A New Beginning

by K.D. Rye

There's a quietness, an empty space, that surrounds your life after losing someone you love. Autumn lives in that empty space, day after day, following the same routine, in unresolved angst. The small town she lives in is failing after the Super Center was built in the next town over, which threatens the survival of Price's General Store, where Autumn works.
She doesn't know how to keep her head above water until the arrival of May, a mysterious dream-like girl who just moved in. Autumn finds refuge in their quickly defined friendship. As her mother falls deeper into depression, Autumn doesn't see a way out of her current situation, until May shows her that anything is possible.
However, nothing is what it seems and Autumn has to decipher if the relationship she has built with May is real.

214 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 18, 2018

About the author

KD Rye spent her youth day dreaming and reading comic books. She holds a bachelor’s degree in creative writing, a Juris Doctorate, and a Masters in Business Administration. She enjoys conversations via bar top and playing rugby. If you meet her in person she will probably challenge you to an arm wrestling match...and you will probably lose.

Reviews

[Dide · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.6 star rating
This was a really nice read in terms of suspense, character and the core of the storyline. It should really have got my full 4 star rating but I encountered a number of errors that made me wonder if the book went through an editor.
All the same I look forward to reading a book by this author again.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this riveting, poignant story and it moved me to tears. I can’t say much without spoiling it. The main character is Autumn whose family disintegrated after the death of her older sister. Although she lives with her mother, her mom is no help dealing with the loss since she herself isn’t coping well. Autumn seems to be the breadwinner and caretaker, but her job is in jeopardy, so she has a lot of stress in her life in addition to her grief. The mysterious May provides the lonely Autumn with love and hope. The author leaves some clues as to the ending scene, and we see changes in both Autumn and her mother, but the ending is still a surprise. Like the blurb says, nothing is as it seems. This book will stay with me for a while.

I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.

[Max Reinhold · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling portrayal of rebirth after loss set in the excellent backdrop of a decaying small town. The author builds a bleak, yet hopeful atmosphere that serves to emphasize the overall themes of the book. Without spoiling too much, the ending excellently subverts the reader's expectation, although it does wrap up rather quickly after the reveal.

[Laurie Law · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging read:
K.D. Rye lures you in to this story describing a brokenness that engages the reader’s empathy. The reader can’t help wondering what the truth is while rooting for recovery. But is recovery possible? This book acknowledges the complex process of coping with tragedy and how each of us uniquely handles these situations.