BOOK REVIEW: No Story To Tell by KJ Steele

No Story To Tell is a literary fiction.

Victoria Lackey was born a sickly thing, expected to die within her first week of life, however, it was her healthy twin brother who succumbed to death and some would say he got the better of the deals.

Victoria, or Vic as she is called, is a troubled women in a loveless marriage to a drunken lout.  Bobby hash is good points, he works their farm trying to make ends meet, but often puts his own needs and those of his friends before his wife.

Vic lives in a small town where gossip runs with wild abandon and everyone knows everyone else's business.  Vic keeps a fake smile on her face and has very few friends.  Rose keeps her company with her sweet, sunny disposition and offers much needed advice to Victoria. 

On the day that Victoria meets Elliott her whole life begins to change as she reflects upon all she has witnessed.  Elliott isn't from the local area and wishes to offer more than friendship but Vic is torn between what she desires and what she is capable of employing. 

Victoria begins looking at those around her in a new light and incidents that she once brushed aside, she is now taking a more involved approach, like opening her own dance school, which Bobby once forbade her from ever doing.

As the story progresses we learn the truths that have shaped Victoria, however, her sanity is in check and she must decide if living is really worth the effort.

I thought No Story To Tell was a very interesting read.  The secondary characters really make this book stand out.  Mrs. Spiller who lost her husband and twin sons in a car accident and was left roaming the town in search for them, lost in her sanity and mumbling about gypsies stealing her money.  Pearl, who runs the local hotel, has stories to tell and you had better listen to them or you'll get an earful or Rose, who appears to be a very sweet character with good intentions or Sam, the large native man who loves Victoria but will do nothing to stop her mental abuse.

Each of these characters brings a diverse and sometimes comical approach to life in which Victoria relates to.  I enjoyed reading how the back stories were shared, often shared in thoughts applicable to the situation or memories being shared by the novels characters.

I enjoyed reading as the story progressed wondering what Victoria was going to remember next or what actions she was going to find herself in.  I'm not sure if I would have had the stamina to stay in such a marriage as Victoria's and I couldn't help but root for her whenever she decided she had enough of the life she found herself in.

I would give No Story To Tell a four out of five stars.  While I enjoyed the thoughts being shared, I sometimes found their cohesiveness to be lacking.  Sometimes a thought would be shared and the reader was left wondering what the character was actually talking about.  A few instances can be explained further in the book and other times you were left scratching your head as to the implications of it being mentioned.  All in all however, it was an enjoyable read and I would definitely read more by author, KJ Steele.

SYNOPSIS:
Victoria Lackey, a once extraordinarily promising dancer, now finds herself mired down in a joyless marriage, tending to a heart full of secrets, her dream of being a dancer buried deep within her. Buried within her, that is, until Elliot, a newcomer to the small, gritty town of Hinckly and a sensual artist, recognizes the dancer's spirit within her. Believing in her abilities, he encourages her to open a dance studio, something previously forbidden by Victoria's boorish husband, Bobby.

With Elliot's attentions sparking the flame of desire within her, Victoria suddenly begins to receive softly seductive anonymous telephone calls. Encouraged by her best friend, Rose, Victoria slowly allows herself to start enjoying the calls, eventually creating a perfect fantasy lover in her mind. Eventually, she slips from listener to speaker and begins to divulge the intimate and profound secrets that haunt her soul. Inevitable tensions begin to arise between Victoria and Bobby as he attempts to keep her newfound freedom from taking root.

Desperate to resuscitate the woman she was truly meant to be, Victoria is in for the struggle of her life. With a burden of secrets collapsing around her and a life hanging in jeopardy if she embraces her own, Fate devilishly delivers her to an impossible fork in the road.

** Disclosure: I did not accept any compensation from the sponsors other than review copies, my views are my own, reviewed by me..as I see it~!! **