Lynda Fitzgerald invites fiction readers to step into the life of a young girl and grow as she grows. The author delivers such compelling dialogue the reader feels the emotion with the same depth and conviction as the characters--, love and hate, disappointment and elation, it's all here, in vivid, alluring detail. If Truth Be Told is the perfect modern day mix of Cinderella and 10 Things I Hate About You.
At the tender and impressionable age of 14, Christie O'Kelly attends her uncle's wedding and meets the man of her dreams, Todd. Having endured a life devoid of love, support and kindness with her wicked sisters and uncaring mother, Christie finds solace and sanctuary in her Uncle Jack's home. His new wife Carly is everything her own family was not and so, not surprisingly she spends a great deal of time with them. Trading her teddy bear for the comfort of Todd's love, she is devastated when a letter arrives announcing he has married.
When her uncle falls ill, Todd returns home to help care for him, forcing Christie to deal with her anger, frustration and broken heart face to face. Now divorced and convinced he made the biggest mistake of his life, he tries to win Christie back, but is met with the stern rebuff of a deeply wounded heart.

What follows is a realistic look beyond the surface fluff, into the very soul of the characters as they must overcome their own misgivings, find a way to forgive and move forward with their lives. Chock-full of wit, overflowing with attitude and heart, If Truth Be Told, breathes new life into the coming of age - first love stories that have touched so many readers over the years. Fitzgerald's unique style, three dimensional characters and true-to-life scenarios take the reader on a memorable journey that covers a wide spectrum of emotions--from innocent first love, to jaded heart-break, to self-discovery and forgiveness and ultimately to accept the shortcomings of others, as well as, yourself.
There are so many unexpected twists throughout this novel that bring the reader deeper into the lives and hearts of the characters you can't help but feel each and every ounce of the emotion that obviously flowed so freely from Fitzgerald's pen. It's almost impossible to place a category or label on this story, except to simply say "exceptional!" I recommend "If Truth Be Told" to anyone that enjoys reading!

Happy Reading!
-RJ
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