I had high hopes for this book when I received a note from the author asking me to read and review his latest novel. Pressed Pennies tells the tale of friends who grew up together, were torn apart due to family circumstances, and somehow everyone finds each other again. I was very touched by the love stories this novel surrounds. I loved how Steven explores the old innocence of childhood and how things seem so simple when you are a child. Steven is an awesome scene setter and great with keeping the pace of the novel going from youth to adulthood of his main characters. He seems to fail a little with descriptions of his characters. At times it seems he uses a laundry list instead of putting the descriptions into the scenes.

The story starts with "the gang" in the youth hanging out during the summer like typical suburban kids. We watch Richard and Abby fall into puppy love then, tragically, Richard's father announces they have to move away from the neighborhood. I nearly cried when Richard says goodbye! Skip ahead to adulthood and miraculously they find each other again.

Another story rolling around is the story of Bill and Eunice, Richard's grandmother. She find love later in life and it was of the sweetest stories told. I really wished this part lasted a little longer then it did.

I enjoyed this story. The poetry Steven injects into the story is so beautiful! It seemed short, I wanted more and more. While that writing wasn't perfect, Steven does a great job with this novel. I look forward to reading more by him.