Title: Where the Stars Cross
Author: Dottie Sines
Genre: Historical Romance, Historical Romantic Fiction
Book Blurb:
In the depths of the Great Depression, Ellie suffers another crash—that of her marriage. She’s left struggling to restore her shattered life, feeling as damaged as the stained-glass panels she refurbishes for Chicago’s historic structures. While visiting her aunt in Marietta, Ohio, a charming river town, Ellie encounters towboat captain Wyatt and feels a searing attraction to him. But thanks to past and subsequent wounds, her attempts at opening herself to love seem futile. Her hope for love and her determination to find the place she belongs are further complicated by her tendency to make impulsive decisions. In her journey, Ellie draws on an unrealized level of courage and learns she must identify her brightest passions in charting her course.
My Review:
Can Ellie forge her own path to happiness while opening her heart to love or will her journey lead her to loneliness and heartbreak? Where the Stars Cross is an emotional tale set in the Great Depression, Ellie suffers great loss but can’t seem to find a place to put down roots. This is, in essence, the crux of Where the Stars Cross. No matter the time period, this is something we all face. Can we let go of past pain, heal our wounds, and open our hearts to love?
The narration is equal parts descriptive and emotional. Dottie Sines has a gift for narration. Her use of emotions propels the plot. I found myself transported back in time. Each scene is detailed well so the reader experiences everything first-hand.
The characters are well-written, especially Ellie. I connected with her and all she goes through. There were many times I shouted out loud at Ellie and even Wyatt. Yes, I became quite invested in this story and the characters.
Where the Stars Cross is a poignant look at a slice of Americana during the Great Depression, and I recommend it to all readers.
My Rating: 5 stars
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Author Biography:
Dottie enjoys all things historical. Towns, buildings, homes. Clothing and jewelry. Typewriters and tins and trinkets. Books. Naturally, she serves on the board of the county historical society. Her first novel, Where the Stars Cross, is set in the 1930s.
She scratched out her first attempts at fiction as a kid transfixed by the books she read -- Curious George and Nancy Drew, Gone with the Wind and Little Women -- all those lazy summer days on the front porch swing of her small-town Midwestern home.
When not managing the interlibrary loan department at a college, Dottie contributes to multiple newspapers and magazines. Her short stories and non-fiction pieces have won many awards. She has twice been honored as one of ten finalists in the short story contest of the Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park, which published her award-winning stories in the 3rd and 5th editions of its literary journal, Hemingway Shorts.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://www.dottiesines.com/
Reviewed by: Nancy