Sally Renee Grace grew up in a snake-handling Pentecostal church and did her best to follow normal societal rules and regulations. Her strict religious upbringing is complicating her love life because she believes that she's a lesbian and in love with her childhood friend, Tracy Douglass. Join Sally as she struggles to live authentically and cooperatively with a spiritual attachment to a deceased loved one.
Sally Renee Grace grew up in a snake-handling Pentecostal church and did her best to follow normal societal rules and regulations. Her strict religious upbringing is complicating her love life because she believes that she's a lesbian and in love with her childhood friend, Tracy Douglass. Join Sally as she struggles to live authentically and cooperatively with a spiritual attachment to a deceased loved one.
Sally Renee Grace’s muscles were exhausted after a long day of giving therapeutic massages at the Asheville Healing House Day Spa, so much so that she planned to go straight to bed. The thumping in her head warned her of an oncoming headache, so she popped two ibuprofen and took a long swallow of water from the faucet. The growling in her stomach reminded her that she’d failed to eat anything all day.
Oblivious to Sally’s desire for a quiet night alone, her friends, Bonifa Santos Padilla and Devon Abraham, were relentless in pressuring her to go with them to a downtown club. Sally knew how fortunate she was to have such caring and loyal friends, so she managed to throw on a pair of skinny jeans and a sparkly shirt before jumping into Bonifa’s SUV.
The sea of people standing outside were dancing to the beat of the music as it filtered out the open doorway. The bass was so loud that Sally’s heart started beating to the rhythm of the loud thumps ricocheting off the walls of the building. The smell of weed wafted around her as she swallowed deeply and held back the urge to heave at the acrid smell.
On the dance floor, Devon dominated the room with his amazing moves and endless energy. Sally wished she could be so carefree, but she worried that people would make fun of her antiquated moves. Enjoying all the women’s advances and allowing them to kiss on him, Sally could already tell that Devon had exceeded his normal limit of alcohol. She frowned at the clueless women and felt sorry for them. They had no idea that they were barking up the wrong tree because Devon was gay.
Bonifa was a rare beauty with her caramel skin and dark tresses which clearly attracted the attention of both men and women. Sally stared at the group crowded together near the bar and watched as the men ogled Bonifa and the women stared in disdain. Sally was lucky that she was a red-haired woman with a basic body type that rarely caught the attention of men or women. As usual, Bonifa acted aloof and disinterested because she kept a steady line of men in her life and rarely needed any additional suitors.
As a massage therapist, Sally didn’t have a lot of free time to date. She also didn’t trust too many people, and definitely wasn’t into one-night stands. In fact, she wondered if she’d ever have a long-term relationship with anyone. Her strict religious upbringing complicated her personal life because she tried to stay focused on her biblical teachings rather than her non-traditional desires.
Sally wasn’t even sure whether she should be searching for a man or a woman. One experience with her best friend in high school had been haunting her every day since she’d moved away. She’d wanted to explore things further, but Tracy had pulled away from her after the incident. However, Sally really wanted the chance to follow her heart instead of her head, and take a chance with whomever attracted her the most.
Growing up in Madison, Tennessee, Sally had been the perfect daughter, doing everything that her parents expected a good and obedient child to do. Although she loved her grandparents, they’d also placed a lot of restrictions on her by constantly quoting the Old Testament of Bible. Early on, she’d discovered the unspoken law that forced her to conform to whatever society dictated. Living her life like a puppet on a string, Sally transformed into a people-pleaser, basing her decisions and actions on what other people wanted or expected her to do.
Sally’s life situation had changed when she’d moved to Asheville to become a massage therapist. Being constantly exposed to different perspectives, cultures, and people had really opened her eyes to the all that life had to offer. Her therapeutic clients presented special interactions that taught her how to become an open-minded and accepting person. Although a few of her clients were close-minded and caused her much frustration, she knew that she couldn’t afford to turn them away.
Regrettably, Sally felt like she’d been living someone else’s life - a fantasy life filled with false expectations perpetuated by society. For once in her life, she truly wished that she could just be; be someone else; be whatever she wanted to be; and be her true, authentic self.
Butterfly Blossoms is a must read for those who enjoy contemporary women's fiction with elements of romance, drama, and a touch of the supernatural.
Butterfly Blossoms follows Sally Renee Grace, a young massage therapist living in Asheville, North Carolina. Raised in a strict religious household in Tennessee, Sally struggles with societal expectations and her own uncertainty about her desires and identity, including her sexuality. She feels like she's living someone else's life and longs to be her authentic self.
Sally is portrayed as a relatable protagonist struggling with relatable issues of identity, societal pressure, and self-acceptance. Her journey is central, though her passivity in certain situations might frustrate some readers. Bonifa and Devon are vibrant supporting characters, adding humor and different perspectives. Bobby is presented as charming but dangerous, embodying the "bad boy" trope. Bertha provides comic relief and unexpected depth. The introduction of Jennifer's spirit as an active entity within Sally is a unique, if somewhat jarring, development.
The story explores Sally's relationships with her close friends: the beautiful and aloof Bonifa Santos Padilla, who owns a salon, and the charismatic, gay attorney Devon Abraham. Sally navigates her non-existent love life, complicated by memories of a confusing experience with her high school best friend, Tracy.
Key themes include self-discovery, authenticity versus societal expectations, the complexities of friendship and love, navigating religious upbringing versus personal desires, and confronting past trauma. The novel also touches upon issues like homophobia, racism, stalking, and the dangers of judging others.
The writing is straightforward and descriptive, often delving into Sally's internal thoughts and past experiences through flashbacks. The dialogue aims for realism, capturing the distinct voices of the characters.
The plot involving Sally's self-discovery and relationships is intertwined with the suspense surrounding Bobby's background and the danger posed by Stefano. The introduction of Jennifer's spirit adds a spooky supernatural layer.
If you like stories of self-discovery, navigating friendships, relationships, and confronting societal pressures, this book is for you!