The Things We Knew
By: Catherine West
Lynette Carlisle's mom passed away 12 years ago. Since then she has watched her family unravel and the worst part is she cannot remember what really happened the day her mom died. She has spent years trying to sort out what really took place. She was there that tragic day but her memories are suppressed. Now she is the only one left to care for her dad who is starting to show signs of Alzheimer's and to top it off, the house is falling apart. It's time for her to start calling her siblings home to tackle some tough decisions together. Little does she know, her siblings are each dealing with their own drama and hardships. This homecoming will either push them farther apart or be a time to come together and remember the importance of family.
Enter Nick Cooper, another main character in this story is and Lynette's neighbor and past crush. Key word being PAST. Nick Cooper comes home to live with his father and help out with the family business. Nick remembers a time when the Carlisle family was more of a family to him than his own. Five years ago that changed when he had a falling out with his best friend, Gray Carlisle. Should he keep the past in the past? And what about the feelings he still has for Lynette? Will he help her remember what truly happened the day her mother died, or will that just push her away?
Depth
Enter Nick Cooper, another main character in this story is and Lynette's neighbor and past crush. Key word being PAST. Nick Cooper comes home to live with his father and help out with the family business. Nick remembers a time when the Carlisle family was more of a family to him than his own. Five years ago that changed when he had a falling out with his best friend, Gray Carlisle. Should he keep the past in the past? And what about the feelings he still has for Lynette? Will he help her remember what truly happened the day her mother died, or will that just push her away?
This story is definitely not lighthearted. It dives into tough family dynamics and struggles in life. There are five Carlisle siblings and all but one is living with lots of heartache and pain. Each one is dealing with their own grief but have kept it to themselves. When they all come home and the stories start to unravel it's evident that it's time they start relying on one another and working together to rebuild their family.
Faith
Lynette, Nick and the housekeeper are the main characters who profess to having faith in this book. With the three of them it was nice to see themes of grace and forgiveness. Dealing with so much pain from the past it was good to see those themes in parts of the book. However, this story is one that should have been wrapped tightly and bubbling with faith elements. Sadly, it lacked in this area. With all of the heartache and trials this family is going through we would have liked to have seen more growth in walks with the Lord and even started to see more evidence of faith in some characters.
Love Story
Lynette and Nick have a very sweet yet sometimes complicated relationship. They have a lot of heartbreak and unspoken bitterness between their two families to work through. We loved Nick's character and enjoyed watching him love and care for Lynette. These two have some sweet moments that you are sure to enjoy.
Overall
It was hard to not want to give this book more than three stars. Catherine is a very talented writer and tackles some very tough subjects in this story. However, too much drama and not enough redemption or faith built in to support all that took place had us longing for more at the end.
Find it on Amazon: The Things We Knew
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