Watch Us Shine

Love Walked In #4

by Marisa de los Santos

“Bring me the Northern Lights.”

Cornelia Brown is reeling from a terrifying act of violence when she gets word that her mother has been badly injured in an accident. Cornelia returns to Virginia, to the house she grew up in, and in the weeks that follow, she watches her mother Ellie struggle to recover, fluctuating between her usual crisp, can-do clarity and periods of delirium during which she seems haunted by a devastating loss from her past. In grief-stricken tones, Ellie begs Cornelia to bring her the Northern Lights, and despite her confusion at this mysterious plea, Cornelia vows to do so: “She was my mother and she wanted the Northern Lights; I was her daughter and would have given her anything, anything.”

With the help of her prickly sister, Ollie, Cornelia embarks on a mission to piece together the lost years of their mother’s life: people, places, and events spanning Ellie’s late teens through her mid-twenties. Cornelia and Ollie’s quest takes them to unexpected places and into the worlds of strangers whose lives Ellie touched and irrevocably changed. As the sisters uncover truths about their mother’s life—some beautiful, some ugly, some tragic—Cornelia herself begins to heal, to forgive herself, and to find her way back home.

Alternating between two timelines—Cornelia’s story in the present, and that of the young Eleanor Campbell in the 1960s—Watch It Shine explores the complicated bonds between sisters, the impossible demands of motherhood, and the power of human love to save us again and again.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Historical Fiction, Family, Audiobook, Chick Lit, Adult

320 pages, Hardcover

First published June 6, 2023

About the author

Marisa de los Santos is the New York Times bestselling author of LOVE WALKED IN, BELONG TO ME, FALLING TOGETHER, THE PRECIOUS ONE, and her newest novel, which continues with characters from the first two, I'LL BE YOUR BLUE SKY.

Marisa has also co-authored, with her husband David Teague, two novels for middle grade readers: SAVING LUCAS BIGGS and CONNECT THE STARS.

Marisa and David live in Wilmington, Delaware with their two children, Charles and Annabel, and their Yorkies, Finny and Huxley. Marisa is currently at work on her sixth novel for adults, I'D GIVE ANYTHING.

Reviews

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so happy to get to revisit these characters again, it had been way too long. But so worth it. What a lovely, beautifully written, heartfelt story.

" 'If I ruled the world, people who love each other would always keep each other. Keeping would be the top of my list of rules.' 'You should rule the world. Actually, I think I always thought you did.' 'Sometimes, we lose people. We can't help it. But if we can possibly help it, I think we should hold on like snapping turtles.'"

Cornelia was first introduced 18 (!) years ago in de los Santos' debut Love Walked In. This was followed three years later with Belong to Me, then ten years after that with I'll Be Your Blue Sky. Although this is a series and you will get so much more out of it if you read them in order to know who is who and how they are connected, this book works incredibly well as a standalone.

In this book, Cornelia has just endured a horrible event, and around the same time, her mother is involved in an accident and is now in a rehab facility. Not knowing how to live her real life anymore, Cornelia leaves her husband to care for their children and heads to help out with her mother. Her mom is experiencing some sundowning episodes, and at one point she makes Cornelia promise to bring her the Northern Lights. No one can figure out what this means, and as Cornelia, later helped by her sister Ollie, starts to uncover the secrets from her mother's past, they all strive and struggle to help themselves too.

I was incredibly moved by this story. It is very emotional and showcases the author's writing talent. I laughed, I cried, I got angry, and felt the full gamut of feelings during my experience of reading this novel. I generally don't like it when something is deliberately hidden from the reader that all of the characters know about, but in this case it isn't hidden overly long. The author sets up the story so that the incident that happened to Cornelia is revealed at the perfect time so that the reader can get the full impact of the toll it has taken on her and everyone around her.

This book has a bit of mystery, but it is so much the story of family and love and how we need to love fiercely and continue to reach out, despite the messes and the pain.

A gorgeous tale that will stay with me a long time.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

[Bkwmlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first picked this book up, I had no idea that it was part of Marisa de los Santos’s popular series Love Walked In. This worried me initially, as I hadn’t read any of the other books in the series, so I was afraid I would be lost without the backstory or that I wouldn’t be able to connect with the characters. Luckily, this one turned out to be a standalone story that didn’t require any knowledge from previous books (though I’ve heard that it’s recommended to read the other books in the series for the best emotional effect). With that said, even though I wasn’t familiar with this particular series or its characters prior to diving into it, one thing I was familiar with was the writing, as I had read de los Santos’s previous standalone novel I’d Give Anything and remember being smitten by how beautiful and heartfelt the writing was. My sentiments toward that book very much apply here as well — the memorable, relatable characters who may act a bit quirky at times, but overall are tremendously endearing; the themes of family, love, forgiveness, truth, regrets, and relationships in all its various forms; the “messiness” of complicated family dynamics where each member might not agree with or understand one another, but still love each other regardless; and of course, the emotional nuances that permeate the story, woven into the narrative in a way that felt seamless and effortless.

De los Santos has a way of tackling difficult topics with empathy and grace, which I admire and appreciate. Her characters are put through some incredibly hard things, and sometimes the decisions they make I might not necessarily agree with, but yet I couldn’t help rooting for them wholeheartedly. I loved all of the characters in here, but I especially connected with Martha, specifically in her role as protector (in this case, of her sister Eleanor), which ends up taking more of a toll on her than anyone could’ve anticipated. Martha’s story was heart wrenching, yet rendered so magnanimously, with an undercurrent of hope and compassion that added emotional nuance, but was never heavy-handed.

There was actually so much to unpack with this moving, poignant story that it’s virtually impossible to do the story justice in the short space of a review. I definitely recommend picking this one up, especially if you’ve read the other books in the series. Over the course of just this book, Cornelia, Eleanor, and their large, extended family already endeared themselves to me to the point that I definitely want to read the previous books in the series so that I can get further acquainted with them.

Received ARC from William Morrow via NetGalley.

[Kristen O'Daly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would love to give this book a bazillion ginormous amount of stars. Not only are these characters like coming home, but as always, the author's use of language is pure magic. Countless times I had to just pause and read sentences again. So fortunate to receive an advance copy. I am always so thrilled to start one of her books and so overjoyed yet sad when I finish.

[Kari Ann Sweeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read all and loved all of Marisa de los Santos's adult novels and 𝗪𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐔𝐒 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐄 is no exception. I love her writing style. She infuses gorgeous prose in a way that elevates both her characters and story without being too flowery. It always implores me to slow down and savor it.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Her latest is fabulous. At just under 300 pages it isn't a long book, but there is a lot packed in. Familiar relationships steeped in history and mystery , PTSD acceptance and recovery, sibling dynamics, motherhood, secrets and love. It was pieced together seamlessly and then unraveled perfectly in a dual timeline that by the end I was completely enveloped. It was such a treat.

There are return characters from her 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘐𝘯 series, but you could read it as a standalone.

"𝘒𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦? 𝘚𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰? 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘊𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦." "𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯, " 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, "𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘮. 𝘕𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦"

This quote flew off the page directly into my heart.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was a bit of a slow burn. Not really what I was in the mood for today. It had its one story line and did not stray.

I like this author. I have a few more of her books that I will get to soon enough but this meandered along so slowly. I wasn't pulled in by the story or the characters. There were a few well placed twists that I appreciated but I wanted so much more...not just some family drama.

Overall this one was just okay for me, so 2 stars.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watch Us Shine (Hardcover)
by Marisa de los Santos

Character-driven, family-centered. I want to go back and read the books before this one... I think it would have meant more to me than it did... so I will probably revisit this book.

As a stand-alone read, it was certainly very good, most of the things that I love about reading. As it was, it was a four star read.

4 stars

Happy Reading!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me just put down my tissues to write this review. Holy smokes, was that heavy at times. I think being a mother now made this all sorts of meaningful that I wouldn’t have cried over in the past. In the beginning of the book, Cornelia hints at an event that happened to her and her kids. I’m glad I didn’t have to wait too long in suspense of knowing what it was, but when I understood I had to set the book down for a bit. It was fiction, but I felt the grief and shame and anxiety of this trauma because it could be so real today. There is so much to unpack in family relationships and how we cope with trauma. This book explores some of that and it isn’t easy.

Cornelia to Teo “How arrogant to believe we are in control of what happens to the people we love, good or bad, when there’s this giant, teeming universe of forces at work out there: biology, society, economics, physics, grief, greed, the Spanish Inquisition, meanness, illness, drugs, love, weather, accidents, randomness… our only job is to do our best to love the people who are ours to love.”

[Alyssa Yoder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to give this 3 stars instead of 4, because the plot just seemed so far-fetched, and the characters either so perfect or so stylized. I did enjoy her beautiful writing, the cozy homy feel, and the healthy family relationships.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marisa isn’t able to write anything less than 5 stars as far as I’m concerned. Her books are just the right combination of drama, love, misdeeds, life, death, success, and failure.
In her new book, “Watch Us Shine” we return to Cornelia and her family. Cornelia’s mother is dying, and has one wish before she goes: “Bring me the Northern Lights”. Although this wish stumps Cornelia, it doesn’t deter her from doing everything she can to meet her mother’s final wishes.
As she digs into Mom’s past, Cornelia learns of a life she had no clue her mother had lived. A childhood of loveless pain, and surprisingly, a sister. Thus begins a process that is healing and enlightening for all of the family. But she still hasn’t found the Northern Lights in a form that she can take to her mother.
This is a heartbreakingly honest story of a family’s pain, but more importantly, a family’s love that brings them together to heal.
Thanks to William Morrow for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is June 6, 2023.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love everything this author has written: this one is no exception. She writes about love, for one’s spouse, mother, daughter, sister and friends. Her characters are people I wish I could meet and have as friends. There is truth in the emotions of the characters and I felt some of their heartache, too.
If I didn’t have to get some sleep I would’ve finished this book in one sitting.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost DNF’d. But kept reading through. I forgot it’s #4 in the series because none of the characters rang a bell for me. Had a hard time engaging -questionable choices of the time and there were several threads loose that didn’t make sense.

I love the author but not this book. 2.5 star rating.

[Janall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the other books by this author- especially Love walked In. This book has beautiful prose but is dull as watching paint dry. Themes delve deeply into motherhood, and sisters, but doesn’t-explore any new territory as there really isn’t much of a story here.
The main premise is a Cornelia, ( from Belong to me) is now a middle aged woman. She comes back home when her mother is hospitalized. Her mother suffers from ‘Sundowners Syndrome “, and is desperately crying for the aurora borealis. Cornelia is trying to full-fill her mother’s wish, but has no clue what it means. Her father Dr B- knows but won’t tell her as “it’s not his story to tell”, so Cornelia is forced to go investigating on her own. The story then flips back and forth to her mother Elenor’s early adulthood where she and her sister Martha finally escape their abusive mentality ill mother. They find very different paths, and are torn apart. The big mystery is what happened to Martha, and why didn’t Cornelia know about her.
There are lots of twee scenes of domestic life, drinking cocoa and reading books, the cast from previous books make appearances but very little happens in the way of excitement.
Sorry but 2 stars as I skimmed the last 30%, and didn’t care how it ended.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

It took me longer than I'd like to admit to figure out that this was another installment in the "Love Walked In" series. The character names were familiar, and I had to hop over to GoodReads to check on de Los Santos' other works. I've loved everything she's written and this was no exception. It did take me some time to recall the characters and get into the rhythm of the story. Once I did, I was enthralled. This follows Cornelia as she deals with a traumatic experience in her own life and also with her mother's illness. She follows a mystery of her mother's past, and the narration alternates between Cornelia's present and Ellie's past in the sixties. de los Santos always has so many poignant, beautiful things to say, and she does that perfectly here.

[LibraryLaur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another lovely, lyrical read from de los Santos, revisiting some of my favorite literary characters.

*Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow Paced and Poetic Book of Memories and Generations

When a daughter is tasked with finding what her ailing mother asks for repeatedly, she finds more than she ever hoped to find. She finds answers about who her mother was and who she has become and why. This is a novel that explores the depths of relationships between daughters and sisters. It also has triggers like alcoholism and abuse. But the book is so beautifully written with a lot of twists as Cordelia sets out to find the northern lights for Eleanor that the journey is well worth the meandering that the novel does. This is a book that is perfect for book club discussions as the characters are profoundly three-dimensional and the plot is mysterious and invites questions about what is actually happening. I really enjoyed the entire story although at times, I did think that it dragged a bit, but there was a purpose in the slow telling of the story. I think the purpose was to let me linger and think about my own life and memories.
I checked out a copy of this book from the local library using the Libby App. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.

[Mary Hinkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the “Love Walked In” series, this is a family saga filled with family secrets. Beautifully written, it is both heartbreaking and heartwarming.

[Julie Durnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I loved the story of Eleanor and Martha, and more of Cornelia Brown! This author has such a beautiful way with words! If you enjoy books about relationships- especially mother/daughter or sisters- this is a book sure to please.

[Jennifer Gyuricska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smell, sound, sight, taste - her words are poetry for all these senses.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven’t read Love Walked In or its sequel Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos, then run to your nearest bookstore or library to purchase/borrow them and become acquainted with these quirky, charming characters. I wish I was reading these novels for the first time. That’s how special they are. There are other connected books in the series, and I have read them all, but found these two to be the best, until Watch Us Shine and the return of kindhearted Cornelia and her mother, as well as other familiar characters. This novel is just as quirky and charming as the first two, but this time the reader learns about Cornelia’s mother, Eleanor Brown, her tragic childhood and her beloved sister, Martha, both kept secreted all these years. During the sundown hours while Eleanor Brown recovers from an accident at a rehabilitation center, Eleanor pleads for Cornelia to bring her the northern lights, and despite being confused by her mother’s request, she is determined to do as her mother asks. Simultaneously, Cornelia is recuperating at her family home from a life-changing, violent incident involving her and her children. It is her mother’s request that starts Cornelia on a journey of familial, as well as self, discoveries.

Marisa de los Santos is an amazing storyteller, especially when it comes to Cornelia Brown. It takes a little bit of patience to get comfortable with the quirkiness, but I suggest you read Love Walked In and then Belong to Me, first, in that order, and you will come to love these characters because of their quirkiness and good-heartedness, rather than despite it. Just be warned, it took me half of Love Walked In (a short book) to love it, but love it I did!

It was such a pleasure to spend more time with the Brown family. The more I learn about them, their love for one another as well as for others, the more I want to know and the more time I want to spend with them. Reading this novel is pure joy.

[Amanda up North · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+ stars.
It started so-so, definitely a read that gains strength as it goes, leaning toward 5 stars in the end.

Enjoyable coincidence: This made for three books in a row for me that featured art / artists.

Happy surprise: The story travels to the north shore of Lake Superior here in Minnesota.
In her acknowledgments, the author admits to never having traveled here herself, but she doesn't botch it. My only correction would be that we don't call it a coast. It's always the lake or the shore.

Also: There are northern lights. Watch Us Shine hit some homing instincts in me.

At the heart of it are mothers and sisters. Connections that are big and complicated and varied and made this a heartfelt read.

I wished one thing had been different, but I understand that then we wouldn't have had a story.

I've read a handful of De Los Santos's previous novels (I think this was my 6th), but it had been a long time. This story is a continuation of characters from four other connected books, not necessarily a series, but companion reads. It could be read as standalone, but I think it would be better appreciated having read the others, and it would have been beneficial to me to have read the others more recently.

[Laura Bone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodreads Giveaway

I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Watch Us Shine through a Goodreads giveaway.

I really enjoyed this novel. It was emotional, genuine, and big hearted. I enjoyed a how much it focused on both sister bonds and mother daughter bonds (two things that are personally close for me). I've learned from reading other reviews that this book is a continuation in the authors "Love Walked In" series. I have not read any other books by this author and did not feel like the book dumped me into an unknown timeline. Everything about this novel felt self contained, I never felt like I was missing out on character history.

The author's prose is melodic and imbued with meaning. De los Santos' sentences are well crafted with attention to details and poetic understanding. Also, the voice of the main character Cornelia felt unique and quirky. It was a distinct narrative voice that felt separate from other first person narratives I have read. I would recommend this novel to people that enjoy human-interest stories about familial love, forgiveness, and redemption. Watch us Shine is a solid story with well developed characters and an intriguing plot.

[Karin Westbrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not aware that Watch Us Shine was part of a larger series by Marisa de los Santos, I adored her earlier book, Loved Walked In. It doesn't seem necessary to read the others before this one, I would consider it a stand alone, but if you love it as much as I did, you may want to go back and enter the world of Cornelia and her family!

The story is told in two different time lines, which seems to be a common format, these days, which I tend to lean towards and enjoy. Our first time line is from Cornelias point of view. She has just experienced an act of violence against her son, causing her to reel and spin out of control, she blames herself for what occurred. Next, we see the story through the lens of Elenor, or Ellie, Cornelias mother as a young woman in her twenties.

At its core this book is about sisters; how they love, and how they protect one another and the sacrifices that they make for each other. You have Sisters Cornelia and Ollie, that are dealing with their mothers sundowners, and its effects on the family, Cornelias struggle to come to terms with her trauma, and Ollie who feels as if part of her is missing, is she adopted? And then we have the story of Elenor and Martha, two sisters who survive the abuse at the hands of their mother, and try to forge out a life away from each other, on their own, a sisterly bond that never breaks.

For me, this was a propulsive story, I loved reading about the early life of Elenor and her sister, and how they made a way for themselves in the wold, against all odds, and the sacrifice's they made for each other. I loved how it represented the story of motherhood, how difficult and painful it can be. This part very real to me, and was well written.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC copy for an honest review.

[Hannah Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd give this more than five stars if I could.

I love everything Marisa de los Santos writes, but some titles hit harder than others. This one really spoke to me. I think it was all the sibling connections -- Ollie really got me this time around -- and there were so many old friends who came back to visit within the pages of the novel. I loved it. I loved everything about it.

[Katherina Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book continues with the family and characters that I first met in the Love Walked In series. I fell in love with the characters and the family then and this book does not disappoint. While the book may be considered part of that series by virtue of characters, it is also a book that could be read on its own. This is a dual time line story and both stories had me hooked. It was both sad and uplifting, as is life outside of books. Hope shines through though, and Marisa de los Santos shines again.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another beautifully written story from Marisa de los Santos. Quiet, character-driven, lyrical prose…a story of family, secrets, overcoming trauma, and relationships.

If you’ve read Love Walked In, Belong To Me, or I’ll Be Your Blue Sky, you’ll recognize some familiar, beloved characters. Cornelia is back and takes a starring role in Watch Us Shine (but you don’t have to read the other novels first before enjoying this one).

“Love is a question that contains its own answer, the one instance of circular reasoning with which no one can argue: we love what we love because we love it.”

“The card catalog alone made her heart happy— all the things of the world resting in their places.”

[Donna Lundy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read all the books in this series so far and this was definitely not my favorite. It was very slow getting started, about halfway through it started to get good but it did all come together by the end. Narrators did a great job.

[Thea Fransen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t exactly describe why, but I love every book I’ve read by this author. Love the characters, love the insight, love getting the “prequel” of Eleanor. If you have read and like her other books, this one will land well.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved! I will know deep dive into all books written by Marisa de Los Santos.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will always read whatever Marisa de los Santos writes. Magical.

[Karen Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice continuation of a story from Marisa de los Santos. It started a bit slowly, but came together and finished well. I really enjoyed it.