Poignant, inspiring, & a lovely group of supportive women who cheer each other on in finding love & closure. Set in the early 2000’s, The Light on Horn Island completely drew me in with its Southern charm & endearing characters. The sweet second chance romances set against the backdrop of the mysterious Horn Island were hope-filled, & induced many happy sighs.

Edie Gardner is returning home to reconnect with “The Ten Spots,” the nickname given to her grandmother & her three friends. After experiencing the tragic death of her friend in New York, she’s looking for peace & new opportunities in the small Mississippi town where she experienced first love. When she meets Jared, the mysterious owner of The Trove, her talent for photography & curation take on new meaning as she discovers stories from 1969 Hurricane Camille, which devastated the area. As she unravels the past, she also unravels old stories & heartaches from her grandmother & her friends.

Part mystery, part romance, & women’s fiction, this story was utterly addicting. I loved the unique, quirky, charming Ten Spots. As Edie is trying to find faith & meaning in her life, they’re there to help her reconnect with a past love & offer their sage advice. I loved unraveling the stories of the hurricane survivors & the mysterious Jared who provided a delightful religious angle to the story. The strange light that appears on Horn Island added another layer of mystery. I loved Cole & Edie & their second chance at love. It was fun seeing The Ten Spots making sure that they succeed this time. I also loved Charly’s story & her finally finding answers & love.

This is a beautiful story with humor, romance, faith, & delightful characters who feel so real & familiar. The author did a fantastic job bringing this small Mississippi setting to life. I loved the symbolism & vivid descriptions.

Highly recommend! This is my first book by Valerie Fraser Luesse & I can’t wait to read more. I received an advanced copy from the publisher without expectation of a review. All opinions are completely my own & voluntarily provided.

The first line in this book had my attention. Any story that begins by talking about how good pimento cheese is, has to be a good book. And it was!

The more I read of this story, the more I wanted to read. The cast of characters are unforgettable and the way they form their own little family full of laughs and disagreements warmed my heart throughout.

Each woman in this story has something heavy they are dealing with, some form of healing that needs to take place. Learning about each one’s story and how it had shaped the rest of their life had me so invested in this story. I love that the truths were revealed through playing an antique Victorian parlor game.

The setting, Mississippi and Louisiana, the food, the people, the relationships. Every single part of this story was so well done. That ending, well you better read this book to get that ending. It’s worth it!

Thank you to Revell for the copy of this book. All views are my honest opinion.

This was such a fun beach read for me. The pace was fast enough to always keep me interested, but slow enough to feel relaxing.

I loved the multigenerational feel in this book. From young to old a group of women bond in a friendship with each other. They accept and attempt to understand each other and help each other process life’s disappointments and trauma.

Edie makes a big life change and decides to stay with her grandmother on coastal Mississippi as she reflects on loss and what she wants out of life. Her grandmother’s friends help her work out and accept her grief. Her Godmother then comes to visit and Edie learns of her grief and trauma when a project Edie is working on brings old feelings and memories to the surface.

I loved the multigenerational aspect of the book. We all have so much to learn from each other. Old from young and young from old. I loved their sisterhood of love and compassion that facilitated healing.

I also liked learning about a historic hurricane and the effects it had on the people in the area. I’ve never lived in hurricane regions and it was my first glimpse into how they affect a community.

If you love second chance romance, multigenerational friendships, and Christian themes of healing from trauma, this is the book for you! It was a delight to read and I am grateful to the publisher for a copy of the book to read.

4.5 stars

“Help one, save one, lead one home.”

Well-written Southern fiction is one of those genres that I sink into like my Great-Aunt Lucy’s big, fluffy feather bed I grew up hearing stories about. The Light on Horn Island is regrettably my first read by Valerie Fraser Luesse but it will absolutely NOT be my last. Her richly-warm writing voice affectionately captured the lilt of the Deep South from the very first line – “Good pimento cheese is a reason to live. It tastes like everything just might turn out after all.” Her characters were quintessentially (and fondly) Southern but also multidimensionally so. No stale or shortsighted stereotypes here! And what a fabulous and vibrant group of characters they are! I so badly wish that every last one of them existed in real life so I could sit around Punk’s kitchen table with them. Undoubtedly, if such a miracle occurred, I would alternate between laughing out loud at particularly delightful turns of phrase, wiping away a few tears at one of their heartbreaks or regrets, and sighing in reverence at a meaningful insight that settled in my soul… much like I did while reading this novel. And I don’t even like Creole food but the descriptions of the food served and eaten by these dear women felt as ‘welcome home’-comforting as the personalities of the characters themselves.

“Coco’s like a hurricane. She doesn’t just arrive. She makes landfall.”

Speaking of ‘welcome home’… our protagonist, twenty-something Edie, has been coaxed back to her grandmother’s house to heal from the painful loss of her best friend. She has such happy memories of summers spent in Punk’s Creole cottage in this tiny Mississippi Gulf Coast town, and after meeting Punk and her friends on these pages I can totally understand why. Punk and the three sisters Coco, Sugar, and Cookie (none of which are their real names lol) are collectively a force to be reckoned with, and you’ll love the explanation for why Edie calls them the Ten Spots. To say I loved these dear ladies immediately would be an understatement, and to say that the men in this story (particularly Jason) were just as memorable as the women would also not go amiss, just in very different ways. And of course there’s Edie who provides the honeyed first person perspective for this story and anchors the various subplots and supporting characters. Her fondness for the Ten Spots and her godmother Charlotte, her big heart, and her amiable personality make her so very easy to root for and embrace.

Bottom Line: The Light on Horn Island by Valerie Fraser Luesse impressed me from word one and settled in my soul shortly thereafter. Edie & her beloved ‘Ten Spots’ felt like dear friends just as quickly, and Luesse draws their stories out of them like an expert word weaver with heaps of grace and tender affection. Not just about Hurricane Camille and its aftermath (which was so compelling) but also a lifetime of love and loss and everything in between. A sweet second chance romance for Edie and the boy she fell in love with one summer made my ‘KissingBooks’ heart happy, and a couple of intriguing mysteries (the kind that grip your imagination with possibilities, not the kind where you solve a crime) were icing on the cake for me. Especially the subplot involving the enigmatic Jason which I didn’t expect to touch my heart like it did but nonetheless left me quite moved by the end. The Light on Horn Island is a gentle and warmly-written reminder that, even if we initially overlook the evidence of His mercy, God is always everything we need exactly when we need it. And THAT, even more than pimento cheese, is a reason to keep going through the storm!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

The Light on Horn Island is the perfect Southern Literature for a lazy summer day. The story takes the reader to the coast of Mississippi where Edie Gardner returns home to after the loss of her best friend. Her grandma “Punk” and friends are there to help her heal and her mother’s best friend also joins them needing healing of her own. Add a light mystery of an unknown light, a calming shopkeeper and a second chance romance and you have this perfect read.
I have not read Valerie Fraiser Luesse before, but she was on my list of authors to try and now I am going back to read her earlier works. The depth of the different relationships she created is usually not done as well as she did. The reader leaves this story thankful for long friends and loyal family.
I received a complimentary copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Revell Publishing, but all opinions are my own.

What can I say about a mind-altering book such as this? Sometimes it’s hardest to write a review for the best books because sometimes there are no words to sum up their greatness. From the setting to the cultural themes to the friendships, I was enraptured by The Light on Horn Island. If you like contemporary Christian fiction that looks back on history and involves a sweet romance and heartwarming friendships, this book is for you!

First of all, this book is a perfect summer beach read (but I certainly enjoyed it as a spring read). The Mississippi beach + bayou setting warmed my heart. Oh how I long to see the bayou! I loved all the cultural references in this story as well as all the food references. It was so fun to read a story where you are “swamped” in the atmosphere. Also, this story follows the aftermath of Hurricane Camille. What a powerful theme. It gives a view to hurriance survivors and the trauma that comes with a hurricane. This increased my full grasp of what hurricane victims go through and my heart is with you all.

Next, Valerie Fraser Luesse created this story with such relational themes. I loved the small-town friendships that influenced key parts of the story. I adored the sister-like friendships of the old ladies. Their comments were hilarious at times yet so sobering too! Also, the romance was so sweet and simply adorable. No complications—just simply a sweet relationship between two loving people.

Finally, Ms. Luesse executed the mystery and Christian themes of The Light on Horn Island very well. I did not see many of the plot twists coming and at least once, I slapped my hand over my mouth in shock. This mystery is unique—it’s not suspenseful as in scary but it is so riveting. The Christian themes that are tied to it were life-changing for me. It certainly widened my understanding of how God works and I was even brought to tears.

All in all, this story will be a recommendation by me forever.

Happy reading,

Bethany the Bookworm Girl

CW: mild references to drinking something strong, death (not suicide) grief, attempted suicide, mental health struggles/depression (only mentioned around one time), hurricane survival stories/trauma

This story had me from the very first line-“Good pimento cheese is a reason to live.” Yes!! I was further “all-in” when I was introduced to the quintessential group of southern women called “The Ten Spots”. Named because they have an ongoing contest to see who can score the best loot for ten dollars! This book speaks to my “gulf” heart and stomach! Southern ladies, familiar places and wonderful food!

Punk convinces her granddaughter, Edie, to come back to the coast because “there was no wound the Gulf of Mexico couldn’t salve”.

At the behest of Jason Toussaint, a recent acquaintance and shop owner, the ladies share their answers to questions in “Confessions”, a Victorian era game. Little did they know, their telling answers would lead them through secret regrets, summer loves, loss and a closer look at what happened the day Hurricane Camille hit the coast.

This storyline reminds us that God is in the business of guiding and changing hearts.

This book is suitable for teens and older with no inappropriate intimate scenes and no bad language. I received this book from the author/publisher, through Library Thing, free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review.

This novel exudes enough southern charm that I want to sit down at the table with Punk, Edie and the TenSpots and fill up on grits and shrimp, mud pie and sweet tea. You could feel the humidity of the Mississippi summer and the cooling breeze coming off the gulf.
The story takes place in 2002 and has Edie going back to Bayou de Chene to her grandmother Punk and a new job preparing photos and archiving stories about Hurricane Camille in Beloxi.
Second chance romance, grieving a loved one and encountering a mysterious light on Horn Island makes for an absorbing story, not to mention God appointed occurrences that could not be described as mere coincidence.
Ms Leusse always provides a unique and relevant story of family, faith and life lessons. If you like southern fiction, immerse yourself in this wonderful story of love lost and found and friendship that lasts for a lifetime.
* A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Revell through Interviews and Reviews via NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*

An immersive southern story, The Light on Horn Island is a delightful story with just the right amount of romance. Essentially we get to follow along as Edie puts her life back together. I enjoyed getting to know this supportive multi-generational group of women, although it was difficult at times to keep Punk’s friends straight. I liked their parlor game, which encouraged each participant to share surprising tidbits from their past. The romance with Cole is super sweet, if a bit predictable. There is also an interesting mystery subplot. The southern charm is not to be missed; you can tell this author knows the south. Heartwarming and full of witty charm, this is a sweet and entertaining novel, and I look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

From the first page of The Light on Horn Island, actually the very first line, I felt so at home with this feast for the literary palate. 5 stars!

The Light on Horn Island is my first book by Valerie Fraser Luesse and to say I was impressed would be an understatement. Within the first couple of chapters I paused reading to look up everything Luesse had written. I'm a southern girl but haven't read a lot of southern fiction. Luesse has won me over and become a must-read author.

The story centers around a group of women and their lives over the past thirty years and the aftermath of Hurricane Camille. Edie Gardner, is the granddaughter of Punk and comes home to the tiny seaside hamlet to heal. Punk and her circle of friends the "ten spots" have so much personality, all individual and unique in their own way while blending together and supporting each other completely. I loved the Victorian parlor game Confessions and how it encouraged each person to open up about secrets from the past.

The reuniting of former summer love Cole Donovan with Edie added just the right amount of romance. The fascinating antique shop owner Jason Toussaint adds just the right measure of mystery to the plot.

The Light on Horn Island is one of the best books I've read this year and I'm so looking forward to reading more from this very talented author. I appreciate Revell Publishers making a copy available for review. All thoughts and opinions are my very own.

Full of heart, wit, charm, and humor, The Light on Horn Island by Valerie Fraser Luesse will take you on an amazing emotional journey not to be forgotten. In this multigenerational friendship story, Luesse shines, bringing to life her characters in this masterfully told southern Mississippi novel.

One cannot help but fall in love with Luesse’s spunky strong women who gather together to support each other no matter what. The 10 spots, as they call themselves, gather around Edie Gardner, Adele “Punk” Cheramie’s granddaughter, after the death of her best friend. They introduce Edie to the Trove and its owner, Jason Toussaint, who gives Edie a Victorian parlor game called Confessions, that asks players a series of personal questions. As they play the game, the mysterious questions reveal secrets that the players have hidden from each other for years.

The Light on Horn Island is a beautifully told southern story that will touch your heart and soul and will make you wish to know its characters personally. This is one of Luesse’s best works, and I highly recommend it!

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Revell Publishers via NetGalley through Interviews & Reviews. I was not obligated to write a favorable review, and all opinions are my own.

I truly enjoyed this novel and felt like I was right there, in the beautiful southern part of the USA. The writing is sensual and strong with vivid emotional and physical descriptions. I had a hard time keeping all of Edie's grandmother's friends straight, mainly because they ALL had such unusual names! The most interesting part of everyone's story, for me, was the mysterious Jason Touissant, and his connection to the bright silver light that most could see but no one could find the source of. I won't say anything more, but there are some lovely, very subtle spiritual elements to this brilliant novel that I loved.

I also loved how the author beautifully handles different kinds of grief that some of the women are going through.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and publisher, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is such an enjoyable Southern read! As the chapters went on, I was completely immersed as if I was eating gumbo and hanging out with Edie in southern Mississippi. The food in this book will make you hungry and the wit of grandmother "Punk" and her friends is an absolute delight. There are SO many things going on in this story and quite a few that I didn't see coming. The secondary characters are great and I laughed out loud many times. There is so much heart and humor and love and candor that fill the pages. Edie's character growth is enjoyable to read all while dealing with some tough topics.
At times I thought perhaps the author was cramming in too many things and stories into one book so the ending seemed a bit rushed. But I still really enjoyed this novel and I highly recommend if you are in need of a southern escape!


Four stars.


"I received this book from NetGalley for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."

Thanks to NetGalley and Revell for the opportunity to read The Light on Horn Island by Valerie Fraser Luesse, a sweet novel about the strong ties of three generations of Southern women who befriend a mysterious stranger

Wow! This book took me on an emotional journey! I cried tears of joy and sadness. The setting of the waterfront hamlet of Bayou du Chene is a place where family and strangers are welcome.

The characters are written brilliantly! I can honestly say that each one touched my heart in some way! The 10 spots are super cool, and I'd love to be one of them! Punk is my absolute favorite. She always has comfort food that touches the soul of all who eat it. She gathers up chick's like a mother Henry and offers them peace and sanctuary.

This is the first book that I've read written by this author, but it won't be the last!

I won a complimentary copy of the book from Revell via NetGalley through LibraryThing. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Valerie, you did a phenomenal job with this story! The characters were so relatable and the setting was just unheard of. The heartstrings were all pulled throughout the book. And the way it all unfolded was wonderful. Loved it! Highly recommend.

An epic addition to the Southern literature circuit, we get to meet Sugar, Punk, and the gang...and they don't disappoint! The hurricane puts everyone in a pickle, but in true steel magnolia fashion, their quick thinking saves everyone. With mystery, heartbreak, action, adventure, and a setting that is its own character, this book will keep you riveted until the end. It will also remind you that life is so much sweeter when we remember to put others' needs first...you never know, you might be living out Hebrews 13:2.

This will be my favorite book by this author.
I can relate to the characters in this story a lot especially going through three hurricanes myself. They're no fun and the winds are just horrible and scary.
My heart goes out to the survivors of hurricane Camille. Especially with little to no warning at all.
I admired Charley (Charlotte) and Mrs. Nora to name a few for their quick thinking for survival. Wow!
I simply couldn't put this book down! It was very heartbreaking at times. I did find myself rooting and praying that they would find hope at the end of a long dark tunnel.
There was a little bit of mystery in it but I won't say what. This is what made me keep turning the pages.
I loved in getting to know Sugar and the gang. Sugar cracked me up.
5 stars for a scary, hopeful and an ambitious adventure. This story will definitely make you stop and think about what if that happened to me sort of scenario thing.
I highly recommend!
I thank Revell for a copy of this book, which I received through Interviews & Reviews via NetGalley.