Scan barcode
jbarr5's review
5.0
Before and ever Since by Sharla Lovelace
Great book and what I really liked was that there are two stories here. First the present day story where Em and Holly's mother is selling her house and traveling the world with her sister Bernie in her RV.
It's a surprise to the girls as they clean out their rooms and attic of their things. Em is now divorced from Kevin and her 21 year old daughter Cass is on her own. They all meet at the family house to help and Ben, a neighbor helps with the heavy things and repainting, etc.
Em and Ben were an item at one time and that's where the second story comes into play. There are excerpts throughout the book of their time when they were teens, Em becomes pregnant and Ben leaves so she ends up with Kevin.
Only Holly knows the truth but other hear them talking and things get out of hand and Cass ends up with a medical emergency that draws out the truth.
There is also a mystery of their dad's hidden treasure box-he was saving for their trips around the world but they never got to take them.
Bit of steamy sex but more important solving all the mysteries that arise. Excerpt from The Reason is You is included at the back.
I received this book from The Kennsington Books in exchange for my honest review
Great book and what I really liked was that there are two stories here. First the present day story where Em and Holly's mother is selling her house and traveling the world with her sister Bernie in her RV.
It's a surprise to the girls as they clean out their rooms and attic of their things. Em is now divorced from Kevin and her 21 year old daughter Cass is on her own. They all meet at the family house to help and Ben, a neighbor helps with the heavy things and repainting, etc.
Em and Ben were an item at one time and that's where the second story comes into play. There are excerpts throughout the book of their time when they were teens, Em becomes pregnant and Ben leaves so she ends up with Kevin.
Only Holly knows the truth but other hear them talking and things get out of hand and Cass ends up with a medical emergency that draws out the truth.
There is also a mystery of their dad's hidden treasure box-he was saving for their trips around the world but they never got to take them.
Bit of steamy sex but more important solving all the mysteries that arise. Excerpt from The Reason is You is included at the back.
I received this book from The Kennsington Books in exchange for my honest review
shannon_cocktailsandbooks's review
5.0
Emily Lockwood's been hiding a secret for the past twenty one years. A secret she never worried about coming out, until her mother put her house up for sale, her ex-best friend arrived back in town and Emily suddenly starts taking trips down memory lane courtesy of her childhood home.
Sharla Lovelace is a gifted storyteller. She creates characters that are very down-to-earth, flawed and understand that there isn't a fairy tale happily ever after waiting for them at the end. They're ok with things being good or just OK.
Emily must deal with her mother's decision to sell her childhood home and the sudden flashbacks she starts having when she enters certain rooms in the house. The flashbacks tell the story of not only what her mother did for the sake of their family, but shows Emily what she didn't see in some of her teenage and young adult interactions with Ben Landry, along with the final moments of her father's life. The flashbacks help Emily (and us) understand some of the secrets that have been kept within her family and give her some clarity as to why certain events happened in her life.
In Before and Ever Since, we get a story that is messy and doesn't tie up with a beautify bow at the end. As Emily deals with the reappearance of her best friend Ben Landry, she finds herself dealing with feelings she thought had been long buried. She bounces back and forth between being nice to Ben to being down right ugly to him. Behind it all is her confusion over her feelings as well as her apprehension that the secret she's long held buried will blow up now that Ben is back. As a reader, you are right there with Emily, feeling her confusion and pain at every interaction she has with Ben. It's raw, it's gritty and it's not tied up with a pretty bow, which makes it feel so very real.
I loved the story and I love the characters. The story and the characters will grab you from the first page, demanding that we go on this journey with them. It was a journey I'm glad I took. I look forward to reading more from Sharla Lovelace in the future.
Sharla Lovelace is a gifted storyteller. She creates characters that are very down-to-earth, flawed and understand that there isn't a fairy tale happily ever after waiting for them at the end. They're ok with things being good or just OK.
Emily must deal with her mother's decision to sell her childhood home and the sudden flashbacks she starts having when she enters certain rooms in the house. The flashbacks tell the story of not only what her mother did for the sake of their family, but shows Emily what she didn't see in some of her teenage and young adult interactions with Ben Landry, along with the final moments of her father's life. The flashbacks help Emily (and us) understand some of the secrets that have been kept within her family and give her some clarity as to why certain events happened in her life.
In Before and Ever Since, we get a story that is messy and doesn't tie up with a beautify bow at the end. As Emily deals with the reappearance of her best friend Ben Landry, she finds herself dealing with feelings she thought had been long buried. She bounces back and forth between being nice to Ben to being down right ugly to him. Behind it all is her confusion over her feelings as well as her apprehension that the secret she's long held buried will blow up now that Ben is back. As a reader, you are right there with Emily, feeling her confusion and pain at every interaction she has with Ben. It's raw, it's gritty and it's not tied up with a pretty bow, which makes it feel so very real.
I loved the story and I love the characters. The story and the characters will grab you from the first page, demanding that we go on this journey with them. It was a journey I'm glad I took. I look forward to reading more from Sharla Lovelace in the future.
shms's review
3.0
3.5*. I struggled to get into the book and after several starts, it seemed to hit the stride or it fit the mood and off we went.
Compelling reading, even though I'm not a fan of the first person POV nor the fact that I didn't like any of the characters much though by the end my heart hurt for her daughter and her ex-husband. I couldn't understand how a person could hang on to such a huge secret and be able to sleep at night. And I'm definitely not admiring of characters who take the easy road and yet through all of that I was rooting for the h to get her happy ending.
Compelling reading, even though I'm not a fan of the first person POV nor the fact that I didn't like any of the characters much though by the end my heart hurt for her daughter and her ex-husband. I couldn't understand how a person could hang on to such a huge secret and be able to sleep at night. And I'm definitely not admiring of characters who take the easy road and yet through all of that I was rooting for the h to get her happy ending.
shmsy's review
3.0
3.5*. I struggled to get into the book and after several starts, it seemed to hit the stride or it fit the mood and off we went.
Compelling reading, even though I'm not a fan of the first person POV nor the fact that I didn't like any of the characters much though by the end my heart hurt for her daughter and her ex-husband. I couldn't understand how a person could hang on to such a huge secret and be able to sleep at night. And I'm definitely not admiring of characters who take the easy road and yet through all of that I was rooting for the h to get her happy ending.
Compelling reading, even though I'm not a fan of the first person POV nor the fact that I didn't like any of the characters much though by the end my heart hurt for her daughter and her ex-husband. I couldn't understand how a person could hang on to such a huge secret and be able to sleep at night. And I'm definitely not admiring of characters who take the easy road and yet through all of that I was rooting for the h to get her happy ending.
More...