Shattered Yesterdays by Sarah Louise Dale

February 09, 2025

Intriguing, Touching, Entertaining

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romantic/Relationship and Family Drama

Shattered Yesterdays by Author Sarah Louise Dale

Parker had always had far reaching aspirations and a yearning for more to his life than the small town of Nano Springs was able to provide. He loved to act, and as such was a member of the town’s amateur dramatics group. He longed to be somewhere with more happening, more action and somewhere he didn’t know every person that he passed as he walked down the street. Unfortunately, his girlfriend Gabby was the complete opposite. She was content to know everyone surrounding her, everyone’s business, and unbothered that it was a consequence of small town living that everyone should know hers. She worked in the town’s inn which she hoped to run as her own some day. How then, will she react when Parker hits her with the bombshell that he is imminently departing for the big city to pursue his future, and how will Gabby’s life go on without the man that she has loved for so many years by her side?

I chose to read this novel because I was intrigued by the title and Sarah Louise Dale had recently come to my attention online. I was at a point where I wanted a quick read, so I chose this novella as I knew it would only take me a couple of days at the most which it did. The cover illustration isn’t particularly inspiring, but then I find that covers that don’t really say a lot, often make you more curious about what’s inside. I found that the chapters were a good length for me.

Keeping my attention focussed on this Novella was an issue for me and for the first dozen or so chapters, I couldn’t work out why. Her characters were well placed and the narrative, although uncomplicated, seemed to have focus and direction which continues throughout this Novella, leading the reader to a dramatic twist and a final incident, that whilst, predictable for me, was well derived.

As well as reading novels/novellas and other reading material and reviewing them, I also proofread, and I easily detect issues within books, and I do feel that this could have been a lovely story, had it been proofread a lot more thoroughly. It was unfortunate that the errors made this novella for me, quite arduous to read and detracted from my anticipated enjoyment. This isn’t for one moment to say that this author isn’t a good writer. The plot was an interesting one, exploring how Gabby behaves before and after Parker’s departure and how she wants to move on with her life, but is reluctant to for a myriad of reasons, open herself to a new relationship and a life that is different from the one she had envisaged for so many years. The first big plot twist, many could argue was Gabby’s discovery that she was pregnant, but for me, it was what happens after she returns from seeing Parker’s mother. That came as a real shock and really did unsettle me for a moment. The second, although it is ‘set up’ by the author and easy to anticipate, gives this novella its second dramatic turn allowing the reader to get a sense of just how powerfully passionate Landon is about the life he has been left with and his strength of instincts to protect it. I feel that the way in which these scenes were written came across very effectively, particularly being located in exactly the right place to create maximum impact. I also felt the suspense intended, when on his return to Nano Springs, Parker decides to go and visit Gabby, and his confrontation with Landon, although I wasn’t too sure how realistic it was that Parker should work out who Ember was so easily on the strength of that short meeting.

For me, Sasha was a bit of a comedic character, although I did question her being so agreeable to Parker’s return to his home after being so controlling, even if Jacob was there to emphasise the importance of his homecoming. Lastly, I felt that Gabby’s parents story needed a lot more padding out. In my opinion it is not good if a reader is left with more questions than answers at the end of a read.

I have communicated my reservations to the author, which she did take the time and trouble to read and come back to me about, which to my mind says a lot of positive things about an author, and I now understand the reasons why this book may have been presented as it was and that she may re-visit it to carry out the fine tuning necessary. I hope she does as I would gladly give it another read. Sarah has a novel due out in a couple of days, which I will be reading in due course.