Review: June (A Novel)

 

Synopsis:

Twenty-five-year-old Cassie Danvers is holed up in her family’s crumbling mansion in rural St. Jude, Ohio, mourning the loss of the woman who raised her—her grandmother, June. But a knock on the door forces her out of isolation. Cassie has been named the sole heir to legendary matinee idol Jack Montgomery’s vast fortune. How did Jack Montgomery know her name? Could he have crossed paths with her grandmother all those years ago? What other shocking secrets could June’s once-stately mansion hold?

Soon Jack’s famous daughters come knocking, determined to wrestle Cassie away from the inheritance they feel is their due. Together, they all come to discover the true reasons for June’s silence about that long-ago summer, when Hollywood came to town, and June and Jack’s lives were forever altered by murder, blackmail, and betrayal. As this page-turner shifts deftly between the past and present, Cassie and her guests will be forced to reexamine their legacies, their definition of family, and what it truly means to love someone, steadfastly, across the ages.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review:

June by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore is an intriguing read for all. The novel itself fluctuates between events from the 1950’s to the present moment. Events from the past have an enormous effect on the characters and how their lives will play out in the end. Three women’s lives are brought together inside this juicy drama filled novel. Readers will be piqued as to how each character handles the new information they have been given and what will become of them. A grandmother has passed away and left an inheritance to one woman and then a grandfather that she never knew about left her an inheritance as well.  Hollywood star from the past brings all the secrets, lies, and betrayals to the women presented in the present moment within this title. It’s funny how one knows their life and then suddenly it all changes with a death of two people. Two people who have held secrets for a long time.

Miranda Beverly-Whittemore’s writing is well-written. The characters will become living beings that pop off the pages as the events that haunted the past come bubbling up to the present. Nothing like family drama to stir things up…as a reader I didn’t really click with any one character. The characters had news they were not expecting and dealt with it on a day to day basis. I didn’t feel sympathy for the women…but I could relate to their issues. June is an intimate yet suspenseful tale that will lure readers into its plot. Each woman has her own struggles as well as the ones they all share. This gives the story depth and a realistic feeling to it. I was curious with each page as to how the ending would turn out…and I have to say the tension builds into an explosively stunning piece. Overall, I recommend this novel to readers everywhere.