IT ALL COMES BACK TO YOU

“A love story can be described, but it's truly known to only two people. They share the first accidental brush of fingertips, every sigh and private joke. They dance to the same music in their hearts for a lifetime.”

This book is at its core a love story. It depicts love of many kinds - love between man and woman, love between parent and child, love between friends. Some of the love in this book is not healthy or fulfilling, but there are enough examples of love that is uplifting and enduring to leave the reader with hope.

Ronni, a nurse working at an assisted living facility in Alabama, forms a bond with Violet, an elderly woman with a rich life story full of romance and heartbreak. When Violet dies, she leaves Ronni a large sum of money in her will with the stipulation that Ronni must write a book about Violet's life story. Through the process of writing this book, Ronni learns a lot about both Violet and herself and confronts some of her own demons.

The book is written in dual timelines with two perspectives, Ronni's and Violet's. Ronni's chapters take place in the present and focus on her journey writing Violet's story. Violet's chapters chronicle her life and loves starting in the late 1940s through her death right before the novel begins. Violet is a vivacious woman who loves and is loved by many men. Her chapters focus most on her romances. The two perspectives are easy to follow. Personally, I found Violet's story more interesting to read, but that is likely because her life was filled with drama. I did enjoy watching Ronni's story unfold too, though. She experiences growth in her character that I found satisfying.

There are some aspects of the plot that I found to be a little too contrived, so that lowered my rating. Violet's character also seems a bit overdone at times. Ronni is a more realistic character. I found the twist about a character at the end of the book interesting but a little unnecessary.

Overall, I am happy to have read this book. It was engaging and full of interesting characters. There is a theme of enduring love that is endearing. I recommend this book to readers who like a mix of romance and family drama.