The thread about addiction is frank and honest, and I believe many readers who are recovering addicts or have dealt with a close friend or family member with addiction issues, will relate and find wisdom here. The story revolves around four women (but only three POVs) involved with the deceased Augustus (two daughters, one ex, and one lover). This book is no exception, and like with her other work, her prose will sweep the reader away into a rich world of color, scent, and food. Thank you to Lake Union Publishing, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.Įvery time I pick up a Barbara O'Neal book, it's like taking a masterclass in creating unique, fully rounded characters. This is only my own opinion and I’m sure this novel will suit many. This Place of Wonder had a lot of potential but it gets mired in too much drama and unrealistic situations.
Poor deceased Augustus is one of the main characters, emphasizing what an unappetizing human he was. Each chapter is narrated by one of three of the four women, not sure why one was left out. I was disappointed because I expected this to lead to strong women getting on with a difficult situation. So we have these four women, who remain devoted to this adulterous, selfish man who obviously was so adorable and could do any wrong. His flavour-of-the-month, Norah, is shattered and Meadow’s daughter Rory tries to comfort all.
Augustus’ daughter, Maya, in rehab at the time, returns home. We soon learn that his ex-wife Meadow, herself a famous foodie, is trying to be everything to everyone.
It begins with the sudden death of Augustus, a famous chef. And I can’t say that I enjoyed this family relationship story. I asked for the opportunity to read This Place of Wonder by Barbara O’Neal in spite of the fact that women’s fiction is not one of my favorite genres. Set on the stunning, rugged California coastline, This Place of Wonder is an emotional, lush, and empowering story of four women finding their way in a changed world―and what a wondrous journey it will be. But moving forward is the only choice they have, and to do so, they’ll need to rely on family, friendship, and inner strength. And when the circumstances around his death are called into question, their conflicted feelings become even more complicated. And then there’s Rory, Meadow’s daughter, the voice of calm and reason in a chorus of discontent.Īs Meadow, Maya, Norah, and Rory are flung together by tragedy, grief, and secrets yet to be revealed, they must accept―or turn away from―the legacy of great intentions and bad decisions Augustus left them. Norah, his latest girlfriend, sidelined her own career for unexpected love and a life of luxury, both of which are now gone with Augustus. More unforgiving is Maya, his estranged daughter, who’s recently out of rehab but finally ready to reclaim her life.
Meadow, the ex-wife with whom Augustus built an empire―and a family―still holds a place for him in her heart, even as she continues to struggle with his infidelities, which ended their twenty-year marriage. When famed chef Augustus Beauvais dies, he leaves behind a celebrated reputation―and four women grappling with loss, anger, pain, and the question of how the world will turn without him… In the wake of a personal tragedy, four women face the past, their futures, and each other in a novel of broken ties and healing by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids.
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