for a treat.
True Blend is set in the same community, Addison, Connecticut as her other books and I like that she writes her stories centered in the same place. It gives me a chance to learn more about Addison while meeting new people in the community. It makes me feel like I have a connection to the town and the wonderful people in it.
'This is something new: When anything she loves is out of her sight, out of her grasp, Grace comes close to tears until it is returned, until her arms hold it near. It's funny what we keep from sadness, from loss.'
Joanne's most recent story, while it still seems similar because we are taken back to the world of Addison, is also, I feel, very different from her previous books. There is an aspect to the story that is much more intense and dramatic from her other ones. There is a kidnapping, an armored car heist, as well as some very bad people involved in the story. It didn't have that overall gentle, romantic feel to it that her other books have. Don't get me wrong, there is still a gentle romance, but there is also that other, more intense layer to it as well. That intensity only drew me more deeply into the story as I discovered how these issues were going to be resolved.
'What defines evil's existence is its contrast with good.'
One of the beautiful parts of the book is centered around Amy's bridal shop. I loved how Amy discovered vintage gowns and veils and presented them and their romantic history to her customers.
'Her vintage bridal shop is all part of capturing her family history, a part of four generations of women woven together. A part of the art of her grandmother's intricate hand-stitched lace doilies and veils and table runners and even bracelets. A part of the sweet memories stopping at tag sales with her mother years ago, lifting lace treasures from old trunks or a chest of drawers. A part of the magic stories her mother spun about lace. A part of standing together in the sunlight, her mother's hands lifting lace like butterfly wings for Amy to see, dust rising like fairy stardust. She feels a bit of that enchanted stardust in each lace gown she chooses and loves that she can share it with her own daughter now, too.'
I think this book was a great example of the growth of the author as she steps a little bit 'outside her box' and brings in a little bit different type of story line. True Blend is an amazing story and I enjoyed it immensely, just as I have loved all the rest of Joanne's books. She continues to be one of my 'must-read' authors.
'Nothing is what it seems, and never will be again.'
About the author
Joanne DeMaio is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans, Whole Latte Life, Snowflakes and Coffee Cakes, and most recently True Blend. She lives with her family in Connecticut and is currently at work on her next novel.
Joanne enjoys hearing from readers at Facebook.com/JoanneDeMaioAuthor
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