Readers' Comments for The Book of Someday

In June, a select group of readers who participated in one of our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlights won copies of THE BOOK OF SOMEDAY by Dianne Dixon. It’s the story of Livvi Gray, who has always been haunted by a terrifying nightmare of an eerily beautiful stranger in a shimmering silver dress. When Livvi finally comes face to face with the stranger from her dream shortly before her 30th birthday, the encounter not only alters her future, but changes much of what she thinks she knows about the past. Sound spooky enough for you? Take a look at some of the readers' comments to give you more insight into this eerie and heartbreaking story --- and make sure to watch out for spoilers!

Wanda
I absorbed THE BOOK OF SOMEDAY by Dianne Dixon in two days. From the first page, I ached for the pain in young Olivia’s life. I found her parents not intentionally cruel, but horribly misguided. 

The book follows the lives of three women, AnnaLee in 1986 and Micah and Livvi in 2012, with rotating chapters devoted to each. Though these three lives seem to be totally separate, there is a sense --- created in part by the author’s clever trick of beginning a chapter with a word or phrase that echoes the end of the previous chapter --- of an unseen thread linking them in some way.

AnnaLee, Micah, and Livvi are dynamic characters, learning, facing challenges, experiencing failure and seeking redemption. Their lives unfold in layers, which gradually reveal their secrets and the complexity of their characters. They are flawed human beings, each evoking some level of pity and fear, strong women who embrace difficult and even devastating situations without whimpering. 

I will not soon forget them. 

Lin
I finished the book over the holiday weekend and really enjoyed it. It kept me guessing until the end. I was so curious about how the three stories would fit together that I kept reading past bedtime! I especially admired how the author kept delivering the story in such a way that my desire to know the resolution kept growing. 

Helen
Just finished it. This book was so hard to put down! Could not imagine how all these plot lines could possibly come together. The book is as intense as a fine murder mystery. The characters are well developed --- just the right way to make their stories and their actions believable. They are all damaged and that is the crux of the story as the damage plays out. Fascinating!

Peggy
I enjoyed the book. It was a quick, entertaining read. I got the link between Livvi and AnnaLee immediately, but for some reason never made the connection between Micah and Persephone until the end. In fact, I didn't understand Micah's inclusion until his last chapter. I found it interesting that both Livvi and her mother were attracted to such weak, ineffectual men. I think that this book would be a good book club selection. 

Karen 
I really enjoyed this book. It is very well written and suspenseful and I devoured it in two days!

Monica
It is a book to savor. Dianne Dixon's writing is hauntingly beautiful. Once I started the book, I could not put it down. The way the story unfolds from the three women's individual tales is intriguing and makes this book a real page-turner. I could not wait to find out how the three lives intersect. I would get so caught up in each individual story that I would want to keep reading to see what was next for them. I definitely will recommend this book to my book club and my other friends. This one is a winner and definitely worth talking about!!!

Melanie
I recently finished the book. It was interesting to see how the three characters came together. Even though the story is quite different, it is reminiscent of another book called THE HUSBAND’S SECRET where you are guessing how the three main characters lives will eventually intertwine. I read the book over a weekend because I found the story quite mesmerizing. Unfortunately, I didn't care for the ending. Not sure what really happened, but I guess that it is a common technique that authors like to use. Overall, I enjoyed this book and plan to share my copy with members of my book club.

Karen
I received this book on my birthday, and I should have realized it would be special. It was beautifully written and grabbed you right from the beginning. I could not put it down. I was immediately drawn in by the characters, but did not know where it was going until the end.  The story made a complete circle before coming to a conclusion. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good story and most of all to book clubs who enjoy discussions and different points of view. I don't usually reread books, but this one I certainly will.

Jennifer
THE BOOK OF SOMEDAY was a truly wonderful read. Part of the intrigue was in trying to figure out how all three of the main characters were connected. The book was about love, mistakes, secrets, forgiveness and so much more. In the end, it was a story of survival and moving on with life. I loved this book and find myself thinking about the characters days after I have finished reading it.

Dorothy N.
I found THE BOOK OF SOMEDAY by Dianne Dixon to be a fast-paced, easy read with a nice element of mystery to it. I think the author is a weaver of a fine tale. I loved the idea of the seemingly unrelated stories of three women: Livvie, Micah and AnnaLee and I loved it even more when I learned of their connection. I admit --- I did not see it coming!

I thought the book gave the characters and the reader much to think about in terms of love, life, memories, forgiveness and truth.  I found myself thinking about the characters and these questions even after I'd finished the book.

I felt that for me, the romance elements of the book were the weakest part and, in particular, the feelings Livvie had for Andrew and for David. Livvie's memories of an abusive and neglectful childhood left her powerless to move forward in adult relationships with men. She had no support system in place or any therapy, so Livvie often seemed like she was manipulated by Andrew and at a loss to value the good in David. Once again, she becomes a victim. I think the book will have a wide appeal to women readers interested in romantic suspense. I would rate the book four out of five stars. 

Ellen
Dianne Dixon’s novel, THE BOOK OF SOMEDAY, takes you on a journey through the lives of three women, facing their own personal struggles. You come to know and care for each one, flaws and all. You are drawn into a book that you won’t want to put down until you come to the end. Dixon masterfully leads you to an ending that is unexpected, emotional and satisfying. This reviewer loved the book!

Benita
I loved THE BOOK OF SOMEDAY by Dianne Dixon. This was the first book I've read that was written by Ms. Dixon --- it certainly won't be the last. The book is compelling and I didn't want to put it down. It was the exploration of the characters, so real, so vivid and each with secrets he/she was withholding that drew me in. The plot going back and forth to the characters of Livvi, Anna Lee and Micah made me feel like I was being visited by good friends. Ms. Dixon's writing is clear and beautiful, full of life --- it rings with figures of speech and bright imagery.

Linda
The beginning was a little choppy and I thought it might be hard to finish, but then it really started to flow. The character development was excellent and the characters were very engaging. The book challenged the perceptions we have of people. It was such a compelling story that I finished the book in two evenings. The ending was quite a surprise and tied the book together with a unique twist. I would read another book by Dianne Dixon in a heartbeat.

John
THE BOOK OF SOMEDAY involves the intertwined stories of three women all connected by a mystery of a woman in a silver dress and pearl button shoes. There is naïve Livvi, physically and emotionally abused as a child, who becomes infatuated with Andrew, a man whose reality is more than he appears; reclusive Micah, a noted photographer, recently diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer; and AnnaLee, a young mother troubled by an imperfect marriage trying to keep it together. The three women struggle with overcoming the travails of life, love and forgiveness. I found the novel a bit slow in the beginning, but as soon as I acclimated to the novel’s different perspectives, it read quickly and led to an unexpected ending. I will definitely add Dianne Dixon to similar writers, Jodi Picoult and Kristin Hannah. I gave it four stars out of a possible five.

Shawn
I thought the book was very thought-provoking and intense. I liked all of the characters --- they were well developed and well written. 

Camille
This book was so good it kept me up all night. It's about three women all connected by a women in a silver dress. I couldn't wait to find out what bound them together --- that's what kept me turning pages. It is written in the third person, which worked very well. The author did such a great job --- I can't wait to read more books from her.

Susan D.
I just finished THE BOOK OF SOMEDAY and I give it four stars. It was good, but I wouldn't consider it a page-turner. I knew Micah was Persephone, but Olivia being Bella was something I never figured out until the end. I didn't care for the way it ended with her deciding to stick with Andrew because of Grace.

Michael
I wanted to read THE BOOK OF SOMEDAY totally cold so I didn't read the book jacket or anything online and I had no idea what the book was going to be about. I really REALLY liked it. 
 
I was a little apprehensive at first since I didn't much care for the first character, Livvi. She seemed a little too "I am too gentle, too timid, too weak to stand up for myself" and I hate that. I tend to despise the milquetoast-type character in any book. However, after the first 20 pages, she turned out to be more naïve rather than incapable. Does that make sense?  And I am not saying it is unrealistic --- quite the opposite, I know people just like her.  
 
Then I realized that there were other characters (seemingly unrelated at first, but you knew they were going to tie together somehow by the end). Micah was an interesting character to me. She seemed a little Jean Valjean-esque, in that everything that happened to her seemed bad (at least for the most part). She was the most complex of the three characters and thus the most interesting.
 
AnnaLee [was the character] I liked the most at first. It took a little while for her character/story to develop.
 
All three characters were flawed and had their good points and bad and they all seemed to go through some kind of transformation, which made the book not only interesting, but real somehow. 
 
I knew they were going to tie together somehow, but I never figured it out before the reveal --- I LOVE being surprised. I sound like I am complaining about this book --- not so. If I didn't care about the characters, I wouldn't criticize them. This book was RIVETING and I had trouble putting it down. I am pretty sure I am not the target audience --- this is definitely a girl book, but a well-written book in ANY genre is a wonderful thing to me and this book is very well written. HUGE thumbs up!

Claudia
I will say that the beginning of it was so interesting that I couldn't put it down and found myself looking for a few minutes in the day to read more. Dianne Dixon does a wonderful job of character building using the actions of those characters in each chapter. I love reading new authors and Dianne Dixon will be one of my authors I will read more of. 

Jeanette
I loved THE BOOK OF SOMEDAY by Dianne Dixon although I am having trouble deciding if it is a mystery, romance, life story or all of those. The story begins with an unsettling prologue, but lightens up with the first chapter. The first chapters each introduce a different character --- fascinating characters, but with no visible connection to Livvi (Olivia), the primary character. How is each of these diverse characters going to come together to be a part of the tale? The suspense to see how this would evolve made this hard to put down novel. I love the way the story is structured, but when I finished the book, I realized I was not paying attention to the dates associated with each chapter. Perhaps if I had, I would have been better able to guess the ending. I was totally surprised, which always makes a story more enjoyable.

Barbara
I just finished THE BOOK OF SOMEDAY by Dianne Dixon and I LOVED it! She weaved three amazing stories of intricate detailed lives that had me hanging on every word as I turned the page. Livvi, Micah and AnnaLee were three of the best characters I have connected with in a long time. Much praise for THE BOOK OF SOMEDAY, the journey it takes you on is amazing. I cried and felt the fear and anguish for the three characters like they were old friends. It was a great read!

Cindy
I was drawn into this book immediately as Dianne Dixon began to weave an intriguing story of three very different women. I couldn't help but wonder and anticipate how their divergent lives would intersect. As she unfolds each character, she drops hints that make the reader want to discover what lies behind in their pasts that has created who they are today. The tremendous emotional pulls make the reader truly care about the characters, as one empathizes with the pain, sorrow, yearning for love (and yes, sexual arousal!) of each of them. Great storylines and rich characters equal a terrific read that would make a great book club selection.

Diane
I have finished reading THE BOOK OF SOMEDAY. It proved to be an entertaining read. I wanted to keep reading to find out how all the characters were connected and how their paths would cross or had crossed. The use of different points of view certainly enhanced the story. The complexity of the major characters was such that I saw lovable as well as off-putting traits in each one. Suspense was always present as more and more about the characters secrets and their pasts were revealed. I would recommend this book to my friends and fellow book club members.

Tim
I really like this book. I can tell you it's really a great book. At times, I feel like I can't put the book down, because I get so into it. Author Dianne Dixon, in my opinion, is right up there with James Patterson and Dean Kootz. I really hope she keeps it up, because she has a true believer in her court. 

Rena
An incredible story of the search for absolution and how one act can impact multiple lives.  This book kept me intrigued as I was trying to determine how the characters lives were interwoven. The one thread that joined them was not quite so obvious. My first inclination was that the figure connecting them was mystical and the story would involve magic.  Indeed it does --- the magic is love. However, history does tend to repeat itself and sometimes we make the same mistakes that those before us made. The characters were well developed and tugged at my heart. Happiness always seemed just out of reach. We judge people by how they appear outwardly and not knowing the back-story is one of the main themes. We are all damaged and all loved. Giving the gift of letting someone know they are loved or have been loved is the greatest gift of all. A truly great read. Someday I will be reading another book by Dianne Dixon and enjoying it just as much as THE BOOK OF SOMEDAY.

Judith
"A woman in a shimmering silver dress and shoes with pearl buttons." Who is she?  This story is about bad decisions, lifetime regrets and deep sadness. It was slow going until I was midway through the book, but then it really began to pick up speed.While the ending was probably realistic, it was not what I had hoped for. THE BOOK OF SOMEDAY is a haunting book that will stay with you long after you close the book on the last page.