Twilight's Brightest Star, Book Three of The Winds of Change Trilogy by Rachel Valencourt
Comprehensive, Emotional, Intriguing
Genre: Historical Fiction/Contemporary Fiction/Family Drama
Twilight’s Brightest Star by Rachel Valencourt Author 
As Starla and Erin reminisce about their extensive friendship and sisterly bond, a box sits at Starla’s feet, waiting for its contents to be sorted through. Given to her just a short time before, by her grandmother Dawn prior to her 90th birthday party. Its purpose, to assist Starla with writing the family matriarch’s memoirs. However, that was not Millie Dawn’s sole motive. She could never find the words, the secret buried deep within her for so long, recalling it every time she glanced at her daughter. As a result, she had chosen to leave it up to fate, for her daughter, or her granddaughter, to find the piece of paper that may well change everything for them, shaking the very foundations on which their lives had been built, and what they had believed all this time. Dawn also knew that they would come to her for answers but would she be ready to give them? 
As ‘Twilight’s Hidden Truth’ didn’t reveal the moment I’d been waiting for, I was braced for this one, knowing that it would follow the same format. The introduction setting the scene for the novel, intended for the reader to get to know the third generation female lead in this trilogy, Starla Wylder nee Silverson. The book has the same attention to detail and design, with the bright and colourful cover and similar, if not the same, delicate and attractive illustrations at the start of each chapter, also used as page breaks. That alone making it feel that you are stepping into a pair of comfortable and familiar slippers. The chapters are quick to get through, even if you are making notes, as I found, and it is an easy and enjoyable read. Rachel has written a superb, informative ‘blurb’ and a heartfelt dedication at the front of the novel to her daughters. It was lovely to revisit this fictional family again and explore the characters I hadn’t yet had a chance to discover much about. All three are beautifully presented novels, making me appreciate that I had actually bought the physical books rather than reading them digitally. 
I suppose I have to be honest here and say that I was slightly disappointed with Starla and Erin’s choice of profession, not that I want to upset the author here, as I am aware that she used to do the same. I just felt that I would have preferred her to go into a stronger profession, one where you are not so much perceived by your looks, but more for your brain. However, I could understand this being the dream job for two ten year old girls, their strength lied in fact, in pursuing that dream. 
When Jarrod is introduced, I did wonder if he would be specific to the story, thinking him to be Seb initially. I understood Lacey and Erin being protective of their friend but thought their calling Twyla was a bit over the top at first, then realising what the driving force behind it was. The sleaziness and patronising tone in Jarrod’s dialogue was conveyed well in the writing.
It was nice to have an update on Lacey and how she had fared since the incident featured in the last book, although I thought it odd that absolutely no mention was made of her boyfriend of that time as grief lingers.
When there is news of another such incident, I thought it touching that Starla was so concerned for Lacey’s wellbeing and what she would have to go through in the intervening weeks. The attentiveness that Caleb and Twyla both show to their daughter when the situation overwhelms her was moving. Particularly interesting for me was how both parents had a hand in that scene and Caleb offered to call someone who could help Starla in the long term. It’s slightly heart-breaking that Starla felt she had to be strong for her older cousin.
I wasn’t clear on whether Shawn and Shannon were related to Starla but supposed they weren’t given the apparent chemistry between Starla and Shawn. Although I guess it can still be permissible if you’re a cousin. When Twyla and Caleb arrive home earlier than they were expected, Twyla talks with her daughter. Starla was very perceptive and mature to have acknowledged that her mum was probably comparatively young to maybe other mum’s, had had a lot going on in her life up until that time and could therefore probably do without any other current issues. Twyler, twice mentions to Starla that it is like they grew up together. This must have really cemented the bond between mother and daughter.
When Starla asks Twyla if she can have French lessons, and lies about the reason for wanting them, I actually though she might have been better to have told the truth. I find it hard to believe that a parent would pay for French lessons so that she could impress a boy, but future career aspirations I thought would have been a much more impressive and likely way of persuading her, even if that career might have not been what she wanted for her daughter.
It was strange to be taken back to a time when electronic communications were a new thing. I’m not sure that I even sent e-mails that early on. I liked the use of continuity through the novel of it being used by Starla to communicate with Lacey wherever she was. This part of the narrative also made me recall when I was Starla’s age, and the ideals I had for my life. Things nearly always change, but you don’t appreciate that at the time.
The bond between Starla and Erin strengthening, felt such a positive thing at this time, as Starla is struggling to find her place in the world. She is fortunate that she has Erin to ground her, and remind her of their goals, fortifying her resolve. I did feel slightly frustrated at Starla for being embarrassed by Twyla’s enthusiasm at her milestones and life goals. I felt that she should have embraced having a parent that was routing for her and cared and should have shown the same awareness of her mother that she exhibited previously, being mindful that her mother was only really left with the option to living those experiences vicariously through her daughter. Erin does put Starla in something of a difficult position I thought, when she reminds her of their long term goals versus what is currently transpiring in her friend’s life. Torn between loyalty to her best friend and the prospect of another different relationship that has recently presented itself, feeling loyalty to both and knowing that one will conflict with the other, what is a girl to do? 
I recalled how hard it is to bounce back from a disappointment at that tender age, but once again, Erin was an amazing friend, strengthening Starla’s determination not to be diverted from their original future plans. I was slightly envious of what lay in wait for Starla when she arrives at her favourite Mexican restaurant to meet Lacey. When she reveals her big news, I was kind of #teamtwyler and quite puzzled that she let Caleb have the final say. I guess this was taking her cue from her parents’ relationship where perhaps Ellis would have had the final say. But that was a different time, and with this trilogy being about three supposedly strong women, I was surprised at these actions. I don’t know why I’m objecting to anything that’s in the book as, its based on fact. It’s not like the author made it up! But a book review is meant to be about a reader’s opinion.
As Starla starts her first job, life seems to be going well for her, Erin and Lacey. However, I wondered if Starla’s overwhelming feeling that happiness was only ever short lived, based on past experience, was a sign of things to come.
I wasn’t too sure what my image of Seb was. The author writes that Starla collides with a wall of muscle, but then whilst they are arguing, Starla’s words give me the impression he was something of what we Brit’s would label a lager lout (sorry Seb!). I went with stocky, stubbly and suave in the end, but it’s still not clear. Starla wasn’t sure what to make of him, and frankly neither was I. Their whole time together seemed confusing and lacking in communication. The signal that Starla gives Erin to leave, when they go out to dinner, was all a bit quick for Starla to judge anything about someone she’d hardly spent any time with. Frankly, if I had been in Starla’s situation, I honestly think I would have left him cleaning elephants. She’d felt that ‘catching the bouquet’ was symbolic, but at that point I would have given up on fate, I’m a firm believer that you make your own. When he suggests the fake ‘arrangement’ in Thailand, I felt he was just messing with Starla’s head then for his own ends. I mean, he made it sound so tempting, how could a girl refuse?? However, when they are in Canberra, although I did think Seb leaving her was out of order, I felt for him as his dreams came crashing down on him, not just once, but twice. I didn’t see the result of his mother’s phone call as purely his fault given everything that had happened, but I did understand Starla’s anger at his refusal to entertain taking the action that she suggested. The only positive thing for Starla at that point I guess, was that the phone call helped her make the decision as to where she wanted to be, but at the same time, took away her reason for wanting to be there, consequently the threat of the separation anxiety overwhelmed her. 
I adored the character of Gramps and thought his dialogue, so well written, I could really get a sense of his accent and how warm and friendly he was towards Starla. His pearl of wisdom ‘Don’t mean you fold, maybe it’s time to pivot’, made me laugh!
There was one thing that confused me though, and I am being picky, but just want to make the clarification. The author specifies that Seb plays rugby, which we all know from the blurb, so I’m not giving away any spoilers here. However, when talking about his reasons for visiting Australia and that he won’t be joining his Gramps working in his trade, Seb says ‘he’ll settle for me playing the old footie’. Last time I checked rugby did exist ‘down under’ and footie is a separate sport. 
Also, Seb uses the term ‘grams’ for his grandma. I thought that was an American term. Being from Britain and from a well to do family, I would have thought he might have been much more likely to have used the terms ‘grandma or grandmother.’
When Erin says to Starla that she is mad for turning down the offer of spending the summer in Australia with a gorgeous English man, I was a little confused, as I thought that offer had been permanent, not just for the summer, but maybe I misunderstood.
When she heads to Vegas (baby!), for a little fun and flirtation and to meet with Shannon and Shawn, I thought Shawn was lovely. Happy to be whatever Starla needed him to be. But I did feel a bit sorry for him. At this point I got the feeling that mentally, she still felt the pull of doing all the things that Erin and her had planned, only her heart yearned for other things. I’m not sure that long term, Shawn could have given her all she wanted. He was of course happy for her, I think she possibly had read more into it than he had. 
When she finally decides (or has her mind made up for her) as to what she is going to do, I wasn’t sure why she felt the need to go and tell Shawn. I suppose, out of some sort of guilt that she had played things down between them. Again, I’m going to get picky and British here. When Seb says ‘he isn’t mad’, it occurred to me that ‘mad’ isn’t a word Brits would generally use to express a negative emotion. I thought he would have been more inclined to use ‘angry’, annoyed’, or ‘cross’. In British terms ‘mad’ tends to mean ‘of unsound mind’.
The next stage of Starla’s journey, felt like something that Starla had been forced into rather than being a willing participant in a way, and had been set up so that she couldn’t really back out. There seemed to be a lot of assumption there and expecting her to fall into line, again. Maybe I’m being cynical. I suppose they did need to have witnesses present too.
Back in the present day (almost anyway), and the reader is reminded of how the last two novels ended. By this point, I had settled on one of two endings. Twyla and Starla are discussing their mutual respect for each other as people, and the roles they play in each other’s lives. I had to laugh when they have this particular exchange:
Starla: ‘Is there anything you can’t do’?
Twyla: ‘Yes dear, I’m a terrible cook’!
Although one of my two conclusions to what had been started at the end of the last two novels, but never finished, was in fact, what happened, I didn’t envisage what came next, and that was a nice unexpected twist, a nod to the past incorporated in both of the previous books and a re-introduction to some characters we hadn’t yet heard from this time around. Plus a return to a place that binds the ties that hold them together. There was also a couple of surprises, if like me, you don’t always remember things, and I liked that. 
Rachel has written a beautiful ending to this endearing and wholesome trilogy, and I cannot wait to read the prequel that was revealed on Rachel’s social media page recently. I will definitely be revisiting 'The winds of Change Trilogy' again at some point.
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