This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Lucinda E Clarke for Readers' Favorite
A Time to Reflect by Joanna Warrington is a family saga that spans three generations. Pandora and her brother Jules are brought up on a farm, their father commuting to work weekly and their mother in the shadow of her domineering husband. Pandora is a high achiever while Jules bears the brunt of his father’s cruelty and verbal and physical abuse. Jules finds solace in gambling, experiencing the highs and lows and his dreams of making it big. His marriage is floundering so Pandora brings up his daughter and takes her niece on a trip to Boston. But everyone has a secret, something shameful to hide, and it becomes increasingly difficult to deny the truth.
This is an amazing book. In A Time to Reflect by Joanna Warrington, we are taken into the dark world of the compulsive gambler. The characterization is so real you can believe you are about to place a bet and hold your breath as you wait to hear if you have won. The book is also a travelogue of the history of New England and the surrounding areas. It’s informative as Pandora and Ellie, her niece, explore Salem, Plymouth and other settler towns on the northeast coast. Their holiday is interrupted by the arrival of Jules who is desperate to make up for his past behavior, but can an addiction like his be cured and how do the confessions of past events affect their relationships? Can they ever be a family again? I was drawn into this book and turned the pages fast and furiously as I lived and bonded with the characters, all of whom I cared about. It was shocking in places, informative in others, and is a recommended read. Well written, it is one of those books I did not want to end. Five stars.
