"To My Senses" by Alexandrea Weis
Published by BookSurge Publishing
Rating: 4.5 stars
This book is about Nicci Beauvoir (love the last name!), who is from a wealthy family and part of New Orleans high society. Though she holds a place of prestige within the community, Nicci's down-to-earth personality prevents her from desiring a lavish lifestyle. Nicci has many admirers but is not interested in any of the men she encounters until she meets David, the one man who is off limits. Despite the difficult circumstances, Nicci and David fall in love and he awakens a passion for life that she didn't even know existed within her. Things are going smoothly until Nicci overhears secrets that tear her and David apart, causing her to seek solace in the arms of another man, Dr. Michael Fagles. Though her relationship with Michael lacks the intensity of her past affair with David, Nicci stays with him. As Michael becomes more invested in her, Nicci must decide if she is willing to spend the rest of her life in a loveless relationship.
From the first page, I became immersed into the storyline and I found myself admiring Nicci's strength and independent character. I loved reading about the passion she had with David, and began to experience the same ups and downs as Nicci, after the relationship ended. Though there are some serious subject matters, there is always comic relief in the hilarious characters, such as Nicci's aunt and cousin. This book provided just the right blend of tearful emotion and amusement to satisfy my reading palette.
Another great element of the storyline is how timeless it is. Though it's set in modern times, I could easily envision it taking place decades ago, especially with all of the traditional New Orleans festivities and banter.
Just when the plot starts following a somewhat predictable course, it takes an unexpected turn and the ending comes as a shock! One of the most important elements of a book to me is how the author ends the novel because ideally that is what leaves a lasting impression. Alexandrea Weis has definitely succeeded in writing an unforgettable novel, especially in the beautiful way she has crafted the ending!
Here's the trailer for the book:
BIG THANKS to Alexandrea for sending me a copy of her book to review.
