Maggie Blackbird

Today, I’m hosting author Deonna Kay’s latest release, The Measure of Enough, a psychological women’s fiction title. Be sure to read my review. And don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway.

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Deonna’s inspiration for writing Kacee Robinson (main character):

Being a domestic abuse survivor myself and speaking with so many friends who have overcome childhood struggles depicted within the stories of the main characters, I felt it was important to craft a narrative giving them a realistic voice. Sometimes it isn’t pretty and it delves into the darker aspects of humanity, but it gives the reader insight into that aspect of the daily struggle, while also providing a look at how our past innately shapes our future.

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Title: The Measure of Enough
Series: N/A
Author: Deonna Kay
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Psychological Fiction
Length: 290 pages
Release Date: April 12, 2025

Blurb: Thirty-four-year old social worker, Kacee Robinson, runs a non-profit agency helping women and children move away from bad situations. Kacee moved away from her own bad situation years ago and pledged never to return to her hometown of Glendale, Texas, or to the mother who abandoned her right smack in the middle of her hateful pre-adolescent years—just when she needed her most.

Now it is Kacee’s mother who needs something from her. With the entire town rallying behind the cry, Kacee has a decision to make. She can put aside everything she thought she ever knew about this woman who made a feeble attempt at raising her, return to the town, and conduct the necessary business like the grown-up professional she knows she is. Or she can stand her ground, continuing to struggle with the nagging questions and residual scars of her childhood.

Before she can make a decision, Kacee fears her life may be in danger and a rapid turn of events prompts resolutions that cannot be undone, setting into motion a slide of events as slick as the oil-engendered family from which Kacee was born.

The echoes of the past reach out to her while in Glendale, grabbing on and not letting go as they wind her down a country road through pages of her mother’s journals and twisting her into an unexpected new fate from which she will never be the same.

Goodreads | Amazon

Aunt Jackie rolled her eyes in mock annoyance, but it was clear she enjoyed his company. “You got it!” she said, matching his twinkle with hers. I heard the front door close, and it was just the two of us girls again. An old familiar feeling cast over me.

I followed her round figure to the back bedroom, admiring her thick curly hair as it swooshed from side to side, falling over the side of the wide neck of her housecoat.

She stepped aside at the threshold, and I stopped abruptly as I saw inside the room that had always been mine when I came to visit. She’d tidied up and put fresh linens on the bed, and sitting square in the middle was Bob the Unicorn, my prized possession and childhood confidante. The scene before me took me right back to my teenage years on a weekend getaway to her house. Time spent at Aunt Jackie’s meant following none of Mom’s rules and all of Jackie’s (which involved a lot of late, giggly nights and equal amounts of ice cream). Our days together stretched in sticky taffy ropes of brownies for breakfast and entire fall afternoons spent painting and napping, junk shopping and then creating the most fantastic art pieces out of that junk—just because.

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I believe this is the first women’s fiction title I have read.  So please bear with me during the review because I am new to this genre.

First, the blurb intrigued me because it contained an estrangement between a mother and a daughter, and also contained suspenseful elements.  I love suspense, so I was in.

As I read, I began to second-guess the “suspense” part, wondering if the estrangement was enough, but the author knows what she’s doing and proved me wrong LOL.  So yeah, the suspense needs to be there.

I liked the main character, Kacee.  Mind you, it took me a few chapters to warm up to her.  At first, I thought, “Here we go, someone with issues over this or that.”  But Kacee had every right to feel the way she did.  So again, the author proved me wrong.  She’s good at doing that LOL, and knows what she’s doing when it comes to writing women’s fiction.

Many other characters add to this story, such as Aunt Jackie, whom I adored, Barry, Kacee’s lovable dog, along with Kacee’s best friend, who are also estranged.  Yes, lots of estrangement going on here, and I had a good hunch that what had happened to Kacee’s BFF had also happened to Kacee.  I won’t go into detail.  I don’t want to give any of the plot away.  Let’s just say it all ties together.

The author did a wonderful job of plotting the novel and tying the suspense and drama together.

The story also goes back in time, which is necessary.  I’m not one for backstory, but the author isn’t using backstory to show character, etc.  She uses it wisely to create Kacee’s mother for us, along with the dysfunction in Kacee’s family and her mother’s family.  Mind you, it does get heavy on the internalizing.  I prefer some white space in novels, but that’s just me.

What the author really nailed is the growth Kacee undergoes.  She is not the same person as she was at the start of the novel, and I really liked this.  I also enjoyed the ending because the author made it very real.  There is no riding off into the sunset.  But a good ending that ties up the plot and gives closure to the main character.

If you enjoy women’s fiction with a hint of suspense, I highly recommend you give the book a read.  The author is a gifted writer who created a world of pain, mystery, growth, and love.

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Deonna Kay is a native Texan, the proud mom of a young adult daughter, an over-sized dog, and the fuzziest cat you’ve ever seen. Her passion of writing began as a child and has carried over into her adult life. She is a business owner and loves to travel, particularly to Disney World. If you enjoyed THE MEASURE OF ENOUGH, please visit the author on her website to follow her future endeavors and updates.

Follow Deonna: Website | X | Instagram

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