Hard to say how I felt about this book. It was definitely a good story, especially that little ending bit (you'll be wondering why the book is called that right up to the end). But there's just something in it that didn't hook me. The story is quite sad, and then there's the whole thing of me being skeptical of lifelong love stories when the people are not together. So I think it's just me! And you might love it.

The book is wistful, sad and it has some very strong characters that I truly admired in the end. It's told in quite a simple manner, and it's actually two stories in one - the story of Violet, a lady with a complicated life, but of unrivaled elegance and bearing, and then there's Ronni - a nurse with a heart of gold, an unrealized dream of writing and a sore need to be loved. Ronni has low self-esteem, partly because she was barely ever appreciated, bounced between adoptive families and partly because of how she feels about her body and her own self, just in general. Violet is the one that fills the hole in Ronni's life, and not just that. She is the one that will propel Ronni towards her dream of becoming an author - by putting her in her will for a hefty sum, but only if she finishes a book about Violet's life.

So Ronni starts writing. And she finds out more and more, and the more complicated it gets, the more respect and admiration Ronni develops for Violet and her strength. The secrets never stop coming though. And they keep getting more and more bitter.

It's a story about life not always being the way it seems from the outside - what might look perfect to an outsider, can feel broken to the ones actually living it. It is quite a shocking idea, and it made me wonder how many times I've also misjudged people's lives to be wonderful, when they're actually nightmares, only nicely gift-wrapped. But it's also a story about love and forgiveness. And about how wild life can be.

I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not affected my opinion.

Ronni is a nurse who works in an old people’s home/assisted living. She loves her job and the people she cares for, but she has aspirations to be an author. She is very insecure and holds a lot of hurt in her heart. Taken away from her mother and put in care all Ronni wants is to be loved, she if finally adopted at the age of 16, but encounters heartbreak again when they both pass away.

Ronni has a favourite in the home/assisted living. Violet who even in old age is still stunningly beautiful, they spend a lot of time with each other and form a mother daughter relationship. When Violet passes away Ronni finds out that she has been left a substantial amount of money only if she writes a book about Violets life. After leaving the lawyers office with a cheque in her hand, giving her the option to stop working and write full time.

Ronni is taken on a journey of Violet’s life of lost loves and heartbreak, and searches for people who new Violet to try and fill in the gaps, with the help and support of her new boyfriend. Are the answers what she expected? You’ll just have to read it and find out for yourselves you may surprised at what she finds out.

I really enjoyed this book and fell in love with Ronni and Violet and went through all the emotional highs and lows of their lives. Each chapter focuses either on Ronni present day and Violet in 1947’s Alabama.

There is a quote in the book that I found ver thought provoking: “River says we all drink from the same stream, you know? There is not one drop of water on our planet that is new.”

Everybody loved her – but did she love herself?

Written in today's popular style of alternating two stories between each chapter, Beth Duke entertains us with her novel It All Comes Back To You. Our protagonist, Ginny, is a nurse at an old people's home who has recently lost her favourite resident, Violet. Violet has left Ginny a very generous bequest in her will on the condition that she writes her life story. Ginny already knows much of Violet's back story from the extraordinary amount of time they have spent together but her information is supplemented with Violet's journals and letters that have also come to Ginny.

Thus Duke takes us on a journey through Violet's life, a white women who grew up in Alabama during the 40s and 50s, while simultaneously taking us through Ginny's present day life as she struggles with the many secrets she learns about Violet as she pieces her life story together. Ginny doesn't just write Violet's story but also continues to work full time, throws herself wholeheartedly into the research, becomes involved in a tangled romance and ultimately finds her self esteem while learning Violet's best kept secret.

This novel is not only an interesting read, it is also a commentary on domestic abuse, illegitimate birth, adoption, and a woman's role in society – both now and a generation ago. Duke leads us to reflect on all of these topics while keeping us entertained with the two stories that are playing out on the pages of the book. No easy feat, yet she accomplishes it seamlessly.

I received a free copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

I was immediately drawn into the story of Violet and Ronni. The characters were well written and easy to connect with. I didn't see the little twist at the end coming, but I did like it. This book is very good and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it! This is the first book I have read by Beth Duke.

Extraordinary Southern Fiction. This book had me feeling a wide range of emotions., and stayed with me long after I finished. Thanks to BooksGoSocial and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A delightful story of a true Southern Belle with plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested.

It was fun reading about the Alabama towns I know so well!

It All Comes Back To You
By Beth Duke

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this amazing book. I would have not found it otherwise.

Alternating chapters between Homecoming Queen Violet in 1947 and can't-quite-find-her-crown Ronni in the present, IT ALL COMES BACK TO YOU is Southern Fiction at its hilarious, warm, sad, outrageous, uplifting, and stunning best. In the tradition of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and Olive Kitteridge, Duke delivers an unforgettable elderly character to treasure and a young heroine to steal your heart.

Beautiful southern Violet and Ronnie. This was truly one of the best books I have read. I connected with everyone, the pain, the laughs, and what Violet had lost in her life. But, also about Ronnie, the Nurse at the home. The whole book just kept me from page one. I finished it after midnight. What a beautiful book.
Bless Beth Duke's heart.

This will be your next book club read, you'll learn from it, and you might get in an argument with your friends about perception of some of the plot elements. A cordial, "Bless your heart" insult kind of Southern tiff. But then everyone with sip some wine and laugh it off.

I donated sleep to this book and it was totally warranted. I crave books that challenge me, contain deep and meaningful themes and color authentic and rich characters. This book has all of those attributes in addition to being delightfully readable.

As a writer myself, I was hesitant to read a book that followed a writer in her prices of novel creation. Please don't let that stop you. This book has inspired me to finish my own book and to keep going after that!

<Spoiler>The Southern fiction follows the life of a woman born around 1930 through the eyes of a young woman she befriended late in life. We start the book thinking she's a typical spoiled and beloved homecoming queen (a judgement women make of her to the end of her life) and discover the more complex woman beneath. Themes include how women support each other (or don't), motherly relationships, justification of hurtful action, selling the elderly as the 22 year olds they are at heart and many more.

I won't spoil it completely, but HEAVENS! The twists and the way the author presented them were like surprise punches to the gut. I never saw that last one coming and it's still challenging what I think about it.</spoiler>

These characters have real flaws and no one comes out shining brilliantly. However, don't we all need that reminder? Highly recommended.

It All Comes Back to You. Not only is this title a good summary of this book, it's a rather profound statement. The past makes up so much of who we are and as much as we want to forget things, it does all come back to you.

Violet was a homecoming queen. Everyone loved her. She was beautiful and surrounded by admirers. Over 60 years later, she still is.

Ronnie is a nurse at an assisted living facility. Ronni is given a task - to complete a book about Violet's life - within one year and receive a generous bequest.

Everyone is this book is lovable and...likeable. Which is hard to do!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

I really enjoyed It All Comes Back To You. I loved the alternating timelines between Ronnie and Violet. I always up for a good story that does this. It All Comes Back To You shares the story of Ronnie, an LPN at the retirement/nursing home facility where Violet lives. I adored the close relationship they developed which was sometimes as close as Mother and Daughter. When she passes away, Violet leaves instructions for Ronnie to write the story of her life and leaves a stipend if she completes the book within one year. Violet lived a fascinating, but challenging life losing several men that she loved to circumstances beyond her control. I enjoyed watching Ronnie blossom into her self as she becomes a writer, overcomes relationships from her past, and finds a partner.

This historic novel takes place largely in post World War II Alabama. Detailing the tale of a lonely woman, Violet, who gives her money to her nursing carer, Ronnie. Told in alternate points of view, you learn about the challenges in Violet's life. While writing the book, Ronnie also comes to terms with her life.

I love a historic novel and a story of women growing. I found this book alright, not the best or the worst. I would recommend this for someone on a beach, say the outer banks, already immersed in the south, wanting a quick read.

Thanks to NetGallery for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A charming, well written, and enthralling book.
I requested because I was attracted by the cover and the synopsis, was hooked since the first pages.
I loved the characters, well written and fleshed out, the setting and the plot.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

It All Comes Back To You is a book that should be read and shared. The synopsis barely scratches the surface of this complex endearing, unexpected story. Readers will be drawn into Violet’s life story and hope that Ronni finds her voice and her happy ever after. The author evokes southern life of the mid last century and readers unfamiliar with those times will see that even as mores loosened over the ensuing years, the longings of humanity has remained largely the same. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. My review is voluntarily. Most highly recommend.