A Mystery Solved...

Of course I took this pic at 2:22.

“I took her hand in mine and knew without a second’s hesitation that I wanted her.”

That’s a line from Glittering Images by Susan Howatch, first published in the United States, on September 12, 1987, with a new edition scheduled to be released on May 19, 2026. That’s in eleven days. This special book, that was meant for me to read, published in the eighties, is about to be re-released THIS MONTH. Wow. Uncanny.

To recap, for anyone who’s just checking out my blog now, spiritual, other-worldly things have been happening in my life since I wrote my latest contemporary romance, Pining For You, based on real events. The latest peculiarity was a book that literally flew off a shelf when I was at the Dimmick Memorial Library about a month ago. My phone dinged with a message at the same time. It was very odd. I was with one of the librarians, who went up to the balcony to retrieve the book. So, no, not my imagination. I decided to check out the book and see what the universe wanted to tell me.

Flash forward to now. I finished the book this week. Was there a message for me? In a word—yes. I can’t say I’m surprised. The universe just keeps sending me messages I can’t ignore. Is it related to Pining For You? Me personally? Let’s get into it and see if I can check some things off…

Okay, first, the book takes place in England in the 1930s and follows the personal lives of clergymen. The narrator, Charles Ashworth, a reverend, is asked to investigate the personal life of a bishop, his wife, and her companion on behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury. I know…terribly relevant. LOL At first, I was like—okay, where is this going?

Then I read that line I mentioned at the start of this post, and the hair on my neck stood on end. When Charles meets the wife’s companion, Lyle Christie, his world shifts. Lyle, an intelligent, mature, beautiful woman, seems to have the same feelings toward Charles, but she also appears to have a strong sense of responsibility to her current life and taking care of the bishop’s wife.

Love at first sight? Check.

A soulful connection and not being able to keep their hands off each other? Check.

Okay, okay…what else is there?

During his investigation, Charles becomes overwhelmed by his feelings for Lyle and suffers a psychological break. Through lots of sessions and a good amount of self-discovery, he recovers with the help of Father Jonathan Darrow, who plays the role of therapist in the story.

Let me pause to tell you that the novel is broken up into three sections—The Mystery, The Mystery Beyond The Mystery, and The Call. The Mystery is about Charles meeting the Bishop and Lyle. The middle section, which is a huge chunk of the novel, focuses on what happens to Charles after he has the mental break. The final section is short and ties up the loose ends.

So, what happened to Charles?

I don’t need to get into the weeds, but suffice it to say he has deep wounds and trauma that stem from his relationship with his father. He also lost his first wife, who never saw the real him, only his "glittering image". At a basic level, Charles doesn’t feel worthy of love. He only allows people to see his glittering image. That version of Charles is a people-pleaser and seeks approval from father-figure types in his life to make up for how unworthy and unfit his father has always made him feel. With Lyle, he sees a future where he doesn’t need to maintain the glittering image. He believes she sees the real him. He’s desperate to be with her, but doesn’t believe he’s deserving of a life of happiness he would assuredly have with her. In the end, she becomes the catalyst that forces Charles to face his past trauma and banish his “demons” so he’s free to be the man he was always meant to be-the man behind the glittering image. He soon sees that a future with Lyle means choosing himself, his real self.

A man who goes to therapy to heal past wounds so he can be with the love of his life? Check.

I hate spoiling the ending of books, but I’m gonna. Sorry. There are some other plot points and surprises in Glittering Images, but they aren’t relevant to the main message in my opinion. So what happens to Charles and Lyle?

He marries her.

CHECK.

In the end, this book lined up with similar themes as Pining For You. Now, the real question is will Everett, in Pining For You, face his demons, like Charles did, for the woman he loves? I don’t know how many times I’ve said it, but I’ll keep saying it: Take care of your mental health. Make it a priority. Go to therapy. You never know what it might be holding you back from. Also, check out the newest edition of Glittering Images by Susan Howatch on May 19th.

Until next time…