CONFESSIONS FROM THE QUILTING CIRCLE – Maisey Yates
HQN Books
ISBN: 978-1-335-77585-6
May 2021
Contemporary Fiction

Bear Creek, Oregon – Present Day

Three sisters, along with their mother, learn a lot about the past of their recently deceased grandmother who left behind an unfinished quilt. As the sisters work together on the quilt, secrets are soon revealed between them.

Avery, the oldest Ashwood sister, has seemingly the perfect marriage—her husband is a doctor, and they have two children. But behind closed doors, the marriage isn't so perfect. Her husband has been hitting her, leaving bruises that she is forced to cover. But her sisters and mother aren't blind and encourage Avery to take her children and leave her abusive spouse. Will she take their advice, or will the circle of abuse continue?

The middle child, Hannah, lives in Boston and is about to achieve her goal of being the lead violinist in the symphony. Hannah had left Bear Creek—and her boyfriend, Josh—behind at age eighteen. The breakup with Josh had been painful and was her decision. To her surprise, he still lives in town. After seeing him, will Hannah get around to telling him the real reason why she left town? Will their romance be rekindled, despite her plans to return to Boston?

The youngest of the girls, Lark, has made her mark away from Oregon, but with their grandmother's house given to them, she's decided to stay in town by opening a craft café and remodeling grandma's house into an Airbnb. Returning to Bear Creek has her confronting the man from her past who not only broke her heart but has her wondering how she can tell him the secret of why she left town. Ben is Lark's one-true love, but things have changed since they were eighteen years old.

The Ashwood sisters, along with their mother, Mary, are finally able to sit down after all these years and talk amongst themselves as adults. They learn a lot about their beloved granny (Mary's mother) and begin to understand why she left her children when Mary was four years old. Addy did return when Mary married, but the two women never really got to reconcile. Will Addy's death heal old wounds?

Josh is the handyman hired to help fix up the Dowell House. Seeing him again after all these years throws Hannah for a loop. He's angry at her at first. After all, she just abruptly ended things and left town to pursue her dream of becoming a worldwide star. However, Hannah felt “dirty” after some actions taken by her music instructor. Can Josh and Hannah come clean after all these years?

It was hard for Avery to leave her husband. To outsiders, their marriage was perfect, and to walk away might have people think there is something wrong with her. But after discussing it with her children, Avery realizes that they knew—and they support her decision to leave. The busybodies of Bear Creek will have a field day with the failure of her marriage, but will Avery make the right decisions for her future?

One day Lark is needing her car repaired and she heads to the nearest repair shop. To her surprise, it's Ben who owns it and he fixes her car. She figures he is still married to her former best friend, Keira, but later, she learns they are now divorced, though they share a daughter. Lark's secret that involves Ben will have ramifications for several people if it's revealed. Can Lark share that secret with Ben—and her family?

An emotional and uplifting tale, CONFESSIONS FROM THE QUILTING CIRCLE will make you cry and make you laugh. The three sisters are each different, but that is what makes family togetherness so special as they will come together in a crisis. At the beginning of each chapter is a short excerpt from the diaries of three different women. How do they relate to what is currently going on? Grab a hanky even as you smile your way through reading CONFESSIONS FROM THE QUILTING CIRCLE.

Patti Fischer