A Look Back

Life On Victoria Square #7

by Lorraine Bartlett

On the anniversary of her great Aunt Lizzie’s death, Katie Bonner reflects on the course of events that led her to be the custodian of Artisans Alley--from the moment her husband took their money and invested it in a dying business to the death of its founder, Ezra Hilton. And it’s with tears of sadness and joy that Katie contemplates her uncertain future.

This story takes place just before the events in the Victoria Square Mystery (#7) A Murderous Misconception but may be read as a stand-alone introduction to the series

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

55 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 17, 2020

About the author

The immensely popular Booktown Mystery series is what put Lorraine Bartlett’s pen name Lorna Barrett on the New York Times Bestseller list, but it’s her talent -- whether writing as Lorna, or L.L. Bartlett, or Lorraine Bartlett -- that keeps her in her readers' hearts. This multi-published, Agatha-nominated author pens the exciting Jeff Resnick Mysteries as well as the acclaimed Victoria Square Mystery series, and now the Tales of Telenia fantasy saga, and has many short stories and novellas to her name(s). Check out the descriptions and links to all her works, and sign up for her emailed newsletter here: http://www.lorrainebartlett.com

She lives in Rochester, NY, with her husband and two cats.

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading about Katie’s life before she acquired Artisan’s Alley. Katie has always been my favorite character, so learning her backstory was like getting to know a good friend better. This is a nice short story to show that our lives don’t always turn out as you think, but you can adjust and survive.

[Lorraine Bartlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote it. I like it!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is part of the Life on Victoria Square series, but instead of featuring a story about one or more of the shop owners, it is centered on the back story of the main character, Katie Bonner. We already know that Katie's husband invested in Artisans Alley without her knowledge, despite her desires to invest their money in a bed and breakfast venture. Then when he died, she found herself trying to manage this business...a business that she soon became thoroughly invested in...both for the potential revenue, as well as the business owners that patronized this location and the town itself. This story gives the reader a chance to better understand Katie's character, as she reminisces about how she came to be in this position. I think it is a great reminder for all of us that everyone now and then, needs to sit back and think about how they came to this spot in their lives, both the good and the bad, and appreciate the small victories along the way. Disclosure: I am voluntarily reviewing this story, and all opinions are strictly my own.

[Taryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this lovely short Katie takes a look back on her life on the anniversary of her Aunts death and the actions that led her to where she is now. She goes through her memories on how her marriage was upended and when she became the head over Artisans Alley. It's an emotional road that she travels, thinking about how her past has brought her to this point but together all those events make her who she is now. A strong woman who took the little she was left with and turned it into her own mini business empire. It was a great read that gave more background into who Katie is and all that she has accomplished since the beginning.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katie Bonner goes to her Aunt Lizzie’s grave to clean it up. We see how her life with Chad began and their relationship. It really helped to fill in questions. What had brought Katie to Victoria Square? Why was she so wanting to open a Bed and Breakfast? How did she meet Seth?
A very good short story for Victoria Square fans/readers.

I received an ARC prior to publication and decided to voluntarily review it.

[Taylor's♡Shelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was crushing.

I bought this story before realizing it was a Katie/Chad flashback and I honestly considered not reading it when I realised. I pushed on despite the possible nightmares. In hindsight, it was really nice to see the ‘story before the story’ and what brought Katie to Artisan’s Alley.

One thing that did lift my spirits while reading this was the insertion of Toni and Kathy. I never expect authors to tie their series into one another and I love that Katie and Kathy were good friends in college.
This story is definitely a must-read for fans of the original series.

BONUS:

“Josh attacked the first brownie like that of a greedy child, smearing frosting across his lips in his haste to swallow it.”

I think this image might give me even more nightmares than the Chad thing.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short story of Victoria Square merchants

Short Stories of the characters on Victoria Square.  This one features Katie and the story of how Chad betrayed her by investing in the Alley.   Cute quick read.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

How it stared

This.was.a.great.quick read and.really opens.your eyes to how Katie's life in McKinley Mills all started. Its nice to take that look back to how things started for her.

[Darlene S. Hankins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not My Favorite

I have enjoyed the series but again I have to say "Not My favorite" book. I look forward to the next book!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another fantastic short story in the Victoria Square series. Katie Bonner reflects on the chain of events that led her to Artisan's Alley. Sweet and heartwarming. Part of the series but can be read as a stand-alone.

[Pamela Priest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent back story to show what happened between Chad and Katie and how she ended up with Artisans Alley. A good short story!

[Sue Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though readers knew the basic back story it was still sad to read the details.

[Jenny Durland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Closure

It’s so nice to have this in depth background story of a character I adore greatly. Very well written and hard to put down.