Friday, May 29, 2020

Book review and Signed Paperback Giveaway for Fortuity by Jewel E Ann



Forty-something Gracelyn Glock is living the dream.
No husband.
No retirement plan.
And since her self-imposed man-ban—no need to shave above her knees.

After a tragic accident, Gracelyn inherits her ten-year-old nephew. She signs a lease on a San Diego beach house and learns their neighbors for the summer are a sexy anatomy professor and his young daughter.

Professor Nathaniel Hunt has spent the last decade being a single dad … and not having sex.

So when he discovers Gracelyn has a peculiar outdoor stripping ritual, a million inappropriate thoughts fill his responsible mind.

When kisses are stolen, man-bans are broken, and summer comes to an end, will hearts stay in one piece and hope stay alive? Or will saying goodbye destroy everything?


REVIEW: 5 STARS
"Hope shouldn't shackle the heart, it should free it."

When the title of a book is absolute perfection in relation to the meaning of the story, one you know you can look back on after you've closed the book and pondered all the amazingness you just witnessed: you know it's going to be a book that sticks with you. I officially have a book hangover from this one and it will be added to my all time favorites list on the side bar of my blog. I loved this book. I loved Nate's HEA. I loved Jewel's words. Once again, she gives me the banter, the emotions, the reality....the truth behind a fated love. FATED because there is no other word for something that was written in the stars. Jewel E Ann's version of fate is my favorite one.

noun
for· tu· i· ty | \ fȯr-ˈtü-ə-tē , -ˈtyü-, fər- \
plural for tu i ties
1: the quality or state of being fortuitous
2: a chance event or occurrence

adjective
for· tu· itous | \ fȯr-ˈtü-ə-təs , -ˈtyü-, fər- \
1: occurring by chance
2a: FORTUNATE, LUCKY 
2b: coming or happening by a lucky chance

Understanding the meaning of Fortuity (I admit I had to look it up) enhanced my interpretation of this book. So, going in with this knowledge, I was seeking a higher truth....a higher meaning because I know Jewel's stories go deeper than just words. She incorporates feelings into her stories, ones that I couldn't have imagined myself feeling. She gave me allllll the stomach pangs. She gave me the heart palpitations. She gave me all the emotions and panic with this book. Those are what I've come to expect with her books. But the tears (what!!?) and the amount of giggles I got were two things I didn't see being combined in this book - and it made it all the more amazing. This story was literal perfection for me. It was down to earth, it was real, but at the crux of the story, it was conversational. The hidden meanings. The touches. The smiles. The hidden kisses....not being hidden. There was SO much to this story that above all made me smile. JEA nailed funny with a hint of serious - they were so relevant because the amount of truth to their situation, and their own worlds colliding like they did, it made them relatable. I felt so in tune with Nate and Gracelyn, to the point that I was looking in on and witnessing their relationship grow, first hand. I got to live it with them....vicariously through them. I had ALL the feels. This was SO good.

I hate admitting this, but going into this book, I was worried about how Nate's world was going to coincide with my mental picture of how it was going. HAHA! I know, I know....not right, but JEA built him up so well in her Transcend Duet that I already had this whole world set up for him. Not that I didn't trust her....but I didn't trust her. I will never NOT trust her ever again.

I love Nate's devotion to his daughter. Loved him before, but this just added more depth to his character. He loved Morgan so so much, and the way he was raising her just made the swoon factor incalculable. Looking at the way Morgan was,  it sure made for some giggle-worthy moments aside from the simmering love story of Nate's and Gracelyn's that was going on in her background. She had so much spunk and she was a character, all right. Gabe was her perfect counterpart - and their relationship was so funny to watch come to life. He was truly the 10 year old boy - and add in the world crushing circumstances he's living through. I think JEA nailed his personality so well. And for not being a mother, Gracelyn sure handled some serious parts extremely well, and I commend Jewel’s handling of that. Oh, I got tears when Gracelyn and Morgan had their first "talk." Heartfelt and pure. So innocent and mature. I got many a sentimental tear while going on this journey not just with Nate and Gracelyn, but Gracelyn and Morgan. It really was perfect and I loved that it was addressed and how it was addressed. Seriously, so good. No shock value, no stupid drama - it was just handled with composure and the hilarity the situation called for. 

"I'm not sure what brings me the most pleasure -- tasting her or watching her."

Their intimacy was delivered powerfully, yet with the perfect amount of restraint. I could've been reading a scene and laughing one minute, but finding myself getting the anxiety pangs to match the flirting they were doing the next. The capacity of Nate’s heart to love is tremendous. But to see him being able to give that emotional side of himself to Gracelyn was so special because it’s the Nate I remember meeting. The chin lifts and the lip rubs. The eyes that hold all his emotions and the touches that bring the chills. He gave me all the chills.

I love that she’s not a safe writer. I love that she gives me a story that’s emotional and unpredictable - and she makes me feel and live through it. She’s brilliant in that capacity. Absolutely brilliant.

You guys, to top it all off, the cover was perfection too!!! It matched perfectly with the first two books in the series - but it is the most fitting cover for this story. It fits Gracelyn and watching that cover actually play out in the book put a smile on my face. 


 


To sum it up, this was the: 
Perfect story of a father of a young woman growing up before his very eyes, despite his readiness to accept it.
Perfect story of a man finding love again after he never imagined he would.
Perfect story of an aunt and nephew navigating a whole new world that is now foreign to them.
Perfect story of a woman giving her heart another chance at beating.
Perfect story of love. 

This was truly the perfect story for me. A story of fate. A story of love. A story of growth. This is easily going on my Favorites List for 2020. I laughed, I cried, I fell harder in love with a man that had a heart that needed to be held. Unbeknownst to him and Gracelyn, she needed to hold that heart. Their story, their journey, wasn't without its hurdles, but those were what made it more.....fortuitous

Guardian angels and worthy opponents. Jewel will always make a believer out of me. 

"Letting go doesn't hurt as much as the fear of letting go."
~BEE







~MEET JEWEL E ANN~
Jewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense of humor.

With 10 years of flossing lectures under belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business.

After her best friend of nearly 30 years suggested a few books from the contemporary Romance genre, Jewel was hooked. Devouring two and three books a week but still craving more, she decided to practice sustainable reading, AKA writing.

When she’s not donning her cape and saving the planet one tree a a time, she enjoys yoga with friends, good food with family, rock climbing with her kids, watching How I Met Your Mother reruns, and of course . . .heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, panty-scorching novels.

~CONNECT WITH JEWEL~

FACEBOOK     AMAZON      GOODREADS      TWITTER



ARC REVIEW
AFFILIATE LINKS USED
COPY PURCHASED FOR GIVEAWAY
PAPERBACK BEING SENT BY THE AUTHOR DIRECTLY

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8 comments:

  1. I have to read this book Bee!

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    Replies
    1. You really do, Sabrina!! It's such a wonderful and heartfelt book.

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  2. Oh my gosh!!! I am so ready for this!!!
    I love, love, LOVE your review Bee!!

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  3. Another amazing review! You possess so much talent in every review you write. I love this is in a magazine!

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  4. FABULOUS review ♡ I loved this book

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  5. My Kindle is screaming at me to start this and I seriously can't wait!

    ReplyDelete