A Matter of Mercy, Lynne Hugo ~ book review

* I received a copy of this book to facilitate my review. All opinions are strictly my own. *

I'll start right off with saying that A Matter of Mercy was an enjoyable read.

CiCi (Caroline - our primary character) returned home to take care of her mom - who was dying. Her life outside of "home" had been falling apart.

After a brief stint in jail - yes, I know - she found herself trying to figure out where she stood.

Where were her strengths?

Who did she have in her life to support and love her?

What would she do without her mother?

I know, I'm not doing a great job of selling the story just yet, am I?

But it's good to know that although there are so many negatives happening in CiCi's life that she can find her way out of the darkness with the right support.

CiCi reconnects with an old acquaintance from high school. Rid is someone she knew, but barely. Their paths cross as she stumbles through her return home.

Watching them reconnect was a strong point of the book for me. The overlap in their stories, enjoyable, but not overly predictable. Rid had his own storyline. His life was not dependent upon Caroline's. Not her life. Not her decisions. Not at first.

I did find the culmination of their relationship to be a bit rushed as it seemed to come to fruition towards the later part of the book. Certain steps became predictable - although still enjoyable.

I suppose at close to 300 pages the author deemed it important to wrap things up. I would also guess that to drag out the ending of the story would be just that - draggy. It wouldn't work for the book and could lead to frustration. But I would have liked a little bit more.

I also held issue with a secret that CiCi kept from Rid. It, too, wrapped things up nicely, but didn't bode well for their relationship if he ever finds out. Unfortunately (or fortunately, maybe?) he doesn't - not within these pages - so we don't see what happens there.

Regardless of these two points I really did like the book. The setting was perfect, and I often found myself picturing it clearly in my mind. Hugo did a beautiful job of detailing the surrounding areas for this story. The community was enjoyable and I could picture myself hanging out with Billy (bartender Billy!) at The Oyster. There is another critical aspect of the storyline that was really intriguing, but I can't introduce you to it without giving a lot away - so I'll have to hold back!

Overall A Matter of Mercy was a mostly non-stressful read, despite the occasional heavy topics, and is worth looking into. A Matter of Mercy is available on Kindle and in can also be purchased in paperback at: A Matter of Mercy for your enjoyment.

* I received a copy of this book from TLC Book Tours. All expressed opinions are completely my own. I was not compensated in any way for this review. *

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