Welcome to my Sunday Book Review. Today I’m sharing my review for a fictionalized memoir – Flowers and Stone, by Jan Sikes. I’d been looking forward to this book as this author and I share something in common, we both lived our passions, we both married older men, and for both of us, both our men were the great loves of our lives.
Blurb:
The epic love story begins here! A hot Texas summer, dim-lit honky-tonk bars, a young naïve fledgling go-go dancer, and a wild rebel Texas musician set the stage for this story. 1970 in Abilene, Texas finds young Darlina Flowers trying to figure out how to fit into the world she is most attracted to – the nightlife, live music, and go-go dancing. Luke Stone, a veteran Texas Musician believes he’s lost all reason to care about his music career, his health, and most especially his heart. A chance meeting with Darlina changes everything. Yet, it seems it’s too little too late, as fate has already determined the outcome. Join Luke and Darlina on a passion-filled journey down Texas roads while Luke and his band entertain crowds along the way, as Darlina Flowers struggles to adjust to this strange new world. Can she trust Luke Stone with her heart? Luke Stone, a good man who has made a career of bad decisions, falls as completely in love with Darlina as she does with him. Will their unyielding love survive the test of time, distance and iron bars?
My 5 Star Review:
Darlina Flowers, 19, wanted to get out of small town Texas and gets herself a factory job, supplementing with go-go dancing at a local bar. There she meets, 15 years her senior, Luke Stone, a musican, and becomes part of his dance show with the Rhythm Rebels.
Luke is a player that many women seem to have their eye on, and already being married, doesn’t seem to stop his roving eyes. Until he meets Darlina, a young vibrant, compassionate small town girl who steals his heart.
There are lots of mountains and valleys of emotion in this story as the passions heat up between Luke and Darlina through their musical journey together, and their love. Theirs is a true love story with a lot of obstacles and hurt to come as Luke has a secret he keeps from Darlina, and that eventually becomes a wedge between them. Luke didn’t know how to handle the situation by telling the truth to Darlina and found it best just to cast her aside and break her heart, as his own was broken too. But he felt some things he just couldn’t share with Darlina, which was very unfair as her heart was broken as she was left wondering what on earth could have gone wrong after he promised her his undying love, yet, left her in the lurch of unknowing.
Despite their craziness, the two shared a deep love for each other, and no obstacle was going to stop Darlina from loving the man of her heart.
©DGKaye2022