Only in September

by

Cynthia Flowers

Sweet and sentimental, sad but ultimately hopeful.

In the novella Only in September, Jacqueline French discovers her inner strength to make positive changes in her life while vacationing on a small tear-drop-shaped island off the coast of Rhode Island. She and her spouse, Stephen, have been drifting apart for some time; he is increasingly and happily absorbed in his career, and she is left alone, craving his love and attention until, eventually, it is no longer important to her. While on a week-long stay on Block Island with their dog, Bailey, she slowly comes to realize their interests and visions for their future have diverged, with Stephen’s being the only ones important to him. As Stephen sleeps in every day, Jacqueline and Bailey head to the beach for long, playful walks, where they meet Michael, a kind and handsome older man, and his dog, Serendipity. A comfortable companionship quickly evolves, and it is renewed each September during Jacqueline’s now annual and solo Block Island weekly sojourn. 

Jacqueline yearns for her husband’s attention but eventually realizes that the life they had been building had gotten hijacked somewhere along the way by Stephen’s complete immersion in his work. As she heads toward separation and divorce, her self-worth and value are nourished by Michael’s gentle interest. However, she is confused by his mixed signals about taking their relationship any further and his reluctance to share any information about himself other than his current life and vacation activities on the island. Jacqueline tends to be the pursuer in their relationship and is gently rebuffed and diverted at almost every turn. While I was sensing red flags, all is revealed in the end. 

I recommend ONLY IN SEPTEMBER for readers of women’s fiction. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.