THE KEEPER OF HAPPY ENDINGS by Barbara Davis

 An enchanting novel about fate, second chances, and hope, lost and found, by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Last of the Moon Girls.

Soline Roussel is well schooled in the business of happy endings. For generations her family has kept an exclusive bridal salon in Paris, where magic is worked with needle and thread. It’s said that the bride who wears a Roussel gown is guaranteed a lifetime of joy. But devastating losses during World War II leave Soline’s world and heart in ruins and her faith in love shaken. She boxes up her memories, stowing them away, along with her broken dreams, determined to forget.

Decades later, while coping with her own tragic loss, aspiring gallery owner Rory Grant leases Soline’s old property and discovers a box containing letters and a vintage wedding dress, never worn. When Rory returns the mementos, an unlikely friendship develops, and eerie parallels in Rory’s and Soline’s lives begin to surface. It’s clear that they were destined to meet—and that Rory may hold the key to righting a forty-year wrong and opening the door to shared healing and, perhaps, a little magic.

MY THOUGHTS: 

First off I have to say, "Oh Barbara, this is the best book you have ever written. It touched me so deep I felt it in my soul. My heart. Every part of me. It's absolutely stunning." Thank you for this. This book is so good. So emotional. So sad. So beautiful. It's honestly written to perfection in my humble opinion. 

A true love story. A true romance. A true historical. A true women's fiction. This is the book that will be on top of my list for books I have read in 2021. 

The lines that brought this story home for me: "It still seemed impossible. Such an inexplicable confluence of events. Lives intersected. Hearts reunited. Families mended. Because of a box she'd found under the stairs of a burned-out building. A box full of happy endings-and perhaps a touch of la magie.

"As long as you keep his beautiful face in your heart...he will never truly be lost." This is just a line that I love. It's so true too. 

This is the story of many losses. What Soline goes through will honesty gut you. What she has to endure will rip your heart out and stomp on it a few times. How much loss is one woman expected to live with. I totally loved and adored Soline. She is one strong woman who also has so many weak spots. Who tends to turn into her own self when she can't take anymore. Hides out to be totally alone. Yet she keeps on living when many would have given up and stopped. All the things that happened to her that lead up to the conclusion of this book will leave you breathless. In gut wrenching, heartbreaking, huge, ugly, tears. Throughout this book you will get to know this woman and you will adore her. She's honestly a true survivor. One who kept on going through so much. 

Then there is Aurora, called Rory, who is going to a lot of the same things as Soline. It's no wonder these two women, Rory and Soline, meet and hit it off. That they become such good friends. Even though their ages are way apart they are so alike. They are fast friends. Both suffered loss and its heartbreaks. Both need someone to hear them. To be there so they can share their story. They have that as friends. I truly loved Rory too. She's such a tender hearted young woman. Always trying to do the right thing. Trying to please others.

I loved the characters in this book. Most were so good and so kind. One I truly hated was Owen Purcell, but without him there would have been no story. At first I didn't like Camilla, but got to know her and she changed my mind. She's Rory's mother. She can be a bit daunting but she has her reasons. All these characters are needed in this book. They will all become a part of you while reading. This book will stay with you. From Paris during a time when all is lost to America where all things seem possible. This is a story of love and loss. 

Thank you #NetGalley, #BarbaraDavis, #LakeUnionPublishing, for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this wonderful book.

5/5 HUGE stars and the highest recommendation possible. You honestly do not want to miss this one.