POV : Wynn

The idea of the book was good, but the way it was executed did not capture my interest for the characters. Wynn is discontented with her life and when an opportunity comes, she starts exploring her past about her great grand mother Lola. Her high school crush Oliver has come back to town after 10 years and he thinks he regretted not pursuing her than and want to do it now.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC

Wynn had graduated from H S ten years ago. But she lives in a one room apartment with no career or money, no boyfriend….no life. Her younger sister Paige was getting married and her fiance was rich. Wynn Is looking at her yearbook and all the pictures of Oliver. Oliver had left Downers grove right after graduation. Now Oliver was in a band called Multitude. But the band is calling it quits as Oliver and the drummer Anthony didn’t see eye to eye a lot. But now he is supposed to be coming back . Wynn was the rock. The one everyone depends on. The one that’s always around. Wynn, her mom , and sisters were going through her grandmothers stuff and dividing it up as they hose was being sold. Soon the house will belong to someone else. Wynn worked in a bar- Lucky’s- as well as being substitute teacher. Wynn had been a nerd in HS but she had a crush on Oliver and one night he had kissed her. No one had ever matched that kiss. Lucky was Lynn’s boss at the bar and asked her if she had met Oliver as he now worked there also. He was good for business. Oliver called her name but she tried to ignore him. But eventually he turns to her and hugs her. Wynn finally finds her voice and said” it’s just the last time you kissed me” and Oliver said he remembered. Libby had kept some of her grandmothers books and in one of them she found a newspaper article the name of her great grandmother was in the notice and she had been part of a bootlegging operation with Michael Craig. It wasn’t known at the time of the article what role Lola played in the bootlegging operation . Libby went to ask her mom about her great grandmother and her mom acted angry and said Lola had deserted her daughter at the age of seven. Lola had run off to be a showgirl per her great aunt Goldie. Her grandmother had lived under the cloud of her mother desertion all of her life. Lynn had an invitation to try for the job of a social studies teacher. It would be better than working at the bar and just being a sub. Libby went to a party and Oliver was there and she had made some bad comments unknowingly she went out to the pool and had was in the water up to her thighs than she noticed Oliver coming that way and went all the way in the water. But before she knows it Oliver slides right in the pool with her fully clothed just like her. They sneak away from the party and Oliver says he will take her on an adventure. Wynn tells Oliver about Lola and he talks her into going to Kentucky to see if they can find out more about Lola. Oliver and Wynn talk to a guy that was over a hundred years old and knew both Lola and Michael and actually worked with Michael with the bootlegging from a young age. But she had went under Lola Labelle as she had been a showgirl before going with Michael. The Feds did take Lola in but had nothing to hold her on. Than Lola disappeared so did the eldest brother-Daniell- wife Cece and their two daughters as he almost beat her to death. Legend has it Lola took the moonshine money to make sure her friend Cecilia/Cece could get away and survive with her two daughters.
This was a great book and has become one of my new favorites. I loved Wynn and Oliver together and how he came back because of her. I loved how they interacted together. I also loved the ending. At first I thought I would be a little disappointed - you will see when you read this- until I actually got to the ending. I actually choked up but I had felt like I had been right there with Oliver and Wynn and Lola and Michael. That was different but I was happy how everything turned out except for Lola but she didn’t regret what she had done so there is that. I happily found nothing to criticize in this book. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I highly recommend it.

Wynn is determined to find out the story behind the newspaper clipping that she stumbles upon when it falls out of a book. Even though her entire family is against it, she can't stop herself from pursuing the story of what really happened to her great-grandmother. Was she really the selfish women who ran out on her daughter all those years ago, like everyone says? Or was there another reason she ran away?

I loved Wynn's tenacity to find out the truth, even when she alienates her family. She also discovers an unexpected accomplice in her former high school crush, Oliver as the two of them set out to uncover the story of Lola. Along the way, Wynn learns a lot about herself and what she wants out of life. Is she like her great-grandmother or will she be happy with the life she has settled for?

I love stories like this, where the character goes on a self-discovery adventure and finds out what is important in life. Wynn in Doubt is a wonderful tale and Wynn is a beautiful soul who captured my heart.

WYNN IN DOUBT - Emily Hemmer

CHICK-LIT WITH A ROCK STAR - 3.5 stars

Plot - 3.5 stars - Wynn is in her late 20's and has stayed around her home town all her life. She feels her life has passed her by since she's always put her family's needs first rather than followed her dreams. She's always admired Oliver, a high-school-classmate-turned rock star because he wasn't afraid to leave town to become a success. Now that Oliver's back in town, they get together to track down a secret in Wynn's past.

Writing - 3.5 stars - I got involved in the story right away, getting caught up in Wynn's great-grandmother's story just as she did. There was some confusion from time to time because I thought the twists and turns of Lola's story were a little complicated, but overall I felt like the plot moved forward easily and kept my attention.

Characters - 3 stars - This is where the story faltered a bit for me. Wynn is hard to understand because she's so totally unassuming and without confidence. She had big dreams as a young woman, but somehow she allowed herself to lose track of all of her dreams. She's let people "bully" her into following their definitions of what her life should be. She's become disillusioned and doesn't seem to have the impetus to pull herself out of it. It's frustrating to watch her live in such discontent, settling in life for what she doesn't want. Oliver, on the other hand, is to be commended for following his dream of making music. But apparently he's become disillusioned as well, so he's returned to his home town to regroup. His character is more appealing, but the instant romance between them didn't seem believable. I know they were vague friends in high school, but having him come back "because of her" stretched my credibility a little too much. I did like their friendly camaraderie, however, and their shared sense of humor.

Title - 4 stars - Well, Wynn is definitely in doubt--all the time. She's doubts her decisions. She doubts her life. She doubts her beliefs. She even doubts her past choices. And I guess it's a bit of a play on words to sound like "When in doubt..." Clever.

Cover - 4 stars - Well-done cover. Colorful. It definitely shows the girl waiting with her suitcase, as though waiting for something to happen, but there's also a look of expectancy about it, a sense of hope.

Overview - 3.5 stars - This was a nice chick-lit read. The mystery in the story was interesting, following the trail of Wynn's great-grandmother long after her death. She was a black sheep of the family, and it was only through chance that Wynn discovered anything about her at all. Wynn's determination to gather information is out of her usual personality, and it confounds her family, who have mixed reactions but generally negative. This, as usual, causes Wynn to falter even more. But Oliver has a great supporting role, shoring her up when she has doubts and pulling her along despite her fears. Ultimately I liked the parallel the author provided (between the past and the present), and it really made the story come together for me at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I had mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed the mystery of Wynn's great grandmother, but I really didn't care for Wynn. She was too whiney for me. Overall, I thought the book was just okay.

Thank you so much for being willing to grant me access to this book. Unfortunately, life obligations have prevented me from doing so. If my schedule clears, I plan on reviewing this in the future and will post the review on Amazon and Goodreads. Thank you.