Description
Book Synopsis Bound by a devastating secret, childhood friends David, Josh, and Kate take on home renovation as a means of healing from a dark, shared past. Their only promise? Friendship first-no hookups. Only several months after moving into their Baltimore fixer, the aptly nicknamed Canton Catastrophe, walls are crumbling, sparks are flying, and promises are getting ignored. Josh, a paramedic, is plagued with panic attacks, haunted by the past, and sharing a room with David, who he is definitely not attracted to. And then there's Kate. She's having a job crisis, popping pills, and pretending she doesn't notice how distant the boys have grown. And David? The eternally calm, blue-eyed beauty's health is deteriorating and he's mysteriously blacking out. But when they learn someone may have discovered their darkest secret and is now stalking them--and blackmailing Josh's father, a conservative media personality with secrets of his own, renovation and relationship woes take a back seat. Suddenly, their past is unraveling, and the shocking truths unearthed will have them questioning everything from family ties and friendships to love, loss, and the lengths they're willing to go for each other. Review Quotes Reviewed By Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite, 5-Star Review Woven by Stephania Thompson is a contemporary romantic suspense novel that revolves around three young adult friends, Kate, David, and Josh who are deeply connected. Together they are renovating a property in Baltimore, Maryland, living on-site and working on the project while still managing their individual livelihoods. The three are also attempting to manage their demons. Josh and David have been through the unthinkable and Kate is trying to piece together relationships, including an utter and complete loss in childhood. All three are coming to terms with their patchwork of family history, layered with questionable accidents and all of the threads that weave them together. A lot is going on in Woven, but given the length of this novel, it's good to know it isn't just three young adults trying to sort out their lives. Stephania Thompson has done well with character development and Kate, David and Josh come out looking, smelling, and feeling like real people. There's an authenticity there and it is enhanced by organic dialogue. The narration is first-person for all three main characters, which can be confusing. There is such a thing as knowing too much and I felt the first-person triangle did the plot and pacing a disservice, but as the book progresses you can see Thompson mature as a writer in real-time. By the midway point, she's hit her stride, and her long-term potential as an author is fully realized. This is a series by a debut novelist with the potential to rake in a massive fan base. Very highly recommended.
