A heartwarming story about finding love and strength, even in the darkest moments…

It’s You by Jane Porter

About this book: In the wake of a tragedy that tore her life down to the foundations, Dr. Alison McAdams has lost her way. So when she’s summoned to Napa to care for her ailing father, she’s not sure she has anything to offer him—or anyone else.

What Ali finds in Northern California wine country is a gift—an opportunity to rest, and distance from her painful memories. Most unexpectedly, she finds people who aren’t afraid of her grief or desperate for her to hurry up and move on.

As Ali becomes part of her father’s community, makes new friends of her own, and hears the stories of a generation who survived the Second World War, she begins to find hope again. In a quest to discover the truth about another woman’s lost love, she sets off on a journey across oceans and deep into history. And in making sense of that long-ago tragedy, Ali is able to put together the broken pieces of her heart and make new choices that are right for her.

About the author: Jane Porter is the USA Today bestselling author of The Good Wife, The Good Daughter, The Good Woman, She’s Gone Country, Mrs. Perfect, Flirting with Forty (which was the basis for a Lifetime movie), and several other novels. There are more than twelve million copies of her books in print. Jane lives in Southern California. Visit her online at janeporter.com and on Facebook.

Genre: Fiction/Contemporary/Women’s Fiction

Why I read this book: For the chance to read a new-to-me bestselling author. Because I liked the premise and the settings. Because it offered a pretty cover.

First impressions: The cover suggests a good summer read. The first pages promise a compelling one.

If this book were a movie, I would rate it: PG-13. Rare profanity and mildly graphic sexuality.

Reminds me of… A Month of Summer by Lisa Wingate; The Wishing Tide by Barbara Davis

This story matters because… it celebrates the gift of fresh starts and the strength of the human spirit.

My take: I found much to like about this novel. From its first pages, I was drawn to the character of Ali, who, while flawed, is also wholly sympathetic. I found her to be immensely likable. Porter’s clear prose delivers the story smoothly without drawing undo attention to itself. Characters are original and well-drawn; dialogue is realistic and often unexpected. Nicely done.

I would have liked to better understand why Andrew did what he did. Given what we’re told about him, I’m not sure his actions make complete sense. And I also wondered about Edie’s initial hostility to Ali; whatever was behind her behavior wasn’t explained to my satisfaction. I did, however, really like the progression of Edie and Ali’s relationship, especially in the way it showed growth in Ali’s character.

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Personally, I liked the Berlin sub-plot–in part because I once visited that city and enjoyed reliving that experience. But more broadly, I thought the author did a nice job inserting that piece into the story. It didn’t feel to me like a travelogue but rather an integral part of the plot. I also liked how she inserted the historical story line, through Edie’s diary entries delivered in two big chunks. For me, it worked. I perhaps even preferred this as a change from what we typically see in many recent novels that contain a historical thread woven into the contemporary.

My only real disappointment came toward the end. Something happens that’s so not necessary to the development of the story; it struck me as gratuitous and distracting. Ali’s character would have been finer, and the conclusion far more satisfying, had she tipped a different way. However, on the whole, I found It’s You to be an enjoyable read with pleasingly developed characters and an interesting story that kept me coming back for more.

Thanks to Berkeley Books for providing me a free copy to review. All opinions are mine.

After words: This was my first Jane Porter novel, though she’s been on bestseller lists for years. Have you read any of her other novels? Which would you recommend?