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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
This book was just ok for me. I know that it depicted situations that do happen in 'real life' but I just couldn't love any of the characters. Sure I 'liked' some of them and Jimmy was my favorite of the ones I was shown. But none of the others endeared themselves to me. I couldn't handle Alli and her inability to actually sit down and just talk (she seems to have trust issues "If I told you ___ would you really believe me?" {she hesitates} "I didn't think so.") Alli is a, well I can't think of a word strong enough for her. She ruins the lives of her sister (Tessa) and Tessa's boyfriend by sleeping with Sam (the boyfriend) and getting pregnant (surprise surprise!) and then for the next 10 or so years she complains and whines about it, makes herself feel awful about it and files for a divorce without actually discussing it with her husband (Sam). She plays mind games with Sam and is just, all around, a horrible person when it comes to relationships and common decency. And to top it all off the end of the book justifies all this [junk] pile by saying
I got this as a freebie from Amazon and as they say "You get what you pay for." And boy is that true with this one.
Spoiler
that it didn't matter that Sam ended up with Alli because Sam and Tessa's relationship wasn't going to last anyway, so now everyone is happy!I got this as a freebie from Amazon and as they say "You get what you pay for." And boy is that true with this one.
I got this book free in the kindle store. I guess when it comes to preferences, contemporary women's fiction is pretty low on my list of favorite genres. But, I recognized the author's name and thought I would give it a look see.
The set up is tense. First of all we have Alli. Alli has lived in her sister's shadow all her life. When their parents are killed in an accident, the girls are raised by their grandmother. They do bond for awhile, but then Sam moved in the neighborhood. Sam and Alli's sister, Tessa were inseparable since the age of twelve. Alli tried desperately to include herself in their world, but was always on the outside looking in. Alli was also in love with Sam, but didn't stand a chance against her supermodel sister. So, after Tessa takes a modeling job and doesn't come home for Christmas, Alli and Sam find each other at the same party. Sam has too much to drink and Alli takes her one desperate shot at him and they sleep together. Alli gets pregnant and Sam feels obligated to marry her. Now nine years later, Alli finds a box of photos and momentos of Tessa in Sam's desk drawer. She's had enough of his pining for Tessa, and feeling like second choice. Sam has never ever told her he loved her and she is ready to let him go.
Sam has carved out a life with Alli, and is shocked when she asked for a divorce. She handed him his freedom on a silver platter, but now he isn't so sure he wants it. He starts to see Alli in a different light. The words she so wants to hear from him though remain elusive. He has his moments of doubt when Alli and Tessa's grandmother has a stroke and Tessa comes home.
Tessa of course is the one who should be angry. She hasn't been able to move on with a man because she is living in the "what if" world of her and Sam. When she comes home she discovers Sam and Alli are separated. She feels she needs to explore the possibility of a future they were robbed of all those years ago. But, people have changed in those nine years. Tessa just can't seem to understand that.
In the end they all finally address the long buried resentments and bitterness. They admit their feelings and Alli finally hears those precious words she longs to hear.
Alli was so jealous of Tessa she couldn't see her own attractiveness. There was no doubt she was really in love with Sam, but until he and Tessa had officially decided what way their relationship was going to go, she shouldn't have slept with him. He was still her sister's boyfriend. Sleeping with Sam was wrong on so many levels. But, it also took two to tango. Sam was also responsible for the situation. He spent nine years thinking Alli was a mistake. He loved his daughter and was a good father though.
So, while Alli was in the wrong to begin with, I couldn't help but pull for her. Tessa was wrong to come back in and try to steal Sam back. Alli and Sam were separated but not divorced and there was a child involved. So, I ended up not liking Tessa very much. In the end, Tessa finally realizes that what she felt for Sam and what he felt for her was in the past.
As for the story of Phoebe and William, that was the saddest of them all. I also thought Phoebe was out of line by stirring the pot. It almost backfired on her in a big way. But, you could see the point she was trying to make. She loved everyone involved and wanted them all to stop living in limbo. In the end, everyone got a happy ending though. Overall a C+.
The set up is tense. First of all we have Alli. Alli has lived in her sister's shadow all her life. When their parents are killed in an accident, the girls are raised by their grandmother. They do bond for awhile, but then Sam moved in the neighborhood. Sam and Alli's sister, Tessa were inseparable since the age of twelve. Alli tried desperately to include herself in their world, but was always on the outside looking in. Alli was also in love with Sam, but didn't stand a chance against her supermodel sister. So, after Tessa takes a modeling job and doesn't come home for Christmas, Alli and Sam find each other at the same party. Sam has too much to drink and Alli takes her one desperate shot at him and they sleep together. Alli gets pregnant and Sam feels obligated to marry her. Now nine years later, Alli finds a box of photos and momentos of Tessa in Sam's desk drawer. She's had enough of his pining for Tessa, and feeling like second choice. Sam has never ever told her he loved her and she is ready to let him go.
Sam has carved out a life with Alli, and is shocked when she asked for a divorce. She handed him his freedom on a silver platter, but now he isn't so sure he wants it. He starts to see Alli in a different light. The words she so wants to hear from him though remain elusive. He has his moments of doubt when Alli and Tessa's grandmother has a stroke and Tessa comes home.
Tessa of course is the one who should be angry. She hasn't been able to move on with a man because she is living in the "what if" world of her and Sam. When she comes home she discovers Sam and Alli are separated. She feels she needs to explore the possibility of a future they were robbed of all those years ago. But, people have changed in those nine years. Tessa just can't seem to understand that.
In the end they all finally address the long buried resentments and bitterness. They admit their feelings and Alli finally hears those precious words she longs to hear.
Alli was so jealous of Tessa she couldn't see her own attractiveness. There was no doubt she was really in love with Sam, but until he and Tessa had officially decided what way their relationship was going to go, she shouldn't have slept with him. He was still her sister's boyfriend. Sleeping with Sam was wrong on so many levels. But, it also took two to tango. Sam was also responsible for the situation. He spent nine years thinking Alli was a mistake. He loved his daughter and was a good father though.
So, while Alli was in the wrong to begin with, I couldn't help but pull for her. Tessa was wrong to come back in and try to steal Sam back. Alli and Sam were separated but not divorced and there was a child involved. So, I ended up not liking Tessa very much. In the end, Tessa finally realizes that what she felt for Sam and what he felt for her was in the past.
As for the story of Phoebe and William, that was the saddest of them all. I also thought Phoebe was out of line by stirring the pot. It almost backfired on her in a big way. But, you could see the point she was trying to make. She loved everyone involved and wanted them all to stop living in limbo. In the end, everyone got a happy ending though. Overall a C+.
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked the Alli/Sam parts but there weren’t enough and too much time was spent on Tessa/Sam & Tessa/Jimmy. I should be somewhat sympathetic towards Tessa as technically Alli was the OW but I just didn’t care about her. I also didn’t care for the meddlesome grandma and her side story with William which acted as a parallel to Alli/Sam/Tessa and thought it was overkill to drive the point home.
This is another of Barbara Freethy's stories that has you rooting for the couple to work out their problems. Rooting for a family to see that they still love each other and need each other.
A baby brought them together — and even though Alli has always loved her strong, sexy husband Sam and the life they've made together, she's now decided to set him free to follow his youthful dreams. For although she worships Sam, it's no longer enough for her to be wife and lover when she knows she holds so little of his heart.
Sam has always dreamed of a life away from the close-knit world of Tucker's Landing, but marriage and fatherhood ended all that. Now Sam is torn between what was and what was meant to be. He must decide if it's time to rekindle the dreams of the past...or accept Alli, and her love, just the way she is.
A baby brought them together — and even though Alli has always loved her strong, sexy husband Sam and the life they've made together, she's now decided to set him free to follow his youthful dreams. For although she worships Sam, it's no longer enough for her to be wife and lover when she knows she holds so little of his heart.
Sam has always dreamed of a life away from the close-knit world of Tucker's Landing, but marriage and fatherhood ended all that. Now Sam is torn between what was and what was meant to be. He must decide if it's time to rekindle the dreams of the past...or accept Alli, and her love, just the way she is.
This is one of my fave books evah, and it's currently free on Amazon!! http://www.amazon.com/Just-Way-You-Barbara-Freethy-ebook/dp/B003ODIVCE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1400519926&sr=1-1&keywords=Just+the+way+you+are
I wasn't supposed to read this book yet. God knows I have a lot of ARCs to get through and Just the Way You Are has been sitting around my Kindle for a while now. I think I got it for free a while back but I never got around to reading it until now. I wasn't really expecting anything. Barbara Freethy has been a hit or miss for me, so it came as a pleasant surprise how much I loved it. The moment I started it, I couldn't put it down and let me tell, the tears started flowing early on.
The Story
Sam and Tessa were high school sweethearts. They lived next door to each other and when they were both 12, they fell in love. But their love was tested when Tessa chose to leave Tucker's Landing for a modeling gig in Aspen. Sam, feeling like Tessa abandoned him slept with Tessa's sister Allie, which resulted in a pregnancy. Sam did the "right" thing and married Allie while Tessa, feeling their betrayal left Tucker's Landing and the love of her life.
Alli, as mentioned was Tessa's sister, younger sister who always had a crush on Sam. She was considered a nuisance by Tessa and tolerated by Sam. It was Alli who seduced Sam that night that resulted in her getting pregnant. It was also Alli, who after 8 years of marriage, decided to let Sam go after she realized he was still pining for her sister after shefound photographs of Tessa and magazines with her face on it that he kept hidden in his desk.
Although, Sam did the honorable thing of marrying Alli, he never quite let go of the past. He still yearned to do the things he planned to do with Tessa. Alli's pregnancy and subsequent marriage ended all that and he can't help but think of what could have been. To add to his confusion, Tessa comes back to Tucker's Landing to care for her grandmother who suffered a stroke and this brought back memories of their time together, which added more strain to Sam and Alli's tenuous relationship.
With Alli finally letting go of Sam, he has to decided what he wants; stay and fight for his wife and family or chase the woman and the dream that he lost a long time ago?
My Thoughts
This was a heart-wrenching, emotional read for me from start to finish. I always have a soft spot for stories that deals with married couples and this book hits all the right spot for me. Great plot, fantastic dialogue and most of all sympathetic characters. I was expecting to Alli or Sam or Tessa or even their grandmother but in the end, I couldn't. I didn't always like their decisions, didn't always agree with them, I cringed at some of the things they said to each other but I sympathized with all of them.
Sam was a very flawed hero. He was holding on something that he felt was taken away from him. He always considered his marriage to Alli as a mistake even though he did love their daughter and made a life for them in Tucker's Landing. You can feel his conflict but at the same time, as a reader, it's very clear from the very beginning who he was going to choose. His feelings were quite obvious to me as a reader and I couldn't wait for that moment when he would finally see the answer.
Alli's insecurities was painfully obvious. Growing up in her beautiful sister's shadow really did a number on her. I felt that she just gave up. She was tired of always fighting for Sam's affection and just threw in the towel and ask for a divorce. It's quite obvious she still loved her husband but she had to give him his freedom. I didn't quite expect to sympathize with her the most. I mean, first of all, she basically seduced Sam away from her sister. I loved that you can truly see how she regretted her actions and was willing to do everything to make it right.
Tessa, I feel, was supposed to be the "heroine" here being that she was the love of Sam's life. She was the woman wronged. If there's anyone who should be angry, it should be her. I liked her but surprisingly, not as much as liked Alli. She stayed away from her family because she didn't want to witness Alli and Sam's life together. She actually thought they were happy. She was surprised when she arrived that they were divorcing and finally has her chance with Sam.
This book also had a plethora of interesting characters. First off, Alli and Tessa's grandmother. She has her own story going on there which mirrors her granddaughter's. I also loved Jimmy, Tessa's photographer friend. He provided some great insights into Sam and Alli and Tessa's relationship that weren't obvious to those involved. He was such a great character and he stayed wonderful throughout the whole book.
I really don't want to spoil the whole book by revealing Sam's choice. You have to read this book yourself. It might be obvious or already known to some but I tell you, you will miss an incredible journey by not reading this book. Personally, I felt that this is a great book to read just to get away from the usual NA/YA, billionaire-virgin type of books that's so popular nowadays. As for me, I'm glad I took a bit of a detour in my reading today. ♥
I wasn't supposed to read this book yet. God knows I have a lot of ARCs to get through and Just the Way You Are has been sitting around my Kindle for a while now. I think I got it for free a while back but I never got around to reading it until now. I wasn't really expecting anything. Barbara Freethy has been a hit or miss for me, so it came as a pleasant surprise how much I loved it. The moment I started it, I couldn't put it down and let me tell, the tears started flowing early on.
The Story
Sam and Tessa were high school sweethearts. They lived next door to each other and when they were both 12, they fell in love. But their love was tested when Tessa chose to leave Tucker's Landing for a modeling gig in Aspen. Sam, feeling like Tessa abandoned him slept with Tessa's sister Allie, which resulted in a pregnancy. Sam did the "right" thing and married Allie while Tessa, feeling their betrayal left Tucker's Landing and the love of her life.
Alli, as mentioned was Tessa's sister, younger sister who always had a crush on Sam. She was considered a nuisance by Tessa and tolerated by Sam. It was Alli who seduced Sam that night that resulted in her getting pregnant. It was also Alli, who after 8 years of marriage, decided to let Sam go after she realized he was still pining for her sister after she
Although, Sam did the honorable thing of marrying Alli, he never quite let go of the past. He still yearned to do the things he planned to do with Tessa. Alli's pregnancy and subsequent marriage ended all that and he can't help but think of what could have been. To add to his confusion, Tessa comes back to Tucker's Landing to care for her grandmother who suffered a stroke and this brought back memories of their time together, which added more strain to Sam and Alli's tenuous relationship.
With Alli finally letting go of Sam, he has to decided what he wants; stay and fight for his wife and family or chase the woman and the dream that he lost a long time ago?
My Thoughts
This was a heart-wrenching, emotional read for me from start to finish. I always have a soft spot for stories that deals with married couples and this book hits all the right spot for me. Great plot, fantastic dialogue and most of all sympathetic characters. I was expecting to Alli or Sam or Tessa or even their grandmother but in the end, I couldn't. I didn't always like their decisions, didn't always agree with them, I cringed at some of the things they said to each other but I sympathized with all of them.
Sam was a very flawed hero. He was holding on something that he felt was taken away from him. He always considered his marriage to Alli as a mistake even though he did love their daughter and made a life for them in Tucker's Landing. You can feel his conflict but at the same time, as a reader, it's very clear from the very beginning who he was going to choose. His feelings were quite obvious to me as a reader and I couldn't wait for that moment when he would finally see the answer.
Alli's insecurities was painfully obvious. Growing up in her beautiful sister's shadow really did a number on her. I felt that she just gave up. She was tired of always fighting for Sam's affection and just threw in the towel and ask for a divorce. It's quite obvious she still loved her husband but she had to give him his freedom. I didn't quite expect to sympathize with her the most. I mean, first of all, she basically seduced Sam away from her sister. I loved that you can truly see how she regretted her actions and was willing to do everything to make it right.
Tessa, I feel, was supposed to be the "heroine" here being that she was the love of Sam's life. She was the woman wronged. If there's anyone who should be angry, it should be her. I liked her but surprisingly, not as much as liked Alli. She stayed away from her family because she didn't want to witness Alli and Sam's life together. She actually thought they were happy. She was surprised when she arrived that they were divorcing and finally has her chance with Sam.
This book also had a plethora of interesting characters. First off, Alli and Tessa's grandmother. She has her own story going on there which mirrors her granddaughter's. I also loved Jimmy, Tessa's photographer friend. He provided some great insights into Sam and Alli and Tessa's relationship that weren't obvious to those involved. He was such a great character and he stayed wonderful throughout the whole book.
I really don't want to spoil the whole book by revealing Sam's choice. You have to read this book yourself. It might be obvious or already known to some but I tell you, you will miss an incredible journey by not reading this book. Personally, I felt that this is a great book to read just to get away from the usual NA/YA, billionaire-virgin type of books that's so popular nowadays. As for me, I'm glad I took a bit of a detour in my reading today. ♥