What do you think?
Rate this book
Dotted Lines
Abandoned as a child, Melanie Forsythe seeks stability and belonging after her mom’s boyfriend is left to raise her. Despite her raw deal, Melanie grows up to have a good head on her shoulders and a strong bond with her stepdad. But her dream of having a family of her own is shattered when she suffers tragedy and betrayal. Finding herself at an unexpected crossroads, Melanie must rely on the lessons given to her by someone who owed her nothing but gave her everything.
326 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2024
2 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 17, 2024
Break this book out on Father's Day! It would be a perfect read in June when we think about the ones who father us in our nurturing.
It is the voice Melanie Forsythe that we hear in this book. She's had a rough life, nothing easy, but she keeps trying, moving forward. Her birth family melts away, and she is a leftover kid in the abandoned lives of unreliable parents. This story tells of an unexpected Plan B that is worlds better than Plan A ever was. . . a parental stand-in by the name of Dave.
Set in Richmond Hill, Canada, a place where the author has lived and felt supported, this tale follows Melanie's bumpy, yet blessed walk through her years. Life isn't built around fairness, and bad luck can feel pretty chronic - but there are moments in life when what one has is more than enough if one has the willingness to realize and appreciate that truth. It's 25% epiphany / 75% teachability. Then all you need are some good examples. Melanie has all of it in Dotted Lines.
*A sincere thank you to Stephanie Cesca, Guernica Editions, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* 52:42
It is the voice Melanie Forsythe that we hear in this book. She's had a rough life, nothing easy, but she keeps trying, moving forward. Her birth family melts away, and she is a leftover kid in the abandoned lives of unreliable parents. This story tells of an unexpected Plan B that is worlds better than Plan A ever was. . . a parental stand-in by the name of Dave.
Set in Richmond Hill, Canada, a place where the author has lived and felt supported, this tale follows Melanie's bumpy, yet blessed walk through her years. Life isn't built around fairness, and bad luck can feel pretty chronic - but there are moments in life when what one has is more than enough if one has the willingness to realize and appreciate that truth. It's 25% epiphany / 75% teachability. Then all you need are some good examples. Melanie has all of it in Dotted Lines.
*A sincere thank you to Stephanie Cesca, Guernica Editions, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* 52:42
July 25, 2024
I was an early reader of Dotted Lines, being acquainted with the author, Stephanie Cesca. With tempered expectations for a debut novel, I was very impressed at how well written it was, with crisp prose that keeps the story moving along. Cesca is a writer with the ability to convey the emotional heart of a scene in a few words or a sentence, and I found myself reflecting on certain passages for weeks after finishing the book. Her characters and their decisions also stayed with me long after reading, and I still think back on them, particularly when reflecting on parenthood, mothers, and what drives us to do the things we do - or don't do - for our family and ourselves. If you are a reader who enjoys unique family stories with characters who show up and evolve in ways both inevitable and yet unexpected, this book is for you. Highly recommend.
October 6, 2024
DOTTED LINES
By Cece M. Scott
Stephanie Cesca’s debut novel, “Dotted Lines,” (Guernica Editions) is the kind of book that makes you sigh out of pure joy for the kindness and patience of those who might only be connected to you by a series of dotted lines.
The story’s narrator Melanie Forsythe is a mere 7-years-old when we meet her. She is sitting in the diner where her mom works waiting for her to finish her shift.
When she looks up from her colouring book one day to meet Dave, her mom’s latest beau, she doesn’t pay him much attention. She figures he’ll be gone in a few weeks “like the rest of Mom’s boyfriends.”
Little does Melanie realize that it is Dave who will be her steady hand from those days forward. Pre-Dave, Melanie and her mom had very little to their name.
“…a few dishes, a dirty mattress, a broken blender and a Diana Ross poster taped to the wall of the bedroom.”
However, with Dave in their life, mom and daughter suddenly have the little extras that make life rich with hope and purpose. But this state of happiness appears to be too much for Melanie’s mom and when she gets pregnant and delivers Jesse, a little sister for Melanie, the everyday goes awry.
Cesca writes with the ease of a neighbour narrating her story over the backyard fence. Her throwback mentions of Toronto landmarks such as Bargain Harold’s and Kmart are deliciously nostalgic and backdrop signposts as to the financial resources of the family. Dave is the antithesis of the stereotypical step dad and even as he struggles with Melanie’s mom’s disappearance, a new relationship, and Jesse’s erratic behaviour.
When Dave drops Melanie off at college then proceeds to worry about what will happen if she gets sick or needs help, Melanie, ever stalwart, reminds him that she has spent a lot of her childhood on her own.
In spite of her tumultuous childhood, the challenges of high school and college, and then the soul destroying dual betrayal of two of the closest people in her life, Melanie manifests the power of example that Dave has instilled in her throughout her life, a state of being that finally allows her to embrace the very goals that she has strived for all of her life.
An excellent journey of kindness, hardship and vindication, “Dotted Lines” will renew you faith in the joy of human goodness and hope.
@stephanie_cesca @guernicaeditions
#bookstagramcanada #bookishcanadians #readersgonnaread #canadianliterature #canlit #canadianbooks #amreading #canadianbookstagrammers #booksbooksbooks #stepparents #stepparenting #blendedfamily #blendedfamilies #litfic #bookworm #authorsofinstagram #canadianauthor #readmorebooks #bookclubreads #torontowriter
By Cece M. Scott
Stephanie Cesca’s debut novel, “Dotted Lines,” (Guernica Editions) is the kind of book that makes you sigh out of pure joy for the kindness and patience of those who might only be connected to you by a series of dotted lines.
The story’s narrator Melanie Forsythe is a mere 7-years-old when we meet her. She is sitting in the diner where her mom works waiting for her to finish her shift.
When she looks up from her colouring book one day to meet Dave, her mom’s latest beau, she doesn’t pay him much attention. She figures he’ll be gone in a few weeks “like the rest of Mom’s boyfriends.”
Little does Melanie realize that it is Dave who will be her steady hand from those days forward. Pre-Dave, Melanie and her mom had very little to their name.
“…a few dishes, a dirty mattress, a broken blender and a Diana Ross poster taped to the wall of the bedroom.”
However, with Dave in their life, mom and daughter suddenly have the little extras that make life rich with hope and purpose. But this state of happiness appears to be too much for Melanie’s mom and when she gets pregnant and delivers Jesse, a little sister for Melanie, the everyday goes awry.
Cesca writes with the ease of a neighbour narrating her story over the backyard fence. Her throwback mentions of Toronto landmarks such as Bargain Harold’s and Kmart are deliciously nostalgic and backdrop signposts as to the financial resources of the family. Dave is the antithesis of the stereotypical step dad and even as he struggles with Melanie’s mom’s disappearance, a new relationship, and Jesse’s erratic behaviour.
When Dave drops Melanie off at college then proceeds to worry about what will happen if she gets sick or needs help, Melanie, ever stalwart, reminds him that she has spent a lot of her childhood on her own.
In spite of her tumultuous childhood, the challenges of high school and college, and then the soul destroying dual betrayal of two of the closest people in her life, Melanie manifests the power of example that Dave has instilled in her throughout her life, a state of being that finally allows her to embrace the very goals that she has strived for all of her life.
An excellent journey of kindness, hardship and vindication, “Dotted Lines” will renew you faith in the joy of human goodness and hope.
@stephanie_cesca @guernicaeditions
#bookstagramcanada #bookishcanadians #readersgonnaread #canadianliterature #canlit #canadianbooks #amreading #canadianbookstagrammers #booksbooksbooks #stepparents #stepparenting #blendedfamily #blendedfamilies #litfic #bookworm #authorsofinstagram #canadianauthor #readmorebooks #bookclubreads #torontowriter
September 27, 2024
He’s not my blood but he’s my Dave”
From this statement, can tell a gist about the story. Melanie & Dave, a daughter & father figure, Dave developed a beautiful bond that makes the story endearing & heartwarming.
The story started with Melanie & Abby her mom, living in a small apartment, Abby working in a restaurant where he met Dave. The romantic link started, however didn’t go smoothly right after they had a baby. Abby decided to leave and unknown what happened to her. Relationship issues spiralled, mother-daughter, father-daughter, daughter-daughter, wife-partner.
A great at this time of the year. A type of story that you’ll reflect on. I would say a good book pick for Father’s Day or a book club. Dealing with the different aspect of emotions and feelings.
Overall, a heartwarming read, well written.
“Nobody has ever said such kind things about me before, kiddo.”
From this statement, can tell a gist about the story. Melanie & Dave, a daughter & father figure, Dave developed a beautiful bond that makes the story endearing & heartwarming.
The story started with Melanie & Abby her mom, living in a small apartment, Abby working in a restaurant where he met Dave. The romantic link started, however didn’t go smoothly right after they had a baby. Abby decided to leave and unknown what happened to her. Relationship issues spiralled, mother-daughter, father-daughter, daughter-daughter, wife-partner.
A great at this time of the year. A type of story that you’ll reflect on. I would say a good book pick for Father’s Day or a book club. Dealing with the different aspect of emotions and feelings.
Overall, a heartwarming read, well written.
“Nobody has ever said such kind things about me before, kiddo.”
September 11, 2024
Stephanie Cesca’s writing style is clear and engaging, and I was quickly drawn in by the main character, Melanie Forsythe.
She is still a child when her mother abandons the family suddenly, leaving Melanie and her baby sister with her mom’s boyfriend Dave. As Melanie gets older, the bond that develops between her and Dave grows ever stronger, helping her to redefine the meaning of family and face her own challenges later in life.
Despite its moments of heartbreak, tragedy and betrayal, the story conveys feelings of resilience, honesty and devotion that stay with the reader long after the last page.
She is still a child when her mother abandons the family suddenly, leaving Melanie and her baby sister with her mom’s boyfriend Dave. As Melanie gets older, the bond that develops between her and Dave grows ever stronger, helping her to redefine the meaning of family and face her own challenges later in life.
Despite its moments of heartbreak, tragedy and betrayal, the story conveys feelings of resilience, honesty and devotion that stay with the reader long after the last page.
April 12, 2025
Stephanie Cesca’s Dotted Lines is a slow burn of emotional impact as we follow the protagonist Melanie from life as a child through the many of the milestones of life to motherhood. What makes this story different is Melanie’s family life. It’s hard to know what to call it: is it dysfunctional? Tragic? Complicated? Or is it just the modern family set in Richmond Hill in the 80s?
Cesca manages to avoid to melodramatic with even measured prose that makes the emotional impact of the actions that much stronger. Not the kind of book that I usually read but one I certainly enjoyed. A great debut – I’m looking forward to lots more from Stephanie Cesca.
Cesca manages to avoid to melodramatic with even measured prose that makes the emotional impact of the actions that much stronger. Not the kind of book that I usually read but one I certainly enjoyed. A great debut – I’m looking forward to lots more from Stephanie Cesca.
June 3, 2025
DOTTED LINES is an extraordinary story about the ordinary every days in the life of a kid who goes to live with her mum’s new boyfriend. When they have a baby, the mum is overwhelmed by PPD, takes off and never returns. It is a heart-trembling love story between a girl and her stepdad. But it’s more. It’s about how differently trauma can imprint on children, what defines a mother or a father, and how the best laid plans going to hell might make room for the best kind of life.
This novel is a heartbreaking love story at its most finest. Guernica Editions does it again, choosing to publish a fine novel like DOTTED LINES.
This novel is a heartbreaking love story at its most finest. Guernica Editions does it again, choosing to publish a fine novel like DOTTED LINES.
August 15, 2025
I love discovering emerging Canadian authors and Cesca delivered. Thanks to River Street Writing and Guernica Editions for the review copy. The story of Melanie from an abandoned childhood to a chaotic coming of age with a father that's not her dad but Dave, the author doesn't gloss over the struggles and decisions that are made to keep moving forward. I found her relationship with a past acquaintance in college to be a little contrived (and wasn't totally sold on his motives), Melanie again makes decisions that propels her towards a life that she wants, not one made of imposeed circumstances. Will follow this author to see what she writes next!
October 1, 2024
This story grabbed me right from the first page . The characters were very relatable , I feel like most people know an Abby , Melanie and Dave of some sort . I found it to be a nice easy read with a rollercoaster of emotions .
I really enjoyed watching Melanie , Dave and Jesse grow as a family. Seeing Dave step up and being the dad he doesn’t have to be was so heartwarming .
Great debut novel I am looking forward to reading more from Stephanie
I really enjoyed watching Melanie , Dave and Jesse grow as a family. Seeing Dave step up and being the dad he doesn’t have to be was so heartwarming .
Great debut novel I am looking forward to reading more from Stephanie
January 8, 2025
This novel drew me in with its taut prose, relatable characters, and heartrending moments. I found the details of the extended family engrossing and felt tremendous empathy for the protagonist, Melanie. It was a fulfilling journey watching her grow up, navigate loss in many forms, and still have the fortitude to move forward. The author expertly shows how family, connected by blood or not, can be a source of disappointment and also enlightenment. It is a very strong debut novel!
January 24, 2025
Really enjoyed this book and it brought up a lot of issues and trauma I had as a child. I really felt for Melanie and also for Dave.
They had such a special relationship.
The story itself is somewhat predictable and I was hoping it wouldn’t be and my assumptions were wrong.
Overall glad I read it and enjoyed it. Would definitely recommend.
Thank you NetGalley for the copy.
They had such a special relationship.
The story itself is somewhat predictable and I was hoping it wouldn’t be and my assumptions were wrong.
Overall glad I read it and enjoyed it. Would definitely recommend.
Thank you NetGalley for the copy.
June 11, 2025
A beautifully written coming-of-age story about a resilient girl against all odds, and her default “step father”. Her tumultuous journey leads her to exactly where she needs to be. Stephanie Cesca took me on a page-turning ride about this unconventional relationship leaving me wanting more. Awkward and tense at times, but ultimately heart warming — an excellent book club read!
September 4, 2024
This is a stunning book written to perfection! It will take you on an emotional rollercoaster. Melanie and Dave are people I wish I knew in real life.
The writing is so good that I was holding my breath at so many points in the book. I almost didn’t want it to end.
Thankyou River street writes for the free book for my honest review!
The writing is so good that I was holding my breath at so many points in the book. I almost didn’t want it to end.
Thankyou River street writes for the free book for my honest review!
September 24, 2024
The sentences and dialogue flowed easily throughout this book. I adored our young narrator and her life and circumstances were interesting to read about. It made me think about how you never really know what someone is going through. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
July 23, 2025
I absolutely loved this book and read this in a week - it normally takes me months to finish a book! The story is touching, gripping and very moving. I'm still thinking about the characters even though I finished the book last month. A must read.
November 12, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. It was very easy to read and kept me engaged in the story. Very straightforward writing which I liked, you don't get that very often in books. It had a great plot and good life lessons to go with it. Would recommend for any reader of any age.
October 1, 2024
Amazing story.....great characters!
December 6, 2025
Found this in a local lending library near High Park. It sat untouched on my shelf for a few weeks and then once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. Never shocking, but always surprisingly. Impossible not to relate deeply to some aspect/theme, particularly if you were born in the 80s in Ontario. I enjoyed every page. What a wonderful, highly underrated, read.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews