{"id":4179,"date":"2025-09-24T13:47:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T13:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=4179"},"modified":"2025-09-24T13:47:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T13:47:00","slug":"book-review-whispers-of-yesterday-by-auburn-hartley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=4179","title":{"rendered":"Book Review: Whispers of Yesterday by Auburn Hartley"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4b2eccd6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-text-color has-large-font-size\"><strong><em>Whispers of Yesterday<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-regular-font-size\">by Auburn Hartley<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Genre:<\/strong> Romance<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>ISBN: <\/strong>9781763823105<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Print Length:<\/strong> 210 pages<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"align-button-center ub-buttons orientation-button-row ub-flex-wrap wp-block-ub-button\">\n<div class=\"ub-button-container\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4mvrR8x\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ub-button-block-main   ub-button-flex\" rel=\"noopener\">\n<div class=\"ub-button-content-holder\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ub-button-icon-holder\">\n<p>\t\t\t<\/p><\/span><span class=\"ub-button-block-btn\">Amazon<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/p><\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>Reviewed by Amy Brozio-Andrews<\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"ub_advanced_heading wp-block-ub-advanced-heading\"><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong><\/strong><strong>A thoughtful romance that explores the highs and lows of opening your heart to love again, set in a ritzy Florida seaside 50s-and-up community<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Sarah Lipman is new to Beach Sands Luxury Resort. And while she is apprehensive about striking out on her own after being widowed and then living with her daughter\u2019s family for many years, she is immediately smitten with resident Rainer Gutenberg, who has been asked to show her around the community.<\/p>\n<p>Sarah thinks maybe the change of scenery will be good for her (wink, wink), and the pair click right away. Their tentative steps toward romance are sweet and charming, and you\u2019re rooting for them to get together before you know it. However, unresolved issues in Rainer\u2019s past and unexpected obstacles in Sarah\u2019s present make the road to happiness in <em>Whispers of Yesterday<\/em> a rocky one.<\/p>\n<p>Hartley does a great job of slowly building the romantic tension between Sarah and Rainer and also ratcheting up their respective family dramas at the same time. While the physical attraction is clear from the beginning, both of them are facing family matters that could be deal-breakers for the love birds, enhancing the will-they-or-won\u2019t-they question. It\u2019s only by opening themselves up to love again, truly and completely, with their loved ones and each other, that Sarah and Rainer might make it as a couple.<\/p>\n<p><span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Auburn Hartley spends equal time on both Sarah\u2019s and Rainer\u2019s stories, telling them in alternating chapters and letting us get to know them well. She is highly respectful of Sarah and Rainer having already lived full lives with spouses they loved and lost while also recognizing that they are adults who still deserve happiness.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s clear that Hartley has an affection and appreciation for the foundations of the romance genre and its readers, rewarding them with a few steamy love scenes, too. The novel is tightly plotted with laser-sharp focus on Sarah and Rainer and a strong message about the role of family in our lives, whether we\u2019re parents, siblings, or children.<\/p>\n<p>While it\u2019s likely that readers will have differing reactions to the family matters these characters experience, the overall emotional toll caused by heartache, regardless of the source, is likely to be painfully familiar. At the same time, it allows readers to experience the characters\u2019 emotional anguish and makes the utterly delightful epilogue even sweeter.<\/p>\n<p><em>Whispers of Yesterday<\/em> is a gently romantic story of two adults who have raised their families, lost their first spouses, and feel hopeful that life can still be enjoyable. Rainer and Sarah are surrounded by a thoughtful cast of characters who bring out the best in them, which makes this book being part of a series even more enticing. This is the heartwarming tale that kicks off the series of standalones and leaves you wanting to read more about this endearing community.<\/p>\n<div class=\"align-button-center ub-buttons orientation-button-row ub-flex-wrap wp-block-ub-button\">\n<div class=\"ub-button-container\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4mvrR8x\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ub-button-block-main   ub-button-flex\" rel=\"noopener\">\n<div class=\"ub-button-content-holder\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ub-button-icon-holder\">\n<p>\t\t\t<\/p><\/span><span class=\"ub-button-block-btn\">Amazon<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/p><\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Thank you for reading Amy Brozio-Andrews\u2019s book review of<em> Whispers of Yesterday <\/em>by Auburn Hartley! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.<\/p>\n<div class=\"align-button-center ub-buttons orientation-button-row ub-flex-wrap wp-block-ub-button\">\n<div class=\"ub-button-container\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/independentbookreview.com\/category\/book-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ub-button-block-main   ub-button-flex\" rel=\"noopener\">\n<div class=\"ub-button-content-holder\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ub-button-icon-holder\">\n<p>\t\t\t<\/p><\/span><span class=\"ub-button-block-btn\">Book Reviews<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/p><\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"ub-button-container\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/independentbookreview.com\/category\/blog\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ub-button-block-main   ub-button-flex\" rel=\"noopener\">\n<div class=\"ub-button-content-holder\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ub-button-icon-holder\">\n<p>\t\t\t<\/p><\/span><span class=\"ub-button-block-btn\">IBR Blog<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/p><\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"ub-button-container\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/independentbookreview.com\/writers-only\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"ub-button-block-main   ub-button-flex\" rel=\"noopener\">\n<div class=\"ub-button-content-holder\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ub-button-icon-holder\">\n<p>\t\t\t<\/p><\/span><span class=\"ub-button-block-btn\">Resources for Writers<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/p><\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/independentbookreview.com\/2025\/09\/24\/book-review-whispers-of-yesterday-by-auburn-hartley\/\">Book Review: Whispers of Yesterday by Auburn Hartley<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/independentbookreview.com\/\">Independent Book Review<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whispers of Yesterday by Auburn Hartley Genre: Romance ISBN: 9781763823105 Print Length: 210 pages Amazon Reviewed by Amy Brozio-Andrews A thoughtful romance that explores the highs and lows of opening your heart to love again, set in a ritzy Florida seaside 50s-and-up community Sarah Lipman is new to Beach Sands Luxury Resort. And while she [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":4180,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bookreviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4179"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4179"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4179\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4180"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4179"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4179"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4179"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}