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Title: The Beauty of Broken Things
Author: Victoria Connelly
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: 9th June 2020
Rating: 5 Stars
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| Amazon UK |
United by tragedy, can two broken souls make each other whole?
After the tragic loss of his wife, Helen, Luke Hansard is desperate to keep her memory alive. In an effort to stay close to her, he reaches out to an online friend Helen often mentioned: a reclusive photographer with a curious interest in beautiful but broken objects. But first he must find her—and she doesn’t want to be found.
Orla Kendrick lives alone in the ruins of a remote Suffolk castle, hiding from the haunting past that has left her physically and emotionally scarred. In her fortress, she can keep a safe distance from prying eyes, surrounded by her broken treasures and insulated from the world outside.
When Luke tracks Orla down, he is determined to help her in the way Helen wanted to: by encouraging her out of her isolation and back into the world. But Orla has never seen her refuge as a prison and, when painful secrets and dangerous threats begin to resurface, Luke’s good deed is turned on its head.
As they work through their grief for Helen in very different ways, will these two broken souls be able to heal?
After the tragic loss of his wife, Helen, Luke Hansard is desperate to keep her memory alive. In an effort to stay close to her, he reaches out to an online friend Helen often mentioned: a reclusive photographer with a curious interest in beautiful but broken objects. But first he must find her—and she doesn’t want to be found.
Orla Kendrick lives alone in the ruins of a remote Suffolk castle, hiding from the haunting past that has left her physically and emotionally scarred. In her fortress, she can keep a safe distance from prying eyes, surrounded by her broken treasures and insulated from the world outside.
When Luke tracks Orla down, he is determined to help her in the way Helen wanted to: by encouraging her out of her isolation and back into the world. But Orla has never seen her refuge as a prison and, when painful secrets and dangerous threats begin to resurface, Luke’s good deed is turned on its head.
As they work through their grief for Helen in very different ways, will these two broken souls be able to heal?
Such a beautifully written story, that is ultimately heartwarming and uplifting, despite the incredibly sad and upsetting things that our two main characters have been through. But since meeting and spending time together, Orla and Luke are both perhaps just starting to heal and help each other.
Luke's world was turned upside when his wife suddenly denied incredibly unexpectedly. Orla lives in a castle 3 hours away from Luke, and hides herself away from the world - she is the ultimate definition of self isolation - and the only connection between Luke and Orla is a social media site.
For Luke's wife Helen loved the Galleria site (similar to instagram), and follows Orla's account and they have formed a friendship online without even knowing each others names. Helen sensed something about Orla and wanted to help, but then her life was tragically caught short.
Once Luke tracks down Orla, and they somehow slowly get to know each other, the story really does take on a life of its own.
Orla's account focuses on beautiful objects that have minor imperfections, she loves being able to find and highlight the beauty in broken things, and Helen (who although we only meet her briefly is a huge character in the book), also has started to love finding that same beauty in the imperfect.
What I found really moving, gripping and had real empathy for, was when Orla finally explains to Luke just what happened to make her the way she currently is. I won't tell you any details but its completely understandable that she would now live her life in the shadows as a result of what she went through.
Victoria Connelly's writing seems to go from strength to strength, and as much as I love her lighter hearted Austen Addicts and Booklovers series, this is probably her best book to date. Absolutely loved it!
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,.
Luke's world was turned upside when his wife suddenly denied incredibly unexpectedly. Orla lives in a castle 3 hours away from Luke, and hides herself away from the world - she is the ultimate definition of self isolation - and the only connection between Luke and Orla is a social media site.
For Luke's wife Helen loved the Galleria site (similar to instagram), and follows Orla's account and they have formed a friendship online without even knowing each others names. Helen sensed something about Orla and wanted to help, but then her life was tragically caught short.
Once Luke tracks down Orla, and they somehow slowly get to know each other, the story really does take on a life of its own.
Orla's account focuses on beautiful objects that have minor imperfections, she loves being able to find and highlight the beauty in broken things, and Helen (who although we only meet her briefly is a huge character in the book), also has started to love finding that same beauty in the imperfect.
What I found really moving, gripping and had real empathy for, was when Orla finally explains to Luke just what happened to make her the way she currently is. I won't tell you any details but its completely understandable that she would now live her life in the shadows as a result of what she went through.
Victoria Connelly's writing seems to go from strength to strength, and as much as I love her lighter hearted Austen Addicts and Booklovers series, this is probably her best book to date. Absolutely loved it!
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,.
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