Something Yellow

by Laura Templeton

Thirteen years ago, Holly’s nine-year-old sister, Rachel, disappeared without a trace. Thirteen years ago, Holly left her hometown. Thirteen years ago, Holly’s first love and high school boyfriend, Houston, was the only suspect. Now, another girl has disappeared. Holly is back, and so is Houston—never charged and still proclaiming his innocence. Can she trust him? Should she trust him?
When out-of-work banking executive Holly McCann moves to the rural mountain town of White Cove, Virginia to care for her dying mother, the past collides with the present. A violent crime against her nine-year-old neighbor evokes memories of the eerily similar disappearance of her sister thirteen years earlier. Holly is thrilled by the arrival of her estranged brother, Oliver, but concerned by his mysterious behavior. She is befriended by the new minister, Jonah, an outsider haunted by his own painful past, but it is Houston Phelps, the only person arrested for the disappearance of her sister, who forces Holly to confront the past and start living in the present.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Thriller, Contemporary, Drama, Amazon

295 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 28, 2013

About the author

Laura Templeton lives near Athens, Georgia, with her husband, son, and a menagerie of animals. When she’s not writing, she enjoys gardening, learning to figure skate, and taking long walks on the quiet country roads near her home. Something Yellow is her debut novel, and her creative nonfiction has appeared in various publications.

Reviews

[Kristin Coxe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I REALLY loved this book. This was the first book I have ever read by this author and I'm pretty sure this was her debut novel. I am TOTALLY impressed. I was pulled into the story right from the beginning and the author did a fantastic job of making readers care about each character. Even though I figured out a big part of the "twist" early on (I'm an avid reader of Joyce Carol Oates, so twists from other authors rarely surprise me anymore! lol) I was still surprised by how much I was affected by it when things came to light for the characters in the book. My favorite parts were the appearances of "Milly", the town psychic, because it wasn't overdone or melodramatic. She just said what she had to say and left little clues behind for the lead character to piece together in due time. Loved it!

I look forward to reading more from Laura Templeton and this is another novel that I think would translate well onto the big screen. Absolutely fantastic read!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt a connection with the main character, Holly, right from the beginning. She returns to her small mountain hometown to care for her ailing mother. Her old boyfriend and her brother have come home, also, and old wounds are opened when a child goes missing. Similar to Sarah Jio’s The Violets of March, the mysteries of the past haunt everyone’s lives. The characters are all complex and real, and the author does a great job of making each element of the story have importance to the book as a whole.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something Yellow is a hard one for me to rate. It was very well written, but the story was missing something. It was a good read though. The cover makes it look like a nice story. Maybe some high school kids meet and fall in love in the flowers or something. I mean I understand why the field of flowers are there now, but it is so upbeat it doesn't prepare you for the pretty depressing story that it is. Not that I minded that. I actually really enjoy sad depressing stories.

Holly's sister Rachel disappeared 13 years ago. Houston was the last person to have seen her. He was dropping her off at dance class, but she wandered over to the park to look at the flowers. He didn't wait to make sure she made it inside. Holly has always held Houston responsible for her disappearance and is certain he took her. Now Holly must come back to town and care for her dying mother, and Houston is in town as well. Another girl goes missing.

Holly was...she is 31. She acts most of the time like she is 12. I kept having to remind myself that she is supposed to be 31. Houston tries to talk to her, people in town try to talk to her about Houston, people keep trying to explain to her why he is there and such and every time she is just acting like she will hold her ears closed with her fingers singing "la la la la la la" so she cannot hear anything. It was a bit ridiculous, and while I understand that she needed to hate someone and blame someone for Rachel's disappearance I still, even after reading her reasons, don't understand why that person was her then boyfriend of 2 years Houston. It wasn't because he didn't make sure Rachel made it inside. She had already written him off as a horrible person days before this for no real good reasons. I don't think they would have made it as a couple even if she didn't jump to horrible conclusions before asking him about the things she saw. If they can't be open with each other how will they work? I mean she never mentioned his home life and he never shared it either. So she seemed to always jump to horrible conclusions about everyone.

Besides hating Houston she also hates where she grew up. She never comes to visit and doesn't even seem to keep in contact with her family much. I understand that. I understand hating your small town where you grew up and escaping as soon as you can. I understand turning your back on everything that reminds you of there. I get it, I did the same thing when I went off to college. I didn't shun my family thought. We had tragedy just before I left as well, but people react differently. Holly was so stubborn in her weird horrible views of things. I really didn't like Holly. She is 31 and she has not grown up at all. She clings to the past so tightly she cannot move on. She needs to learn to let go and get some closure so she can be happy. Just because Rachel disappeared doesn't mean Holly's life should be over. When she is confronted with some new information about her sister's disappearance she just stubbornly refuses to believe it. The person must have seen it wrong or was confused. She is so stubborn in clinging to her hatred of Houston and everything it got to be a bit much. When people started to finally go off on her like look you need to move on! What is wrong with you? You can never see what is right in front of you, you just see what you want to see I just thought yes! Thank you! Please listen to these people who obviously care about you and work on moving on.

The ending, what happened and who was involved, I figured that is what had happened. Even though I really didn't like Holly I still did enjoy this book. Even though I kept thinking she is 31? Really?? She doesn't seem like it! I still liked reading it. It was really well written. I would definitely read more from this author, though I probably won't re-read this book. Still a worthwhile read just for how well it was written.

This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland

[Jess Bickerton · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was offered the opportunity to join the blog tour for Something Yellow I couldn’t wait to read it. I had recently read a few other mystery novels and really enjoyed them, so was excited to get stuck into this one.

As soon as I started reading Something Yellow I couldn’t put it down, and subsequently read it from cover to cover in one afternoon/evening.

Laura Templeton has created a really gripping story which follows the protagonist, Holly, whose life (and her family’s) was drastically affected by the disappearance of her 9 year-old sister 13 years earlier. The story explores how deeply people can be affected by a traumatic event, especially seeing as they never discovered the truth about her disappearance, and therefore couldn’t find closure. Even though it has been 13 years since Rachel’s disappearance, Laura brilliantly portrays the suffering each family member is still facing, whilst trying to pull together during a difficult time. You can really feel their pain and heartache. Laura Templeton explores the notion that no matter how much you try hide away from your past, it will continue to haunt you if you don’t face it head on – you can’t start healing if you live in the past, you have to live in the present, and Holly learns this the hard way.

There is also a beautiful side to this story in the portrayal of family. The characters in the story are very real and believable which makes it easy for the reader to become engrossed in their lives and connect with them. The family unit Laura builds up through Holly’s family is one that is incredibly strong. Although the relationship between Holly, her brother and their mom is quite strained due to Rachel’s disappearance, they are still always there for one another. It is, however, dreadfully sad that it’s their mother suffering from Cancer that has brought them home. But just like in real life, it sometimes takes tragic events to bring a family back together. Holly’s extended family is truly amazing. They are all so supportive and always ready to help one another. This appears to be something that is very much connected to the type of lifestyle they lead in their small town, and makes you appreciate the connection they all have. These days’ people are always too busy and haven’t always got time for one another, and Laura really brings out through her writing how important it is not to take that for granted.

I really loved the relationship between Houston and Holly. I won’t say too much about it because I don’t want to give anything away, but I can definitely see Holly’s attraction to Houston. Despite the few uncertainties following Houston, his unfaltering love and protection of Holly really makes you swoon.

Something Yellow is a definite page turner, and although the reader is able to piece together some of the mystery long before Holly, or the other characters, it still keeps you hooked as you are desperate to see how the characters are going to respond to the revelations and what the outcome overall is going to be. Right till the end of the story Laura keeps an air of mystery, whether it’s the disappearance of Rachel, or Holly’s plans for her life. You become so connected to Holly and the battle she has spent so many years fighting, that you long for her to find peace and happiness.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery story, entangled with heartache, lies and love. I can't wait for more releases from Laura Templeton as I really enjoyed her writing.

A story about opening your heart to forgiveness, being true to who you are and embracing the present and future.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal story of secrets and coming home

To say this story sucked me in is an understatement, I was fully immersed in it. The secrets that haunt us affect everything and sorrow can lead to happiness, ultimately love.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be entirely honest, I opened this book and expected to hate it. The plot sounded intriguing and the cover was pretty, but the pages were so dense. The margins and the words were both teeny tiny, and the first paragraph seemed to set the stage for the rest of the book: difficult to read. Once I read further, though, I became accustomed to the writing style and completely fell in love with it. The story was full of realistic ups and downs of an average person’s life. I enjoyed every second of it, and now I wish the book was even longer!

The first thing that shocked me was the word choice. All the sentences knitted together created an eloquent book filled to the brim with figurative language and vivid images. I’m a girl who loves words. I have a list of favorite words. It’s one of the reasons I love writing so much: I can use large words and intricate sentences. If I walked through school using the same language I do in text, I guarantee I’d get some confused glances coming my way. Laura Templeton created a novel which never ceased to amaze me in her writing. All throughout the book, I literally highlighted the words and phrases I enjoyed. And trust me, not only the cover is yellow anymore. Page upon page is filled with my neon highlighter marks because of all the beautiful language. She really made the magnificence of the mountains and the emotions of the characters come alive.

The book is about one women’s experiences when she comes home to her Virginia mountain home to help her mother’s death through her cancer. Holly, the main character, had a sister who mysteriously disappeared 13 years back, and her family was never the same again. Her father died with a heavy heart a few years earlier, and her brother distanced himself completely from their family. Her mother didn’t just lose one child that day, she lost all three. Holly and Oliver both detached themselves from their roots and scurried off to make their own lives, never completely happy. During the book, Holly juggles caring for her mother and facing the secrets of her past, finally figuring out what really happened when her sister disappeared– and much, much more.

The characters are what really make the book. The writing style creates a strong bond with Holly and all the hardships she goes through. You see her confusion to trust others, her guilt gnawing at her heart, and the happiness she feels being home again. Some authors seem to throw obstacles at their characters while the readers sit back and watch the characters jump through impossible hoops with no connection at all. In Something Yellow, Templeton creates real problems with real solutions and real reactions. She doesn’t just toss problems into the book and mix it up; she illustrates a situation that could very readily happen. Doing this all while keeping the book unique is truly a large feat to overcome.

If you ever want to broaden your vocabulary, I definitely recommend picking up this book. Not only does she use fun words and elaborate images, she writes a book that’s easy to understand and exciting to follow. The plot molds an original situation with powerful characters to make a read that will be hard to put down.

Warning: Expect to be entirely submersed in the story!!!
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[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quiet Appalachian town plagued with unpleasant memories of her sister's disappearance and a sense of being trapped for Holly McCann was reason enough to leave 13 years ago. But because of her mother's decline from cancer, she comes home to care for her and learns more about the town, the disappearances, and herself.

To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website:http://jenpaul13.wix.com/makinggoodst....

Laura Templeton's Something Yellow finds Holly's homecoming tainted with the disappearance of Cailey, the 9 year old daughter of her high school friend, which mirrors the disappearance of her younger sister Rachel. If dealing with her ailing mother wasn't bad enough, she's greeted with the unfortunate situation that drags up unpleasant memories of years past. And, to top it all off, Houston Phelps, her high school boyfriend, has just come back to town, too, which pisses Holly off since she blames him for Rachel's disappearance. And her brother, Oliver, flits in and out of the picture to help his mother and is always in an indecipherable mood, which helps and distracts from the entire situation.

Secrets and keeping to yourself seems to come naturally to Holly, Oliver, and Houston, which only leads to communication issues. And what can I say about the horrific plot device of miscommunication? It's plenty abundant in the story and while I have begrudgingly accepted it as a necessary evil in writing convention, it doesn't meant that I have to be happy with it. I find it so incredibly difficult to believe that the miscommunication would be THAT bad that 13 years go by and no party attempts to resolve the issue. Does Houston seek out Holly to explain? No. Does Holly seek out Houston for any reason? Of course not. Do either Holly or Oliver attempt to contact one another to at least stay in touch? Doesn't really seem like it. So with all the opportunities for communication to possibly take place, it seems rather unlikely that no attempt would take place or at least be mentioned over the 13 years--especially with the emotional connection between the characters.

I thought that the story itself was rather good and overall the writing was quite polished. I did, however, have a large issue with the incessant repetition of the word yellow. There are synonyms for yellow that would make more sense for certain situations. For example, a porch light would likely be more amber in color than yellow. And words like buttery to describe a flower's color could have been utilized for variety instead of constantly saying yellow. The repetition of that one word felt incredibly heavy-handed in description and foreshadowing--I was frustrated to the point of uttering "I get it, already!" It intersperses past in relevant areas of the present narrative that help to flesh out the motivations and defining situations and characteristics that drive the characters forward in the current moment.

Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review originally posted: Traveling With T

This book was sent to Traveling With T in exchange for a honest review.

Something Yellow

Holly has returned to her mountain home in Virgina. It is not a happy return- Holly’s mother is dying and Holly returns to help take care of her in the last months of her life. Holly is upset about her mother, but her life has changed drastically for other reasons, too. Holly has lost her job in Atlanta, she’s put her effort into work and now feels she doesn’t have much to show for all her hard work- no job, no life of her own, and no love life.

Not long after Holly returns to Virginia- a 9 year old girl is reported as missing. Holly has a sense of dread- especially when she finds out that her ex, Houston, is in town. This isn’t the first missing child in Virgina- Holly’s sister, Rachel, has never been found. And Hunter was the last person to see her. Is it just a coincidence that Houston is in town? Or is Houston being in town connected to the missing girl?

Holly, facing her mother’s death, knowing Houston is back in town and the missing girl bringing up memories of Rachel and frustration at never knowing what happened is making Holly reassess life. Reassess why she left and what her next step is. When Holly’s brother comes back- Holly is happy to have the help with their mom. Oliver, though, is distracted at times- and there is a distance between them. Is it a growing apart distance or how siblings relationships are altered after disaster?

Houston proclaims his innocence to Holly- over and over. Should Holly believe him? Has Holly been so blinded by her belief that Houston hurt Rachel that she’s missing the real story?



Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

I’ll be honest- when Laura Templeton emailed me to ask to consider SOMETHING YELLOW for review, I almost said “no”. My review schedule was stacking up, I had been in a reading slump, and I just wasn’t sure. But, I was intrigued- so I said yes. And I’m glad I did.

SOMETHING YELLOW was not perfect- however, it was a good debut. There was a plot twist that I saw coming and some other small things- some of the story was resolved a bit too easily- however, the whole package was perfectly fine.

For me, I say a definite debut worth reading- Laura Templeton has a flair for words and I’m curious to see her next work.

Enjoyable and interesting- SOMETHING YELLOW encourages you to look beyond appearances and to examine what you want in life.



*This book was sent to Traveling With T by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her debut novel, Something Yellow, author Laura Templeton weaves a wonderful multi-layered story that features an intriguing mixture of mystery, romantic suspense, and women's fiction.

Thirteen years ago, Holly McCann left her Appalachian Mountains hometown of White Cove, Virginia, for Atlanta, vowing never to return. But when she lost her banking executive position to the Great Recession, Holly returned home to take care of her mother, who is dying from breast cancer. Coming home is not easy for Holly, it has been thirteen years since her nine year old sister Rachel disappeared without a trace leaving her family shattered. Now the haunting past filled with old wounds, grief, suspicions, secrets and memories from Rachel's disappearance rise to the surface with the recent eerily similar disappearance of nine year old Cailey Hamilton. As Holly cares for her mother, she also has to face the secrets from her family's past in order to heal and move forward with her life.

Something Yellow is a riveting story that captivated my attention and drew me in from the beginning with its intriguing combination of mystery, romantic suspense, and intricate family dynamics. Written in the first person narrative with alternating flashbacks to the past interwoven with the present, the reader follows Holly's search for the truth surrounding the mysterious disappearance of her sister Rachel, while coming to terms with a complicated love relationship, and the hardship of dealing with a tangled web of family secrets, lies, and heartache from the past that comes to the surface with intriguing links to the recent disappearance of nine year old Cailey Hamilton.

With a richly detailed description of the setting, the author easily transports the reader to the picturesque Appalachian Mountains town of White Cove, Virginia. The author's depiction of the rural small mountain town and its townspeople is a realistic portrait, you can't help but feel like you are there with Holly and the townspeople.

This is an intriguing multi-layered and fast-paced story. The complexity of the characters come alive as the mystery unfolds and the family's past is uncovered. It is a gripping and emotional tale that has a lot of depth and keeps the reader in suspense and guessing with its riveting twists and turns until the surprisingly shocking conclusion.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.

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[Cecilia Dominic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Women's fiction meets suspense (please click on review to read the full thing - formatting is posting weird from my iThing)

I started reading Laura Templeton's Something Yellow on Friday and in spite of needing to attend to a draft of one of my own books, I had to finish it yesterday. This surprised me because I'm not a big fan of women's fiction.

Holly McCann, a banker who lost her job during the Great Recession, has returned to the small Virginia town where she grew up to take care of her mother, who is dying of cancer. Their family has seen its share of hardship starting with the disappearance of Holly's sister Rachel when Rachel was nine and Holly was a senior in high school. Holly always suspected that her ex-boyfriend Houston Jones had something to do with Rachel going missing, and his appearance in White Cove coincident with another nine-year-old girl's disappearance brings up old feelings and suspicions on top of Holly's current griefs over her own job/lifestyle loss and her mother's impending death.

Templeton makes good use of the principle that new griefs bring up old ones, and Holly's emotional reactions seem genuine and realistic. All of the characters are well-rounded, even the minor ones except maybe the church secretary and the mountain mystic. There are elements of magical realism with the appearance of the mystic, who shows up twice to give Holly messages from the other side but not so often and never with enough information to make it feel like Templeton is cheating with the plot. Her role in the book is to continue to challenge Holly's stubbornly held misconceptions about her reality and the role of hope and magic.

By the end of the book, the mysteries of both girls' disappearances are solved, and Holly's family has endured more losses, but Holly herself finds strength and discovers who she really is. The tragic moments are balanced out by humor (cemetery fire, anyone?) and hope, and I really enjoyed how few of the major characters were as they seemed. Those who expect a lot of romance may be disappointed, but hey, it's women's fiction, not romance, so it's genre consistent.

My only complaint: the ending felt too abrupt, but I can acknowledge that that's more of a style preference, and maybe it's a genre convention. Otherwise, I really enjoyed it and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to someone looking for a fun read.

[Hilary Grossman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something Yellow by Laura Templeton, is a wonderful book that keeps you at the edge of your seat. I immediately fell in love with Holly. I was able to understand her emotions, motivations, and fears - especially with respect to Houston. All the supporting characters were well developed (so much so I hope that there is a sequel in the works).

There were a lot of twists and turns in the plot. I love that the story wasn’t predictable. I felt a wide range of emotions as I read. I even cried a little....

If you are looking for a fast read, this book isn’t for you. Throughout the novel, the author writes long, descriptive, clever sentences - using very figurative language. (Example - when talking about the cold - “which crept in like a cat through the farmhouse’s cracks and crannies.” Initially this turned me off. I am used to doing everything fast... But as I read I started to fall in love with Ms. Templeton’s way of writing. I got excited when she used one of these expressions. I admired her creativity. There was also something so homey about these expressions. I felt like I was really in the mountains of Virginia having coffee with a lifelong friend...

I completely recommend this book!

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't usually read books like these because it's not really my favorite genre, but I must admit that I don't regret reading this one. I actually liked it!

There were some moments though that I was annoyed by some things. Like for example the wounds/scars on Oliver’s wrists. They’re regularly mentioned, but the narrator, Holly, never asks about them, even though she worries about it. I often thought “Just ask him already!!”, but that’s most probably just me being impatient. It didn’t stop me from reading though (because I really wanted to know how it ends).

Pretty shocking ending by the way. I already suspected some parts of it, but definitely not all of it. I also felt that the ending was a bit rushed. It’s like the author took her time to write the other chapters and realized that in the end, she was done with the book and just wanted to finish it as soon as possible. When the events finally all came together, I was already done reading before I realized it. I wanted to know more about how Holly would end up (with or without Houston?).

But like I already mentioned, this is not my usual type of book, so even though there were some points of annoyance, I still liked reading it and the most important questions (e.g. what happened to Rachel?) were answered.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this family drama told from the perspective of Holly, aged 31 who left home 13 years ago after her 9 year old sister Rachel went missing. Now she is back to take care of her dying mother and another girl has disappeared. Holly was always convinced that her boyfriend at the time, Houston was responsible, but nobody believed. He left town at the same time but now, coincidentally, he has returned as well.

I really loved the Virginia mountains setting filled with characters who are all related to each other in some way, with families having lived there for generations. It was intriguing the way everyone rallied around Holly and her mother, really sticking together to do their best to help the family, which in a way is at odds with the way the tragedy of Rachel’s disappearance tore the family apart.

Nobody ever really knew what happened to Rachel, and we do find out in this story. There are plenty of hints along the way so I did guess some of it, although I got a bit frustrated because Holly either couldn’t or wouldn’t take notice of those hints. The read was not as dark or suspense filled as I was expecting from the product description, but was still a very entertaining read.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to give this story three and a half stars but couldn't, so I rounded it up to four. (I rarely give five stars.) The reason for the half star deduction is that the suspense always seemed to meander off in another direction.

A large part of the book deals with the heroine reconnecting with her community and old friends and relatives. That might put it more into the women's fiction category than mystery.

Thirteen years before the story starts, Holly left her small hometown when her nine-year-old sister disappeared. Her boyfriend was suspected of the crime but never charged. When she comes home to care for her dying mother, he returns, too. She's still sure he's a killer, but she's the only one in town who thinks so.

Then another young girl, a daughter of a good friend, disappears.

The plot is good, although I suspected pretty quickly what had happened. The problem lay in the suspense--the focus kept changing--and the characters. There were too many actions and attitudes of the characters that didn't read true, almost as if the author shaped them as necessary to fit her plot.

But the prose is so wonderful, anyone who likes atmospheric, descriptive stories will enjoy this one.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I was reading this book two words kept coming to mind—vivid and elegant. Laura Templeton has a true gift for setting, characters, and imagery, giving her use of language an elegance that made me savor each page. It’s a great mystery, too. On the surface, it’s about Holly McCann returning to her hometown to care for her dying mother. The family drifted apart after Holly’s nine year old sister, Rachael, disappeared 13 years earlier. Soon after her arrival, a neighbor’s child goes missing which propels Holly into a quest to solve the mystery of her sister’s disappearance. But this book is so much deeper—it’s also the portrayal of a family splintered by tragedy, the longing of lost love, the pain of breached trust, the toll that unresolved sadness, guilt, and anger take, and the hope of redemption. Laura Templeton skillfully taps into the motivations and emotions of the characters to convey how each bears the hurt of Rachael’s disappearance in a different way. The characters have depth and, despite their flaws, they are sympathetic and engaging. I didn’t want this book to end and look forward to reading more Laura Templeton novels.

[Angel **Book Junkie** · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars - Not because I did not like the book and not because I loved the book but because this book was pretty darn good. I had a love/hate relationship with the book and truly did not like some of the twists and turns in the book.

Spoiler: The thing with the Coach was pretty weird to me and did not really hold a place in such a suspenseful, real, and true book. I liked Holly but then again for some reason I felt that I would have connected with Rachel a little more. I felt like every time that I felt we were getting anywhere in the book it turned around and the focus was on something or someone else. I do believe that the author was brilliant and had great ideas I guess I could not take those ideas and run with them because there were so many in the book. This was a good solid 3 star read for the book junkie.

~Peace and Love~

~The Book Junkie~

www.iforgot2tellya.wordpress.com

[LAKristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written with minor editing issues. This is a stand-alone book.

There are many things I liked about this very original story, but ultimately I sort of dreaded picking it up to continue the story because just when you think things can't get worse, they actually do. Several times. I like suspense, and romantic suspense, but this book doesn't quite fit either of those genres. It's definitely suspenseful and there are glimmers of romance, but it's also more contemporary fiction with the deeply broken family relationships where most of the communication is in their heads because they're all so afraid of the emotional impacts of the other family members.

Ultimately, there is a happy ending. . . maybe. Not so much detail about that. So, I did like the book, it was just a little too emotionally raw for me to really love. But if you enjoy stories about small towns, emotional excavation, loss and recovery, this is your book.

[Samantha March · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura Templeton is now on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Something Yellow
Um, wow. What a read. This book is so emotional, so gripping, that is was nearly impossible for me to put down. When I wasn’t reading I was thinking about the story, wondering about the missing little girls and Holly’s family life and the little town that has seen so much sadness. The writing is beautiful and poignant, and builds up the scenes in your mind as you frantically flip through the pages trying to find the resolution. I honestly had no idea who was behind Holly’s sister disappearance, and when the true story finally came to life, I got goosebumps all up and down my arms. A truly wonderful read, and five stars in my eyes!

[Nikki Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something Yellow is a beautifully weaved story of many things: love, loss, mystery, intrigue, forgiveness, and so much more. The mystery definitely pulled me in, and as the main characters lives are entwined by yet another similar disappearance that shattered their world years ago, it's time for the ghosts to come out- not spirits, of course, but the ghosts of their past.

The story held me from page one and never let go until the end. The writing is well done, with a great pace and so much to this story that there's never a moment that I wanted to close the book. There were so many questions in my mind as I read on that I couldn't wait to get the answers to.

I'm adding Laura Templeton to my list of authors to watch...can't wait for another great read!

[J. A. Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story of a woman who returns to her small town to care for her dying mother. She is haunted by the past events of her young sister's abduction, her past relationship with a man whom she believes was involved and a distant relationship with her brother. I thought this was well written with descriptive dialogue. Towards the middle of the book, it isn't hard to figure out what has happened to her sister. This is an ok read with a light mystery. I must admit I did not like the ending but won't spoil it for future readers.

[L.A. Frazier · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing story with memorable characters. Instead of rehashing the story let me tell you why you will enjoy reading this book. The quality writing and moving story line carry you away to a hometown that is not yours - but you can't seem to leave until Holly (the main character) lets you go. And when she does - you will sigh and wish you could have stayed longer. Now go read the book - great for book clubs too! (There were Discussion Questions in the back.)

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading this book- I'm from the mountains of Southwest Virginia and it was a refreshing change not to have my people depicted as lazy, uneducated, toothless inbreeders. The characters were well-rounded, successful, and intelligent. The story was part mystery, part supernatural, with a little romance thrown in. All those elements made for a haunting tale.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holly left her home in the Appalachian's, vowing never to return. 13 years later she comes back to take care of her dying mother. She is forced to face the disappearance of her sister Rachel, many years ago when another girl about the same age disappears. She blamed her old boyfriend, Houston, for her sister's disappearance, and now is beginning to blame him again. Could it be just coincidence? I enjoyed the book and found it an easy read.

[Carol James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set among the glorious Appalachian Mountains, Laura Templeton's debut novel, Something Yellow, is an intriguing combination of mystery, romance, and the study of family relationships and values. Her heroine, Holly, is strong and independent, and her hero, Houston, is the perfect blend of mystery and warmth. Ms. Templeton's descriptions are exquisite, painting lovely word pictures that resonate within the reader's heart. I highly recommend this book as an addition to any library.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't give a higher rating than 3 stars to a book that has parts I view as improbable, if not impossible. Since the 13 years since the time her sister had gone missing, someone would have convinced Holly that her old boyfriend wasn't involved. I also had trouble believing the brother could hide his part in her death all that time.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book was incredible. So many twists and turns. Just when you think you have it figured out you find out something completely different. I loved this book and couldn't put it down. I would definitely recommend it to everyone.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked some parts of this book. Like others, I figured out the ending fairly early on, and I feel like the conclusion was both a little too neat *and* missing some information. I almost wonder if the author was setting up a sequel, but I don't know what would be in it, really.

[Marla Bradeen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something Yellow is a touching novel about one woman's journey to come to terms with past tragedies. The heroine, her family, and their struggles are easy to empathize with. The story is well-written and engaging, although it struck me as more contemporary fiction than mystery.

[Lesley Eichten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect vacation book! The writer has a lovely style, I often re-read paragraphs just to enjoy the feelings she brought through. Though the ending was a little weak I really enjoyed reading this story.

[Lynn Anns · Rating 5 out of 5]

This romantic suspense caught me from the first page. I spent two days reading it every time I could find a few spare minutes. I was surprised by the ending and loved the book.