Want to know what happens to a man who barely claws his way out of a tragedy, only to fall right into the arms of the one girl in the world he can never have?
Another tragedy, that's what.
When I was six years old, my father made a choice that altered the course of my entire life.
Because of what he did, the only girl I ever loved became the only girl I couldn’t have.
In a lot of ways, I did have her…
I had her first steps, her first words, her first smile. I had her milestones, her heartbreaks, her dreams. I had her heart so woven in with mine, I didn’t know where she ended, and I began.
Only, as the years pressed on, lines became blurred—and the blurrier the line, the easier it is to cross.
They say tragedy comes in threes.
For me, that was true.
The first one changed me, the second one broke me, and the third one healed me.
But at the center of all that tragedy… there is a love story.
And at the center of that love story,
There is June.
REVIEW: DNF with context...and explanation.
“It just...happened. Because that's what love does. It happens."
This is NOT a negative review, by any means. I loved this love story. Jennifer Hartmann has an amazing and beautiful writing style. To say I enjoyed Jennifer Hartmann's writing style would be an understatement. Her "voice" was so very easy to follow and understand and she has a great flow, and that is exactly what pushed me to continue reading. However, I didn't make it through without skimming a lot of it. A lot.
"We're dancing with the Devil, yet she's the purest thing I've ever savored."
To be frank: this was a story that engaged my emotions from the onset and carried me through until the "end," never once letting up. "But, Bee...you skimmed it. How can you say that?" Well, because this book was extraordinarily wordy. Beyond normal. But I kept reading it for the love that I felt was worth the effort I could give it. This book had 7400+ locations, which is just over 560 pages. Not usually a bad thing as I like a well written book. This was well written, but again - so. many. words. The first half of the book was them when they were babies/children, and while I realize she was setting the tone for this undeniable love affair born from a lifelong relationship - it was detailed a lot more than it actually had to be, which in turn somewhat pulled me from the story. Once the start and growth was established, I feel it could have progressed better with a more natural push. Instead, I got 30 years of very detailed life....of which, I don't feel was necessary for the emotional, feel-good and forbidden love story that I wanted (and got!!).
"If there's anything in this world that can mess a man up inside and drive him to the brink of insanity, it's a blurred line."
Their love was the very definition of wrong, but with the added implication of the heart wanting a say in the matter. The validity of forbidden with a twinge of reality. It literally skirted the line between uncomfortable and silent cheerleading. Her innocence combined with his uncomfortable realization was definitely a delicious feeling. I liked that he remained the man she needed him to be, the protector, the big brother… But I also liked his struggle because it was real. How do you come to terms with that mentally and morally?? I liked that part A LOT.
Their love was the very definition of wrong, but with the added implication of the heart wanting a say in the matter. The validity of forbidden with a twinge of reality. It literally skirted the line between uncomfortable and silent cheerleading. Her innocence combined with his uncomfortable realization was definitely a delicious feeling. I liked that he remained the man she needed him to be, the protector, the big brother… But I also liked his struggle because it was real. How do you come to terms with that mentally and morally?? I liked that part A LOT.
There’s so much to unpack in this review, but I can only do so much without giving away a lot of the plot - so I'm sorry for being a little flighty with my words. I refuse to spoil anything beyond what the synopsis already gives, so my issues will be vague.
- It was emotional, but some of it felt manufactured - which is one of my absolute, most unfavorite things to feel while reading a book with very real actions and consequences. The first kiss felt manufactured and was not the warm fuzzy kind, which really took away from the impact it should have had and the true depth of their unfurling love. It just felt slimy, and that part sucked. It was not organic in any way....but it added that element of "drama" that was apparently needed to push for "more."
- Some of the "vivid visions" the characters had were....odd, to say the least. Those completely removed me from the story, felt manufactured for content and that irked me because they were unnecessary, again, to the outcome of the entire story.
- The future comments at the end of some of the chapters really bothered me. I wanted to stop reading them because I felt like they added more unnecessary words instead of letting me organically discover as I read, but I didn't want to miss something important. I can go back and forth on that as I'm sure this was how she wanted to tell their journey, but I don’t know. It just felt like lots of extra words for something we were about to learn.
- Some of the "vivid visions" the characters had were....odd, to say the least. Those completely removed me from the story, felt manufactured for content and that irked me because they were unnecessary, again, to the outcome of the entire story.
- The future comments at the end of some of the chapters really bothered me. I wanted to stop reading them because I felt like they added more unnecessary words instead of letting me organically discover as I read, but I didn't want to miss something important. I can go back and forth on that as I'm sure this was how she wanted to tell their journey, but I don’t know. It just felt like lots of extra words for something we were about to learn.
I am not mad. This is not an angry review. This will NOT stop me from reading another book of hers. I desperately want to feel the emotions I know she can plant in a story, because I witnessed those first hand with this one. It was just over-written and extremely wordy with a few plot points that I could have done without. I loved the things Brant got to discover not only about himself, but his life growing up in a family that loved him unconditionally. It really was a great, emotional read.
I will still be giving away a copy of this because I did skim to the end to get their full story and epilogue, and I did enjoy her writing style, even though the execution wasn't my favorite. This book started as a 4, went to a 3 - and then I decided I didn't want to rate it because my rating wouldn't accurately depict how I felt about this journey (loved) but also didn't want to go lower and nitpick the layout of the story when I wasn't the one telling it. This book, this love affair, will appeal to so many. I just hope YOU love it as much as I did...with understanding.
"When you find the right person, there is no 'right time.' There's only right now because that's all we ever have."
~BEE
~MEET JENNIFER HARTMANN~
Jennifer Hartmann resides in northern Illinois with her devoted husband and three hooligans. When she is not writing angsty love stories, she is likely thinking about writing them. She enjoys sunsets (because mornings are hard), bike riding, traveling, binging Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns, and that time of day when coffee gets replaced by wine. Jennifer is a wedding photographer with her husband. She is also excellent at making puns and finding inappropriate humor in mundane situations. She loves tacos. She also really, really wants to pet your dog. Xoxo.
~CONNECT WITH JENNIFER~
Any links on this page may be affiliate links and I may earn a commission if you purchase anything by clicking on them. You will not be charged anything extra. I use these links as a way to fund my book giveaways.
