Nan Fischer

Though contemporary romance isn't a genre I pick up often, something about the premise of this book compelled me to give it a read, and I'm so glad I did.

The main character Constance is a people pleaser, always willing to give up pieces of herself for others, and never feeling like she's enough. When her fiancé gives her a stunning antique engagement ring, she sets out to discover its provenance through a very old book of letters from WWI. The answers she finds help to guide her down her own path of self-discovery.

I wasn't expecting this to be such an emotional read, but I got teary eyed several times. My heart went out to Constance and her struggle with low self-esteem and her difficult relationships with others. She was such a sweet person.

There's a bit of mystery that Constance finds within the book of letters, and a lovely slow-build romance that came with a couple of surprising twists. I highly recommend this uplifting story of finding self-worth, true love, and having the courage to accept the past and set a new course in life.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book. Opinions are my own.… (plus d'informations)

4.5⭐️

“In the end we must all choose what we are unwilling to lose— be it a dream, a passion, a person, or ourselves. And what informs that choice most of all is discovering a raison d’être.”

After almost giving up on hopes of finding that special someone thirty-two-year-old paralegal Constance Sparks finds a wonderful partner in high school teacher Hayden and is happy to be planning her upcoming nuptials. Constance had a difficult childhood and her father is serving his sentence for murder – facts that she does not disclose to Hayden, whose behavior often strikes as inconsistent with the image he projects. Constance spends her free time volunteering at the local animal shelter and her love for animals is a driving force in her life. Constance wants more from life but she is too busy keeping everyone around her happy, suppressing her own ambitions and desires. She has a lot on her plate – she feels her career has stagnated, she fears how the truth about her family history would impact her relationship with Hayden, her father is up for his next parole hearing and is pressurizing Constance to put in a god word and the shelter might be facing closure.

“The thing about putting off your dreams is that they recede each year until the distance to reach them becomes too far.”

Her antique engagement ring is a stunning piece that Constance was surprised that Hayden could afford. She is intrigued by an inscription on the ring that inspires her to research the history of the ring – a quest that leads her to an old book documenting the relationship between a young couple in love during WWI through a series of letters. Reading these letters and the correspondence she exchanges with a mystery person through letters left in the pages of said book motivate Constance to take stock of her own life, relationships and priorities.

Revolving around themes of self-acceptance, friendship and found family, growth and self-discovery, The Book of Silver Linings by Nan Fischer is a beautiful story that will strike a chord in your heart. The characters are well drawn out, even the unlikable ones. I absolutely adored Constance and was completely invested in her journey. The author’s strength lies in portraying the complexities and the simplicities of human emotions and I enjoyed the real and relatable take on the different relationships depicted throughout this novel – the friendship between Mars and Constance and the deeply empathetic relationship between Trudy and Constance, the strained relationship between Constance and her father and Constance’s slowly developing relationship with Ellis and of course her love for animals. The letters were exquisitely penned and I went back and reread them multiple times. It was sad to read about the abandoned and abused animals who found refuge in Trudy’s shelter. I found the tender moments between Constance and her furry friends incredibly moving. This is my first Nan Fischer novel and I'm eager to explore more of her work.

Many thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the digital review copy of The Book of Silver Linings.

“You must not give up the things that are important to you in order to be loved. Life is a long road best traveled with someone who shares your passions or at the very least makes room for them, sees your light, and helps it shine even brighter.”

Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph … (plus d'informations)

Constance has finally said yes to her boyfriend Hayden. He has given her a stunning ring. But Constance is still having second thoughts. She has not met Hayden’s friends or family yet. Plus, she has not really been truly honest with him about her past. So, as a distraction from her doubts, she starts to research her ring. What she discovers is a timeless, historical romance.

This was very close to a five star read for me. The only reason it is not…is because I felt like the author could have ended it about 50 or so pages sooner. The tying up of all the lose ends just took too long. And this is just my opinion.

That being said…you really do not want to miss this book. It captures all your emotions. And you just can’t help but fall for Constance and her insecurities. And when she finally comes into her own, she becomes a force! She no longer thinks of herself as second best.

I also enjoyed how the author wove into the story about Constance’s engagement ring. The mystery and the history surrounding this ring is very creative and so dang intriguing!

Need a story with a little bit of everything…romance, historical fiction, mystery…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.… (plus d'informations)

This story starts out with Constance and her friend Mars going to yoga where you are positioned with the males on the other side. The idea is to get to know them and go on a date.
Love the scramble games and all the superstitious omens that arise during the book.
Contance has a lot of hidden secrets and so does Hayden. They clash one day when hes on the phone with his parents and they’ve been investigating her past...
She is upset that he never even stuck up for her.
Feel like this is two different stories in this book because of the ring he had given her she wants to din out where it came from, who and how she ended up with it, for a bit.
Love the idea of the collections under control where you can read the contents but not check out the book.
Constance is also a paralegal til one day she comes home tee Mars with someone she disapproves of. She ends up quitting her job, has no boyfriend and just works and lives at the dog shelter. She does strive to get a job, one more in her line of work...
Like the turn of events as her father reached out for help fo when he gets out of prison, things take a different turn and she sticks to her gut feelings. She’s also dealing with her grandfather who raised her as he’s going into dementia and love the things she does to keep it all straight for him. Love how she and others put everything into the auction to keep the dog shelter going…
Never saw the book ending as it did, great read. There's a lot to this book but it all comes together.
Received this review copy from Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
#TheBookofSilverLinings #NetGalley… (plus d'informations)