This is my favorite of Melissa Payne's books, though I've read every one of them! She has such a great gift of storytelling, that there might be elements that seem almost like magical realism but then she takes a step back. It is also full of suspense, because you know from Eve's premonitions that something bad will rock the town, but no one knows what until it happens. A fun, twisty end to an excellent story that I highly recommend!

I would like to start off with the cover of this book. How perfect it fits with the story line. You can almost see what actually took place in those woods.
The author of this book did a fantastic job in the description. Melissa explained just enough to grasp your attention. She keeps you on the edge of your chair throughout certain parts.
You do need to pay attention to each chapter as it goes back and forth in time between people.
I like the way the author put her thoughts to paper.
This book is not the kind of book I would usually pick. I thought I’d give this book a try and surprisingly I really did enjoy it!

I enjoyed The Night of Many Endings
A Light in the Forest by Melissa Payne was no different.
Payne writes with such heart. Her stories always amazes me and keeps me turning the pages.
This was a thought-provoking, emotional and suspenseful novel about secrets and the healing power of friends and family.
This was character driven story and all characters were brilliantly written.
A Light in the Forest was heart touching, deep, and emotional story.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Lake Union,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my blog, platforms, BookBub, B&N, Kobo and Waterstone closer to pub date.

An amazing and unforgettable journey that captured my heart!

I had no idea where this story would lead, but I knew it would be detailed and emotional. it sure was.
There is mystery, friendship, heartbreak and love.
It also deals with abuse and learning to advocate for oneself, as the main character Vega Jones goes on the run with her infant in her mom's old van.
She will do anything to protect her son. He is her reason for living.
Vega heads for a place that her mother once visited in Ohio, hoping for refuge and perhaps some insight about her late mom who never settled in one location.
What will Vega learn? Will she be safe in this little town? Can she ever stop looking over her shoulder?

Absolutely fantastic!
Thank you to #LakeUnionPublishing and #NetGalley for this ARC and allowing me to provide my own review.

Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Melissa Payne for letting me read “A Light in the Forest” in exchange for an honest review.

The cover! It’s stunning! It directly drew me in! I love the combination of the colours and the light. Absolutely gorgeous.

Possible triggers: ⚠️ domestic violence, sexual abuse, animal cruelty, homophobia⚠️

This is a no-nonsense story. It starts with 24-year-old Vega running away from her abusive husband, taking her young baby boy with her.

Vega had lived a life on the road up to the point her mother died a few years back. Renee has been caring for women in abusive relationships and helping them starting a new life. Vega never thought she would be one of “these” women herself, she grabs her son and starts driving the van that she grew up in, that belonged to her mother. She ends up in “a small town of nobodies” in rural Ohio. Her mother has some connection to the town of Crystal. Vega finds herself dream to there.

We meet a couple of town folks like deputy and artist Heff, farm and cafe owner Eve who literally returned from the death. Something happened in the town years ago that had a connection to Vega, but what is that mystery?
I actually figured it Out around the middle. The first connections are made early on, the “final” twist was also no big surprise in the end. But I still think it made for a good story.

I am so on the fence with this one. The story itself is interesting and inspiring enough, but I have beef with the writing. For the story I would give it easily 4 stars, but I could not warm up to any of the characters.

The story is good, don’t get me wrong, but I am missing the connection with it.
I am not sure if it’s the writing that wasn’t up to par for me? There should be so many emotions but they were just not there. It’s hard to explain but I feel like I know what the book wants to tell me, wants me to feel, but it’s not there. It’s more knowledge about what I am - as a reader - are expected to do, without giving me the emotions. Like I have a manual in my hands, but the tools are missing.

A tiny point of critique; the repetition of certain sentences “did not know what to say”, “I don’t take charity” and so on. It made the reading a bit bumpy, in the beginning. It made Vega seem a bit one dimensional, always repeating the same phrases. She is supposed to be a strong woman, her actions speak for that, but not her vocabulary/expressions.

The characters had great potential, but something is missing for me. They could have been more rounded. You know that they are supposed to be relatable, but they don’t come across so. There is all this talk about town folk being there for each other, but I am not buying it.

And don’t get me started about the scene with the pig. I have only one trigger and that’s cruelty against animals. It makes me sick. 🤢 I so did not need that scene.