When I selected this title I didn't realize it was the second in the series so I'm not sure what I may have missed from the first book, but I'm guessing not a lot as this was easy to read as a stand-alone. I enjoyed the exploration of adoption as well as the artistic process of Justine but overall it kind of fell flat for me. I grew increasingly annoyed by Justine and I felt like Rose had a lot more to say so perhaps the next book will flush out Rose's character a bit more.

Connectedness is the second book in Sandra Danby's series featuring journalist and "identity detective" Rose Haldane. Readers like me who haven't read the first book, Ignoring Gravity, can be reassured that Connectedness works perfectly as a standalone. However, you may well find yourself wanting to go back and read the first book to find out more about how Rose's own personal experience fuelled her interest in helping others to reunite with lost family members.

The story moves between London in 2010, when Justine, now an established artist, hires Rose to search for the daughter she gave away many years earlier, and Spain in the 1980s. The impulse for Justine's decision is the death of her mother and a feeling that now is the time to confront the mistakes of the past. She also feels increasingly aware of the contradiction between the emotional openness others see in her art and the secrets she keeps hidden.

I particularly liked the parts of the book in which the young Justine travels to Málaga to study art, in the footsteps of Picasso. The reader experiences alongside Justine a different climate, food and lifestyle. It's during this time that Justine falls in love for the first time but also makes a series of decisions that will change her life forever.

It has to be said that Justine isn't the easiest of clients and Rose is initially frustrated by Justine's reticence and unwillingness to impart information. Gradually, Rose manages to break down the barriers Justine has erected around her earlier life. Eventually the pair find a common bond and Rose is able, with the assistance of some useful contacts, to make progress with her research. I won't reveal the results but safe to say there are touching scenes towards the end of the book which also sees Rose pondering a new venture.

For Justine, her experiences inevitably provide the inspiration for making new art. "So she was exploring the idea of things that belonged together, which could be separated in space but never detached, because they were attached invisibly, forged together, welded, melded, stitched and linked. Flesh, stone, metal, biological matter, timber, people, family. Memories, knowledge, thoughts, experience, history." In other words, connectedness.

I enjoyed Ignoring Gravity, the first book in this series so had been looking forward to reading this one which has been on my TBR pile for a long time. I wasn’t disappointed and in fact thought this was a better book. It’s intriguing, engaging and beautifully written. I love the concept for this series and I’m looking forward to Rose’s next identity investigation.

I have not read the first book in the series so I wasn't sure what to expect.


I always enjoy a book with secrets and this one has a lot.

I enjoyed learning about Justine, art, a past love affair, but since I don't speak Spanish, it was jarring to see words in Spanish where I had to put the book down and look up the meanings.

One thing that held my attention was the emotional parts if the story.

I read this one with speed.
Her debut was awesome and I thoroughly enjoyed it so was aware of her style of writing.

It took a bit to get into but once I got into it I was following it pretty well.

A well known artist with a secret.
If the secret is revealed will she loose her followers?

Will the daughter she wants to find connect with her now her baby she gave away is an adult?

Nothing is simple, nothing is straight forward in this book, then nor is life right?

A very well written book that draws you into the deeper parts of others emotions.

This was so interesting - I think the characters came off as so realistic, I couldn't not like it! I also think the cover is going to draw people in like hot cakes, it's brilliant! Anyway, great plot and writing, it's sure to be a hit!

I have to say that although I enjoyed this book, it took me a long time to read it. I’m not sure why. I suppose it was that this wasn’t exactly gripping – that’s not to say it wasn’t enjoyable, or well written; I just didn’t feel inclined to race through it.

The description on Net Galley sums up the plot well, and I certainly felt for Justine, both in her present day situation, and in her messy student life, with the predicament of an unplanned pregnancy. The character of Rose was also engaging , and it was interesting to see how her situation compared to Justine’s, and how this affected her dealings with the artist. Certainly all the characters were believable, the descriptions were good and I was involved in the recounting of the story. It just didn’t totally enthrall me – but, having said that, I was interested enough to want to finish the book, unlike others I have had from Net Galley!!

I give this 4 stars. I was going to give it three, but I think I was being unfair. It wasn’t the book’s fault that I wasn’t in a reading mood….

When I Started Reading I Didn't Know This Was The Second Installment Of A Series.

It It Very Well Written, The Characters Are Well Developed And The Story Keeps You Interested Throughout.

Would recommend.

Sandra Danby at her best!

Having read and loved the first book (Ignoring Gravity) in the Identity Detective series I looked forward to reading a new novel from Sandra Danby. Connectedness is the book in the series, yet it can easily be read as a standalone novel. The books in the series all feature Rose Haldane, who helps to reunite adopted children and their birth families, and who was adopted herself. Connectedness centres around the artist, Justine King, whose life is a tangle of lies and secrets. Justine Tree asks identity detective Rose Haldane to search for the daughter she gave up for adoption in 1983.Will this terrible secret that Justine carries close to her heart threaten her art career?

I’d like to thank Sandra Danby for the opportunity of reading such a gem. I'm not sure why but I had been putting off reading this book for months, and I am of course now kicking myself, as its an amazing book.I did not know what to expect of this book in the beginning but it has had everything I wanted from a a great read in the end. I quickly found out that Sandra has a very compelling style of writing peppered with a healthy dose of love, betrayal, secrets, regret, grief and loss and adoption mixed with engaging characters that keep you turning page after page. Sandra Danby’ gorgeous writing and the intriguing format the story is told in really did make this a special kind of novel. The story is told mainly through Justine’s viewpoint, flitting effortlessly between present-day London’s art world to isolated Yorkshire, and the hot streets of Málaga, Spain in the early 80s, where Justine went to study art. Danby definitely added a nice flavor of London, Yorkshire and Málaga. Even I don’t know all the cities I could not help but feel enveloped in each city's atmosphere and aesthetic background. Not only were the settings in this book researched well, also there are lots of information of art as it plays a hugh part in this novel. This is a novel that I found hard to put down as it swept me along on a roller-coaster of an emotional ride. I had to pull myself together not to burst into tears. Highly recommended to readers who enjoy a very well-written story about a family saga.

There is one thing that actually bothered me. During Justine‘s collage years in Málaga there were a lot of words written in spanish when she spoke to a friend. The spanish words were not translated I had to actually look up all the words to understand the main message of the conversation. Thankfully my kindle has a translation function so it was not too much trouble for me.

I wanted to love this novel and there were many parts that I did enjoy. The characters were well developed and the descriptions of scenery and events were very clear. The story woven in the background was the most interesting part for me, and well written. I found the present day sections less gripping, however.

A very clever novel that explores our relationship with the environment, as well as the different ways in which we are connected to it and to others. Sandra Danby has chosen two perfect locations, Filey with its windswept coast and Malaga in Spain, both of which appeal for different reasons. I can readily understand how you can be drawn back to your birthplace yet feel more alive under the Mediterranean sun. Throughout the book, there is the suspense of the protagonist's daughter, whom she gave up for adoption. There is a sharp contrast too in the journalist who was adopted as a baby so we see the emotions from both sides. The ending is neatly done and very poignant. This is a book that will stay with you

I really wanted to love this book. I was adopted and relate to the main issues encountered in the book. However, the book was tedious to read and a little disjointed between the flashbacks and different parts of time. There is extreme detail about the artistic processes. The book has beautifully written parts. However, some of the characters are too emotionally complex while others are too shallow. I would read more in this Identity series, however.

I really enjoyed this book and I need to go back and read the first one in this series. It was so well written that I felt all of Justine’s emotions throughout the book. I enjoyed learning about the art world also. It was a wonderful book on so many levels. Thanks to Beulah Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The story starts with Justine returning to her home in Yorkshire for her mother's funeral. She was obviously not close to her mother and seems to have some regrets. Justine is an acclaimed artist who seems to be tortured by her past and we begin to find out her story really starts in the early 80s when she went to art school in Spain. What happened that was so terrible that it has affected her work ever since.... some of her most brilliant work coming from pain

I great book, very interesting story, well told with plenty of secrets to keep you interested.... looking forward to the next one in the series

Grief. Loss. Pain
Perhaps, what's memorable about this book is the clarity with which the author weaves emotions into her writing. You cannot help but know that Justine is a troubled woman. She's a successful artist, but through her art and her interaction with the real world you can almost painfully feel that something's missing and the cloud of guilt she carries around is one that anyone can relate to.
Thank you NetGalley and Beulah Press for the eARC, this book is a heart-wrenching read, well written, evenly paced and above all, a great read.

4.5*
Beginning with a short, intriguing prologue, we become acquainted with Justine King as she attends her mother’s funeral in Yorkshire.

Justine is a very successful artist and her story unfolds through present and past narratives. Justine’s return to her childhood home kindled memories, and thoughts on the path her life had taken after learning of her friend’s betrayal when they were teenagers. Turning emotions into art she created a collage which paved her way into art college and a subsequent year of study in Malaga.

Justine’s time in Spain was difficult, financially and emotionally, made worse by having no support. On her return to England, just as she thought things might work out, she faces a devastating choice. All of Justine’s migraine pain and sorrow are reflected in her art, which brings her acclaim as a best-selling artist.

Eventually Justine contacts Rose Haldane, journalist and identity detective, and asks for her help. So many years of keeping secrets makes it very hard for Justine, she isn’t at all sure she’s strong enough to cope with the distress and uncertainty of laying bare her past and all the hurt that would entail.

A beautifully written story encompassing love, loss, regret, adoption and art, taking place in Yorkshire, London and Spain over three decades. Evocative and description prose brings places to life with sights, sounds and scents. Justine becomes a very sympathetic character as layers are peeled away and more and more of her past is revealed. Her need to know despite the doubts and reservations is realistic, understandable and handled extremely well. Certain sections brought tears to my eyes, the scenes are so well described. The secondary characters are also well defined and the details throughout show the amount of research it must have taken to make the narrative entirely believable. A very engaging read.

Connectedness by Sandra Danby

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I am impressed with all the 5 and 4 star reviews , but for me this book was only three stars at best. Others described the plot, so I will be brief there. Justine Tree is a successful artist, her art is displayed not only locally, but all over the world. We meet her, as she is cleaning out her mother’s house in Yorkshire after her death. During this time, she is also thinking about her childhood, her relationship with both her parents and especially her college years in Spain, where she was a penniless student who fell in love with Frederico. The story goes back and forth between 1982-83 and the present. I don’t mind this sort of writing, but I found the transitions rough and not easy to follow. I also had trouble with the author using Spanish words not translated during the college years. This was even true, when I had to actually look up a word in order to understand a very significant event. This definitely bothered me a lot. I personally couldn’t connect with Justine through most of the book, it got better toward the end. I was bored to tears through the first half of the novel, then finally it picked up. Overall, for me, just a so-so story, three stars at best.
Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced copy.

Connectedness can be placed within the wide-ranging genre known as 'women’s fiction' and features the effect that adoption has on all those involved. This book contains characters from Danby’s previous book Ignoring Gravity and although this can be read as a standalone, some readers might enjoy reading the books in sequence.

The story introduces us to Justine; she’s an artist. Her mother has recently died and Justine looks back at her life, questioning many of her decisions. Through a series of flashbacks, we are taken to 1982. Justine was studying art in Spain for a year. Knowing how hard her parents had worked to finance her trip, she refused to ask them for help when she ran out of money. Instead she struggled to survive as best she could.

Years later Justine has made a success of her life in the art world. At an exhibition she meets journalist Rose Haldane, who has been commissioned to write a piece about her.  They find they have a common bond and Justine asks Rose to help her find something precious she fears is lost.

I would describe this as a slow-burner read. It is full of beautifully rich descriptions which involve all the senses. I could see, hear and even taste many of the items that surrounded Justine. There were lots of intriguing layers too, as we were drip-fed details which lead to the denouement.

The research carried out by the author shone through with well-rounded characters and lovely touches of detail, rather like accessories which make an outfit or room feel polished. Recommended to those who appreciate a well-written story.

This is the second book in the series by Sandra Danby with adoption as its central theme. In this book Justine Tree, a renowned collage artist, asks Rose Haldane to search for the daughter she had given up for adoption. The characters are all well-rounded and the story switches from Spain in 1983 to England in 2010. Danby writes well and her well thought out novel takes the reader on a journey primarily through the relinquishing mother's viewpoint.

A very good book. It can be read as a standalone even if there's a previous one.
The style of writing is really good, the characters are interesting and well designed.
Recommended.