This is the second book I have read of Melissa Payne and A Light In The Forest deals with some sensitive issues

Trigger warning--domestic abuse, homophobia, transphobia

Vega had enough of her abusive relationship with Zach that she decides to leave him for good and moves to a small town in Ohio where her own mother had left many years ago. While settling down, Vega meets many interesting people--Heff, Eve, Ethan and so on and soon, she gets used to live in the small town and trying to build a life in the town. Meanwhile, in 1995, a girl named Donna is leaving the house from an abusive house and tells the story of how she left the town.

I thought this was a good story. The writing was really gripping and engaging. and there were some parts in my opinion that was too emotional and heartbreaking to read. I do like the switch of POVs between present day and past in 1995. The story itself teaches about the value of friendship and community and so overall, I enjoyed reading the book. Though in my opinion this wasn't as good as her first book, I enjoyed this book as it was a touching and emotional story. Worth four stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

This book was fantastic. It was emotional and suspenseful and had me wanting for more.

Vega is escaping an abusive relationship with her young baby in tow. She ends up in a small town in Ohio where her vagabond mother had lived years ago. Once in town Vega is overwhelmed with the hospitality and empathy exhibited by most of the people who live there. However, even small towns have secrets that they’d rather stay hidden, and Vega learns that this towns secret may be linked to her.

I got lost in the atmosphere in this book. The writing was so well done that you felt right there with Vega along her journey in Ohio. This story was beautiful and just so grand. There were some triggers in this book so do make sure to check those out beforehand. Also, I felt that at time this book went a little overboard with the small-town stereotypes. Which while fine, got a tad annoying. I would recommend this book to those looking to escape in an emotional heartbreaking journey.

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher, Lake Union Publishing, for my advanced e-arc in exchange for this honest review. This one is out soon – December 13th which is right around the corner. Make sure to add it to your list in time for holiday shopping!

Heartwarming and suspenseful, 𝘈 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 will send you on an emotional roller coaster! There are so many things I want to discuss about this novel that aren’t included in the synopsis but, to refrain from possible spoilers, I’m not gonna!

This is a beautiful story about change and acceptance. How the road to becoming who you are is steep, full of pot holes, and poorly lit. But once you arrive…it’s just a little sweeter because of it.

Synopsis:

Vega Jones escapes an abusive relationship with nothing but her two-month-old baby and the van she grew up in. Her destination is a small Ohio town her late vagabond mother left years ago. It’s one full of nobodies, her mother warned. That makes it the ideal refuge for Vega to lie low, feel safe, and maybe learn more about a past her mother never spoke of.

Vega warms to the town and to new acquaintances like Heff, the young deputy and artist who prefers his yard art to actual policing, and empathetic Eve, a local farmer whose near-death experience gave her more than just her life back. But even in this welcoming community, there’s an undercurrent of something unsettled, talk of a tragedy that unfolded in the woods years ago, and a mystery connected to Vega in ways she couldn’t have anticipated.

As a mother on the run and following a path of mounting risks and illuminating secrets, Vega discovers that even during the darkest of times, there’s light in unexpected places.

Oh my, this reading was disturbing with triggers. Not my type of reading. It is very dark, violent and lots of profanity, it was a miss for me.

Gave me a little bit of a Dixie Chicks vibe. The story was very well written. I did have some of the mystery figured out fairly quick. It definitely follows back country small town stereotypes. Mysteries, secrets, bullies and those who believe they are above the law. It was a page turner. Some trigger warnings of physical abuse and LGBTQ. It did not stop me from reading the book. I loved it!

Thanks NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Melissa Payne for an ARC to review.
An emotional heartbreaking uplifting tale, not a light read as it discusses several serious issues.
I loved it and the writing style.

Vega Jones never expected when she was pregnant that just two months later she would be in the run with just her baby and a van. She escapes to the town her mom left, saying only nobodies lived there but Vega finds comfort there. She makes friends and finds a community but there is a forest there and it is more than just trees.
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I do not want to say too much about this one but I loved how even in the darkest of darks there is always a light.
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Thank you @melissapayne_writes @getredprbooks @amazonpublishing @letstalkbookspromo for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
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Thank you netgalley and publisher for this ARC. Unfortunately i could not finish this book. I DNFed halfway through. It just wasn’t for me. I felt the storyline drug on and I was getting bored with it. I could not connect with the characters at all.

I loved everything about this book! The characters, the writing style, the different POVs, all of it. It does involve a lot of different kinds of trauma, but I think it’s done well (of course, check trigger warnings and be cautious if you’re unsure).

I think the characters really made this book what it is. Eve is incredible and I love that a trans woman is one of the main characters. She was so strong and patient and exhibited qualities I wish I had in myself. Vega was a strong one too - trying to protect herself and her baby from the abusive father. And Heff! Oh, he was so sweet. I loved everything about him and I would totally read a sequel that focuses on the potential romance between him and Vega. Just sayin’…

I also loved the small town vibes. Crystal sounds like maybe a bit too small of a town for me, but it was still so fun to read about. Everyone in the town looked out for each other, and that just gave such a wholesome feel to the story.

There is so much more I could say about this one, but I’ll leave it at that. Loved it so much and would definitely recommend!

This has been posted on my Bookstagram and Goodreads.

A dual time line story of a mother- Renee-and daughter-Vega as well as of the town of Crystal where women who have been abused can take refuge. Renee raised Vega nomadically but she also taught her to help others,. Vega never expected to find herself in the position of needing to flee a partner but that's her situation now. Crystal gives her hope but there's always the shadow lurking as well as secrets she's yet to know. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Payne has good storytelling skills which will pull you in and keep you turning the pages.

An amazing story of female strength and fellowship!

While this book deals with several sensitive issues (domestic violence, child abuse, transgender abuse, animal abuse), it was a very moving story. Past and present meet when Vega runs from her abusive partner to a place she only knew from a postcard her mother kept for as long as Vega could remember. Told in dual timelines, Vega learns why Crystal played such an important part in her family’s lives.

There are many lessons taught by the author- acceptance, love, support and self-reliance to name a few. I was satisfied with the outcome and would look for other books by this author. A rare 5 stars from me.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

An inspiring story. This is my first book by Melissa Payne amd definitely wont be my last.

.I loved the characters, writing style and story. I felt like i was in Crystal with Vega and i was also friends with everyone there. I felt like i knew them.

By the way Lake Union whoever did this cover did a beautiful job with it.

Thank you to #LakeUnion and #NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My thoughts and opinions are my own and arent influenced by anyone else

I'm not certain how I missed this author! WOW!
I'm not normally a fan of dual timelines but this one was done so well that the back and forth was perfection. This book covers so many issues, class and financial disparities, familial violence and thankfully, the undying good of those who chose to help.
The character development was so deeply woven that I came to love some, some not so much, and some I really came to hate. The authors ability to paint the surroundings with words was just short of genius,

Unputdownable! I would highly recommend this one!

Melissa Payne returns following The Night of Many Endings with her latest, A LIGHT IN THE FOREST —a gripping, emotional story of a woman's search for solace for herself and her child while discovering mysterious secrets of her past and finding new friends.

A heartrending story about the power of friendship during the most challenging moments in life.

Vega resides in Colorado and is on the run with her two-month-old baby Riley, escaping her abusive boyfriend, Zach. She heard her mother's voice in her head telling her to RUN!

She has no clue where to go, but she has a postcard from her mother's belongings in a small town in Ohio. She sets out to find this place and seek safety.

Her mother was quite the bohemian, and they spent her childhood in a van traveling, helping other women escape abusive men with new identities. If only her mother were alive now to help her.

The two of them were female vigilantes in a world of abusive men. Vega had grown up seeing the truth of what happened behind closed doors. They always kept moving, never staying anywhere long enough to make friends. So she has no one.

Her mother never talked about her father. She was always cryptic.

Of course, Zach is tracking her, so she must get rid of her phone. She must try and reach this town called Crystal in the hills of Ohio.

Her mom, Renee, had said it was a nothing town full of nobodies, which sounded like the perfect place to hide.

Vega finds an apartment for rent over a shop and meets various people and friends. But there is still something unsettling— a past tragedy from years and a mysterious connection.

From past to present, as a young mother on the run, she learns there is light in unexpected places. I enjoyed the supporting characters, shop owner Eve, Carl and Mary, and the local guy, Heff, who all became like family.

A novel of perseverance, survival, and friendship. A blending of domestic suspense, mystery, and women's friendship.

In the end, Vega discovers that even during the darkest times, there’s light in unexpected places. I enjoyed the two timelines and learning about the mom and the town's past.

For fans of authors: Suzanne Redfearn, Elizabeth Berg, and Catherine Ryan Hyde. (all favorites)

Some dark topics are explored: trauma, domestic abuse, violence, sexual abuse, animal cruelty, homophobia, and near-death experience.

An inspiring story, wonderfully written and full of profound observations about life. Community and family are only sometimes blood-related, and you often find second chances where you least expect them. Look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to #LakeUnion and #NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Dec 13, 2022
Dec 2022 Must-Read Books

A Light in the Forest by Melissa Payne
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After leaving her abusive boyfriend, Vega and her baby Riley find their way to a small town from a postcard in her mothers belongings. There she finds a group of people eager to get to know and help her. But Vega is struggling to let others in, and really all she wants is to piece together what this town meant to her mother.
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What I liked:
-First of all the cover is beautiful. I would read this book based on the cover alone.
-I loved The Night of Many Endings so I was excited to read this book.
-The “found family”theme is this book was expertly done. I was especially drawn to the older couple, Carl and Betty, who didn’t have children of their own but were keen to help out those who were lost. (Carl and Betty are also my grandparents names, though I lost my grandpa 3 years ago, so I had a special moment with these characters)
-The back story chapters were slowly unfurled and I was so intrigued with what happened in the past.
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Book tour and review!
A Light in the Forest
By Melissa Payne
Publishing: December 2022
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Good Sunday morning to you! Huge thank you to @letstalkbookspromo and @melissapayne_writes for my digital copy of the book. I was fortunate to read this book and be able to review it. All opinions are my own.

"Vega Jones escapes an abusive relationship with nothing but her two-month-old baby and the van she grew up in. Her destination is a small Ohio town her late vagabond mother left years ago. It’s one full of nobodies, her mother warned. That makes it the ideal refuge for Vega to lie low, feel safe, and maybe learn more about a past her mother never spoke of.
Vega warms to the town and to new acquaintances like Heff, the young deputy and artist who prefers his yard art to actual policing, and empathetic Eve, a local farmer whose near-death experience gave her more than just her life back. But even in this welcoming community, there’s an undercurrent of something unsettled, talk of a tragedy that unfolded in the woods years ago, and a mystery connected to Vega in ways she couldn’t have anticipated.
As a mother on the run and following a path of mounting risks and illuminating secrets, Vega discovers that even during the darkest of times, there’s light in unexpected places."

Wow. This book was...wow. Love, loss, abuse, restoration, family, and hope. I won't lie and say this was an easy book to read. The content made it difficult, knowing people go through this every single day. But man, was it a good book. The story was smooth and fluid, even with the transition between 3 different characters and 2 timeliness. It kept me reading, needing to know what would happen to the people I had come to care for.
I had the privilege of being on a tour for Melissa's last book and I have to say that I liked this one even more!
Be on the lookout for this one, coming next month on Amazon!

When A Light in the Forest opens, Vega Jones is living with her young son and boyfriend Zach. Her mother has died recently, and Vega feels adrift and trapped in an abusive relationship. She musters the courage to leave and heads with her son to the small rural Ohio town her mother left years ago for reasons unknown to Vega.

I liked Vega's character and was happy to see her grow in tenacity and courage in ways she didn't think she had in her. She is supported by shop owner Eve as well as Carl and Mary, and local nice guy Heff. But the community also harbors residents who are extremely (and perhaps stereotypically rural SE Ohio) homophobic and hostile.

I did find some of the writing choppy and repetitive, even a bit preachy at times. The story arc was somewhat predictable as well. But I love stories of found family and second chances, and this one checks that box easily with warmth and tenderness.

Possible triggers: domestic violence, sexual abuse, animal cruelty, homophobia, near-death experience.

This was my first book to read by this author but won't be my last! The story and its characters will stick with you long after you finish the story. Highly recommend!

Several key social issues feature prominently in the book. Gender bias, domestic violence, the underprivileged all get a mention. While I found the theme based itself solidly, I expected more conflict between Vega and her husband, who appears only briefly in person at the end, but dwells within the story throughout.

But what I particularly found difficult was the relationship between Eve and Vega; it just seemed untenable. That and poor old Huff being totally emasculated was just a creek crossing too far for me.

This is the second book I’ve read by Melissa Payne and I believe I enjoyed this one even more than I did the first. A Light in the Forest is an emotional story that covers many different aspects. It’s a suspenseful mystery that really holds the readers attention. The main character, Vega, had a very unconventional childhood. Her and her mother were always on the move, they never put down roots. Who was it or what was it that her mom kept running from? After her death, Vega finds herself in the same predicament. Her boyfriend Zach is abusive. Vega is afraid that someday Zach will hurt their baby boy Riley, so just like her mother, she runs! She ends up leaving Colorado and heads to Ohio to the small town of Crystal where her mom had once stayed in her younger days. There most of the townspeople are warm and welcoming. But there’s always the fear hanging over her head just anticipating that Zach will find her. However, it’s the warmth of the people, the way they take her in, help and protect her that makes them all feel like family. Which in turn, makes her not want to leave. The author incorporates many different themes into the story such as abuse, both domestic and sexual, near death experiences and transphobia. This was a story I really enjoyed and would recommend it to others. Although it covered a lot of dark subject matter, it ended in a very happy and pleasing way. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the arc to read, review and enjoy. I’m giving this a 4 star rating and I’m anxiously waiting to read what this author writes next.