REVIEW:

Patricia Leavy has written over 50 books and has received numerous awards and has had an award named after her. She’s a big deal. She writes fiction and non-fiction with her latest interest being romance. I have not read any of her books until I received a galley of Shooting Stars Above.

This book is about an author who has written a number of inspirational books for broken people offering a ray of sunshine at the end of the tunnel. She has received numerous awards and was the first woman author to negotiate her own terms for rights to her books and films. She is not able to embrace her success. She came from trauma and has a problem of feeling worthy.

The author is Tess Lee and she meets the man of her dreams, Jack Miller. They have a whirlwind romance. They fit together nicely and for all the world seem the perfect couple and for the most part that is true. They have a great group of friends and her best friend is Omar. 

This is a nice story on the surface. There are problems underneath all of this success and wonderful relationships. Tess and Jack both struggle with their pasts but, even that is making great strides. All of this just seems a little too perfect for my taste. I think for a couple that has not been able to have long term personal relationships to meet and then practically be glued together without some ups and downs is a little too amazing.

That is my only beef with the book. I enjoyed the story. As a reader, I’m always interested in the life of an author. Many authors I know struggle to make a living at writing and Tess has it all. I guess it can happen  but, to me this was an adult fairy tale. There is nothing wrong with that! My thoughts are that I could have used a little more angst. If you love Patricia Leavy and you love a beautiful love story, it doesn’t get any better than this. It will certainly deserve a place on your nightstand. It was on mine. Until next time…Happy Reading!

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from #Patricia Leavy, #Netgalley and #She Writes Press. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

SYNOPSIS:

For fans of Colleen Hoover comes an emotionally charged contemporary romance about an internationally best-selling novelist and a federal agent fighting to heal past wounds.

Tess Lee is a world-famous novelist. Her inspirational books explore people’s innermost struggles and the human need to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel—but despite her extraordinary success, she’s been unable to find personal happiness. Jack Miller is a federal agent working in counterterrorism. After spending decades immersed in a violent world, a residue remains. He’s dedicated everything to his job, leaving nothing for himself.

The night Tess and Jack meet, their connection is palpable. She examines the scars on his body and says, “I’ve never seen anyone whose outsides match my insides.” The two embark on an epic love story, but old traumas soon rise to the surface as Jack struggles with the death of a loved one and Tess is forced to confront her childhood abuse. Can unconditional love help heal their invisible wounds? Together, will they be able to move from darkness to light?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Patricia Leavy, PhD is a novelist, sociologist, and arts advocate (formerly Associate Professor of Sociology, Founding Director of Gender Studies and Chairperson of Sociology & Criminology at Stonehill College). She is widely considered the world’s most visible proponent of arts-based research, which merges the arts and sciences. Patricia has published over 50 books, nonfiction and fiction, and her work has been translated into numerous languages. She has received over 100 book awards. She has also received career awards from the New England Sociological Association, the American Creativity Association, the American Educational Research Association, the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, and the National Art Education Association. In 2016 Mogul, a global women’s empowerment network, named her an “Influencer.” In 2018, she was honored by the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the State University of New York at New Paltz established the “Patricia Leavy Award for Art and Social Justice.” In 2024 the London Arts-Based Research Centre established “The Patricia Leavy Award for Arts-Based Research.” In recent years, her passion has turned to penning romance novels. For more information, please visit her website.