This Place of Wonder

This Place of Wonder is a character-driven tale about four women who are bound together in their grief over the death of Augustus Beauvais, a well-known and gregarious chef and chronic womanizer who was influential in all their lives. 

These women in Augustus' life were his daughters Maya and Rory, his ex-wife Meadow, and his girlfriend Norah. The four women are well-drawn, each with their own pasts and struggles as they navigate through their grief and the issues, they bring into this non-traditional family dynamic.

I enjoyed how O'Neal slowly reveals the backstories of these characters and while there is a bit of a lull in the middle, the added mysteries, and my desire to get to know these four women better kept me turning the pages. It wasn't as emotional as I had expected (I'm a hard tear duct to crack), but I think the topics (addiction, family dysfunction, grief, philandering) and Augustus' complicated bond with each of these women would make great fodder for book club discussion. I didn't like the man, but I could also see why people were drawn to him. 

This was slower burn, character-driven read that showcases four strong women and explores the complexities of relationships, long-held secrets, and loss. The addition of beautiful descriptions of the setting and the mysteries made the story that much better. This was my first book by Barbara O'Neal, and I look forward to reading more of her back list.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to TLC Book Clubs and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Barbara O'Neal

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Type and Source: Trade Paperback from TLC Book Club

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

First Published: July 19, 2022

Book Description from GoodReads: In the wake of a personal tragedy, four women face the past, their futures, and each other in a novel of broken ties and healing by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids.

When famed chef Augustus Beauvais dies, he leaves behind a celebrated reputation―and four women grappling with loss, anger, pain, and the question of how the world will turn without him…

Meadow, the ex-wife with whom Augustus built an empire―and a family―still holds a place for him in her heart, even as she continues to struggle with his infidelities, which ended their twenty-year marriage. More unforgiving is Maya, his estranged daughter, who’s recently out of rehab but finally ready to reclaim her life. Norah, his latest girlfriend, sidelined her own career for unexpected love and a life of luxury, both of which are now gone with Augustus. And then there’s Rory, Meadow’s daughter, the voice of calm and reason in a chorus of discontent.

As Meadow, Maya, Norah, and Rory are flung together by tragedy, grief, and secrets yet to be revealed, they must accept―or turn away from―the legacy of great intentions and bad decisions Augustus left them. And when the circumstances around his death are called into question, their conflicted feelings become even more complicated. But moving forward is the only choice they have, and to do so, they’ll need to rely on family, friendship, and inner strength.

Set on the stunning, rugged California coastline, This Place of Wonder is an emotional, lush, and empowering story of four women finding their way in a changed world―and what a wondrous journey it will be.