Challenge Corner discussion

Emery Blackwood’s life changed forever the night her best friend was found dead and the love of her life, August Salt, was accused of murdering her. Years later, she is doing what her teenage self swore she never would: living a quiet existence on the misty, remote shores of Saoirse Island and running the family’s business, Blackwood’s Tea Shoppe Herbal Tonics & Tea Leaf Readings. But when the island, rooted in folklore and magic, begins to show signs of strange happenings, Emery knows that something is coming. The morning she wakes to find that every single tree on Saoirse has turned color in a single night, August returns for the first time in fourteen years and unearths the past that the town has tried desperately to forget.

August knows he is not welcome on Saoirse, not after the night everything changed. As a fire raged on at the Salt family orchard, Lily Morgan was found dead in the dark woods, shaking the bedrock of their tight-knit community and branding August a murderer. When he returns to bury his mother’s ashes, he must confront the people who turned their backs on him and face the one wound from his past that has never healed—Emery. But the town has more than one reason to want August gone, and the emergence of deep betrayals and hidden promises spanning generations threaten to reveal the truth behind Lily’s mysterious death once and for all.

Starting this one today.

I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this one

Chapter 26 - I unfortunately wasn't around my computer so here we are. Further than I planned before making any comments.
(view spoiler)[Ok so this is super interesting. It's definitely sucked me in. I genuinely have no guesses as to what happened to her!

I really like August as of right now. Not sure why I do but I'm getting nice vibes from him so I'll be sad if he actually did it. I'm rooting for him and Emery for sure.

It's weird that Lily was found in the forest with seawater in her lungs and she's ingested seaweed. Also, she was pregnant?! And they think she was sleeping with August?! I'm just so confused haha.

What's the deal with the friend though? I can't remember his name right now haha. Did he lie for August that night about finding him at the lighthouse? Was he actually the one that did something to her and then the lie created an alibi for him as well because he lied for August? Basically August gave him an out? I don't trust him as of right now but that's really just a vibe I think. I don't like that Emery is with him now. Imagine if it was him?! That would destroy Emery. Sorry, just throwing down things as I think haha.

I'm really enjoying it and I'm glad it's not super predictable (for me) so far. (hide spoiler)]

The number of POVs in this book is a little overwhelming. It feels like we have a POV for everyone that lives in Saoirse.

Yeah there are definitely a few :)

Chapter 43
(view spoiler)[Ok, so apparently I was onto something but now I'm a little confused. Why do neither Emery or August think Dutch did it? Emery actually said he's a good guy to August after she met with him in the cabin and told him that Lily had been pregnant. He doesn't have an alibi and was clearly upset about everyone wanting August and not him.

I thought Dutch was going to kill her in the cabin so she wouldn't tell anyone but then she goes and says he's a good guy. What is happening?! What am I missing?!

It makes sense that August started the fire. His grandfather was horrible. It's really sad that the town forged his name so they could have the farm.

Curious to see how this ends and I assume the truth about everything comes out. (hide spoiler)]

Finished
(view spoiler)[What in the world happened at the end?!

Emery and her dad just show up, say they're going to take August and so be it?! They all of a sudden have two children and are living off-island?

I'm so confused by this. What happened to the orchard? Did no one get in trouble for what they did? They tried to kill someone multiple times, 3 different people I think but yet no one gets in trouble?! The people who didn't do anything (except for August and the fire) get run off the island and shamed. I'm fairly disappointed with the ending which is a bummer because I really enjoyed the rest of the book.

Did I miss something? I actually went back and listened to the last 3 chapters again because I thought I had.

I was convinced that Dutch had killed Lily but clearly not. I didn't read anything about this book before starting so I didn't realize there was a magic element to it. You would think the title would have tipped me off, but no, haha. (hide spoiler)]

Overall, I did really enjoy the book but I'd like more from the ending.

Sorry a little late since I haven't been able to put this down. Definitely wondering why there are POVs for everyone on the island basically too since I feel like the important details can still come across from August and Emery's POV. I'm on chapter 39 so a little over halfway through.

Finished
(view spoiler)[ Had the same thoughts as Brittni was really thrown off by the ending. There was such a big time skip with no explanation if the town faced any repercussions for basically wiping out the Salt line just to get their hands on the orchard or if Emery and August just gave them the deed and that was it everything was swept under the rug again. I would have to guess they did from the very little information given.
Lily’s death was an interesting twist but it would have made more sense and had more impact if the magic was more explained on how it worked and was more prominent in the story instead of just a small detail that was easy to miss. (hide spoiler)]

Overall thought it was well written which is expected of Adrienne Young since I read some of her other work and really enjoyed them and her writing style. Had a hard time putting it down too I wanted to know what happened to Lily and if August was really responsible for it which means I cared enough about the characters and story to continue so another plus.