Customer Reviews

Shades of Blue (Memory Box Trilogy, Book 2)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Susan Barnes never put too much thought into marriage or a family of her own. She believed that love was something that would come in due time. Until then, she remained a true, dedicated friend to Laura Thompson and her daughter Annie, who, had suffered through tragedies of their own. Susan, a vibrant, independent young woman finally found the man of her dreams. Tom Watson dazzled her from the first time they met. He was perfect. She thought. Somewhere through it all she lost that fairytale love. She lost her self-esteem and finesse.
I thought the book was a delicate read. The spiritual side of the story was very empowering. I could relate to Susan in many ways...WN Stanley, Author of 'Journey to the Last River' and `In the Midst of Change'."

The second book in Cindy Bauer's 'Memory Box Trilogy'. The spotlight is now on Susan as the protagonist (Laura's nanny from the first book 'Chasing Memories.') This is a nice twist, as I had expected the main character from the first book - Laura, to again be the focus of the story. Laura and her family and other familiar characters do continue to play important roles in the book.
Susan has married the man of her dreams, Tom; however, it is not long before things start to go wrong. Susan realises too late that she may not have known everything about Tom before she married him, and there are some very dark secrets waiting to be uncovered.
Cindy Bauer has done well in portraying the character of Susan as a very typical victim of domestic violence, a woman who is blinded by her love for her partner so much that she does not see the signs and does not heed the warnings. Half way through the book I was wondering whether Susan was a credible character as it seemed almost impossible that someone who had suffered so much at the hands of their partner would continue going back for more even though she had close friends who were willing to help her. However, as the story progresses, Cindy Bauer manages to develop Susan's character well, so she does become believeable. In fact she reminded me of women I came across when I worked as a lawyer assisting women who were victims of domestic violence.
There are many tragedies and problems for Susan to deal with in the novel.
I found the novel to be very engrossing in parts, especially the second half of the book. At the end there is a surprising twist which hints at what is to come in the third book to keep the reader hooked. Cindy has again produced an inspirational novel which is a must-read for anyone suffering similar problems in their daily life.

Shades Of Blue is another great book by Cindy Bauer! Following closely in the footsteps of Chasing Memories, we tail-gate Laura's best friend, Susan, into her exciting life as a new bride, a wife and a Mother. Years of happiness and turmoil fill her life, but she manages wonderfully and comes out victorious with God! Another winner Cindy!

Book 2 in this series is proving to be better than the first one and that speaks volumes! I am looking foward to the 3rd of this series!!
This writer is down to earth, inspiring and her books are filled with alot of drama and suspense!!