Vacancy by Jann Alexander Book Review

About the Book:

A sudden widow. A single mother. Both have a habit of hiding from hard truths until a brutal accident-or was it?-forces them to face what they're hiding, and what they want, in an unforgiving Texas town.

Helen is childless and widowed after a long marriage, and gets a second chance with a long lost love. But she's grieving her hidden regrets. She bonds with her quiet kindergarten student, and doubts the girl's struggling single mother, Charlene, is fit to parent.

Charlene's hiding a secret of her own, and she resents Helen's interference. She's determined to make a better life for her young daughter, the teenage boy her ex left behind, and the baby on the way, when a scarred veteran offers to lend a hand.

A tragedy no one sees coming forces the two women to unite, as small-town bias threatens to destroy innocent lives. But first, Helen and Charlene must confront the vacancy in their hearts, to find newfound strength, acceptance, and a second chance at love.

Based on a true story.

My Review:

This is a touching novel of two women whose lives cross as they face the tragedies in their lives. They find strength, making it through to new life. Second chances give hope to them both. Alexander has written an emotional novel in which the women eventually find healing and strength to overcome tragedy, remorse and guilt and experience forgiveness and hope.

Potential readers should be aware that the tragedies include the death of a spouse and a child's death. Those may be trigger situations for some. There is also a threatening and dangerous past boyfriend. Those are hard experiences but the women find the strength to go on.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Jann Alexander writes characters who face down their fears. Her novels are as true as fiction gets.

Jann is the author of The Dust Series, including the best-selling historical novel, UNSPOKEN, set in the Texas Panhandle during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression eras, her first book in The Dust Series. Her next novel in series, VACANCY, is fictionalized true crime with second-chance romance, and releases in September 2026. The third novel in The Dust Series, OVERDUE, releases in May 2027.

Jann is also a public speaker on Texas history, and she writes on all things creative in her blog and newsletter, Pairings. She's been a resident of central Texas since 2004, and is the creator of the Vanishing Austin photography series. As a former D.C. area art director for ad agencies, corporations, and magazines, and as an Austin painter, photographer, and art gallery owner, creativity is her practice and passion.

Black Rose Writing, 320 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through WOW! Women on Writing. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)