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Flaherty’s Crossing by Kaylin McFarren was a delicious read. Although the first couple of chapters may not be indicative of the true flavor of the finished confection. As the story opens, the main character, Kate Flaherty, is trying to say good-bye to her dying father. She is angry and resentful towards her father as he was not around for much of her childhood. Her mother was killed by a drunk driver after an argument with her father; and Kate cannot get past what she feels was his fault. The second chapter follows along in the same vein as Kate’s husband, Drew, arrives home from a business trip to find his wife gone. He’s unhappy. Their marriage is strained and he decides on on the spur of the moment to leave her and stay with a friend. Communication between the couple is poor and mistakes have been made. At this point, I can understand how some may feel that the plot is somewhat tired and overdone.

Yet shortly there after, the plot takes a twist that leads the reader on a roller coaster of delight.
Driving home at night, distracted and upset, Kate’s in an accident. I hesitate to elaborate on any more of the story for fear of giving too much away. But what follows is a well crafted story that left me wanting more. The author ends most chapters with a cliff hanger that makes it very difficult to put the book down. The writer manages to blend the characters and events with a heartwarming message that leaves the reader with a smile.

Ms. McFarren weaves themes of love, faith, and forgiveness throughout her novel. She does so in such a manner that makes the book very easy for anyone to relate to. Love is an integral part of our lives, and the author does a very nice job of showing us how true love intertwines with and is strengthened by both forgiveness and having faith in those you love. It’s a timeless message that resounds throughout Flaherty’s Crossing.

The author reminds us how difficult it can be to forgive yourself as well. Later in the story, she introduces Paul, the man who had killed Kate’s mother by driving drunk. She elaborates on the toll that guilt has taken on his own life and again has nice closure for a very difficult situation in a believable manner.

My least favorite part of the book is the beginning. I feel like it took the author a bit too long to build up steam and get the reader to bite. But I was so pleasantly surprised from then on. I loved how she was able to end many of the chapters in such a manner that you simply had to start the next chapter for more of an explanation. It was overall a delightful book to read. It was also a book that left me feeling happy and hopeful. So it was for that reason that I rated the book a 4 out of 4 stars and look forward to more from this writer.

This was a story of what can happen if you just have a little faith and trust in others. Be willing to open yourself up and let the people you love in and you will be rewarded in ways you never imagined.

Kate and Drew seemed to have the perfect life. He is a high-powered attorney and she's a up and coming artist. They have the house, the cars, the money and they seem to just be the perfect couple. But looks can be deceiving. Drew has felt closed off from his wife and has left a bombshell of a voicemail telling Kate that he's wondering if they just need a break. Kate has been feeling abandoned by her husband. He seems to choose work over her at every turn. She's heard his voicemail and as she's trying to figure out what to do next she gets a call from a hospice nurse saying her father is on deaths door after his battle with cancer.

The story takes you from deaths door to a series of earth-shattering revelations for Kate that explain a lot about why she is the person she is and why she seems to run away and hide and close herself off emotionally. Through learning about her father, her mothers death and re-living the loss she finds that she never really knew her family at all. She learns that a little faith and trust will go a long way to repairing what she thought was broken forever.

This was a quick read and there was a little of everything included. There was a little bit of mystery, a love story, tragedy and even a little bit of paranormal activity. There were a few pieces that seemed a little out of place but overall the story really did flow well and you did get a sense of who the characters were and what motivated them and you could feel the desperation and the sadness and then ultimately the joy after they did a little growing and learned how to trust and take a leap of faith.

The past always has a way of affecting the future. Kate comes to grips with this fact as she faces the death of her father and the fact that she may well be responsible for her marriage being on shaky ground. This book deals with death, honesty, courage, and even a paranormal encounter.
Kate blames her father for her mother’s death and now that his life is coming to an end she is not quite sure exactly what she should feel. She always knew that an affair eventually led to her mother’s death, but she is about to learn the shocking secret her father has kept hidden from her all these years. Her husband is always by her side offering support, but things between them are strained. As often is the case, Kate would love to have her husband, an attorney working long hours, at home more often. She retreats to her studio and expresses her feelings in her paintings. She is good at what she does, but he only sees it as a hobby. The author does a very good job of drawing you into their story of struggle and self-discovery that takes each on a roller coaster ride of emotions until a near death experience wakes them up to all they share and all that they have to lose. Can their love overcome new and unexpected obstacles?
I normally read crime novels, but this was a refreshing and hopeful story of the power of love and forgiveness, not only between this couple, but between family members as well. I enjoyed the frankness, honesty, and raw emotions of the characters in this book, and I honestly did not want the story to end. I highly recommend this wonderful tale to readers of all genres.