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Shared House
When Joya Smithson's husband dies in a car crash, her comfortable life abruptly ends. In 1975, the world outside is rapidly changing, but Joya has had few worries as a housewife and mother. But her husband kept some terrible secrets, and now those secrets are devastating Joya's world. Suddenly she has no money, no workplace skills and no home. She has too much pride to ask help from her daughter, who is busy with her own life, but what can Joya do? Should she move in with a complete stranger, on only a flimsy promise? Can she ever find love again? She has to find a way to live, and a new view of herself, fast!
198 pages, Paperback
Published December 7, 2022
3 people are currently reading
1 person want to read
About the author
Sandra Rector
14 books13 followersI specialize in female characters who, in spite of often unhappy, difficult personal circumstances, somehow manage to go after their own dreams.
Evaleen From Rags to Riches begins when Eva, a teenager, must find a way to support her mother and herself during the Great Depression, a time when there were few jobs, especially for someone so young and with no experience at anything. She dreams of riches and a great love.
Charlotte Parker Forty-Niner begins in 1850 when Charlotte, an upper class, proper Bostonian wife decides to leave her controlling husband and go to the gold fields of California to investigate her father's death. She does this at a time when women had few rights and a woman traveling alone was seen as highly suspect.
Running Away to Santa Fe is about Aurora, a woman in a marriage that hasn't so much died as withered away. When her sister dies, she realizes just how short a life can be and decides to "run away" to Santa Fe and follow her own dreams.
Chez Tulips - Recipes and Stories is a series of stories about dreams and dreamers in the restaurant business. As a kid, my parents owned a bar/cafe in a small town. Their big concern was that my brother and I not eat up the slim profits. If you ate even one candy bar, the profits from the whole box were lost. I have also worked as a food taster for a large corporation, and loved cooking and restaurants my whole life.
As for me, I have placed short stories with Pedestal Magazine, Black Petals, Southern Cross Review and others. In a long freelance writing career, I have sold articles, essays, poetry, and short stories to such places as East West, Cooking Light, and The Washington Post, and in collaboration with my husband, PMF Johnson, I have sold short stories to various anthologies. I hope you enjoy my novels and stories.
Evaleen From Rags to Riches begins when Eva, a teenager, must find a way to support her mother and herself during the Great Depression, a time when there were few jobs, especially for someone so young and with no experience at anything. She dreams of riches and a great love.
Charlotte Parker Forty-Niner begins in 1850 when Charlotte, an upper class, proper Bostonian wife decides to leave her controlling husband and go to the gold fields of California to investigate her father's death. She does this at a time when women had few rights and a woman traveling alone was seen as highly suspect.
Running Away to Santa Fe is about Aurora, a woman in a marriage that hasn't so much died as withered away. When her sister dies, she realizes just how short a life can be and decides to "run away" to Santa Fe and follow her own dreams.
Chez Tulips - Recipes and Stories is a series of stories about dreams and dreamers in the restaurant business. As a kid, my parents owned a bar/cafe in a small town. Their big concern was that my brother and I not eat up the slim profits. If you ate even one candy bar, the profits from the whole box were lost. I have also worked as a food taster for a large corporation, and loved cooking and restaurants my whole life.
As for me, I have placed short stories with Pedestal Magazine, Black Petals, Southern Cross Review and others. In a long freelance writing career, I have sold articles, essays, poetry, and short stories to such places as East West, Cooking Light, and The Washington Post, and in collaboration with my husband, PMF Johnson, I have sold short stories to various anthologies. I hope you enjoy my novels and stories.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 22, 2023
Charming and sweet, relaxed and comfortable, all the while also being very Real. The situations the characters face and deal with are not manufactured or contrived, but all too real as I can attest to not only from personal experience but also from working with clients who have gone through such profoundly life-altering wake-up calls and the profound shifts-of-being needed to deal with them. Sandra Rector does a most excellent job of sharing this accurately without overdoing it at all.
How the characters deal with difficulty is likewise realistic, and, a most important and, how they DO deal with them, without such resolutions or successes happening artificially or all too conveniently just to make us feel good. We DO feel good because the characters in the story display Good Character even while of course not being perfect. They are Real people, dealing with the realities of life. A marvellous story showing how this certainly IS possible, and that's a marvellous gift, to see real stories such as this exemplify the qualities and characteristics we all CAN have and aspire to, and the magic of the story is how it shows us, without any doubts at all, that not only CAN Magic and good fortune happen, but it's also up to us to fully seize such opportunities and make the most of them.
Many many subtle life-lessons included and in such a way they're hardly noticed, because never are we preached at or lectured. It's all just there, simply, honestly, and real, all the while also with a constant sweetness and appreciation for the simple goodnesses of life most unfortunately just take for granted and thereby miss.
A most valuable journey to remind us we don't need all we think we need to be happy. happiness can come so easily, if we but heed the examples of the characters.
A most excellent exemplification of Good People living good lives.
Cleanly written with a smooth flow, and of course, a love story and More.
Well done Sandra. A good book indeed. :) <3
How the characters deal with difficulty is likewise realistic, and, a most important and, how they DO deal with them, without such resolutions or successes happening artificially or all too conveniently just to make us feel good. We DO feel good because the characters in the story display Good Character even while of course not being perfect. They are Real people, dealing with the realities of life. A marvellous story showing how this certainly IS possible, and that's a marvellous gift, to see real stories such as this exemplify the qualities and characteristics we all CAN have and aspire to, and the magic of the story is how it shows us, without any doubts at all, that not only CAN Magic and good fortune happen, but it's also up to us to fully seize such opportunities and make the most of them.
Many many subtle life-lessons included and in such a way they're hardly noticed, because never are we preached at or lectured. It's all just there, simply, honestly, and real, all the while also with a constant sweetness and appreciation for the simple goodnesses of life most unfortunately just take for granted and thereby miss.
A most valuable journey to remind us we don't need all we think we need to be happy. happiness can come so easily, if we but heed the examples of the characters.
A most excellent exemplification of Good People living good lives.
Cleanly written with a smooth flow, and of course, a love story and More.
Well done Sandra. A good book indeed. :) <3
January 22, 2023
Shared House is a romantic drama set in 1975 about Joya, who is reeling from the sudden loss of her husband and struggling to rebuild her life. But her husband was hiding secrets. She is, as the book describes her, “a grown woman, alone for the first time in her life, and broke. Worse, she had no experience at anything she could make a decent living at.”
Enter: Roselle, a wealthy widow who needs help fixing-up her decaying and neglected home, the Rose House, to its original grandeur. Joya moves into the Rose House with Roselle and spends long hours cleaning, cooking, and making minor repairs that she could make herself. When the job becomes too much to handle, she calls Luke, a hunky Vietnam vet who suffers from PTS and is currently working as a moving man. In exchange for free room and board, he agrees to help the ladies fix up the Rose House.
Now, with all three living in the large, dilapidated “Shared House,” their lives intersect and romance sparks between Joya and Luke.
The book is well written and moves quickly. The author has created a resourceful, interesting protagonist who learns that she is a stronger person than she originally believed herself to be when her husband passed. Roselle and Luke and other supporting characters are entertaining, and the author has fun with their interactions.
If I have one quibble, I would’ve liked to seen Joya and Roselle spend a little more time with Luke before offering him room and board in exchange for his handyman work. Even in 1975, it’s hard to imagine two single women allowing a man they’d only met once (when he moved Joya’s furniture out of her house) to come live with them. Having to make repairs to their home would’ve provided several occasions for him to help out and allow the women to get to know him. Plus, his need for a place to live could’ve come naturally in a conversation, prompting the women to discuss offering him a room before calling him.
Still overall, this was an excellent story about how found family can be even stronger than blood family.
The author gave me a free copy of the book for an honest review.
Enter: Roselle, a wealthy widow who needs help fixing-up her decaying and neglected home, the Rose House, to its original grandeur. Joya moves into the Rose House with Roselle and spends long hours cleaning, cooking, and making minor repairs that she could make herself. When the job becomes too much to handle, she calls Luke, a hunky Vietnam vet who suffers from PTS and is currently working as a moving man. In exchange for free room and board, he agrees to help the ladies fix up the Rose House.
Now, with all three living in the large, dilapidated “Shared House,” their lives intersect and romance sparks between Joya and Luke.
The book is well written and moves quickly. The author has created a resourceful, interesting protagonist who learns that she is a stronger person than she originally believed herself to be when her husband passed. Roselle and Luke and other supporting characters are entertaining, and the author has fun with their interactions.
If I have one quibble, I would’ve liked to seen Joya and Roselle spend a little more time with Luke before offering him room and board in exchange for his handyman work. Even in 1975, it’s hard to imagine two single women allowing a man they’d only met once (when he moved Joya’s furniture out of her house) to come live with them. Having to make repairs to their home would’ve provided several occasions for him to help out and allow the women to get to know him. Plus, his need for a place to live could’ve come naturally in a conversation, prompting the women to discuss offering him a room before calling him.
Still overall, this was an excellent story about how found family can be even stronger than blood family.
The author gave me a free copy of the book for an honest review.
April 11, 2023
Engaging Story of Courage and Love
“Shared House” by Sandra Rector tells the story of Joya Smithson after the sudden death of her husband after many years of marriage. Facing an uncertain future, Joya overcomes her fears as she builds a new life for herself with the help of Roselle, an elderly widow consigned to a nursing home by her uncaring son. Roselle invites Joya to help her return to her own vacant and dilapidated house by serving as a helpmate, remodeler, and general fixer-upper of all things – in exchange for free rent. The two women eventually invite Luke, a Vietnam vet with PTSD issues, as a third roommate – again to perform various repairs and other services in exchange for free rent. The story, told in third-person narrative style from Joya’s point of view, chronicles the trio as they overcome many challenges and eventually find their ways to a more meaningful life.
I liked a lot of things about the book, including a number of quirky and intriguing elements. For example, Rose House, Roselle’s long-time home, was originally built as a Sears Modern Home, purchased right out of the Sears catalog by Roselle’s parents and assembled on its current site, and two of the characters, Edwina and Aldus, are little people. Most of the characters are interesting and realistic, with both flaws and strengths, although there are also a few who are just plain rotten apples. The multi-year arc of the story is also well plotted and leads to a satisfying, if not unexpected, conclusion.
However, several things detracted from my reading enjoyment. Joya is constantly beset by worries and struggles to make decisions, which is appropriate, but she tends to repeat the identical internal arguments again and again ... and again … without adding any new insights. Actually, these recitations aren’t exactly identical, as the underlying facts seem to change slightly as the story moves forward. For example, the rent-free agreement is forgotten somewhere along the line as Joya and Luke are said to have voluntarily increased their rent, though there is no evidence that they ever actually pay any rent at all and Roselle, as portrayed in the book, would never have accepted rent in any case. Also, there is very little description of the book’s setting. While Rose House and its grounds are well described, I was more than halfway through the book before I realized that it is set in my very own home town of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Given that, what should have been the biggest challenge of all for Rose House – keeping the place habitable in the frigid winter months -- was never once mentioned even in passing, as none of the action took place during the cold season.
All in all, though, I enjoyed the book and I’m sure it will be especially well-received by fans of Hallmark movies. Three stars for Ms. Rector.
“Shared House” by Sandra Rector tells the story of Joya Smithson after the sudden death of her husband after many years of marriage. Facing an uncertain future, Joya overcomes her fears as she builds a new life for herself with the help of Roselle, an elderly widow consigned to a nursing home by her uncaring son. Roselle invites Joya to help her return to her own vacant and dilapidated house by serving as a helpmate, remodeler, and general fixer-upper of all things – in exchange for free rent. The two women eventually invite Luke, a Vietnam vet with PTSD issues, as a third roommate – again to perform various repairs and other services in exchange for free rent. The story, told in third-person narrative style from Joya’s point of view, chronicles the trio as they overcome many challenges and eventually find their ways to a more meaningful life.
I liked a lot of things about the book, including a number of quirky and intriguing elements. For example, Rose House, Roselle’s long-time home, was originally built as a Sears Modern Home, purchased right out of the Sears catalog by Roselle’s parents and assembled on its current site, and two of the characters, Edwina and Aldus, are little people. Most of the characters are interesting and realistic, with both flaws and strengths, although there are also a few who are just plain rotten apples. The multi-year arc of the story is also well plotted and leads to a satisfying, if not unexpected, conclusion.
However, several things detracted from my reading enjoyment. Joya is constantly beset by worries and struggles to make decisions, which is appropriate, but she tends to repeat the identical internal arguments again and again ... and again … without adding any new insights. Actually, these recitations aren’t exactly identical, as the underlying facts seem to change slightly as the story moves forward. For example, the rent-free agreement is forgotten somewhere along the line as Joya and Luke are said to have voluntarily increased their rent, though there is no evidence that they ever actually pay any rent at all and Roselle, as portrayed in the book, would never have accepted rent in any case. Also, there is very little description of the book’s setting. While Rose House and its grounds are well described, I was more than halfway through the book before I realized that it is set in my very own home town of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Given that, what should have been the biggest challenge of all for Rose House – keeping the place habitable in the frigid winter months -- was never once mentioned even in passing, as none of the action took place during the cold season.
All in all, though, I enjoyed the book and I’m sure it will be especially well-received by fans of Hallmark movies. Three stars for Ms. Rector.
March 20, 2023
The story follows Joya, newly widowed and in financial straights. She finds home and friendship with Roselle, an older woman, whose home was a dilapidated boarding house. Joya agrees to renovate Rose House in exchange for free rent. This enables Roselle to escape a truly awful nursing home and return to her beloved home. They are soon joined by the intense, but warm and dependable Luke.
There's much to like in this story. The characters are everyday people, but each evolves and lives the life they want to live. Joya's self esteem awakens, after recovering from a marriage she hadn't realised was so abusive. Luke addresses his demons and finds his feet and Roselle reclaims independence from her uncaring son and the institution she was thrust into. The author handles life, development and death perceptively and with compassion. and although a little predictable, I liked the ending.
What I found difficult was the amount of repetition, particularly in the earlier chapters, as Joya ruminates over her marriage, Sam's death, her sadness that she and her daughter aren't closer. People do obsess, but I don't think readers want to witness it to this extent. I would like to see more scene description to immerse the reader in the place and time. and hear more of the stories shared by the characters around the kitchen table, instead of references to the fact that they shared. I feel the book would be great if edited into a shorter work, or the author developed the character's world and showed, rather than told, the reader more about them.
There's much to like in this story. The characters are everyday people, but each evolves and lives the life they want to live. Joya's self esteem awakens, after recovering from a marriage she hadn't realised was so abusive. Luke addresses his demons and finds his feet and Roselle reclaims independence from her uncaring son and the institution she was thrust into. The author handles life, development and death perceptively and with compassion. and although a little predictable, I liked the ending.
What I found difficult was the amount of repetition, particularly in the earlier chapters, as Joya ruminates over her marriage, Sam's death, her sadness that she and her daughter aren't closer. People do obsess, but I don't think readers want to witness it to this extent. I would like to see more scene description to immerse the reader in the place and time. and hear more of the stories shared by the characters around the kitchen table, instead of references to the fact that they shared. I feel the book would be great if edited into a shorter work, or the author developed the character's world and showed, rather than told, the reader more about them.
January 13, 2024
Sandra Rector’s SHARED HOUSE is a pleasant tale of love, loss and eventual triumph. While romantic love is a cornerstone of this story, Rector’s at her best when writing about a shared love of humanity, of damaged people coming together to help one another and beating the odds.
Set in 1975, the tale revolves around Joya, an underconfident housewife whose life is turned upside down when her cheating husband is killed in a car accident, She soon learns he had gambled away virtually all their wealth. Facing foreclosure on her house, she agrees to move into Rose House, owned by an aging woman named Roselle. Roselle and her cherished home have both seen better days, and Joya is able to live rent-free on the condition she look after Rose House and Roselle. Soon they’re joined by third resident, a Vietnam vet called Luke, who is battling PTSD. They grow close and help each other overcome their respective tragedies.
It's a heartwarming story, though I would have preferred a bit more tension and less repetition, especially in describing the characters’ emotions. All in all, this is a book that will reward anyone looking for a wholesome tale of good people finding happiness.
Set in 1975, the tale revolves around Joya, an underconfident housewife whose life is turned upside down when her cheating husband is killed in a car accident, She soon learns he had gambled away virtually all their wealth. Facing foreclosure on her house, she agrees to move into Rose House, owned by an aging woman named Roselle. Roselle and her cherished home have both seen better days, and Joya is able to live rent-free on the condition she look after Rose House and Roselle. Soon they’re joined by third resident, a Vietnam vet called Luke, who is battling PTSD. They grow close and help each other overcome their respective tragedies.
It's a heartwarming story, though I would have preferred a bit more tension and less repetition, especially in describing the characters’ emotions. All in all, this is a book that will reward anyone looking for a wholesome tale of good people finding happiness.
January 2, 2024
Sandra Rector's A Shared House is a brilliantly written book about a Middle Aged Widow, Joya Smithson, who comes of age in the mid-1970s after being forced to fend for herself after the death of her husband and the realization that he led a double life that left her financially strapped. Rector's well-woven tale incorporates two more well-developed protagonists Rosalee and Luke who live together and care for each other in Rose House. While somewhat predictable for people who have watched and read similar dramas, the book does not disappoint as the narrative is well crafted and the characters ably drive the story. I was also elated that the son of one of the characters got what was coming to him at the end. A book I would highly recommend for holiday, nighttime, and weekend reading. I could not put it down.
January 17, 2023
Shared House is a feel-good and satisfying story of redemption, friendship, and family—the family that isn’t necessarily the one you were born into.
There are three main characters—Joya, Roselle, and Luke. Each of them suffers from loss, betrayal, and neglect. Most of the story is told through Joya’s viewpoint as all three set out to reclaim themselves, their lives, and their futures. The relationship story-threads are echoed in Luke and Joya’s renovation of Rose House.
The story kept me reading, but at times felt repetitive. Like the author didn’t trust the reader to remember or interpret the main character’s fears, plans, or emotional challenges and told the reader what to think.
People who love feel-good stories will enjoy this book. It felt like a Hallmark drama
There are three main characters—Joya, Roselle, and Luke. Each of them suffers from loss, betrayal, and neglect. Most of the story is told through Joya’s viewpoint as all three set out to reclaim themselves, their lives, and their futures. The relationship story-threads are echoed in Luke and Joya’s renovation of Rose House.
The story kept me reading, but at times felt repetitive. Like the author didn’t trust the reader to remember or interpret the main character’s fears, plans, or emotional challenges and told the reader what to think.
People who love feel-good stories will enjoy this book. It felt like a Hallmark drama
March 15, 2023
In the love drama Shared House, which is set in 1975, Joya is depicted as she tries to put her life back together after losing her husband suddenly. She is alone for the first time in her life, broke, and worse still, lacked any experience in any field where she could support herself.
Then Roselle, comes into the picture and later Luke, the third main character in this heartwarming and enjoyable romance novel about forgiveness, friendship, family and of course, love.
The three central figures, Joya, Roselle, and Luke, all experienced loss, betrayal, and neglect. When the three of them set out to regain themselves, their lives, and their futures become a mirror of Roselle’s house which they set out to remodel. A delightful read indeed!
Then Roselle, comes into the picture and later Luke, the third main character in this heartwarming and enjoyable romance novel about forgiveness, friendship, family and of course, love.
The three central figures, Joya, Roselle, and Luke, all experienced loss, betrayal, and neglect. When the three of them set out to regain themselves, their lives, and their futures become a mirror of Roselle’s house which they set out to remodel. A delightful read indeed!
January 13, 2024
Shared House by Sandra Rector is a compelling and sometimes heartbreaking romantic drama where our protagonist, Joya, is dealing with losing her husband whilst also discovering secrets he kept from her. With her life so irrecoverably changed, Joya finds herself sharing a house with a complete stranger, Roselle. Soon, a handyman Luke also begins living with them and romance blossoms.
The character's are the book's strongest point, with Joya coming to terms with what was an abusive marriage, with Luke troubled by PTSD and Roselle managing to escape a terrible nursing home.
The themes of everyday strangers and the rifts they have with their real family only to form a loving found family is well done.
The character's are the book's strongest point, with Joya coming to terms with what was an abusive marriage, with Luke troubled by PTSD and Roselle managing to escape a terrible nursing home.
The themes of everyday strangers and the rifts they have with their real family only to form a loving found family is well done.
March 31, 2023
This isn't a genre that'd pique my interest usually but I found this book to be warm, earnest and nicely executed. The period texture and detail is nicely done if a little on the nose for me a couple of occasions. There's a spretty srong sense of place throughout, which I appreciated. The characters are drawn quite vividly and consistently, they have flaws, feel quite rich and organic, and the various travails they endure lead to a mostly satisfying conclusion. I am most definitely not the target audience for this one, but it's nicely executed throughout, and fans of the genre will find a lot to enjoy I'm sure.
January 14, 2024
Reading this novel is an engaging experience because it delves into the complexities of life, love, and loss. Set against the backdrop of a tumultuous 1970s, the story opens with Joya Smithson, a character whose world is turned upside down by the sudden death of her husband. The novel intricately weaves together themes of grief, resilience, and the pursuit of independence, painting a vivid picture of Joya's journey through the unexpected challenges of widowhood.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews