Morning Glory

Set in Seattle's Lake Union houseboat community, Morning Glory focuses on the dual lives of Penny, a housewife in the 1950s, and Ada, a widowed former magazine editor in modern times. After a tragic accident took the lives of Ada's husband and young daughter, she leaves New York and rents the houseboat from which Penny mysteriously disappeared. After Ada leaves her journalism career, she becomes wrapped up in solving the mystery of Penny whose trunk she finds in the houseboat. With the help of an attractive war photojournalist turned food photographer, Ada discovers the secrets of Boat Street.

Morning Glory alternates with a split narrative from the perspective of Ada and Penny, which immediately drew me into the story. It's a nice show more combination of a missing person/murder mystery combined with romance. This was a fun read and I enjoyed it much more than I expected. If you are a Sarah Jio fan, this book is quite similar in style to her others, and you will probably enjoy it. show less

3.0 out of 5 stars - "Because happiness doesn't help you to grow. Only unhappiness does that."

Fleeing tragedy, and fighting a paralyzing depression, Ada Santorini decides to rent a houseboat on Union Lake in Seattle. Once there, she finds healing in a most fairy-tale like manner and helps solve a decades old mystery.

The best thing about this novel was the vivid description of life aboard the houseboat and details about the almost clan-like atmosphere among the neighbors living on the dock. I want to live on a houseboat! The story is predictable romance and the characters don't really have much depth, but it was a sweet story if you're in the mood for that.

ARC compliments of LibraryThing Early Reviewer.

This story reminds me of the TV show Cold Case. It's not just a time slip chronicling two separate stories in two different eras. It's a mystery and as the modern-day heroine digs for answers, the past subtly unfolds, the overlap growing blurry. At times I could visualize the fifties' people standing there looking on, watching from the sidelines as their past was put together and the mystery solved.
As always, Ms. Jio impresses me with her writing skills. She's one of the best. Even when I don't care for the actions of some of her characters, I find myself utterly immersed, dying to know what happens next.

In the fifities, a woman went missing from her houseboat one night, leaving behind an artist husband, a little neighbor boy who adored show more her, a boat-maker who wanted her, and a community of people intent on hiding the truth. Did she just sail away? Did someone kill her?

The modern-day heroine becomes obsessed with finding out as she resides on the missing woman's former houseboat, recovering from a great loss. The past story is about how you can't play games without others, and possibly yourself. The past heroine messes with people's hearts, can't make up her mind who she wants to be with. The modern-day heroine's story has a theme of moving on, of learning to live with grief.

I didn't like Penny, the past heroine. I saw a woman playing games, weak. I like strength in a woman and by strength, I totally realize it doesn't mean wielding a sword or whatever, but strength comes in many forms and this woman had next to none. Her actions were not strong, but selfish. She wanted to bounce man to man, to whomever it was convenient to be with at that moment. She lived in a shadow of another man, was a submissive wallflower. The conclusion in the end, even that was selfish. What she allows people to believe...someone will pay for that, just not her.

But I have to admit, despite my dislike of one of the heroine, I was very intrigued by the mystery. It takes a talented writer to keep me interested when I so blatantly dislike its heroine. Now, Ada, the modern-day woman, was strong. I appreciated the theme of overcoming grief without dishonoring the deceaseds' memories.

Once again, Jio delivers a great story. show less

Having read all of Sarah Jio's novels, I was super excited to win this through the Early Reviewers program. But as I was reading this novel, I couldn't help but think that with this, her fifth novel, Ms. Jio is following a formula for her novels:

1. Something bad/emotional happens to woman in modern day.
2. Something bad/emotional also happened to woman in past.
3. Modern day woman finds unexpected love while also stumbling upon the "mystery" of the woman in the past.
4. Coincidences between modern day and the past abound.
5. Mystery solved.
6. Happy ending.

Don't get me wrong, the story was engrossing as it traveled back and forth from the past to modern day, and it kept me reading, to find out what was going to happen. The setting, a show more houseboat community on Seattle's Lake Union, was interesting.

But at times the story was just too predictable, and some of the characters actions were unrealistic. Modern-day Ada is a stereotypical Type A working mom that had a REALLY BAD THING happen to her. Past-time Penny was a weak, naive girl who married a man 20 years her senior who didn't treat her right. Something REALLY BAD happened to Penny in the past. Ada is uncovering clues to find out what happened to Penny, as she also is getting over her own REALLY BAD THING.

If you've liked Ms. Jio's other novels, you'll like this one too. It's a quick, easy read. But don't expect anything new or different. Ms. Jio is a talented writer - I hope that with her next novel, she can break free of this formula and write a story with more depth to it. show less

Penny is a newlywed in the 1950s, married to the famous artist Dexter Wentworth living in a houseboat in Washington State; Ada is a young widow grieving her husband and daughter about 50 years later who moves from New York City to that same houseboat to help move on with her life away from the pitiful, caring looks of those she knew. As she begins to find that life can still hold some happiness for her, Ada finds an old chest of Penny’s, and learns that there are secrets kept by the longtime residents of Boat Street.

Both Penny and Ada were characters I cared about and hoped the best for. The writing is strong and the two tales are woven together well and with good pacing. The book kept me up past my bedtime. While these are all strong show more signs, I didn’t love it so much that it was a five star read. show less

Morning Glory was my first book by Sarah Jio and looking forward to reading more of her books, as have added a number of them to my “must read list”!

Ah, where to start…..this book was so engaging! I was traveling from NC to South Florida (by car), with a 14 hour drive ahead of me with a few good audio books to keep me company. After finishing one on the first leg of the trip, I started Morning Glory on the return trip and finished it before my return. At first it seemed a little slow, and was not sure it would grab me; however, I urge readers to stay with it as within the next few chapters, I was hooked completely!

The setting was sooooo alluring, as I have spent a great deal of time in Seattle and Puget Sound and love the area, as show more so serene. The water is so perfect and have great memories there with two different special guys--definitely brought back a few as also dined at the space needle.
How fantastic ---the author was writing this book on a house boat which made it very special. Having spent time on a house boat in Mt Dora, FL (the New England of the South), can relate!

The main character, Ada was grieving and guilt ridden and leaves her successful career as a writer in the media travel business in NY, escaping to a houseboat for rent in Washington.

Little did she know the caring people she would meet and the surprises in store for her as she researches the past of this particular house boat she is renting and the Peyton Place (Boat Street).

She finds some items in a chest left behind and begins researching the woman who lived there in the 50s, which had gone missing years ago. Wow, was this a story in itself!

The book switches back and forth from Ada’s present day and her time on this house boat to Penny Wentworth's life on Boat Street years ago. The more Ada researches, the more she is intrigued by this woman’s life and the mystery surrounding her death.

Penny was a beautiful young woman who married a famous artist – older, good looking, Casanova, wealthy, and was never home. She was lonely and unfulfilled. She loves baking, romance, and sailing. However, never experiences this with her husband.

While her husband is away for long periods of time (supposedly at his studio in Pioneer Square or off traveling with women celebrities), Penny meets a boat builder named Colin and falls in love. Colin has a past and secrets as well.

However, she stays with her artist husband as a sense of security. She is pulled toward both men; and the night she plans her getaway – something happens. There is another mystery here with other players (will not spoil this).

Suspenseful, romantic, mysterious, and a true women’s historical fiction – the author does a magnificent job tying together all the players, their past, and stories for an inspiring, uplifting, and heartwarming story with lots of twists and turns and ones which will make you smile long after the book has ended! Just when you think it is ending, you will get another surprise before it ends in the epilogue. Outstanding! show less

I am in a serious reading slump. It is a bad one. For months now I have not been enjoying what I am reading. There have been a few exceptions, but for the most part, the books have really dragged for me lately and I have given up on some. Unlike other slumps, this time I am pushing through. So when this book showed up on my doorstep, I put my other books on the back burner and jumped right in. There is nothing like a great book from a favorite author help lift the spirits.

This book starts with poor Ada, who has survived a tragedy involving her husband and daughter. You get the idea early on what happened, but the details come out as Ada’s story evolves. I was able to learn a lot about Ada this way, and it really added to the show more “characters” of Ella and James.

Ada is renting a house boat that used to belong to Penny, who went missing 50 years earlier. Penny’s story is bittersweet, and sets the stage for future events. When Ada finds a box of Penny’s belongings, she decides to find out what really happened all those years ago. All of the neighbors are pretty tight lipped about it, so Ada joins forces with Alex, who lives in the next houseboat. As Ada and Alex discover more about Penny, they also learn more about themselves

As in Ms. Jio’s other books, this is a dual story line novel. She does this so well; she should teach a class. Clear division between the two plots, and you always know who is telling the story. Plus she goes back and forth logically, so there is no jumping around. The characters were developed well. Many of them appear in both plots, and readers were able to see how the events of the past affected the characters of the present. She even threw in a few of Penny’s special recipes, which I plan to try soon.

Her descriptions of the lake were wonderful. I love Seattle. It is my favorite place in the US, but I have never been interested in sailing or the houseboat lifestyle. I am now. I could vividly picture the homes and love the idea of being able to sail away from my own back deck. I enjoyed reading about the Space Needle also.

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick and easy read. Ms. Jio really brought all the characters together. There were coincidences that made for a heartwarming story. I won’t say that there were any huge twists or revelations (at least not for me), but that is okay. Even though I could see what was coming, I still enjoyed every minute I was with this novel.

FYI, there was some religion in this, which surprised me. I wouldn’t label it Christian Fiction at all, but what was there did seem to stand out. It didn’t bother me, but I thought I would put that out there for others. show less