Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is a sweet Contemporary Fiction/Mystery that is a quick and easy read. Amy Ashton once dreamed of becoming an artist but after she suffered a terrible betrayal that she refuses to think about, she withdraws from the world and collects pretty things. Lots of pretty things. Her house is overflowing with pretty things, and Amy now loves pretty things instead of people because they won’t leave her.

Amy’s quiet life is disrupted when the house next door is sold to a widower, his two young sons and the widower’s girlfriend. One of the young boys loves things too, and has a collection of bulldozers of his own. Before long changes in Amy’s life begin to multiply, and she finally examines what happened to her. A surprise discovery in her back garden sets her on a mission to find out for herself what happened, and why.

The author does a great job of portraying Amy and how she’s taken to hoarding things rather than working through her heartache. I liked how she showed that there is no quick and easy fix to Amy’s fear and anxiety, and that no matter how helpful and good-hearted people may be, you can’t push or intimidate someone to “get better” on your timeline. I enjoyed seeing Amy’s growth throughout the book, and loved the two young boys she befriends. This is a sweet, uplifting book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Gallery Books. All opinions are my own.