June

by LiterallyLenny - 4:39 PM

What's it about?

"Twenty-five-year-old Cassie Danvers is holed up in her family’s crumbling mansion in rural St. Jude, Ohio, mourning the loss of the woman who raised her—her grandmother, June. But a knock on the door forces her out of isolation. Cassie has been named the sole heir to legendary matinee idol Jack Montgomery's vast fortune. How did Jack Montgomery know her name? Could he have crossed paths with her grandmother all those years ago? What other shocking secrets could June’s once-stately mansion hold?

Soon Jack’s famous daughters come knocking, determined to wrestle Cassie away from the inheritance they feel is their due. Together, they all come to discover the true reasons for June’s silence about that long-ago summer, when Hollywood came to town, and June and Jack’s lives were forever altered by murder, blackmail, and betrayal.

As this page-turner shifts deftly between the past and present, Cassie and her guests will be forced to reexamine their legacies, their definition of family, and what it truly means to love someone, steadfastly, across the ages." - Goodreads Synopsis

My Thoughts?

Finishing this book, I'm really confused about what I feel about it. I'm not sure if I enjoyed the story or found it to be too much. The writing was decent since the author was able to paint images very clearly for my mind, but I got incredibly annoyed when she kept going on and on about something as if she was just trying to use a filler! For example (no spoilers), there's one scene where the author is describing the way two figures are standing together, and it felt like an eternity for her to explain the scene.

What I did love though were the women in this book; June, Cassie, Elda, Tate, and even Lindie. Yes, each and every one had their flaws, but they also were able to learn from this and still "follow their dreams". Cheesy, yes. But what I mean is that the things that they did, were out of love for someone. Not one was selfish, regardless of what it seemed. Their characters were strong individuals. Individuals being the key word. Each was strong and very much capable without a man. They just each needed to find what was worth living for. And I admire them greatly for that. Whether or not their lives were what they had always dreamed of or not. They were never selfish.

The story was predictable for most of the novel, however, I was surprised to learn of what the true conflict was in June and Lindie's story. That in itself made the book for me. Completely out of left field, and turned the book into a completely different genre than I had originally expected.

I did not approve of the romantic relationships that occurred during both time periods, but that could just be me. I would never condone cheating, even in a fictional story. I don't like that the person that I saw as the "villain" (Jack) got a "happily ever after" and did not even suffer any consequences. And towards the end, it was almost as if the author was trying to make an excuse for why Jack was the way he was, saying it was okay because "he's better now". That just irked me because I found Jack to be an all-around terrible person. And the fact that the author can make me feel so much hatred for a character, kudos.

So. With that being said, I give June by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore 3 stars.