The Look of Love: A Novel

A PLUME BOOK

THE LOOK OF LOVE

Photo by Michelle Moore

SARAH JIO
is the
New York Times
and
USA Today
bestselling author of
The Violets of March
, a
Library Journal
Best Book of 2011;
The Bungalow
;
Blackberry Winter
;
The Last Camellia
;
Morning Glory
;
and
Goodnight June
. She is also a journalist who has written for Glamour;
O, The Oprah Magazine
;
Redbook
;
Real Simple
; and many other publications. Jio’s books have become book club favorites and have been translated into more than twenty languages. She lives in Seattle with her three young boys and an elderly golden retriever. Learn more about her at sarahjio.com or facebook.com/sarahjioauthor.

Praise for
Goodnight June

“If you’re looking for something to take you back to memories of reading to your children, try
Goodnight June
. Author Sarah Jio takes readers on a suspenseful yet heartfelt journey into the pages of the beloved children’s classic
Goodnight Moon
, when she inherits her great-aunt’s struggling bookstore and discovers letters between her great-aunt and the late author Margaret Wise Brown.”

—
The Wall Street Journal

“Suspenseful, heartwarming, and uplifting . . . I didn’t want it to end.”

—
First for Women

“Jio has a knack for creating parallel story lines that work well together while being strong enough to stand alone. . . . Readers will be as invested in the outcome of the bookstore as June is and they will be captivated by the imaginative backstory the author creates for one of America’s greatest children’s authors.”

—
Library Journal

“Sarah Jio’s delightful and uplifting novel is guaranteed to melt even the toughest cynic and deserves a top rating of five stars (plus the moon).”

—Historical Novel Society

“This eminently readable novel with particular appeal for fans of children’s literature is a tribute to family and forgiveness.”—
Booklist

Praise for
Morning Glory

“Jio has become one of the most-read women in America.”

—
Woman’s World

“Jio explores the degree to which time and distance give comfort to those who have experienced loss [with] a depth of feeling in her writing.”

—
Publishers Weekly

Praise for
The Last Camellia

“This tale has it all: an English garden, a brooding lord of the manor, and a story that bestselling author Jio deftly unveils as fast as you can turn the pages.”

—
Coastal Living

“Jio infuses her haunting story of love and loss with an engrossing mystery that will linger long after the final page.”

—
Romantic Times

“The images of the flowers, the landscape, and the manor house are vivid and make for a tantalizing read.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“An engaging story of two generations trying to move forward despite the powerful pull of the past. A thoughtful examination of history’s ability to haunt the present and the power of forgiveness to set things right.”

—
Booklist

Praise for
Blackberry Winter

“Terrific . . . compelling . . . an intoxicating blend of mystery, history, and romance, this book is hard to put down.”

—
Real Simple

“Ingenious . . . imaginative.”

—
The Seattle Times

“
Blackberry Winter
never loses momentum. . . . Jio’s writing is engaging and fluid.”

—
Mystery Scene

“A fascinating exploration of love, loss, scandal, and redemption.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“This novel will enchant Jio’s fans and make them clamor for her next offering.”

—
Kirkus Reviews,
“A Most Anticipated Book of Fall 2012”

“There’s no doubt that anyone who picks up this book will instantly fall in love with it and the author.”

—Brodart

“Sarah Jio’s writing is exquisite and engrossing.”

—Elin Hilderbrand, bestselling author of
Silver Girl

Praise for
The Bungalow

Pulpwood Queens Book Club, Official Selection 2012

“
The Bungalow
is my favorite book of the year.”

—Jen Lancaster

“Jio’s first-person, Hemingway-ish writing style, like her
The Violets of March
(judged by
Library Journal
as one of the Best Books of 2011), is a pleasure to read. . . . Jio has done a superb job of pulling together the themes of friendship, betrayal, and endearing love. These keep us engrossed in the novel to an unpredictable conclusion.”

—
The Historical Novels Review

“Unabashedly romantic . . . thanks to Jio’s deft handling of her plot and characters. Fans of Nicholas Sparks will enjoy this gentle historical love story.”

—
Library Journal

“A captivating tale.”

—
Booklist

“A heartfelt, engaging love story set against the fascinating backdrop of the War in the Pacific.”—Kristin Hannah, author of
Home Front

Praise for
The Violets of March

A
Library Journal
Best Book of 2011

“Feed the kids
before
you settle in with journalist Sarah Jio’s engrossing first novel,
The Violets of March.
This mystery-slash-love story will have you racing to the end—cries of ‘Mom, I’m hungry!’ be damned.”

—
Redbook

“A gem . . . True escape fiction that can take you away.”

—WGBH-TV

“Masterfully written.”

—
The New Jersey Star-Ledger

“In a sweet debut novel, a divorcee visiting her aunt on gorgeous Bainbridge Island, Washington, finds a diary dating to 1943 that reveals potentially life-changing secrets.”

—
Coastal Living

“The right book finds you at the right time.
The Violets of March
will become a source of healing and comfort for its readers.”

—
The Costco Connection

“In
The Violets of March
, debut author Sarah Jio beautifully blends the stories of two women—one of the past, one of the present—together to create a captivating and enthralling novel of romance, heartbreak, and redemption.”

—
Times Record News
(Wichita Falls, Kansas)

“Jio’s debut is a rich blend of history, mystery, and romance. Fans of Sarah Blake’s
The Postmistress
should enjoy this story.”

—
Library Journal

“[An] endearing tale of past heartbreaks and new beginnings. The story’s setting and sentiment are sure to entice readers and keep them captivated page after page.”

—
Romantic Times

“A perfect summer read for an escape into a fictional character’s challenges with the charm of a local Northwest setting.”

—
425
magazine

“Refreshing . . . lovable.”

—
First for Women
magazine

“Mix a love story, history, and a mystery and what takes root?
The Violets of March
, a novel that reminds us how the past comes back to haunt us, and packs a few great surprises for the reader along the way.”

—Jodi Picoult, author of
Sing You Home
and
House Rules

Also by Sarah Jio

The Violets of March

The Bungalow

Blackberry Winter

The Last Camellia

Morning Glory

Goodnight June

PLUME

Published by the Penguin Group

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New York, New York 10014

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A Penguin Random House Company

First published by Plume, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, 2014

Copyright © 2014 by Sarah Jio

Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.

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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Jio, Sarah.

The look of love : a novel / Sarah Jio.

pages ; cm

ISBN 978-1-101-62888-1

1. Chick lit. I. Title.

PS3610.I6L66 2014

813'.6—dc23

2014034131

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.