have read many of the author's books, enjoying them all, especially the cowboy ones. But as an orthodox Jewish woman, I cringe when I start reading a novel and find "Jewish" characters, who are sadly ignorant about their heritage and how to live like a Jew , are simply "kosher style" and have to wonder, what was the purpose of having them Jewish at all? That is how I felt reading this book. I like the characters, the story and the dialogue, but if Rachel had actually sat shiva for Josh, the proper way, with her comforters allowing her to speak her feelings, telling her stories about him or just sitting in silence, whatever she needed, she would have found it a catharsis, as she did much later with the bereavement group. Second changes is my favorite trope and almost every one of the characters got that as well.

I read an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

This book tore at the heart strings. Rachel loses her husband Josh after they were newly married. She also recently had lost her dad. Circumstances beyond Rachel's control, forces her to move into her childhood home, with her step mother, Brooke. Rachel's siblings and Rachel have never taken to Brooke, they saw her as a home-wrecker. Upon moving in, Rachel learns a side of Brooke that she never new existed.. This is my first book by the author and won't be my last,

You know that old saying about what happens when you "assume"? Well, I assumed a lot about this book and left it on the back burner, and man, I wish I hadn't!

I've read a few of Stacy Finz's Nugget Series romances. Sweet but predictable. A fun, easy read. So, I "assumed" that this book would be similar. Was I ever wrong?!

This book is not a romance, it's women's fiction. It's about a young widow, reclaiming her life and dealing with the fallout from her parents' divorce. It kept me guessing, not sure how it was going to end. I was literally at 98% wondering how it was going to be resolved. The writing flowed well, the characters were well-developed, and the ending was satisfying.

Thank you Kensington Books /Lyrical Press for a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

This is How it Started is a novel centered around a young widow named Rachel. She and her husband Josh had what she feels was a near perfect relationship, after she experienced a devastating breakup. The novel alternates timelines, including when Rachel and Josh met, their wedding and present day. Centered at this story is Rachel's family and her relationship with her parents, sister and brother. Losing her dad suddenly and then Josh shortly after has a profound impact on all of them. The family house, where dad's "trophy wife" lives, was their center of gravity. The house was lovingly put together and renovated by her parents and the family has a hard time with their dad's young widow maintaining their family home. When Rachel unexpectedly finds herself living back in her childhood home, complete with the trophy wife as a roommate, Rachel discovers there is much more here than meets the eye. Exploring her grief and new beginnings, Stacy Finz's latest is a wonderful, emotional read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Rachel is a grieving widow as the story begins.
she's been stuck in grief for months and doesn't know how to go on. she moves in with her widowed stepmother Brooke to heal and move on with her life. Rachel has resented Brooke ever since her father divorced her mother for the younger woman. neither Rachel nor her siblings ever got to know Brooke.
there's a secret about Josh that rocks Rachel.

the author is new to me but all of her books will be at the store.

only one problem for me is the Jewish words, I wish they would have been defined since I was confused.

Highly recommended

Thanks to Net Galley the author and publisher for the opportunity to give my honest review. 4 and a half stars

I love Stacy Finz's romances. While I was reading this and after I finished it, I was conflicted, but now that it has been a couple days, it has grown on me more. It was slow during the first half, but the second half picked up. I liked the fact that it focused on a Jewish family; you don't find that often, except for historical fiction with an emphasis in WWII.. But my one complaint or criticism is that several Jewish/Hebrew words or slang are used, but no definition is provided for those who are unfamiliar with the term. I have seen books include a glossary either at the beginning or end; that would have been helpful. 2.5 stars up to 3 stars for Goodreads.

This is how it started by Stacy Finz

Rachel Ackerman is suddenly widowed from the love of her life who was killed in a car accident in the prime if his life. It’s been six months and she is still struggling to get out of bed. Her family and friends are trying to get her to try and start living and try to get back to her job as a realtor which she hates and isn’t really suited to. Her life is in crisis and she has to get out of their flat to cope with her life as all she thinks about is her husband and their life together. The only place she could regroup is her former family home where her father’s widow
lives but the issue is the family don’t speak to Brooke as she is not much older the her and her siblings. Rachel asks Brooke if she could return to her former home to get her life on track as it’s the only place she can find comfort. Not expecting Brooke’s acceptance as the former family have not been particularly friendly since their father remarried. After agreeing to Brooke’s conditions Rachel moves back to her former home. A brilliant book following Rachel’s journey to normality and how nothing is every really as it appears about herself or her friends and family as she find her feet .

The Gold family have all their got trials and tribulations and the many twists and surprises in all avenues of her life .

A page turner right to the end ,great read many sensitive issues dealt with beautifully and will Rachel find another love or even be prepared to try. I recommend you read this and seem a definite 5/5

4 1/2 stars

This book really spoke to me. It pulled me in, made me fall in love with the characters and then I couldn't help but feel all the feels. It follows the main character, Rachel as she tries to move forward after the death of her husband. For every step forward, it seems she takes two steps back. She is so caught up in her grief and how she "should be" feeling that she refuses to let herself truly see what is in front of her.

The story is told in different time periods. You get the past - - life before Rachel met her husband, Josh. Life with Josh and life after Josh's death. It's important to see all these different pieces because they all combine to make Rachel who she is.

Even though you would think the story would be a downer given the topic, it's also quite uplifting and hopeful. As Rachel finally comes around and begins living her life again, you can't help but celebrate with her.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC . I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

This is How it Started, by Stacy Finz, is a beautifully told story of love, loss, and recovery. Rachel Gold Ackermann’s life has been laced with these things. Finding a special someone has taken Rachel on a wild ride. Her first love, her father, broke up the family while she was in college. Her young love, Campbell, was her other half from 12 on, but then they had the miscarriage and grew so far apart.

After college, Rachel met Josh Ackermann and married him not too long after. But half a dozen years later she lost him due to a texting driver. Now her Dad is gone, her teenage love is history, and her husband is dead. And her future looks bleak.

In the most unlikely turn of events, Rachel moves in with her father’s widow in the family estate so everywhere she looks she isn’t haunted by memories of Josh. The months that follow, the things she learns about herself and her stepmother, and the path that unwinds before her make for a most original story. As this story comes to a close, it may just come full circle to a new beginning. This book is well plotted and written with heart. I very much enjoyed this novel and do recommend it!

An emotional story of love, loss, renewal, and a second chance at love all rolled into this beautiful story of a young widow's life in coping with the tragic loss of her loving husband and finding love again.

This story was all about relationships, love, loss, romance, the past, finding oneself, healing, moving on, and new beginnings.  I could not put this book down.  The characters, their complex relationships, and the story kept me turning the pages and I was so sad when I reached the last page because I did not want to say goodbye to Rachel or any of the other characters.
I liked how the story started with the present day and Raqchel's loss in Part I but then in Part II the story went back seven years providing an interesting background on how Rachel and Josh met.  It also provided a rich look into Rachel's family and her parent's divorce and how she disliked Brooke, her step-mom.
I was so glad that Rachel eventually found herself after Josh died.  She found something that made her happy and it was surprising that Brooke took her in and was responsible for Rachel's happiness.  This is a book that I will read again. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

This is How It Started by Stacy Finz is a lesson in grief disguised as a romance. Rachel Gold was at the funeral of her husband, Josh Ackerman. Really, she was in a fog. She couldn’t quite comprehend it all. She had wanted him cremated so she could spread his ashes somewhere beautiful. Instead he was being lowered into the dirt in an ugly place, because that is what his parents wanted. The reception after the funeral was at her childhood home, no longer her home as her step-mother, Brooke had gotten it after the death of her father. It was all a nightmare. She just wanted it to be over so she could go home, curl up in a ball and cry, and sleep for weeks. It was all her fault. They had been driving to Campbell’s engagement party. He didn’t like Campbell because he was her high school boyfriend, and didn’t want to go. They had been t-boned. His side. Killed instantly. For months she went nowhere, then she started just a little bit, and then, some more. She moved out of their apartment into a different one. She didn’t like it. She wanted to go home so she called her step-mother and asked if she could come and stay in her childhood room for a while. Brooke said that would be fine. It was then that things started happening. So many things.

This was about grief, but not only Rachel’s. It was also about acceptance, communication, finding your place in the world, insecurities, and so much more. It was truly a lovely book. The characters were wonderful: Rachel’s consummate Jewish mother, Sasha; her flakey brother, Adam; her step-mother, Brooke, who she discovered really had loved her dad; her best friend, Josie, who kept a big secret from her, and so many others along the way. All well done. It was beautifully written, the first part mostly memories but it eventually caught up to present time. I made me laugh, made me cry, and made me cheer. It was a totally enjoyable read.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of This is How It Started by Kensington, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Kensington #StacyFinz #ThisIsHowItStarted

“People change, circumstances change. It doesn’t mean we don’t cherish the past, but we move on to the future.”

This is How It Started starts with the funeral of Rachel’s husband, Josh. Through chapters that shift between past and present, the book explores grief, forgiveness, finding your place in life, and how to move forward after the unthinkable. I recommend this to fans of women’s fiction that focuses on complex families, love, and hope after loss.

I received an advanced reading copy via NetGalley, receipt of which did not impact my review.

This is How It Started is a women’s fiction story by Stacy Finz. The is an author that I know better as a romance writer but while there is some romance it is not a romance. This is a lot about loss, recovery, family, friends and new relationships. The loss and recovery take up an emotional chunk of this story, including coming to terms with events that she just finds out about. Some of that weighted this story down a bit but mostly weighing Rachel down from moving on in her life.

An interesting read especially the developed relationship with Rachel and her late father’s much younger wife. That may have been the most surprising and intriguing part of the book for me. The characters are believable, mostly likable and the flow smooth if not fast. Hey, life is not always save the world, sometimes it is just getting yourself up and living another day. Realism, right.

Does end with on the upbeat side which is how I like what I read to be. So that’s a win in my book.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book. Beautiful story and wonderful characters. Rachel loses her husband in a car accident. We follow her through her struggles to get over her grief and start a new life.

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and the author. I really liked this story. Family and friends…secrets…the past and the present…likable characters who work together at making plans go forward…the protagonist has lost her husband and moves in her family home with her deceased father’s young widow. Her mother is not thrilled but accepts the situation. Things happen…life happens. They work out… this is a fun quick read.

"People change, circumstances change. It doesn't mean we don't cherish the past, but we move on to the future."

This book was a huge surprise to me. I really connected with the characters, it is a story of family, loss, grief, and learning how to move forward.

Rachel's husband Josh dies, and it comes not too long after her father passed away. Reeling from the losses, she's mired in grief. She decides to move back to her childhood home, but the catch is, she has to live there with her stepmother Brooke. After thirty years of marriage, her parents split up when her doctor father had an affair with his nurse and they ended up getting married. Rachel had held out hope that her father would see the error of his ways and go back to her mother at some point, because their relationship had always been good. As Rachel and Brooke both find their ways through their grieving, they come to learn things about themselves and each other.

The book goes between the past and the present, when Rachel met Josh and through to what happened to him. I felt like everything in this book was incredibly realistic. The conversations, the various situations, and the family drama all felt so authentic. All of the characters are flawed, but redeemable. Although I was rooting for Rachel to find love again, that wasn't the whole premise of the book. The premise is as I mentioned--a story about grief and loss and moving on, both as a widow and as a part of a family.

I really connected with the characters in the book and was sad to see them go. The ending is a bit open-ended for my liking, but it was realistic enough that I can imagine what happens and that they all continue on with their lives after the book's conclusion. Beautiful writing and a much deeper story than I was expecting. I'll definitely read others by this author in the future.

This book is a sweet story of loss, figuring out how to live after loss, and interesting family dynamics. The author did a superb job of telling this story, her vernacular is great. The story is told through the eyes of Rachel, the MC, and she is one of those characters that you feel like you are wearing the shoes of as you read the book. Her husband, Josh, who she had a wonderful relationship with dies in a sudden accident and Rachel is then left to figure out life without him. She ends up moving in with her stepmom and learning more about her family than she had ever known before. Her past boyfriend, Campbell, is a big part of the story and one of my favorite characters. I hope Stacy writes a sequel to this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story of a young widow trying to work through the grief at her loss, coping with complicated family dynamics and discovering new perspectives both for those family dynamics and for her life going forward was slow-moving - which I suppose is par for the course for someone mired in sadness. The book is well-written, and I unexpectedly found the trophy (second) wife of the widow's father - who is seen by the entire family as the villain - to be my favorite character. Overall, this was a good read, if not particularly memorable.

This is a story centered around grief and how to overcome the lost of loved ones. Despite the serious subject matter, I thought the story suffered from having a light hearted tone and a shallow look on grief which didn't work in making the reader sad. Or maybe making me sad and emotional was not the author's intention at all. I liked some characters and their arcs throughout the story. The ending was how I wanted it to be. I cannot rate this higher because I think I won't remember it for long. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.