This story begins with heavy sadness as Ollie's beloved Sam is murdered. What follows is the most spot-on description of grief and the bewilderment of the loved one left behind. With the help of his family and friends, Ollie is able to begin to function in his normal world: work, shopping, talking to friends. However, a crushing blow comes when Sam's will is challenged by his parents.

Ms. Vaughn allows the reader to see both sides of the coin regarding the disposition of the house where Sam and Ollie lived. On the one hand, it is the home Ollie loved and shared with Sam, and the place he feels safest and most comforted. On the other hand, it was Sam's grandmother's house and Sam's parents feel it should stay in their family. Sam and Ollie were about to be married, but that had not yet happened. As it turns out, Sam's parents had other motives than family sentimentality for wanting to gain control of the property.

Meanwhile, Ollie and his friend Thomas are facing another crisis, another part of the patchwork that is now Ollie's life. Thomas finds himself to be the father of a baby, conceived by a woman who is now unable to cope as a parent, so Thomas must take the baby to raise. Now we get some comic relief to the heavy sadness the book began with, as Thomas must deal with dirty diapers and other messy details of parenthood. Thomas needs help with money and living arrangements so Ollie invites him and baby Milo to live with him in the big house that is still under question as to ownership.

A solution to the house ownership is found, and while it isn't the answer that Ollie wanted, it is what he must agree to or possibly lose the house entirely. There is a lot of interaction and help from Ollie's family in this story, which is a counterpoint to the anger that boils up between Ollie and Sam's family.

Patchwork Paradise is the story of the dynamic changes in Ollie's life and all of the people who glide in and out of his days, weeks and months following Sam's death. This story really resonated with me. I accepted the sad parts and rejoiced in the happy parts as pieces of a truth that comes to anyone who loses a loved one. Ms. Vaughn tackled a tough subject and allows the reader to accompany Ollie on his journey and come out of the darkness to a new, unexpected life. This is a character-driven book that gives us wonderful, fully developed people who are flawed yet vibrant as they do their best to carry on. Patchwork Paradise is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it.

Its been a long time since I read these books and to be honest I cannot recall what I thought of them at all.

Mare~Slitsread