Deborah Raney's Leaving November ~ Reviewed

Leaving November
By Deborah Raney
Published by Howard Fiction
ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-5829-3
Genre: Women's fiction

Back Cover:

There's one thing she has vowed never to abide in a man. Could the horrible rumors be true? Is her life repeating itself?

Eight years ago, Vienne Jenney moved away from Clayburn and all its gossip to pursue a law degree in California. But now she has failed the bar exam again. Is she destined to be stuck forever, a failure—just like her father—in this two-horse town?
Nine months ago, Jackson Linder left Clayburn with no explanation to anybody. Now he, too, is back. He isn't sure he's ready to face the rumors and well-meaning questions if the town's busybodies. Yet he's determined, once more, to make his art gallery a success—in spite of the secret that haunts him every day.

Review:

Deborah Raney never shies away from tackling tough subjects and Leaving November takes on one of the grittiest: alcoholism. In her portrayal of recovering alcoholic Jackson Linder, I saw the raw emotion of battling temptation depicted with brilliant sensitivity. The devastation addiction has on families, as revealed in Vienne, is not glossed over in this hard-hitting love story. Neither is the redemptive and sustaining power of God.

Leaving November is perhaps her best yet. I was completely captivated by Vienne and Jack, and all the other people who live in Clayburn. Beautiful, believable and unforgettable, these characters will live on in your memory long after you turn the last page.

Reviewed by: Ane Mulligan