- Title: A Letter from Nana Rose
- Author: Kristin Harper
- Publisher: Bookouture
- Publication Day: October 25, 2021
- Where to buy:
- Amazon: https://bit.ly/3piezlQ Apple: https://apple.co/3gaBFp1 Kobo: https://bit.ly/3jY1cDb Google: https://bit.ly/3gaE2bp
- Genre: Women’s Fiction, Sisters Fiction, Clean Romance
- Would I recommend: Yes. A very enjoyable read!
Book Description:
“My darling girls. You were once so happy in this house. Now I’m gone, all I ask is that you spend one last summer here together on Dune Island. And please forgive me, your Nana, for the secret I’m about to tell you…”
Arriving at the honeysuckle-covered beach house inherited from her beloved grandmother, recently heartbroken Jill hopes to convince her two feuding sisters not to sell a place so full of happy childhood memories. But the envelope waiting on the driftwood table changes everything. In her elegant handwriting, Nana Rose promises a new letter will arrive each day of the summer revealing a family secret she took to her grave.
Shaken, Jill anxiously awaits each letter filled with Nana’s bittersweet memories of her own sister who she loved more than anyone—and lost far too young. But why did Nana never speak of this tragic loss to her grandchildren?
Watching the sunset each night and wondering how well they really knew Nana Rose, Jill feels her family is closer than they’ve been in years. And after a chance encounter with blue-eyed tree surgeon Alex, she wonders if Nana believed being back on Dune Island would help Jill find love, too?
But when Nana’s final letter arrives, the revelation about how her sister died is more shocking than Jill ever imagined. Suddenly, despite the chance of happiness with Alex, selling the house seems the only way forward. Will Jill find a way to forge new bonds of sisterhood and save their inheritance,or will Nana Rose’s secret tear them all apart?
An absolutely gorgeous, gripping and heartbreaking read about the importance of family, and how even our loved ones can keep shattering secrets. Perfect for fans of Carolyn Brown, Debbie Macomber and Mary Alice Munroe.
My review:
I’ll grant you, A Letter from Nana Rose is not normally the type of book I’d gravitate toward. I prefer mysteries, usually of the cozy variety, or a good fantasy, or maybe a gripping thriller. But sister fiction? Romance? Meh. The hint of a long-kept secret to be revealed after Nana Rose’s death, though, was enough of a hook that I thought I’d take a chance on it.
I am so glad I did!
Nana Rose has been a fixture in the lives of Jill and her sisters, Rachel and Brooke, throughout their childhood. Now, though, Nana Rose has passed away, and the sisters are spending one more vacation at Dune Island at her request. She’s left a letter telling them that they’ll receive a letter from her each day of their stay, and she’s indicated that they’ll be learning things about their family that have never before been revealed.
Jill is hoping desperately to convince her sisters to keep Nana Rose’s house. Rachel and Brooke, though, have what they feel are strong cases for selling the property. As the letters come in day by day, and Nana’s story is told in flashbacks, the sisters learn that Nana Rose wasn’t the only one keeping secrets. Nana’s past is revealed, and the sisters learn things about each other, too.
This story, y’all. There were ups and downs as we learned what each sister was trying to keep from the others and how that might impact their decision regarding Nana’s house. There were moments of frustration when the sisters were apparently at an impasse, and it felt like they were each seeing only their own point of view. And when everything comes out into the open, when all the secrets are revealed, then we see the true power of love and family to unite and heal.
This is the first of Harper’s books that I’ve read. I don’t know if she’ll revisit these characters in another book, if we’ll see what happens with Jill and hunky tree surgeon Alex, if the sisters’ children will bring their kids to the house on Dune Island. I liked this story enough that I wouldn’t mind seeing the characters again in a future book.
If you’re a fan of books that are clean and sweet and give you the warm fuzzies, pick up A Letter from Nana Rose.
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy from Netgalley and Bookouture. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.
