Another Bradford Boys story? Yes, please. Both advance reading and listening copies? Yes, please and thank you. Over the moon with smiles and happinesAnother Bradford Boys story? Yes, please. Both advance reading and listening copies? Yes, please and thank you. Over the moon with smiles and happiness and tingles because the author is the always fabulous Tia Louise and the narrators are talented, oh-so-good Aaron Shedlock and Stefanie Kay. The Way We Collide is the fourth entry in author Louise’s small-town, sports romance Bradford Boys series. You will love it � flipping those pages and keeping those earbuds firmly in your ears.
Hendrix Bradford is front and center this time. Kind of in the background until now. The baby brother (much to Garret’s dismay at times since he really enjoyed his time as baby brother), the only one still active in football and that suits him just fine. Still young when their parents died and it’s important to him to continue his father’s legacy. A little cocky and cynical � no long-term relationships, no commitments, of course no children with all the poopy stuff that entails. I didn’t mention eye-burning handsome because that’s a given; he’s a Bradford brother after all.
Hendrix may be against long-term, but he’s not blind or immune to fascinating women and a little bit of (safe) fun. And that’s what happens the night his sister Dylan gets married. Bridesmaid Raven is beautiful, clever, independent, sexy, and � Danger! Danger! � someone he could actually enjoy spending more time with. He shoves that scary thought out of his mind and they have one incredible night because they discover they have insatiable, all-night, barrier-busting chemistry. Ha ha ha, barrier-busting. That says it all. They were careful, but maybe some things are just meant to be because nine months later, “Heeere’s Haddy!�
Raven was not intending to trap Hendrix and marry a rich, famous (exhaustingly good-looking) football player; she has career plans and a baby wasn’t part of them. Nor is marriage. But with a baby to care for it’s now become important she secure the trust fund her rotten, evil mother left her. A trust fund with the appalling condition that Raven must be married. And turns out Evil Mom even had somebody in mind. Her mother always cruelly criticized her � her size, her choices, her ambition. Her father never stood up for her. And the “boyfriend� hand-selected by her mother parroted the cruel words. Raven just wants the money to care for Haddy and pursue her career goal of becoming a meteorologist, a storm-chaser, and help make folks safe. So she packs up the adorable baby girl and heads out to ask Hendrix to temporarily marry her, just long enough to meet the conditions of the trust.
The Bradford family learns first, and if you’ve met them before in the previous books you know that this is not ever going to be a temporary thing for them. They want Hendrix and Raven and Haddy to be a forever family and move to Newhope, Alabama. To say Hendrix is unprepared and shocked is an understatement, but he is a Bradford and they are good people. Responsibility is responsibility. And once he accepts that responsibility he’s all in, even if the marriage has an expiration date. That insatiable, all-night, chemistry with Raven is still there, which is not a surprise, but what is absolutely unexpected is the way his daughter owns his heart immediately and how quickly he comes an over-protective Alpha-Dad.
Author Tia Louise has done it again, magnificently. Hendrix learning to be a daddy is hilarious. He wasn’t kidding about those poopy diapers and wearing a scuba mask and sniffing a coffee pod prove it. But he’s also sweet and tender when he always � always, always � sternly corrects Raven when she refers to herself as fat, lazy, undesirable, unwanted, thank to her mother’s never-kind words.
They are a forever family from the start. We see it. The rest of the Bradfords see it. Now they just have to see it. Raven doesn’t want to interfere with his career, Hendrix doesn’t want to ruin her dreams. Haddy is just her adorable self every single minute. Visiting the rest of the family in this book is so much fun, especially the daddy rivalry between Garrett and Hendrix, since Garret and Olivia also had that insatiable, all-night, barrier-busting chemistry the night of Dylan’s wedding and daughter Kimmie Joy is their proof of that.
The Way We Collide is romantic, fiery, funny. Reading it is a joy, and listening to amazing voice actors Aaron Shedlock and Stefanie Kay is a special treat. Kay captures all the hurt and insecurity from Raven’s past, her comfort, sizzle and perfect fit with Hendrix and her spectacular feistiness and fearlessness. Shedlock takes Hendrix from that committed-only-to-permanent-bachelorhood through the eye-opening night with Raven, his fear that his heart might want her, his instant protectiveness and overwhelming love for Haddy and everything in between and beyond. The Way We Collide is a perfect addition to the series, makes you laugh and cry, and leaves you absolutely satisfied. Go back to the beginning and read them all, read this, and then get in line for Jack and Allie’s story. Thanks to everybody for the advance copies. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. ...more
Catch Her Heart is the third book in Julia Jarrett’s Vancouver Tridents very enjoyable baseball series. Fun for us � we get to spend a bit more time wCatch Her Heart is the third book in Julia Jarrett’s Vancouver Tridents very enjoyable baseball series. Fun for us � we get to spend a bit more time with Ronan and Willow and his daughter Peyton and Mav and Sadie and her weird cat, and the rest of the team.
Monty is a great guy: great son, baseball player, teammate, friend. And too nice for his own good. Monty and Lark are best friends. He knows everything about her, what she likes, what she doesn’t, how to make her smile, how to comfort her, and if staying in the friend zone gives him one more second with her then that’s where he’ll stay. Not really happily, but grateful for any time at all at her side. Other slight point of interest about Monty: he’s just about as inexperienced as inexperienced can be. And once he fell in love with Lark he didn’t have any desire to change that. Maybe someday he’ll meet someone, but he’s not looking so chances are small.
Lark’s biggest personality trait for the first part of the book is cluelessness. Cluelessness and the inability/refusal to take control of her own life. Raised by parents who had high expectations but basically ignored her except to criticize, engaged to a man she has dated for years because their parents are business parents and it’s just supposed to be the next step. In a relationship with a man who belittles her, does not seem attracted to her and seems to just be going through the motions. Her friends have told her she could do so much better, deserves better, and to turn around and take a look at how Monty is looking at her, and we want to grab her shoulders and shake her. Her friendship with Monty is the best thing in her life, but she doesn’t see how he really feels or what could be, and her eyes open slowly to what the rest of her life will be like if she marries Baron, and it takes a night out with her girlfriends celebrating that breakup before she starts thinking “What if?�
After that the story is full of laugh-out-loud moments, sweetness, romance, and surprises. Monty is ecstatic that Lark might really want him, but he wants to take things very slowly, not only because of his lack of experience but because if this is his one shot for the woman of his dreams he doesn’t want to take one wrong step. He really is the perfect man. And when Lark starts to see that, to view him not only as that perfect buddy but as the perfect man, the perfect partner for her your heart will swell with happiness.
Narrators Victoria Connolly & Tim Paige do a terrific job voicing Lark and Monty. Connolly does Lark’s cluelessness just right, and makes you sympathize with her reluctance to push back against Baron and all the parents, to see her as a person intimidated and trying to do the right thing. Connolly makes you wish Lark had figured things out sooner but you don’t resent her. Tim Paige becomes Monty, coming across as friendly and happy and helpful, but with hints of what he keeps hidden inside. Competent and strong, always wanting to do the right thing � and just a bit innocent. Monty is not ignorant, there is just a lot of stuff he has not done, and Paige makes Monty sensitive and shy and bold and full of desire at the same time.
I received an advance listening copy of Catch Her Heart from Home Cooked Books. I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait for the next book in the series � audio, of course, because that’s always best! I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. ...more
I really love these trilogies. Over the course of the series you not only meet new delightful people but get to visit with the ones you already know. I really love these trilogies. Over the course of the series you not only meet new delightful people but get to visit with the ones you already know. Amelia Grey’s stories are the best, with a captivating premise in each one. And a lot of humor. And a lot � I mean a lot � of steam.
Love, the Duke is the third and final book in the Say I Do series about dukes who are perfectly happy being single (or so they think) but suddenly realize it’s time to wed for one reason or another: save their title or property, secure their wealth, ensure an heir . . . . The Duke of Hurstbourne is the last of the three friends who now finds himself in need of a wife. Wyatt and Rick are happily � sappily � married but Hurst has held out. All those balls, all those young ladies of the ton . . . it all just leaves him cold. He is such a romantic that he will capture your heart right away. He’s always believed that the woman he marries will be “the one.� And that he’ll know it the minute he lays eyes on her. He didn’t just want a lady he could live with. He wanted the one lady he couldn’t live without, and he had to believe he would know her when he saw her. Makes you swoon, right?
Well, that provides the first humorous encounter, because when he meets Ophelia Stowe she is dressed as a man, and his brain is a little confused about the little tingle and instant something he feels. It’s not so funny to Ophelia, however. Her brother was a childhood friend of Hurst’s who while terminally ill sent Hurst a letter requesting he marry his sister. Still holding on to “I’ll know her when I see her� he declines. After Winston Stowe, who was a clergyman, dies a priceless artifact goes missing. Having what she believes are a couple of good clues and fearing her brother’s memory will be tarnished Ophelia decides to search all the book rooms of London’s rich men. She approaches Hurst to enlist his help. Only then does he realize her connection to Winston, but she’s not there for marriage; she’s there for detective work. He is appalled at her disguise and totally against her plan.
Remember this is the Regency Era they are living in. It’s hard to imagine how many rules there are preventing women from doing anything independent. A single woman could not go to a man’s home unescorted, hence the costume. And if she is caught snooping in a titled man’s house for that relic, whether dressed as a woman or a man, there will be severe consequences. She didn’t even know about her brother’s letter until after his death, so she’s not interested in snagging a husband; she just wants to return that stolen vessel.
What follows is a charming story of action, mystery, intrigue, whodunit and two people so attracted to each other you chuckle and swoon whenever they are together. The attraction is strong; so is the frustration. He’s a man and he’s a duke � what more does he need to get his way? But she’s a strong-willed woman determined to find that relic and save her brother’s legacy, even if her heart beats wildly every time she looks into those vivid green eyes of his.
They are perfect together. He soon comes to the conclusion that he can’t beat her so he must join her � to keep her safe, of course. It’s not because he’s drawn to her like a magnet. And those magnetic scenes? Wow, sexy, swoony, scorching. Thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing Group for providing an advance copy of Love, The Duke via NetGalley. It was so much fun to catch up with Wyatt and Fredericka and Rick and Edwina, to get to know Hurst and Ophelia and the rest of their families, and to enjoy the absurdity of the ton and all those rules. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and series and recommend it without hesitation. I am sorry to see the Dukes� stories end but I know author Amelia Grey will have something equally satisfying soon. ...more
My first thought after finishing Worth the Chase, Book 3 in author J. Sterling’s Sugar Mountain Series, was, “I hope there are more O’Grady brothers �My first thought after finishing Worth the Chase, Book 3 in author J. Sterling’s Sugar Mountain Series, was, “I hope there are more O’Grady brothers � or cousins, or . . . ) hidden away somewhere because I am absolutely not ready for this series to be over.� This is a place I want to move to, a family I want to join, stories to go on forever. They are feel-good, warm your heart through and through books. Even if the first eight words of Book 1, Worth the Fall, had me sobbing. Good people working through hard times and bad memories to focus on good times and good memories � and making even better memories for the future.
Worth the Chase is Matthew O’Grady’s story. He’s the youngest of the three brothers, as handsome and popular as the other two and their dad. He’s the one who left Sugar Mountain to play pro hockey, and he lived up to the typical professional athlete rep: party, play around, don’t form attachments. He had a good life and he enjoyed it. But that was then and this is now.
Now Matthew is home. He always planned on coming home, but not after just seven years in the NHL. He didn’t plan on a career ending injury. He didn’t plan on feeling lost and overwhelmed, useless, uncertain of his future and being sad so much of the time. Sure, he’s got more money than he knows what to do with. He’s still famous and recognized. And with those looks he’s still got all the women he could want throwing themselves at him. Except he doesn’t want them, who he wants is Isabella Sanchez, and she barely gives him the time of day � or night, since he spends all his nights drinking at the bar where she is the bartender.
Bella isn’t the girl he left behind or the one who got away. No, she was his high school best friend’s little sister, the pesky little girl who had the mad crush on the older boy. Not so pesky, really; they were close, she understood him and was there for him when his mother died. But she was too young and off limits. That bro code or something. And Leo wasn’t kidding when he told Matthew to stay away from her. Nor was Leo kidding when he made it a point to shove photos of Matthew with woman after woman after � you get the picture � in front of Bella when Matthew was still playing hockey. She knew Matthew didn’t have feelings for her. Except for giving her her first kiss, so unexpected, telling her, “If a guy doesn’t kiss you like this the first time, Bells, don’t let him do it again.� But he was leaving town and didn’t contact her for the entire seven years he was gone, proof enough she didn’t really mean anything to him.
So his smothering attention now is unwelcome. She doesn’t trust him; thinks he’s just looking for another conquest. Leo kept her well informed of his antics while an active player and she sees the women still making themselves available. She took that first kiss to heart, though, and has never been serious about anyone, has never really dated much, but that doesn’t mean she wants to risk her heart again; he’s already broken it once. And even though she refuses to go out with Matthew the playboy she sees beneath the drunk-every night-asking-her-out-guy to the man who is unhappy, uncertain, and unsettled. She won’t turn away from helping if she can. And Matthew � he just wants a chance. Bella is the only one besides his immediate family who made him feel he was home, and the feeling is still there.
When Bella agrees to help him find a house to buy, their relationship starts to shift. He’s still arrogant and cocky and relentless in his pursuit, but she sees more. And he sees glimpses of Bella the girl now grown into Bella the woman, the very desirable woman who still just feels so right. Author J. Sterling gives us some outrageously funny moments and some where Matthew is just ridiculous (and ridiculously cute) but the best parts are the ones that make your heart beat a little faster, as they learn more about each other, realize there is attraction and heat, and where Matthew’s proclamations of ‘our marriage, our house, our kids� don’t seem so far-fetched. Sterling surrounds them with friends and family, treating us to more time with all the folks we met and loved in the previous books, and their presence is welcome and much needed when something horrific happens to Bella. The family’s resort and the town of Sugar Mountain are as beautiful and charming as ever; Matthew is right � this is home. Sterling has written such a special series and Worth the Chase is the perfect wrap up. I recommend it without hesitation. I received an advance copy of this book. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. ...more
The Second Sun is a very interesting book: a combination of World War II history many of us may have already read about, speculation about a secret paThe Second Sun is a very interesting book: a combination of World War II history many of us may have already read about, speculation about a secret part of the war that may or may not actually be true but is tantalizing nonetheless, and a budding romance, all told by the main character in a surprisingly noir-ish fashion.
The war is finally nearing its end: Germany has surrendered, the U. S. is about to test atomic weapons, Japan is still out there fighting but it’s only a matter of time before they, too, are overpowered � unless it’s true that they have also been developing atomic weapons that are now nearly ready to use, making an Allied invasion off their coast very dangerous indeed.
Captain Wolfe Bowen saw a lot of action commanding ships in the Pacific and is now based in Washington, DC, working for the Chief of Naval Operations. He’s been around and knows his way around, a bit weary of the war and the Navy, large, fit, a weightlifter, direct and to the point, sometimes sarcastic, single by choice. By chance hearing what may be just a little too much information, he is quickly pulled into the world of big secrets: The Manhattan Project. Lieutenant Commander Janet Waring is also based in Washington with the Office of Naval Intelligence. Based on many factors, including her history living in Japan, she is also read into the project. Neither Bowen nor Waring have a choice in accepting their new missions. If they refuse they will likely be sent somewhere out of sight for the duration.
After witnessing a test of the bomb in the desert, Bowen is sent across the world to try and see if there is indeed a testing ground off the coast of Korea and to secretly observe any tests made. If he does, he is to report back immediately to President Truman who will use this info in making his decision regarding dropping our bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Waring is to use her position and credentials to probe Washington, find out who knows what and if this secret is really a secret and provide that information to the President as well.
The Second Son is fast-paced and suspenseful and often humorous. Just when the history lessons and detailed descriptions of everything atomic start to get too dry, author P. T. Deutermann pops in another action scene. Waring and Bowen are instantly comfortable with each other and work well together. There is a physical attraction; they are both adults who have made intentional choices in the past and they feel themselves possibly moving towards something more permanent. I received an advance copy of The Second Sun from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. It was a fascinating read, thought-provoking, well-written with characters both historical and fictional. As for the noir-ish feel? He’s not a detective even though he’s on a secret mission, but there is just something about the way Bowen talks and acts that feels like he could have been Sam Spade. A little odd at first but then totally fits. Recommend this book without hesitation. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. ...more
I can’t even begin to describe how enjoyable this book was. All the characters are adorable. Well, maybe not that dog so much at first, but all the peI can’t even begin to describe how enjoyable this book was. All the characters are adorable. Well, maybe not that dog so much at first, but all the people are interesting and fun. There’s a bit of an age gap � she’s three years older than him � but you stop thinking about that immediately. She’s a professor, he’s a hockey goalie, but it’s not brains vs. brawn. It’s not even her vs. him. It’s them vs. � well, nobody. Because it’s Them with a capital T even before they realize it.
When we first see Austin she’s a bold, loud woman, dedicated hockey fan watching the game in a local bar one night because she gave her season tickets to a friend for a special occasion. She’s not any quieter in that bar than she is at the games, and doesn’t hesitate to publicly blast the (hot, sexy) goalie who’s had three terrible games in a row. The bartender gets in on this little spectacle, as does the woman sitting next to her at the bar. Losing game over, night over, back to the stadium for the next game.
Except she doesn’t know who that woman was, which leads to the cutest meet-cute ever. Back to the bar to pick up her burger and fries, she spots a random (hot, sexy) guy in a ball cap and hoodie and starts up a conversation. Ends with him saying he has connections and can get her seats behind the glass to the next Baddies game. Who could resist that? Not Austin, that’s for sure. So they exchange numbers and she and this hot mystery man named G text a bit. She agrees to take a glittery sign to the game, a sign giving goalie Montagalo a little more of her unsolicited advice. From this point on, prepare to laugh so hard you’ll be doubled over, sniffle so much you’ll need a tissue or two, and flush so much from the spicy, scorchy, swoony scenes you’ll need a bucket of ice and a fan.
After the Baddies win, Gio considers her his good luck charm � and the first woman he’s wanted to pursue in a long time. She just tingles and blushes and flushes and daydreams (and night dreams) about him so much she hardly remembers what a professor is supposed to do. Their text banter is priceless. Their chemistry is out of this world. But of course it can’t work, right? Too soon, too many differences, too . . . wait, what was that?? They just fit.
Hit Me with Your Best Shot is one of the best books I’ve read in a while. She’s full of confidence and wit and enthusiasm, at least on the surface. But he brings out so much in her, makes her feel so good, so beautiful, so wanted. He has the easy smile, the confident swagger, but for him, too, there’s a lot more underneath. It’s a wonderfully satisfying story about love and family and sports and grumpy dogs and you will love every word of it. I guarantee it. Sara Ney is always an author to be at the top of your TBR list and this fantastic story is no exception. I received an advance copy of the book. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. ...more
Claire, Darling is so fast-paced you can practically feel the wind blow past you. You don’t know who to believe, what to believe, who is sincere, who Claire, Darling is so fast-paced you can practically feel the wind blow past you. You don’t know who to believe, what to believe, who is sincere, who is not as perfect as they seem on the surface. Yes, Claire is definitely weird, but who wouldn’t be with the childhood she had, the mother she had, the father she didn’t have, the treatment she received. She’s needy, insecure, can’t help the horrible memories of times with her mom from flooding back when she least expects them. But now she has new memories, good ones, and a new life with Noah. She can’t believe her luck. He’s perfect. If she had ever dared to dream and pray, he would be the answer to those dreams and prayers. But is he?
Noah is handsome, successful, dotes on Claire. Sure, he keeps parts of his life and himself secret, but he’s a busy young man on the way up. Claire knows nothing of that life and believes him when he says he has to attend late night meetings, go on frequent business trips. Why wouldn’t she? He treats her so well, gives her such thoughtful gifts � and now they’re engaged! Could life get any better?
Well, it could certainly get worse. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, Noah ghosts her. Says he doesn’t know who she is, tells her to leave him alone. With the help of a friend from work she does some snooping and finds evidence of another relationship Noah is in, one that predates her time with him. How can this be, how can he betray her like this? Theirs is true love. They belong together. Claire’s determination leads to tragedy and the slow, painful, suspenseful unraveling of that great big ball of truth or lies.
Thrilling, gripping, stunning. You won’t be able to put it down and you’ll be confused and amazed and surprised and completely satisfied. Thanks to the Ballantine Bantam Dell | Penguin Random House Group for providing an advance copy of Claire, Darling via NetGalley. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. ...more
If you haven’t already read The Next Life and Hometown Heartless series do it now. Trust me, you need the backstories and you’ll love the books as mucIf you haven’t already read The Next Life and Hometown Heartless series do it now. Trust me, you need the backstories and you’ll love the books as much as you’re going to love this one. There was never any question that author Brit Benson would do just what she said she would in For Wrath and Redemption: give Petulant Jonah and Evil Claire their redemption and make us love them. I just didn't realize she would make me run out of tissues while doing it. And shock me more times than I could count in the process.
Jonah was just unlikable most of the time. Through The Hometown Heartless series he went from mildly annoying to very irritating to almost always unbearable; crass, cruel, cold. There were little glimpses of something else and hints that he had personal history he didn’t want to share, and it was obvious that he severely felt the loss of his best friend Torren when Callie showed up, but other characters were front and center and whenever Jonah appeared he was unpleasant. My mental image of him was this dumpy, sneering guy who wouldn’t even be noticed if he wasn’t part of this famous band. Well, so much for what I thought. A sentence into the prologue of For Wrath and Redemption and it was Brit Benson 1, Me 0. I loved Jonah. And as I listened on I realized there was so much more than a dull, mean, unforgettable guitar player there.
Claire was another story. From the minute she first shoved Macon aside when he tried to protect Lennon so she could be the #1 bestie when he was 11 and the girls were 9, I was a charter member of the I Hate Claire Club. Yes, she had a lot of trauma of her own to work through, but she was almost impossible to feel sympathy or empathy for, and she fully earned and deserved her shunning. If I forgot she was “that� Claire I could see a young woman who had been manipulated and abused � and still was � who was strong and confident on the outside but barely holding on inside. She worked exhaustingly hard to maintain every tiny bit of control she had. But when she mentioned her ex-best friend I was irked, and until nearly the middle of the book every single mention of her brother reminded me of who she was and why I didn’t care if she was ever happy. Macon’s story was so tragic for so long that you had to love him and hate anyone who hurt him. And Claire was at the top of that list. I knew it would take a miracle to change my mind about Jonah or Claire, but author Benson is an amazingly talented author who writes books where miracles happen. She made me see the tragedy of Jonah’s early life, and how, like Macon, he was treated so badly at an early age that eventually anything, any lifestyle, any poor choices, any punishment was preferable to that pain that overwhelmed and threatened to destroy him. Drawing parallels to Macon was brilliant on Benson’s part and soon, even when he was behaving unpredictably � or predictably self-destructive � I wanted to reach out and heal Jonah. And Claire’s sudden involvement in his life, her dedication and determination to redeem him in the public eye despite the very unusual circumstances surrounding her, made her start to become a real person rather than that evil entity. Did she deserve forgiveness for the horrible, life-changing things she’d done years before? Maybe, maybe not. But her apologies were sincere and her remorse genuine. It was subtle but relentless: Benson kept chipping away, showing us more and more pain and unbelievable pressure until I wanted Claire to experience healing, too.
I don’t do spoilers, and there are lot of twists and surprises and some giant moments that required hard decisions you have to read for yourself. Some stunningly unbelievable, heartbreaking revelations, some moments almost unbearably hard to even listen to. And tears, a lot of tears. Jonah’s tears, Claire’s tears � and my tears. I cried at the surprises; I cried when I knew what was coming. I cried at the good times that were making happy memories; I cried at the memories that used to be good but were ruined.
The attraction between Jonah and Claire was instant, inconvenient, uncomfortable, sometimes used as a weapon, and never let up for a minute. Claire was surprised to feel so safe with Jonah; he felt so many feelings he had never wanted to feel again. There’s a lot going on beneath the surface and behind the scenes, but their bond just gets stronger and stronger, like a current carrying them along. And the sexy scenes? Sexy as only Benson can write them. Passion, heat, so much more that strains to break through. Jonah went from dumpy and grumpy in my mind to hot, irresistibly attractive, desirable. The more beautiful Claire became in Jonah’s eyes the more beautiful she became to me.
For Wrath and Redemption is complex, with little peeks of sunshine and happy times and romance. Periods of darkness and danger, of hope and hopeless, fear and despair, sweetness and warmth. It’s a roller coaster ride of a story; you never know what’s coming but you can’t turn away. And the narration � another bit of Benson Magic. She always � always, always, always � gets the very best narrators who deliver extraordinary duet performances. They are always perfect for their specific characters and Mollie Stark and Jason Clarke met and far exceeded expectations. Mollie Stark wasn’t “that� Claire, she was “this� Claire who lived in the now, who doubted and despaired and failed but fought on, whose struggles sometimes seemed as if they would never end. Every emotion, every nuance, is in her voice. The anger, outrage, shock, total hopelessness and helplessness � and the strength and love. Love that was firm and unbending and forever. Jason Clarke as Jonah, oh my god, after a while all he had to do was speak and my water works started. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a performance with so much heart-wrenching emotion. When his voice breaks, when he can’t go on, when he cries I could hardly stand it. And his portrayal of the flip side of Jonah, the harsh, sarcastic, mean, calculating man was just as stunning. His declarations of love and gratitude � well, I was already sobbing.
Once again Brit Benson has given us a story so intense, so powerful, so impactful you can’t turn away and can’t get it out of your mind. Well-plotted, well-developed characters, connections and hooks from one book to another with an utterly, completely satisfying ending that creates more tears, but happy ones. I received an advance listening copy of For Wrath and Redemption as part of the author’s review team and from The Author Agency. Final score: Brit Benson 2, Me 0. She did it and I am so happy she did. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. ...more
What a strong memoir. Intense and often difficult to read but so impactful. Such a courageous story, proving you can’t choose your family or your famiWhat a strong memoir. Intense and often difficult to read but so impactful. Such a courageous story, proving you can’t choose your family or your family’s history but you can choose how to go forward and incorporate that history into your being. A real pleasure to read about not only McFadden but the fascinating people and secrets in her heritage.
Thanks to Penguin Random House Dutton / Plume / Tiny Reparations Books for providing an advance copy of Firstborn Girls via NetGalley. I recommend it without hesitation for anyone who wants to learn “more of the story.� I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. ...more
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