A Novel Like This Arrives "Once In A Blue Moon"

When One2One asked me to review “Once In A Blue Moon” by Eileen Goudge, I was warned. They let me know, “Your work, life, laundry and grocery shopping can wait, because you won't be able to put this one down, we promise.” I could not put the book down. In fact, I stayed up past 3 in the morning to gobble up the ending!

The formal description of “Once In A Blue Moon” offered by One2One was:

Sisters Lindsay and Kerrie Ann have known hardship from an early age. Without guidance from their neglectful mother, their only aid came from an unlikely source, a retired exotic dancer by the name of Miss Honi Love. When the girls’ mother was sent to prison, Miss Honi tried unsuccessfully to save them from being separated and sent into foster care.

Thirty years later, Lindsay is still trying to reconnect with her sister. The owner of a bookstore in the sleepy California seaside town of Blue Moon Bay, she was lucky enough to have been adopted by a loving couple. Unbeknownst to her, Kerrie Ann has suffered a very different life. Bounced from one foster home to the next, she ran away as a teenager before becoming a drug-addicted single mother. Now, newly sober, Kerrie Ann is fighting to regain custody of the little girl who was taken from her.

Neither sister’s expectations are met when they’re finally reunited. But as the two sisters engage in the fiercest battles of their lives, they are at last drawn together despite their differences, restoring belief in the unshakable bond of family.

I had no idea I would become addicted to reading about these characters. Much like chocolate, I had to savor every bit. You can see, smell, taste, hear and feel the descriptions Goudge paints with her pen. Her characters come alive off the page, grabbing you and making you a part of their world. The women are strong, vulnerable, unique, recognizable and completely real.

“Once In A Blue Moon” also has plenty of romance along the way. Will Lindsay wind up with pragmatic Grant or irresistible Randall? Will Kerrie Ann get back with Bella's wayward dad Jeremiah or be sweet on Ollie, the pastry chef at her Lindsay's book store and cafe? Honi Love adds a touch of humor and reality with her unusual method of surrogate mothering.

As Kerrie Ann fights to regain custody of her daughter Bella, Lindsay is confronted with saving the home she inherited from her adoptive parents. Hotel mogul Lloyd Heywood wants her peaceful oceanfront acreage for a golf course and resort and won't take no for an answer.

I could not put “Once In A Blue Moon” down until I knew whether Lindsay kept her home, Kerri Ann regained custody of Bella and who would hook up or not. A compelling book such as this only comes along “Once In A Blue Moon”.

Eileen Goudge is a New York Times bestselling author married to entertainment reporter Sandy Kenyon and living in New York City. Novels written by this bestselling author include “The Diary”, “Domestic Affairs”, “Garden Of Lies” and “Thorns Of Truth.” Over five million copies of her books are in print worldwide.

Visit Eileen Goudge's website to find out more about “Once In A Blue Moon” and her other work.