The Rosewood Diary (Driftwood Bay book 1)

WOMEN'S FICTION: Sisters Quin and Ryla grew up and grew apart. The elder sister, Quin, left for the excitement of Manhattan and a promising art career, encouraged and championed by her parents. Younger sister Ryla stayed home in the quaint town with her pet rabbit, Duggy. Quin soared into the clouds, and Ryla lived in her sister’s mega-shadow. Neither one really knew the other all that well. Then, just as Quin’s career is taking off, Ryla requests that her sister come home—it’s urgent. Putting her big art show on hold, Quin reluctantly returns, to find Ryla and her hunky hospice nurse, and more secrets than she can handle.  The gulf between her and Ryla seems impossible to cross.

Love sister sagas? Grab this one—and the tissues! This emotional start to a sea swept series is creative and introspective. Ryla’s heart condition and young heart were largely ignored by the girls’ parents, while Quin received all the advantages and opportunities to chase her dreams - or so Ryla felt when Quin begins reading her informational diary. Paxton, Ryla’s neighbor and hospice nurse, is insightful, and the rouge bunny will steal the reader’s heart with his antics. As Quin reads her sister’s diary, real insight comes, along with regrets and truths. The story is full of angst, conflict, and creativity in a quaint small-town setting. It does repeat Quin’s conflict several times, to the point of dragging the story down sometimes, and a few scattered editing errors and typos cause reading stumbles. Beyond that, this poignant, thoughtful, and emotional story will take the reader along to a nail-biting conclusion!

Emerson Matthews