EXCERPT: She could feel the oppression in the air. It wasn't just the musty smell of dust and the lack of fresh air. There was a story to be told in the strictly feminine decor, save for the untouched male garments here in the bedroom. Something happened to her uncle, Charity was sure. Something bas, something of which no 0ne spoke.
Charity fingered the ragged garments. They must have been hanging there for at least twenty-five years or more. A thick layer of dust coated the material. At her touch, the disturbed motes danced up to tickle her nose and caused Charity to sneeze. She inadvertently jerked, disturbing the clothes even further. A fold shifted to reveal a dark stain across the front of the shirt. Even after all these years, the blood was evident.
Just like the bullet hole it surrounded.

ABOUT 'FORGOTTEN BOXES': Named sole heir to her aunt's estate, Charity Gannon arrives in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, hoping to find a link to her past. She's not looking for lost treasures; she is searching for a connection to the aunt she barely knew.
What she finds is a thirty-something-year-old mystery and questions with no answers. A sad, secluded cottage, all but hidden amid the vines. A man's suit of clothes, tainted with dried blood and a bullet hole. Four forgotten boxes, stuffed into a large bag and buried in the far corners of the shed.
These are not just any boxes. These are unopened, undelivered boxes, left behind by the now-defunct Kingdom Parcel. All four boxes are marked March 14, 1984... the very day her uncle, president and driver for the delivery service, was said to have committed suicide. Four forgotten boxes, whose owners might still be out there, waiting for a delivery that never arrived.
The undelivered boxes haunt Charity, tugging at her conscience. Hadn’t someone noticed them missing? Hadn’t anyone wondered about the failed delivery? Thinking it might be fun to surprise the recipients after all these years, Charity sets out to deliver the packages to their rightful owners.
The story behind one box is delightful. Another is heartbreaking.
And one might very well be the death of her.
MY THOUGHTS: I really liked the premise of this story as laid out in the synopsis. The mystery was reasonably interesting and told over two timelines - 1984 and thirty years later. However, it was dominated by a very schmaltzy romance, and therein lies one of the problems. Where in the synopsis is there mention of romance? There was probably enough material in the mystery storyline to sustain the book. A romance could have been introduced as a sideline, but this totally dominated the book. Corny, cheesy, sappy, schmaltzy- you name it, it was everything but realistic.

The other thing that was unreal to me was the way people were talking and behaving. The earlier part of the storyline was set in 1984, not 1954 which is what it sounded like. I was almost thirty in 1984 and no-one I knew or worked with acted or spoke like these characters. Both characters and plot could have done with more in-depth development.

This was a story which had a lot of unrealised potential. I love the idea of finding something old with a mystery attached. More could have been made of the story behind each box, and less of the romance which would have produced a far better-balanced and interesting read. I honestly don't know how this took first place in the 2016 Texan book awards in the category of suspense fiction.
⭐⭐

#ForgottenBoxes #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Since writing my first "book" in grade school, I knew I wanted to be an author.

As an avid history buff, I like to poke around in old places and learn about the past. Other addictions include reading, writing, junking, unraveling a good mystery, and coffee. I love to travel, but believe coming home to family is the best part of any trip.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to clear Creek Publishers via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Forgotten Boxes by Becki Willis for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own opinions.

Going back into the past, unraveling mysteries of family and the secrets hidden for decades can sometimes spring pleasant, sometimes unpleasant surprises.

Charity wants to get to know the aunt who gave her an unexpected bequest. Coming up and finding a dilapidated cottage she does find surprising stuff. A blood stained suit with bullet holes and four boxes of stuff dating back to 1984 with differing addresses on them. Delving further, she finds out that all were supposed to be delivered on the day her Uncle supposedly committed suicide. Thinking of going a step further, she starts on a quest to deliver the boxes thirty years hence not realising that she is opening a can of worms.

An interesting story throwing up romance, suspense and sadness.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for my honest opinion.

When I read the blurb for this book, it sounded good and boy was it. I am not a huge romance fan, but I am a huge mystery fan, this book combined these two perfectly. What a great mystery to unravel, I loved it. I mean, who doesn't want some great aunt that you have never heard of to die and leave you a mystery to solve? Great book. I will be checking out this author again, for sure.

Thank you to Netgalley for this great read.

Forgotten Boxes, by award winning author Becki Willis introduces Charity Gannon, a graphic artist who works from her home in Maryland. When Charity travels to Vermont to settle her aunt’s estate, she discovers four boxes in a garbage bag in the far corner of the shed. The boxes were scheduled to be delivered 31 years ago, on the day of her uncle’s purported suicide. Thinking it would be fun to deliver the boxes and surprise the recipients, Charity gets involved in a mystery that is both dangerous and possibly deadly.

Because of the excellent writing, Forgotten Boxes reels the reader in during the first chapter and is difficult to put down right through to the end. Willis weaves some romance into the novel, and does an excellent job of developing her characters. The stories behind the boxes that were never delivered are interesting, and it shows just how much of an impact an insignificant failed delivery can have on people for the rest of their lives.

During the course of the novel, the chapters go from what is happening now with Charity, to back during the 80s when the Kingdom Parcel Company was delivering packages, along with the story behind Charity’s uncle and his death. Why would Charity’s Aunt Nell keep the clothes her uncle had been wearing, complete with blood and a bullet hole, hanging in the bedroom? Why would her Aunt Nell keep the undelivered boxes in a corner of the shed for all these years?

Willis skillfully tells the story in such a way that readers will want to keep reading; the suspense starts at the beginning of the novel, and builds throughout. Charity will finally be able to learn about her estranged Aunt Nell and the mystery behind her Uncle’s death.

The book is fairly short, and is a fast, easy read. It will appeal to most thriller lovers, and doesn’t contain graphic sex, violence, or language. Definitely worth reading.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Princess Fuzzypants here:
As a cat, I am not a big fan of romance novels but when there is a good story and mystery surrounding it, it can make me purr. This one has both elements.
Charity has inherited her late aunt's home as her only living relative. She is trying to sort out her own life as she sorts out the remains of her aunt's home. There has always been an air of mystery about her aunt and uncle. When she discovers the bullet ridden and blood soaked suit he was wearing the day he died, she feels compelled to learn more. However, it is the discovery of four undelivered packages that piques her curiosity. Why were these hidden away in a garbage bag at the back of a shed? She decides that by delivering the packages to those who were intended to receive them, albeit 31 years late, will provide closure. It might give her a glimpse into what happened to her uncle that fateful night.
What she does not realize when she starts her mission is the kind of impact these lost items might have on the recipients. She is unaware of the hornet's nest she is now disturbing nor how these mysteries involve the man of her dreams whom fate seems to throw in her path. What she learns is there are dangerous forces at work, the same forces that killed her uncle and changed the lives of many people for whom she cares.
It is a taut story with characters who are imperfect and it is their imperfections that make them more interesting. I must admit, I did twig to the connection before it was revealed but the circumstances still surprised. It was an entertaining read.
I give it four paws up and two purrs.

Forgotten boxes? Yep. Forget this book? Nope. Really, I wasn't expecting this to be so awesome, but it was and I'm excited for the chance to talk about it. I hate romance novels for the most part. Too many years of both writing them and reading them and I have tired of the tropes and overused cliches, so I go into any book that mentions romance with trepidation, but this one is great.

This novel is part mystery, part romance, part--everything, really, but most of all, it a book that was clearly written from the heart by an author that cares about her audience and her work. I fell in love with the characters right away, and loved that the relationship between the two main characters progressed so quickly. Becki Willis did an excellent job of creating chemistry between them, and her descriptions of not only the people in the story, but the setting made this novel stand out. I felt like I was right there among those red-gold leaves, smelling maple syrup.

This book was emotionally touching and tender at times and at other times compelling and edge of your seat thrilling. If you are looking for something to read that will touch your heart and make you want more, then give this one a try.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I know other people will give a book a bad/low mark for being a DNF, but as an author myself I know how bad that feels. So I hope my no score is less painful. I’m not going to score this book as I don’t want to give it a bad score - as I don’t feel it deserves one. Nor do I want to give it a high score for the same reason.

Basically, this book was not for me. There is nothing wrong with the writing; I just couldn’t get into it. I found the level of maturity shown in the writing style did not match the topic – it was like a YA/NA trying to write a crime thriller. Did not work for me. From other reviews I have read, people have loved this book. To me that proves it’s good… for the right audience.

This does not make it a bad book, and I really want to emphasise this. Despite not liking it and not being able to get into it, I did see potential. I, the reader, and this book just weren’t matched and I refuse to mark it down because of my own faults. :-)

Charity is the sole heir to her aunt's estate. An aunt she barely met once and doesn't know anything about. As Charity starts cleaning out her aunt's cottage and out buildings, she begins to learns very little about her aunt and the "accident" that took the life of her husband 30 years prior. Charity finds a bag of undelivered boxes in the shed that were on her uncle's delivery truck the day he died. She begins to deliver the packages, learning about each recipient. Some have good stories, some don't and one is dangerous. During all this she manages to find her true love (of course). I was looking forward to this book as it seemed a good mystery involving family secrets. However, the writing was simplistic with no complexity to the story. Even during Charity's cleaning we learn very little of the aunt or her life (other than the accident). Just a disappointment.

First novel that I've read by this author. It grabbed my attention as the very beginning and held it throughout. I loved all the twists that really never gave many clues to the outcome. Very suspenseful! Highly recommended!

Such an original story line with fantastic twists and turns.

I received this ARC from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

Charity inherits her aunts estate and while cleaning she stumbles upon a 30 year old mystery. In the shed, stored in a trash bag and buried under years of accumulated stuff are four forgotten boxes from her uncles failed delivery service. Thinking it would be fun to deliver the boxes, Charity runs into trouble and head long into love with the local maple syrup maker, Tarn.

Although labeled as a mystery, I found this book more of a light romance story than mystery. The killer could be no other than who it was, clean language with no sexual scenes and it would be appropriate for young teens.

3☆

This is a brilliant mix of romance and mystery.
A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Fantastic read! Forgotten Boxes has everything that makes a book memorable- drama, intrigue, betrayal, romance, heartbreak..... I also loved how easily the author changed timelines- she did so with great skill.

This was one of those books you read way late into the night.

Looking forward to more books by Becki Willis.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

This was a really quick read- it's a combination of chick lit, romance, and historical mystery!
Which makes it perfect for History Corner, as it shows how small business made it big back then! Add in some great history on maple syrup (who knew the makers were called sugarmakers?), with a 'meant to be' romance, and you have a sweet treat, perfect for pre- Valentine's Day reading! I have to admit I guessed the mystery behind Charity's uncle's death soon into the story, but it was such a fun and quick read, I stayed with it It's a light hearted read, perfect for a pre-Spring day!

"Forgotten Boxes" is an interesting mix of mystery, romance and fantasy. I say the latter, because the romance part seems a bit too unbelievable, too coincidental. But, I'll forgive that because the mystery in the book is craftily combined with a tale about long-lasting consequences of one person's decision. The emotions that are drawn from that part of the story are very strong. It adds interest and depth to a "typical" cozy mystery that isn't often found in that genre. I'd highly recommend this book as an interesting and thought-provoking read.

This was a good, light-hearted romance. I liked it, but the plot was somewhat predictable. After her aunt dies, Charity is going through her belongings when she finds some packages that were never delivered. She decides to find the owners and deliver them, even though so much time has passed. As she delivers these packages, each person has a story associated with their box. Along the way, she meets a man and romance begins. Good, quick read!

Charity heads to Vermont to inspect her inheritance from an elderly recluse aunt. Cleaning out the shed she finds several boxes that her uncle was supposed to deliver the day he died. This is a delightfully refreshing story line with fate playing a role in true love. Charity decides to make the deliveries for her uncle and see if she can solve the mystery of his death. Tarn is a sugar maker and seems to show up everywhere Charity goes. Fate is working overtime to keep them together. I totally enjoyed this book with it's mystery to solve, it's sweet love story and two great characters. I couldn't put it down.

Charity is surprised to learn that she has inherited her aunt's house. She'd only met her a few times and didn't know her well. She just happened to be the only surviving relative. She begins by cleaning out the house. What she didn't know was how many surprises she would find...

Clear Creek Publishers and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It has been published.

This is a sweet tale and not just because of the maple syrup discussion. There's sadness intertwined but life is like that.

When Charity finds her uncle's suit with a bullet hole and blood on the shirt still in the closet, she's devastated. He died 30 years ago, why would her aunt keep that? Then she finds a bag of packages in the garage. They should have been delivered but weren't. Why is that?

She also runs into a big man in the local shop who is restocking the maple syrup. She asks him which one is best. This is the sweet part of the tale. He explains the grades, so they are all the best, it's what taste or use you're looking for. She picks one up and he gives her a small of gift of one he thinks is the best. As soon as she eats it, she thinks so, too.

When she runs into Tarn again, the sparks keep flying. He ends up kissing her and leaves with her phone number. But he doesn't call. She decides to start delivering the packages without knowing it will lead her back to him.

The first package lost gave the man who ordered it true love.

The second package reminds the woman of her loss.

The third and fourth packages relate to her uncle's murder and they almost get her killed.

The story moves well, the people feel real, and it has a happy ending. This has the tone of writing from some of the classic tales I've read. I like that. It'll probably also make you try maple syrup from Vermont...

A romance novel with a bit of mystery. I would recommend to those liking a soft contemporary romance with a cozy comfort mystery. A change from the harsher, more erotic romance and more violent mystery/thriller reads.