"the shadow of your smile" by susan may warren

In the three years following their daughter Kelsey's murder, Eli & Noelle Hueston's marriage has become strained nearly to the point of fracture. Eli has turned to his friend Clay's widow Lee for companionship, and Noelle has returned to painting—and neither knows what the other is up to. After Noelle is injured in a robbery, she loses her memory, thinking she is a 21-year-old art student rather than a 46-year-old wife and mother. As Noelle desperately searches for the missing 25 years of her life, Eli senses a chance to start over with his wife.

My take: As a longtime fan of Susan May Warren's writing, I had high expectations going into this novel. I was not disappointed! I know I've said this about Warren's other books, but I'll say it again: her characters come across as real people. Eli, Noelle, and Lee are all deeply flawed, and they each were headed down a dangerous (yet completely realistic) path before Noelle's amnesia forced them to truly weigh their actions and consider the cost. I also enjoyed the sub-plot of Eli's son and Lee's daughter falling in love—and I thought the effect their parents' actions had on their relationship was also quite realistic.

Last but not least, I absolutely loved the way the book ended. I don't want to spoil it for you (because you really should read it for yourself), so I'll just say that Warren didn't take the story where I expected, and for that, I'm grateful. Her ending is much more powerful than mine would have been!

I give The Shadow of Your Smile 5 out of 5 stars—my first 5-star review of 2012! Read the story behind the story here: http://www.susanmaywarren.com/books/the-shadow-of-your-smile. You can also buy the book or see what other reviewers are saying.

About the Author: 
Susan May Warren is an award-winning, best-selling author of over twenty-five novels, many of which have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, the ACFW Book of the Year award, the Rita Award, and have been Christy finalists. After serving as a missionary for eight years in Russia, Susan returned home to a small town on Minnesota’s beautiful Lake Superior shore where she, her four children, and her husband are active in their local church. Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you! She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice. Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!) A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at www.susanmaywarren.com.

About the Giveaway:
Sometimes love requires a little forgetting ... Come back to Deep Haven and find out what's been happening in your favorite quaint hamlet. If you're new to the Deep Haven series - this is the perfect book to start with - each book in the series is a stand alone story.

Susan is celebrating the release of The Shadow of Your Smile by giving away a prize pack worth over $200 from 1/9-1/28.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A $200 Visa Gift Card (Use that to rekindle a little romance, treat yourself to a spa day, snap up those shoes you’ve been eyeing, or purchase a few great books!)

• The entire set of Deep Haven Books 

The winner will be announced on 1/30/12 on Susan’s blog, Scribbles! Just click one of the icons below to enter and tell your friends about Susan's giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I a digital copy of this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."