Book Review – Everything We Keep: A Novel by Kerry Lonsdale

I’m always pleased to give a good review: Especially when it comes on the heels of two, not so good, reviews. In this case, my review rating is not good; it’s absolutely outstanding. If I could, I’d give Everything We Keep a 7 out of 5 rating. 5 for being very good, 6 for outstanding writing and, 7 because it’s the authors first book.

Yes, not only am I in love with this book, I’ve added it to my top three books list.

Aimee Tierney is madly in love with her childhood sweetheart, James. They grew up together, he protected her at every turn and they became engaged. Just before the wedding, James must go on a business trip to Mexico. A trip that only his body returns from. So, instead of saying their vows, Aimee ends up burying James on their planned wedding day.

Devastated, Aimee spends over a year refusing to accept James death and move on with her life. Adding to this are the strange messages from a physic telling her that James is not dead.

Pushed by her friends to at least start working on a life without James, she opens a specialty café. They also drag her kicking and screaming back into life beyond her home and the café. Here, she meets Ian, a photographer that she immediately develops feelings for. Feelings that are certainly mirrored by Ian.

But the feelings and messages that James is not dead, persist. Feelings and verification of his death that she must resolve if she is ever to move on. So, two years after his purported death, Ian joins her, as she travels to Mexico to find her fiancée, who she is now certain is not dead.

As she and Ian search for James, and the truth; secrets from their past and James’ family surface, along with her feelings for Ian and realization of what her life with James was really like.

Everything We Keep not only has a unique plot, it is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing, especially toward the end as she and Ian seek the truth in Mexico. It is also exceptionally well written with little to no errors (I think I found one), wonderful character development and an author who has mastered show, don’t tell.

An excellent novel that kept me up until 2:30 AM to find out how it ends.

By the way, several people with bad reviews due to a lot of errors, poor editing and a love story with no mystery, must have read a different book than I did.