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howdidthatbookend's review against another edition
4.0
https://www.howdidthatbookend.com/kerry-lonsdale-no-more-words/
I read this book SO LONG ago (right around pub day), loved it, and then completely failed to write a review for it on time. Thank you to Amazon Publishing for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
I've read a few books by Kerry Lonsdale, back in the day before Booksta. I remember loving Last Summer, although I can't tell you what it was about without checking my notes. No More Words definitely held up my expectations.
I was eager to find out what happened to Lily, what happened with Josh's accident, and how he found his way to Olivia on his own. Olivia's family was certainly frustrating: none of them wanted to talk to each other about Lily, and they easily could have located her if they had.
I really liked these characters, especially reading about their summer vacations as children. These siblings used to be close before life and their parents drove them apart. The relationship between Lily and her father was particularly interesting right from the start. Josh was my favorite--such a sweet little boy struggling to communicate through his disability, and finding his voice through art.
This is the first book in a trilogy. The ending was satisfying, but definitely left some loose ends that will hopefully be tied up in the second book. The topic of the second book spoils the plot of the first one a little bit, but let's just say I can't wait to read it!
I read this book SO LONG ago (right around pub day), loved it, and then completely failed to write a review for it on time. Thank you to Amazon Publishing for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
I've read a few books by Kerry Lonsdale, back in the day before Booksta. I remember loving Last Summer, although I can't tell you what it was about without checking my notes. No More Words definitely held up my expectations.
I was eager to find out what happened to Lily, what happened with Josh's accident, and how he found his way to Olivia on his own. Olivia's family was certainly frustrating: none of them wanted to talk to each other about Lily, and they easily could have located her if they had.
I really liked these characters, especially reading about their summer vacations as children. These siblings used to be close before life and their parents drove them apart. The relationship between Lily and her father was particularly interesting right from the start. Josh was my favorite--such a sweet little boy struggling to communicate through his disability, and finding his voice through art.
This is the first book in a trilogy. The ending was satisfying, but definitely left some loose ends that will hopefully be tied up in the second book. The topic of the second book spoils the plot of the first one a little bit, but let's just say I can't wait to read it!
sarahsbookstack's review
5.0
Fantastic start to a family drama with heart. We follow siblings Olivia, Lucas, and Lily. They had a good enough childhood (though their dad clearly favors Olivia and doesn't Lily..
. Also secrets both parents hold), but the best part was summers spent at a lake house of friends. There Olivia falls in love with Blaze.
One day, Josh arrives on Olivia's doorstep. She's his nephew and his mom, Lily, is missing. But Josh suffers from a brain injury and can't explain anything about where his mom might be.
Oh my, I just felt so much love for Josh! He's such a sweet boy. He may not have the words to share his story, but as time goes by and Olivia has the patience to learn how he feels within his world.... It's just heartwarming.
This is a story you don't want to miss and it will be a wonderful trilogy of these siblings!
. Also secrets both parents hold), but the best part was summers spent at a lake house of friends. There Olivia falls in love with Blaze.
One day, Josh arrives on Olivia's doorstep. She's his nephew and his mom, Lily, is missing. But Josh suffers from a brain injury and can't explain anything about where his mom might be.
Oh my, I just felt so much love for Josh! He's such a sweet boy. He may not have the words to share his story, but as time goes by and Olivia has the patience to learn how he feels within his world.... It's just heartwarming.
This is a story you don't want to miss and it will be a wonderful trilogy of these siblings!
readingismyhappyplace's review
5.0
Kerry Lonsdale really knows how to spin a suspenseful story. Olivia’s sister Lily has been missing since she ran away at 16 when her family found out she was pregnant. Then out of the blue, Lily’s son shows up on his aunt Olivia’s doorstep. I was instantly hooked and couldn’t wait to find out what happened to Lily and who was after Lily and Josh. I loved the flashbacks between their childhood summers and the present. I also really enjoyed seeing the different perspectives of Olivia and her brother, This is the first in a new series and there were a few loose ends that I know I have to wait for No More Lies to find the answers. I can’t wait for May 2022 to learn more!
If you haven’t read any of Kerry Lonsdale’s books I highly recommend picking them up. I’ve never been disappointed. I especially loved Side Trip and Last Summer!
Thank you Kerry Lonsdale and @amazonpublishing for my advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Kerry Lonsdale really knows how to spin a suspenseful story. Olivia’s sister Lily has been missing since she ran away at 16 when her family found out she was pregnant. Then out of the blue, Lily’s son shows up on his aunt Olivia’s doorstep. I was instantly hooked and couldn’t wait to find out what happened to Lily and who was after Lily and Josh. I loved the flashbacks between their childhood summers and the present. I also really enjoyed seeing the different perspectives of Olivia and her brother, This is the first in a new series and there were a few loose ends that I know I have to wait for No More Lies to find the answers. I can’t wait for May 2022 to learn more!
If you haven’t read any of Kerry Lonsdale’s books I highly recommend picking them up. I’ve never been disappointed. I especially loved Side Trip and Last Summer!
Thank you Kerry Lonsdale and @amazonpublishing for my advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
kj80230's review
4.0
3.5-4 The story was good, it's my first Kerry Lonsdale book and I generally prefer straight Thriller/mystery. This book was more of a Romantic Mystery but didn't go too far so I am excited to read more by this author. Perhaps I found a new set of books!
boba_nbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What a book! I was disappointed the sequel isn’t out yet because this left me on the edge of my seat. The lies and secrets within this family are so twisted that the reader often doesn’t know which way is up. With plenty of twists and turns you won’t expect, the author artfully crafts the characters around the different traumas and trials they went through together as children and how they have impacted their personas years later. Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Murder, and Pregnancy
lsmoore43's review
5.0
I have read and loved several of Kerry Lonsdale's books. I have to say this is my very favorite and I can't wait for the next book in this series. Edge of your seat thrills and so much more.
This book is full of emotions. From a thriller to a love story and all between you won't want to put this one down. Talk about family drama.. This one is full of that and more. The characters, Olivia, her sister Lily, brother Lucas, parents Dwight and Charlotte, are about as messed us as a family can get. From the beginning you meet the children when they are small. When their dad drops them off at the Whitmans for the summer. Not camp exactly, but a summer of fun that lasts several years. The Whitmans have two boys, Theodore/Blaze and Tyler. The children all form a bond each year. The bond between Livy and Blaze is the one that will give you the most pleasure. They are just great together. I really loved them.
This story starts with the arrival of a boy. A boy that Olivia/Livy has never met. But she knows who he is. He's her baby sister's son, Josh. Why is he here? What is Lily thinking sending him? Did Lily send him? What is going on? There are many questions throughout this book that will keep you guessing. From who Josh's dad is to where Lily is. What is going on. Olivia hasn't seen her sister in fourteen years and now her son has just shown up. He has a speech problem and it's next to impossible to get information from him. Olivia and Josh do form a bond that will test both of them. The strength of family is proven beyond limits in this book. What happened between Olivia and Lily all those years ago can possibly be mended finally.
There is also a love story going on here. The one between Olivia/Livy and Theodore/Blaze. He wants to be called Blaze as he hates his name. Blaze and Livy have a past and hopefully finally a future. If only he can make her believe that he is there for the long haul. He's not going to betray her and he would never hurt her. She has many trust issues that you will learn about.
There is a lot of action in this book to keep you on the edge and turning the pages. Olivia and Josh are determined to find Lily and leave no stone unturned. The back story of the children when they were young and the present when Olivia finds out so many things about her family that she had no idea about. Or had buried. From the things that their parents did to the things that happened to each of them. This book is very heartwarming and heartbreaking too. In places I did manage a chuckle also. But the story of these children and their friends is great. From the time they are just kids until they are grown adults there seems to be a bond. But there is also a distance with the siblings. They all have issues to overcome. The Whitman children are not close either. There is a lot of family drama here also. A few instances of unfaithfulness. A whole lot of lies and big secrets.
I loved almost all the characters but most certainly did not like Dwight or Charlotte. Dwight was a bit cruel to Lily and well he was a liar. Charlotte was not a good mother even if she did try to make you think she was. She was very self centered and so selfish. She was only ever out for herself. Dwight was no better. I think he had some mental problems and I'm not saying that lightly. I think his anger was horrid. At least toward Lucas and Lily. Olivia was his princess and he seemed to treasure her. When he needed too that is. He did have motives for that though.
This book was great from start to finish. It's well written and the characters are so realistic. You can picture the lake and forests. The things the children did when they were young. As they grew and things got bad you feel strong for them. It's an emotional story. A very good one. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one. I want to get to know more about what Lily went through raising Josh on her own. I hope to learn more about each character but mainly Lily and Josh.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #KerryLonsdale, #lakeuntionpublishing for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book.
5/5 stars and would be more if possible. Grab this one and dive right in. It's great!!
This book is full of emotions. From a thriller to a love story and all between you won't want to put this one down. Talk about family drama.. This one is full of that and more. The characters, Olivia, her sister Lily, brother Lucas, parents Dwight and Charlotte, are about as messed us as a family can get. From the beginning you meet the children when they are small. When their dad drops them off at the Whitmans for the summer. Not camp exactly, but a summer of fun that lasts several years. The Whitmans have two boys, Theodore/Blaze and Tyler. The children all form a bond each year. The bond between Livy and Blaze is the one that will give you the most pleasure. They are just great together. I really loved them.
This story starts with the arrival of a boy. A boy that Olivia/Livy has never met. But she knows who he is. He's her baby sister's son, Josh. Why is he here? What is Lily thinking sending him? Did Lily send him? What is going on? There are many questions throughout this book that will keep you guessing. From who Josh's dad is to where Lily is. What is going on. Olivia hasn't seen her sister in fourteen years and now her son has just shown up. He has a speech problem and it's next to impossible to get information from him. Olivia and Josh do form a bond that will test both of them. The strength of family is proven beyond limits in this book. What happened between Olivia and Lily all those years ago can possibly be mended finally.
There is also a love story going on here. The one between Olivia/Livy and Theodore/Blaze. He wants to be called Blaze as he hates his name. Blaze and Livy have a past and hopefully finally a future. If only he can make her believe that he is there for the long haul. He's not going to betray her and he would never hurt her. She has many trust issues that you will learn about.
There is a lot of action in this book to keep you on the edge and turning the pages. Olivia and Josh are determined to find Lily and leave no stone unturned. The back story of the children when they were young and the present when Olivia finds out so many things about her family that she had no idea about. Or had buried. From the things that their parents did to the things that happened to each of them. This book is very heartwarming and heartbreaking too. In places I did manage a chuckle also. But the story of these children and their friends is great. From the time they are just kids until they are grown adults there seems to be a bond. But there is also a distance with the siblings. They all have issues to overcome. The Whitman children are not close either. There is a lot of family drama here also. A few instances of unfaithfulness. A whole lot of lies and big secrets.
I loved almost all the characters but most certainly did not like Dwight or Charlotte. Dwight was a bit cruel to Lily and well he was a liar. Charlotte was not a good mother even if she did try to make you think she was. She was very self centered and so selfish. She was only ever out for herself. Dwight was no better. I think he had some mental problems and I'm not saying that lightly. I think his anger was horrid. At least toward Lucas and Lily. Olivia was his princess and he seemed to treasure her. When he needed too that is. He did have motives for that though.
This book was great from start to finish. It's well written and the characters are so realistic. You can picture the lake and forests. The things the children did when they were young. As they grew and things got bad you feel strong for them. It's an emotional story. A very good one. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one. I want to get to know more about what Lily went through raising Josh on her own. I hope to learn more about each character but mainly Lily and Josh.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #KerryLonsdale, #lakeuntionpublishing for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book.
5/5 stars and would be more if possible. Grab this one and dive right in. It's great!!
neilsbarringer's review
2.0
I found this book frustrating for a few reasons.
1. The author's overuse of Similes, there was one just about every page. About half way through the book I started laughing every time one appeared. In addition to the quantity of similes they were BAD!
2. Spoiler here: The ending; So, Lily/Jenna goes missing for several days leaving her kid who has had. TBI and when they reunite it is SO anticlimactic and it seemed to me like she was just having a little lover rendezvous with her kid's dad (Umm..what??)
3.Olivia was a complete narcissist I mean the flashbacks to childhood, clearly her parents were CRUEL to Lily, how did she not pick up on that? Way to into herself.
4.Throughout the book the author makes it clear that Olivia has SERIOUS trust issues especially with men, yet she trust every single word that came out of her dad's mouth and she readily believed her mom's lies.
5. The Police- So they pretty much brushed off Olivia's attempt to find her sister. Totally unrealistic, I mean at least they could have tried to get Lilly for "abandoning" her child--I mean technically Josh was a lost child and couldn't find his mom...pretty sure the police would be concerned about this.
To sum up This book is like a pimple on picture day ---> BAD!
--sorry I couldn't resist!
1. The author's overuse of Similes, there was one just about every page. About half way through the book I started laughing every time one appeared. In addition to the quantity of similes they were BAD!
2. Spoiler here: The ending; So, Lily/Jenna goes missing for several days leaving her kid who has had. TBI and when they reunite it is SO anticlimactic and it seemed to me like she was just having a little lover rendezvous with her kid's dad (Umm..what??)
3.Olivia was a complete narcissist I mean the flashbacks to childhood, clearly her parents were CRUEL to Lily, how did she not pick up on that? Way to into herself.
4.Throughout the book the author makes it clear that Olivia has SERIOUS trust issues especially with men, yet she trust every single word that came out of her dad's mouth and she readily believed her mom's lies.
5. The Police- So they pretty much brushed off Olivia's attempt to find her sister. Totally unrealistic, I mean at least they could have tried to get Lilly for "abandoning" her child--I mean technically Josh was a lost child and couldn't find his mom...pretty sure the police would be concerned about this.
To sum up This book is like a pimple on picture day ---> BAD!
--sorry I couldn't resist!
akire07's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I love the twists and the surprises in this story. Great book that keep you interested right till the end.
brewtifulfiction's review
5.0
All the stars to the first book in a new trilogy.
I have to admit when reading, I didn't know it was going to be part of a series but I'm so pleased that it is.
No More Words is a tale of a broken, dysfunctional family that is (without them truly knowing) on the edge of complete and utter ruin.
Three siblings who were once close, torn apart by lies, secrets and jealousy.
An unplanned pregnancy, a stint in jail and cheating boyfriends, not to mention a murder. These are children that have been through (and continue to go through) a lot so it is no wonder that they have trust issues in amongst all of the other problems that they are dealing with.
Now I feel this is hard one to review as I don't want to give too much away.
It is told primarily from one point of view Olivia - who is the eldest - we get taken on a journey through past and present, starting with the summer of 95, to show what led up to such heartbreak for the Carson children.
It is clear with each chapter that Kerry really knows what she's doing. The raw emotion and depth which each character experiences pulses through the pages.
There are multiple layers to this tale, mystery and romance combined, every person with their own arc, a story to tell, this gave the book a well rounded feeling.
There are a few lose threads but that keeps us wanting the next book (ASAP please).
What No More Words showed me was that although we may. make mistakes, experience regrets and enormous feelings of guilt along our life's journey, what matters is that we continue to live and learn. Don't let the past define you instead let it give you the strength to keep moving forward.
Amongst the sadness and turmoil there are moments of joy and adoration.
I cannot wait to see more from this family.
I have to admit when reading, I didn't know it was going to be part of a series but I'm so pleased that it is.
No More Words is a tale of a broken, dysfunctional family that is (without them truly knowing) on the edge of complete and utter ruin.
Three siblings who were once close, torn apart by lies, secrets and jealousy.
An unplanned pregnancy, a stint in jail and cheating boyfriends, not to mention a murder. These are children that have been through (and continue to go through) a lot so it is no wonder that they have trust issues in amongst all of the other problems that they are dealing with.
Now I feel this is hard one to review as I don't want to give too much away.
It is told primarily from one point of view Olivia - who is the eldest - we get taken on a journey through past and present, starting with the summer of 95, to show what led up to such heartbreak for the Carson children.
It is clear with each chapter that Kerry really knows what she's doing. The raw emotion and depth which each character experiences pulses through the pages.
There are multiple layers to this tale, mystery and romance combined, every person with their own arc, a story to tell, this gave the book a well rounded feeling.
There are a few lose threads but that keeps us wanting the next book (ASAP please).
What No More Words showed me was that although we may. make mistakes, experience regrets and enormous feelings of guilt along our life's journey, what matters is that we continue to live and learn. Don't let the past define you instead let it give you the strength to keep moving forward.
Amongst the sadness and turmoil there are moments of joy and adoration.
I cannot wait to see more from this family.