Shannon Castleton

I’m sitting here staring at my keyboard wondering how I can do justice to this work of art. It’s a book that will stay with me long after reading that evokes deep emotions and brought me back in time to college days, first love, heartache, and healing. The writing is simply gorgeous, profound, poignant, at times humorous, and poetic. It’s a coming of age story like none I’ve read before. A triumphant masterpiece of a debut novel by Shannon Castleton.

I agree with what so many have show more said that it’s best going into this book without knowing much and truly experiencing it as the story unfolds. The romance is achingly beautiful. The characters become like close friends. Vivienne’s point of view is delightful as is Peter’s. I loved getting to know them through journal entries. Journals are so personal and having the story told in this way gave me a glimpse into the characters’ souls that I couldn’t get any other way.

The story takes place in 1991 on a college campus in California when Yugoslavia was in turmoil. Vivienne is a French American, 20 year old college student who finds herself far away from her New York home and enamored with her Slovenian American poetry professor. Though he’s suffering with worry for his family caught in a civil war, Vivienne is also suffering with the pains of growing up and dealing with a mother who was diagnosed with cancer. It’s a love story that resonates and leaves a deep abiding impression that I won’t long forget.

This is definitely a must read! Highly recommend to contemporary romance and women’s fiction fans. I can’t wait to read what this author writes next. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.

*There are some things sensitive readers should be aware of. It’s a closed door romance with only make outs. There are discussions of death and dying with respect to war and cancer. There’s some cursing including uses of the “s” word and other mild profanities but not frequent. There’s also some mild sexual harassment. show less