The Violets of March

March 28, 2011
Jio debuts with a pleasant if familiar story of a woman rebuilding after romantic and professional setbacks. A few years ago, Emily Wilson was a bestselling writer married to a loving and handsome man. Now her husband has ditched her and she's unable to string four words together. Looking for rejuvenation and inspiration, Emily leaves New York City for a month at her great-aunt Bee's Bainbridge Island home, but soon after she arrives, she discovers a mysterious diary from 1943 and becomes fascinated by the love story captured by the unknown diarist. Emily's attempts to ferret out the story behind the diary bring her into contact with the island's mildly colorful locals; as Emily enjoys a simmering romance with an artist, answers prove hard to come by, and even Bee is reluctant to share the truth. Though simple miscommunication and misunderstandings play lamentably important roles later on and the supporting cast is fairly vanilla, readers looking for an easy-to-digest story of starting over will enjoy the ever-determined Emily and the lovely setting.

May 1, 2011

Jio's debut novel is a rich blend of history, mystery, and romance. After a heartbreaking divorce, one-hit-wonder author Emily is staying on Bainbridge Island, WA, with her elderly aunt when she comes across a diary from the 1940s. Drawn into the details of a mysterious stranger's life, Emily begins to see parallels to her own situation and senses a mystical connection with the anonymous writer. Fans of Sarah Blake's The Postmistress should enjoy this story.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.