Told through the verging, alternating viewpoints of two broken women in two different eras, The Circle Game is at once a thoughtful commentary on female agency, racial bias, and domestic abuse, as well as a nuanced novel wrought with literary heft and profound psychological tension.

Tanya Nichols’ The Circle Game sets two memorable characters on a collision course: Bernadette, an idealistic attorney overwhelmed by courtroom challenges and more personal questions of identity and purpose; and Julie, her anonymous birth mother, whose story unfolds decades earlier in a dingy trailer parked behind a biker bar.

Bernie is a successful, yet idealistic attorney who takes on the Carlos Luna case. Carlos is a little five-year-old boy whose parents were killed by a reckless driver. This case is very close to Bernie's heart since she also lost her adoptive parents when she was just thirteen years old, and because of the struggles she went through as a child, Bernie is determined to win Carlos a fair settlement for his loss.

Bernie's only family is her beloved grandmother Noni. And although Bernie has always longed to know more about her biological parents, grandma Noni has never encouraged Bernie to seek out her biological mother. Now, thirty-seven years later Bernie's biological mother Julie threatens to re-enter her life and everything she thought she knew about herself is about to change.

The narrative is told from two viewpoints. One is Bernie's account of the present day and the other is Julie's account of decades ago. The Circle Game is a beautiful novel with well-developed characters and a heartwarming plot about the power of forgiveness.

The Circle Game by Tanya Nichols tells the story of Bernadette Sheridan, who lost her adoptive parents in a tragic violent act when she was 13. Raised by her grandmother, she goes on to become a lawyer, specializing in monetary compensation for children orphaned by the reckless acts of others. As she gets older, she is drawn to understanding her past and the mother who gave her up for adoption, but is held back by her grandmother who is dead set against her doing so. The story is told from two perspectives, Bernadette's and her birth mother Julie. I particularly liked the chapters told by Julie which were full of emotion. Bernadette was a bit "stiff" for me, and I didn't make as much of a connection with her as I did Julie. However, it is a heartwarming story about the circle of life. Thank you Netgalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

I was easily brought into the story of Bernie, a self-sufficient lawyer in her late 30's who feels all alone in the world except for her elderly grandmother. The author smoothly and effortlessly moves back and forth between Bernie's present life, and her biological mother's past. Going from past to present was seamless and NOT jarring, like in other books that use this method of storytelling. The characters were all believable and relate-able, and each was a beautiful balance of light and shadow (just like in real life). I love how the author wove the story of her current case of the little Mexican boy who lost both parents in an unfortunate car accident, into the larger story of her own life and her own loss of her parents at age 13. I enjoyed the entire book... felt like I was right there in the middle of Bernie's story. I also love the element of love that was part of the story, and thoroughly enjoyed watching Bernie soften her stoic heart throughout the pages... bit by bit... by little bit.
I was able to read this book for free from NetGalley, and am grateful to the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was well-written and the characters were relatable. I enjoyed it immensely and look forward to reading some of the author's other work. The author did a stellar job of linking Bernie's past and present, which made the book all that more enjoyable!

I wasn't able to read more than a sample of this book. What I was able to read, started off intriguing. I'll be happy when the book publishes or when I am sent the remainder of the book.

I love the way these two stories - Bernie's memories and her current legal case - are interwoven. There is a very distinct line when going from one story to another. The older I get the more I appreciate just such care. It is no fun if you have to backtrack over and over to see who's perspective you are now viewing this story from.... Thank you Tanya Nichols!

That said, this is an excellent tale, a fast read, and very heartwarming. It is a perfect Christmas/Easter tale, in that forgiveness is the best spice when tasting the future - or the past.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Tanya Nichols, and Alternative Book Press, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

This book is a delight from beginning to end. I like discovering new authors and she didn't disappoint because this book will keep your attention from beginning to end with its strong compelling plot and characters you become emotionally invested in. Looking forward to more books by this author so pre order this book because you will not be disappointed. Happy reading!