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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

The Real Question? Is This Last Book as Good as the Rest?

by Chautona Havig · 1 Comment

My favorite of Olivia Newport's Tree of Life stories, Now That I Know You digs into a historical tragedy as well as one young woman's family history. via @chautonahavig

Back in 2019, I read the first book of the Tree of Life series by Olivia Newport, The Inn at Hidden Run.

While I didn’t dislike the entire book, it wasn’t my favorite for reasons my review states pretty clearly, but I saw something in that book.  I knew, deep down I knew that I’d love the series.

And I have.  I was so sorry to learn that the last book came out this fall.  Sorry… and excited.  I mean, come on! Another book with Nolan, Jillian, and Drew?  Yes, please!  More historical research?  Oh, yeah.  About Jillian’s MOTHER? Be still my heart… and let me at it.

Now That I know You

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

The Real Question? Is This Last Book as Good as the Rest?

Yes and no!

The story of Now That I Know You is probably my favorite of the whole series. It gripped me from page one and carried me on waves of emotion all through the melding of past and present as Olivia Newport does so well. There’s intrigue, danger, twists, connections… There’s so much to love about this book.

Fun fact about the story. There’s a “cliche” or stereotype in there that I totally missed until I started writing this review.  That’s how well the author wove what is a cultural thing into a story without making it cliche or stereotypical.  It’s brilliantly done.

However, this book does have a few problems I have to note. The editing is lacking. From the overuse of people’s names in dialogue (it gets tedious at times) and the wrong word used here or there, I found it frustrating to try to ignore what refused to be ignored. I may have read an ARC (provided to me for review) that was not the final copy, but  I received it after the publication date, so I doubt it.

Despite that, this is still my favorite book of the series, and I really hope Olivia Newport writes more in a similar vein somehow. I really did love this book despite a couple of small warts.

Recommended for lovers of genealogy, history, mystery, and family.  Not recommended for readers looking for an overt faith element. It’s there, but it’s understated–more subtext than anything.

Now that I know you coverAbout the Book

Book: Now That I Know You

Author: Olivia Newport

Genre: Split-Time Contemporary/Historical

Release date: Fall, 2021

Cate Butler is the distant cousin genealogist Jillian was so certain she wanted to find—and the only connection she has to her deceased mother’s Parisi family tree. So why does she wish Cate would stop pestering her? And why can’t Jillian find a paper trail proving Cate is who she says she is?

Cate wants something for her own career that Jillian can’t give, but she also holds the key to family history Jillian can’t bring herself to walk away from. Nolan, Jillian’s father, steps in when Cate’s chronic career chaos requires legal rescue. Drew, the man who holds Jillian’s heart, has a surprising past with Cate. The truths Jillian, Cate, and Drew find while untangling these knotted threads tie them back together in remarkable ways none of them ever would have imagined.

Now That I Know You is Book 5 in the Tree of Life series, exploring and celebrating unforgettable family stories in Canyon Mines, the mountain town that invites you back again and again.

About the Author

Olivia NewportOlivia Newport’s novels blend the truth of how our pasts carry us into where we find ourselves now. Curiosity about history seems to creep into everything she does. Her books include Amish, historical, and contemporary stories that span the centuries from before the Revolutionary War right up to the present moment.

She chases joy in stunning Colorado at the foot of Pikes Peak. Visit her WEBSITE for more information.

More from Olivia

I’ve wanted to write Now That I Know You for nearly 20 years—at least the historical story part of this split-time novel.

When my son was a freshman in high school, he joined the mock trial team, and my husband and I entered the league of parents who watched versions of the same competition over and over. The state bar association selects a case and provides every team with the same documents to study as the basis of preparing both prosecution and defense.

Team members play roles of attorneys and witnesses.

That first year, the case was trying a particular individual in connection with his role in events that culminated in the 1914 “Ludlow Massacre,” which is featured in Now That I Know You. My son played a witness for the prosecution. My proudest moment was when one of the scoring judges—who are actual court judges—singled him out for his skill in recognizing and dodging the opposing counsel’s interrogation strategy. Somebody hold me in my chair, because you really are not supposed to jump and cheer at mock trial!

Since I heard the case several times, the history wormed its way into my heart and mind. The injustice and tragedy of the story weighed heavy, but so did the legacy of the events and their eventual impact on history that affects us even today. People often ask where book ideas come from. Sometimes they germinate inside me for a long time before the moment is ripe to put them on the page in the lives of characters who have grown around them. This is one of those stories.

—Olivia Newport

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 10

Bigreadersite, January 10

lakesidelivingsite, January 11

Daysong Reflections, January 11

All-of-kind Mom, January 11

The Write Escape, January 12

Lots of Helpers, January 12

The Sacred Line, January 13

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 13

Betti Mace, January 14

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 14

Texas Book-aholic, January 15

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 15

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, January 16

Splashes of Joy, January 16

deb’s Book Review, January 17

Through the Fire Blogs, January 17

Sodbuster Living, January 18

For Him and My Family, January 18

Tell Tale Book Reviews, January 19

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, January 19

For the Love of Literature, January 20

The Book Club Network, January 20

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, January 21 (Spotlight)

Blogging With Carol, January 21

Mary Hake, January 21

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, January 22

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 22

Inklings and notions, January 23

Connect in Fiction, January 23

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Olivia is giving away the grand prize package of a signed set of all 5 books in the Tree of Life series!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/193c0/now-that-i-know-you-celebration-tour-giveaway

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Comments

  1. Emma says

    January 12, 2022 at 12:16 pm

    I really enjoyed this book!

    Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast
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Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 231: A Chat with RomCom author, Shannon Sue Dunlap
byChautona Havig

Shannon Sue Dunlap isn’t new to rom-coms, and her first book in the Sweetheart Series promises to be a literary riot, and it lives up to that promise. I’m only halfway through it and am thinking mean, ugly thoughts of everything keeping me from being able to escape into the crazy small-town politics and quirky characters. So far the com far outweighs the rom, which makes me thrilled to bits. Listen in to discover what makes Lone Star Sweetheart so much fun.

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Why Did This Author Write a Rom-Com about a Loveable Shrew?

Well, I think we can safely blame Shakespeare for that. Shannon Sue Dunlap has taken inspiration from Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew in her Katherine, but unlike Katerina, Dunlap’s character is actually trying to learn to tame the tongue. Maybe someone should send her over to the book of James. There’s that whole bit about not being able to tame it, being an “unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

Kate’s isn’t that bad, but not for lack of trying. Or something.

Shannon Sue Dunlap isn’t joking when she says that her Katherine is a “loveable” shrew. Seriously, I love this character. She’s forthright, no-nonsense, and “what you see is what you get” in her approach to life. I respect that. Add to that her boss who has shaken up the town of Sweetheart, Texas, and you’ve got the makings of a great story. I’m loving Lone Star Sweetheart.

But this isn’t all Dunlap has written.

Under the pseudonym, Shannon Kent, you can find her sweet and clean romances (including one Christian romance) inspired by Korean dramas. If you said I’d be not only chomping to read a sweet and clean romance about Korean tour guides and all that entails but also ready to watch a Korean drama on Netflix… Okay, I might not have laughed in your face, but I’d’ve been laughing on the inside.

Best part… one of them ties into her Sweetheart Series

Lone Star Sweetheart by Shannon Sue Dunlap

Katherine Bruno’s passionate, unfiltered temper makes her the shrew of small-town Sweetheart, Texas. When she’s drafted to help the mayor’s wife run against her own husband, Katherine meets opposing big city political consultant Ryan Park. The good-looking, flirtatious campaign manager gets under her skin, but fraternizing with the enemy is off-limits.

Katherine must battle her lack of experience, campaign sabotage, and her growing feelings for Ryan as she strives to succeed. His unprejudiced acceptance of her strong-willed character beckons her heart, but his jaded rejection of God is an insurmountable barrier. Will Ryan return to his faith and stay with her in Sweetheart or leave when the election ends?

You can find out more about Shannon Sue Dunlap AND get that first novella in the Korean Crush series free on her WEBSITE.

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Episode 231: A Chat with RomCom author, Shannon Sue Dunlap
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