Welcome to the Reviewer Tour for
The Marriage of Innis Wilkinson by Lauren H. Brandenburg hosted by
JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: The Marriage of Innis Wilkinson
Author: Lauren H. Brandenburg
Release Date: October 23, 2020
Genre: Contemporary Humorous Fiction
It is said that something magical happens during the festival season in Coraloo, something unexplainable. People tend to be a little crazier, reckless. Maybe it's because it coincides the full moon, but Coraloo's constable, Roy Blackwell, is beginning to think it's something else. That said, Roy has other things on his mind, like marrying Margarette Toft. A controversial decision as the Toft and the Blackwell families have a hatred for one another that is older than the town itself.
Tradition collides with superstition as the feuding families compete to organize the events surrounding the most talked about wedding in the history of Coraloo. Despite the array of minor catastrophes that ensue, and the timings clashing with a four-week long festival celebrating a legendary beaver, Roy and Margarette hold fast and declare they will do whatever it takes to wed. That is until Roy unearths a town secret - a murder involving a pair of scissors, an actor with a severe case of kleptomania, and the mysterious marriage of Innis Wilkinson. Can good come out of unearthing the past - or will only heartbreak follow?
My Review ❤️
A few pages into
The Marriage of Innis Wilkinson I knew this book was unique, having a tone and feel that I haven't felt in a book in a very long time. There is something about the small town of Coraloo that has the words "quirky" and "charming" echoing through the pages. With feuding families, and long-time held traditions that make no sense whatsoever to an outsider, you feel like you're in a time warp instead of modern day, and feel lucky to catch a glimpse of this unconventional town.
The novel parallels two very different, yet strangely similar timelines. The first is the wedding planning of two lovebirds, Roy and Margarette, each from one of the feuding families, the Tofts and the Blackwells, that have hated each other for generations. So long, in fact, that no one can give a clear answer of why the hatred for the other is so strong! The just let the feud continue, and both Roy and Margarette hope that their union will bring about peace to the rivals. To make things even more ambitious they plan on having the wedding by the end of the month.
The second timeline is the life story of Innis Wilkinson, the illusive cleaning lady of Coraloo, who was also the old seamstresses daughter, a woman who had her own superstitions, and made Innis's life all the more compelling.
The majority of the story takes place during the annual festival that happens in Coraloo every May, a festival that also brings out all the crazies with it. I actually got lost in this zany world, loving the wedding aspect, the kooky details of the festival, the planning, and finding out the great mystery that shrouds both Innis Wilkerson, and her husband. I can't leave out all the unbelievable traditions! To enter into the Blackwell family you need to read an instruction manual first!
To say I was utterly charmed by this story is an understatement. Loving the uniqueness of the town and its inhabitants gave it a real feel, and yet at the same time it felt like a delusion. I caught myself several times bouncing back and forth with the idea of real or imaginary, with a goofy grin on my face, loving every moment of this fun read!
The Marriage of Innis Wilkinson is so refreshingly different from many of the tropes out there right now, which is why I think I enjoyed this book as much as I did! Well, that and who couldn't fall in love with such a uniquely special town and all its inhabitants! A amazingly unique read for sure, but one that with absolutely charm the pants off you!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lauren H. Brandenburg is a mentor, speaker, and author who happily blurs the lines between traditional genres in both middle grade and humorous family fiction. She has currently written six of the ten books in The Books of the Gardener Series--Orlo: The Chosen (#4) was a finalist for the Selah Award middle grade novel of the year. The Death of Mungo Blackwell, a humorous family fiction (Lion Hudson publishing) was recently longlisted for the People's Book Prize in the United Kingdom. Lauren is a former junior high and high school English teacher who stepped away from her profession to raise and homeschool her two children. She currently lives with her husband, Jamie, and their children in a lovely little town just south of Nashville, Tennessee where they eat and laugh a lot.
*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views and opinions are completely honest, and my own.
No comments
Thank you for visiting! :)