Center Street (January 6, 2009)
This book, although it seems to fall at the end of a series, reads quite well on its own. I can see where there are background holes that would likely be filled in by the previous books but they aren’t make it or break it holes for this story or these characters. As per my experiences with Karen’s other works I have had the pleasure of reading once again I was amazed by the intensity and spectrum of emotions that an author draws from her readers with a skilled choice of words and in many cases very few of them.
Josh’s life is forever altered by someone else’s lackadaisical attitude and recklessness yet only Josh’s lawyer and family care about the truth being revealed. The culprit in this case and the legal system would all rather shove it under the carpet and let this person off scot free while Josh continues to struggle and suffer under the damage wreaked by poor choices that weren’t all his own. While he is attempting to rebuild whatever life he possibly can from the jagged pieces left behind after this tragic accident, he is solicited by what everyone else perceives as a greedy scammer who claims that he fathered her daughter during a very short encounter in Las Vegas prior to his life falling apart. He believes despite any concrete proof that she is telling the truth. Her motives may still be avaricious but he is determined to be a good father nevertheless and see that Savannah is acknowledged legally and otherwise as his.
Josh’s plans come to an abrupt end and his family is left with no leg to stand on while this woman none of them trusts may gain free access to a healthy sum of money because Josh insisted that the child is his. After reading this book I am now inspired to go back and find the others in this series so that I can find out more about these vivid and complex characters I only just met. Kingsbury has been a favorite author for a while now and if she continues penning books with the depth and insight as well as the emotional fiber of this one and the others I have read so far that well deserved ranking will continue to be earned many times over. (ISBN#:9781599956787, 352pp, $14.99)
Codicil:
Drop into Karen’s website or click the bookcover above to purchase your own copy or read more about the book.
