Rachael Lucas

Rilla Clark's father has died, and she's off to the village of Applemore in the Scottish Highlands. It's been a long time since she was there, even though it holds such cherished memories. Lachlan Fraser is part of those memories, and neither is aware that they are returning to the village simultaneously. Lachlan is returning to the village to have a critical family meeting with his 3 sisters. The Applemore House has been an ancestral home for 150 years for the Fraser family. House may be part of the name, but truth be told, it's a castle in disrepair, and there is a burden of death and inheritance taxes due as Lachlan and his sisters' father died several months before Rilla's father.

I loved the blended themes of a second chance at love unexplored in their younger lives, the balancing act between the continuation of a dream partnership and familial duty by a son not only to carry on the family legacy but for his sisters and future generations, women rekindling friendship, the rescue of a dog, and discovery of a secret. Can the past still be meaningful in the present, or is it just a brief interlude of delights?

After reading "The Telephone Box Library," I knew I wanted to read more of the author's writing. I look forward to returning to Little Maudley and Applemore in the New Year.… (mais)