Take Only Pictures

 

For a first novel, I found Take Only Pictures by Laina Villeneuve to be surprisingly good. It passed my “one day read” test as I simply just couldn’t put this book down.

Take Only Pictures is about young woman, and lead character, Kristine Owens, who doesn’t want to stay at home on the ranch and take up the family business. Instead, she wants to be a professional photographer, but first she has some unfinished business to deal with.

A few years back, Kristine took a summer job as a horseback tour guide on a ranch in California’s High Sierras. The reader quickly learns something happened during her employment that sent her running back home, running back to safety. However, her brother’s request to return to the California ranch and her old summer job leaves Kristine with a decision to make. She decides to take the job and work alongside her brother, but it’s a decision Kristine’s father isn’t too happy about.

While Villeneuve drops a few hints here and there as to the event that sent Kristine running home, the reader is never quite sure what it is until it is finally revealed many pages deep into the book’s 272 pages. For me, that’s a huge plus, as after reading countless books, sometimes plot lines get a bit predictable.

Villeneuve’s characters are more than life-like and the storyline is believable and intriguing. And, yes, for those who love romance, there’s plenty of that, too.

I honestly cannot wait to read Villeneuve’s next effort.