Stones

By: Marilyn Baron

Narrated by: Lili Dubuque

When Julie Paver’s husband Matt moves his business to Atlanta, she is forced to leave behind her thriving jewelry boutique, Stones. The move threatens their 25-year marriage, because now if Matt isn’t out of town negotiating a merger, he’s spending late hours on overseas phone calls with his sexy-sounding second-in-command.

Feeling neglected and unloved, Julie seeks closure by reconnecting with her first love, Manny, when he pursues her with his internet innuendos. Manny is unaware he’s the father of Julie’s son, and Julie contemplates revealing the secret to him on the eve of their son’s wedding. But would such a walk down memory lane be worth the cost?

Julie and Manny finally meet at her oceanfront condo - in the midst of a hurricane - and elements collide to create the perfect storm in a coming-of-middle-age crisis.

©2014 Marilyn Baron (P)2019 Marilyn Baron

Stones

Sometimes you read/listen to a book and you just feel so connected to the characters. In the beginning of the book I really felt that. Julie talks about aging and her kids moving on. But as the book backs up and tells her history of the one that got away, we all kind of have that one. And for each of us its something different that makes us realize it was mostly in our head and it wasn't all we thought it was as young adults. Their were those moments that I just wanted this woman to make a decision, or tell one of these men how she really felt. The book was hard for me to put down and I love how it ended, I really enjoyed it. Great job on the narration.

Letting go of the past

Julie feels unloved and forgotten by her husband Matt. Matt doesn't understand that he can come across as uncaring and thoughtless. Matt moved his family from Florida to Atlanta to further his career without discussing things with his wife. Julie feels like she has lost everything her business, family, husband and friends. Julie is at her lowest point when out of the blue comes her ex Manny and she must decide what to do. Should she go back to him? Has he grown up and changed? Julie must also tell him something that could ultimately destroy her happiness.
Stones is well written, quirky, and snarky and will make you laugh and tear up. The characters are believable as well as the storyline. The narrator is also you are able to feel the characters emotions through her different voices. The book is absolutely phenomenal I could not turn it off. I highly recommend this book. I received this audio book at my request. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Clarity!

Stones by Marilyn Baron is like a multifaceted gem. Many angles to this book, but I especially loved the clarity of Julie's feeling in the end. She goes from feeling lost and unloved to knowing she is loved and found contentment. The author wrote some vivid imagery in this book, and realistic feelings of many women. I also enjoyed the fact, that this story spans decades. The most memorable scene for me was when Julie recognized what she had in front of her and let the past go. Lili Dubuque was a joy to listen to. She conveyed the feelings and characters perfectly.