Review Barbara O’Neal’s book Write My Name Across the Sky is a page turner, and much, much more.

The page turning aspect involves stolen art, an FBI agent with an impeccable wardrobe and an eye for beauty, and Gloria, a woman elderly in years and vibrant in spirit, whose youthful indiscretions and never-forgotten, passionate love affair are coming home to roost. It is impossible not to love Gloria. She has become an Insta influencer in her seventies, has raised two nieces after her rock star sister died of an overdose, and has built a life that defies societal expectations about age and appropriate behavior.

Gloria’s nieces, Willow and Samantha, carry the legacy of a turbulent early childhood and the unresolved conflicts that come with a mother who is still an icon, years after her death, and fathers who have never been fully present. They are brilliant artists, and long for love and stability but fear losing the chance to forge their own identities.

The conflict that lies beneath the nail-biting art theft investigation is the tension between ties that bind and ties that support. Each of the women is gifted, and each of them struggles for self-actualization while longing for family. This struggle is revealed through plot, and never imposes itself on the narrative, only lends depth to the characters and their world.

O’Neal is a sensual writer. In her world, love has a scent, music has colors, and software codes shine neon bright in dreams. Her beautifully complete characters have flaws, favorite foods, books they love, and quirks that are so neatly woven into the narrative that the reader learns gradually to love them in the same way we all learn about strangers who become friends.

This is how much I love this book: although I have read it for free as an e-galley from NetGalley, I have pre-ordered two copies, one for my own shelves and one to gift to a friend. I will want to read it again.

Barbara O’Neal delivers a rich and sumptuous story of three women with very different lives, woven together by fierce loyalty. Each one has a very interesting life of very creative and artistic pursuits, described and detailed in such a way as to almost experience the creative process along with the characters. The sights, sounds, and magical essence of New York comes through and the beloved apartment is written in to the story with such detail and love that it almost becomes another character in the story. A plot twist of mystery and intrigue challenging the strength of family ties, solid friendships and burgeoning love makes for a very satisfying read.,

3.5 somewhat confused stars. Barbara O'Neal (aka Barbara Samuel and Ruth Wind) is one of my favorite Women's Fiction authors. Once again she spins a compelling tale of women at a crossroads while negotiating complex family dynamics. I was especially thrilled that one of the narrators is a 70+ year old woman with a vibrant, full life. Gloria is a former stewardess who is now an Instagram influencer. When she learns that the great love of her life, who she hasn't seen in years, has been arrested for art forgery and theft, she realizes that her days of freedom may be numbered, as she was often his willing accomplice. She's tempted to flee, but she is reluctant to leave her two nieces who need her help and wisdom.

Willow and Samantha are half-sisters whose mother Billie was a famous folk-rock star before her untimely death from a drug overdose. Willow has just arrived in New York after another failed relationship, determined to shed her "manic pixie dream girl" behavior and find success in the music world on her own terms. Sam's once profitable video game company is floundering after several poorly received releases and the loss of its best coder - Sam's best friend Asher, who she pushed away in a panic after they briefly became lovers.

Like most of O'Neal's recent books, there is a lot of plot, and frankly not enough pages to fully flesh it all out. But the focus on the challenging dynamics between the sisters, and Gloria's unique role in their lives, is written beautifully, like one of Willow's compositions. It is so refreshing to find a septuagenarian character in Women's Fiction, especially one who still dreams and desires, albeit perhaps from a more realistic place than her nieces. As Gloria muses:

"The great tragedy of aging is not the loss of the supple body but the illusion we are forced to leave behind, one after the other, like a string of pearls from a necklace. That all will be well, that dreams can come true, that we can always do what we wish, that sacrifice and sorrow are not inevitable."

The reason for my somewhat confused rating is my ambivalence towards the way the art theft is portrayed. Both Gloria and her former lover Isaac had mothers whose lives were destroyed by the Nazis in WWII, and it is briefly mentioned that the thefts were from a hidden cache of Nazi holdings. So does that make the thefts justifiable? Was any attempt made to return them to their original owners? What about the forgeries that were sold to collectors who thought they were the real thing? Gloria doesn't express much regret about her part in these crimes, other than considering them youthful indiscretions. Instead she focuses on not getting caught and protecting her nieces. I realize I'm a judgmental old fart, but even if I didn't want to see such a vibrant individual in prison, I wanted to see at least some attempt at restitutions or atonement for an illegal act.

The more cynical part of me, however, thinks that in today's world where there is so little justice for political crimes (trying to steal a presidential election and so forth), decades-old thefts that didn't harm anyone shouldn't be considered such a big deal. There's very little black and white morality left in the world, so I should probably just chill out and enjoy the story.

TL;dr - Barbara O'Neal has been writing consistently great stuff for 30 years, and she should include more MCs like Gloria for mature readers like me to appreciate.

Uncorrected proofs received from Net Galley in exchange for honest review.

Loved reading about the dynamics of sisterhood & motherhood through the eyes of Sam, Willow and Gloria. Each of them with different views of their famous mother and sister, Billie, and in dealing with her loss. Willow and Sam are each uber talented in their own right, but unnecessarily jealous of their sister's success. It is an entertaining and heartwarming story to watch them learn to accept and understand each other through the love that was always there. Gloria, their aunt, is a force to be reckoned with. The telling of her past adventures and love story is a highlight of the book. I definitely recommend!

A Moving and Lyrical Tale

Have you ever read a book and then when you go to sleep you carry on with the characters in your dreams? Such books make an emotional impression and that is the case with Barbara O’Neal’s latest novel “Write My Name Across the Sky.” This beautifully written novel has so many layers of love, intrigue, identity, and family ties. The characters are so realistic in their flaws and strengths that you can’t help but to become emotionally invested with the outcome. This novel is a beautiful homage to family. The bond of sisters is realistically portrayed in its times of love and angst; that the one who knows and loves you most can also wound the deepest. Also, I love how being a mother is expressed beyond the traditional labels, that the act of mothering can take so many forms. As always, Barbara O’Neal’s exquisite and evocative writing weaves a beautiful tale full of sisters, mothers, the lonely and lost, passion, mystery, regret, forgiveness, artistry, and love. Don’t hesitate to read this lovely novel and immerse yourself in a tale that unfolds like a lyrical song of life that hits all of the right notes.

Write My Name Across the Sky by Barbara O'Neal provides the perfect balance of a dedicated family, quirky characters, unexpected romance, and personal growth. The book is told in alternating voices from three strong heroines brought back together at a time of much uncertainty.

Gloria Rose, is a 70 year old Instagram influencer and a former TWA flight attendant. She has a full life surrounded by beautiful artwork, an apartment on the Upper West Side in NYC, many former flight attendant friends, and memories of past loves. She stepped in to raise her nieces after the death of her rockstar sister. She is under investigation for past behavior and suspected in an international art forgery ring. Willow is a talented musician who just had a failed album and a failed relationship. Willow is a nurturer who has an uncanny ability to find joy in whatever life throws at her. Sam is a genius video game designer who is struggling with relationships and her career. She creates obstacles with her strong personality that push others away.

All three women are at a crisis point and O’Neal masterfully weaves a story true to their strengths and challenges. Her talent is as always clear in creating true to life characters that we can find a little piece of ourselves in. While we all may think we would never be life the prickly Sam, I think we can all be guilty of this at some point. However, the dynamics of their relationships will keep you thinking about these characters long after you close this book.

Write My Name Across the Sky hit all my must haves by engaging the reader, tugging at my heartstrings, and keeping me guessing on how these three strong women could find a way out of their looming problems. Only when they were willing to work together did they find a way to move forward. It truly was a delight of all my senses!

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Lake Union Publishing in exchange for my honest review on Net Galley.

I have enjoyed many of this author’s previous works that have focused on baking and food service. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed in her latest offering.

Willow and Samantha are half-sisters who lost their famous singer/composer mother to a heroin overdose. Raised by their great aunt Gloria, they are now, as adults, each struggling with issues of romantic relationships, careers and their self-worth. It is clear that the long shadow cast by their mother’s premature death has impacted their lives despite having been well-loved and cared for by their aunt. To complicate matters even more, some questionable activities from Gloria’s past have been resurrected with possible serious legal consequences.

The story is told from the perspectives of each of the three main characters in alternating chapters. I struggled to engage with each of them, although it was much easier to relate to Willow. Samantha’s prickly personality, while understandable, made it difficult to embrace her and her long-standing jealousy of Willow poisoned all her relationships. I also didn’t feel invested in Gloria’s thread. Besides the character development issues, the uneven pacing of the storyline made it challenging to read.

What I enjoyed most about the book were the descriptions of the creative processes as Willow created music and Samantha developed a new idea for a video game. In particular, I was drawn into Willow’s synergistic relationship with Josiah, a college professor/poet/musician, as they collaborated on a new song.

My thanks to the author, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing a digital ARC in exchange for an independent, honest review.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

This book is a lovely read - a thought-provoking meditation on the different ways women navigate ambition and love. WRITE MY NAME ACROSS THE SKY is the story of two generations of sisters (with flashbacks to a third). Each sister has considerable talent and a unique sense of what they want from their lives and from the world. I ADORED these characters and was happy to see them remain true to who they were even as they faced growing tensions in the area they were less gifted in: relationships. This is a story of deep family losses and betrayals, and a spot-on depiction of the heartbreak when a sibling turns their back on you. Each of these characters wrestles with the false belief that they are alone in the world, and I really admired how the author built each character arc to satisfying (but not sugar coated) conclusions. A wonderful read I’d recommend highly for anyone who loves family sagas, music (two of the characters are musicians), and/or glimpses of happily ever after.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I had just finished Barbara O’Neal’s “When We Believed in Mermaids” when I saw a chance to read and review her newest novel. Ms. O’Neal is a master at creating lovable (yet realistic) characters and putting them in glorious settings.

“Write My Name Across the Sky” focuses on two sisters, Samantha (“Sam”),who is a game designer ,and Willow, the younger sister, a violinist. The sisters were raised by their aunt, Gloria, a former TWA flight attendant. Their mother, Billie, a musician, died of a drug overdose when the sisters were still children. Sam is struggling with her first love (her gaming business) as it loses its footing at the same time a romantic interlude with her childhood best friend (and former business partner) leaves her wondering why she closed herself off from what could come next. Meanwhile, Willow returns to New York City from Los Angeles after her first album flopped. Gloria welcomes Willow’s return to the beautiful New York apartment she raised the girls in just as she fears she may have to flee the country because of choices she made with her former lover when she was her nieces’ age.

Told in the alternate point-of-view of these three strong women, I found that this novel has a wonderful heart. What especially appealed to me was the novel’s focus on women supporting other women and sisterhood. Billie and Gloria pursed their dreams, but at some costs, just as Sam and Willow are doing now. Sam and Willow’s relationship is tenuous as best, but also highly realistic. You don’t care as much as whether Sam and Willow will find love as you hope the two women will forge a stronger bond. I know nothing about gaming, art forgery or composing music, but the way the author wrote about these things through her characters’ perspectives made me a fast learner. I had a hard time letting go of these characters (and that apartment) at the novel’s sweet ending. Four and a half stars.

My thanks to Barbara O’Neal, the publisher and Net Galley for a chance to read and review this novel.

Just a wonderful book. A story about family and how the past influences the people we become. Write My Name Across the Sky is the story of two generations of women, a family who has whethered a tumultuous past and is facing a present day crisis. Barbara O'Neal has written another story with rich characters and an interesting story line.

Barbara O’Neal writes beautifully, her characters are well developed and story lines intertwine seamlessly. I lose track of time when I read her books and Write My Name Across the Sky is no different. This is a story about family, the bonds of sisterhood and ultimately how three independent women are stronger together than apart. Willow, the younger sister is a truly talented musician, pixie-like and so eager to win her sister’s love. Her music is her world, much to her undoing at times but she also loves to nurture and take care of others. Sam, the older sister who is statuesque and has a beautifully gifted brain. A developer of video games, she has brains but feels ugly, odd and is full of resentment toward everyone especially Willow. Gloria, the auntie who swooped in and took care of the girls when their mother, a beautifully talented but unavailable musician died. Gloria has lived a glamorous life as a TWA flight attendant, traveling to exotic locales, having adventures, romantic flings and all that life entails. Now settled in NYC, she is still glamorous and an influencer. However, one past adventure is coming back to haunt not only her but others as well. This story will draw you in, you will feel Willow’s hurt and uncertainty, Sam’s anger and inability to ask for help, Gloria’s fear and protectiveness of her nieces; and how ultimately the resolve of each woman to determine their own path while staying together as a family. Pull up a comfy seat, you’re going be a while!

This is a sister story about misconceptions about each other and how jealousy makes us say the wrong things to each other when we really just want to be loving sisters. I loved Willow and how she saw color while she played and how she loved to play to the plants knowing they loved it. I loved the aunt Gloria and her former adventurous life, I wish she still had a hand in transporting art. Her life reminded my of the movie,"To Catch a Thief." Finally, I understand Samantha's acerbic nature because I recognize it in myself for the same reason, but she kept pushing away people especially the one person she loved but couldn't help keeping him at arms length until it was almost to late. With all that was going on I thought there might be a sequel but there isn't and although everything ended up great the ending wasn't as strong as the story.

I want to Thank Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this advance copy of this novel

I recently read the author’s story “When we believed in Mermaids” and was totally absorbed. This new book of Barbara O’Neal’s had echoes of the earlier book in the themes and also the way I totally couldn’t put it down!

Such a beautiful story of two sisters, Samantha a game designer and Willow, the younger sister a violinist. Both are haunted in different ways by the legacy of their late mother, a rock star musician who died from a heroine overdose when the girls were young. They were brought up by their aunt Gloria, a former air hostess.

The story is set in New York and the apartment that their mother Billie bought at the height of her success. One thing I love about this story is that apartment feels like a character in the story, holding Gloria and the sisters after Billie is no longer around.

The story captures a point in time where things are really difficult for all three of the characters, but they are forced to rely on each other and deal with past emotional barriers. I loved this story!

When I requested this book from Netgalley, I was not expecting to fall in love with it as much as I have. Barbara O'Neal has crafted such a beautiful, interesting story that I needed to read right now. I will definitely be picking up some of her other reads soon!

This story features three strong, independent women at different stages in their lives who are facing very different issues. Their circumstances reunite the three women and force them to reconcile with their shared past traumas. I loved reading about Gloria, the enigmatic, 70-something year-old social media influencer with a past in illegal art trading and the kind of love story that makes you believe in love again. She is truly an icon. We can't sleep on her two nieces though--Willow, a singer/songwriter searching for her breakout album, and Sam, a genius video game developer who started her own company with her best friend in high school who is smashing through the glass ceiling.

Every woman needs to read this, I have no words.

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the e-ARC.

This is the first book by this author that I’ve read and I will be seeking out more! I enjoyed being in the character’s lives. The sisters relationship reminds me a bit of me and my sister because our personalities are so different and we fight a lot. This book helped me think about how things have been from her perspective. This was a comforting read for me.

Thank you to Barbara O’Neal, Lake Union Publishing, and Net Galley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book "Write My Name Across the Sky" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. I thought this book was okay. The characters were good but I didn't feel the story connected. There was just too much going on. It would have been better with just one or two story lines. It really was too much to take in. The end was wrapped up too nicely. Nothing exciting really.

Write My Name Across the Sky by Barbara O'Neal - I did not enjoy this book and admittedly skipped most of the last half. Independently the characters were somewhat interesting.  Together they just didn't connect. Thank you Net Galley for the chance to read this book.

Two very different sisters, previously raised by an incredible aunt after the death of their rock star mother, discover themselves and each other at a turning point in each of their lives. The characters are rich with elements that make them multi-dimensional, likeable and unlikeable at times, but always identifiable. In the end, because we are also human, we sympathize with their short comings and failures, and rejoice in their successes. The plot is rich, with unexpected twists, and surprisingly slightly suspenseful. Manhattan came alive, almost turning into a character of it's own--the sounds, the scents, the old neighborhoods, and the hustle. The author creates this so seamlessly the reader is totally immersed in the sensual world of art, gaming, and music.

Every time I read this author's work, I'm pleasantly surprised by the rich and enveloping emotion she creates. I'm not a crier but she manages to bring out the tears for so many unexpected reasons. Happiness, sympathy, anger, pain, but most of all because I'm suddenly transported so deeply into the characters' heads I can't help being in the moment. My response to this book is no exception. Wasn't I a friendly spectator observing the events or an old friend invited in along the way? I thought so.

Write My Name Across the Sky was a quickly became a page turner. Set in NYC, this book covers a story from three different point of views. Gloria, is a retired TWA flight attendant, bold, charismatic, and an Instagram influencer in her 70s. Willow is her wispy niece, that was born with a deep rooted love and need for music. After her life in LA didn't pan out, she's moving back to her childhood home with nothing but a bag of possessions and big decisions about what to do with her life. Sam is her older half-sister, who after finding early success in the digital game making arena, has a company that's on the verge of collapse and friendships that are already there. These three stories become increasingly more complicated as an international art forger is caught in Europe with ties to Gloria, an unexpected sickness strikes, and strained relationships are put under even more pressure. Overall, great characters and a story that pulls the reader in.

It took me a little while to find flow with the different narratives. At first I'd find myself jarred at the end of a chapter, not ready to change to a different point of view. However, the story pulled me in quickly. When I had to set it down I found myself waiting in anticipation to when I could sit and read more. I truly enjoyed!

Thank you to NetGalley, Barbara O'Neal, and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of Write My Name Across the Sky in exchange for an honest review.

Write My a name Across the Sky by Barbara O’Neal was so enjoyable! The characters are quirky with struggles and I liked them all. The two half sisters are relatable. The ending could not have been any better as well. This makes for a great beach read. And I highly recommend it. Thank you NetGalley for my ARC,