Gabrielle and Johnny Ravolie had it all, a life filled with love and children. Gabrielle thought her life with Johnny and her children would last forever. But it was not meant to be.

Johnny is having a hard time with the death of Gabrielle. He has his children but life isn’t the same since she left his life. He remembers the first time he met her and sitting by her side in the hospital room. Johnny fell hopelessly in love with Gabrielle. Now all he had were their children and the parents that blame him for her death.

Jackie Ravolie is finding it hard to accept her mothers’ death. She believes in her heart that her mother is still alive. As she gets older Jackie is going on a vocational field trip to a psychiatric hospital when she spots a woman that looks like her mother. Jackie knows in her heart that this woman is her mother. After twelve years Jackie is very certain about her instincts. Jackie and Robbie sneak the woman out of the hospital and take her home. Johnny can not believe that his children would abduct a woman and then say she is Gabrielle. He refuses to listen but as time goes on he knows that they need to do tests and find out if this could be Gabrielle. Could this woman, Kathryn Lyn Morris, who has lost her memory, really be Gabrielle? Until they find the answers there will be no closure.

Falling Roses: The Years Between by Rosemarie Piemonte is the sequel to Falling Roses that continues on with the story of Gabrielle and Johnny Ravolie and their children. The cast of characters is great. There are a lot of people that will come to your attention but Jackie stands out as she comes to terms with her mother’s death only to unlock secrets later. With a seasoning of romance, passion, and some mystery along the way, this sequel opens up events that spin through the years. Ms. Piemonte adds intrigue and a blending of the mob to give more to the storyline. With a huge range of emotions with the funeral, then years later with the discovery of the truth, the well-rounded characters allow the reader to feel a part of the story in the making. I enjoyed reading Falling Roses: The Years Between, and I’m looking forward to reading more of Ms. Piemonte’s books. Thank you for such fantastic read.

Reviewed by: Terri R.