Good book about love and family. Taylor Dove is the middle sister of seven sisters. Each of them has a special gift. In Tay's case, she can touch someone's handwriting and instantly experience the feelings, sights, and sounds of the person writing. This talent enhances her career as a noted historian, frequently guiding the direction of her research. When her sisters find an antique tin of love letters written by their ancestor, Sarafina, Tay rushes home to investigate. She's happy about the distraction from her recent breakup and intends to focus on writing Sarafina's biography.
The letters reveal a secret relationship with William Day, a wild young man later convicted of participating in a notorious train robbery. Tay's best chance of finding answers lies in the Day family archives in Rose Day's bookstore. But Rose resists giving Tay access until Rose's grandson, Luke, gets involved.
Luke returned to Dove Pond after he became the guardian of his niece, Lulu. Luke is one of those people for whom life comes easy. He's handsome, brilliant, and charming. He had a good computer job he gave up to take care of Lulu. Now, Luke works with Rose and does some computer consulting. There is a lot of tension between him and Rose as he tries to bring the store into the twenty-first century and meets resistance from his technophobe grandmother. He is also easily bored, so he begs Tay for the opportunity to work with her, solving the puzzle of the letters.
The plot intrigued me and kept me turning the pages. Tay researches her ancestor's career as a journalist in New York, but some of the information doesn't make sense to her. The letters from William open new paths of investigation into Sarafina's past. The reader is helped along by chapters told from Sarafina's point of view. Tay and Luke's teamwork is terrific with each bringing a different set of skills to the search. The tension rose as they closed in on the "family secret." While the secret wasn't a complete surprise, learning how they accomplished it was interesting.
I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Luke and Tay. She reluctantly accepts his help initially, but as time passes, she realizes he isn't the hindrance she expected. There are some great scenes of them working together and learning to appreciate the other's insights. Neither expected the feelings that developed between them, leaving Tay to decide if she would stay in Dove Pond or return to her job.
The letters reveal a secret relationship with William Day, a wild young man later convicted of participating in a notorious train robbery. Tay's best chance of finding answers lies in the Day family archives in Rose Day's bookstore. But Rose resists giving Tay access until Rose's grandson, Luke, gets involved.
Luke returned to Dove Pond after he became the guardian of his niece, Lulu. Luke is one of those people for whom life comes easy. He's handsome, brilliant, and charming. He had a good computer job he gave up to take care of Lulu. Now, Luke works with Rose and does some computer consulting. There is a lot of tension between him and Rose as he tries to bring the store into the twenty-first century and meets resistance from his technophobe grandmother. He is also easily bored, so he begs Tay for the opportunity to work with her, solving the puzzle of the letters.
The plot intrigued me and kept me turning the pages. Tay researches her ancestor's career as a journalist in New York, but some of the information doesn't make sense to her. The letters from William open new paths of investigation into Sarafina's past. The reader is helped along by chapters told from Sarafina's point of view. Tay and Luke's teamwork is terrific with each bringing a different set of skills to the search. The tension rose as they closed in on the "family secret." While the secret wasn't a complete surprise, learning how they accomplished it was interesting.
I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Luke and Tay. She reluctantly accepts his help initially, but as time passes, she realizes he isn't the hindrance she expected. There are some great scenes of them working together and learning to appreciate the other's insights. Neither expected the feelings that developed between them, leaving Tay to decide if she would stay in Dove Pond or return to her job.
