Seven Letters: A Novel by J.P. Monninger

(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!

about book: (from Goodreads)

J. P. Monninger, author of the international bestseller The Map That Leads to You, the novel Nicholas Sparks called “romantic and unforgettable", tells a poignant love story of the ways the world divides two souls—and the way that love brings them together.

Kate Moreton is in Ireland on sabbatical from her teaching position at Dartmouth College when she meets Ozzie Ferriter, a fisherman and a veteran of the American war in Afghanistan. The Ferriter family history dates back centuries on the remote Blasket Islands, and Ozzie – a dual citizen of Ireland and the United States – has retreated to the one place that might offer him peace from a war he cannot seem to leave behind.

Beside the sea, with Ireland’s beauty as a backdrop, the two fall deeply in love and attempt to live on an island of their own making, away from the pressures of the outside world. Ireland writes its own love stories, the legends claim, and the limits of Kate and Ozzie’s love and faith in each other will be tested. When his demons lead Ozzie to become reckless with his life—and Kate’s—she flees for America rather than watch the man she loves self-destruct. But soon a letter arrives informing Kate that her heroic husband has been lost at sea, and Kate must decide whether it is an act of love to follow him or an act of mercy to forget.

my thoughts:

Seven Letters by J.P. Monninger is romance at its very best. This book will make you swoon, cry, cheer, and fall madly in love with its two main characters, Kate and Ozzie.  You will find yourself settling in for the long haul with this book, because you will not be able to put it down for anything. I'm serious! My cuppa turned cold and the cookies I set on a plate remained untouched. Once I started reading, I just didn't want to stop.  Monninger's writing kept me captive with her delicious details, fascinating characters, and a love story that touched my heart.

Kate heads to Ireland and promptly falls in love with Ozzie.  He's trying to escape memories from the war, but finding it hard to do.  The two rush into marriage and Kate finds herself wondering about the man she married.  Realizing that they don't know each other or their secrets, they decide to separate.  Kate goes home to the US and begins again.  And then she hears some news about Ozzie and her world is shaken upside down. Kate must decide to continue on the new path she's created for herself or journey back to a past she was trying to move on from.  Talk about heart-wrenching!

I absolutely LOVED Seven Letters!! I fell in love with this book and the author's writing. I can't wait to read more of Monninger's works. And, I would happily recommend Seven Letters to anyone and everyone looking for their next great read - you will LOVE this book to bits!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!