Branching Out

by Kerstin March

Overview

“A sentimental and, at times, heart-wrenching story that touches on guilt, grief, forgiveness, and motherhood” from the author of Family Trees (Publishers Weekly).
 
Nestled along the shores of the beautiful Great Lakes, Meyers Orchard is where Shelby Meyers found unexpected love and strength—and now must forge a new life on her own terms . . .
 
Marriage marks both a happy ending and a new chapter for Shelby Meyers. She and Ryan Chambers have overcome tremendous odds to stand together in her grandparents’ orchard on the bluffs of Lake Superior, exchanging vows. Still, there are challenges old and new to contend with. Shelby struggles to find her niche among Ryan’s prominent Chicago family, while her own mother remains unreliable and unpredictable, impacting her life even from afar.
 
Though Shelby’s love for Ryan is as deep-rooted as the orchard, her rocky upbringing makes her hesitant to start a family. Before she can reconcile those feelings, a personal tragedy throws Shelby’s confidence, and her marriage, into crisis. To move forward she’ll have to go back—to her Great Lakes hometown and her mother, and to secrets she could never have guessed at, as she resolves to branch out on her own . . .
 
Praise for Family Trees
 
“March writes lyrically about the orchard and Lake Superior . . . [a] story of love, forgiveness, and growing into adulthood.”—St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
“Kerstin March writes a captivating story of love, heartbreak and triumph.”—Laura Sobiech, author of Fly a Little Higher

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781617735271
Publisher:	Kensington
Publication date:	12/01/2015
Series:	A Meyers Orchard Novel , #2
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	700,670
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

After graduating from St. Olaf College, Kerstin March built a career around writing. During her start as a small town newspaper reporter, and as a public relations professional later on, she always enjoyed bringing out the personal side of news stories. Kerstin lives in Minnesota with her husband and their three children. When her family isn’t scrambling with work, school, and errands, they can often be found up north, braving ice-cold swims, fish boils, and bear scares on Lake Superior’s shore. Visit her on the web at www.kerstinmarch.com.

Editorial Reviews

10/26/2015
March’s contemporary standalone is a sentimental and, at times, heart-wrenching story that touches on guilt, grief, forgiveness, and motherhood. After a difficult, fatherless childhood with a self-centered mother, Shelby Meyers has found true love with Ryan Chambers, scion of a wealthy, high-profile Chicago family. From the outset, their marriage is everything Shelby has hoped for, even though she is hounded by paparazzi and intrusive admirers because of Ryan’s notoriety. When Shelby’s world is rocked by a devastating tragedy, she pulls away from Ryan as she tries to deal with her loss. She retreats to her home in Bayfield, Wis., a warm-hearted community in a pristine area of Lake Superior, where she was mostly raised by her grandparents, and where Shelby feels grounded and safe. She discovers much more about her mother and the circumstances of her birth, and she learns that Ryan has been keeping a guilty secret. March (Family Trees) keeps things moving along, but the reconnection with Ryan feels rushed, and the ending is predictable. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

"March's debut novel visits the charming, idyllic town of Bayfield, Wisc., nestled on the shore of Lake Superior. March's setting is lovingly drawn." – Publishers Weekly

"A wonderful debut novel with adorable, but struggling characters. March is a stellar new author, and her research of the Bayfield area really shines." – RT Book Reviews

"Unfolding against this impressive setting, the narrative features Shelby Meyers...March is skillful not only at rendering her setting, but also at raising questions in the reader's mind about Shelby's fate and withholding answers for many chapters." – Minneapolis Star Tribune

"March writes lyrically about the orchard and Lake Superior. Fans of intelligent contemporary romance will enjoy this story of love, forgiveness, and growing into adulthood." – St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Packed with thrills and chills of living next to Lake Superior, a body of water that 'rarely gives up its dead,' every detail is crafted to a perfectly created world that is utterly believable. [March] has accomplished what every writing professor professes, 'to invent characters readers really care about.'" – Bayfield County Journal

“Family Trees is a beautifully written book, focusing primarily on the secrets that threaten to shake foundations to its very core. It’s about learning to trust and live again, even after the rug has been pulled out from under you. Most of us have skeletons that lurk in our closet. Kerstin March opens those closet doors, allowing everyone a peek into the things that we’d rather keep buried, the hidden truths never meant to see the light of day.” – Chick Lit Central

“Kerstin March writes a captivating story of love, heartbreak and triumph.” – Laura Sobiech, author of Fly a Little Higher

“A charming, romantic story of life after loss, filled with lush descriptions of Lake Superior's magical beauty.” – Kristina Riggle, author of the Whole Golden World

“A sweet, heartening story, Family Trees explores love, loyalty, and the growing pains inherent in building a life for oneself.” – Lindsey Palmer, author of If We Lived Here

“Beautifully written romantic story! The characters are likeable and flawed, the romance is sweet, and the setting is delicious. I love how the author wrote in vibrant detail about the Great Lakes and the Meyers apple orchard. March captures the intense devotion and respect that locals feel for Lake Superior perfectly.” – Jennifer Lynn Alvarez, author of “The Guardian Herd Series”

From the Publisher