I have said it before and I will say it again, I love Debra Anastasia. This love began with her debut novel Crushed Seraphim, and it then followed into my love for her on Twitter (you can follow her here). So when I was contacted about possibly reviewing a copy of her latest book Poughkeepsie, I didn’t hesitate to jump at the chance. Best. Decision. Ever.I admit, that when I started reading Poughkeepsie, I had absolutely no idea what the book was about. The fact that Debra wrote it was more than enough to get me to read it and I can honestly say that I wasn’t disappointed.
It’s still hard for me to define Poughkeepsie and tell you exactly what it was about, but I will give it a shot.
At its core Poughkeepsie is about a romance between Blake and Livia. But to say that that was all Poughkeepsie was about is to seriously sell the book short. Yes, it is about romance. But it is also about family. It’s about connections. It’s about the resilience of the human spirit.
The characters that Debra Anastasia has created are just phenomenal and support the story so well. You have Livia who has a heart of gold, Blake whose spirit is so heartbreakingly beautiful, Kyle who is lost an constantly searching to be enough, Cole who has struggled to contain the rage inside of him, and Beckett. Who could forget wonderful, conflicted, loyal and naughty Beckett? On the surface, none of these characters seem to have anything in common with one another. As you dive further and further into the story, you see the ties and bonds between them and you watch as they are tested, reformed and strengthened.
There is plenty of action, suspense, romance and hilarity to be found in Poughkeepsie. Debra Anastasia has outdone herself with her latest novel and as long as she keeps writing like this I will keep reading.