My Bookshelf: The Things We Knew by Catherine West

When their tragic past begins to resurface, can he help her remember the things she can’t?

After her mother’s death twelve years ago, Lynette Carlisle watched her close-knit family unravel. One by one, her four older siblings left their Nantucket home and never returned. All seem to blame their father for their mother’s death, but nobody will talk about that tragic day. And Lynette’s memory only speaks through nightmares.

Then Nicholas Cooper returns to Nantucket, bringing the past with him. Once Lynette’s adolescent crush, Nick knows more about her mother’s death than he lets on. The truth could tear apart his own family—and destroy his fragile friendship with Lynette, the woman he no longer thinks of as a kid sister.

As their father’s failing health and financial concerns bring the Carlisle siblings home, secrets surface that will either restore their shattered relationships or separate the siblings forever. But pulling up anchor on the past propels them into the perfect storm, powerful enough to make them question their faith, their willingness to forgive, and the very truth of all the things they thought they knew.

 

The Things We Knew is Catherine West’s most recent stand-alone novel, and is also the first book I have ever read by her. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I agreed to review this novel through the Litfuse Group, but I was pleasantly surprised as soon as I started making my way through this book. It captured my attention very early on, and the more pages I read, the more I started to fall in love with the story. Catherine did a fabulous job of weaving together the many aspects of this novel, and I have to say that I definitely enjoyed it.

Lynette Carlisle is definitely an interesting character! As soon as I learned about her talent when it came to painting, I instantly became jealous, but that moment was also the start of my love for her. She is constantly concerned for everyone’s welfare except for her own, and such selfless love is one of the many things I admire about her. I was also constantly wondering what was at the heart of her nightmares, and I can’t even explain to you how much I loved her relationship with Nick.

Speaking of Nicholas Cooper; my goodness, he was definitely one of my favorite characters. I also wondered as I made my way through the story what was at the root of the hostility between him and his father, but I did know that I wanted it to end before the book was over because I couldn’t stand to see Nick in such pain over the situation. His feelings for Lynette were by far one of my favorite things about him, and I just loved the way he tried to keep her safe.

Another character that I loved was Lynette’s brother Gray. Though he isn’t mentioned in the description, he does have a decent-sized role in this story, and I really loved how it played out. At the beginning, he may not seem like the best of men, considering all of the trouble he’s gotten himself in, but I love the way he works to redeem himself, and I just couldn’t get enough of his whole “relationship” with his manager Victoria Montgomery.

All in all, I really, really loved this story! There was only one drawback for me, and it’s hardly even worth mentioning, but at the beginning I had a very hard time really seeing how this was a Christian novel. As I got further in, I was able to see that it was, and that the questionable things (nothing major I promise you) were just proof that while some people may be Christians, others are not and they still continue to make bad choices, but it was just difficult for me to see that at the beginning. All that said, I still feel confident I can give this novel all five bookshelves, and I’m so glad I decided to sign up to review it with Litfuse! It’s definitely a book I’m glad I now own!

Happy reading!

I received a copy of this book through the Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for only my honest review.

To see where I’m linking up, check out my Where I Party page.

All credit for the italicized synopsis goes to Catherine West and Thomas Nelson Publishing.