BLOG TOUR STOP: Stolen Grace by Arianne Richmonde: Review and Giveaway

A marriage on the rocks.

Their little daughter caught in between.

And a woman who will stop at nothing.

Sylvia and Tommy Garland and their five-year-old daughter Grace have moved from the bright lights of New York City to the peaceful wilderness of the Wyoming countryside. But with the recession on their heels, Tommy leaves for LA for a job interview, and Ruth, an old friend of Sylvia’s comes to stay.

In an unexpected turn of events, a family tragedy forces Sylvia to leave Ruth in charge of little Grace for just one day.

A decision that will tear their lives apart.

Stolen Grace is a roller coaster of emotions with twists and turns, a tale of lies and deception, of redemption and forgiveness.

And ultimately, a love story.

***Arc was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review***

Stolen Grace is not your typical romance story – it’s so much more. At its core, it’s a love story between a husband and a wife who have lost their footing in their marriage and feel at a stalemate. It’s about what a tragedy does to both tear apart and solidify a family. It’s about parents’ love for their child and the depths they are willing to go to keep their child safe – even when it seems impossible. But if you delve deeper into the heart of the book, it’s also about the devastation of third world countries and the children who suffer due to the lack of food and a comfortable place to live. It’s about what happens when morals are compromised and who suffers due to other people’s choices. It’s a story that makes readers question their beliefs about a number of issues, but mostly, it forces us to look at the type of people we are and what are actions say about us.

I’ve never read a book with such varying points of view; it’s interesting to see the story play out through the eyes of Tommy, the husband, Sylvia, the wife, and Grace, their five year old daughter. Seeing such an adult situation through the eyes of a child makes it less complicated, in a way. There are so many variables occurring at once in this story, but as Grace tells what’s happening to her in this suspenseful drama, what it comes down to is what someone is willing to do to get what they want, both in a positive and negative sense. For me, Grace’s parts are the most raw and honest because she is an innocent victim watching things play out around her, and her responses are genuine because she doesn’t know any other way. Her innocence is what captivated me throughout the text.

This is my first book by Arianne Richmonde. I have the entire Pearl series, but I haven’t found the time to read them yet. They definitely will be moving up my TBR list because Ms. Richmonde writes with such a lyrical style – the words flow seamlessly together, and there is never a lack of fluidity in the story. It is so much more than a romance story; it’s a work of literature because of the themes it explores and the nature of the content expressed. There was definitely a risk taken by the author in writing a text of this nature and placing it in the romance genre, but she makes it work superbly because Stolen Grace is all about love and its many facets.

Well done, Ms. Richmonde. I can’t wait to see what you come up with next!

4.5 poison apples

Arianne Richmonde is an American writer and artist who spent her formative years in both Britain and the US. She has also lived in Spain and France.

She has traveled to many corners of the globe and meeting people from all walks of life and different countries is a passion of hers. She speaks fluent Spanish and French. She lives in France in an old stone farmhouse amidst sunflower fields and vineyards, with her husband and coterie of animals.