This is book four in the Tree of Life series - and I think it might just be my favorite!

When Geneaologist Jillian's father (attorney Nolan Duffy) brings home a teenage shoplifter in need of some volunteer hours -a sentencing requirement- she is less than pleased. Jillian finally relents, but the teen is not only uninterested; she is downright difficult most of the time.

Teen Tisha Crowder and her family are suffering from what appears to be a sort of generational curse, burden, or deeply held misbeliefs that are still impacting their daily lives. Anger has been passed down again and again; will Jillian and Nolan ultimately be able to break through Tisha's protective wall and find the smart and capable girl that's inside? Does sorting our your heritage truly change your future?

With the usual colorful cast of characters in this endearing small town, combined with a glimpse into an important time in Colorado's history, this book is a fun and thought provoking read. I happily recommend it!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I am rather disappointed with Olivia Newport's final book in her Tree of Life Series. There were too many loose branches that were left hanging. I think she needs to write one more book to let us know if Tisha's father ever decided to meet her, whether Drew and Jill get married, and if Tisha finds Morclavia's twin.



The book itself is engaging from the very beginning to the end. The plot moves at a fair clip, and the history of Tisha's family intrigues the reader. Olivia's writing style is appealing to me and her romantic inclusions are not smarmy, but well thought-out and realistic. This really is a good book, but the loose ends made it a bit disappointing for me. Four Solid Stars.

Barbour Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Having read and enjoyed the first three novels in the series, i have been looking forward to reading WHAT YOU SAID TO ME by OLIVIA NEWPORT, and am definitely not disappointed! This author has split time story telling to a fine art! It is an enjoyable book, with real depth and a subtle Christian message.
In present time we come across Nolan Duffy, the friendly family advocate and mediator, enthusiastic cook and singer of arias, and father of Jillian Parisi-Duffy, a much sought after genealogist.
Once again their professions overlap when Nolan brings a fifteen year old delinquent home to help Jillian bring order to the hundreds of valuable old documents that overflow the dining room table. Jillian has been employed by the Matthew Ryder Foundation to find children that were stolen and sold by the wicked Judd Ryder. Jillian has no idea how to relate to Tisha Crowder with her bad attitude and really bad home life, and beats herself up every time she says anything that feeds Tisha's feeling of unworthiness. It is only when Tisha gets caught up in the sad stories in the old documents that the work becomes interesting to her.
In 1893, due to the crash in the silver price, Clifford Brandt is forced to move his family from their lovely home in Denver to Canyon Mines where they run a store that they have exchanged for their house. Their family dynamics are really shaken by their change in circumstances..
When a journal is found in the old Brandt building, the past and present are brought together. That is all I am going to tell you as far as the story is concerned.
The characters are realistically drawn and we really get to understand them by the way their thoughts and feelings are described.
It is a thought provoking and inspirational read and one I can highly recommend.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Barbour Publishing. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

A thoroughly enjoyable read! In fact, I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning to finish this one—something I haven’t done in a long time. I loved that the story was centered on relationships, and not only the romantic kind. It was a beautiful weaving of past and present, a look at how one person’s bitterness can affect generations, while each generation has the choice to let it continue, or to say “it stops with me”. I will admit that it was slow in places, and I had hoped for a more sewn up ending, but the more I have reflected on it, the more I realize how REAL it all felt having been written the way that it was. I hope that the series continues.

**Will post review to other sites later per the publisher’s request.

What You Said to Me had a great story line and a very interesting perspective of weaving the past with the present. It is well written, engaging, and keeps you guessing as it reveals things slowly and you discover new things all the way up until the end.