Taken Away - Patricia Yager Delagrange

Taken Away by Patricia Yager Delagrange
Publisher - Ravenswood Publishing
Publish Date - 6/1/15
Genre - Contemporary Fiction
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My Rating:

Every so often, I get the opportunity to be part of Blog Tours or Amazon Review Campaigns for up and coming authors and/or recently released titles. It's a great way for these authors to get some exposure and get word out about their book. I love being a part of these because it lets me discover books that I most likely would never have read otherwise. This book was one of those!

This book was yet another novel outside the genres and storylines I typically gravitate towards but it intrigued me enough to spend the time to read it. Well, I read it in one night. It's not terribly long so that wasn't as difficult a feat as it may sound. The writing style really flowed and the plot really did drag you in pretty quickly so it made for a quick read.

Taken Away focuses on the story of Jessee Bradford, a young veterinarian who gets a job at a practice that his father-in-law owns in California. He is married to a young, carefree artist, Serena, whom he met in college. One day he returns home to find both Serena and their baby daughter Sofia missing. An investigation ensues with the FBI but they are no where to be found. The FBI tells Jessee that Serena most likely abandoned them and wanted to disappear without a trace. 

After some months go by with no breaks in the investigation, Jessee moves back home to Iowa where he takes over his grandfather's veterinary practice. His family and the new environment provide the distraction he needs from his terrible tragedy. He eventually meets Laura and falls in love. One evening they attend an art gallery with works by a mysterious painter that reminds Jessee of Serena's paintings. This sets him off on a search to find out the truth that results in a bunch of crazy twists and turns along the way.

Since I read this book in one night, the plot obviously captured my attention. Jessee's story was so tragic and I enjoyed seeing his emotional progression as he tried to move forward with his life. It was of course, a bit of a Lifetime movie "perfect" plot but sometimes those just make good stories, right? Laura was the perfect compliment to Jessee and all of the characters who were introduced into his life added a new dynamic to the story.

Without giving anything away, I have to say that I was incredibly disappointed with the ending. The story could have ended at Chapter Forty and I would have been perfectly content. Unfortunately, there were 2 additional chapters added on that I felt were unnecessary. They added another "twist" to the plot line that wasn't needed. These last 2 chapters dropped a HUGE bomb that only lasted for a few pages. The book ended in the same place that it would have anyway and I wish they weren't there. That being said, I would still recommend reading this book. Just maybe stop after Chapter 40.


Pair This With: WYSIWYG Rose

I've really been craving Rose's lately and this one hit the spot. First, it has a cool label and name - What You See Is What You Get. This is a very floral wine with hints of strawberry. It's light and fresh and easy to drink.