There are a few authors that have the art of writing southern women’s fiction down to a science, and Bette Lee Crosby is one of those authors. Her stories blend together real world events, the past and present, and an array of emotions.

This novel focuses on Margaret, a woman that has just lost her husband and discovers that he had originally searched for her family many years before. We are taken down a path that shares her upbringing at the turn of the century in a small rural town in West Virginia, where most men ended up working (and eventually dying) in the coal mines. Growing up in small quarters and with a large family wasn’t a hardship for Margaret and her siblings, but that is because they do not know any different because the most important thing was the love that they felt from their mother and each other.

The story flips back and forth between the past and the present and we learn more about her life growing up and the secrets that are kept hidden from her and several others. The journey she is on is one that is sad yet fulfilling as she rediscovers her siblings and family. Not every situation results in a happy ending, but Margaret is able to find closure in some situations and new life in others. She is able to do all of this with the help of a private investigator named Tom. There are many humorous situations (remember this is 1968 and morality standards were different) but their adventure brings them together and creates a new friendship.

While the crux of the story is about Margaret, the past focuses on her parents, Eliza and Martin. Martin is not a likable character and the way he treated Eliza and his children is heartbreaking, to say the least. I appreciated the positive light that was shone on Masons (Masonic Lodge) and that they watch out for their brother and his family.

If you are looking for southern women’s fiction that will pull at your heartstrings, then anything by Crosby will fill that bill and I highly recommend this book or any of her others.

When I Last Saw You by Bette Lee Crosby is the life story of Margaret Rose living in Georgia in 1968 and her mother Eliza Hobbs who lived in West Virginia in the 1900s. Margaret’s husband, whom she has been married to for many, many years, has just died and without ever having any children, she is feeling very alone. As time passes and events occur, she decides it is time to look for the siblings she has not seen in over 50 years. She hires Tom, a retired private investigator, and together the two travel the South looking for her brothers and sisters. At the same time, we are introduced to Margaret’s mother, Eliza. Eliza tells of the husband who was rarely home and when he was, he was not the nicest of men, hurting her both emotionally and physically. Eliza tells of the hard times they had and how she kept her family together with only a little money but a lot of love. In the end, Eliza had to send each of the children to a different place and the older ones off to survive on their own. Margaret and Tom’s journey finds them in different towns, searching, and also sharing some good times along the way.

It was very easy to be pulled into the lives of Margaret and Eliza and feel their pain, joy, love, and sorrow. When I Last Saw You is a story starting with a woman and going back to her childhood. This book gives readers an epic tale of heartbreak, hope, disappointment, and love, brilliantly told by Bette Lee Crosby with feeling, understanding, and a beautiful touch of reality. When I Last Saw You combines history, family relationships, love, romance and so much more and is based on a true story. This is a must-read book.

“I feel so limited with only 5 stars! When I Last Saw You by Bette Lee Crosby is one of those books that certainly deserves more than a five star rating. There is not one thing I didn’t like about it.

Crosby’s writing has a cadence that I really enjoy. I never have to re-read a sentence or paragraph. Her story just flows allowing you to immerse yourself in the pain, joy and sorrows of her characters. While we are talking characters, there were eight children in this story I wanted to hug. I can’t imagine the hardships they went through and the love they shared between them. I have to tell you, I couldn’t put this book down. I constantly wanted to know what was happening.

When I finished the book, I had a book hangover. I couldn’t move on. I felt like I closed the book on my past and my friends.

This book had history of a time period from the late 1800’s until 1968. It had a few love stories, family love and love of neighbors. At times it was a hard story to read but in the end it was so worth it. If you haven’t obtained a copy yet, do it now. You won’t regret that decision!”

“Crosby has done it again—she’s written a tender-hearted book filled with wonderful characters that you are instantly drawn to, and a story that will keep you reading long into the night. In A Million Little Lies, Suzanna Duff sets off to start a new life with her precious daughter, Annie, and one little lie leads to a whole string of lies that threaten to ruin Suzanna’s chance of happiness, family, and home. The story was extremely compelling and heartfelt, with moments that were sweet and endearing; times that were fraught with tension and heartache; but always filled with love and hope.”

“Anytime you read a Bette Lee Crosby book, you’re guaranteed to make new friends, and her latest novel is no exception. Readers are treated to a richly layered cast of characters, a storyline filled with twists and turns, and an absolutely delicious sense of place. I truly didn’t want this one to end, but then some novels are so good the pages seem to turn themselves. Steeped in secrets and southern charm, A Million Little Lies is both heartwarming and heartbreaking; a tale about forgiveness, family, and what it means to finally find your true home.”

“A Million Little Lies” is a beautifully written story, full of family, secrets, and the pursuit of a better life. Embracing readers in warmth, love and family drama, there is no better way to settle into the fall than with this heartwarming drama.

Suzanna hasn’t had an easy upbringing, or loving family. This story quickly opens with the uprooting of her life to escape an abusive alcoholic and protect her young daughter. Suzanna wanders into a funeral reception in a strange town with hopes of quickly feeding her daughter and continuing to New Jersey. However, despite her attempts at anonymity the widower spots her. From that point forward, the lies that stem from a simple attempt to feed her daughter determine the direction of her life thereon out. But, will she be able to keep it all straight? And what if her past catches up to her?

Suzanna makes for an intricate main character as author Bette Lee Crosby, gives us an inside view of her internal dialogue, insulating readers from the dark past she runs from while providing just enough glimpses of her childhood and love life to make us understand the need to suddenly disappear. Straight out of a movie, this book flows beautifully, breaking between the men she’s escaping and the lies she’s trying to lead. The complexity in Suzanna’s relationships stem from this internal struggle, adding layers to an otherwise fairytale story.

Dropping salacious newcomers and malicious ex-flames, Crosby shows readers that family isn’t always blood and certainly isn’t always easy. “A Million Little Lies” gives us an enjoyably unreliable narrator and several haunting villains from varying backgrounds as Suzanna attempts to settle into her new reality. The days quickly turn to months as Suzanna sinks deeper into the lies she’s woven.

Suspenseful, dramatic, romantic and above all captivating. Readers will fly through the pages in this tale of family in unexpected places and the power of real love, providing the perfect escape from our current realities. A beautiful story of a courageous mother, doing what she thinks is best for her daughter. There is no better tale of family.

In 1971 when a music festival comes through to Hesterville Georgia, many of the locals are not too happy, given the noise and upheaval it would cause. But nothing prepares Rachel and George Dixon for the trauma, it would bring to their lives. Rachel tucked her baby into sleep as usual one night and when she woke the next morning baby Emily was gone. Vicki Robart, one of the festival attendees, had a stillborn baby some months earlier. Faced with the opportunity to fill the void left behind by the baby they named Lara, Vicki’s distraught mind convinces her she is meant to have this baby. She kidnaps baby Emily. Murph, her partner, wants no part of this but he loves Vicki. Can he convince her they need to return the baby? It is not just theses lives that are affected. George’s mother comes to alter her attitudes and her ways, while Angela, Vicki’s estranged sister finds her life changed in way she never imagined. Meanwhile Rachel is convinced Emily is still alive but will she ever know the truth of what happened that night?

Bette Lee Crosby has fast become one of my favourite authors. With consummate ease she is able to draw me into a situation and involve me from the start of the story to the end. Told from more than one point of view it is easy to understand each of the women in this story, their motivations and their anguish. There are moments that brought tears as well as some that brought smiles. I never wanted to have to put this book down and kept snatching it back up whenever I got the chance.
This thought-provoking book is one of grief and heartbreak but also of love and hope. Highly recommended for anyone who likes family stories with complex characters. I adored it. Another gem from the talented Bette Lee Crosby.

I LOVED how the author told the story from the different characters’ viewpoints, and I LOVED how the story was brought to a satisfactory conclusion. Although I would have liked to see what became of Russ Murphy, and how he managed to live with such a burden of guilt over the years, it didn’t lessen my overall enjoyment of this book. Many thanks to the author and to NetGalley for providing me a copy of “Emily, Gone.” This is one book that will stay with me for a long time, and I will not hesitate to recommend it to others, and to pursue other titles by this author in the future!

Emily, Gone is written with one thing in the center of the story, a mothers love. It's seen through the entire story. This story had a great set of characters. I loved them all even when at times it was hard too. This story was just great from start to finish. I started it at night which probably wasn't the best idea because I stayed up way too late trying to finish it. Of course, I finally had to sleep, but I did finish it the next day. This is a story, that is unforgettable. It is not one that is always bright, and chances are you will bawl more than once, but I can promise you will love it. By the end, I was laughing and crying all at once. It is a compelling story with an even more powerful message.