The Loft: A Memory House Novel, Book 2

Bette Lee Crosby

Sep 2015 · Memory House Series Book 2 · Richard Crosby

About this ebook

50 YEARS OF MEMORIES ARE HIDDEN IN THE WALLS OF THE LOFT…

Annie only needs to find one… the one that will save Oliver’s life.

On the day of their wedding, Annie saw nothing but happiness ahead, but when an accident calls her back to Memory House, her world is changed forever. Ophelia Browne, the woman who taught Annie to find the memories in a forgotten object, is leaving the house and she’s leaving all those powerful memories behind.

After only three nights in the loft, Annie must now find the single most meaningful memory in Oliver’s mind. If she finds it in time, she can save his life, if she doesn’t…well that’s something she can’t afford to think about.

Readers will welcome back the much-loved characters from Memory House and enjoy a few new friends!

REVIEWER PRAISE FOR MEMORY HOUSE…

“A magical book of memories, treasures and stories from a Masterful Southern Storyteller…” Judith D. Collins, top 1000 Reviewer

“Magical realism that will enchant…” Heidi, Rainy Day Ramblings

“Wonderful, heartwarming story of love and life…” Sherry Fundin, Reviewer 

Ratings and reviews

“Happy is when you can laugh out loud, dance as if there is no tomorrow. Happy is when you have your lover lying next to you and the only sound you hear is that of his heartbeat.” (From The Loft) Bette Lee Crosby carries Memory House to the next level, where Annie and Oliver are newly married. I’d like to say that Betty Lee’s character development is where her strength lies, but that would be doing a disservice to her talent in plot development, setting, dialogue and tension in the story. At times, the story moves nicely, and the reader can curl up with a cuppa pseudo dandelion tea and feel like you’re right there. But with all books that are well-written, you know something is coming. And something does. This is a story about family and friendship and the need for both. It’s about the heartbreak that comes with letting go and the joy that follows when those individuals find freedom in where they should be. That is love. This quote from Max, Annie’s new friend says it so well: “It’s like having an ice cream cone with two scoops. If the top ball falls off, you feel so bad about it you forget you’ve still got the cone with another scoop of ice cream inside...nothing is all good or all bad; that’s how you’ve got to look at life.” Bette Lee Crosby’s got looking at life down pretty well. Her stories reflect that and offer nuggets of wisdom in every chapter. Her works of fiction transcend just telling a story. She crafts the story, and tells life. My only suggestion is that you read Memory House first. While The Loft can be read on its own, you’ll miss a lot of the backstory, which is so rich.

The Loft by Bette Lee Crosby is the second book in the Memory House series. Annie Cross is marrying Oliver Doyle. It has been a year since Annie stumbled across The Memory House Bed and Breakfast and Ophelia Browne in Burnsville. Ophelia and Annie are a family. Annie is leaving on her honeymoon when she has a feeling that something is wrong with Ophelia. They turn around and find out that Ophelia decided to drive herself to church (after not driving for a year) and suffered a heart attack. Ophelia needed surgery and then has to have six to eight weeks of rehabilitation. The doctor states that Ophelia will need to make some life changes and that includes no stairs (the stairs in her home lead to her beloved loft). Oliver and Annie decide to build a duplicate to Ophelia’s precious loft on the ground level. They enlist the services of Max Martinelli. Max is an architect with a special soul. She can feel the wonderful memories in the house. Annie and Max hit it off right away. Ophelia, though, while in rehab makes some new friends and discovers a new life. A life of living with friends and fun (instead of living with her memories of her deceased husband). Ophelia meets Lillian Markowitz. Lillian is loud and brassy but extremely friendly. Lillian and her friends show Ophelia that there is fun to be had with new friends and, maybe a new home! Can Ophelia move on without hurting Annie’s feelings? Annie has a new husband and the beginnings of a new life. Is Annie ready to embrace this new life or will she cling to the Ophelia? Oliver just wants Annie to be happy, but he also wants her to love him as much as she does Ophelia. Just when things are going good for Annie, something tragic happens. Annie had so much happiness that the scale was tipped too far in one direction. Annie will have to have faith and love to get the scale back in balance. The Loft was such a lovely novel. It is a Christian themed novel, but it is not in any way preachy. It is well written and enjoyable to read. The book just moves along nicely (no chopping endings or rough transitions). You will smile, laugh, sigh, and cry while reading The Loft. I give The Loft 4.5 out of 5 stars. The ending is the one thing that bothered me. We are left with a question. We will have to wait until the next book to find out the answer. I received a complimentary copy of The Loft from the author in exchange for an honest review.

‘The Loft’ and its new and returning friends come to life through masterful storytelling by Bette Lee Crosby. Second in the Memory House collection, it begins where ‘Memory House’ leaves off. For those who have not yet read ‘Memory House’, the author adeptly shares enough of its events to help bring the new reader up to date and to invite the reader to read the first in series. At age 90, Ophelia knew that she would have to leave the magic of Memory House Bed and Breakfast and the attached herbal apothecary soon, giving the joys and burdens to the next person who understood about finding memories. Whether it be a rusty old bicycle or a special book, the memories we hold in our heart about an item may carry to the next person to hold or treasure it. The keeper of Memory House and its treasures must be in tune, as Annie is, to caring for the objects and memories. The keeper also learns Ophelia’s memories of the uses and possible dangers of herbs, tend the garden, collect and prepare the parts of the plants for teas and other varied mixes. A terrible accident brings Annie back to Memory House. Annie loves Ophelia and Oliver with all of her heart; they are her world. Annie and Oliver celebrate their love every day the communication and joys they share, some of the same activities had blessed Ophelia and her husband. Their love is as strong and sweetly enduring as that which Ophelia and Edward celebrated. Annie’s world changes, and as Oliver helps make the way smoother for her, Annie becomes friends with Max, an architect she met at the library when working there. Max is also in tune with some of the memories and the treasures within the Bed and Breakfast, and she works on a special surprise for Annie and Ophelia. The unthinkable occurs, and Annie knows only a memory can save Oliver’s life; how can she find the one memory that will bring him back to her? She spends hours with his parents and family, plumbing the depths of their memories because to lose him would be too hard to bear. The primary characters are endearing, intelligent, and absolutely defined well enough to stroll amiably from the pages of the novel and offer to share a cup of tea. I like both Annie and Max very well, the kind of friends I would appreciate. Ophelia is everyone’s dream of a loving grandma or great aunt. Ophelia’s new friends are a real kick! They embrace Ophelia and Annie with their gift of friendship. Ophelia’s new friends, and Oliver’s parents, are as well-defined as required for their roles. It is easy to picture them as they interact through the fun, good, and not-so-good days and moments. Many blessings come to mind while reading Bette Lee Crosby’s newest novel. The ones brought to my heart include loving others well, and to not overlook people who come into our life because of their age. Ophelia and Annie would have lost a priceless friendship had either done so, and Annie and Oliver might have lost a timeless love. The one thing that I didn’t enjoy was how suddenly the book ended. The coming attraction definitely whet my appetite for more! Yet I hope to remember the bulk of this beautiful story before my next visit to Memory House. Because I will be back again, just as I absolutely recommend this novel to fans of Ms. Crosby’s, women of all ages, fans of women’s literature, romance, and friendship. With a grateful heart, I rec'd this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions are mine; no monetary compensation occurred.