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Love Helps Them Heal
Celestial Bodies is the romantic saga of two people who are used to putting others first. When they meet, they discover more about themselves than they could imagine. What was the inspiration for this epic love story collection?
There’s a saying that ‘hurt people hurt people.’ However, sometimes that isn’t the case. Sometimes people in deep pain are able to love others in extraordinary ways without widening the circle of trauma. That’s what Tess and Jack’s love story shows us. These are two innately good people who have suffered trauma and grief. They have given tirelessly to others, but they’ve been unable to find personal happiness until they meet each other. At the core, it’s a story about people with visible and invisible wounds and how love helps them heal. Their love is so strong that I hope it runs off the pages and lives inside readers too. It has certainly done that for me.
What were some of the emotional and moral guidelines you followed when developing your characters?
These are genuinely good people trying to do good in the world. I tried to show this with how they treat others. There’s a gentleness or grace with which the primary characters—friends, lovers, chosen family—treat one another. I was also mindful that these characters have suffered various traumas in their lives and thus are always engaged in the lifelong healing process. So, there’s a balance with their strength and vulnerability, with how they treat others and with how they must learn to treat themselves.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Each novel in the collection explores love and another theme: healing, doubt, intimacy, trust, commitment, and faith. Together, it is an exploration of love in all its forms and textures. Some people have called the collection a love letter to love. Others have called it a prayer.
Were you able to achieve everything you wanted with the characters in the novel collection?
Originally, I had only intended to write one novel, Shooting Stars, which itself came to me in a burst. When I was done, I felt like there was so much more to explore with the characters, so Twinkle followed, then Constellations, Supernova, North Star, and finally, Stardust. So as a whole, in Celestial Bodies I was able to take the characters on quite a journey and where they end is very far from where they begin. That said, I love, love, love these characters so much and there’s always more to tell, so who knows, maybe someday I’ll return to them.
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Tess Lee is a world-famous novelist. Her inspirational books explore people’s innermost struggles and the human need to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Despite her extraordinary success, she’s been unable to find happiness in her personal life. Jack Miller is a federal agent who specializes in counterterrorism. After spending decades immersed in a violent world, a residue remains. He’s dedicated everything to his job, leaving nothing for himself. The night Tess and Jack meet, their connection is palpable. She examines the scars on his body and says, “I’ve never seen anyone whose outsides match my insides.” The two embark on a beautiful love story that asks the questions: What happens when people truly see each other? Can unconditional love change the way we see ourselves? Their friends are along for the ride: Omar, Tess’s sarcastic best friend who calls her Butterfly; Joe, Jack’s friend from the Bureau who understands the sacrifices he’s made; and Bobby and Gina, Jack’s younger friends who never fail to lighten the mood. Along the way, others join their journey: the female president of the United States, with whom Tess bakes cookies and talks politics; the Millers, Jack’s childhood family; and many others. Celestial Bodies is about walking through our past traumas, moving from darkness to light, learning to live in color, and the ways in which love—from lovers, friends, or the art we experience—can heal us. Written as unfolding action, this collection moves fluidly between melancholy, humor, and joy. It can be read for pleasure or selected for book clubs.
Celestial Bodies
Celestial Bodies is a beautifully written collection of six novels following the two main characters, Tess and Jack, and their love for each other. Written by Patricia Leavy, she details different aspects of their relationship with the different novels in the series. Together they must face different struggles: healing, doubt, intimacy, trust, commitment, and faith. These stories are more about internal dialogue that stresses the relationship rather than an external force that no one can control. Tess and Jack both have trouble putting their careers aside and finding their own happiness. However, this internal struggle leads them to an understanding and bond. Between the two characters, this understanding blossoms into an epic love story.
This captivating collection of novels combined into one book creates many parallels between the lives of Jack and Tess. Their similarities in life allow their love to come across as believable and likable. Leavy is extremely good at starting her story off strong and hooking readers in from the opening pages. Her ability to have the characters and their interactions feel authentic gives readers a feeling like they are part of the story.
When Jack and Tess first meet in the bar, it demonstrates much about the characters. It shows that Jack is protective and chivalrous while Tess is entirely able to handle herself but appreciates the gesture. Both characters have a painful past, making their stories interweave and mirror each other perfectly. When the two get intimate with each other and Tess first sees Jack’s scars, she is not taken aback or disgusted. She is instead intrigued and tells him something she hasn’t told anyone else. Leavy is showing that both characters are comfortable with being vulnerable with each other despite having just met and, on the surface, having little in common.
Leavy is also very good at explaining little metaphors and simple meanings that are believable to what people would say in real life. For example, Omar calling Tess a butterfly and her not knowing or asking what it means is credible. When the meaning is relieved, it adds depth to the secondary characters, making their presence in the storyline essential, even if they are not the main focus.
Celestial Bodies is an anthology of six contemporary romance novels that tell the love story of Tess and Jack. Each story builds upon the last, giving readers a cohesive and complete saga that focuses more on emotional bonds and self-improvement than physical intimacy and surface-level emotions.
Pages: 802 | ASIN : B09WZGRGML
Blackberries and Brandi
Blackberries and Brandi (Hope Falls Series Book Three) by author C.H. Eryl is a fiction story set in a small town in Wyoming. During the Valentine’s dance, Brandi Wright receives a proposal from Luke Austin, her boss at the Hope Falls Ski Resort. But she doesn’t share the news with her mother right away for fear that she will think this is just another mistake like the many Brandi has made in the past. Brian Walters proposes to single mom Darci at the dance, too, and they plan to marry in December, which causes her parents concern as Darci has not known Brian long. Will love be enough to carry these two couples to a happily ever after, especially when danger lurks as a past enemy reemerges into their lives?
There is an element of suspense and mystery woven throughout the story. Some hints seem to point to a particular person, but also hints that it could be someone else, which will keep readers guessing and wanting to read and find out if their suspicions are correct about who is behind the threat to Luke and Brandi. The story is told from a third-person narration, allowing readers to be fully immersed in the story and better understand the characters. The dialogue flows naturally. The drama begins immediately, making this book hard to put down. C.H. Eryl’s writing style is impressive and engaging.
I feel that things may be confusing for readers who have not read the first two novels in the collection. For example, when a character first appears in the story, there is no explanation of who they are. It seems that the author assumes readers would already know the relationships between characters. Even not knowing the back story of the characters, readers can still enjoy the mystery element and relationship building of the characters.
Blackberries and Brandi is a sweet, charming, and thrilling read that I recommend to those looking for a short romance novel. This cozy romance novel will give readers that feel-good sensation that one looks for in a quick relaxing read.
Pages: 213 | ASIN : B09SK71RKD
LITERARY TITAN 