Originally Published: 10-14-2020
When Shadows Fall is the 7th book in the Callaways Series by Barbara Freethy.
Remember this series is about the Callaway family, all 8 kids!!
Book Details
When Shadows Fall is a long awaited novel. Throughout the whole series, there have been some clues as to a big secret that his beloved grandmother has. But due to her onset Alzheimer’s, the things she says are not necessarily reliable.
But…
When in this story, we actually find out what she’s been alluding to from the very beginning.
This book is classified a little different. It is a contemporary romance but it’s also family saga, which is different than the first several books.
And of course, there’s another book cover for this, but it’s almost the same. And another down below.
You’ll find this book to be a full length novel with no cliff hanger. There’s a problem to solve that they work together to solve.
And yes there’s also story loops for future stories and pieces from previous characters so that we know how they are doing.
And while this is a romance, the mystery is the bigger part of the plot. And it’s while they’re solving that they mend their relationship and come back together.
The mystery is the secret that grandmother has.
So this is Colton’s story. He’s the youngest Callaway and twin with Shayla.
He’s a firefighter along with several of his siblings, his father and a few cousins.
He runs into burning buildings for a living and usually doesn’t think about himself while he’s doing that.
Olivia Bennet is a writer that’s hired by grandma Callaway’s best friend Molly Harper.
Molly, Eleanor and several of their friends have all hired Olivia to tell their story. They want to finally write the story of their lives, and the theatre group that they ran in the 70s.
Book Summary
Olivia and Colton actually run into each other. That’s their “meet cute”!! Fun!!
And when they introduce themselves, there’s an immediate wariness.
And that’s expounded on when Colton’s grandfather takes him aside and bluntly tells him that he needs to do everything that he can to keep the writer away from his grandmother.
With grandpa Patrick gone for a few day, and a nurse taking care of Eleanor, Colton and Olivia are forced together to not let the other do what they would like to do.
Olivia wants to write the story that Molly asked her to come and write.
Colton needs to everything he can to stop her.
The problem is is that they are combust-ably attracted to each other. And they’re continuously thrown together and have to deal with each other.
Okay, it’s not a hardship for them to be together. They definitely start to like each other!!
And while Molly might be in a coma after a stroke, she still helps them to find the clues that they need to figure out this secret.
Okay, and what a secret it is!!
Sorry spoilers!
They reveal that the theatre group, this group of ladies that made costumes and sang and danced on stage were actually a front for an underground railroad ring that got abused women and children away from their abusers.
And that not only shocks Colton but also Olivia.
And the rest that they find out rocks both their worlds. And to make the story fun and exciting they band together to find out the rest of it and to actually get some answers.
Okay, I’m not going to give it all away, but the secret that grandma Eleanor had been keeping comes to light.
Not only do they find out what the older ladies were doing, but they find out what happened to Molly. Her story is both tragic and moving, touching and shocking.
And then we see how their story had a ripple effect on the generations after. And what they end up doing about it.
Conclusion
When Shadows Fall is an interesting story and very enlightening.
The author does a good job of showing how certain events and happenings that happen in their youth and early lives can have a profound effect on the rest of their lives and the lives of their children and grandchildren.
Not only were the actions of Patrick and Eleanor but also of Molly and her husband affect many people and not just them.
Molly then leads a life of service and support and helps many others in abusive situations to get a new lease on life. And that has an impact too.
It was fun to see a little bit different type of romance where it wasn’t just about the romance. I liked how the other characters led a life of courage and service and helped others where they could.
And then this story leads us to the next one where we finally get to hear Burke’s story.
