Kate Austin

 3 stars ~ The slow unravelling of the mystery of "Why" and "Who" was very well done and kept me focused on the story, but I never really connected with the characters.  I liked them, but there was no emotion invested.  Still it was an intriguing premise with a few twists here and there; although sometimes, to be honest, there were a few too many.

Josie Harris lived a charmed life. Well, at least she thought she did until trouble found her. Her parents moved away, her job evaporated and then her father left his 40-year (plus) marriage. Josie travels across country to see what she can do to patch up her family.  

This is a story of inner growth and change. This imprint is very different from Harlequin’s usual type of read. Since the Next line has ceased to exist, this reader cannot help but wonder if it is just too different from what Harlequin reader’s want in general. The books focus on a woman’s inner journey. H/h relationships are not central to the book. If you are looking for a weighty read and something very different from romance, you might enjoy this book.

   Bought, initially, to follow Stevi Mittman’s Teddi Bayer, this book was a wonderful find.  Both Kate Austin’s and Jennifer Greene’s stories have got me on the hunt for more of both their work.  This is why I love anthologies so much… not only did I enjoy an author that I was sure of, I found two more.  And I’m finding that the stories in the NEXT line are great stories of women who have a little more life experience ~ and that is another treat.  So if you’ve not tried anything by any of these authors, or from the NEXT imprint ~ live a little!