The gallery is a mix of new adult and women's fiction. It's a collection of two novels following young widow, Jenna Rhodes. After the death of her well-known artist husband, Jenna is left alone with a baby and an aching to express and process her grief through art. As she comes to open her life up a little bit more, she finds herself attracted to another artist, Trevor Dade. Not sure if another relationship is what she wants, Jenna initially resists Trevor's attention, but she soon finds herself too pulled to his vibrant young spirit. As the relationship forms and grows, their differing views of the future threaten their close bond.
When I started the first book, I wasn't sure that I'd be able to connect much with the story. The idea of being a mother and taking care of a baby is so far away from my life, and so, certain things like continual mentions of breast-feeding stood out and became a little off-putting. But even though her experiences and life were so different from mine, I found it easy to connect with Jenna. I cared a lot about her and what she was going through. Which occasionally made reading hard, because the stress and emotions were so real. I feel the novels deal strongly with depression and the reality of normal life. This can tend to feel more bleak to me than a story with a focus on extreme drama. But even during the rough times, The gallery always maintains a sense of hope. The love of her children and the therapy of artistic creation.
LK consistently writes strong prose, but some of my favorite bits are when she dips into a poetic moment: "Her other favorite fall activity was watching the leaves turn to reds and yellows and oranges and shades of brown, then tumble lightly to the ground. She especially liked to be out in the wind as leaves tossed around her feet, singing their own melody." These moments bring the story more vibrantly to life, much like a great visual piece of art.
"All art is personal. All life is art." And The gallery feels like a real and personal expression of art. There were sections that didn't resonate with me, but that can be part of creating something that is uniquely your own. And I think The gallery does a great job of that.… (more)
Jenna was only 24 when cancer took her husband. He was a very successful young artist. She was content to just be his wife and put her own talents and desires "on hold" so she could totally support him. Her parents and best friend were against her marriage but she was happy with this decision anyway. -Years ago I had a Creative Writing teacher who tried to teach us to write according to thought pattern. I never successfully accomplished it - LK did. The storyline was a little difficult at first to follow, as the author fluctuated between past and present. She, however, was able to do so remarkably well so the reader easily followed. I would have preferred a slightly different ending but, then, it wasn't my story.
This tale reflected feelings and grief that many remaining spouses experiences after the death of the other. I gave a weak four star rating because, at first, it was difficult to follow along with then in the middle it, somewhat, dragged. I still recommend it , especially, for book club groups.
It was quite "cleanly" well-written and once the reader began to discover the past/present pattern, it was a very good story.… (more)
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When I started the first book, I wasn't sure that I'd be able to connect much with the story. The idea of being a mother and taking care of a baby is so far away from my life, and so, certain things like continual mentions of breast-feeding stood out and became a little off-putting. But even though her experiences and life were so different from mine, I found it easy to connect with Jenna. I cared a lot about her and what she was going through. Which occasionally made reading hard, because the stress and emotions were so real. I feel the novels deal strongly with depression and the reality of normal life. This can tend to feel more bleak to me than a story with a focus on extreme drama. But even during the rough times, The gallery always maintains a sense of hope. The love of her children and the therapy of artistic creation.
LK consistently writes strong prose, but some of my favorite bits are when she dips into a poetic moment: "Her other favorite fall activity was watching the leaves turn to reds and yellows and oranges and shades of brown, then tumble lightly to the ground. She especially liked to be out in the wind as leaves tossed around her feet, singing their own melody." These moments bring the story more vibrantly to life, much like a great visual piece of art.
"All art is personal. All life is art." And The gallery feels like a real and personal expression of art. There were sections that didn't resonate with me, but that can be part of creating something that is uniquely your own. And I think The gallery does a great job of that.… (more)