loss of innocence

This is not a Richard North Patterson book. At least not the type of book we’ve come to expect from him, thrillers full of mystery and intrigue. Instead, it is a coming-of-age story, a prequel to Fall from Grace, which details the lives of Whitney Dane, a socialite summering on Martha’s Vineyard and preparing for her upcoming nuptials, and Benjamin Blaine, the dead body around which the story in Fall from Grace centers, during the tumultuous summer of 1968.

Whitney is looking forward to a typical summer on the island preparing for her proper wedding to Peter when she meets Benjamin Blaine, a college dropout who was working for Robert Kennedy prior to his assassination. Her parents and her fiancé are not supportive of her friendship with this rogue, but she persists, while denying any attraction she may feel for him. As she struggles to figure out what she truly feels and believes, and what that means to her future, she faces a betrayal that will change everything she thought she knew.

While it was not at all what I expected, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although a bit stereotypical, the characters were interesting. Set against the backdrop of the times, with political upheaval, assassinations, and the draft, this family drama was engrossing. This book is purported to be the second in a planned trilogy and I am looking forward to seeing where he goes with the final book.

Title: Loss of Innocence
Author: Richard North Patterson
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 368
Publication: Quercus, October 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the Broke and the Bookish. Book bloggers create their own lists based on the chosen topics and post links to our lists. It’s a way of all sharing our thoughts and our love of books. And who doesn’t love lists??

So this week’s challenge was to list the top ten list of books that I want to read this fall. There are WAY more than ten, there are always way more than ten books on my TBR list, and I am probably forgetting some or there are some that will hop to the top of the list later this year when I realize they are coming out, but here’s what I’m looking forward to right now…

Allegiant by Veronica Roth – This is a series that I have been reading along with my daughter this summer and I am eager to read the final book!
Sycamore Row by John Grisham – Grisham’s legal thrillers are always a fast and fun read and I am looking forward to a return to the setting of A Time to Kill.
The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom – I’ve been a fan of Albom’s work in the past but found The Time Keeper to be a disappointment. I’m hopeful for better things with his next book.
Just One Year by Gayle Forman – I read Just One Day earlier this year, not realizing that it was part of a series, and now I want to finish the story!
Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich – The one series that always makes me laugh out loud!
Loss of Innocence by Richard North Patterson – This novel is a prequel to Fall from Grace which I devoured in a day!
Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon by Alexander McCall Smith – This series always entertains me, yet always leaves me feeling relaxed and peaceful – must be something to do with the main character’s personality.
Death of Santini by Pat Conroy – An author I have always enjoyed, with much of his work based on his life – this autobiographical story is sure to be worthwhile.
Book of Ages: The Life and Opinions of Jane Franklin by Jill Lepore – I am interested in learning about Ben’s little sister who apparently had quite an active part in history as well.
Edison and the Rise of Innovation by Leonard DeGraaf – The dork in me is always interested in the great scientific and engineering minds throughout history.