My take on: Family Tree

It's been awhile since I read a chick-lit/romance novel, so I welcomed the opportunity to review Family Tree by Susan Wiggs.

This book was a pleasant surprise. I was expecting it to go the predictable route: a sad woman returns to her hometown after life in the big city and falls in love again with her high school boyfriend. Yes, some of those elements are in this book but the path to get there (for me) was different and unexpected.

Annie Rush and Martin Harlow are a powerhouse couple. He's the star of the hottest cooking show, The Key Ingredient, and Annie is the producer. They have it all. Their lives are about to change, and not just because Annie is pregnant. Betrayal at the hands of her husband and a freak accident leave Annie at rock bottom. The only way back up is to return to the family maple farm and her hometown of Switchback, Vermont.

Annie's accident is somewhat of a blessing and a curse. For the past year, Annie has been in a coma. When she finally awakens, life as she knew it is gone. She has to start all over again. She has to learn how to walk and talk all over again. She can remember some things, but there are large gaps in Annie's memory. Gaps that might be hard to fill, her family and friends, including her old boyfriend Fletcher, are doing all they can to help Annie remember the past.

The book alternates between the past and present. The present-day narrative is all about Annie's struggles rebuilding her life and her trust in men. Her father left the family decades ago and her husband betrayed her. In the past, we get to see how Annie and Fletcher's love story blossomed and eventually fizzled. In high school, Annie and Fletcher were crazy in love with each other -- until Annie had to make a choice. Fulfilling her dreams of attending college in New York or staying in Switchback with Fletcher? She chooses college but vows to have a future with Fletcher. That future goes up in flames quickly when Fletcher has to stay in Switchback, nursing his father back to health after a devastating accident. Despite how much it hurts, Annie had to face the fact that there was no room for her in Fletcher's life. But in the present-day, fate might give Annie and Fletcher another chance. End to end, I really enjoyed this story. This book is just like your favorite comfort food, you want to curl up in a ball and devour it!

Rating: Superb

Notes: I received a copy of the book from the publisher (HarperCollins) as part of a blog tour with TLC Book Tours.