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was moved by the straightforward humanness of these characters, Every family has their dysfunctions and the author doesn't sugarcoat the reality of life and how one thing can change a family dynamic forever, Of course, that one thing being the result of other hidden problems is also a factor,

The author does a great job of drawing you into the lives of Lynette and Nicholas and their families, Lynette is such a strong but heartbreaking character, She has shouldered so much for so long that she's about to lose it all, Nicholas is great in that he has not followed in his father's footsteps and is determined to help Lynette and her family even though he's risking revealing the secret he's carried around for years.
Lynette's brothers and sister each have their own life problems and have allowed themselves to stay disconnected from Lynette and the past, not realizing how bad things have gotten.
As they each come home, they start reevaluating their lives and struggle to be a family again, Will the secrets and memories that start coming to light destroy them or will the truth bring them to a place of forgiveness and grace

A wonderful, heartfelt story that touches on drugs, physical abuse, alcohol, marital strife, infidelity and the grace and mercy of God that brings them all to a place of truth, forgiveness and hope for the future!

Thanks to Litfuse for a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.
I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are my own, This is my second Catherine West novel and while I liked the first one Yesterday's Tomorrow, I enjoyed The Things We Knew even more,

Main character Lynette Carlisle was a young girl when her mother tragically died, She has suppressed memories and wants to remember, yet doesn't at the same time,

There are a full cast of characters including her aging father, a neighbor, two brothers and a sister,

It was a touching story that had this reader smiling and feeling the sadness of the characters,

My gratitude to the author for a complimentary copy of the novel, I was not required to post a review and the opinions expressed are my own, It's amazing how death impacts a family, That was the thought going through my mind as I entered the world of the Carlisle Family, Although the story is about Lynette and Nicholas Cooper, . . Ms. West goes so much more in depth,

We get to see the impact of their mother's death on each of the Carlisle children, Ms. West steps into the point of view of David, the oldest son Liz, the lawyer Gray, the rock star and of course, Lynette and Nicholas, There were so many stories tugging at my heart strings, I wanted a happy ending for the entire family, not just Lynette and Nicholas,

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review,
Read the rest of the review at: sitelink weebly. com/blog/cat Wow, this was one of those stories that pulls you in and doesn't let go! A wellwritten contemporary novel set on Nantucket, it has family, faith, and a mystery at the center, with many deeper issues woven in along the way.
Sensitively handled, and brushed with grace, the story reflects on many difficult topics, like alcoholism and drug addiction, and their effects on families,

Sweet, artistic, hardworking Lynette is an admirable character, as she tries to care for her father and keep her family home together, working long hours.
She's a faithful daughter and friend to her siblings who have left her holding down the fort for years, Putting aside her own dreams, she has stayed behind to support her father, Sometimes being too independent, it's hard for her to accept help, which is something I've struggled with too, Her siblings all seem to grow in their characters to be more loving and understanding because of her influence, Their friend Cecily saying "home is where you come to heal" seemed to sum it all up,
Highly recommend this to any Christian fiction reader, It's earned a place on my favorites list!
Solidstars!
Book provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review,
Lynette Carlisle, is taking care of her father in their old family home, but he is not doing well and refuses to go back the the doctor.
She is doing her best to help make ends meet, but is also having disturbing dreams about the night her mother died when she was,

When her childhood friend and neighbour, Nick, returns she has no idea he knows about some of the darkness of the past, or that he finds he is still in love with her.
Something needs to be done, and she has to consider the possibility of selling their old Nantucket home on the beach, but in order to do that her long gone older sister and brothers have to all come home that much was stipulated in her mother's will.


While the writing wasn't as lyrical as some other books I've read, it was well done, and this book is not Christian fluff, but more of a meaty novel.
There are plenty of notsopretty things going on in her family Lynette had no idea about as she is forced to deal with the past,. First of all: jerk guy alert, Lynettes siblings have gone about their own lives, leaving her to care for her ailing father and a family home that is tumbling down around her ears.
She didnt finish college and her father wanders from Alzheimers and she cant get more than a parttime job, When her siblings come back and she has some help with her dad she gets another job, I didnt understand why she felt the need to lie about it until the scene where her brother and boyfriend realize shes working there, march in at closing time, slam her tray to one side, and yank her apron off her before marching her out and forbidding her to work there again.
I think my mouth was hanging open, This is not appropriate! And even later they didnt have the decency to apologize, and she didnt try to go back and work there again: she gave in.


. Content: Affair, child out of wedlock, coarse speech, swearing, Yes, most not all swears are mentioned as “choice words” or “she swore” but some remain, And then all the others like butt, crap, holy crap, freakin, and gosh, Lots and lots of drinking and multiple alcoholics,

. Writing style: I countedPOVsenough to lose track of who was who and feel disconnected from the POV characters

, Inspirational at best: mentions of God, faith, and church attendance, No mention of Jesus/salvation as an answer to life, but several mentions of counselors as a help to deal with past issues, Fairly generic message and the hero has real doubts about God, The missionary brother whos portrayed as a bit of a fanatic hardly mentions God or faith at all, Mentions that Lynette has “all the faith in the family” but hers is getting stale as well,

Overall, just a mess, I really enjoyed the firstpages but after that it was like a soap opera and all the drama lost me, "Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, memories hid, Memories so full with bitter ache that she'd buried them way down deep and out of reach, But like it or not, they'd started to claw their way to the surface, And sooner or later, they would become real, "

Lynette Carlisle is hanging on to the barest thread of hope, her father succumbing to the ravages of dementia, her childhood home bordering on the verge of bankruptcy, her siblings living their own lives in denial of hers, her nights filled with fragments of past nightmares like her unfinished paintings, images are swirling just out of reach.
And then there was Nick,

Nicholas Cooper practically grew up in the Carlisle home after his parents separated and his father virtually abandoned his only son in favor of climbing the corporate ladder.
Best friends with Lynette's older brother Gray, Nick wound his way into the heart of the younger teenage sister, Now back in Nantucket after a five year absence, Nick has joined his father's banking enterprises and is quite surprised when Lynette arrives in his office seeking financial advice.
Maintaining a soft spot in his heart for the lovely Lynette, Nick gently urges her to consider selling their family's beautiful ocean front property to pay off their debts.
Griefstricken with the thought of losing her deceased mother's heritage, Lynette seeks answers to her present dilemma by trying once again to remember her past, It's a path that will unknowingly bring tremendous heartbreak before God extends His miraculous hand of healing,

Brimming with family drama and tender romance, Catherine West displays her budding talent with an ability to weave multiple story threads into one beautiful novel, and she does it well.
"The Things We Knew" is a great book!

It was my pleasure to receive a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
This was such a satisfying read! If you love a good family drama without the soap opera froth, then I suggest you get yourself a copy of this book.
Not only were there many layers to the plot, but there were so many different relationship dynamics both familial and romantic creating friction, but at the same time refining the characters and moving them forward.
And the tension was felt not just in what was said, but in what went unsaid, Basically, it had me hooked from beginning to end,

There are two parts to the main plot in this book, The first is getting to the bottom of exactly what happened the day Lynettes mother died, Lynette was there when her mother fell down the stairs, but her memory is a blank, except at night when the same dream comes to haunt her again and again.
She is trying to access those memories through painting what she can remember from her dream, hoping that it will finally put the past to rest, But the clearer her picture becomes, the more she wonders whether the truth will destroy rather than bring closure,

Nick Cooper wasnt there when Lynettes mother fell down the stairs to her death, but he knows about other things that were going on at that time.
The only person he ever spoke to about it was Lynettes brother Gray his best friend but Gray was so outraged he punched him and they havent spoken since.
That was five years ago, and prompted Nicks sudden departure from Nantucket,

The other part to the plot is the pressure Lynette is under, both as the sole carer for her father, whose memory is deteriorating, and as the only financial contributor to the upkeep of Wyldewood, the family home.
It has fallen into significant disrepair in recent years and, thanks to their fathers previous struggles with drinking and gambling, there are few savings left to draw on.
Shes barely even meeting the daytoday living expenses, and unless she can improve their financial position, they may have no choice but to sell the property,

The one silver lining to these clouds is that the terms of their mothers Will require all five siblings to be together at Wyldewood to discuss any action involving the family home, so maybe finally Lynette will get the support she has been desperately needing from her older siblings.


It is against this backdrop that the familial and romantic tensions play out, Having just returned to Nantucket at his fathers behest, Nick is quick to reconnect with and support Lynette, but it often conflicts with both his fathers and his former girlfriends expectations and demands on his time.
Lynette is once bitten, twice shy when it comes to Nick, especially when she hears conflicting stories about his involvement with model Mindy Vanguard, I loved the way their relationship developed, with just the right combination of tenderness, attraction, and uncertainty,

The Carlisle siblings also begin returning to the family home, bringing both their guilt at not being more available to Lynette and the weight of their own personal problems.
Grays story is the most compelling, so much so that he is a third pointofview character in the novel, His musical success has come at a high personal cost, and he lands on the doorstep at Wyldewood fresh out of a halfcompleted stint at rehab, with a van full of luggage, a bag full of regrets, and his pintsized manager, Victoria Montgomery, in tow.
And he hasnt forgiven or forgotten when it comes to Nick Cooper, As much as I loved Nick and Lynette, there is a definite soft spot in me reserved just for Gray!

All of this is just scratching the surface of this novel, but Ill leave you to discover the rest on your own.
I will just say that the main reason this novel was so satisfying was that Catherine West totally nailed the many and varied relationship dynamics and the way they developed over the course of the novel.
So complex, but so well portrayed, And then there is the ending, I could feel the rightness and the relief,

Just do yourself a favour and go get a copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel through BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.
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