I hardly know where to begin in this review, partly because I started off wanting to slap every self-absorbed, snarky and spiteful, female character in Maisey's Yates' Confessions from the Quilting Circle, plus, it took me about 30% of this novel to really get into it and start to care about these women, but Ms. Yates has never let me down so far, and once I started to understand their issues, what drove them, what caused them to be the way they were, this novel ended up being one deep, tragic, profound and amazingly good read, and it certainly earned this 5-star rating.

This is one complicated novel, but, in short, this novel is about a family of Ashford women, 3 sisters, Avery, Hannah and Lark, and their mother, Mary. Aside from years of brief, obligatory visits home to their small town of Bear Creek, they have lived most of their adult lives separate and apart from one another. Lark, the youngest, has been a wanderer, moving from place to place for the past 16 years. Hannah's identity and focus has led to her career as a conceert violinist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Avery, the eldest, stayed local, marrying a doctor and raising their two children. Mary, has also stayed in town, but each of these women has been carrying secrets, harboring animosity, guilt and private grief, as we soon learn.

The Ashford sisters and their mother are brought back together in Bear Creek, after their grandmother's death, to settle her estate. She bequeathed her home and her candy store to the three sisters, but left nothing for her own daughter, Mary. When Mary was a small child, one day Gram just up and left her husband and daughter and was gone for years without explanation. When Gram finally returned, she and Mary never talked, never reconciled. It's the same with the sisters, who loved and connected with their grandmother in a way they never connected to their own mother, and who also held everything they felt inside, never really connecting with each other either.

Lark, the flighty, artistic, youngest, and seemingly happiest sister, has decided to turn Gram's candy store into a Craft Cafe, and when she discovers her Gram's fabric scraps and plans for a heritage quilt in the attic, she decides that they will all choose some of the many stored fabric swatches, and each work on quilt squares to complete the quilt Gram didn't. It's these weekly get-togethers at the cafe that begin to bring these women together, give them the time for conversation, something very difficult for each of them at the start, but it's the catalyst for them to finally open up to one another, deal honestly with each other and themselves, air their secrets and their pain, and come to terms with the decisions and choices they've made.

This novel takes the reader and the characters on a complicated journey, made even more moving by intermittent diary entries from two women in the past, a literary device used brilliantly by Ms. Yates, who weaves these bits and pieces of the past into a whole, just as her characters weave their own lives, secrets, pain and self-realization into the quilt their Gram planned. By the time I finished reading this novel, staying up all night to do so, I came to love, understand, empathize, and care deeply for these women, their angst, their heartbreak, their growth, and their futures. Confessions from the Quilting Circle is a tour de force of a novel, and is, perhaps, one of the best and most moving of Ms. Yates novels, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

Confessions From the Quilting Circle is an emotional story of family and the many things that make up a family, especially one full of women. There is a lot going on with so many characters each having their own secrets, but Maisey Yates handles it all masterfully, and even with so many characters and all the different directions their lives take, I didn't have any problem following everything. And I fell into this one right from the start. This one definitely pulls out all the feels with all the secrets and the reasons for them. I would say fellow quilters would enjoy the premise here - I know I did - and this one would be perfect for curling up in the hammock or on the back porch glider and just soaking it all in.

Confessions from the Quilting Circle by Maisey Yates has Mary Ashwood and her three daughters reuniting in Bear Creek after the death of Addie, Mary’s mother. The four women jointly inherited two properties along with the contents from Addie and now they need to decide what to do with the homes. While in the attic of one of the homes, Lark Ashwood finds a quilt swatch book along with the pattern for a special quilt. Lark suggests that the four women finish Addie’s creation. The four women go on a journey of self-discovery that will bring long buried emotions and secrets out in the open. These ladies can bring their family back together one stitch and revelation at a time. I thought Confessions from the Quilting Circle was well-written with developed, realistic characters. The story it told from Mary, Hannah, Avery, and Lark’s point-of-view plus there are diary entries from two of their ancestors. It did take me a little while to get into the story with the changing viewpoints. This book touches on some difficult topics. The author handles them very well. We see what happens when emotions and secrets are kept suppressed. It is important for each person to discover their own path and follow it--To be your own person. It was interesting learning about a craft café. I thought it was a clever idea. Confessions from the Quilting Circle has family, relationships, misunderstandings, secrets, communication issues, love, depression, and so much more. Confessions from the Quilting Circle is an emotional novel with sister squabbles, creative crafts, surprising secrets, unfinished issues, teenage to-do’s, and a gregarious grandma.

Three sisters, Lark, Hannah, and Avery, along with their mother, Mary, are back in their hometown to claim their inheritance and sort through their gran, Adeline Dowell's large house and her possessions after she passes away. In doing so, they discover that painful secrets have kept them apart as well as achieving their own happiness as individuals. Set in small-town Bear Creek, Oregon, they discover an unfinished quilt along with a diary written by their gran. Maisey Yates has beautifully developed her characters and it was a treat to watch the healing and repairing of the women's lives at the same time that the quilt was being completed. The story also features two romances and life-changing decisions are needing to be made. Told via alternating viewpoints this compelling, multi-generational story was emotional and moving. I highly recommend Confessions from the Quilting Circle especially if you are fond of small-town stories that unearth an abundance of family history.

Confessions from the Quilting Circle is a satisfying and rewarding reading experience from beginning to end.

Thanks to NetGalley, HQN Books and the author, Maisey Yates for the complimentary copy. This is my honest and totally voluntary review.

Sisters Lark, Hannah, and Avery, as well as their mother Mary have come together to deal with their grandmother Addie's estate. Lark suggests they finish a quilt Addie started and this becomes the catalyst for each women to share, at long last, their secrets. Lark is an artist, Hannah a musician, Avery, the "perfect" mom. Told from each woman's POV, these stories ring true. Each one has an issue they haven't shared or even admitted to themselves. Because this is also a novel about going home to a place you've avoided, there's romance but no spoilers from me. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. it's a good read about family, finding your truth, and happiness.

This was certainly a multi-layered book in which each character had her own story and then the stories gradually meshed together. It was the story of Mary, a mom who doesn’t feel that she has a close relationship with her own daughters and knows that she feels abandoned by her own mother. It is also the story of each of her daughters: Avery, a proud stay-at-home-mom; Hannah, an accomplished violinist on break from the Boston Symphony; and Lark, an artist with a real spark of creativity. Each girl and her mother has a secret that is the central focus of the story, unraveling the secrets as they make a quilt together from the scraps that Mary’s mom left behind. Some of the story was heartbreaking to me because of my own past experiences. Other parts were interesting but not in a personal way. I think this story will appeal of all because of its characters that are so varied and yet so much alike in the way that a family is. I like the saying that kept getting repeated, “You can never go so far that you can’t go home again.” This was a powerful theme that lent itself to the focus of self-discovery, revelations and forgiveness. I loved the way the author crafted the story around sewing a quilt, with its many pieces that are totally different. I especially liked the slow reveals of what was in each ladies’ heart. The characters and theme made this story and I highly recommend it to those looking for a good contemporary fiction or romance. Yes, there is romance, but it is not the main idea of the book. The real theme is discovering each other and accepting one’s past. Amazing book with so many life lessons! Deep and yet so simple...loved it!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Thoroughly engrossing story

Sisters Lark, Hannah, and Avery, along with their mother, Mary, are back in their hometown to sort through the home and business left to the four of them when Mary's mother passed. There has been a lot of secrets and heartbreak throughout the decades in this family, and completing their grandmother's quilting project proves to be the perfect opportunity for all the secrets to come spilling out.

More women's fiction than romance, a couple of the women are able to rekindle romances with their lost loves. We're treated to flashbacks in the form of diary entries from the women who have gone before, leading to tremendous healing for all concerned as they learn the reasons behind some of the decisions that shaped their lives.

I love this author's writing style. The characters are beautifully developed, so much that you really feel as if you knew these women by the time you're done. It was a joy to watch the mending of their lives as the quilt comes together. By the end, everyone's lives are richer, fuller, and more peaceful than at the beginning, which is as close to an HEA as one can expect from women's fiction. The featured romances are given a satisfying, HEA conclusion for both couples.

If you like small town stories that unpack a plethora of family history, you don't want to miss this one. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

I very much enjoyed this story that wove the history of three generations of women from the same family into one coherent narrative. Although, I guess with quilting I should maybe say “patched” instead of “wove?” I liked how the author used one word repeatedly to tie both the sisters’ lives and the quilt together. I also thought that each of the sisters’ personal journeys were realistic and believable but also tailored to each sister. One of the only things that kind of bothered me throughout the book was the heavy use of the pronoun “she.” I know that seems nitpicky, and I usually do not mention grammar in my reviews. However, when the three main characters are female and talking to each other, repeatedly using “she” sometimes confused me as I couldn’t figure out exactly who was speaking. Otherwise, I thought it was well-done and would recommend it. For a full review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for a digital ARC of the book.

A story of sisterhood, secrets, heartbreak, love, loss, and learning to heal is what this book is all about. When three sisters come together after the death of their grandma they not only rediscover their sisterly bond but also years of heartbreak and dark secrets that go back generations.

This story really caught my attention as someone who has grown up in a house full of secrets Maisey really touched my heart with this story.

You have Mary the mother of the Ashwood sisters who has lived with secrets and heartbreak for years caused by her mom. The beloved grandmother to her daughters and is the reason her girls return home.

Lark the youngest of the sisters has been running for years trying to outrun her heartbreak and who she believes she should be. When she returns and decides to finish the quilt her grandmother started she starts to uncover her true self. The woman she is meant to be. Along the way, she must face her past and the boy who changed her world forever.

Hannah the middle sister is strong-willed and focus. She has set eyes on a goal and will stop at nothing to gain it. When she returns she tries hard not to let her past drag her back in but as time goes by and her goal gets further away she must face the darkest moment in her life to move forward. With the help of her sisters, she can find a new passion in life and for life including rediscovering her, one true love.

Avery the oldest sister has spent years building the perfect life. TO everyone around her she appears to have it all. The perfect husband, great kids, and a beautiful home. However just because things look pretty on and outside doesn't mean they are perfect on the inside. Avery must learn to let go of perfection and admit just because something is perfect on the outside doesn't mean it isn't cracked or damaged on the inside.

This story held me from the first page. There was a little f me in each character that Maisey brought to life. Through reading this story I was able to find some healing and was in love with the story. This is definitely one of those books I can see myself reading again ad again because the characters are timeless.

Confessions from the Quilting Circle by Maisey Yates is an amazing, moving, emotional tale of the Ashwood women and their strong and nurturing connections. When Lark Ashwood’s beloved grandmother dies, she and her sisters discover an unfinished quilt. Finishing it just might be the reason she needs to stop running from the past and share her biggest secret with those closest to her. Hannah can’t believe she’s back in Bear Creek, the small town where she sacrificed everything in order to escape. Her plan is to help her sisters renovate their grandmother’s house and return to her life in Boston, as quickly as she can. At least that was the plan until she is faced with a man from her past. Hannah fears re-connecting with him might have her confessing the real reason she fled home; and him. Avery is a stay-at-home mom who has the perfect life, or is it all a façade. Avery will need her strength and the support of her family as she decides if the price of her perfection is worth the price she’s been paying. Though on the surface these sisters have little in common, other their ability to keep secrets, this summer, along with their mother, they will learn how to rely on each other, like never before. Especially if they are to stitch their family, and themselves, back together, one truth at a time.

Ms. Yates wrote a story that reaches the soul; the soul of her characters as well the soul of her readers. I loved how the stories of these four women are woven together so beautifully; including the diaries each woman discovered. Utilizing alternating POVs in order to tell this wonderful and amazing, multi-generational story; a tale that was emotional, moving, tear inducing, filled with wonderful dialogue, and endearing characters is a must read. I highly recommend Confessions from the Quilting Circle to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Lark Ashwood's grandmother dies, leaving behind a huge house, filled to the brim with her life. Lark and her sisters discover an unfinished quilt and Lark decides all three sisters need to finish this quilt. Set in small-town Bear Creek, Oregon, Lark decides to open a craft emporium/coffee shop. Her sister, Avery, never moved away and has what seems to be the perfect life, married to a doctor and they have two beautiful children. Is her life really as it seems? Hannah, who escaped Bear Creek as quickly as she could, wants nothing more than to revamp the house and then return to her life of a large orchestra, and no people commitments. Lark hides a secret she has kept for years, and this secret has kept her on the move for all of her adult life.

The girls unearth the fabric used in the quilts, along with a diary written by their grandmother and through the diary, many secrets come to light, and now, Grandma is gone. Who will work out what really happened?

I don’t read a lot of contemporary chick lit type books but when I do, they’re usually by Massey Yates. This one took a while to get me into it, I think because there were so many characters and having to get into their backstory before we could get into what was taking place now. This dealt with a lot of heavy issues and surprisingly there may be some triggers for people: infant death, domestic violence among them.
There are 3 sisters and their mom who have come back to deal with their grandmother’s/mother’s death and her estate. In doing so, they have to face their past in order to create a future they can be happy in. In going through her house they found her diary which sheds some light on her and her life that helped to explain some of her life choices which in turn affected them.
I really did enjoy this one once it got going. It was definitely a darker story than Maisey is typically known for but it was well done.
Thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.

This contemporary novel was easy to read with flawed characters, second chances, and a lot of secrets. The parallels between each sister and the journal entries they read were a nice touch in uniting the past with the present. The romantic elements are sweet (and there is some passion!) but they’re almost secondary to the story of the Ashwood family coming to terms with their distant relationships with each other. There’s a lot for each woman to overcome to get to a place of happiness and fulfillment, despite their individual successes (or illusion thereof.)

It was interesting to peel back the layers to see where the fabric of their lives had frayed or torn, leaving them a little unfinished or incomplete. I loved the concept of a united project and the truths and beauty that came out of time spent together creating a work of art in their grandmother’s (mother’s) memory. I quite enjoyed getting to know the characters and unravelling the threads of who they are and where they came from.

My thanks to Harlequin/HarperCollins for the advanced reader's copy. All opinions are my own. Reviewed as part of the publisher's blog tour - blog post to go live May 4.

Confessions from the Quilting Circle is the story of women from one family, the secrets that burden them, the heartbreak they hide and how they find their way out of it all.

When three sisters find themselves in Bear Creek, mourning the loss of a mother and grandmother, they set about piecing a quilt from fabric in the Dowell house attic. Along with the fabric are some old diaries that will take each of them back to the distant past and link to their stories now.

Avery, married to a local surgeon with two children, the perfect mother and wife, totally involved in all things community. Hannah the violinist hoping for a big role in her orchestra and Lacey returning back to Bear Creek after tough times took her away. As well their mother Mary who always has felt "less than" because her mother left and went away when she was young.

As secrets are revealed, things shared and changes made the four women find a new way and new paths that will surely lead to greater happiness. And as they do so the quilt is finished.

I enjoyed the story, it's heartwarming, although I felt the theme and messages in the book were a little laboured, as a reader I prefer to find them by reading between the lines.

Will appear soon at Romance Reviews Today: http://romrevtoday.com/

CONFESSIONS FROM THE QUILTING CIRCLE – Maisey Yates
HQN Books
ISBN: 978-1-335-77585-6
May 2021
Contemporary Fiction

Bear Creek, Oregon – Present Day

Three sisters, along with their mother, learn a lot about the past of their recently deceased grandmother who left behind an unfinished quilt. As the sisters work together on the quilt, secrets are soon revealed between them.

Avery, the oldest Ashwood sister, has seemingly the perfect marriage—her husband is a doctor, and they have two children. But behind closed doors, the marriage isn’t so perfect. Her husband has been hitting her, leaving bruises that she is forced to cover. But her sisters and mother aren’t blind and encourage Avery to take her children and leave her abusive spouse. Will she take their advice, or will the circle of abuse continue?

The middle child, Hannah, lives in Boston and is about to achieve her goal of being the lead violinist in the symphony. Hannah had left Bear Creek—and her boyfriend, Josh—behind at age eighteen. The breakup with Josh had been painful and was her decision. To her surprise, he still lives in town. After seeing him, will Hannah get around to telling him the real reason why she left town? Will their romance be rekindled, despite her plans to return to Boston?

The youngest of the girls, Lark, has made her mark away from Oregon, but with their grandmother’s house given to them, she’s decided to stay in town by opening a craft café and remodeling grandma’s house into an Airbnb. Returning to Bear Creek has her confronting the man from her past who not only broke her heart but has her wondering how she can tell him the secret of why she left town. Ben is Lark’s one-true love, but things have changed since they were eighteen years old.

The Ashwood sisters, along with their mother, Mary, finally are able to sit down after all these years and talk amongst themselves as adults. They learn a lot about their beloved granny (Mary’s mother) and begin to understand why she left her children when Mary was four years old. Addy did return when Mary married, but the two women never really got to reconcile. Will Addy’s death heal old wounds?

Josh is the handyman hired to help fix up the Dowell House. Seeing him again after all these years throws Hannah for a loop. He’s angry at her at first. After all, she just abruptly ended things and left town to pursue her dream of becoming a worldwide star. However, Hannah felt “dirty” after some actions taken by her music instructor. Can Josh and Hannah come clean after all these years?

It was hard for Avery to leave her husband. To outsiders, their marriage was perfect, and to walk away might have people think there is something wrong with her. But after discussing it with her children, Avery realizes that they knew—and they support her decision to leave. The busybodies of Bear Creek will have a field day with the failure of her marriage, but will Avery make the right decisions for her future?

One day Lark is needing her car repaired and she heads to the nearest repair shop. To her surprise, it’s Ben who owns it and he fixes her car. She figures he is still married to her former best friend, Keira, but later, she learns they are now divorced, though they share a daughter. Lark’s secret that involves Ben will have ramifications for several people if it’s revealed. Can Lark share that secret with Ben—and her family?

An emotional and uplifting tale, CONFESSIONS FROM THE QUILTING CIRCLE will make you cry and make you laugh. The three sisters are each different, but that is what makes family togetherness so special as they will come together in a crisis. At the beginning of each chapter is a short excerpt from the diaries of three different women. How do they relate to what is currently going on? Grab a hanky even as you smile your way through reading CONFESSIONS FROM THE QUILTING CIRCLE.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

Deep secrets come to light when three sisters and their mother come together to piece a quilt made with scraps of the past. The three sisters are so different in many ways but each have a deeply hidden secret. As this tale unravels readers will anxiously await for answers. A healing journey with some unexpected twists. Recommended!

I loved this sweet book about loss and quilts. And how the beauty and magic of quilts can bring people back together.

I only discovered Maisey Yates’ books a few years ago. I’m glad I did as I enjoy her books. Confessions from a Quilting Circle is an engrossing read. Four women reveal deep seated secrets gradually throughout the story. They are also making a quilt after fabrics connected to their past. Each story is unique but blended to be easily sewn into the context of the story. I liked the character growth with each woman. It is an emotional roller coaster of a read, but it’s also soothing. Even if you’re not a quilter, there is much to discover within the fabric of the story. Thread the needle and see where it takes you.

This read quickly became a page turner, I had to know how what was going to happen to these woman.
A Grandmother has passed and the three Granddaughters are now home, they are deciding what to do with the house and the candy store.
Great ideas are put out and action is taken, and soon the house is being renovated and the Candy store turned into a Craft/Bar, but what happens is they finally decide to make their Grandmother’s sketched out design and hidden gems into a quilt. Now along with the drapes, wedding gown, etc. comes diaries. We are off on several adventures, and updating on lives that have been on hold.
Wow! Secrets sure do fall, and surprises abound,
This is one read you won’t want to put down, so get cozy and be prepared for a long sit.
Enjoy!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Harlequin, and was not required to give a positive review.

I loved what I read of this book, but I find it just too difficult to try and read it on my phone. I'll have to stick to audiobooks, and wait for this one to be published before I read it. But I will read it - it's already in the library catalogue! Thank you for providing it for me.