This Place of Wonder
- Downloads：4058
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-07-22 21:22:29
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Barbara O'Neal
- ISBN：B09LCBWNT7
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Dianne W
，
Barbara O’Neal never disappoints！Ms O’Neal is my current favorite author。 I have read several of her books and am amazed at how different and how interesting each book has been。 I could devour her description and prose， as the words draw me in begging for more of the richness she gives her stories and their characters。 She is truly a gifted storyteller， and I love that she does not stick to only one genre of writing。 Thank you for not only the great entertainment， but also for teaching me about Barbara O’Neal never disappoints！Ms O’Neal is my current favorite author。 I have read several of her books and am amazed at how different and how interesting each book has been。 I could devour her description and prose， as the words draw me in begging for more of the richness she gives her stories and their characters。 She is truly a gifted storyteller， and I love that she does not stick to only one genre of writing。 Thank you for not only the great entertainment， but also for teaching me about life through the characters you have developed。 。。。more
Laurie • The Baking Bookworm
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This Place of Wonder is a character-driven tale about four women who are bound together in their grief over the death of Augustus Beauvais， a well-known and gregarious chef and chronic womanizer who was influential in all their lives。 These women in Augustus' life were his daughters Maya and Rory， his ex-wife Meadow， and his girlfriend Norah。 The four women are well-drawn， each with their own pasts and struggles as they navigate through their grief and the issues， they bring into this non-tradit This Place of Wonder is a character-driven tale about four women who are bound together in their grief over the death of Augustus Beauvais， a well-known and gregarious chef and chronic womanizer who was influential in all their lives。 These women in Augustus' life were his daughters Maya and Rory， his ex-wife Meadow， and his girlfriend Norah。 The four women are well-drawn， each with their own pasts and struggles as they navigate through their grief and the issues， they bring into this non-traditional family dynamic。I enjoyed how O'Neal slowly reveals the backstories of these characters and while there is a bit of a lull in the middle， the added mysteries， and my desire to get to know these four women better kept me turning the pages。 It wasn't as emotional as I had expected （I'm a hard tear duct to crack）， but I think the topics （addiction， family dysfunction， grief， philandering） and Augustus' complicated bond with each of these women would make great fodder for book club discussion。 I didn't like the man， but I could also see why people were drawn to him。 This was slower burn， character-driven read that showcases four strong women and explores the complexities of relationships， long-held secrets， and loss。 The addition of beautiful descriptions of the setting and the mysteries made the story that much better。 This was my first book by Barbara O'Neal， and I look forward to reading more of her back list。Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to TLC Book Clubs and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Marianne Lopapa
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Book Review:This was a really deep story。。。。 Very complex with so many characters。。。。 I absolutely loved it。。。 I loved how one man could love so many and so deeply。。。。The characters learned to co-exist with one another and live harmoniously。。。。 Actually， there was a point that I found myself crying at the end with the letter Augustus wrote his daughter。。。。 Loved the story。。。。 Thanks for an enjoyable read。。。。 Mrs。M。L。💜👍
aprilla
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Finally finished it， should have quit （but I hate doing that）。 I didn't enjoy this book。 Finally finished it， should have quit （but I hate doing that）。 I didn't enjoy this book。 。。。more
Jessie Carvalho
，
Check triggers**Read this if you like: Multiple POV， family drama， strong female leads When famous chef Augustus Beauvais has died from a suspected heart attack。 He leaves four women to deal with his loss。 We get the perspective of all four in this story。 Meadow， his ex-wife who built an empire and a family with him still holds a place for him in her heart， even as she continues to struggle with his infidelities， which ended their twenty-year marriage。 More unforgiving is Maya， his estranged dau Check triggers**Read this if you like: Multiple POV， family drama， strong female leads When famous chef Augustus Beauvais has died from a suspected heart attack。 He leaves four women to deal with his loss。 We get the perspective of all four in this story。 Meadow， his ex-wife who built an empire and a family with him still holds a place for him in her heart， even as she continues to struggle with his infidelities， which ended their twenty-year marriage。 More unforgiving is Maya， his estranged daughter， who’s recently out of rehab but finally ready to reclaim her life。 Norah， his latest girlfriend， sidelined her own career for unexpected love and a life of luxury， both of which are now gone with Augustus。 Then there’s Rory， Meadow’s daughter， the voice of calm and reason in a chorus of discontent。Meadow， Maya， Norah， and Rory are thrown together by tragedy， grief， and secrets yet to be revealed。 The circumstances around his death are called into question， their conflicted feelings become even more complicated。I enjoyed this book。 I thought it was a little on the slow side but I still liked it。 It's a very emotional and heartfelt story。 The women characters are strong and very well developed。 They are relatable。 The story will stay in your mind for a bit。 Definitely recommend this one！Thank you to NetGalley， the author， and Lake Union Publishingfor the gifted copy！ ❤️ 。。。more
Elena Geesey
，
a marvelous， healing taleI preordered this book as soon as I heard of it; love all of Barbara’s books under her various noms de plumes （or however that goes en français）。 Another stunning story from her vivid imagination and talented pen。 I just reread When We Believed in Mermaids and will go back to her Lark O’Neal books next， starting with the first， Random。I won’t give you a synopsis as I’m sure many other reviewers have already posted such， I will simply say， read this， and be good to yourse a marvelous， healing taleI preordered this book as soon as I heard of it; love all of Barbara’s books under her various noms de plumes （or however that goes en français）。 Another stunning story from her vivid imagination and talented pen。 I just reread When We Believed in Mermaids and will go back to her Lark O’Neal books next， starting with the first， Random。I won’t give you a synopsis as I’m sure many other reviewers have already posted such， I will simply say， read this， and be good to yourself。 。。。more
Sherri
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***I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest reviewWhen famed chef Augustus Beauvais dies， he leaves behind a well-known restaurant， and four women who loved him and grieved his death。 Meadow， his ex-wife， who he still had a business relationship with， and who he shared two daughters with。 Their marriage may have been over， but their love was still going strong。 Norah was the one that he left Meadow for。 She came to interview Meadow for her college dissertation， but Augustus me ***I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest reviewWhen famed chef Augustus Beauvais dies， he leaves behind a well-known restaurant， and four women who loved him and grieved his death。 Meadow， his ex-wife， who he still had a business relationship with， and who he shared two daughters with。 Their marriage may have been over， but their love was still going strong。 Norah was the one that he left Meadow for。 She came to interview Meadow for her college dissertation， but Augustus met her first and she moved in and never left。 Maya was Augustus's daughter from a prior marriage。 The two of them have had a rocky relationship ever since he moved out when she was young and left her with her mom。 She has spent the last 90 days in rehab battling her alcohol addiction， and the other demons that she has been fighting since she discovered her mother's dead body when she was just a child。 Rory is Meadow's daughter， and the one person Augustus never abandoned。 She is heartbroken over his death。 As Meadow， Maya， Norah， and Rory are flung together by tragedy， grief， and secrets yet to be revealed， they must accept—or turn away from—the legacy of great intentions and bad decisions Augustus left them。 And when the circumstances around his death are called into question， their conflicted feelings become even more complicated。 But moving forward is the only choice they have， and to do so， they’ll need to rely on family， friendship， and inner strengthThis book was so good。 It is family drama at its best。 This is perfect for fans of Barbara Delinsky and Kristy Woodson Harvey。 It will make a great addition to your list of beach reads， I highly recommend it。 。。。more
Kle
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This story is hard to describe in words as there are such intense themes of love， loss， heartbreak， and hope。 The book is a bit darker than her other stories， which also gives it greater depth， yet the sexual undertones associated with trauma were abit more than I would’ve liked。 Overall though a really beautiful story of human loss， connection， and resiliency。
Jan Fore
，
The Place of WonderBarbara O’NealJuly 19， 2022Families come in all shapes and sizes。 We grow together， we love together， and we disagree and in some cases fracture and never come back together。 In O’Neal’s latest novel， The Place of Wonder we are introduced to Meadow and Augustus Beauvais。 When they met in a cafe where he was working it was kismet。 She became acquainted with his daughter， Maya and he with her daughter， Rory。 The duo were destined to work through it all。 He developed Peaches and The Place of WonderBarbara O’NealJuly 19， 2022Families come in all shapes and sizes。 We grow together， we love together， and we disagree and in some cases fracture and never come back together。 In O’Neal’s latest novel， The Place of Wonder we are introduced to Meadow and Augustus Beauvais。 When they met in a cafe where he was working it was kismet。 She became acquainted with his daughter， Maya and he with her daughter， Rory。 The duo were destined to work through it all。 He developed Peaches and Pork， a restaurant that became celebrated and well-reviewed。 He spent time on many circuits， while Meadow became famous in her own right and was a well known foodie herself。 She developed a massive garden area where she grew an assortment of vegetables and fruit to supply local restaurants with fresh produce。 Her book， Between Peaches and Pork: A Celebration of Sustainable and Festive Food was a bestseller。 It became the bible for chefs and restaurant owners。 The Place of Wonder gives us not so much the business end of this family but the tale of life after the unexpected passing of Beauvais。 It is exceptionally well written and captivating in the characters' history。 Her books are always excellent and this one is truly no exception。 It will be published on July 19， 2022 by Lake Union Publishing of Seattle。 I appreciate their allowing me to read and review Barbara O’Neal’s latest book via NetGalley。 I have read most of her novels and enjoyed them all。 I encourage readers to select The Place of Wonder。 Her journeys are a pleasant adventure and always superb reading。 Do enjoy this one！ 。。。more
Vanessa
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When chef Augustus dies unexpectedly， it sends shockwaves across his family: Meadow， his business partner and ex-wife; Maya and Rory， his and Meadow’s two daughters; and Norah， his current gf。 Somehow they have to try to get through his death and life without him as best as possible。 Each woman has their own story to tell that shares Augustus and their lives all intertwining。 They each have different personalities yet remain connected by him and because of him。 It’s a story about forgiveness and When chef Augustus dies unexpectedly， it sends shockwaves across his family: Meadow， his business partner and ex-wife; Maya and Rory， his and Meadow’s two daughters; and Norah， his current gf。 Somehow they have to try to get through his death and life without him as best as possible。 Each woman has their own story to tell that shares Augustus and their lives all intertwining。 They each have different personalities yet remain connected by him and because of him。 It’s a story about forgiveness and closure and second chances at a life without the man that meant so much to them。 Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this eARC。 。。。more
Virginia
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If you're looking to get swept away， this vivid， sumptuous new story from the always satisfying Barbara O'Neal drops today。 Four flawed， compelling， very different women grapple with love and loss。 （And food。 There's lots of food。 It's delicious。） If you're looking to get swept away， this vivid， sumptuous new story from the always satisfying Barbara O'Neal drops today。 Four flawed， compelling， very different women grapple with love and loss。 （And food。 There's lots of food。 It's delicious。） 。。。more
Booksandcoffeepleasemx
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𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨！Have I told you I love Barbara O’Neal？ I read my first book from her recently and I simply fell in love with her writting style， this story captured since page one and didn’t let go。 Beautiful descriptions， strong female characters， family secrets and lots of mouthwatering recipes。 I loved all of it。Thank you TLC Book Tours Amazon Publishing and Lake Union Authors for this tour invite and gifted copy。𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 by Barbara O'Neal releases today July 19， 2022。 http 𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨！Have I told you I love Barbara O’Neal？ I read my first book from her recently and I simply fell in love with her writting style， this story captured since page one and didn’t let go。 Beautiful descriptions， strong female characters， family secrets and lots of mouthwatering recipes。 I loved all of it。Thank you TLC Book Tours Amazon Publishing and Lake Union Authors for this tour invite and gifted copy。𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 by Barbara O'Neal releases today July 19， 2022。 https://www。instagram。com/booksandcof。。。 。。。more
Ruth
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Barbara O'Neal has become one of my must-read authors in recent years， and her newest novel This Place of Wonder has easily made it on to my list of favorite books。 I loved the California setting， the cast of female characters， and the gradual reveal of family secrets。 Everyone's life revolved around the bigger-than-life character of Augustus。 Even though he died at the beginning of the book， his presence was strongly felt throughout the story。 Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a Barbara O'Neal has become one of my must-read authors in recent years， and her newest novel This Place of Wonder has easily made it on to my list of favorite books。 I loved the California setting， the cast of female characters， and the gradual reveal of family secrets。 Everyone's life revolved around the bigger-than-life character of Augustus。 Even though he died at the beginning of the book， his presence was strongly felt throughout the story。 Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for and advance copy to read and review。 。。。more
Robin
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This was such a well-written book。 The characters are so fully developed， and the descriptions incredibly vivid。 I could see， smell and taste the foods and meals described， as well as the scenery。 The emotions of the characters and everything they were going through was so clear。 The story revolved around four women and their relationships with each other and Augustus， a famed chef， who had passed away。 Like every book I have read by this author， I was drawn into the story， loved every moment an This was such a well-written book。 The characters are so fully developed， and the descriptions incredibly vivid。 I could see， smell and taste the foods and meals described， as well as the scenery。 The emotions of the characters and everything they were going through was so clear。 The story revolved around four women and their relationships with each other and Augustus， a famed chef， who had passed away。 Like every book I have read by this author， I was drawn into the story， loved every moment and didn't want it to end。 I will be on the lookout for the next book by this author。 。。。more
Krissy
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Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing an ARC copyA book about 3 women who find their strength and themselves in the wake of the death of a man who left them all reeling。 A family saga that captures your attention and keeps you readingAugustus Beauvais， a restauranteur who dies suddenly leave behind Meadow the ex wife he built his empire with， and Maya the troubled daughter in rehab， Rory another daughter who is wrecked with grief， and Norah the girlfriend who got caught Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing an ARC copyA book about 3 women who find their strength and themselves in the wake of the death of a man who left them all reeling。 A family saga that captures your attention and keeps you readingAugustus Beauvais， a restauranteur who dies suddenly leave behind Meadow the ex wife he built his empire with， and Maya the troubled daughter in rehab， Rory another daughter who is wrecked with grief， and Norah the girlfriend who got caught up in his charms 8 months ago。 The way the female relationships develop in this story was chefs kiss。 How they overcome obstacles， animosity， and jealousy that developed during and after Augustus' death。 How having a troubled childhood， and the cards stacked against you won't prevent you from succeeding。 。。。more
Linda Leone
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Well know chef Augustus has died and left behind four grieving women。 His ex wife， daughter，step daughter。 and a much younger girlfriend。As the book progresses， we learn more about each woman and their relationships with Augustus。 and with each other。The characters were well written and had complex lives and relationships。 But for some reason I didn't really like any of them。 In most cases when this happens we're not supposed to like the characters， but with this one I'm just not sure if I shoul Well know chef Augustus has died and left behind four grieving women。 His ex wife， daughter，step daughter。 and a much younger girlfriend。As the book progresses， we learn more about each woman and their relationships with Augustus。 and with each other。The characters were well written and had complex lives and relationships。 But for some reason I didn't really like any of them。 In most cases when this happens we're not supposed to like the characters， but with this one I'm just not sure if I should have liked at least one of them。 but still didn't。Told from multiple points of view that were quite similar at times。 I would have liked a little more information about Augustus himself。 The setting was quite nice and seemed realistic and easy to envision。 The characters "issues" were handled with tact and grace。 Thanks to netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the arc。 。。。more
Christine
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In her latest novel This Place of Wonder， Barbara O’Neal acutely captures the nature of grief， the aching of belonging， and the powerful effect hope and time can have on both。Famed chef Augustus Beauvais dies unexpectedly， leaving behind two daughters， an ex-wife， a girlfriend， and a sagging empire。 The women who mourn him are Meadow， his ex-wife; Maya， his daughter from his first marriage; Rory， his stepdaughter and Meadow’s daughter; and Norah， a girlfriend who put her career on hold to live w In her latest novel This Place of Wonder， Barbara O’Neal acutely captures the nature of grief， the aching of belonging， and the powerful effect hope and time can have on both。Famed chef Augustus Beauvais dies unexpectedly， leaving behind two daughters， an ex-wife， a girlfriend， and a sagging empire。 The women who mourn him are Meadow， his ex-wife; Maya， his daughter from his first marriage; Rory， his stepdaughter and Meadow’s daughter; and Norah， a girlfriend who put her career on hold to live with him。 Their paths are more firmly intertwined with the ongoing police investigation into Augustus’s death。 This novel is an in-depth character study of three of these women and a bit of the difficult man who connects them。Each woman must work through their own trauma and grief while also answering probing questions from the police。 As a recovering alcoholic， Maya wonders what his death and her lack of grief means for her recovery。 Norah struggles financially， and must find her way back to herself。 Meadow is trying to be there for both of her daughters， Maya and Rory， while they question her methods。 These characters are intricately developed， making them feel real and relatable， and making their grief hit the reader a little bit harder。As always， O’Neal escorts readers through an emotional and tumultuous journey that leaves the reader with a sense of hope， but also a lot of thought-provoking questions。 This Place of Wonder is one that sticks with you， the characters living in your mind as you play over the plot again and again。 It’s definitely re-readable。The plot is moderately fast-paced， as the internal growth of the characters and their external actions demonstrate how trauma and their respective pasts intermingle and influence their present。 Told in alternating points of view from Maya， Meadow， and Norah， each character has a lot at stake and their emotional growth really drives the plot， with the police investigation into the death driving the external plot。 It combines into the kind of book you just don’t want to put down， both because you want to find out what happens next and because you just enjoy sitting with these characters。There are several areas of representation this novel handles beautifully。 The grip and effects of alcoholism on the person battling it and the people who love them was portrayed excellently， in a way that was realistic without being triggering （though this will vary based on personal experience with this topic）。 Grief and how it can reveal itself when relationships are complicated was also incredibly well done。 The complicated paternal relationship really stuck out as being particularly on-point。 The blended nature of Meadow and Augustus’s family was lovely to see， as was their relationship with both daughters， regardless of biological parenthood。In general， books with letters from dead fathers to their daughters eviscerate my heart every time。 So this book did make me cry in that regard， but if that isn’t a personal touchstone it may affect you differently。 I would imagine it’s hard to walk away from this book without feelings though; these characters feel so real， and the events occurring so possible， that walking away without having emotions to process is unlikely。 But that’s not a bad thing！ Personally， I love books that make me feel。This Place of Wonder strikes that beautiful， elusive balance of both feeling real and leaving the reader with a sense of hope。 It is further proof of Barbara O’Neal’s mastery at creating re-readable， relatable， realistic books。This Place of Wonder will be available July 19， 2022。Thank you to the author， NetGalley， and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy such that I could share my honest opinions。 。。。more
Jan Fore
，
The Place of WonderBarbara O’NealJuly 19， 2022Families come in all shapes and sizes。 We grow together， we love together， and we disagree and in some cases fracture and never come back together。 In O’Neal’s latest novel， The Place of Wonder we are introduced to Meadow and Augustus Beauvais。 When they met in a cafe where he was working it was kismet。 She became acquainted with his daughter， Maya and he with her daughter， Rory。 The duo were destined to work through it all。 He developed Peaches and The Place of WonderBarbara O’NealJuly 19， 2022Families come in all shapes and sizes。 We grow together， we love together， and we disagree and in some cases fracture and never come back together。 In O’Neal’s latest novel， The Place of Wonder we are introduced to Meadow and Augustus Beauvais。 When they met in a cafe where he was working it was kismet。 She became acquainted with his daughter， Maya and he with her daughter， Rory。 The duo were destined to work through it all。 He developed Peaches and Pork， a restaurant that became celebrated and well-reviewed。 He spent time on many circuits， while Meadow became famous in her own right and was a well known foodie herself。 She developed a massive garden area where she grew an assortment of vegetables and fruit to supply local restaurants with fresh produce。 Her book， Between Peaches and Pork: A Celebration of Sustainable and Festive Food was a bestseller。 It became the bible for chefs and restaurant owners。 The Place of Wonder gives us not so much the business end of this family but the tale of life after the unexpected passing of Beauvais。 It is exceptionally well written and captivating in the characters' history。 Her books are always excellent and this one is truly no exception。 It will be published on July 19， 2022 by Lake Union Publishing of Seattle。 I appreciate their allowing me to read and review Barbara O’Neal’s latest book via NetGalley。 I have read most of her novels and enjoyed them all。 I encourage readers to select The Place of Wonder。 Her journeys are a pleasant adventure and always superb reading。 Do enjoy this one！ 。。。more
Frances Blackthorn
，
𝕽𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌: ★★★🇮🇳🇸🇹🇦🇬🇷🇦🇲 🇱🇮🇳🇰: https://www。instagram。com/fblackthorn。。。𝕻𝖚𝖇𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖍𝖊𝖗: Amazon Publishing | Lake Union Publishing𝕽𝖊𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖊 𝕯𝖆𝖙𝖊: 19 of July 2022──────𝔖𝔭𝔬𝔦𝔩𝔢𝔯 𝔉𝔯𝔢𝔢 ℜ𝔢𝔳𝔦𝔢𝔴──────I’m going to start this review with something I never do: a bit of 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤。“When famed chef Augustus Beauvais dies， he leaves behind a celebrated reputation―and four women grappling with loss， anger， pain， and the question of how the world will turn without him…”Why did I give you a bit of 𝕽𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌: ★★★🇮🇳🇸🇹🇦🇬🇷🇦🇲 🇱🇮🇳🇰: https://www。instagram。com/fblackthorn。。。𝕻𝖚𝖇𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖍𝖊𝖗: Amazon Publishing | Lake Union Publishing𝕽𝖊𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖊 𝕯𝖆𝖙𝖊: 19 of July 2022──────𝔖𝔭𝔬𝔦𝔩𝔢𝔯 𝔉𝔯𝔢𝔢 ℜ𝔢𝔳𝔦𝔢𝔴──────I’m going to start this review with something I never do: a bit of 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤。“When famed chef Augustus Beauvais dies， he leaves behind a celebrated reputation―and four women grappling with loss， anger， pain， and the question of how the world will turn without him…”Why did I give you a bit of the synopsis you ask？！ Because that bit is literally all this book is。 Drama about the four ladies Augustus let behind。Let me alert you for something here really important from my point of view:1。 This book has a lot of drama;2。 There is no romance here， so don’t expect to be reading 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐭 or even 𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞;3。 There is also no 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐲 or whatsoever here;4。 Contemporary drama – that’s all this is。5。 And the most important one: 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐝。Seriously， this book was not that bad。 I was a bit skeptical to be honest when I started reading it， because I noticed really fast that there was no 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞 here… I noticed that there was not romance， which is a down side for me; there was no fantasy or a really bold plot… there was just plenty of drama and a 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐠𝐮𝐲。 BUT， against all odds， it was not a boring book， it was actually pretty fast-paced… I am not going to lie here… If you are a fan of drama and have no need for anything else like spice， romance， fantasy， troubled couple relationships… maybe this is actually a book for you！ I feel that maybe it is not the cup of tea for 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 and maybe that’s why it is not getting more than 3 starts for me… but if you are into this kind of book just go for it！ 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲， 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧， 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭: I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone who has the same taste I do， because I would probably be a bit mad if someone recommended this to me on bookstagram。 BUT PEOPLE， 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥。 。。。more
Becca Buncie
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I wanted to read this book because I loved When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O'Neal previously。Augustus Beauvais， famed restauranteur， dies unexpectedly， he leaves behind an ex-wife， daughter， step-daughter and girlfriend。 All of these women have to learn to live in the shadow of Augustus， his businesses， his passions and his mistakes， etc。 In this novel， we are able to see the wake of Augustus' death through the lens of his ex-wife， his girlfriend and his daughter， recently out of rehab f I wanted to read this book because I loved When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O'Neal previously。Augustus Beauvais， famed restauranteur， dies unexpectedly， he leaves behind an ex-wife， daughter， step-daughter and girlfriend。 All of these women have to learn to live in the shadow of Augustus， his businesses， his passions and his mistakes， etc。 In this novel， we are able to see the wake of Augustus' death through the lens of his ex-wife， his girlfriend and his daughter， recently out of rehab for alcohol。 We are able to delve into the minds of these 3 women， their relationships with Augustus， and the issues they will have to overcome to move forward。 This is a great novel about death， grief， and family expectations。 It also goes into the topic of addiction， as Maya is recently out of rehab。 Barbara O'Neal writes the California coast beautifully。 The characters are well developed and we are really able to see how this death affects them each differently。 I will say that I preferred When We Believed in Mermaids， but this novel was good as well and I look forward to reading more by this author。 。。。more
Kara Monroe
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4。5 stars！！ Beautifully written tale told from three womens perspectives， daughter of Augustus， Meadow exwife of Augustus and Norah current girlfriend of Augustus at his death。 A tale of how one man affected the women in many different ways， full of love， how to get through the hurts of life and how family can be made of many different people。 His death is a mystery and well written。 But it’s more about their relationships and the mystery of Meadows past。 Excellent read！！ Thank you to Netgalley 4。5 stars！！ Beautifully written tale told from three womens perspectives， daughter of Augustus， Meadow exwife of Augustus and Norah current girlfriend of Augustus at his death。 A tale of how one man affected the women in many different ways， full of love， how to get through the hurts of life and how family can be made of many different people。 His death is a mystery and well written。 But it’s more about their relationships and the mystery of Meadows past。 Excellent read！！ Thank you to Netgalley for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion！ 。。。more
Kelly NuclearFiction
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🔊Song Pairing: Let It Be - The Beatles （this book just felt like it needed some John， Paul， George， Ringo vibe。 💭What I thought would happen:I laughed because I thought this was a fantasy based on the cover 😂😂😂📖What actually happens: A book from 3 women’s perspectives all of whom deeply loved a charismatic man who let them all down。 Maya is in rehab after destroying her life’s work as a vintner after finding out her partner was in love with another。 She is estranged from her father， Augustus， ye 🔊Song Pairing: Let It Be - The Beatles （this book just felt like it needed some John， Paul， George， Ringo vibe。 💭What I thought would happen:I laughed because I thought this was a fantasy based on the cover 😂😂😂📖What actually happens: A book from 3 women’s perspectives all of whom deeply loved a charismatic man who let them all down。 Maya is in rehab after destroying her life’s work as a vintner after finding out her partner was in love with another。 She is estranged from her father， Augustus， yet his death has left her starting over in his house。 Meadow has known Augustus for 30+ years， her ex-husband， business partner， best friend and love of her life。 He is now dead and she doesn’t know how to carry on in a world without him。 She focuses her attention on Maya’s recovery。 Norah is Augustus’ current live in gf and is devastated by his death only knowing him 9 months。 She has not lost her home and love in one fell swoop。 Where will she go？ 🗯Thoughts:This book starts with the destruction of a beautiful vintage wine collection， SACRILEGE！ But also had my interest peaked from the first paragraph。 Barbara writes in the most elegant， beautiful fashion。 The way you can feel the California sea breeze and smell garlic while reading this book is truly magical。 I cannot stress enough what a sensation the writing is amongst the pages of this book。 I loved every character in this book， I want to live in a world where Meadow Beauvais exists。 I’ve also had the most ridiculous craving for heirloom tomatoes and grilled artichokes since reading this delight。 Foodies will adore the many references to organic vegetables/farming and descriptions of yummy eats。 I need recipes ASAP！ 。。。more
Jodie
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This was an interesting book told from the perspective of three different women who were all connected by one man， Augustus Beauvais。 I liked that the book alternated between Meadow （ex-wife）， Norah （current girlfriend）， and Maya （daughter） - each woman has a secret and/or hardship that slowly comes to light as the book progresses。 And each has to figure out how to continue in a world without Augustus， who was so pivotal in all of their lives。 The author did a wonderful job with the rich and viv This was an interesting book told from the perspective of three different women who were all connected by one man， Augustus Beauvais。 I liked that the book alternated between Meadow （ex-wife）， Norah （current girlfriend）， and Maya （daughter） - each woman has a secret and/or hardship that slowly comes to light as the book progresses。 And each has to figure out how to continue in a world without Augustus， who was so pivotal in all of their lives。 The author did a wonderful job with the rich and vivid descriptions of both food and places， especially Belle L’ete。 For me， this book did require a little patience。 The numerous references to Meadow’s past had me craving answers sooner rather than later…I kept looking for any hint or clue to try to put together the puzzle of her past。 Overall， I enjoyed this book。Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing a copy for review。 。。。more
Victoria Lanigan
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When famous Chef Augustus dies he leaves behind four women with broken hearts。 His ex-wife Meadow， their daughters and his current love are all tethered together by secrets and loss。。O’Neal has a gift for beautiful writing。 While， I struggled with who Augustus was as a man it doesn’t take away from the way O’Neal crafts a story and she draws you in。 。Thank you #lakeunion and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
Kaitlyn Bouchillon
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I haven’t seen other reviews that include this information — had I known， I wouldn’t have picked this one up — so I hope it’s informative to make the best decision for you。This book includes physical abuse， rape， child neglect， multiple descriptive remembrances of sex with the deceased， and 300 pages of women adoring a man who treated them poorly。 Augustus， though deceased， is just as much a character in this book。The story is told from three perspectives — leaving Rory on the periphery， unlike I haven’t seen other reviews that include this information — had I known， I wouldn’t have picked this one up — so I hope it’s informative to make the best decision for you。This book includes physical abuse， rape， child neglect， multiple descriptive remembrances of sex with the deceased， and 300 pages of women adoring a man who treated them poorly。 Augustus， though deceased， is just as much a character in this book。The story is told from three perspectives — leaving Rory on the periphery， unlike the book description — varying between Meadow， Maya， and Norah。 Every single “mystery” of ‘how did this happen？’ or ‘how will this work out？’ is obvious， figured out long in advance of the various “reveals。” I stuck it out in hopes that at least one character would be able to see beyond the blinders they’ve put up， but ultimately Augustus can do no wrong because in their eyes， he just can’t help himself。 I imagine most of the readers will be women， drawn in from the cover and description as I was， believing it to be a book about friendship and coming together after loss。 Unfortunately， they’ll read of a man who got a thousand free passes to hurt， cheat， lie， neglect whenever it suited him （etc） and the women who adore him。2 stars。 1 for the cover and 1 for the relationship between Rory and Maya。 。。。more
Kim
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Great story！ I love Barbara O’Neal’s books， they are intriguing and soothing to read。 This is a compelling story of 4 different women grieving the death of an important man in their life。 I love how this author creates setting so vividly that I can smell the wine and feel the sea spray on my face。 I love how her characters become so real that I feel like I know them。 I highly recommend this story of love， loss， rock bottoms， and second chances。 Thank you Netgalley， Lake Union Publishing and the Great story！ I love Barbara O’Neal’s books， they are intriguing and soothing to read。 This is a compelling story of 4 different women grieving the death of an important man in their life。 I love how this author creates setting so vividly that I can smell the wine and feel the sea spray on my face。 I love how her characters become so real that I feel like I know them。 I highly recommend this story of love， loss， rock bottoms， and second chances。 Thank you Netgalley， Lake Union Publishing and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review。 This book is available for purchase on July 19， 2022 。。。more
Jeff
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O'Neal Delivers Yet Another Solid Family Drama。 O'Neal's solid 2018 book The Art of Inheriting Secrets was the very first Featured New Release on my blog， and I have kept up that tradition every year since - and 2022 is no exception there。 Her 2020 book When We Believed In Mermaids continues to be one of my most "liked" reviews on Goodreads to this day， and continues to garner attention seemingly every few days。All that to note that I have a rich if recent history with O'Neal's work， and this is O'Neal Delivers Yet Another Solid Family Drama。 O'Neal's solid 2018 book The Art of Inheriting Secrets was the very first Featured New Release on my blog， and I have kept up that tradition every year since - and 2022 is no exception there。 Her 2020 book When We Believed In Mermaids continues to be one of my most "liked" reviews on Goodreads to this day， and continues to garner attention seemingly every few days。All that to note that I have a rich if recent history with O'Neal's work， and this is yet another truly solid and sensual tale of family secrets and drama。 In this particular work， we get four women struggling with the sudden death of one man that all were connected to - his ex-wife and mom of his step-daughter and step-mother to his daughter， his most recent girlfriend， and both of the daughters in question， though we only "hear" from the two elder ladies + his biological daughter。While this tale "hits" a few solid blows emotionally， it doesn't really land the haymakers that Mermaids did - this is more in line with most of her other books， including Secrets， on that level。 This noted， it is ultimately a very satisfying tale that has several great moments not always seen in novels， including the daughter's actions in the prologue and the elder ladies' blend of pragmatism and romanticism。 Several issues from alcoholism to rape to child abuse are touched on， so be prepared for that if one needs to be。 Overall truly an excellent tale， and yet another wonderful read from O'Neal。 Very much recommended。 。。。more
Louise
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I loved the one other book by Barbara O’Neal that I’ve read （The Lost Girls of Devon） and I loved this one too。 This Place of Wonder is a family story and not your run-of-the-mill family。 Augustus Beauvais is a celebrity chef in coastal California。 He dies suddenly， leaving behind four women have to come to terms with this loss in their own way。 While there are four women， we get chapters from the points of view of only three of them: Meadow， who was married to Augustus for 20 years， before his I loved the one other book by Barbara O’Neal that I’ve read （The Lost Girls of Devon） and I loved this one too。 This Place of Wonder is a family story and not your run-of-the-mill family。 Augustus Beauvais is a celebrity chef in coastal California。 He dies suddenly， leaving behind four women have to come to terms with this loss in their own way。 While there are four women， we get chapters from the points of view of only three of them: Meadow， who was married to Augustus for 20 years， before his womanizing caused their divorce; Maya， his daughter from his first marriage， who is finishing up a stint in rehab; and Norah， his current/last girlfriend， many years his junior。 The one we don’t hear from directly is Meadow’s daughter， Rory， although she’s a large part of the story。 We gradually get their backstories and come to understand the dynamics of this melded family。 I found myself rooting for each one of the women。O’Neal’s writing style is wonderful （no pun intended）。 Her descriptions of the land and water， the flowers and the food were captivating but didn’t overwhelm the story。 One of the characters suffers a broken bone at one point in the story: I’ve been lucky to never have broken a bone and her descriptions of how it felt made me extra-grateful that I’ve never had to experience it。CW: discussion of alcoholism and addiction， as well as the already mentioned philandering （cheating） and sudden deathThank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Ashley Stumbo Peak
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Told from the perspectives of Meadow， the wife of 20 years， Norah， the latest mistress， and Maya， the daughter; all three of these women all loved， hated， and missed Augustus in different ways。 When Augustus drops dead in his restaurant， everyone else is left to pick up the pieces around them。 His big presence， even with all his mistakes， leaves a gaping hole。 Each of the ladies deals with his loss and with one another in different ways。 I loved this book！ The women are interesting and I was so Told from the perspectives of Meadow， the wife of 20 years， Norah， the latest mistress， and Maya， the daughter; all three of these women all loved， hated， and missed Augustus in different ways。 When Augustus drops dead in his restaurant， everyone else is left to pick up the pieces around them。 His big presence， even with all his mistakes， leaves a gaping hole。 Each of the ladies deals with his loss and with one another in different ways。 I loved this book！ The women are interesting and I was so engrossed in was her of their stories。 You find yourself rooting for them and hoping things get better and work out for them！ 。。。more
Annette Jordan
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