The wedding bells for Lorna and Tristan Blake toll doom right as the honeymoon begins with an unexpected turn in Tristan’s health. While World War II winds down, Lorna receives a letter from the War Department informing her that the brother she thought killed in action is still alive. She is overjoyed, but his return will dredge up a devastating secret about their parents’ tragic death –a secret … secret that could destroy her new marriage and threaten her husband’s physical and mental well-being. What unfolds is balancing act of keeping the faith and shattering the pieces of the life she’s worked so hard to put back together.
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Rocks and Flowers in a Box is the second book in the Lorna & Tristan series by author Cynthia Hilston. Set in Cleveland, Ohio in the 1940s towards the end of WWII, this story takes up where the previous book left off. Although this book could definitely stand on its own, I highly recommend reading both together to appreciate Lorna and Tristan’s story!
For those of us who read the previous book, we are now rejoining Lorna and Tristan after their marriage, and as they start to build their life together. If you’re starting with this story and have not read the previous one, no worries, as Ms. Hilston gives a recap of the previous book to summarize what you missed. But if you have the chance and the time, I highly recommend you pick up the previous book to read the beginning of Lorna and Tristan’s story!
Lorna and Tristan have not had an easy road to get to the point they are now. Hoping that their marriage is the starting point to a happy life together, they start to take steps to move forward from the past. But life still has some unexpected twists and turns on their path to their HEA. Shortly after their marriage, Tristan’s health deteriorates and Lorna’s brother Chuck, who everyone thought was killed in the war, is discovered alive. His imminent return is a happy occasion but also brings past secrets to the forefront that can destroy Tristan and Lorna’s newfound happiness.
Ms. Hilston really pulled on my heartstrings with this one! With Tristan’s health issue and Chuck’s return, I truly despaired that Lorna and Tristan would ever find peace to finally get their HEA. The return of Chuck from the war and watching him struggle with life and the secrets of the past was difficult to watch, but I understood how devastated he was feeling. In this story, we watch as Tristan, Lorna, and Chuck learn to navigate their lives around the past and try once again to move forward. Ms. Hilston did an excellent job with the writing and I really liked all the characters in this book. The secondary characters were fabulous and truly added a spark to the story! This was such a beautifully written story about faith, forgiveness, hope, and love, with an absolutely perfect ending! Highly recommend!
This is a new to me author and while I really can’t connect with the characters I still enjoyed this book. I stayed up all night just because it was so good!
I loved the Post WW2 setting for this story.
I can’t imagine what the war was like or how the soldiers felt or dealt with life after they came home. This book has given me some idea of that. (My grandfather fought in Germany).
I felt the author has done her research well and has covered everything that was discussed in the this book.
She has made me an instant fan of her books.
I love the way she has made the character’s feelings come out of the book and what I really liked was learning about POW camps in Germany.
I loved Lorna from the beginning. She’s my favorite character.
I think it’s because of her perfect example of her strong faith in God.
I understand the meaning of rock bottom( I’ve felt that way many times). Because sometimes when things don’t go right or when we dread things our stomach tends to hit a rock so to speak. Lorna feels this way when her brother Chucky shows up at her door.
Tristan is dealing with matters of his own. I do love him for trying. But will his secret end up destroying everything they’ve worked so hard for or will forgiveness com into play?
Y’all will just have to pick up this story to find out. I believe y’all will be pleasantly surprised!
I highly recommend.
My thanks to Just Reads Tours for a complimentary copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a review for this book. All opinions are my own.
3.5
Yes, this is book two in a series and yes, book two is a continuation of book one, yet Cynthia Hilson does an excellent job of sketching the details of book one into this next installment. Still, if you’re looking for the full-color picture, I suggest reading the series in order (which, full disclosure, I did not do).
Rocks and Flowers in a Box tackles the challenges and joys of marriage. Getting used to each other’s personalities, dealing with the strains and stress of life, and enjoying the blessed and beautiful moments. Tristan and Lorna have overcome some huge hurdles to reach the point where they’re at now. At times, the past continues to cast shadows over their happily ever after.
A few of the things I enjoyed about this story was the time period (right at the end of WWII when soldiers are returning home), a realistic look at marriage, and the abundant thread of the power of forgiveness and reconciliation. Hilson delivers an emotional story filled with conflict and moments of happiness for Lorna.
Disclosure statement:
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.
3.5 stars.
This is the first book I’ve read by the author. It is book 2 in the Lorna & Tristan series but can be read as a stand-alone since the author recaps the most pertinent events from the first book to paint the backdrop for Lorna and Tristan’s relationship. This book starts out with Lorna and Tristan as newlyweds, learning to accommodate each other’s eccentricities, during the tail end of WWII.
Lorna and Tristan seem to have gone through an emotional wringer separately before getting married. Though they love each other, Tristan’s moody aloofness and emotional turmoil weigh heavily on Lorna’s soul and Lorna’s persistence in recovering Tristan’s family ties drives him crazy. A surprising twist in the plot challenges their love and threatens Lorna’s sense of peace and contentment. The bondage of addiction, as well as a different kind of bondage from holding too tightly to past guilt and sin, is vividly portrayed. The faith journey of the characters is natural and inspiring. The author’s focus on forgiveness, grace, and reconciliation is noteworthy in this character-driven novel.
I received the book from the publisher via JustRead Publicity Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
So much is riding on her ability to love unconditionally; forgive completely; restore unequivocally, and be courageous without hesitation.
In Cynthia Hilston’s Rocks and Flowers in a Box, the second in her Lorna & Tristan series, newlyweds Lorna and Tristan go about the business of combining their homes into one. Things are not all sunshine and roses; there is a history, both personal and interpersonal, that the two lovebirds must work through to create a good marriage relationship.
When Tristan experiences a heart attack while in the midst of moving his household belongings to Lorna’s home, both are forced to begin contemplating things that could have negative implications for both of them if either chooses to ignore them.
Tristan is not in touch with his family, a fact he refuses to discuss, even with his new bride. Lorna, puzzled by her husbands reluctance, is still grieving the loss of her parents in a tragic accident, along with the loss of her only brother in the war.
Thinking herself without any family, Tristan has become the beginnings of her new family; until the day she receives mail from the war department. Her brother is not dead as she had first been informed, he’s a prisoner of war, held at Stalag, Germany. Elated, she begins writing to Chuck. And continues to contemplate if she should risk contacting her husbands family, despite his insistence that he did not want to see any of them.
She wonders how angry he will become when he realizes she pulled his address book from the trash; will he have another heart attack? Begin drinking again? Or maybe worse, try to take his own life again in the depths of dark despair.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Just Read Tours and am not required to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions therein are solely my own, and freely given.
My Thoughts on Rocks and Flowers in a Box:
First, the title. I hated it. It didn’t make any sense to me and I didn’t have any idea really about what the book would be like. I read the blurb about it and thought I’d give it a go because I love history and WWII is one of my favorite time periods.
Second, the cover. Guys this cover could have been so much better. The book is amazing and I don’t think the cover does it justice. Please disregard the cover, read the book blurb, and dive in!
Thirdly, this is an amazing book! It’s the second in a series but can be read as a stand-alone. Yes, if you read the first book you’re going to get a fuller and bigger picture of what is going on and what has gone on, but it is not necessary. Personally, I always advocate that you read the whole series and that you read that series in order, but that might just be my OCD showing.
I loved meeting these characters and following their journey. They each have a path to walk to become whole again and come to terms with who they are now. It was great to be able to walk that path with them.
This was the first novel I’ve read by this author but I have to say she has me hooked. I really enjoyed this book and am definitely going to be following her in the future to see what else she comes up with.
The history in the book was spot on and I loved it! I’d love to see some of the history portrayed in a new cover down the road. Give me all the 1940s fashion!
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from JustRead Publicity Tours. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
There are certain books that you want to love but they just fall flat for you. One of those books for me is Rocks and Flowers in a Box. My heart immediately went out to Lorna, her ache for a family, and the situation that she has found herself in, but the real disconnect for me was with Tristan’s character. You don’t find out too many details about Tristan’s back story, just the important things to note, which I’m sure the majority of his story is in the first book in the series, but all I saw from this character was selfishness, whininess, and negativism. Granted, he was sweet to Lorna, and I could feel the conflict, but I never felt truly close to him, and many of his tendencies were grating to me.
I won’t spoil any part of the book, but there is one part that repeats a large part of the story over again, but gives certain thoughts that come from another character’s perspective, and I thought this drew out the story, though I can understand the author’s reason behind going in this direction.
The story itself is decent, if not on the depressing side, but it does have a sweet, satisfying happy ending and the writing is decent, but like I said before, I really wanted to love this novel, but sadly it’s not a favorite.
*I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author through JustRead Tours. All views and opinions are completely honest, and my own.