Love, Lydie

By: Blair Harton
Published by: Blair Harton Writes
Publication Date: October 4, 2022
ISBN: 979-8845977182
Reviewed By: Kathy Stickles
Review Date: March 9, 2023

Love, Lydie, the debut novel for author Blair Harton, is an absolutely wonderful read and a home run for this new author. Not all novels in the romance genre can be perfect in terms of plot, character development, realism, and roller-coaster emotion, but this one rings the bell in all of these things.

Love, Lydie appears to be two separate stories in the beginning, but as the reader progresses, they quickly find out that everything connects together. In the first part we meet Lydia Ashburton, a student living in New York City who meets the love of her life during an altercation on the street. Nathan Roth, this amazing man in Lydia’s eyes, is a famous rock star and the perfect hero for this young woman. The best part is that Nathan is as crazy for Lydia as she is for him, but it is not easy for a normal person to keep up with a rock star and the confusion begins quickly, along with the romance. The question is...can they succeed together given the huge differences in their lives?

All of a sudden, we shift to part two of the book where we meet Anna. She has just started a new job at a small hometown theatre in Shiloh, Georgia. It is there that Anna meets Emily, a fabulous 8-year-old who is sassy, funny, and does whatever she wants. Anna soon realizes that Emily is not going to leave her alone and that she tells the funniest stories. As an added benefit, there is Emily’s dad Nathan, who Anna wants to get to know much better and, of course, the adorable Emily has decided that this is a great idea.

And so the fun begins as Amy tries to deal with her job, figure out what makes Nathan tick, and handle Emily all at the same time. Life does always find a way to bring people together and for Lydia, Emily, and Nathan so do a series of letters that lead to amazing connections and deep emotions, along with a great adventure.

All of the characters that Harton has created are truly wonderful. Lydia is a sweet young woman who is very realistic and believable. Amy is a strong woman who is determined to make things work out no matter what. Nathan is a great man who is the perfect hero for both of these women in different ways. Even the supporting characters in the story are well-written and enjoyable, and they all bring a certain something to the story. Above all else, Emily is a wonderful character. This little girl is so much fun and reading from page to page you cannot help but want to see what she will get up to next. She is the perfect addition to the story.

The plot of the story is creative and excellent. Although it is hard to tell where it is going to go in the beginning, everything ends up being wrapped together perfectly and will leave the reader amazed at the twists and turns and, by the end, you have no doubt that fate is real and love is the thing that holds life together. I would highly recommend the book to anyone who enjoys the romance genre or just a seriously great novel, wrapped around a love story, or stories as the case may be. It is the perfect combination of love, happiness, and heartbreak.

Quill says: There are so many romance novels out there that just do not hit the mark as they are not believable. Love, Lydie is so different from those and will be such an enjoyable read for all because of this. This new author has hit a home-run with this novel and I, for one, cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.

For more information on Love, Lydie, please visit the author's website at: blairharton.com