‘WRITTEN IN THE DUST’: Sequel Completes Readers Hope Canyon Journey

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STORY: With her past unresolved and her future uncertain, Brooke Langdon feels stuck. As she continues to prepare her grandmother’s house to sell, Brooke’s life remains unsettled. Making matter worse is Gatlin Moore. The boy whose heart everyone accuses her of shattering. The longer Brooke remains in Hope Canyon, the more hostile he becomes. Words are spoken, hearts break anew, and healing seems out of everyone’s grasp…

Then there’s Holly Christian. She’s still trying to figure out how to live among people who believe she was still planning to marry her recently deceased fiancé. A challenging feat in the small town she calls home; a place where everyone knows everyone and everything. When things shift between her and Hunter Pearce, they’ll have to decide how to define their relationship…

Written in the Dust, by Christina Coryell | Book Review

‘WRITTEN IN THE DUST’: Sequel Completes Readers Hope Canyon Journey #bookarchives Share on X

Full of interesting character connections, and past histories, Coryell’s follow up (to Written in the Stars) is a lovely way to end the duo near to her heart. Those characters are further explored in this story, which threads everything together in the back half of ‘Dust,’ a story that tests its protagonists in all the right kind of ways.

BOOK REVIEW | ‘Written in the Stars’ by Christina Coryell – Bittersweet Contemporary Indie with Hopeful Underpinnings 

Written in the Dust picks up right where its prequel leaves off. The story starts by diving further into Brooke’s story, her personal struggles and the emotional scars she wears like a second skin. Her story is the most interesting because she has this deep and personal backstory that no one else does. Though a novel told in four POVs (Holly, Hunter, Gatlin and Brooke), it’s hers that feels as if it lends the energy to the story, all of which “drives” it forward. As a reader, hers is the story I was most curious about.

This novel comes across very much as Brooke’s story. Of course, Holly is still present as a vital part of Brooke’s “today” (and their friendship is a solid representation); Hunter continues to be a generous and kind soul who loves Holly deeply; and Gatlin, well, he takes some warming to. His broken heart and pride begins to blur the lines of the present, and rather than learn to move on, he loses himself in the pain. Fortunately, as all great storytellers do, Coryell’s characters learn to come into their own, and come out the story’s end as stronger people.

Readers who enjoy Written in the Stars will love this return to Hope Valley; this follow up stitches together beautifully with ‘Stars,’ and digs deeper into the lives of its main central characters. The second half of the novel in particular pulls the reader in as everything comes together and plays out. Frantically, we flip the pages as they make decisions, choices and finally find their respective bliss.

Emotional, Written in the Dust is sure to make readers cry and giggle, and best of all, the ends is a full circle conclusion that will feel nothing but right.   

ABOUT the BOOK

Author: Christina Coryell
Publisher: Indie Published
Publication Date: 2017
Genre: Fiction; Contemporary
Series: Backroads, Book 2
Source: Author Provided – thank you, Christina
Add the Book: Goodreads
Rating: ★★★½ 

 Sincere thanks to the author for providing an e-copy of this book; all opinions are my own.