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It All Comes Back to You #1
It All Comes Back to You
Alabama, 1947.
War's over, cherry-print dresses, parking above the city lights, swing dancing.
Beautiful, seventeen-year-old Violet lives in a perfect world.
Everybody loves her.
In 2012, she's still beautiful, charming, and surrounded by admirers.
Veronica "Ronni" Johnson, licensed practical nurse and aspiring writer, meets the captivating Violet in the assisted living facility where Violet requires no assistance, just lots of male attention. When she dies, she leaves Ronni a very generous bequest―only if Ronni completes a book about her life within one year. As she's drawn into the world of young Violet, Ronni is mesmerized by life in a simpler time. It's an irresistible journey filled with revelations, some of them about men Ronni knew as octogenarians at Fairfield Springs.
Struggling, insecure, flailing at the keyboard, Ronni juggles her patients, a new boyfriend, and a Samsonite factory of emotional baggage as she tries to craft a manuscript before her deadline.
But then the secrets start to emerge, some of them in person. And they don't stop.
Everything changes.
Alternating chapters between Homecoming Queen Violet in 1947 and can't-quite-find-her-crown Ronni in the present, IT ALL COMES BACK TO YOU is book club fiction at its hilarious, warm, sad, outrageous, uplifting, and stunning best. In the tradition of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and Olive Kitteridge, Duke delivers an unforgettable elderly character to treasure and a young heroine to steal your heart.
War's over, cherry-print dresses, parking above the city lights, swing dancing.
Beautiful, seventeen-year-old Violet lives in a perfect world.
Everybody loves her.
In 2012, she's still beautiful, charming, and surrounded by admirers.
Veronica "Ronni" Johnson, licensed practical nurse and aspiring writer, meets the captivating Violet in the assisted living facility where Violet requires no assistance, just lots of male attention. When she dies, she leaves Ronni a very generous bequest―only if Ronni completes a book about her life within one year. As she's drawn into the world of young Violet, Ronni is mesmerized by life in a simpler time. It's an irresistible journey filled with revelations, some of them about men Ronni knew as octogenarians at Fairfield Springs.
Struggling, insecure, flailing at the keyboard, Ronni juggles her patients, a new boyfriend, and a Samsonite factory of emotional baggage as she tries to craft a manuscript before her deadline.
But then the secrets start to emerge, some of them in person. And they don't stop.
Everything changes.
Alternating chapters between Homecoming Queen Violet in 1947 and can't-quite-find-her-crown Ronni in the present, IT ALL COMES BACK TO YOU is book club fiction at its hilarious, warm, sad, outrageous, uplifting, and stunning best. In the tradition of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and Olive Kitteridge, Duke delivers an unforgettable elderly character to treasure and a young heroine to steal your heart.
294 pages, Paperback
First published August 27, 2018
10628 people are currently reading
9913 people want to read
About the author
Beth Duke
7 books221 followersBeth Duke is an Amazon #1 Best Selling Author and the recipient of numerous honors for her fiction on two continents.
She is eyeing the other five.
Her book TAPESTRY was the Bronze Medal Winner in Southern Fiction in Publishers' Weekly's 2020 Readers Choice Awards, an Award-Winning Finalist in the 2020 International Book Awards, and a Five Star Readers' Favorite Award Winner.
Country music superstar Randy Owen said, "Beth Duke's works are as real as grits and gravy in The South, and her usage of her Southern English has the taste of Mama's biscuits."
Beth lives in the mountains of her native Alabama with her husband, Jay, and an assortment of dogs including a recently-rescued coonhound named Daisy who has stolen her heart. Beth is the adoring and proud mother of Jason and Savannah. She is a constant reader, travel aficionado, and likes to pretend she’s in baking competitions.
She also finds great joy in joining book clubs for discussion (usually via Zoom). If your group would like to schedule a date, please email beth@bethduke.com.
Her books DELANEY'S PEOPLE, DON'T SHOOT YOUR MULE, IT ALL COMES BACK TO YOU, TAPESTRY, and DARK ENOUGH TO SEE THE STARS are all love letters to her home state.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,681 reviews
May 15, 2019
This will be your next book club read, you'll learn from it, and you might get in an argument with your friends about perception of some of the plot elements. A cordial, "Bless your heart" insult kind of Southern tiff. But then everyone with sip some wine and laugh it off.
I donated sleep to this book and it was totally warranted. I crave books that challenge me, contain deep and meaningful themes and color authentic and rich characters. This book has all of those attributes in addition to being delightfully readable.
As a writer myself, I was hesitant to read a book that followed a writer in her process of novel creation. Please don't let that stop you. This book has inspired me to finish my own book and to keep going after that!
I donated sleep to this book and it was totally warranted. I crave books that challenge me, contain deep and meaningful themes and color authentic and rich characters. This book has all of those attributes in addition to being delightfully readable.
As a writer myself, I was hesitant to read a book that followed a writer in her process of novel creation. Please don't let that stop you. This book has inspired me to finish my own book and to keep going after that!
January 21, 2023
In a Nutshell: Good concept, jumpy and clichéd writing. I expected the story to hit me more in terms of emotions, given its premise. This was disappointing.
Story Synopsis:
Where the book worked for me:
✔ The cover is gorgeous and so is the title. The latter applies to the book in many ways, some sweet and some dark. (You need to wait till the end to realise its true significance.)
✔ There was a surprising twist towards the end that I didn’t see coming at all. That was the only point in the novel where I went ‘Whoa!’
✔ The second half has some interesting events as against the first half that’s mostly stuck in a loop. (Cant reveal more – spoilers.)
✔ The book covers quite a few important themes (though not necessarily doing justice to all.) Gaslighting and domestic abuse are two that might cause triggers – read with care. Other themes include drug abuse, foster parenting, adoption, teen pregnancy, separated families,…
✔ I could speed through it.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
❌ For a story that is so character-oriented, it is very important to have at least a few characters who are relatable and likeable. The only who came somewhat close to being so was Ronni. Her childhood traumas and her present insecurity are reflected well in her personality. She did need to have a spine though. Anyone could talk her into anything. And someone needs to tell her that size 12 isn’t fat!
Unfortunately, a story cannot stand on the shoulders of just one character. Violet was everyone’s “love of my life” in the book, but I couldn’t stand her. She comes across as very self-centred and shortsighted. Things do change in the second half, but by then it was a bit too late for me to appreciate her as a victim and not a manipulator.
❌ The men in the story are, without exception, either creepy or weird. Almost all the men are stalkers to some degree or the other. One of them even starts off quite early at the age of ten. Yikes! The bigger problem is that none of the women characters call any man out on the misogyny but find all their gestures romantic and/or sweet.
❌ While there are PLENTY of events in the book, there are barely any scenes that caused me to empathise with the emotion in them. The description of the feelings is almost nonexistent, and the writing felt like it was working through a checklist of plot points to be included.
❌ There are quite a few jumps across scenes as well as in between scenes, and these aren’t written clearly. Many scenes rush by in a hurry. I felt like I was watching a movie on fast forward. None of the conversations have a realistic flow to them.
❌ Having the right character detailing towards the start is always helpful in picturing them as well as understanding their behaviour. But that doesn’t happen here. The character detailing is quite vague. There are hardly any physical descriptions of the women characters except for their size/shape. We don’t even know how old Ronni is until almost half the book has gone by. This is despite the fact that Rick keeps telling her that she was too young for him.
❌ I have some more complaints but they will fall in the MAJOR SPOILERS category. Most centre around how smoothly and conveniently some elements of the plots were fixed together, even if farfetched to us.
All in all, this story had potential but the writing let me down badly. It was not polished, which, to be honest, I didn’t expect from such high ratings. It’s not a debut work, which is one more reason I am so surprised at how this went. If you do pick it up, I hope it goes way, way, way better for you!
2 stars, as it was just about average for me.
I wanted to ask you to wish me luck for the sequel, which I HAVE to read by tomorrow. But I am at 35% of Book Two, and it is a lot better than this one. Let’s hope it stays that way (or improves) till the end.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
Story Synopsis:
1947, Alabama. Seventeen-year-old Violet is living a happy life being the centre of attraction and the target of every boy’s heart. She has her future mapped out and is ready to take it on. But as we all know, life doesn’t go as we plan it.
2012. Violet is still the centre of attraction but in different ways. When she dies in the assisted living facility, she leaves her nursing aide Ronni with a generous gift, but on the condition that Ronni pen and publish Violet’s story within one year. Already insecure about her writing ability as well as her appearance, Ronni is stuck between her promise to Violet and the care facility’s note about confidentiality, with the situation being even more delicate as Violet’s old stories contain loads of secrets.
The book comes to us in the first person perspective of Ronni in 2012, with Violet’s historical perspective written in third person.
Where the book worked for me:
✔ The cover is gorgeous and so is the title. The latter applies to the book in many ways, some sweet and some dark. (You need to wait till the end to realise its true significance.)
✔ There was a surprising twist towards the end that I didn’t see coming at all. That was the only point in the novel where I went ‘Whoa!’
✔ The second half has some interesting events as against the first half that’s mostly stuck in a loop. (Cant reveal more – spoilers.)
✔ The book covers quite a few important themes (though not necessarily doing justice to all.) Gaslighting and domestic abuse are two that might cause triggers – read with care. Other themes include drug abuse, foster parenting, adoption, teen pregnancy, separated families,…
✔ I could speed through it.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
❌ For a story that is so character-oriented, it is very important to have at least a few characters who are relatable and likeable. The only who came somewhat close to being so was Ronni. Her childhood traumas and her present insecurity are reflected well in her personality. She did need to have a spine though. Anyone could talk her into anything. And someone needs to tell her that size 12 isn’t fat!
Unfortunately, a story cannot stand on the shoulders of just one character. Violet was everyone’s “love of my life” in the book, but I couldn’t stand her. She comes across as very self-centred and shortsighted. Things do change in the second half, but by then it was a bit too late for me to appreciate her as a victim and not a manipulator.
❌ The men in the story are, without exception, either creepy or weird. Almost all the men are stalkers to some degree or the other. One of them even starts off quite early at the age of ten. Yikes! The bigger problem is that none of the women characters call any man out on the misogyny but find all their gestures romantic and/or sweet.
❌ While there are PLENTY of events in the book, there are barely any scenes that caused me to empathise with the emotion in them. The description of the feelings is almost nonexistent, and the writing felt like it was working through a checklist of plot points to be included.
❌ There are quite a few jumps across scenes as well as in between scenes, and these aren’t written clearly. Many scenes rush by in a hurry. I felt like I was watching a movie on fast forward. None of the conversations have a realistic flow to them.
❌ Having the right character detailing towards the start is always helpful in picturing them as well as understanding their behaviour. But that doesn’t happen here. The character detailing is quite vague. There are hardly any physical descriptions of the women characters except for their size/shape. We don’t even know how old Ronni is until almost half the book has gone by. This is despite the fact that Rick keeps telling her that she was too young for him.
❌ I have some more complaints but they will fall in the MAJOR SPOILERS category. Most centre around how smoothly and conveniently some elements of the plots were fixed together, even if farfetched to us.
All in all, this story had potential but the writing let me down badly. It was not polished, which, to be honest, I didn’t expect from such high ratings. It’s not a debut work, which is one more reason I am so surprised at how this went. If you do pick it up, I hope it goes way, way, way better for you!
2 stars, as it was just about average for me.
I wanted to ask you to wish me luck for the sequel, which I HAVE to read by tomorrow. But I am at 35% of Book Two, and it is a lot better than this one. Let’s hope it stays that way (or improves) till the end.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
February 22, 2019
So completely engaging from the start, with richly-painted characters and realistic presence in each time period. Violet is entrancing and strong, the center of our focus, and we hold on to so much hope for her. Author has painted rich scenery and carries us on a lovely cadence. Some excellent surprises and a stellar ending make this an excellent read. One of my favorite stories this year.
January 8, 2020
Wow. I rarely give a book 1 star, but this had multiple issues for me.
The Good: The plot had some great potential and the twist at the end was a surprise I didn't see coming which I enjoy.
My problems: The writing in the first half of the book was really clunky. It felt like the author was going down a check list of events. I actually paused and reread several portions because I honestly couldn't tell if the writing was terrible or if the author was trying to make me not feel attached to the characters. The second half of the book was better in this regard.
Several characters pursued external relationships while they were married or engaged. I don't have a problem with book characters choosing this path, but when the author portrays it as totally fine because "they are unhappy and this other person gives them the happiness they deserve", that bothers me. You can't convince me someone is a "good guy" if they are lying and cheating. A guy cheating on his significant other to be with you is not wonderful or romantic.
Lastly, the biggest problem I had with the book was that the completely creepy stalker antics of the men in the book were portrayed as being love. These weren't just a little stalking on your crush, but big yucky creepy over long periods of time stalking. The women in the book thought it was great and that these creeps were just really in love with them. "Good guys" don't do creepy weird things. Emotionally healthy women don't think stalking is sweet and romantic.
At the end of it, this book is a mystery/romance. The author did great with the mystery aspects of the plot. The romance portions were a mess and the author should go to counseling if she believes this is what true love is.
The Good: The plot had some great potential and the twist at the end was a surprise I didn't see coming which I enjoy.
My problems: The writing in the first half of the book was really clunky. It felt like the author was going down a check list of events. I actually paused and reread several portions because I honestly couldn't tell if the writing was terrible or if the author was trying to make me not feel attached to the characters. The second half of the book was better in this regard.
Several characters pursued external relationships while they were married or engaged. I don't have a problem with book characters choosing this path, but when the author portrays it as totally fine because "they are unhappy and this other person gives them the happiness they deserve", that bothers me. You can't convince me someone is a "good guy" if they are lying and cheating. A guy cheating on his significant other to be with you is not wonderful or romantic.
Lastly, the biggest problem I had with the book was that the completely creepy stalker antics of the men in the book were portrayed as being love. These weren't just a little stalking on your crush, but big yucky creepy over long periods of time stalking. The women in the book thought it was great and that these creeps were just really in love with them. "Good guys" don't do creepy weird things. Emotionally healthy women don't think stalking is sweet and romantic.
At the end of it, this book is a mystery/romance. The author did great with the mystery aspects of the plot. The romance portions were a mess and the author should go to counseling if she believes this is what true love is.
September 11, 2018
This easily had me staying up way too late to finish and I don't regret a single moment. The story is so well written and heart wrenching and full of surprises, I didn't want to put it down! The characters are lovable and I felt like I was living their lives along with them. Excellent book!
Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and Beth Duke for the opportunity to read this amazing story!
Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and Beth Duke for the opportunity to read this amazing story!
February 12, 2019
I love Southern fiction and our book group chose this and Where the Crawdads Sing for this year. Both are great examples of the literary tradition of the South, lush with details and characters you can’t forget. This book left me so sadly missing the two women, Violet and Ronni, who had become like friends. I hope there is a sequel to this. One of my favorite books of the last ten years!
October 15, 2019
I’m truthfully quite surprised by the high ratings on this book. While the story itself was decent (albeit way too unrealistic in spots), the writing came off as very juvenile. This may be because I listened to the book and the narrator was absolutely horrendous and annoying (terrible faux southern accent and way way too cutesy and flippant) but I really just think this isn’t a great book. 😬 With so many great books out there, I’d recommend skipping this one.
January 31, 2024
This is our book club pick for February, 2020, and I had high hopes, because this got a lot of good reviews. However, after finally finishing it, I cannot understand why. The book and characters were so unrealistic that I found myself constantly rolling my eyes. First of all, who names a character "Rick O'Shea" - that was just nonsense. And he was such a creep - he follows Ronni around, because she is so beautiful and virtually stalks her. Ronni is not described as being beautiful and is constantly putting herself down. But, on their first date, she goes to his secluded lake house, and then immediately falls in love. Then we have the beautiful Violet, who everyone loves. But again, there are no descriptions of her and I don't know why she is beautiful. In fact, I think she is very shallow and by the end of the book, I actually hate her. First she falls in love with Johnny, and pretends to be pregnant. Then he has a horrible car accident, and she falls in love with his best friend, Sam. And then there is Chet, who apparently is a stalker too (since the age of 10), but he's gorgeous and Violet falls in love yet again. All the men in the book are gorgeous and all the women are beautiful. And I guess there is only one retirement home in the entire area, because Violet and ALL the men who love her end up at the same place. I found this entire book to be poorly written and a complete waste of time. I can't wait for the book club discussion!
March 3, 2019
An outstanding book that captured my imagination from the start. A heartwarming story that reminds us of the special family and friends who circle in and out of our lives.
An outstanding book that reminds us that life is full of surprises!
I became so attached to the characters that I hated to see it end.
I look forward to reading more from Beth Duke in the future.
An outstanding book that reminds us that life is full of surprises!
I became so attached to the characters that I hated to see it end.
I look forward to reading more from Beth Duke in the future.
June 14, 2019
This book is possibly the worst book that I ever held in my hands. I didn’t read all of it, it made me sick to think that I would waste my time reading that stupid book any further than 62 pages. The writing is so bad; it’s like, duh, are you in middle school? And the plot is the worst;, if you couldn’t guess it was the Chet kid, then you’re just not paying attention. I think the blurb reviews on the back cover were totally made up out of thin air by the author so she could sell her book. I mean, there were grammatical errors for chrisake, c’mon, I’m going to vomit just thinking about the 45 minutes of my life I wasted with this garbage. So, you’ve been warned.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2020
This novel was truly terrible. By page 60 I knew I was going to hate it, but I had hope that Violet and Ronni's stories would get interesting. They didn't. Ronni and Violet meet at a retirement home where Ronni is a nurse and Violet is a patient. They form a deep bond, and when Violet dies, she puts in her will that Ronni must right a novel about her (Violet's) life in less than a year to receive the inheritance Violet has put aside for her.
Here are the things I had the most issues with.
Ronni is a size 12 at the beginning of the novel, and spends most of her time as our narrator talking down on her self and complaining that she is fat and ugly. I found this exhausting and just dumb. I'm so tired of the 'size 12 is fat and I have awful self esteem because of it' trope in chick lit. The average size of women in the US is a 14, so yes, while a 12 may seem plus sized in terms of what the fashion industry portrays, in actuality a size 12 is smaller than the national average. It is in not widely considered 'fat' and it's insensitive to people who are actually obese to have characters who can easily go from a size 12 to a size 6 (yes, Ronni does this) bemoaning their size all the time and talking about how ugly they are. I get that we want our character to have self esteem issues, because we all do, but there are better ways to do it.
There is a scene where Ronni is talking with a stranger at the bank, and makes a snide comment about her size. She looks at herself in her (paraphrasing) 'ugly size 12 floral skirt that makes her look like a couch' and then the bank worker in her cute dress and family photos and seriously says, in a tone that insinuates disgust, 'I bet you're one of those people who doesn't have to do anything to stay skinny'. One, that's incredibly rude, two it's body shaming. But, Ronni doesn't even see how awful that kind of comment can be, and isn't even slightly phased that she has just potentially hurt someone's feelings. She seems to think it's justified because she is 'fat'. Gross.
When Ronni isn't bemoaning her size, she's 'falling in love' with a 40 year old man (she's 26) who uses his abilities as a State Trooper to essentially stalk her, and occasionally we hear about her taking care of her elderly patients. The supposed romance between Ronni and Rick is possibly the worst, most forced romance I've ever read. Ronni and Rick meet at the bank (where she has just been rude to a bank worker about her size) after a teenager hits her car and doesn't stop. He gets someone to pull over the kid and bring him back to the bank and helps Ronni take care of the report. Ronni asks him out and he immediately accepts.
Their first date is at a rib place, where Rick admits that he has basically been stalking her. He saw her at the bank once (he works as undercover security occasionally) and thought she was hot. He then uses his State Trooper credentials to find her name, address, apparently her entire back story, and knows that her mom is a drug addict and one he happens to have arrested a couple of times. All the time that they are on the date, Ronni is narrating and essentially complaining about him. He drives too fast, he doesn't want his car to get dirty, he doesn't seem to talk much, YET she finds she's in love with him. WHAT?? He also takes her to his lake house, alone, to SPEND THE NIGHT on their FIRST DATE and she does not see any red flags. No, instead she seems completely smitten and agrees to stay the night with him at his secluded lake house that you need a boat to get to, and only leaves after she throws up when he mentions knowing who her mom is. He takes her home, and then basically ghosts him. Yet, because he is practically a stalker, he shows up again in her life and she 'misses him so much' when he tries to get back into a relationship with her, she picks right back up where they left off, no questions asked.
Later, Rick's ex wife moves into the lake house with their two sons because she is having some marriage difficulties, and calls Ronni to 'warn' her that once Rick gets over the initial obsession and thrill of the chase, he'll either cheat on her or break up with her. Red flag number 4,000 and Ronni just keeps on going. She only 'breaks up' with Rick when she learns his ex wife is living at property he owns. She says he needs to figure out what he wants (he's just making sure his kids have a home while their mom and step dad figure out their relationship, but okay) and says when his ex wife moves out, they can consider dating again. One day he randomly shows up at her apartment, where he's waiting for her in the shadows, and explains his side and suddenly Ronni has no problems with it and right away takes him back and asks him to spend the night. From then on, Rick and Ronni are supposed to be head over heels in love with each other, but they have absolutely NO chemistry, and there is nothing in their relationship that really makes it seem real. They were just suddenly together.
Violet's story isn't any more interesting and if anything it's terribly predictable. It's like every trope of 'woman hits a hard time and overcomes it' in one life. Violet's first boyfriend, Johnny, gets in a car accident when they are 17 and 18, because he was rushing home to see her. The accident kills his sister and leaves him permanently paralyzed, and of course he was a star basketball player, you know, to make the paralysis 'more significant' of a blow. He is understandably devastated by his sudden change in life, and wants nothing to do with Violet.
Violet then recovers very quickly from the devastating loss of the boy she was going to marry, and falls in love with his best friend. But, his best friend is a Jewish man who's family only wants him to marry a Jewish girl and even has practically set up an arranged marriage for him. Sam, has always been in love with Violet, so he ignores what his parents want. They plan to run away and elope, but his parents intercede before Sam can meet Violet at the train station and they send him to New York City and he gets married and runs a portion of the family business. Oh, and Violet found out she was pregnant right before they were supposed to elope. So, Violet, not wanting anyone to know she's pregnant, flees to Florida and lives with her Aunt while she's pregnant and then gives her baby up for adoption before coming home to pretend nothing happened. She never tells her parents. She also gets very sick following labor, and they end up doing some sort of surgery that leaves Violet unable to have another baby.
Violet, now at home, ends up marrying a doctor who is many years her senior. He is extremely wealthy and she lives a seemingly charmed life. Except her husband is an abusive ass hole. He constantly beats her, and understandably, Violet has a hard time escaping. One time, he beats her so bad, that he pretends she was in a car accident and sends her home to stay with her parents while she heals so that no one in their town gets suspicious. While home, Violet falls in love with the man who turns out to be the little boy she used to babysit. Chet, the little boy now man, was always in love with Violet and is OBSESSED with her in a really unhealthy way. They are both married, but they fall in love with each other. Their relationship never gets physical, but Chet's attention helps Violet recover (although it can be argued that Chet saw she was at a weak moment in her life and took full advantage of it).
Violet returns home with her husband, but we know that Chet is essentially stalking her. He takes more jobs in the town she lives in and tries to call her a few times. Once, he randomly shows up and aggressively bangs on her door for several minutes in an attempt to get her to answer him. Violet has recently endured another beating, and doesn't want to answer the door. Chet drives away, only to call her and demand to know why she didn't answer. She gives him some excuse and he says he has a gift for her, can he come back. She agrees, and Chet gives her a notebook and leaves, but he notices she has bruises all over her face again. Mysteriously, several days later, Violet's drunk husband falls down a set of concrete stairs and dies.
Violet and Chet then have a short romance, but Violet calls it off because she would feel too guilty if Chet divorced his wife and left his son for her. They part angrily on a vacation, and Violet never talks to Chet again. But we know he continues to stalk her. She sees his car outside of her house all the time, sees his car around town all the time, and repeatedly calls her. Violet ends up using her late husband's money to travel and help out the less fortunate. While visiting a friend in a retirement home, she sees that Johnny and Sam are both living there. So, Violet decides to move in there too, and that's how she meets Ronni. Chet eventually also comes to the home, but he is in a different ward after suffering a serious heart attack. Johnny and Sam die, and Violet is still in love with Chet, so Ronni helps Violet sneak into his room at nights and they spend a lot of time together. In an ending right out off The Notebook, Chet and Violet die together in bed.
BUT. It turns out Chet is psycho. Not only has he spent his whole life obsessing over and stalking Violet, it turns out he is the reason for many of her woes. Chet was jealous of Johnny, so the day of Johnny's accident, Chet put a hole in the break line. This leads to Johnny's terrible accident. Then, when Violet is with Sam, Chet learns from his dad (who works at the train station) that Violet and Sam are going to elope. Chet then calls Sam's parents and claims he just wanted to confirm Sam's travel details. This is how they find out Sam and Violet were going to elope, and stop it. Ronni and Rick also, rightfully, are suspicious that Chet killed Violet's abusive husband. His company had been working on the electrical at the Hospital, on the roof, which is where the stairs are that her husband died on. So, Violet was unknowingly in love with a man who was obsessed with her and had directly been the cause of some of the most traumatic moments of her life.
What a waste of a novel. I would not recommend this to anyone. Laughably bad and excruciating to get through.
Here are the things I had the most issues with.
Ronni is a size 12 at the beginning of the novel, and spends most of her time as our narrator talking down on her self and complaining that she is fat and ugly. I found this exhausting and just dumb. I'm so tired of the 'size 12 is fat and I have awful self esteem because of it' trope in chick lit. The average size of women in the US is a 14, so yes, while a 12 may seem plus sized in terms of what the fashion industry portrays, in actuality a size 12 is smaller than the national average. It is in not widely considered 'fat' and it's insensitive to people who are actually obese to have characters who can easily go from a size 12 to a size 6 (yes, Ronni does this) bemoaning their size all the time and talking about how ugly they are. I get that we want our character to have self esteem issues, because we all do, but there are better ways to do it.
There is a scene where Ronni is talking with a stranger at the bank, and makes a snide comment about her size. She looks at herself in her (paraphrasing) 'ugly size 12 floral skirt that makes her look like a couch' and then the bank worker in her cute dress and family photos and seriously says, in a tone that insinuates disgust, 'I bet you're one of those people who doesn't have to do anything to stay skinny'. One, that's incredibly rude, two it's body shaming. But, Ronni doesn't even see how awful that kind of comment can be, and isn't even slightly phased that she has just potentially hurt someone's feelings. She seems to think it's justified because she is 'fat'. Gross.
When Ronni isn't bemoaning her size, she's 'falling in love' with a 40 year old man (she's 26) who uses his abilities as a State Trooper to essentially stalk her, and occasionally we hear about her taking care of her elderly patients. The supposed romance between Ronni and Rick is possibly the worst, most forced romance I've ever read. Ronni and Rick meet at the bank (where she has just been rude to a bank worker about her size) after a teenager hits her car and doesn't stop. He gets someone to pull over the kid and bring him back to the bank and helps Ronni take care of the report. Ronni asks him out and he immediately accepts.
Their first date is at a rib place, where Rick admits that he has basically been stalking her. He saw her at the bank once (he works as undercover security occasionally) and thought she was hot. He then uses his State Trooper credentials to find her name, address, apparently her entire back story, and knows that her mom is a drug addict and one he happens to have arrested a couple of times. All the time that they are on the date, Ronni is narrating and essentially complaining about him. He drives too fast, he doesn't want his car to get dirty, he doesn't seem to talk much, YET she finds she's in love with him. WHAT?? He also takes her to his lake house, alone, to SPEND THE NIGHT on their FIRST DATE and she does not see any red flags. No, instead she seems completely smitten and agrees to stay the night with him at his secluded lake house that you need a boat to get to, and only leaves after she throws up when he mentions knowing who her mom is. He takes her home, and then basically ghosts him. Yet, because he is practically a stalker, he shows up again in her life and she 'misses him so much' when he tries to get back into a relationship with her, she picks right back up where they left off, no questions asked.
Later, Rick's ex wife moves into the lake house with their two sons because she is having some marriage difficulties, and calls Ronni to 'warn' her that once Rick gets over the initial obsession and thrill of the chase, he'll either cheat on her or break up with her. Red flag number 4,000 and Ronni just keeps on going. She only 'breaks up' with Rick when she learns his ex wife is living at property he owns. She says he needs to figure out what he wants (he's just making sure his kids have a home while their mom and step dad figure out their relationship, but okay) and says when his ex wife moves out, they can consider dating again. One day he randomly shows up at her apartment, where he's waiting for her in the shadows, and explains his side and suddenly Ronni has no problems with it and right away takes him back and asks him to spend the night. From then on, Rick and Ronni are supposed to be head over heels in love with each other, but they have absolutely NO chemistry, and there is nothing in their relationship that really makes it seem real. They were just suddenly together.
Violet's story isn't any more interesting and if anything it's terribly predictable. It's like every trope of 'woman hits a hard time and overcomes it' in one life. Violet's first boyfriend, Johnny, gets in a car accident when they are 17 and 18, because he was rushing home to see her. The accident kills his sister and leaves him permanently paralyzed, and of course he was a star basketball player, you know, to make the paralysis 'more significant' of a blow. He is understandably devastated by his sudden change in life, and wants nothing to do with Violet.
Violet then recovers very quickly from the devastating loss of the boy she was going to marry, and falls in love with his best friend. But, his best friend is a Jewish man who's family only wants him to marry a Jewish girl and even has practically set up an arranged marriage for him. Sam, has always been in love with Violet, so he ignores what his parents want. They plan to run away and elope, but his parents intercede before Sam can meet Violet at the train station and they send him to New York City and he gets married and runs a portion of the family business. Oh, and Violet found out she was pregnant right before they were supposed to elope. So, Violet, not wanting anyone to know she's pregnant, flees to Florida and lives with her Aunt while she's pregnant and then gives her baby up for adoption before coming home to pretend nothing happened. She never tells her parents. She also gets very sick following labor, and they end up doing some sort of surgery that leaves Violet unable to have another baby.
Violet, now at home, ends up marrying a doctor who is many years her senior. He is extremely wealthy and she lives a seemingly charmed life. Except her husband is an abusive ass hole. He constantly beats her, and understandably, Violet has a hard time escaping. One time, he beats her so bad, that he pretends she was in a car accident and sends her home to stay with her parents while she heals so that no one in their town gets suspicious. While home, Violet falls in love with the man who turns out to be the little boy she used to babysit. Chet, the little boy now man, was always in love with Violet and is OBSESSED with her in a really unhealthy way. They are both married, but they fall in love with each other. Their relationship never gets physical, but Chet's attention helps Violet recover (although it can be argued that Chet saw she was at a weak moment in her life and took full advantage of it).
Violet returns home with her husband, but we know that Chet is essentially stalking her. He takes more jobs in the town she lives in and tries to call her a few times. Once, he randomly shows up and aggressively bangs on her door for several minutes in an attempt to get her to answer him. Violet has recently endured another beating, and doesn't want to answer the door. Chet drives away, only to call her and demand to know why she didn't answer. She gives him some excuse and he says he has a gift for her, can he come back. She agrees, and Chet gives her a notebook and leaves, but he notices she has bruises all over her face again. Mysteriously, several days later, Violet's drunk husband falls down a set of concrete stairs and dies.
Violet and Chet then have a short romance, but Violet calls it off because she would feel too guilty if Chet divorced his wife and left his son for her. They part angrily on a vacation, and Violet never talks to Chet again. But we know he continues to stalk her. She sees his car outside of her house all the time, sees his car around town all the time, and repeatedly calls her. Violet ends up using her late husband's money to travel and help out the less fortunate. While visiting a friend in a retirement home, she sees that Johnny and Sam are both living there. So, Violet decides to move in there too, and that's how she meets Ronni. Chet eventually also comes to the home, but he is in a different ward after suffering a serious heart attack. Johnny and Sam die, and Violet is still in love with Chet, so Ronni helps Violet sneak into his room at nights and they spend a lot of time together. In an ending right out off The Notebook, Chet and Violet die together in bed.
BUT. It turns out Chet is psycho. Not only has he spent his whole life obsessing over and stalking Violet, it turns out he is the reason for many of her woes. Chet was jealous of Johnny, so the day of Johnny's accident, Chet put a hole in the break line. This leads to Johnny's terrible accident. Then, when Violet is with Sam, Chet learns from his dad (who works at the train station) that Violet and Sam are going to elope. Chet then calls Sam's parents and claims he just wanted to confirm Sam's travel details. This is how they find out Sam and Violet were going to elope, and stop it. Ronni and Rick also, rightfully, are suspicious that Chet killed Violet's abusive husband. His company had been working on the electrical at the Hospital, on the roof, which is where the stairs are that her husband died on. So, Violet was unknowingly in love with a man who was obsessed with her and had directly been the cause of some of the most traumatic moments of her life.
What a waste of a novel. I would not recommend this to anyone. Laughably bad and excruciating to get through.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2019
Finished at 3 am. Really good book and different from anything I’ve read. I love the dual storylines with Violet and Ronni. I recommend this book!
February 24, 2019
Ronni is a nurse who works in an old people’s home/assisted living. She loves her job and the people she cares for, but she has aspirations to be an author. She is very insecure and holds a lot of hurt in her heart. Taken away from her mother and put in care all Ronni wants is to be loved, she if finally adopted at the age of 16, but encounters heartbreak again when they both pass away.
Ronni has a favourite in the home/assisted living. Violet who even in old age is still stunningly beautiful, they spend a lot of time with each other and form a mother daughter relationship. When Violet passes away Ronni finds out that she has been left a substantial amount of money only if she writes a book about Violets life. After leaving the lawyers office with a cheque in her hand, giving her the option to stop working and write full time.
Ronni is taken on a journey of Violet’s life of lost loves and heartbreak, and searches for people who new Violet to try and fill in the gaps, with the help and support of her new boyfriend. Are the answers what she expected? You’ll just have to read it and find out for yourselves you may surprised at what she finds out.
I really enjoyed this book and fell in love with Ronni and Violet and went through all the emotional highs and lows of their lives. Each chapter focuses either on Ronni present day and Violet in 1947’s Alabama.
Ronni has a favourite in the home/assisted living. Violet who even in old age is still stunningly beautiful, they spend a lot of time with each other and form a mother daughter relationship. When Violet passes away Ronni finds out that she has been left a substantial amount of money only if she writes a book about Violets life. After leaving the lawyers office with a cheque in her hand, giving her the option to stop working and write full time.
Ronni is taken on a journey of Violet’s life of lost loves and heartbreak, and searches for people who new Violet to try and fill in the gaps, with the help and support of her new boyfriend. Are the answers what she expected? You’ll just have to read it and find out for yourselves you may surprised at what she finds out.
I really enjoyed this book and fell in love with Ronni and Violet and went through all the emotional highs and lows of their lives. Each chapter focuses either on Ronni present day and Violet in 1947’s Alabama.
November 13, 2023
Veronica "Ronni" Johnson, is a nurse at Fairfield Springs, an assisted living facility, where she befriends Violet, a resident that requires no assistance, just a lot of male attention. Violet encourages Ronni to write, telling her she has the perfect story. When Violet dies, she leaves Ronni a very generous inheritance with a stipulation that Ronni must complete a book about her life within one year.
Left with a box of Violet's journals Ronni is quickly drawn into the world of young Violet and mesmerized by life in a simpler time filled with revelations, some of them about people Ronni knew as residents at Fairfield Springs.
The story alternates chapters between Violet in 1947 and Ronni in the present as she struggles to write the book before her deadline while juggling her patients, a new boyfriend, and her own emotional baggage.
As she progresses secrets start to emerge, some closer to home than she'd ever imagine.
Left with a box of Violet's journals Ronni is quickly drawn into the world of young Violet and mesmerized by life in a simpler time filled with revelations, some of them about people Ronni knew as residents at Fairfield Springs.
The story alternates chapters between Violet in 1947 and Ronni in the present as she struggles to write the book before her deadline while juggling her patients, a new boyfriend, and her own emotional baggage.
As she progresses secrets start to emerge, some closer to home than she'd ever imagine.
July 5, 2023
When this one was first dropped off as a donation to my Little Free Library Shed, I thought it was a mystery.
In some ways, there is a little bit of mystery. But not enough to be challenging in that way.
There is some, but…I think sometimes marketing can be a bit deceiving.
Still…
The book deserves a look.
Premise: Ronni’s patient Violet passes away and leaves her an inheritance in her will with a very specific stipulation. She must write Violet’s life story using the letters she left to Ronni. She has one year to do it.
The novel alternates between current time (Ronni) and Violet’s past as a teenager and beyond.
Some more mystery was added with questions about Violet’s passing.
Ronni wasn’t your typical heroine protagonist. She had insecurities that included being self-conscious about her weight and looks. Violet had a southern charm that men loved and women did not.
This tale can be considered engaging with its combination of fiction, mystery and love story.
The characters feel real. The author delivers an elderly character (who we also see in her young spirited beauty) and a young woman (in Ronni) who grows into her skin.
It is an easy-to-read, story. Even though we have been-here-before, it still is sweet in its southern charm way.
March 21, 2019
It has taken me over nine days to finish this book, which is very unusual, and while part of that is just life getting busy for various reasons, I will admit that had it not been a review copy, I would’ve abandoned it once it became clear that it’s fundamentally a romance novel disguised as a Lovely Book. It’s been a difficult week here in New Zealand, and perhaps if I had switched to something more gripping for distraction, and returned to it later, I might have enjoyed it more. Or maybe it was just the wrong book for me.
Ronni Johnson has worked for years in an Alabama nursing home/retirement facility, and when her favourite patient dies, the magnificent Violet, she is stunned to learn that she is to receive a generous bequest, as long as she completes a book about Violet’s life within a year. Violet’s story, told in alternating chapters, begins in the 1940s when she is 17 and in love with handsome basketball star Johnny. Fate is not kind to Violet, however, and we gradually learn how, despite her beauty and charm, she ends up alone in the nursing home. As plump lonely Ronni, damaged by a difficult childhood, struggles to gain confidence, a gorgeous policeman enters her life, and she blossoms.
I think if you have the right kind of heart, it will be warmed by this book. The writing is good, the setting interesting, and the characters well developed. Unfortunately I didn’t like Violet, she’s a 1940s Scarlett O’Hara, vain, wilful, self-centred and dishonest. She does have a good heart, and does not deserve what happens to her and is rather a victim of circumstance and her time, but by the time she has grown into a kind old lady, we only see her through Ronni’s eyes. Ronni is lovely, a dedicated nurse and all round good person, but the fat but beautiful girl who is transformed (and shrunk) by the love of a good man is a trope that I’ve seen too often (and I actively avoid romance/chick lit books.)(Maybe that’s why.) I wouldn’t let my lukewarm feelings put you off if it sounds like your kind of book. If you are thinking of buying it, I recommend seeking out the paperback rather than an ebook as the cover is gorgeous.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc which allowed me to give a voluntary honest review.
Ronni Johnson has worked for years in an Alabama nursing home/retirement facility, and when her favourite patient dies, the magnificent Violet, she is stunned to learn that she is to receive a generous bequest, as long as she completes a book about Violet’s life within a year. Violet’s story, told in alternating chapters, begins in the 1940s when she is 17 and in love with handsome basketball star Johnny. Fate is not kind to Violet, however, and we gradually learn how, despite her beauty and charm, she ends up alone in the nursing home. As plump lonely Ronni, damaged by a difficult childhood, struggles to gain confidence, a gorgeous policeman enters her life, and she blossoms.
I think if you have the right kind of heart, it will be warmed by this book. The writing is good, the setting interesting, and the characters well developed. Unfortunately I didn’t like Violet, she’s a 1940s Scarlett O’Hara, vain, wilful, self-centred and dishonest. She does have a good heart, and does not deserve what happens to her and is rather a victim of circumstance and her time, but by the time she has grown into a kind old lady, we only see her through Ronni’s eyes. Ronni is lovely, a dedicated nurse and all round good person, but the fat but beautiful girl who is transformed (and shrunk) by the love of a good man is a trope that I’ve seen too often (and I actively avoid romance/chick lit books.)(Maybe that’s why.) I wouldn’t let my lukewarm feelings put you off if it sounds like your kind of book. If you are thinking of buying it, I recommend seeking out the paperback rather than an ebook as the cover is gorgeous.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc which allowed me to give a voluntary honest review.
October 12, 2019
I never write Goodreads reviews, mainly because I feel everything has been said. But when I see a book that’s been handed nearly 5 stars across the board and I harshly disagree, I feel I must contribute to the conversation. I’ll keep it brief: this book felt like it was dumbing everything down from page one. It was a lot of telling and not showing. Example: when Ronni (the main character)’s love interest Rick tells her his whole life story in a nutshell in half a page. Who does that in real life? And in any of the scenes where Violet was intimate with Johnny or Sam, I felt like I was reading a naughty Nancy Drew novel. But what bothered me the most was the casual racism. Example: “Corinna was a short, sturdy woman who never seemed to tire of washing and ironing the Glenn’s clothes or scrubbing their floors. Her mahogany face was broad and perpetually smiling.” Later, Ronni describes a scene where she and Violet (the other main character) are getting pedicures: “We laughed all day, especially as we were trying to decode the Vietnamese chatter during our pedicures.” What the actual heck? This is just dumb, tasteless writing. I read 42% of this book before throwing in the towel. I’m thankful it was a Kindle freebie and I didn’t pay for it.
May 27, 2023
I received a gifted copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Zooloos Book Tours.
It All Comes Back to You is book one in a series by Beth Duke. We follow two POV through dual timeslines (past and present). Ronnie is a nurse in a care home, and Violet is a patient in the home. The pair strike up a bond like grandmother and granddaughter. The characters are so well brought to life, and I loved their connection. This book had me laughing and brought tears to my eyes. Violet hasn't had a great past, and my heart really went out to this now elderly lady. Although the characters are very different, they have such a fabulous connection to each other. I flew through this book and can't wait to share my review of book two with you tomorrow!
It All Comes Back to You is book one in a series by Beth Duke. We follow two POV through dual timeslines (past and present). Ronnie is a nurse in a care home, and Violet is a patient in the home. The pair strike up a bond like grandmother and granddaughter. The characters are so well brought to life, and I loved their connection. This book had me laughing and brought tears to my eyes. Violet hasn't had a great past, and my heart really went out to this now elderly lady. Although the characters are very different, they have such a fabulous connection to each other. I flew through this book and can't wait to share my review of book two with you tomorrow!
February 18, 2019
Hard to say how I felt about this book. It was definitely a good story, especially that little ending bit (you'll be wondering why the book is called that right up to the end). But there's just something in it that didn't hook me. The story is quite sad, and then there's the whole thing of me being skeptical of lifelong love stories when the people are not together. So I think it's just me! And you might love it.
The book is wistful, sad and it has some very strong characters that I truly admired in the end. It's told in quite a simple manner, and it's actually two stories in one - the story of Violet, a lady with a complicated life, but of unrivaled elegance and bearing, and then there's Ronni - a nurse with a heart of gold, an unrealized dream of writing and a sore need to be loved. Ronni has low self-esteem, partly because she was barely ever appreciated, bounced between adoptive families and partly because of how she feels about her body and her own self, just in general. Violet is the one that fills the hole in Ronni's life, and not just that. She is the one that will propel Ronni towards her dream of becoming an author - by putting her in her will for a hefty sum, but only if she finishes a book about Violet's life.
So Ronni starts writing. And she finds out more and more, and the more complicated it gets, the more respect and admiration Ronni develops for Violet and her strength. The secrets never stop coming though. And they keep getting more and more bitter.
It's a story about life not always being the way it seems from the outside - what might look perfect to an outsider, can feel broken to the ones actually living it. It is quite a shocking idea, and it made me wonder how many times I've also misjudged people's lives to be wonderful, when they're actually nightmares, only nicely gift-wrapped. But it's also a story about love and forgiveness. And about how wild life can be.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
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The book is wistful, sad and it has some very strong characters that I truly admired in the end. It's told in quite a simple manner, and it's actually two stories in one - the story of Violet, a lady with a complicated life, but of unrivaled elegance and bearing, and then there's Ronni - a nurse with a heart of gold, an unrealized dream of writing and a sore need to be loved. Ronni has low self-esteem, partly because she was barely ever appreciated, bounced between adoptive families and partly because of how she feels about her body and her own self, just in general. Violet is the one that fills the hole in Ronni's life, and not just that. She is the one that will propel Ronni towards her dream of becoming an author - by putting her in her will for a hefty sum, but only if she finishes a book about Violet's life.
So Ronni starts writing. And she finds out more and more, and the more complicated it gets, the more respect and admiration Ronni develops for Violet and her strength. The secrets never stop coming though. And they keep getting more and more bitter.
It's a story about life not always being the way it seems from the outside - what might look perfect to an outsider, can feel broken to the ones actually living it. It is quite a shocking idea, and it made me wonder how many times I've also misjudged people's lives to be wonderful, when they're actually nightmares, only nicely gift-wrapped. But it's also a story about love and forgiveness. And about how wild life can be.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
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September 10, 2019
I knooow better than to read this kind of book. Should have dnf'ed at 20% like I meant to. Nicht mein typ. At all. Plus . . . there were a few problematic issues.
December 5, 2019
This reads like Blanche Devereaux fan fiction and not in a good way.
April 16, 2022
Oh. My. God. This was so GOOD! My heart is just fluttering after reading this book! Duke’s beautiful book is a MUST READ! Which includes topics of domestic violence, drugs, and murder, so be aware before reading this book! Overall, this book was STUNNING! Ronni, licensed practical nurse and aspiring writer, meets Violet in the assisted living facility where she requires no assistance, just lots of male attention. When Violet dies, she leaves Ronni a very generous request: to write a book about her life within one year. As she’s drawn back into the 1940’s of young Violet, Ronni is mesmerized by life in a simpler time. Struggling, insecure, flailing at the keyboard, Ronni juggles her patients, her new handsome boyfriend, and a lot of emotional baggage as she tries to craft a manuscript before her deadline. But then secrets start to emerge, and everything changes! Filled with romance, secrets, and plot twists that readers will be like: OMG! A wonderful book!
May 30, 2019
This year is shaping up to be one of my best years of reading yet! I've been super lucky with books this year and have found some true gems. And now I can add It All Comes Back to You to that list!
Ronni works at an upscale Nursing Home when a patient that she was close to, Violet, passes away and leaves her an inheritance in her will. There's a stipulation to the inheritance though. Ronni must write a book within one year based on Violet's life using the letters that Violet left to Ronni. She must tell no one about the book, or ask for any assistance.
The book alternates between Ronni's current storyline and flashes back to Violet's past as a teenager and beyond. As usual I preferred the historical timeline for Violet but Ronni's story was great too. In addition to finding out about Violet's past there is also a mystery surrounding her passing and who she was with that added an extra mystery to the book.
I found It All Comes Back to You as a good mix of Southern and Historical Fiction. You will laugh, cry, and root for Ronni and Violet. I felt like with Ronni, she was a character I could finally relate to! She wasn't the usual gorgeous and skinny heroine - she had insecurities and self-conscious about her weight. It was nice to be able to connect with a character like that. And Violet reminded me of my Souther grandmother - sassy and the center of attention. Men loved her and the women did not. She was a lot of fun!
It All Comes Back to You was charming, entertaining, and hard to put down. You should defintiely pick it up!
Thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Through My Letterbox for allowing me to host the tour!
Ronni works at an upscale Nursing Home when a patient that she was close to, Violet, passes away and leaves her an inheritance in her will. There's a stipulation to the inheritance though. Ronni must write a book within one year based on Violet's life using the letters that Violet left to Ronni. She must tell no one about the book, or ask for any assistance.
The book alternates between Ronni's current storyline and flashes back to Violet's past as a teenager and beyond. As usual I preferred the historical timeline for Violet but Ronni's story was great too. In addition to finding out about Violet's past there is also a mystery surrounding her passing and who she was with that added an extra mystery to the book.
I found It All Comes Back to You as a good mix of Southern and Historical Fiction. You will laugh, cry, and root for Ronni and Violet. I felt like with Ronni, she was a character I could finally relate to! She wasn't the usual gorgeous and skinny heroine - she had insecurities and self-conscious about her weight. It was nice to be able to connect with a character like that. And Violet reminded me of my Souther grandmother - sassy and the center of attention. Men loved her and the women did not. She was a lot of fun!
It All Comes Back to You was charming, entertaining, and hard to put down. You should defintiely pick it up!
Thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Through My Letterbox for allowing me to host the tour!
September 8, 2018
Beth Duke has done it again!!! I received my book today and didn't put it down until I finished it. Set in my hometown of Anniston, Calhoun Co., AL it is remarkably accurate in the location and the history. Showing Violet the Arches was a wonderful idea (and those from Anniston know what I am talking about, and it's not the McDonald's arches). You will laugh, smile, and cry. As I told Beth, the book shows the true meaning of the question, "What if...?".
March 28, 2019
Everyone has a story but not every story is told. This book not only tells the story but it pulls you inside and makes you wish you could live within. Taking place in the Heart of Dixie, It All Comes Back To You tells the story of Violet, a feisty older lady who has taken over Fairfield Springs nursing home and Ronni the young nurse that Violet takes under her wing. Both searching for a love once lost, but instead finding friendship and strength in each other. The duel timeline allows the reader to experience life through the eyes of Violet all while watching Ronni's story change and grow because of Violet. A truly gripping story that reminds us all that true love is never lost. That there will always be bonds that are unbreakable and the depth that some will go to for that type of love. It All Comes Back To You is a book that will forever stay with you and make you want to have conversations with those who have lived a lifetime already. Ultimately it will make you want to tell a story, whether that story be yours or theirs.
March 20, 2019
It all comes back to you ⭐️
Violet has her life together while Ronni needs help figuring out what she is supposed to be doing with her life. Ronni wants to be a writer and violet convinces her to start that process. It had potential but didnt get there.
The story was slow and I didnt connect with the characters. The ending, the very, very last few pages ending was good and we finally get to see why the title is the way it is but it took awhile to build up and get there.
This book didnt do it for me.
Thank you so much to booksgosocial via netgalley for sending me an ARC copy of it all comes back to you by Beth Duke . This is already available for your reading pleasure.
All opinions are my own.
Violet has her life together while Ronni needs help figuring out what she is supposed to be doing with her life. Ronni wants to be a writer and violet convinces her to start that process. It had potential but didnt get there.
The story was slow and I didnt connect with the characters. The ending, the very, very last few pages ending was good and we finally get to see why the title is the way it is but it took awhile to build up and get there.
This book didnt do it for me.
Thank you so much to booksgosocial via netgalley for sending me an ARC copy of it all comes back to you by Beth Duke . This is already available for your reading pleasure.
All opinions are my own.
February 6, 2019
It All Comes Back To You is a book that should be read and shared. The synopsis barely scratches the surface of this complex endearing, unexpected story. Readers will be drawn into Violet’s life story and hope that Ronni finds her voice and her happy ever after. The author evokes southern life of the mid last century and readers unfamiliar with those times will see that even as mores loosened over the ensuing years, the longings of humanity has remained largely the same. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. My review is voluntarily. Most highly recommend.
February 25, 2019
I read this book in several hours, I couldn't put it down the characters seem like friends that you wanted to comfort and help. The story of Violet and Ronnie takes us back to the late forties and fifties while Ronnie is a woman of today yet the bond of friendship these two forge is beautiful, both women have led a life with trauma but still get up every morning and go on with life. What we learn of their lives bring tears to your eyes but the strength they share flows right into you. This is truly a must read book.
February 7, 2019
A charming, well written, and enthralling book.
I requested because I was attracted by the cover and the synopsis, was hooked since the first pages.
I loved the characters, well written and fleshed out, the setting and the plot.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC
I requested because I was attracted by the cover and the synopsis, was hooked since the first pages.
I loved the characters, well written and fleshed out, the setting and the plot.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC
December 4, 2024
This novel begins with an interesting premise. Ronni who works in a nursing home is the recipient of a generous bequest from a recently deceased resident named Violet. But this bequest has a significant condition that needs to be met before the money is hers. Ronni needs to write and submit a book manuscript about the life of Violet within one year's time. If these conditions are not met the money will go to charities.
We learn early in the book that Ronni was raised by adoptive parents and that Violet had a daughter she'd never met who was given away to be adopted. With those two histories I figured the novel's plot line had potential for plenty of interesting discoveries. That plus the fact that Violet seems to have had plenty of boy friends throughout her life though her love life had not been so lucky.
The author decided that combination of characters wasn't sufficiently complex so she added the family that Violet as a teenager babysat for, and the son in that family ends up playing a persistent role throughout Violet's life. As a matter of fact readers will learn near the end of the book that this character had more influence on things that happened throughout Violet's life than previously suspected.
This novel describes scenes from life in a nursing facility and highlights the importance of adoptive parents. Ronni is portrayed as a sympathetic character with whom most readers will love. Her husband as it turns out is clearly a bad person guilty of spouse abuse which may deserve a trigger warning for some readers.
I think most readers will find the ending to be pleasantly happy with all of Violet's old boy friends living in the same nursing hone with her. However, the plot twist at the end is a bit troubling.
We learn early in the book that Ronni was raised by adoptive parents and that Violet had a daughter she'd never met who was given away to be adopted. With those two histories I figured the novel's plot line had potential for plenty of interesting discoveries. That plus the fact that Violet seems to have had plenty of boy friends throughout her life though her love life had not been so lucky.
The author decided that combination of characters wasn't sufficiently complex so she added the family that Violet as a teenager babysat for, and the son in that family ends up playing a persistent role throughout Violet's life. As a matter of fact readers will learn near the end of the book that this character had more influence on things that happened throughout Violet's life than previously suspected.
This novel describes scenes from life in a nursing facility and highlights the importance of adoptive parents. Ronni is portrayed as a sympathetic character with whom most readers will love. Her husband as it turns out is clearly a bad person guilty of spouse abuse which may deserve a trigger warning for some readers.
I think most readers will find the ending to be pleasantly happy with all of Violet's old boy friends living in the same nursing hone with her. However, the plot twist at the end is a bit troubling.
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