Heather’s Review: The Family Plot by Brea Brown

The Family Plot
written by Brea Brown
published by Brea Brown, 2016

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Goodreads

Did I enjoy this book: Yes!

Do you ever read a book and fall instantly in love with the hero? Like, the second you read his first line and you know—oh yeah, he’s a keeper? Well, that’s how I felt when Eric Mulligan showed up on the page in Brea Brown’s latest book, THE FAMILY PLOT. I’ve been a fan of Brea Brown’s work since LET’S BE FRANK, the first book in her Nurse Nate trilogy (I highly recommend those, too!). And with every book that Brea releases, I fall even more hopelessly in love with them and her writing style. In fact, I’m kind of scared to start her Secret Keeper series because I have a life that I need to be present for, and if those books are anything like the ones I’ve been reading lately, I won’t get anything done. But I digress . . .

THE FAMILY PLOT is one of those books that you wish you could jump into and become part of the story. I wanted to feel the frigid Maine winter, I wanted to poke my nose around Eric’s beautiful home, I wanted to meet his idiot of a cousin and ream him out for being such an asshat. I wanted to be a third wheel on Eric and Whitney’s dates, to joke with them, watch the movies they watched, and even just be the one spying on Eric while he was singing and dancing his heart out in his underwear while making Whitney breakfast.

One of the things I liked most about this book was the slow, methodical, real-life approach to the romance between Whitney and Eric. A dose of reality and fun is just as addicting as the hot, heavy, love-at-first-sight plots that are so popular right now. Whitney had to find herself first and watching that happen was empowering. Eric had to find the courage to be himself—his true self—and to see that happen made the reader cheer and love him even more. As the reader, you can see that the two are perfect for each other—but watching their romance was something special.

Brea’s writing style is such that you feel as if you’re part of the story, involved to the point that you get personal satisfaction when the end comes. I finished this book with tears running down my cheeks—happy tears!—and to me, that’s the best kind of ending. This is definitely another book that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading.

Would I recommend it: Absolutely. My “Best Reads of 2016” list will definitely include this book!

 

 

About the book – from Goodreads: Whitney Faelhaber is a strong, independent woman. Just ask her, and she’ll tell you. Over and over again. When her favorite aunt passes away and bequeaths to her what feels like an entire life in Small Town, USA, Whitney’s supposed strength and independence meet their biggest challenge, to date. Leaving her family, a boyfriend, and a budding career in academia, Whitney moves to Morris, Maine, to settle her aunt’s numerous affairs and take up running Velvet Printing, Aunt Vel’s pride and joy.

“Culture shock” doesn’t begin to describe Whitney’s intro to Morris. To make things even more uncomfortable, the townsfolk seem intent on matchmaking her with the local oddball, Eric Mulligan. But romance with anyone—much less a socially awkward mortician—is the last thing on Whitney’s agenda. Her goal is to learn everything about her aunt’s business as quickly as possible, so she can return to her “real” life in Boston and oversee things from afar.

As Whitney digs through her aunt’s finances, looking for spare change to fund the operational fixes that will allow her to escape back to Boston, she discovers some strange discrepancies with no obvious explanations. But Weirdo Mulligan seems to know more than he’s letting on. And when Whitney finally drags the truth from him, it changes her entire view of the aunt she thought she knew… and the course of her own life.