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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
If Jewel E. Ann writes it, I’m reading it—every single time. “The Apple Tree”, the second book in the “Sunday Morning” series, had me hooked from the start and left me a puddle of emotions (again).
This time, it’s Eve’s turn in the spotlight. She’s not just dealing with her own struggles—she’s carrying the weight of her family’s disappointment after Sarah’s choices shook things up. Her parents aren’t evil or cruel, but as a preacher’s daughter in the 80s, Eve is living under some seriously godly, strict rules that don’t leave much room for rebellion (or mistakes). She’s doing her best to not disappoint them while quietly drowning in her own frustrations and turning to alcohol for a little escape.
Enter Kyle. He’s the new next-door neighbor—older, hot, a great dad, and oh yeah, completely off-limits. Kyle’s the responsible type: a teacher, a coach, and a guy who’s trying to do right by his adorable five-year-old son, Josh. But from the moment he and Eve meet, the connection is undeniable. There’s a ten-year age gap and about a million reasons why they shouldn’t work, but watching them navigate that tension? Addictive.
Eve’s home life feels like she’s stuck in permanent teenager mode. She’s constantly monitored, grounded, and under curfews, even though she’s technically an adult. She wants out, but her job cleaning hotel rooms isn’t exactly funding her independence. Her journey toward finding herself—and figuring out what she really wants—is such a satisfying part of this story.
And let’s talk about the real MVPs: Grandma Bonnie and Josh. Grandma’s sass and blunt honesty? A+ comic relief. Josh’s sweet and innocent truths? Heart-melting. The way Eve bonds with Josh is so wholesome and just makes you love her more. These two brought balance and lightness to all the emotional heaviness.
I’m usually hesitant about age-gap romances, especially when one character is so young, but Jewel E. Ann nailed it. Eve and Kyle’s connection felt real, and the way their story unfolded was thoughtful and respectful. It wasn’t all easy, but it was worth it.
This book had all the drama, all the heart, and just enough humor to keep me from completely losing it. And now? I’m all in for Gabby’s story. Jewel E. Ann, take my money—I’m ready for more!
Thank you @authorjeweleann and @valentine_pr for the gifted ebook arc. All opinions expressed are my own.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overall Grade: A-
Tropes: small town; preacher’s kid FMC; age gap; close proximity/neighbors; single dad MMC
Expectations - the heavy suggestions that society lays on you based on some arbitrary set of standards. Many times, it’s impossible to live up to those expectations. When we try, we conscript ourselves to wear an identity far too big or small for our spirit. Some wear the heavy clothing of expectation with a facade of perfection. Don’t look too closely, though. You’ll see the tears in the fabric or the breaks in the musculoskeletal system from carrying that uncomfortable weight. Others will throw off the garment of expectation and make their way, but that way is often lonely and fraught with unease because making one’s own rules about life is a bumpy path away from society’s suggestions.
You may be curious why I began this review for Jewel E. Ann’s The Apple Tree with this reflection on expectations. Well, her first two stories in her Sunday Morning series underscore this idea of expectations. Yes, she shades around these ideas with the story of a “good girl” hate to love romance with a “bad boy,” her boyfriend’s brother in book 1, Sunday Morning. But the second book, The Apple Tree, provides a bit of the antithesis to the first book. Eve, the younger sister of Sarah, the FMC of Sunday Morning, isn’t afraid to “break the rules” of the household when she falls hard for the new next-door neighbor, single dad MMC, Kyle and his son, Josh.
Jewel E. Ann uses the idea of expectations to underscore how we might come to her story with a set of expectations mired in societal standards. Should Eve and Kyle have a successful romance if 1) they have a ten-year age difference, 2) she isn’t quite sure what career she wants, and 3) as a teacher and coach, their small community might have certain opinions about them? You can’t help but notice your awareness of their plight as you read their story. Ann deftly moves us through the complications of their burgeoning relationship, forcing readers to encounter and interrogate their expectations for Eve and Kyle. What she leaves you with, though, is a realization that it doesn’t matter. Love is love, after all, and Eve and Kyle have the qualities necessary for working through the difficult moments in a love relationship.
Everything standard in a Jewel E. Ann romance is found in The Apple Tree. Obviously, the ongoing tension that underpins the angst of her romance both drives the story forward while also slowing the read (some of us have to read the ending to remember the promise of romance’s HEAs). Her prose is some of my favorite in romancelandia. It isn’t like a Kennedy Ryan or Sierra Simone’s almost academic elegant prose, but she writes sentences that grab at you with their candor and reflection. Even more, Eve and Kyle are likable, even when they make choices that pull the happiness out of the story. You understand their choices because they feel like choices the reader would make. Jewel E. Ann’s characters, even when set in unreal plots, are relatable because they live in worlds (most of the time) like our own.
If I have one criticism of The Apple Tree, it’s the same as I had for Sunday Morning. I don’t understand the need to set it in the ‘80s. Honestly, the ‘80s references are sprinkled throughout the book in such a way that she could have removed them, and we wouldn’t miss out on them. I know it allows her to remove cell phones and technology of the 21st century, but I don’t believe it would have changed the story. Again, this is my curiosity. I’m sure there are '70s and '80s babies who love the allusion to one of their favorite time periods.
Jewel E. Ann’s The Apple Tree continues her Sunday Morning series beautifully. I prefer Eve and Kyle’s story to the story of her first book. Kyle and Eve fall hard for each other. Their love for each other, at its core, is never the problem of this book. They find “their person” in the other. It’s the expectations of everyone around them that muddies their love (well, except for Grandma Bonnie - my favorite character in the book). Thankfully, Jewel E. Ann aptly walks us through their story carefully and gifts us with a beautiful happily ever after to revel in.
Tropes: small town; preacher’s kid FMC; age gap; close proximity/neighbors; single dad MMC
Expectations - the heavy suggestions that society lays on you based on some arbitrary set of standards. Many times, it’s impossible to live up to those expectations. When we try, we conscript ourselves to wear an identity far too big or small for our spirit. Some wear the heavy clothing of expectation with a facade of perfection. Don’t look too closely, though. You’ll see the tears in the fabric or the breaks in the musculoskeletal system from carrying that uncomfortable weight. Others will throw off the garment of expectation and make their way, but that way is often lonely and fraught with unease because making one’s own rules about life is a bumpy path away from society’s suggestions.
You may be curious why I began this review for Jewel E. Ann’s The Apple Tree with this reflection on expectations. Well, her first two stories in her Sunday Morning series underscore this idea of expectations. Yes, she shades around these ideas with the story of a “good girl” hate to love romance with a “bad boy,” her boyfriend’s brother in book 1, Sunday Morning. But the second book, The Apple Tree, provides a bit of the antithesis to the first book. Eve, the younger sister of Sarah, the FMC of Sunday Morning, isn’t afraid to “break the rules” of the household when she falls hard for the new next-door neighbor, single dad MMC, Kyle and his son, Josh.
Jewel E. Ann uses the idea of expectations to underscore how we might come to her story with a set of expectations mired in societal standards. Should Eve and Kyle have a successful romance if 1) they have a ten-year age difference, 2) she isn’t quite sure what career she wants, and 3) as a teacher and coach, their small community might have certain opinions about them? You can’t help but notice your awareness of their plight as you read their story. Ann deftly moves us through the complications of their burgeoning relationship, forcing readers to encounter and interrogate their expectations for Eve and Kyle. What she leaves you with, though, is a realization that it doesn’t matter. Love is love, after all, and Eve and Kyle have the qualities necessary for working through the difficult moments in a love relationship.
Everything standard in a Jewel E. Ann romance is found in The Apple Tree. Obviously, the ongoing tension that underpins the angst of her romance both drives the story forward while also slowing the read (some of us have to read the ending to remember the promise of romance’s HEAs). Her prose is some of my favorite in romancelandia. It isn’t like a Kennedy Ryan or Sierra Simone’s almost academic elegant prose, but she writes sentences that grab at you with their candor and reflection. Even more, Eve and Kyle are likable, even when they make choices that pull the happiness out of the story. You understand their choices because they feel like choices the reader would make. Jewel E. Ann’s characters, even when set in unreal plots, are relatable because they live in worlds (most of the time) like our own.
If I have one criticism of The Apple Tree, it’s the same as I had for Sunday Morning. I don’t understand the need to set it in the ‘80s. Honestly, the ‘80s references are sprinkled throughout the book in such a way that she could have removed them, and we wouldn’t miss out on them. I know it allows her to remove cell phones and technology of the 21st century, but I don’t believe it would have changed the story. Again, this is my curiosity. I’m sure there are '70s and '80s babies who love the allusion to one of their favorite time periods.
Jewel E. Ann’s The Apple Tree continues her Sunday Morning series beautifully. I prefer Eve and Kyle’s story to the story of her first book. Kyle and Eve fall hard for each other. Their love for each other, at its core, is never the problem of this book. They find “their person” in the other. It’s the expectations of everyone around them that muddies their love (well, except for Grandma Bonnie - my favorite character in the book). Thankfully, Jewel E. Ann aptly walks us through their story carefully and gifts us with a beautiful happily ever after to revel in.
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
I had no idea Eve’s story would break my heart so much.
I expected it to be fun with lots of trouble. Eve is the typical middle child. She’s a force to be reckoned with. And when she meets her match it’s love at first sight.
In Sunday Morning we knew Eve pushed boundaries and as the preacher’s daughter you would think it’s because of all the rules in place and the appearances that need to be kept. Oh no, not for Eve. She was a good girl inside and out but she had a secret and had no one to talk to about it. So she rebelled.
Kyle was perfect for her. He recognised himself in Eve and tried not to tame her. But he had responsibilities she didn’t need or have. And she was ten years younger. What would people say if he got together with the preacher’s daughter?
That didn’t stop these two from falling hard. This book covers triggers such as alcoholism, talk of suicide, feelings of not being enough to name a few. It will make you laugh at the banter between the characters, fall in love with Josh and Clifford and it will hurt your heart when secrets are revealed.
Eve, Kyle and Josh got 5 deserved 🦋
5⭐️
2🌶️
Tropes: small town set in 1987, age gap, single dad x nanny, angst, forbidden, preacher's daughter
It's no secret that Sunday Morning was one of my top reads from last year and an overall favorite. I was so excited when I found out we were getting Eve's story. Eve and Kyle were such a beautiful read. There is angst, tension, passion and that lovely forbidden aspect I go feral for. I could not get enough of these two. I never wanted to put the book down or have to say goodbye. I just love this little town Jewel E Ann has created. I also love how we are able to see that this story isn't just about two people falling in love but Eve trying to find herself as an 18 year old young woman. I loved getting to watch her grow and fall in love along the way. I am so sad this story is already over but man was it such a wonderful journey.
2🌶️
Tropes: small town set in 1987, age gap, single dad x nanny, angst, forbidden, preacher's daughter
It's no secret that Sunday Morning was one of my top reads from last year and an overall favorite. I was so excited when I found out we were getting Eve's story. Eve and Kyle were such a beautiful read. There is angst, tension, passion and that lovely forbidden aspect I go feral for. I could not get enough of these two. I never wanted to put the book down or have to say goodbye. I just love this little town Jewel E Ann has created. I also love how we are able to see that this story isn't just about two people falling in love but Eve trying to find herself as an 18 year old young woman. I loved getting to watch her grow and fall in love along the way. I am so sad this story is already over but man was it such a wonderful journey.
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Beautiful and Tragic
Following two main characters navigating their undeniable attraction and chemistry while coping with overcoming their own doubts, this author once again excelled at telling a story that is somehow both complicated and so beautifully simple.
The MMC is a single dad new to town, and the FMC is the girl next door who finds him like a magnet.
This story is such a delight to read and when I wasn't laughing or smiling, my heart was breaking. It captures the complexity of these characters and their struggles so well, you won't be able to put it down!
This book can be read as a standalone.
Following two main characters navigating their undeniable attraction and chemistry while coping with overcoming their own doubts, this author once again excelled at telling a story that is somehow both complicated and so beautifully simple.
The MMC is a single dad new to town, and the FMC is the girl next door who finds him like a magnet.
This story is such a delight to read and when I wasn't laughing or smiling, my heart was breaking. It captures the complexity of these characters and their struggles so well, you won't be able to put it down!
This book can be read as a standalone.
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This forbidden, age-gap, single dad romance was absolute perfection! Jewel E. Ann is one of those authors whose writing holds a gravity to it that feels comforting and real. Her characters are rich and evocative. The situations, the emotions, the realities of her world have this nostalgic feel to them which makes her novel really easy for me to engage with and her characters ones I can empathize with. The Apple Tree is so beautifully written, the characters eloquently crafted and this 1987 world feels really and felt understandable and real to be in the comforting way that movies like Fried Green Tomatoes, Steel Magnolias or My Girl hold a space in my being. Ann's series all have a uniqueness to them, but at their heart they are full of feelings, lessons and struggles, it is in her lovely and bold characters that the heart of her stories lay.
This novel is the romance between Luke and Eve, as well as equally Eve and Luke's Son-Josh. This is a romance about first love, about taking a chance, about growing up. Eve is bash, bold, funny, caring and open. Luke is charming and meets Eve blow for blow. These two hit it off immediately and the chemistry and pull between them is just too strong to ignore. This novel is about the soft moments, the brief touches, the hidden winks. It is about a young woman realizing who she is and what she wants. It is a story about fighting for love, fighting for yourself and learning to do better. Along with all the enriching emotions and feels this novel is also sensual and sexy. Luke and Eve's physical relationship is just as important as their communication and trust in each other. Through their physical interactions the story is imbued with a deeper understanding for their love. This relationship is one about asking for no less than you desire, it is about giving your whole heart and it is about taking a chance. Eve is a heroine to root for, her love for Josh and Luke is deep, and her learning to value herself is a journey that she is able to go through because of the love that Luke gives her and the caring and desires he has for her well-being.
Jewel E. Ann is a must read author in my opinion. This novel is a must read novel for those it appeals too. While this novel is the second in her Sunday Morning series, it is very easily read as a standalone (which is how I read it) and now I must go back and read the first novel before the next one comes out!
Thank you so much to Valentine PR for an eARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
This novel is the romance between Luke and Eve, as well as equally Eve and Luke's Son-Josh. This is a romance about first love, about taking a chance, about growing up. Eve is bash, bold, funny, caring and open. Luke is charming and meets Eve blow for blow. These two hit it off immediately and the chemistry and pull between them is just too strong to ignore. This novel is about the soft moments, the brief touches, the hidden winks. It is about a young woman realizing who she is and what she wants. It is a story about fighting for love, fighting for yourself and learning to do better. Along with all the enriching emotions and feels this novel is also sensual and sexy. Luke and Eve's physical relationship is just as important as their communication and trust in each other. Through their physical interactions the story is imbued with a deeper understanding for their love. This relationship is one about asking for no less than you desire, it is about giving your whole heart and it is about taking a chance. Eve is a heroine to root for, her love for Josh and Luke is deep, and her learning to value herself is a journey that she is able to go through because of the love that Luke gives her and the caring and desires he has for her well-being.
Jewel E. Ann is a must read author in my opinion. This novel is a must read novel for those it appeals too. While this novel is the second in her Sunday Morning series, it is very easily read as a standalone (which is how I read it) and now I must go back and read the first novel before the next one comes out!
Thank you so much to Valentine PR for an eARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own.