June, by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore

Sometimes reading the back flap of a new novel is enough to suck you in, and such was the case with June.  Among other aspects, the summary promises such themes as old Hollywood, creepy mansions, murder, family secrets, and more.  In fact, if I were to find any fault within its pages, it would be with the ‘more’ category.  It sometimes felt as if there was TOO much going on.  That said it was still an enjoyable, if drawn out, read.

The title of the novel refers to two things – the month in which the activity takes place (both in 1955 and 2015), and the name of one of the main characters.  June’s story takes place during the former period, while her granddaughter, Cassie, is at the center of the latter.  Connecting the two generations is the once-regal home known as Two Oaks.  Cassie has returned to the family mansion, inheriting its crumbly masses from her deceased Grandma June.  While she’s holed up there, trying to hide away from daily life, there’s a knock on the door, which brings in a whole new set of characters. 

Tate Montgomery, the current Hollywood ‘it’ girl, shows up on the doorstep with her entourage, Hank and Nick, to inform Cassie that she has somehow inherited the estate of Tate’s father, Jack Montgomery, a former movie star himself.  But, how is that even possible?  Where is the link?  Had Grandma June been hiding a secret past?  It takes the author nearly 400 pages to explain everything to us.  Therein lies the problem.

There was too much of everything, and yet not enough of anything.  There were characters I could have done without (Nick serves absolutely no purpose other than to throw a sex scene in here and there), and characters who should have been developed more, and given more credit (do you see the name Lindie anywhere on the dust jacket?  Nope, neither did I. Yet, the story can’t really be told without her). 

While I enjoyed the writing style, and the back and forth between the past and present, I still think there is such a thing as too much drama, and in this case, the author is guilty as charged.  Themes such as racism and homosexuality deserve more than the random mention here and there that they were granted.  It’s as if Ms. Beverly-Whittemore threw in every idea that popped into her head, when she may have been better off keeping a few for her next book. Less can sometimes be more.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free Advanced Reading Copy of this title through Library Thing, in exchange for an honest review

Are you there God? It's me, Amy...

So...where to begin? 

Life has been...well, awful...for several months now.  No details.  Those of you who know me already know what the deal is. But, it's hard to get back to any semblance of normalcy when your world is flipped upside down and seems as if it will forever stay that way.

There's the conscious part of your brain - the intelligent part - which tells you that life must somehow go on.  Typically, we don't have too much of a say in that, I suppose. But that other pesky side - the one that controls our emotions, our heart, our soul - that's the real pushy one.  That's the one telling you to stay hidden away in your dark little corner, where life can't get at you anymore.  That dark little corner has been my best friend for several months now, but it's time to branch out to the sunnier side of the room.

When I force myself to look at things logically, there really is no other credible option. Life is going to continue rolling on, whether I'm on the train or not.  Kids on playgrounds will continue to giggle and play, even if I'm not walking by during recess. New couples start to fall in love each and every day, even though my continuing (blessed) journey down that path started over 22 years ago.  Most importantly, the sun is still going to rise tomorrow, whether or not I decide to get out of bed to witness it. Life is out there for each and every one of us.  It's filled with celebrations, graduations, jobs, homes, achievements, families, welcomes, and then, sadly, goodbyes.  When life crashes in on you, it's hard to remember how much the good outweighs the bad.

I'd give anything - everying, in fact - to change the events of the past 18 months.  The part of my life that I miss so much is never going to be back.  It doesn't matter how much I cry, how much I beg, how much I pray.  It just won't change things.  Instead, I have to be the one to find my happy again.  I have to remind myself - every single day - that even when it doesn't feel like it, I'm a very lucky girl. I have a nice home, some special friends, two cats who are more like babies, and most importantly, an amazing, loving husband and family who were right by my side as we faced our battles together.

It's hard to read that list and not feel fortunate.  Maybe you can read that list and point out that you don't have half of those things.  But, I bet you have something (or some things) on your list that are missing from mine, don't you?  We don't all have to be the same, or have the same experiences, to know that life occasionally throws a curve ball that can't be hit out of the park.  Whether it strikes you early in life, or you're fortunate enough to get to middle age unscathed, it sucks. It just plain sucks. But, we're still here, aren't we?

Whether it's that new song just out for the summer, or making plans to see a friend in another state, life is STILL good, and there is still fun to be had.  It's just different. But, it's your own responsiblity to make it a GOOD different.