Lovely Strings by Regina Russell

This was a beautiful, powerful, and soul-stirring book. The writer effortlessly weaves together the lives of seven women, creating a powerful web of deceit, lies, and misdeeds. This is a very complex, multi-layered story, but the individual stories come together beautifully. The author has a unique and clever style that clearly communicates the story. There is a brief description of the main characters in the front of the book which I found helpful.

The seven women all receive a letter from a law firm stating that each is a beneficiary of a bequest from an anonymous person. They are all summoned to a cabin in the woods for the reading of a will, but there is a bad storm. The bridge into the cabin is blocked by a fallen tree and they are stranded. They are an eclectic group of women who are thrown together in a cabin, but have no idea how their lives might tie together. Who is the benefactor? What, if anything, do they have in common?

The women begin to reflect on their lives, telling their personal stories and startling revelations unfold. The story becomes an adventure with the camaraderie of the women and the mystery of it all. How can one human being alter the lives of so many?

The story has an intriguing cast of characters that will capture your heart. The tempo of the storyline picks up early on and I was taken in from the beginning. The author clearly knows the human heart which is portrayed in her writing. Lovely Strings has a powerful message that speaks to the heart about redemption, hope, and new beginnings.

One negative comment: At times I was disappointed with the editing, but it didn't deter me from reading on. Take the time to read this book - you won't be disappointed. I'm looking forward to more books from this relatively new writer. An amazing read that will evoke many emotions. i highly recommend.