Improbably Yours by Kerry Anne King

An unusual inheritance leads to a life-changing journey in a novel of romance, secrets, and the treasure of found family.

Blythe Harmon is on the fast track to a life she never wanted. On her thirtieth birthday, just as she’s about to lock herself into a high-powered job and accept a marriage proposal to match, an unusual bequest from her beloved late grandmother, Nomi, offers an escape and an invitation to adventure.

Equipped with Nomi’s urn of ashes and a treasure map, Blythe sets off for a small island in the San Juans where she rents the mysterious and unsettling Improbable House. Secret by secret, clue by cryptic clue, she begins to unravel the puzzle her grandmother has left her to piece together. Her quest is complicated, though, by a powerful attraction to an enigmatic islander and empathy for his orphaned niece, both of whom are inexorably tied to the old house.

Just when Blythe thinks she’s on the verge of solving the mystery, her quest takes an unexpected turn, and she discovers that the treasure she’s really seeking is something that could never be buried in the ground. While she’s on the treasure hunt of a lifetime, the past and the future are coming together in this magical novel by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Whisper Me This.

Kindle Edition, 345 pages

Expected publication: October 18th 2022

by Lake Union Publishing

4/5 stars

Kerry Anne King is not a new author for me,  I enjoyed Whisper Me This as well as A Borrowed Life, it only stands to reason that I would jump when given the opportunity to review Improbably Yours which releases in a few short weeks.

Improbably Yours begins with a 24 year old conversation that revisits Blyther on her 30th birthday that sets her on a path of self discovery through a treasure hunt on an island off the coast of Oregon.

This was a fun and interesting read. It wasn’t just Blythe's journey but for others on the island as well. It’s a story of grief, of guilt, and how the past doesn’t always stay secret. Eventually, all will be revealed no matter how hard you try not to let it happen.

I enjoyed the location of the story, the treasure hunt, the clues, the connections and while some of it may have been a tad predictable, it was still entertaining watching everything unfold. I enjoyed the mystery, the magical parts, the island and unique cast of characters and way of life on this island, I love that there was a canine and that just rounded everything out nicely.

While this might not be my favourite, Kerry Anne King book, that place belongs to Whisper Me This, but Improbably Yours gets four stars from me.

My thanks to the publisher, Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review. You can find this book on your bookshelves October 18.

Review: Borrowed Life by Kerry Anne King

From the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Whisper Me This comes an emotional and sharply witty novel about how life’s unexpected detours can ultimately bring you home.

For twenty-six years Liz has perfectly played the part of Mrs. Thomas Lightsey, exemplary pastor’s wife and mother. But maintaining appearances for the congregation and catering to her demanding husband takes a toll, and she’s lost herself in meeting the expectations of others. When Thomas suddenly dies, Liz feels shock, grief, and, to her surprise, the siren song of freedom. Dare she dream of a life to call her own?

Despite the resistance of her daughter, Abigail, to even the smallest changes, Liz lands a role at the community theater. Inspired by new friends and the character she plays, she explores life’s possibilities, including an unexpected—and steamy—relationship with her leading man.

........ can Liz find a way to rebuild her dream life one more time?

Kindle Edition, 320 pages

Published September 22nd 2020

by Lake Union

4/5 stars

This is my second book by Kerry Anne King, I loved Whisper Me This last year.

A Borrowed Life is a story of relationships, whether husband/wife, mom/daughter and between friends -old and new. It’s about self discovery after years and years of living in the shadow of someone who is suppose to be a partner not a dictator.

Liz suddenly finds herself a widow, adjusting to a world of opportunities if she chooses to grasp all she has missed over the years. To follow long abandoned dreams and take risks. I liked Liz, she was real and honestly she could be anyone.  There were times I felt like we were back in the 50’s with the life she was forced to live.

Kerry Anne King again wrote an emotional story that had me feeling a wide range of emotions, from disbelief and anger to hopeful and compassionate.

You might not notice but I didn’t include the whole blurb up there. Anything that is mentioned and happens at the 60% mark is just a spoiler IMHO.

If you’re looking for a book to curl up with and read in a couple sitting I recommend giving Kerry Anne King a try.

My thanks to the publisher (via Netgalley) for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Whisper Me This by Kerry Anne King

Single mother Maisey Addington has always fallen short of her own mother’s expectations—never married, a bit adrift, wasting her high IQ on dead-end jobs. The only thing Maisey’s sure she’s gotten right is her relationship with her twelve-year-old daughter, Elle…until a phone call blows apart the precarious balance of their lives. Maisey’s mother is in a coma, and her aging father faces charges of abuse and neglect.

Back at her childhood home, Maisey must make a heartrending life-or-death decision. Her confused father has destroyed family records, including her mother’s final wishes. Searching for answers, Maisey uncovers one unspeakable secret after another when she stumbles upon a shattering truth: a twin sister named Marley.

Maisey’s obsession with solving the mystery of her sister forces her to examine her darkest memories and triggers a custody battle with Elle’s father. Will Maisey’s love for her daughter be strong enough to break a cycle of abuse and create a new beginning for them all?

Hardcover, 368 pages

Published August 1st, 2018

by Lake Union Publishing

**** 1/2

I won this book from the lovely and talented Barbara Claypole White and am kicking myself for waiting so long to read it.  Kerry Anne King is a new to me author, I am now searching for her previous books so I can enjoy more of her writing.

Whisper Me This is a book I dived into without reading the blurb and I instantly connected not just with Maisey and her daughter Elle but the author's writing.  It was authentic and maybe because I at one time was a caregiver it hit closer for me.  There are many triggers in this book, abuse (both verbal and physical) along with guilt and anger.

“And still, through all this overwhelming grief and fear and loss, my anger is an ever-present demon. It tangles itself in all the other emotions, stealing the sweetness from my love, poisoning my fear. I watch from the doorway, until finally everything stops.” 

 Told from the POV of Maisey, letters her mother wrote and also Tony, the fireman and former schoolmate of Maisey. Whisper Me This is a journey for both Maisey and Tony, it's about overcoming demons, letting go and letting others in. There is mystery here and while at times it might have been predictable to a certain degree, I was still anxious for the details to be revealed and things to click into place.

Kerry Anne King is an author I will recommend to those that love beautiful covers, family drama and getting sucked into a good book.

This book is from my personal library and part of my 2020 reading my shelf challenge.