When We Meet Again

When We Meet Again by Kristin Harmel is a novel that takes us on a journey back to 1943. Emily Emerson is a journalist who was just laid off from work. Emily is at a low point in her life. She is alone (by choice) and out of work when she receives a package. When she opens up, she finds a painting. The package is from Germany and is a watercolor painting. It portrays a woman in a field wearing a red dress. The woman in the painting looks like her grandmother, Margaret. Is it her grandmother? Why was this painting sent to her and why now? Margaret passed away two months prior. It seems that Grandma had some secrets she never shared with Emily. The painting takes Emily on a journey into the past. Emily will travel to Munich, Germany, Belle Creek, Florida, and Atlanta, Georgia in her search for answers. Emily will be given a chance to reconnect with her estranged father. Can she forgive him? More importantly, can Emily forgive herself for something she did when she was eighteen? Join Emily on her journey in When We Meet Again.

Kristin Harmel is what I call a descriptive writer. She provides great details (and is a little long winded). The writing is good but I found the pace to be slow. The novel is interesting (good concept), but I was never drawn into the story. The book drags on a little too long (I think it felt that was because the pace was so slow). The lesson in the novel is about forgiveness of others and of one's self (easier said than done). I give When We Meet Again 3.5 out of 5 stars. The romance in the book was sappy (best word to describe it) and artificial (felt fake). I believe you have to like the main character in order to enjoy the book, and I just did not like Emily. She has so many issues that she comes across as someone in her 20s (not her real age of 36). I have to quit reading stories that take place during World War II. I have yet to find one that is enjoyable (and I have read a lot of them during the past year) and believable. This book was just not for me.

I received a complimentary copy of When We Meet Again in exchange for an honest review. The opinions and comments above are strictly my own.