The Taste of Air

It was a good read -an interesting premise - well developed characters and well written enough to keep me reading. The ending was a tad predictable- but it was a nice story. I'd read more by the author.

Nell Williams receives a phone call informing her that her mother, Mary, has been admitted into the hospital in Vermont. Not only is her mother's health a real concern for Nell but just why in the world was her mother even in Vermont is the big question, Mary was supposed to be in an assisted-living facility in Massachusetts.

When Nell arrives in Vermont she finds that her mother has had a secret life that no one in the family had known about. Mary owns a small cabin and it seems that she has had the place for years, even before Nell's father had passed away. Now while waiting for news of her mother's health Nell needs to piece together this secret life that her mother had been living.

The Taste of Air was a fantastic contemporary read that almost had a bit of a thriller edge to it when it came down to unwinding years and years worth of family secrets. The story alternates between the current day and the past leading the reader to find out what exactly Mary had been hiding from her closest family for years.

Not only did Mary have her secrets for Nell to uncover but the book touches upon Nell's own self discovery along with other characters during the read. It was quite intriguing and had the pages turning all throughout watching the characters grow and find themselves right along with solving the mystery of the small lakeside cottage that Mary had kept and why she hadn't even told her daughters.

Definitely a compelling read for those that enjoy more of a family drama and secrets spanning decades unfolding before your eyes, one that I'd highly recommend.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

My first thought after finishing The Taste of Air was that this was an incredibly satisfying novel.

My second thought was that I want to live in a cute cottage in New England when I’m older, though my dream cottage would be big enough to share with my husband and our collection of dogs.

In this novel, author Gail Cleare introduces us to a trio of women, each of whom are strong and weak in individual ways. Mary Ellen, the mother, has been leading a secret life for decades, and was apparently content to do so until suddenly, her secret is revealed when she is sent to the hospital.

Her daughters, Nell and Bridget, discover their mothers double existence when Nell is called to her bedside. Nell is the ultimate caregiver, sacrificing her own happiness for her family, while Bridget repeatedly chooses men who don’t treat her well.

Together, these three women form both a family, glimpsed mainly in flashbacks, and the nucleus of the novel.

What I loved was that author Cleare really captured the subconscious patterns that family members develop, the ones that demonstrate connection as much, or more than, any physical attributes. I also liked that each woman had her own journey, and that while those journeys intersected, each story was given equal weight.

It would have been so easy to focus on Mary Ellen, for example, unraveling the mystery of her cottage refuge without her ever speaking a word in the present day. It would have been just as easy to focus on Nell, whose point of view opens the story. (In truth, even though my only children have four feet and fur, it was Nell I most identified with.) Or Bridget, who is probably the most outwardly together and inwardly unhappy woman in the story, and who has dual quests – a satisfying relationship where she’s treated with respect, and the search for the baby she had as a teenager, and subsequently gave up for adoption.

All three stories are compelling, and as we meet the men, the other women, the children, in the lives of Mary Ellen and her daughters, what results is a family portrait that is less a posed and stilted (and somewhat horrific) presentation, and more a collage of hard truths, past mistakes, present ambitions, and great love.

I would recommend this book to women (and men) of all ages, who want to truly understand how multi-dimensional we all are.

Goes well with an open window, a cozy chair, a mug of coffee and a plate of crisp apples and sharp cheddar cheese.

I have to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

This is one of those books you won’t be able to put down unless something beyond your control happens. It starts out interesting and just gets better and better until the final beautiful page. It’s got so much in it but not hard to follow at all. About a family, the Vietnam war in places, children, parents and children. Extended families and beautiful towns. Some tragedies along the way too but it’s so worth reading.

Mary(Ellie) has two daughters who she loves beyond words. She would do anything for them that she can. Thomas, their dad got Alzheimer’s and Mary took care of him until he died. She had met him before they both were sipped overseas during the Vietnam war. Her a nurse, him a pilot. They were engaged to be married. Mary/Ellie becomes friends with an ambulance driver, Jake. They share time together and see some pretty awful things. One thing I liked about this story is it did not go into bad gruesome details of bloody and hurt soldiers or the horrors they faced when they came home. Although it did happen. It’s good to read about some of the pleasant things even though they were most likely few and far between. Jake and Mary were the best of friends and eventually Mary became best friends with Jake’s wife Jennie.

Mary had many secrets that her daughters would uncover in her cottage in Vermont. She had a completely separate life there from the one at home or in the assisted living facility in Massachusetts where she was suppose to be. Nell and Bridget learned a lot about their mother that they never knew. They got to know themselves much better along the way also. They uncovered some secrets that their mother kept from them and learned why. Everyone possible has some secrets they would like to keep but in Mary’s case it helped her daughter to move forward learning who and what their mom was and had done. She was a wonderful lady in my opinion and in theirs too.

This truly is a wonderful story that will touch your heart in so many ways. Make you feel like taking time for yourself is ok and a must sometimes. I throughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. It was so heartwarming, beautiful and touching. I cried, laughed, cringed a bit, while reading this one. It’s a good must read for anyone who loves a story that will unfold chapter by chapter. It is told from Mary/Ellie, Nell and Bridget’s lives. Not in the least hard to follow. It will leave you feeling happy. It did me.

I loved it and gave it a big 5 stars. Well written, great characters and beautiful scenery.

A beautiful story - But Geez, so many secrets! I'm not going to give it all away for those who haven't read it yet but there's definitely some jaw-dropping moments in this book. About 2/3 of the way in I did have some of it figured out. I was wrong about a few things but I had the main gist of it.

Great character development! I got totally wrapped up in the characters and their lives. I don't think I could've held it together as much as these two sisters, Nell and Bridget did if I found out those secrets about my mom.

I loved that every chapter was dated at the top that certainly helped because it kept going back-and-forth in time. I don't mind books that go back in time as long as the reader knows when in time it is and this one was great.

Definitely a book worth reading! Very enjoyable, easy flowing, nice writing style. A good beach side or poolside read! A great new author for me, would definitely love to read more by her.

I voluntarily posted this review after receiving a copy of this book from the author - Thank You!!

A beautiful story - But Geez, so many secrets! I'm not going to give it all away for those who haven't read it yet but there's definitely some jaw-dropping moments in this book. About 2/3 of the way in I did have some of it figured out. I was wrong about a few things but I had the main gist of it.

Great character development! I got totally wrapped up in the characters and their lives. I don't think I could've held it together as much as these two sisters, Nell and Bridget did if I found out those secrets about my mom.

I loved that every chapter was dated at the top that certainly helped because it kept going back-and-forth in time. I don't mind books that go back in time as long as the reader knows when in time it is and this one was great.

Definitely a book worth reading! Very enjoyable, easy flowing, nice writing style. A good beach side or poolside read! A great new author for me, would definitely love to read more by her.

I voluntarily posted this review after receiving a copy of this book from the author - Thank You!!

Red Adept Publishing and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Taste of Air. This is my honest opinion of the book.

Nell Williams gets a call about her mother, Mary Ellen Reilly, who is in a hospital located hours away from her home in Massachusetts. As Nell discovers her mother's secrets, a life emerges that she and her sister Bridget knew nothing about. Will the past that is revealed tear apart the family for good?

The biggest issue that I had with The Taste of Air is that it is simply just not that believable. If her daughters had not been a part of her life, I could see Mary being able to pull off the deception. However, I found it implausible that she could have fooled so many for so long. There were certain plot points along the way that seem to exist only to move the story along. I had trouble forming a connection to any of the character and, to that end, I do not feel that The Taste of Air warrants a recommendation to other readers.

This was a wonderful book about three women, a mother and two daughters, and the complex and very different lives that they led. From the call that would change all of their lives, to the discovery of a hidden life led by the mother, the impact for all of the women would be life changing. The character development, along with the descriptions of the serene area of the lakeside cottage, have you so immersed in this storyline that you frankly do not want to put the book down, or the story to end. I highly recommend this book to not just women, but to men as well. This book provokes our reflection as to the motives that bring us down certain roads in life...and is it the path we should choose? I was given this book for an honest review and am happy to be able to give my opinion—this is a great book and you should definitely read it!

Gail Cleare, thank you!
One phone call and your life turns around instantly. Family drama doesn't always mean what you think it does, or does it. I was completely impressed and immersed by these characters that were so wonderfully and carefully crafted. Secrets and revelations and the consequences due to choices, even with the best of intentions, come to light and play out consistently throughout this story's pages and will keep you wanting more. This novel delivers it all; it's engaging, believable, heart warming and captivating. My only wish is that the story continued on, as I was sad to see it end. A wonderful read that you're sure to enjoy.....
Thank you once again to Gail Cleare, as well as, Red Adept Publishing and NetGalley for bringing this story to light for me and so many others.

A family drama that pulled me right in. When their mother Mary is sent to the hospital in Vermont ,Nell and Bridget are stunned. Their mother is suppose to be living in an assisted living facility in Massachusetts. When Nell arrives in Vermont she finds her mother has this cottage no one knew about. While the sisters try to uncover why their mother is living in Vermont long buried secrets come to the surface. I loved everything about this story. The family history. The choices Mary made in the name of love. Just Beautiful! A must read for summer or anytime. A great book club selection. There is just so much to discuss. This story will stay with you long after you close the cover.
Dawn
BookGypsy
Novels N Latte

Nell Williams is one of those people who tries her very best to have everything in her life as much in order and planned as possible, mainly for the benefit of her family. But things are suddenly disrupted when Nell receives a phone call telling her her mother Mary has been admitted to a hospital in Vermont. Though the location is a bit of a surprise since her mother lives in an assisted-living facility in a different state, Nell immediately travels down there to be with her mother. While staying in Vermont, Nell soon discovers her mother was actually leading a second life, including another group of people she was very close with. Together with her sister Bridget Nell dives into the past to discover what exactly their mother was hiding from them and most importantly: why?

I love it when you start reading a novel and within the first few chapters you are already really captivated by the story and its characters and you just feel as if you could continue reading until the last page, just because the book has got you in its hold. Over the years I've come to realise that there are more books that do not have that quality than ones that do, so I was a happy reader when I got that exact feeling when starting Gail Cleare's 'The Taste of Air.' I really enjoyed the combination of a women's fiction read focusing on family and friendship, but with an added mystery element to it; a big secret around which the entire story is written. I have to say I was definitely curious and didn't want to put the book down, just so I could read on and discover more about where the story was going and what would happen to the different characters.

I really enjoyed the fact that this is quite clearly a character-driven novel and the characters are therefore also one of the best parts of the book. I liked both Nell and Bridget, and also their mother Mary, whom the reader gets to know quite well through the several flashbacks in the novel. Next to that there are some interesting secondary characters, and everything is told in chapters of a good length (not too long, not too short) and a comfortable and well-paced writing style. I have definitely been convinced by author Gail Cleare and already look forward to her next read. Overall, 'The Taste of Air' is a compelling and warm women's fiction read about family, friendship and romance; a novel which I loved and was sad to finish!

A lady in assisted living leading a quiet retired life. Two daughters who love their mother but who lead busy lives themselves. When a call comes from a hospital with the news that their mother was admitted with acute pneumonia, both girls are extremely perplexed. Vermont is several hours away from where their mother lived. How did she get there? Was she involved in an accident?

Nell goes hoping to find answers. What she uncovers is a life led by her mother going back decades. A life unknown to their father, unknown to them. Their mother had friends, a community of people who loved and supported her throughout this period and how she was able to keep this a secret is something they couldnt figure out.

The premise of the story was an interesting one. I expected there to be much more of interest in Mary's secret life. It was more mundane than that. Having being a carer for a husband with Alzheimer's this was a bolt hole for Mary but it started long before that. For Mary it started when her marriage went through a dull and bad patch and she needed a place of her own. She obviously never wanted to be a burden to her children and this was the way she sought to keep her life on an even keel.

I went into the double life expecting much more drama than there was! Nell and Bridget were two girls who accepted with equanimity the life of their mother, and understood why she did it the way she did.

Interesting story.

Massachusetts author Gail Cleare leads and writes a fascinating life and story. She is highly regarded as a writer for newspapers, magazines, Fortune 50 companies and AOL. Her award-winning ad agency represented the creators of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The lady has a clear eye for what draws or focus and she distills that clearly in THE TASTE OF AIR – one of the better novels that explores the interstices of Family: the special blood ties, the shared humor, and the secrets and lies and shadows we all own.

One of the reasons Gail’s book works so well is the accessible, down to earth language she uses to mold her creative prose. The opening of her book rattles windows and allows suggestions of secrets that will bloom as the book unfolds – ‘Nell ~ 2014 Her day began with reassuring rituals. Make the beds, start a load of laundry, empty the dishwasher. After lining up shiny crystal tumblers inside the glass-fronted cabinets, she filled the upper shelves with neatly nested plates, bowls, and cups. Her finger found a chipped edge, and she tossed the imperfect saucer into the garbage. It was expensive china, but she would order a replacement. The house always looked fresh, with cut flowers on the dining room table. It smelled of roses and sandalwood. When Nell walked through her beautiful, decluttered, well-organized home, balance and serenity followed. She had pulled on a jacket and was typing a grocery list on her cell phone when it rang. Nell didn’t recognize the caller ID but answered just in case, as she knew good mothers did. “Eleanor Williams?” Not the school. They never call me that. “Yes?” She didn’t feel like being patient with a telemarketer and reached for the off button. “Mrs. Williams, I’m calling about your mother, Mary Ellen Reilly.” An elevator bell sounded in the background, and a voice was talking over an intercom. Nell frowned and put the phone back to her ear. “What about her?” “This is Hartland General Hospital in Vermont. Sorry to call with bad news, but your mother is in our intensive care unit.” This had to be some kind of weird mistake. “You must have the wrong person. My mother lives in Massachusetts. I just talked to her yesterday.”

The synopsis Gail provides places the map before us: ‘A simple phone call disrupts Nell Williams’ well-ordered life. Her mother, Mary, is in a hospital in Vermont. But her mother is supposed to be safely tucked away in an assisted-living facility in Massachusetts, so Nell can’t fathom why she would be so far from home. After notifying her sister, Bridget, Nell hops on a plane and rushes to her mother’s side. There, she discovers that her mother has been living a second life. Mary has another home and a set of complex relationships with people her daughters have never met. When Nell and Bridget delve deeper into their mother’s lakeside hideaway, they uncover a vault of family secrets and the gateway to change for all three women.’

At books end Gail endears us with an Author’s Note – ‘There is a real place called Hartland, Vermont. I have borrowed the name and surrounding landscape for this story, but the town and its inhabitants are totally imaginary.’ This is that kind of book, on so real and important that it bears at least a second reading – after the first sinks in. Grady Harp, January 17
This book is free on Kindle Unlimited.

The Taste of Air,  Gail Cleare

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Romance, Women's fiction.

Bah, my usual moan...Women's fiction – why? Why assume men won't want to read this, why cut off a group of customers.

Got that over with and this is a fabulous read. I wasn't sure at first if I'd like it and it does have the potential to get confusing, told from POV of Nell, Bridget and Mary, and told in past and present. Yet somehow it all works and I wasn't left feeling lost, wrapped up in the past and sharply brought up to present. This isn't my preferred way of reading a story yet it worked so well, letting me see events as they unfolded naturally.
I liked that the characters had faults, weren't just sweet and light, lovely and loving but displayed elements of reality, dissatisfaction with life, partners, family. That's all of us at some points, we don't live in a happy vacuum, real life has issues that affect us, problems that need to be sorted and we don't always deal with things the way we should.
I did wonder why Nell's husband wasn't more questioning of what had happened, why Mary was so far from home, why Nell was staying. Mine would have wanted every little detail, David just seems to be “OK, see you sometime”. Maybe its part of why Nell is dissatisfied with her life, though it may look perfect to others, and I liked the way the author brought about changes to them.
I did find a few things a bit hard to believe, would it really be possible to hide that alternate life, and of course the Mary, Ginnie, Jake triangle. Its not a cheating story, per se, but does have some pretty strong deceptions going on and I wasn't convinced that everything would have stayed secret for so long.

Stars: Four, an interesting and absorbing read, but I did feel it stretched credulity a little in parts.

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

I received this advance copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Nell was proud of her ability to maintain her well-ordered life, but everything turned upside down the day she received a phone call that her mother, Mary Ellen, was in the intensive care unit at a hospital in Vermont. As far as Nell and her sister, Bridget, knew, Mary Ellen was living in a lovely apartment in a senior citizens’ complex in Massachusetts. What was Mary Ellen doing in Vermont?

When Nell arrived at Hartland General Hospital, she was stunned to find out her mother owned a small cabin by the lake, and had developed the life-threatening respiratory infection while boating on the lake with a neighbor. Entering her mother’s cabin left Nell unsettled and somewhat confused, wondering how many other secrets Mary Ellen had been keeping from the family. The photographs on the walls, the familiar décor, and their mother’s personal items obviously in use left Nell and Bridget with more questions than answers.

I really enjoyed this story of family love and loyalty. Mary Ellen was an incredibly strong woman caught in an impossible situation, and yet, she was able to do the right thing with grace and dignity. Nell’s determination to discover who her mother really was, and Bridget’s ability to understand loss and pain brought the family secrets full circle and resolved them in a warm and positive way.

The Taste of Air by Gail Cleare
Starts out where Mary-the mother has alternating chapters with her daughters: Nell and Bridget
The girls have been notified their mom is in the hospital but it's nowhere near the retirement center she's been staying at. Nell goes to the VT area to investigate and within a few days, no answers as her mom has a vent tube in, she learns her mother has a cottage
and a has been living there for about 10 years and is friendly with the neighbors. Nell has a family and children and is happy. Bridget has just left her cheating spouse and his daughter and heads to VT also.
Like the travel and the mysteries surrounding why she even choose VT as I am familiar with some of the areas there.
Story goes back to the past, present for each of them as we are brought up to date and then understand what's going on with everybody.
Other mysteries surround the neighbors wife til you realize the whole story and then other secrets come to life.
Lots of twists and turns and just when you think you have it all figured out, you do not.
Author gets a lot done in the amount of pages, so well I feel as if I am there with them. Can't wait to read more from this author.
It's the little things that grab my attention, VT, rose arbor, paths and especially the glider.
Received a copy via the author from Book Review Buzz and this is my honest review.

The Taste of Air
: Gail Cleare

I was intrigued by the title and description of this book. After listening I am not disappointed. The setting is well described making the listener feel they are there. The characters are mostly family, each going through their own drama when they get an unexpected phone call telling them their mother was in ICU in a hospital out of state. Many twists and turns and many secrets to be reveled. This book kept me listening to find out what would happen next.

The narration was well done. The characters were well portrayed. Maryne Young was an excellent choice for this project.

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

By Jami D

Children find it impossible to see their parents as anything other than parents. They cannot envision – and usually do not care – who they were before their children were born; what their interests are outside of the family, or even the lives they might want to lead after the children have grown. Even grown-up children struggle with this, as evidenced every time a bewildered widower introduces his children to his new partner and watches her get the cold shoulder. In Gail Cleare’s The Taste of Air, two adult sisters are faced with this realization. But rather than learning about an early first marriage or former career, Nell Williams and her sister Bridget learn their widowed mother has a completely secret second life.

Happily married Nell believes her mother Mary is firmly ensconced in a retirement village in Massachusetts. But when she gets a call that her mother has been hospitalized, it’s a Vermont hospital that’s calling. Nell is stunned to learn that Mary has had a secret cottage for decades, not to mention a clandestine relationship with the neighbor whose wife died under mysterious circumstances. As Nell works to learn the truth about her mother’s life, Mary struggles to live and Bridget deals with her own marital problems. The narrative moves back and forward in time as Mary – and later, Bridget’s – secrets come home to roost.

I read The Taste of Air while at the bedside of my own dying father-in-law, so the hospital scenes were especially poignant, meaningful and accurate to me. Cleare’s voice and plotting style reminded me a lot of Danielle Steel’s. I am not a Danielle Steel fan, but she has millions of readers who love her voice and coincidental plot points, so Cleare should benefit from the comparison. Her descriptions of Vermont were particularly evocative. I’ve never lusted after lakeside cottages or fresh maple syrup, but Cleare’s picturesque storytelling had me considering a trip north.

Even if this type of story isn’t your cup of tea, Cleare’s tale – and my own recent experience – is an important reminder to have a frank talk with your aging parents about their financial and health status. You may end up in a situation where you will be asked to make medical decisions for them. Know their wishes before this happens. It’s unlikely that your widowed mother has a secret life in Vermont, but it is likely that you’ll be called on to help her during her golden years.

I was captivated by author Gail Cleare’s storytelling in “The Taste of Air”, and much of it resonated strongly with me as a reader. While I lived with my own mother for almost fifty years, and I knew her better than anyone else possibly could, there was still much about her life that I will never know. We often forget that our parents are people, that they are human and make human mistakes, and none of us are perfect. “The Taste of Air” is a compelling reminder that none of us know how we would react when faced with some the choices our parents had to make. The comfort of Nell Williams’s neatly-organized life is left behind when a phone call changes her reality forever. Not only is her mother, Mary, not in a care facility in Massachusetts as expected, she is hospitalized in Hartland, Vermont, a town unknown to Nell and her sister, Bridget. Upon their arrival in Vermont, they discover their mother’s “other life”, complete with a cottage home and a set of local friends. As more and more secrets about their mother and family are revealed, the sisters are forced to examine their own lives. While nothing will ever be the same, will long-held hopes and dreams find a way to come true? Author Gail Cleare has created a compelling portrait of three memorable women and the unique bond that exists between mothers and daughters—and the varied emotions in the relationships of sisters with each other.

Book Copy Received Gratis Via Author—Opinions Are Strictly My Own Observances

What would you do if you learned that your mother was living a second life in another town?

Nell receives a phone call one day from a hospital in Vermont letting her know that her mother has been admitted to their ICU, but Nell is confused because her mother lives in a senior's community in Massachusetts. And her mother no longer drives. What is she doing in Vermont? How did she get there?

As Nell sees her mother in the hospital, weak and unable to really speak, Nell learns from those around that her mother has a complete second life, complete with a lakeside cottage, car, neighbours, Fall Festivals, and even her own puppy.

As her mother remains in the hospital, Nell and her sister Bridget begin unraveling the secrets of this other life.

I really enjoyed reading The Taste of Air! It pulled me in from the very first page and had the perfect balance of secrets and suspense to keep me going. To give you a taste, you can read chapter one here.

Timelines from Nell, Bridget, and their mother Mary interweave throughout the novel, slowly revealing pieces of a complicated puzzle. I always love novels where the characters' stories steadily merge together at the end, and I found the three women's different lives easy to follow.

The Taste of Air is about love, longing, family, friendship, impossible choices, and the internal struggle we all face to find a space that we can call our own.

If you enjoy books about family secrets, then you will absolutely enjoy The Taste of Air. An excellent way to spend some of those the store gift cards you may have received over the holidays :)

"What we do for love...to ourselves and for each other."
- Gail Cleare, The Taste of Air

xo
Jenn

Disclaimer - I was sent a copy of The Taste of Air courtesy of the author. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own

As children we believe that we know everything there is to know about our parents. After all, we’ve known them our entire lives and if there were things hidden from us they should have been revealed by now… right?

Unfortunately, for Nell and Bridget what they don’t know about their mother could fill an entire lifetime… and it certainly did.

The Taste of Air captured my imagination and attention from the opening salvo and never let go until the ending. It is the thought provoking tale of what a woman will do for her family and the secrets that she’s kept for herself for years. We will travel back into Mary’s past to understand how some of these life changing events happened. And we will deal with the repercussions along side her daughters in the present.

I have no intention of letting any spoilers slip in this review. This is a story of discovery that you should have the pleasure of unraveling yourself. Told with a mix of happiness and despair, laughter and tears The Taste of Air may just shake up what you think you know about your own family. I know it’s given me some pause as I think back to my own mother’s life. We don’t always know as much as we think we do… and we also don’t always discover the well hidden truth until it smacks us in the heart.

I would recommend this one for any reader – male, female it makes no difference. The reality and the possibilities will fascinate many readers who enjoy delving beneath the surface to discover what’s there.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this novel. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this story.*

The Goodreads group Making Connections provided a copy of the ePub in exchange for an honest review.

Mary Reilly has been living her life with secrets. When her daughter Nell receives an unexpected phone call from a hospital informing her that her mother, Mary has been admitted, she immediately drives to her mother’s bedside. The town is not familiar to Nell and she is puzzled as to her mother’s whereabouts. Nell discovers her mother’s secret home and life—and the many layers begin to unravel. The reality of their mother’s hidden life is shocking to Nell and her sister Bridget.

The Taste of Air is a truly original read. It explores the life of a woman, Mary—loyal wife, loyal parent and loyal friend. The consequences of one’s choices are cleverly revealed as the author takes the reader back in time to share Mary’s life changing experiences. The author also gives the reader a glance into Nell and Bridget’s lives.

The author has created strong and distinct main characters. The secondary characters add texture to this fast paced read. The author explores emotional topics with compassion and sensitivity. The women in this well-written novel show the reader that they must learn to trust their instincts when it comes to their relationships. The men in their lives add many twists and turns to the plot as well. The title is perfect for this contemporary fiction. Will the discovery of their mother’s life allow Nell and Bridget to live their own authentic lives?

Set in New England, this a story about the secrets a mother has kept from her family for over forty years. A surprise phone call from a hospital in a different part of the state, calls into question everything Nell thought she knew about her family when she goes to sit by her sick Mother, Mary's bedside.
This is a wonderful novel that caught me by surprise as I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. It hooked me from the beginning and kept me reading, wanting to find out what had been going on behind the scenes of Mary Reilly's life. The characters all felt real and the setting was perfect for the story.
I kept thinking about my elderly Mother and if she has any secrets and if I'd want to know about them. This is my first book my this author and I'd definitely like to read more by her.
I recommend this for lovers of women's fiction, it reminded me of novels by Barbara Delinsky. I think it would work really well in a book group too as there as some great themes in there. Thanks to NetGalley and Red Adept for the advanced copy.

I loved this book! Gail Cleare wrote a powerful, emotional and heart felt novel. As I read it, I kept wondering how all the threads would come together., and in the end they did, beautifully! I fell in love with that cottage in that small town in Vermont., wondered about the handsome neighbors, as well as Nell and Bridget's marriages. This is a true feel good book! Perfect for a summer read, or for that matter, anytime of the year./ Thanks to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial Publishers. for the perusal....it's a wonderful Romance novel!

You think you know your family. How well? How can a lifetime of secrets be kept hidden? Nell Williams and her sister, Bridget thought they knew all that they needed to know of their mothers life. Mary, their mother was comfortably living in an assisted living facility in Massachusetts. Or was she? Nell received a phone call that Mary was in the intensive care unit at a Vermont hospital. How is that possible?

As things begin to unfold, Mary's daughters started to realize that nothing seems to be as they thought. Will they get all the answers they need? When do the secrets end?

This was the first book that I have read by Gail Cleare. The Taste of Air was full of warmth, turmoil, sacrifice, secrets, love and family. I felt an odd connection to this story. She writes with a clear vision and I will be looking into reading more from her.
* I received this book for an unbiased and honest review *

When the author contacted me and offered this book to me, I was a little leery, as two of the last three books sent to me by authors I'd ended up DNFing because I just did not enjoy them and couldn't get into them. But I crossed my fingers and accepted, and I am so glad I did.

The narrative, all in third person POV, bounces around between adult sisters Nell and Bridget in the present, and their mother, Mary, at different times in her life. Nell receives a phone call that her mother is ill and is hospitalized in a small town in Vermont. But her mother lives in Massachusetts, in a senior community where staff are supposed to check on her from time to time. So why was she in Vermont?

When Nell arrives in Vermont, she learns that her mother owned a lakeside cottage, still has her car but with Vermont tags on it now, has a dog, and has neighbors who appear to be very close friends. While Nell is visiting her mother's hospital bedside and meeting her mom's friends, her older sister Bridget is making plans to divorce her husband while trying to get a flight to Vermont.

The story has a very coming-of-age feel to it, despite the fact that Nell and Bridget are in their 40's. As the sisters begin unraveling their mother's secrets, they also begin coming to some realizations about their own lives. Meanwhile, the chapters that focus on Mary give us, the reader, some insight into her character, and we learn things about her past that the sisters don't know or have not yet discovered. It was an interesting balance, as it sometimes put us a step ahead of Nell and Bridget.

The only sour spot for me was in Bridget's quest to find the daughter she gave up for adoption when she was a teenager.

Quote: “Many years later,” Bridget said quietly, “I found out I would probably never have any more children. It was the punishment I earned for giving her up.”

I work in the adoption field, and seeing adoption portrayed negatively, well, when I read lines like that I just cringe. I have to remind myself that it was different times than now. I'm still not sure if I like the way that subplot played out in the end or not. It isn't feasible that an adoption could happen that way today, at least not with the agency I'm with, but I guess thirty years ago it could have.

When Nell and Bridget finally figure out the biggest secret, which the reader will have already learned from reading Mary's chapters (and when I was pretty sure I had it figured out I got kind of an icky feeling which I can't explain here without giving away too much plot) it seemed to suddenly come to them a little quickly, but I was sure glad they finally knew the complete truth. You grow up thinking you know your mother, and sometimes you forget that she had a childhood and a life before you came along. It made me wonder not only about my own mother, but also wonder what my daughters would think about my life if, for instance, they came across my old diaries and learned things about me that I've never told them. Things I probably won't ever tell them, not necessarily because they're bad things, but just because they're in my past.

Overall, I very much enjoyed the book and was happy with the way everything wrapped up. A quite engaging and intriguing story.

When Nell gets a phone call informing her that her mother Mary is in the hospital in Vermont she is shocked. She is supposed to be in a nursing home in Massachusetts. Nell and her sister Bridget get to visit briefly with their mother before she dies. They discover she owns a home and is a part of the small Vermont community. They also discover some big family secrets. This was a fascinating book and was narrated by three very different women. I hope to find more books by Gail Cleary, she very talented. I enjoyed this story of how both sisters made major changes in their lives based on how their mother lived her life.

I LOVED this book!!! As a mother of three daughters and an only daughter of my mother I totally related to this book.
This is a well written story of a family with secrets and enough love to keep mother and daughters close in spite of shocking surprises.
The story moves along and gets one involved with all of the characters to the point of not wanting to put the book down. But when finished I miss my new friends and intend to reread it, which is something I've only done with two other books.
If you're looking for a clean, interesting story with some mystery and romance please get this book. You won't be sorry.

Nell's mother, Mary, has fallen ill. This throws her whole family into turmoil. Mary is supposed to be in an assisted living facility in Massachusetts, instead she is in Vermont.

When I started reading this tale it was a firm 3 star read. But as the story developed and I continued delving into the lives of Nell, Bridget and Mary, I quickly moved it into the 4 star category. The secrets and the twists and turns wrapped up in this family saga really threw me into a tizzy. I could not stop till I found out all of the mysteries hidden inside this novel.

Nell and Bridget could not be more different. This added so much to their complex relationship and each had a different relationship with their mother. Add the neighbors at the cabin in Vermont and you really have some complications.

Some places are overly dramatic and did not sit well with me. But, the story really keeps you reading. The mystery surrounding a Vermont neighbor's death and Mary's secret hideaway keep you in your reading chair! I enjoyed the setting of a lake in Vermont I could just picture the sunsets and the beautiful area.

I started this book this afternoon, and did not stop reading (aside from meals), until I finished. I immediately connected with the characters. There was just enough hint of family secrets, to keep me guessing, and very interested. You think you know the answer to the mystery, but........ The story was told from past & present points of view, but moved smoothly from one to another. The situations were unusual, but highly believable. A great family saga. I truly enjoyed this one.
I received a copy of this book for an honest review. I will be purchasing anything new from this author!

This book (and author) really impressed me. Absolutely full of twists and turns that kept me captivated from start to finish. I did guess one particular happening before it became clear but then it was really interesting to find out how that situation came about. As far as I can see, this is only the third book this author has written, and I think she has a huge future ahead of her. I will certainly read more of her books, this was a very good example of a well known author, let alone being a third book. Very, very well done! I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review and I am thankful to the author for trusting me with her book.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy, this is my honest opinion.

I just now finished this book and what a wonderful read! A well written and absorbing contemporary story about a mother's secret and how a significant decision made in her early adulthood made one couple very happy and and went on to multiply the love in her own children's lives after her death. No spoilers, just read this lovely book. It will leave you feeling very peaceful and positive as it did me. A true pleasure. Strongly recommended.

I received this advance copy in exchange for a fair and honest review, and I am grateful to have read this book. I love a plot that provides mystery and discovery, especially at the level of relationships and emotions, and this book does that wonderfully well. Two grown sisters find that their beloved (and brave) mother has led a double life for decades and, as the intricate story moves back and forth in time between carefully drawn characters, the puzzle of how and why begins to resolve. Along the way, the sisters learn who they, themselves, truly are, and how to live the lives that are right for them. I highly recommend this engrossing book by a fine, imaginative writer.

The Taste of Air is an intriguing family tale that centers around two sisters and their mother and how the decisions each woman makes at various points in her life – and the secrets she keeps about them – affect themselves, each other, and the ones they love (or not). The story unfolds by moving back and forth through place, time, and the characters’ points of view, a device that the author handles deftly. The plot has twists and surprises that kept me engaged and guessing until the last pages. The writing style is typical of popular fiction: not quite as finely tuned as one might expect in literary fiction but more than adequate to the genre. (Disclaimer: I’m a professional nonfiction editor and therefore unusually picky.) Character development is uneven; the three protagonists are well drawn but some secondary characters, especially males, seem a bit stereotypical. But that doesn’t detract from the overall effectiveness of this novel, and I recommend it to readers who enjoy stories about family relationships. Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the story of love, family, and hope. The main character, Nell, receives a phone call and is told that her mother is in a hospital in Vermont. Although her mother has been living in an assisted-living facility in Massachusetts, Nell wonders why she is in Vermont. So she and her sister, Bridget, meet in Vermont to see their mother and to get the details. Unfortunately, their mother is seriously ill and not capable of speaking much. While the two sisters are there, Nell discovers that their mother has been living a second life, in a different home and relationships with others whom the sisters never knew. While they're residing in their mother's hideaway, they both uncover more secrets from their mother's past and learn more about their own lives along the way. This story is definitely worth reading. Each chapter was filled with surprises and I wanted to know more.

Do we ever really know our parents? We might have heard some stories about their lives before we were born, we may think we know everything about them; their thoughts, their dreams, their desires: but what if there was more to their stories? Author Gail Cleare delves deep into these questions in her novel The Taste of Air. It’s the story of a mother and her 2 daughters and all the secrets she kept until she ends up on life support in a hospital in a town far from where they thought she lived. Written through the eyes of each woman, we enter into this journey of the heart to a place where secrets finally see the light of day and everything changes for them and the people they care about. 4 stars

When Nell receives a call saying that her mother, Mary Ellen, is very sick she rushes to her bedside. When she arrives, she discovers that her mother has led a secret life all of these years. This is the story of how Nell and her sister Bridget unravel their mothers secret life. Along the way, they discover some secrets about themselves. I liked this story, and felt the title was just perfect. As the mystery is solved, it helps everyone be honest and breathe a more authentic life. I highly recommend this story! Gail Cleare is a great storyteller that draws the reader right in to her intriguing stories.
I received a copy of this book from net galley in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy, this is my honest opinion.

I just now finished this book and what a wonderful read! A well written and absorbing contemporary story about a mother's secret and how a significant decision made in her early adulthood made one couple very happy and and went on to multiply the love in her own children's lives after her death. No spoilers, just read this lovely book. It will leave you feeling very peaceful and positive as it did me. A true pleasure. Strongly recommended.

I received this advance copy in exchange for a fair and honest review, and I am grateful to have read this book. I love a plot that provides mystery and discovery, especially at the level of relationships and emotions, and this book does that wonderfully well. Two grown sisters find that their beloved (and brave) mother has led a double life for decades and, as the intricate story moves back and forth in time between carefully drawn characters, the puzzle of how and why begins to resolve. Along the way, the sisters learn who they, themselves, truly are, and how to live the lives that are right for them. I highly recommend this engrossing book by a fine, imaginative writer.

The Taste of Air is an intriguing family tale that centers around two sisters and their mother and how the decisions each woman makes at various points in her life – and the secrets she keeps about them – affect themselves, each other, and the ones they love (or not). The story unfolds by moving back and forth through place, time, and the characters’ points of view, a device that the author handles deftly. The plot has twists and surprises that kept me engaged and guessing until the last pages. The writing style is typical of popular fiction: not quite as finely tuned as one might expect in literary fiction but more than adequate to the genre. (Disclaimer: I’m a professional nonfiction editor and therefore unusually picky.) Character development is uneven; the three protagonists are well drawn but some secondary characters, especially males, seem a bit stereotypical. But that doesn’t detract from the overall effectiveness of this novel, and I recommend it to readers who enjoy stories about family relationships. Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the story of love, family, and hope. The main character, Nell, receives a phone call and is told that her mother is in a hospital in Vermont. Although her mother has been living in an assisted-living facility in Massachusetts, Nell wonders why she is in Vermont. So she and her sister, Bridget, meet in Vermont to see their mother and to get the details. Unfortunately, their mother is seriously ill and not capable of speaking much. While the two sisters are there, Nell discovers that their mother has been living a second life, in a different home and relationships with others whom the sisters never knew. While they're residing in their mother's hideaway, they both uncover more secrets from their mother's past and learn more about their own lives along the way. This story is definitely worth reading. Each chapter was filled with surprises and I wanted to know more.

Do we ever really know our parents? We might have heard some stories about their lives before we were born, we may think we know everything about them; their thoughts, their dreams, their desires: but what if there was more to their stories? Author Gail Cleare delves deep into these questions in her novel The Taste of Air. It’s the story of a mother and her 2 daughters and all the secrets she kept until she ends up on life support in a hospital in a town far from where they thought she lived. Written through the eyes of each woman, we enter into this journey of the heart to a place where secrets finally see the light of day and everything changes for them and the people they care about. 4 stars

Gail Cleare takes a situation anyone can have: a very ill, aging mother in the hospital with daughters who come to visit her. From that Ms. Cleare spins several mysteries and complications: Why has the mother not told anyone about a discovered “other” house and community she’s had for decades? Why does she have this place? If that’s not enough, Ms. Cleare raises tensions by having one happily married daughter attracted to a fellow in said community. The other daughter, on the verge of a divorce, also sets her eyes on the same guy. And then there’s the murder(!) that might have happened years ago that the sick mother claims was not a murder. Any one of these situations could be a book by itself, but Ms. Cleary successfully combines ALL these situations without loosing the human elements in the interactions of the characters.. Very well done. Read it now. You’ll love it.

A wonderful book! Be warned once you start reading you don't want to stop. A story about family secrets and how it affects everyone. Beautifully written. I received a complimentary from #BooksGoSocial through #NETGALLEY , opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Taste of Air defied the formula of this genre of book with multiple twists and turns in the plot.
Mothers and daughters think they know each other and sometimes when life's secrets come out you learn they were better people than you ever could have imagined.
I thought I knew just what was coming next, then Gail masterfully threw in a change that was lovely and unexpected.
The characters were fully fleshed out and the descriptive narative gave the reader a sense of being right on the scene.
Lovely read and kept me fully engrossed. I could hardly put the book down.
I got this rewiew copy for my honest opinion.

A mother hiding a secret. Two daughters confused and wondering what was the secret. A sacred home away from the daily life of Mary Ellen Reilly has been long hidden from her two daughters, Eleanor and Bridget, and failing health has let the secret out.
This is a wonderful book about how the impact of choices made long ago can resurface and to change lives and affect future

This was a well-written, interesting book. Nell gets a call that her mother is in a hospital in Vermont, though she's supposed to be in an assisted-living facility in Massachusetts. Nell notifies her sister, Bridget, then travels to Vermont. Nell and Bridget begin to learn family secrets, and find themselves questioning their own lives and choices. I enjoyed this book and would read more books by this author.

This is a well written story about two sisters and their mother, secrets kept, and life-changing decisions. The beauty of New England is described as perfectly as I know it to be, and provides a lush background for this intriguing novel. I look forward to reading more by Gail Cleare.

*I received a free copy of this book from #NETGALLEY for an honest review.*

Secrets! What can be more intriguing? In The Taste of Air, Gail Cleare proves that family secrets have the power to shape lives extending into future generations.

When Mom is admitted to the ICU in an idyllic Vermont town hours away from her assisted living facility, the long-hidden layers of her past - and present - begin to unfold. Sisters Nell and Bridget, each capable and accomplished in her own sphere, are rocked by the discovery that their loving, steadfast mother had sheltered not just a secret, but another entirely secret life.

This family saga bridging decades from the Viet Nam War era to current days explores how well-intentioned choices can create unanticipated consequences. The secrets Nell and Bridget come to learn about their mother and themselves opens them to experience at last the taste of air...the taste of freedom.

A complex plot, well drawn characters and vivid descriptive passages make this book a joy to read. I received an advance copy of this paperback in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Taste of Air
Author: Gail Cleare
Published: 9-22-2016
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing
Pages: 273
Genre: Women's Fiction
Sub Genre: Family;
ISBN: 13: 9781940215815
ASIN: B01LDIXKAY
Reviewer: DelAnne
Reviewed For: NetGalley
Rating: 4.5 Stars

I received a copy of "The Taste of Air" from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Description From the Publisher:

A simple phone call disrupts Nell Williams’s well-ordered life. Her mother, Mary, is in a hospital in Vermont. But her mother is supposed to be safely tucked away in an assisted-living facility in Massachusetts, so Nell can’t fathom why she would be so far from home.

After notifying her sister, Bridget, Nell hops on a plane and rushes to her mother’s side. There, she discovers that her mother has been living a second life. Mary has another home and a set of complex relationships with people her daughters have never met.

When Nell and Bridget delve deeper into their mother’s lakeside hideaway, they uncover a vault of family secrets and the gateway to change for all three women.

My review of "The Taste of Air":

This novel explores the needs and wants of three women, Mary, the mother, Nell and Bridgett her adult children. It opens with Nell being informed her mother is in a Vermont hospital. She informs her sister Bridgett then goes to her mother's bedside. As the story progresses, we learn that each woman has been feeling unsatisfied with their lives. How has each coped and what they do to feel complete is explored in the book. Follow along as these women rediscover themselves and each other. I found it both poignant and compelling. Plan to spend your time ensconced in a comfortable chair close to the fire with a pot of hot tea. Once you begin reading you will not want to stop reading. Long after you finish the last page these characters will stay with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

My rating for "The Taste of Air" is 4.5 out of 5 stars.

The 'Taste of Air' is a wonderful story - exceptional even - and apart from masterful writing skills three things stood out for me:

(1)The main characters are drawn in such a manner that I felt I knew them well and was able to root for them as if they were my own family.
(2) The contrasts add up to a beautiful weave which results in the creation of harmony and reader satisfaction.
(3) No other book I've read shows the impact which recent American history events have exerted on the everyday lives of individuals, and women in particular, in such a clear and convincing manner.

** spoiler alert ** Thank you NetGalley for a copy of The Taste of Air by Gail Cleare so I was able to read and review the book.
What would you do if you found out your mother was hiding a secret life from you? This is the question that Nell William's and her sister Bridget are forced to face when Nell gets a phone call from a hospital in Vermont but her mother is supposed to be living in an assisted living facility in Massachusetts. Once Nell arrives in Vermont she starts to learn all about her moms second life that she had kept hidden for her daughter's entire lives.
This book goes looks into her mother's secret life and the sisters relationships at home. If you enjoy emotional books that look at deep feelings and actions and how they have effect ones life forever this is a book for you.
For me this book dragged on a bit and I just did not feel it like a I wanted to and that is why I am giving it three out of five stars.