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Confessions from the Quilting Circle
"Yates weaves surprises and vivid descriptions into this moving tale about strong and nurturing female family bonds."— Booklist on Confessions from the Quilting Circle
The Ashwood women don’t have much in common...except their ability to keep secrets.
When Lark Ashwood’s beloved grandmother dies, she and her sisters discover an unfinished quilt. Finishing it could be the reason Lark’s been looking for to stop running from the past, but is she ever going to be brave enough to share her biggest secret with the people she ought to be closest to?
Hannah can’t believe she’s back in Bear Creek, the tiny town she sacrificed everything to escape from. The plan? Help her sisters renovate her grandmother’s house and leave as fast as humanly possible. Until she comes face-to-face with a man from her past. But getting close to him again might mean confessing what really drove her away...
Stay-at-home mom Avery has built a perfect life, but at a cost. She’ll need all her family around her, and all her strength, to decide if the price of perfection is one she can afford to keep paying.
This summer, the Ashwood women must lean on each other like never before, if they are to stitch their family back together, one truth at a time...
Don't miss Maisey Yates' next holiday novel, Merry Christmas Cowboy!
The Ashwood women don’t have much in common...except their ability to keep secrets.
When Lark Ashwood’s beloved grandmother dies, she and her sisters discover an unfinished quilt. Finishing it could be the reason Lark’s been looking for to stop running from the past, but is she ever going to be brave enough to share her biggest secret with the people she ought to be closest to?
Hannah can’t believe she’s back in Bear Creek, the tiny town she sacrificed everything to escape from. The plan? Help her sisters renovate her grandmother’s house and leave as fast as humanly possible. Until she comes face-to-face with a man from her past. But getting close to him again might mean confessing what really drove her away...
Stay-at-home mom Avery has built a perfect life, but at a cost. She’ll need all her family around her, and all her strength, to decide if the price of perfection is one she can afford to keep paying.
This summer, the Ashwood women must lean on each other like never before, if they are to stitch their family back together, one truth at a time...
Don't miss Maisey Yates' next holiday novel, Merry Christmas Cowboy!
384 pages, Paperback
First published May 4, 2021
About the author
Maisey Yates
1,064 books2,726 followersNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit. In 2009, at the age of twenty-three Maisey sold her first book.
Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.
She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.
Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.
She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 215 reviews
August 3, 2022
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 read 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
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 read 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
May 11, 2021
This is a Contemporary Romance/Chick-Lit/Women's Fiction. Maisey Yates is one of my favorite authors, and I am always so excited for her books. I have to say that it took me what felt like forever for me to get into this book, but it really took me about 25% of the book to be really pulled into this book. I want to add it may be me that it took me a long time because I really have trouble getting into books that have a lot of characters telling the story. This book there is three sisters and their mother that is telling the story. Once, I got into it ... I loved it so much. This book really me think about my family, and what secrets my parents had kept from me. This is a book that covers some hard hitting topics, but I think they where done so very well. This book shows what happens when dark secrets comes to light. There is love, hate, family, misunderstanding, understanding, and so much more. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Harlequin) or author (Maisey Yates) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that. (*)
May 5, 2021
Check out all of my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
CONFESSIONS FROM THE QUILTING CIRCLE by Maisey Yates is a women’s fiction book with romance subplots featuring a mother, her three daughters and the secrets they keep.
When the Ashwood sisters’ beloved grandmother dies, they all return home to Bear Creek, Oregon for the summer. Lark, the youngest finds an unfinished quilt and convinces her mother and sisters to help her finish it.
As they discover the origin of the quilt’s cloth pieces in old diaries, they also begin to reconnect and lean on each other as they begin to reveal decades old secrets that have kept them apart.
Secrets, so many secrets in this book. Ms. Yates deftly handles difficult topics such as abandonment, spousal abuse, sexual abuse and stillbirth all with empathy. As the women come together and work on the quilt, they reveal their secrets knowing that to move forward, they have to face their pasts. The ancestors in the diaries ultimately share their secrets and help the women in the present.
This is not what I am used to reading from Ms. Yates. It is darker with disturbing topics, but it is not all dark, it does have a few touches of romance and ultimate happiness. This story is well written with characters that you become attached to and cheer for their happiness.
I recommend this emotionally difficult, yet ultimately satisfying story.
CONFESSIONS FROM THE QUILTING CIRCLE by Maisey Yates is a women’s fiction book with romance subplots featuring a mother, her three daughters and the secrets they keep.
When the Ashwood sisters’ beloved grandmother dies, they all return home to Bear Creek, Oregon for the summer. Lark, the youngest finds an unfinished quilt and convinces her mother and sisters to help her finish it.
As they discover the origin of the quilt’s cloth pieces in old diaries, they also begin to reconnect and lean on each other as they begin to reveal decades old secrets that have kept them apart.
Secrets, so many secrets in this book. Ms. Yates deftly handles difficult topics such as abandonment, spousal abuse, sexual abuse and stillbirth all with empathy. As the women come together and work on the quilt, they reveal their secrets knowing that to move forward, they have to face their pasts. The ancestors in the diaries ultimately share their secrets and help the women in the present.
This is not what I am used to reading from Ms. Yates. It is darker with disturbing topics, but it is not all dark, it does have a few touches of romance and ultimate happiness. This story is well written with characters that you become attached to and cheer for their happiness.
I recommend this emotionally difficult, yet ultimately satisfying story.
July 27, 2021
My review is on my website www.bookread2day.wordpress.com
I read this beautiful story in paperback by Mills and boon
I dearly loved reading this story of three very different sisters and the the delightful things that they find in their late grandmother’s house.
I found the Confessions from the Quilting Circle a very unique story.
For anyone who is creative and loves knitting, or sewing or cross stitch, or painting you all will adore reading about Ashwood sisters. Even if you don’t have a sewing or painting hobby I just you will fall in love with story about loss and new beginnings.
What the story is about
When the greatest loved grandmother, Adeline Dowell dies, the Ashwood sisters are very sad, as they all had a lot of fun staying with their grandmother when they were young. Addie had taught all her grandchildren to knit, paint and to quilt, but she didn’t teach their mother as a a child anything.
Now all three sisters had grown up they led very different lives. Avery the oldest was very organised, being very neat and orderly. Hannah the middle sister moved to Boston and was a professional in the Boston Symphony Orchestra. And Lark was the youngest the real flair for art, just like her grandmother.
The miner’s House that their grandmother lived in had a little candy shop at the front, but now their mother and the three sisters have to sort out their grandmother’s belongings. They find boxes of fabric and beads. Lark has the business idea of turning The Miner’s House into a craft Cafe.
I found Confessions from the Quilting Circle a beautiful read. I have read some hot romance novels by Maisey Yates, but never a page-turning contemporary romance story, with so many secrets that I was shocked when I found out, the biggest secret.
I read this beautiful story in paperback by Mills and boon
I dearly loved reading this story of three very different sisters and the the delightful things that they find in their late grandmother’s house.
I found the Confessions from the Quilting Circle a very unique story.
For anyone who is creative and loves knitting, or sewing or cross stitch, or painting you all will adore reading about Ashwood sisters. Even if you don’t have a sewing or painting hobby I just you will fall in love with story about loss and new beginnings.
What the story is about
When the greatest loved grandmother, Adeline Dowell dies, the Ashwood sisters are very sad, as they all had a lot of fun staying with their grandmother when they were young. Addie had taught all her grandchildren to knit, paint and to quilt, but she didn’t teach their mother as a a child anything.
Now all three sisters had grown up they led very different lives. Avery the oldest was very organised, being very neat and orderly. Hannah the middle sister moved to Boston and was a professional in the Boston Symphony Orchestra. And Lark was the youngest the real flair for art, just like her grandmother.
The miner’s House that their grandmother lived in had a little candy shop at the front, but now their mother and the three sisters have to sort out their grandmother’s belongings. They find boxes of fabric and beads. Lark has the business idea of turning The Miner’s House into a craft Cafe.
I found Confessions from the Quilting Circle a beautiful read. I have read some hot romance novels by Maisey Yates, but never a page-turning contemporary romance story, with so many secrets that I was shocked when I found out, the biggest secret.
May 10, 2021
Bestselling author Maisey Yates is at her absolute best with CONFESSIONS FROM THE QUILTING CIRCLE. Readers of all ages and backgrounds will love its powerful, redemptive nature and the empowering message at its heart. Each of the four women in this novel are keeping secrets, each of them trying to deal with their own issues, their own problems, their own grief, and the novel is so beautifully written and so well-paced that, as a reader, I often had to stop and ponder what I would do if faced with the decisions these women have to make and deal with, and take a good hard look at how keeping their secrets have affected their relationships with their loved ones and especially with each other.
Maisey Yates never disappoints her readers and CONFESSIONS FROM THE QUILTING CIRCLE is so good as it delves into a family and their intricacies. The characters are so well presented and the story crafted to suck you in and make you want to keep reading and ignoring the rest of the world while doing so. This is a very emotional walk through these four women’s lives. Each one is dealing with her own insecurities, and feelings of guilt and regret form an ongoing theme for all of them.
I enjoyed the bond between the four women and how it shows how complex the relationship between mother and daughter or sisters can be, and even when you’re close, there are going to be things you hide, which is especially true for Mary, who has some major secrets from her past she kept from her daughters. And it’s wonderful to see Lark, Avery, Mary, and Hannah all overcome their individual hardships and find happiness. CONFESSIONS FROM THE QUILTING CIRCLE is all about family and the past and the secrets that come out are heart tugging. It had me flipping through the pages like a woman on a mission. I had to know what was going to happen!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harper Collins through Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.
Maisey Yates never disappoints her readers and CONFESSIONS FROM THE QUILTING CIRCLE is so good as it delves into a family and their intricacies. The characters are so well presented and the story crafted to suck you in and make you want to keep reading and ignoring the rest of the world while doing so. This is a very emotional walk through these four women’s lives. Each one is dealing with her own insecurities, and feelings of guilt and regret form an ongoing theme for all of them.
I enjoyed the bond between the four women and how it shows how complex the relationship between mother and daughter or sisters can be, and even when you’re close, there are going to be things you hide, which is especially true for Mary, who has some major secrets from her past she kept from her daughters. And it’s wonderful to see Lark, Avery, Mary, and Hannah all overcome their individual hardships and find happiness. CONFESSIONS FROM THE QUILTING CIRCLE is all about family and the past and the secrets that come out are heart tugging. It had me flipping through the pages like a woman on a mission. I had to know what was going to happen!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harper Collins through Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.
May 6, 2021
More than saddened by the loss of her grandmother, Lark Ashwood and her sisters Avery and Hannah get together to sort things out in the small town on Bear Creek. One of the things they discover is an unfinished quilt their grandmother started. After an emotional discussion between the sisters, they decide to finish the quilt, although one of them is a bit reticent about the upcoming project.
There is another discussion the sisters must have and that involves the decision on how to deal with various properties their grandmother left behind, and one of the projects they take on is to restore The Dowell House and perhaps make it a vacation rental. They have other ideas for the other properties including The Miner House and to even open a Craft Café. With these decisions the sisters have to get over certain things that have placed stumbling blocks in their paths.
The sisters all lead different lives. Avery is a stay-at-home mom who seems to have the perfect life, but deep inside she is crumbling. Hannah has made amazing career as the principal violinist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. However, has she chosen success over love? This question begins to plague Hannah when she runs into Josh, her first love. Is this their time? Can she reevaluate her life's goals? Then there is Lark. She traveled for years, with art being her chosen path, but she just might dig roots and settle down in Bear Creek.
As Lark, Hannah and Avery embark on their new projects, they must deal with the fact that their mother and grandmother were estranged. They must ask themselves if working on things in memories of their grandmother will affect their relationship with their mother. Will the summer ahead help all of them bury their difficult and painful pasts and come together in a way that will bring them all together?
What a lovely read! I love how all of their sisters and their mothers had a story and how these stories were interwoven together. I would think that this book would make a wonderful beach read as I felt drawn to all of the characters but for different reasons. For example, Avery and how she was hiding her pain. Then there was Hannah and how she finally had a chance at love. Of course, Lark's situation touched me as well. Lastly, getting to the root of the problem between the girls' mother and grandmother was handled quite well.
As the author penned this story she introduced and deftly dealt with some sensitive subjects, which included abandonment and the difficult and tough issue of spousal abuse. I love how it all came together while also having a sweet romance built into the book. While my heart broke in places while reading this book I was left with a warm, satisfying feeling.
Many thanks to HQN and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
There is another discussion the sisters must have and that involves the decision on how to deal with various properties their grandmother left behind, and one of the projects they take on is to restore The Dowell House and perhaps make it a vacation rental. They have other ideas for the other properties including The Miner House and to even open a Craft Café. With these decisions the sisters have to get over certain things that have placed stumbling blocks in their paths.
The sisters all lead different lives. Avery is a stay-at-home mom who seems to have the perfect life, but deep inside she is crumbling. Hannah has made amazing career as the principal violinist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. However, has she chosen success over love? This question begins to plague Hannah when she runs into Josh, her first love. Is this their time? Can she reevaluate her life's goals? Then there is Lark. She traveled for years, with art being her chosen path, but she just might dig roots and settle down in Bear Creek.
As Lark, Hannah and Avery embark on their new projects, they must deal with the fact that their mother and grandmother were estranged. They must ask themselves if working on things in memories of their grandmother will affect their relationship with their mother. Will the summer ahead help all of them bury their difficult and painful pasts and come together in a way that will bring them all together?
What a lovely read! I love how all of their sisters and their mothers had a story and how these stories were interwoven together. I would think that this book would make a wonderful beach read as I felt drawn to all of the characters but for different reasons. For example, Avery and how she was hiding her pain. Then there was Hannah and how she finally had a chance at love. Of course, Lark's situation touched me as well. Lastly, getting to the root of the problem between the girls' mother and grandmother was handled quite well.
As the author penned this story she introduced and deftly dealt with some sensitive subjects, which included abandonment and the difficult and tough issue of spousal abuse. I love how it all came together while also having a sweet romance built into the book. While my heart broke in places while reading this book I was left with a warm, satisfying feeling.
Many thanks to HQN and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
April 29, 2021
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.
April 21, 2021
I don’t read a lot of contemporary chick lit type books but when I do, they’re usually by Massey Yates. This one took a while to get me into it, I think because there were so many characters and having to get into their backstory before we could get into what was taking place now. This dealt with a lot of heavy issues and surprisingly there may be some triggers for people: infant death, domestic violence among them.
There are 3 sisters and their mom who have come back to deal with their grandmother’s/mother’s death and her estate. In doing so, they have to face their past in order to create a future they can be happy in. In going through her house they found her diary which sheds some light on her and her life that helped to explain some of her life choices which in turn affected them.
I really did enjoy this one once it got going. It was definitely a darker story than Maisey is typically known for but it was well done.
Thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.
There are 3 sisters and their mom who have come back to deal with their grandmother’s/mother’s death and her estate. In doing so, they have to face their past in order to create a future they can be happy in. In going through her house they found her diary which sheds some light on her and her life that helped to explain some of her life choices which in turn affected them.
I really did enjoy this one once it got going. It was definitely a darker story than Maisey is typically known for but it was well done.
Thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.
May 28, 2021
One of those books with so much internal ruminating and backstory in the form of memories I literally just skimmed through a ton of it. Blah blah blah. Also, so many super heavy topics in a marshmallow of a book. Not for me.
CW: domestic abuse, stillbirth, child abandonment, adoption, sexual assault of a teen, child abuse
CW: domestic abuse, stillbirth, child abandonment, adoption, sexual assault of a teen, child abuse
April 30, 2021
After the death of their beloved grandmother, the Ashwood sisters come back together in their small Oregon town to finish a quilt she had just started to put together. Lark, Hannah, and Avery each have a secret that has impacted their lives in different ways and must find the courage to trust each other and their loved ones, as well as the will to make changes after many years of carefully concealing so much hurt. Each chapter begins with a letter from different women living in various eras, also with their own secrets. Yates does a lovely job with this contemporary romance novel, carefully threading all of the pieces of the past and present together, creating a complex, romantic, and at times heart-wrenching quilt of her own.
May 7, 2021
The Review
This was a powerful women’s fiction read. The author beautifully sets up a dramatic and emotional family dynamic between the three sisters and their mother in the face of losing their beloved grandmother. The rift between the sisters is felt early on, showing the complex balance of tension and emotion between them all.
Character growth was essential in this read. The author not only does a great job of showcasing each sister’s individual struggles and how they feel in this tension-filled dynamic with the other two sisters, but the author also fills out the narrative with backstory as diary entries from two different women from different eras give insight into the family’s history as a whole. The author showcases a wide range of talent in this writing, as the author’s normal romance-style narratives shift easily into the women’s fiction genre, highlighting the strong bonds between family and in this instance, sisterhood.
The Verdict
A memorable, emotional, and engaging read, author Maisey Yates’s “Confessions From the Quilting Circle” is a must-read women’s fiction narrative. The book flows smoothly and engages the reader on multiple levels. The gripping tale of these sisters will resonate with so many of us out there, and in a story about leaving things unfinished in our lives and feeling a piece of ourselves missing, the author found a wonderful way to explore the journey to making ourselves whole again. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
This was a powerful women’s fiction read. The author beautifully sets up a dramatic and emotional family dynamic between the three sisters and their mother in the face of losing their beloved grandmother. The rift between the sisters is felt early on, showing the complex balance of tension and emotion between them all.
Character growth was essential in this read. The author not only does a great job of showcasing each sister’s individual struggles and how they feel in this tension-filled dynamic with the other two sisters, but the author also fills out the narrative with backstory as diary entries from two different women from different eras give insight into the family’s history as a whole. The author showcases a wide range of talent in this writing, as the author’s normal romance-style narratives shift easily into the women’s fiction genre, highlighting the strong bonds between family and in this instance, sisterhood.
The Verdict
A memorable, emotional, and engaging read, author Maisey Yates’s “Confessions From the Quilting Circle” is a must-read women’s fiction narrative. The book flows smoothly and engages the reader on multiple levels. The gripping tale of these sisters will resonate with so many of us out there, and in a story about leaving things unfinished in our lives and feeling a piece of ourselves missing, the author found a wonderful way to explore the journey to making ourselves whole again. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
September 1, 2021
Alright, so this one was a NO for me. I should have read the metadata for this before the words 'quilting circle' drew me in. If I had seen Harlequin on this one, I would never have picked it up. Romance is not a favorite genre for me, especially when it is fantasy-based unfolding in front of a bright and fluffy backdrop.
I know this type of book has its fan parade, but those people are not my people.
This book is only my second 1-star book so far this year...which is still less than 1 percent for me when looking at the math.
The journals of the ancestors, the sisterhood of the quilting circle, the heavy topics could have added depth to this story. Instead they were just tools for shoving people together.
There were two things that grated on me the most. One was the dialogue. Plus add in the constant repetition when rehashing the past. Unfortunately this felt more like whining than venting or info or in this case....confessions. And let's be honest here.....everyone one had a confession or 8 in their closets. Lots of eyerolling here.
Which leads me to the second thing: the giant leaps over reality. Nothing felt real. Even the deeper darker issues were glossed over. Nobody recovers from real trauma so fast unless, of course, you are a character in this book.
So this one wasn't my favorite.
I know this type of book has its fan parade, but those people are not my people.
This book is only my second 1-star book so far this year...which is still less than 1 percent for me when looking at the math.
The journals of the ancestors, the sisterhood of the quilting circle, the heavy topics could have added depth to this story. Instead they were just tools for shoving people together.
There were two things that grated on me the most. One was the dialogue. Plus add in the constant repetition when rehashing the past. Unfortunately this felt more like whining than venting or info or in this case....confessions. And let's be honest here.....everyone one had a confession or 8 in their closets. Lots of eyerolling here.
Which leads me to the second thing: the giant leaps over reality. Nothing felt real. Even the deeper darker issues were glossed over. Nobody recovers from real trauma so fast unless, of course, you are a character in this book.
So this one wasn't my favorite.
May 1, 2021
Three sisters, Lark, Hannah, and Avery, along with their mother, Mary, are back in their hometown to claim their inheritance and sort through their gran, Adeline Dowell's large house and her possessions after she passes away. In doing so, they discover that painful secrets have kept them apart as well as achieving their own happiness as individuals. Set in small-town Bear Creek, Oregon, they discover an unfinished quilt along with a diary written by their gran. Maisey Yates has beautifully developed her characters and it was a treat to watch the healing and repairing of the women's lives at the same time that the quilt was being completed. The story also features two romances and life-changing decisions are needing to be made. Told via alternating viewpoints this compelling, multi-generational story was emotional and moving. I highly recommend Confessions from the Quilting Circle especially if you are fond of small-town stories that unearth an abundance of family history.
Confessions from the Quilting Circle is a satisfying and rewarding reading experience from beginning to end.
Thanks to NetGalley, HQN Books and the author, Maisey Yates for the complimentary copy. This is my honest and totally voluntary review.
Confessions from the Quilting Circle is a satisfying and rewarding reading experience from beginning to end.
Thanks to NetGalley, HQN Books and the author, Maisey Yates for the complimentary copy. This is my honest and totally voluntary review.
May 8, 2021
This was certainly a multi-layered book in which each character had her own story and then the stories gradually meshed together. It was the story of Mary, a mom who doesn’t feel that she has a close relationship with her own daughters and knows that she feels abandoned by her own mother. It is also the story of each of her daughters: Avery, a proud stay-at-home-mom; Hannah, an accomplished violinist on break from the Boston Symphony; and Lark, an artist with a real spark of creativity. Each girl and her mother has a secret that is the central focus of the story, unraveling the secrets as they make a quilt together from the scraps that Mary’s mom left behind. Some of the story was heartbreaking to me because of my own past experiences. Other parts were interesting but not in a personal way. I think this story will appeal of all because of its characters that are so varied and yet so much alike in the way that a family is. I like the saying that kept getting repeated, “You can never go so far that you can’t go home again.” This was a powerful theme that lent itself to the focus of self-discovery, revelations and forgiveness. I loved the way the author crafted the story around sewing a quilt, with its many pieces that are totally different. I especially liked the slow reveals of what was in each ladies’ heart. The characters and theme made this story and I highly recommend it to those looking for a good contemporary fiction or romance. Yes, there is romance, but it is not the main idea of the book. The real theme is discovering each other and accepting one’s past. Amazing book with so many life lessons! Deep and yet so simple...loved it!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
April 14, 2021
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.
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.
May 2, 2021
I hardly know where to begin in this review, partly because I started off wanting to slap every self-absorbed, snarky and spiteful, female character in Maisey's Yates' Confessions from the Quilting Circle, plus, it took me about 30% of this novel to really get into it and start to care about these women, but Ms. Yates has never let me down so far, and once I started to understand their issues, what drove them, what caused them to be the way they were, this novel ended up being one deep, tragic, profound and amazingly good read, and it certainly earned this 5-star rating.
This is one complicated novel, but, in short, this novel is about a family of Ashford women, 3 sisters, Avery, Hannah and Lark, and their mother, Mary. Aside from years of brief, obligatory visits home to their small town of Bear Creek, they have lived most of their adult lives separate and apart from one another. Lark, the youngest, has been a wanderer, moving from place to place for the past 16 years. Hannah's identity and focus has led to her career as a conceert violinist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Avery, the eldest, stayed local, marrying a doctor and raising their two children. Mary, has also stayed in town, but each of these women has been carrying secrets, harboring animosity, guilt and private grief, as we soon learn.
The Ashford sisters and their mother are brought back together in Bear Creek, after their grandmother's death, to settle her estate. She bequeathed her home and her candy store to the three sisters, but left nothing for her own daughter, Mary. When Mary was a small child, one day Gram just up and left her husband and daughter and was gone for years without explanation. When Gram finally returned, she and Mary never talked, never reconciled. It's the same with the sisters, who loved and connected with their grandmother in a way they never connected to their own mother, and who also held everything they felt inside, never really connecting with each other either.
Lark, the flighty, artistic, youngest, and seemingly happiest sister, has decided to turn Gram's candy store into a Craft Cafe, and when she discovers her Gram's fabric scraps and plans for a heritage quilt in the attic, she decides that they will all choose some of the many stored fabric swatches, and each work on quilt squares to complete the quilt Gram didn't. It's these weekly get-togethers at the cafe that begin to bring these women together, give them the time for conversation, something very difficult for each of them at the start, but it's the catalyst for them to finally open up to one another, deal honestly with each other and themselves, air their secrets and their pain, and come to terms with the decisions and choices they've made.
This novel takes the reader and the characters on a complicated journey, made even more moving by intermittent diary entries from two women in the past, a literary device used brilliantly by Ms. Yates, who weaves these bits and pieces of the past into a whole, just as her characters weave their own lives, secrets, pain and self-realization into the quilt their Gram planned. By the time I finished reading this novel, staying up all night to do so, I came to love, understand, empathize, and care deeply for these women, their angst, their heartbreak, their growth, and their futures. Confessions from the Quilting Circle is a tour de force of a novel, and is, perhaps, one of the best and most moving of Ms. Yates novels, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
This is one complicated novel, but, in short, this novel is about a family of Ashford women, 3 sisters, Avery, Hannah and Lark, and their mother, Mary. Aside from years of brief, obligatory visits home to their small town of Bear Creek, they have lived most of their adult lives separate and apart from one another. Lark, the youngest, has been a wanderer, moving from place to place for the past 16 years. Hannah's identity and focus has led to her career as a conceert violinist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Avery, the eldest, stayed local, marrying a doctor and raising their two children. Mary, has also stayed in town, but each of these women has been carrying secrets, harboring animosity, guilt and private grief, as we soon learn.
The Ashford sisters and their mother are brought back together in Bear Creek, after their grandmother's death, to settle her estate. She bequeathed her home and her candy store to the three sisters, but left nothing for her own daughter, Mary. When Mary was a small child, one day Gram just up and left her husband and daughter and was gone for years without explanation. When Gram finally returned, she and Mary never talked, never reconciled. It's the same with the sisters, who loved and connected with their grandmother in a way they never connected to their own mother, and who also held everything they felt inside, never really connecting with each other either.
Lark, the flighty, artistic, youngest, and seemingly happiest sister, has decided to turn Gram's candy store into a Craft Cafe, and when she discovers her Gram's fabric scraps and plans for a heritage quilt in the attic, she decides that they will all choose some of the many stored fabric swatches, and each work on quilt squares to complete the quilt Gram didn't. It's these weekly get-togethers at the cafe that begin to bring these women together, give them the time for conversation, something very difficult for each of them at the start, but it's the catalyst for them to finally open up to one another, deal honestly with each other and themselves, air their secrets and their pain, and come to terms with the decisions and choices they've made.
This novel takes the reader and the characters on a complicated journey, made even more moving by intermittent diary entries from two women in the past, a literary device used brilliantly by Ms. Yates, who weaves these bits and pieces of the past into a whole, just as her characters weave their own lives, secrets, pain and self-realization into the quilt their Gram planned. By the time I finished reading this novel, staying up all night to do so, I came to love, understand, empathize, and care deeply for these women, their angst, their heartbreak, their growth, and their futures. Confessions from the Quilting Circle is a tour de force of a novel, and is, perhaps, one of the best and most moving of Ms. Yates novels, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
April 20, 2021
Confessions from the Quilting Circle is the story of women from one family, the secrets that burden them, the heartbreak they hide and how they find their way out of it all.
When three sisters find themselves in Bear Creek, mourning the loss of a mother and grandmother, they set about piecing a quilt from fabric in the Dowell house attic. Along with the fabric are some old diaries that will take each of them back to the distant past and link to their stories now.
Avery, married to a local surgeon with two children, the perfect mother and wife, totally involved in all things community. Hannah the violinist hoping for a big role in her orchestra and Lacey returning back to Bear Creek after tough times took her away. As well their mother Mary who always has felt "less than" because her mother left and went away when she was young.
As secrets are revealed, things shared and changes made the four women find a new way and new paths that will surely lead to greater happiness. And as they do so the quilt is finished.
I enjoyed the story, it's heartwarming, although I felt the theme and messages in the book were a little laboured, as a reader I prefer to find them by reading between the lines.
When three sisters find themselves in Bear Creek, mourning the loss of a mother and grandmother, they set about piecing a quilt from fabric in the Dowell house attic. Along with the fabric are some old diaries that will take each of them back to the distant past and link to their stories now.
Avery, married to a local surgeon with two children, the perfect mother and wife, totally involved in all things community. Hannah the violinist hoping for a big role in her orchestra and Lacey returning back to Bear Creek after tough times took her away. As well their mother Mary who always has felt "less than" because her mother left and went away when she was young.
As secrets are revealed, things shared and changes made the four women find a new way and new paths that will surely lead to greater happiness. And as they do so the quilt is finished.
I enjoyed the story, it's heartwarming, although I felt the theme and messages in the book were a little laboured, as a reader I prefer to find them by reading between the lines.
July 12, 2021
This book was so much more than I thought it would be! It’s not just about stitching a family back together, it’s about unpicking the tangles and secrets that have been held in for years. How simply being a listening ear, or talking to someone about your worries can make everything a million times better.
I loved finding out about the girls and Mary, the first few chapters were a little bit slow as we were learning who was who and what they were up to but it soon became clear and it was really easy to switch between the characters and keep up with the story. There are also little diary excerpts at the start of each chapter from the past and I really liked trying to unpick who these related to and learning about past lives.
The secrets kept coming and I hadn’t imagined any of them, when the first one was revealed I was visibly shocked and had to message someone straight away to see if they’d got to this bit yet as I knew they were reading it to. It just properly shocked me and it wasn’t what I expected at all – to be honest none of them were!
My favourite part of this book though was definitely the way that the family were able to, quite literally, stitch themselves back together. They unpicked their pasts together, came clean about secrets and who they were, not just the outside appearance that passers by would notice. A very true lesson here in that outward appearances really aren’t always the truth and no-one knows what goes on behind closed doors and who someone really is. Weirdly this is something a group of us were discussing at the pub the other day and I wish I’d read this part by then as I would definitely have been referencing the book!
This book was full of pure raw emotion and I just know that these girls will stay with me for a while and will have a special place in my mind for a long while to come…
“You have never gone so far that you can’t come back home again”
I loved finding out about the girls and Mary, the first few chapters were a little bit slow as we were learning who was who and what they were up to but it soon became clear and it was really easy to switch between the characters and keep up with the story. There are also little diary excerpts at the start of each chapter from the past and I really liked trying to unpick who these related to and learning about past lives.
The secrets kept coming and I hadn’t imagined any of them, when the first one was revealed I was visibly shocked and had to message someone straight away to see if they’d got to this bit yet as I knew they were reading it to. It just properly shocked me and it wasn’t what I expected at all – to be honest none of them were!
My favourite part of this book though was definitely the way that the family were able to, quite literally, stitch themselves back together. They unpicked their pasts together, came clean about secrets and who they were, not just the outside appearance that passers by would notice. A very true lesson here in that outward appearances really aren’t always the truth and no-one knows what goes on behind closed doors and who someone really is. Weirdly this is something a group of us were discussing at the pub the other day and I wish I’d read this part by then as I would definitely have been referencing the book!
This book was full of pure raw emotion and I just know that these girls will stay with me for a while and will have a special place in my mind for a long while to come…
“You have never gone so far that you can’t come back home again”
April 26, 2021
I received an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
I love Maisey Yates's writing. She produces such effortless prose and creates a story where the characters feel real and who engage one's interest from the beginning. I rather like these sagas where three or four characters come together and each one's story is explored and brought to a satisfying conclusion.
Each of the daughters and the mother are given due attention and we learn their secrets and watch them move into a new future. Such a skilful, talented writer. This is a really enjoyable story.
I love Maisey Yates's writing. She produces such effortless prose and creates a story where the characters feel real and who engage one's interest from the beginning. I rather like these sagas where three or four characters come together and each one's story is explored and brought to a satisfying conclusion.
Each of the daughters and the mother are given due attention and we learn their secrets and watch them move into a new future. Such a skilful, talented writer. This is a really enjoyable story.
July 2, 2021
What a delightful read I didn't want it to end! I especially loved the journals and letters from the past great way to start each chapter!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2022
This book simply has way too many words in it, and while somewhere deep in this mudslide of verbiage there is a pretty good story, not all readers will bother to wade through it. And I don't blame them.
One basic rule for good writing is "Show, don't tell." Maisey Yates tells and tells and tells again, in case you missed the point somehow. Later, she will tell you again.
In a high school writing class, I was taught to tell my story and get out. "Don't put your foot in it," said Mr. White. "Let the reader draw her own conclusions." Maisie has both feet and both hands in her story, explaining every nuance again and again. A good editor might have saved us from this wordy assault on our intelligence, but it's too late for that. We can, however, rest assured that Maisie met her required word count.
P.S. Don't put "Quilting" in the title of a book if you don't know anything about quilting. It will only attract quilters, who will shake their heads at your ignorance of their art.
One basic rule for good writing is "Show, don't tell." Maisey Yates tells and tells and tells again, in case you missed the point somehow. Later, she will tell you again.
In a high school writing class, I was taught to tell my story and get out. "Don't put your foot in it," said Mr. White. "Let the reader draw her own conclusions." Maisie has both feet and both hands in her story, explaining every nuance again and again. A good editor might have saved us from this wordy assault on our intelligence, but it's too late for that. We can, however, rest assured that Maisie met her required word count.
P.S. Don't put "Quilting" in the title of a book if you don't know anything about quilting. It will only attract quilters, who will shake their heads at your ignorance of their art.
September 5, 2021
Another beautiful read where a quilt caused the women in the family to come closer. The Ashford women were a class of their own. With the death of the grandmother, the women discovered an unfished quilt and it was up to the women to finish it.
But nothing was as simple. The origin of the quilt’s pieces led them to old secrets and everything seemed to unravel until they were patched up. This was a powerful story from author Maisey Yates, where the sisters and the mother learned the truths about their family.
Many issues were dealt with, but Ms. Yates writing brought them out in a sensitive manner. I liked how all them moved forward with strength, facing their pasts. The diaries of their ancestors held the key that taught them to believe in love and forgiveness.
A story poignantly written touched my heart. Shades of love and romance were also present, but the core was beautiful contemporary tale about family. The secrets that shocked me down the pages were just the icing over the cake.
But nothing was as simple. The origin of the quilt’s pieces led them to old secrets and everything seemed to unravel until they were patched up. This was a powerful story from author Maisey Yates, where the sisters and the mother learned the truths about their family.
Many issues were dealt with, but Ms. Yates writing brought them out in a sensitive manner. I liked how all them moved forward with strength, facing their pasts. The diaries of their ancestors held the key that taught them to believe in love and forgiveness.
A story poignantly written touched my heart. Shades of love and romance were also present, but the core was beautiful contemporary tale about family. The secrets that shocked me down the pages were just the icing over the cake.
April 15, 2021
I only discovered Maisey Yates’ books a few years ago. I’m glad I did as I enjoy her books. Confessions from a Quilting Circle is an engrossing read. Four women reveal deep seated secrets gradually throughout the story. They are also making a quilt after fabrics connected to their past. Each story is unique but blended to be easily sewn into the context of the story. I liked the character growth with each woman. It is an emotional roller coaster of a read, but it’s also soothing. Even if you’re not a quilter, there is much to discover within the fabric of the story. Thread the needle and see where it takes you. Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the early read.
May 6, 2021
I don’t think I’ve read a book by this author before. After reading this book I’m definitely looking for more of her books. It’s about family, secrets kept and coming back together. There was parts of this book that made me tear up and that hardly ever happens.
I really enjoyed this book!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy
I really enjoyed this book!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy
March 24, 2021
The book, Confessions from the Quilting Circle, a novel by Maisey Yates was a great book. It is the story about a family of women that are broken, have come back home and their past makes them realize if their life is complete. Mary, the mother had been abandoned by her mother at a young age and left with her father and brothers. Mary has three daughters, the oldest married with two children, the middle one a violinist in the symphony and the youngest a free spirit. They all come back to clean out the homes they inherited. Lark finds boxes of unfinished quilts, along with journals, of their ancestors, which she says they need to finish together. As they meet each week, their secrets come out along with reading the journals to understand their family history.
I thank you for allowing me to read such an interesting novel. If you want to know what happens, buy the book.
HIlda
I thank you for allowing me to read such an interesting novel. If you want to know what happens, buy the book.
HIlda
February 27, 2021
This was such a good read and so the dynamic between the sisters and the diary entries which parallel what they were struggling with was just so good. When Lark Ashwood’s grandmother dies, she and her sisters discover an unfinished quilt and Lark decides that this is a good reason to stop running from her past and to share her biggest secret. That is what this family has in common their ability to keep secrets and not being able to share them. Hannah can’t believe she is back in Bear Creek where she sacrificed everything to escape from but the plan is to help her sisters renovate their grandmothers house and leave as fast as she can before she is confronted with her ex that still lives in town and whose heart she broke on her way out of town. While Avery seems to have a perfect life with her doctor husband and her 2 great kids but at what cost is her perfection. Oh man the themes in this were heavy with all the secrets the sisters were carrying around and living with that made Hannah so driven and Lark never able to stay in one place for long without moving on and left Avery stuck in Bear Creek believing that she got what she wanted but at what cost. They unearth the fabric to use for the quilts which has a diary from the women the garment or curtain belonged to which by the end of the book gave you a more complete back story for all these women which was really interesting especially with how it turned out. I would really love to read more on this town and what happened after the book finishes with everyone. Just a really great read and I need to read some more books by this author
Thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.
Thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.
March 28, 2021
couldn't put it down! I love a good story of a family coming together again after a long separation.
February 4, 2021
“You have never gone so far that you can’t come back home again.”
Confessions from the Quilting Circle by Maisey Yates Is a family drama that weaves the personal stories and heartaches of seven generations of women. Upon her death, Adeline Dowell had left her estate to her daughter, Mary. Now months later Mary is meeting her daughters Avery, Hannah, and Lark at the large old family home to make decisions for the future of The Dowell House. There are layers of history, secrets, and misunderstandings in their lives that will be uncovered in the next few weeks.
The women find the attic filled with unfinished projects left behind by Addie. There is a box of fabric that hides old diaries within the folds of fabric. Lark decides that her mom and sisters should honor Gram by finishing the memory quilt. Each woman chooses a different fabric for their blocks. This will begin the summer of the sisters getting to know one another in a deeper way and there will be life-changing decisions to make. The Ashwood girls will finally confront truths about their own lives and seek to bond with their mother.
The book has excerpts of diaries from Anabeth Snow in 1864, Ava Moore in 1923, and Dot, 1944. As each one works on their quilt blocks, they discover the secrets of past generations and how their decisions have an influence on the Ashwood women of the present day.
Publication Date: May 4, 2021 (The book does need some editing)
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Confessions from the Quilting Circle by Maisey Yates Is a family drama that weaves the personal stories and heartaches of seven generations of women. Upon her death, Adeline Dowell had left her estate to her daughter, Mary. Now months later Mary is meeting her daughters Avery, Hannah, and Lark at the large old family home to make decisions for the future of The Dowell House. There are layers of history, secrets, and misunderstandings in their lives that will be uncovered in the next few weeks.
The women find the attic filled with unfinished projects left behind by Addie. There is a box of fabric that hides old diaries within the folds of fabric. Lark decides that her mom and sisters should honor Gram by finishing the memory quilt. Each woman chooses a different fabric for their blocks. This will begin the summer of the sisters getting to know one another in a deeper way and there will be life-changing decisions to make. The Ashwood girls will finally confront truths about their own lives and seek to bond with their mother.
The book has excerpts of diaries from Anabeth Snow in 1864, Ava Moore in 1923, and Dot, 1944. As each one works on their quilt blocks, they discover the secrets of past generations and how their decisions have an influence on the Ashwood women of the present day.
Publication Date: May 4, 2021 (The book does need some editing)
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
May 3, 2021
Originally published at Reading Reality
I usually say there are two variations on stories about home. One is the Thomas Wolfe version in the title of the book, You Can’t Go Home Again. One is the Robert Frost version, “home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.” Now I have a third version, Addie Dowell’s combination of hope, prayer and hard-lived experience, that “you can never go so far that you can’t come back home.”
This is a story about coming home. Not just about Mary Ashwood and her three daughters, Avery, Hannah and Lark, but also the journey of Mary’s mother, Addie, and all of the Dowell women that came before her, starting with Anabeth Snow Dowell, the widow who boarded a Conestoga wagon to make the long and arduous journey from Boston to Bear Creek Oregon after the loss of the husband who planned it – and who found love and hope along the way.
It’s also a story about starting over in the place where you began, whether you ever left it or not. Because as much as we all sometimes want to leave our pasts behind, we carry them with us wherever we go, with the weight of the things left unsaid and undone dragging us back at every turn.
Escape Rating A: I don’t often have a playlist for books, but I do this time. It’s Stevie Nicks’ Landslide on endless loop, because it feels like her story reflects all the journeys in this book. And now the damn thing is an earworm and I can’t get it out of my head.
The story here is on two tracks, although it isn’t time slip. It’s not about seeing the whole of the lives of the characters in the past, rather about the Ashwood women seeing the way that, in spite of how much the trappings of life have changed over the centuries, the experiences of the women who came before them have profound resonances in their lives in the present.
Which is a long way of saying that history repeats, specifically that history has repeated through the generations of the Dowell/Ashwood family. And that a big part of the history that keeps repeating is the way that each generation of the family – at least on the distaff side – does their best to keep what each believes are damning secrets to themselves. Even at times and places where the reveal would be the best thing for everyone involved.
It’s a lot of women hiding away their hurts and disappointments and sins in order to keep what is often a very dubious – and sometimes destructive – peace.
So Mary pretends to be stoic and Avery pretends to be perfect and Hannah pretends to be obsessed with her career while Lark pretends to be an irresponsible drifter. But even though there are aspects of truth in those pretenses, at the heart of them is a very big secret that each of them is forced to reveal to the others believing that the cost of stepping out of each other’s comfort zones will be too high to pay.
But none of them have gone so far that they can’t come back home to each other. Which is what makes this story such a lovely read.
I usually say there are two variations on stories about home. One is the Thomas Wolfe version in the title of the book, You Can’t Go Home Again. One is the Robert Frost version, “home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.” Now I have a third version, Addie Dowell’s combination of hope, prayer and hard-lived experience, that “you can never go so far that you can’t come back home.”
This is a story about coming home. Not just about Mary Ashwood and her three daughters, Avery, Hannah and Lark, but also the journey of Mary’s mother, Addie, and all of the Dowell women that came before her, starting with Anabeth Snow Dowell, the widow who boarded a Conestoga wagon to make the long and arduous journey from Boston to Bear Creek Oregon after the loss of the husband who planned it – and who found love and hope along the way.
It’s also a story about starting over in the place where you began, whether you ever left it or not. Because as much as we all sometimes want to leave our pasts behind, we carry them with us wherever we go, with the weight of the things left unsaid and undone dragging us back at every turn.
Escape Rating A: I don’t often have a playlist for books, but I do this time. It’s Stevie Nicks’ Landslide on endless loop, because it feels like her story reflects all the journeys in this book. And now the damn thing is an earworm and I can’t get it out of my head.
The story here is on two tracks, although it isn’t time slip. It’s not about seeing the whole of the lives of the characters in the past, rather about the Ashwood women seeing the way that, in spite of how much the trappings of life have changed over the centuries, the experiences of the women who came before them have profound resonances in their lives in the present.
Which is a long way of saying that history repeats, specifically that history has repeated through the generations of the Dowell/Ashwood family. And that a big part of the history that keeps repeating is the way that each generation of the family – at least on the distaff side – does their best to keep what each believes are damning secrets to themselves. Even at times and places where the reveal would be the best thing for everyone involved.
It’s a lot of women hiding away their hurts and disappointments and sins in order to keep what is often a very dubious – and sometimes destructive – peace.
So Mary pretends to be stoic and Avery pretends to be perfect and Hannah pretends to be obsessed with her career while Lark pretends to be an irresponsible drifter. But even though there are aspects of truth in those pretenses, at the heart of them is a very big secret that each of them is forced to reveal to the others believing that the cost of stepping out of each other’s comfort zones will be too high to pay.
But none of them have gone so far that they can’t come back home to each other. Which is what makes this story such a lovely read.
May 3, 2021
Four women, each finding their way back home.
When Addie Ashwood passes away, her three granddaughters, Lark, Hannah and Avery all gather at her home along with their mother Mary to begin a journey of self discovery and reconnection to each other.
Lark, an illustrator has come back home to continue her grandmother’s legacy by opening a Craft Café. She also encourages her sisters to finish a quilt their grandmother started. Will she find what she is looking for among the fabrics of long ago and be able to face her past?
Hannah, a violinist has given her life to the orchestra. Now that she is back home, will she be able to open up about her tragic experiences as a teenager and be able to see Bear Creek as her home once again? Can the fabrics and journals of the past help Hannah see who she really is?
Avery is the perfect mother and wife until her secret comes to light. Can she give up everything she has worked for to start fresh? Can a quilt give her the comfort she longs for?
Mary, has always wondered why her mother left her when she was just a child, yet returned later in life to have a relationship with her granddaughters. Can Mary heal her past and rekindle her relationship with her daughters over a quilt?
This was just an incredibly beautiful story of family, loss and long buried secrets. We get to witness four women all with their own struggles come together over an unfinished quilt. It was so beautifully written by Maisey Yates, that I could feel the loss of each woman. I loved how they grew emotionally and were able to face the past leaning on each other. The relationships were complicated, but the sisters learned to rely on each other and that helped them to see their true selves. It was a story that you could get lost in, and I highly recommend reading it. My thank to Harlequin Publishing, the author Maisey Yates and Netgalley for an advanced copy to read and review. All opinions written are entirely my own.
When Addie Ashwood passes away, her three granddaughters, Lark, Hannah and Avery all gather at her home along with their mother Mary to begin a journey of self discovery and reconnection to each other.
Lark, an illustrator has come back home to continue her grandmother’s legacy by opening a Craft Café. She also encourages her sisters to finish a quilt their grandmother started. Will she find what she is looking for among the fabrics of long ago and be able to face her past?
Hannah, a violinist has given her life to the orchestra. Now that she is back home, will she be able to open up about her tragic experiences as a teenager and be able to see Bear Creek as her home once again? Can the fabrics and journals of the past help Hannah see who she really is?
Avery is the perfect mother and wife until her secret comes to light. Can she give up everything she has worked for to start fresh? Can a quilt give her the comfort she longs for?
Mary, has always wondered why her mother left her when she was just a child, yet returned later in life to have a relationship with her granddaughters. Can Mary heal her past and rekindle her relationship with her daughters over a quilt?
This was just an incredibly beautiful story of family, loss and long buried secrets. We get to witness four women all with their own struggles come together over an unfinished quilt. It was so beautifully written by Maisey Yates, that I could feel the loss of each woman. I loved how they grew emotionally and were able to face the past leaning on each other. The relationships were complicated, but the sisters learned to rely on each other and that helped them to see their true selves. It was a story that you could get lost in, and I highly recommend reading it. My thank to Harlequin Publishing, the author Maisey Yates and Netgalley for an advanced copy to read and review. All opinions written are entirely my own.
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