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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Touching Story
A touching story of finding love out of tragedy. A story about forgiveness. A story about friendship. A great read. Beautiful love story.
A touching story of finding love out of tragedy. A story about forgiveness. A story about friendship. A great read. Beautiful love story.
This book was received by Goodreads First Reads. The novel by Ryan Winfield is a wonderful adult romantic novel. I loved the way in which Ryan Winfield created a great female main character. The title Jane's Melody is very important to the overall plot of this novel. From the very first sentence of Jane's Melody the reader is instantly intriguing to the reader and they mystery of the story begins to come forward and also the answers to many questions presented between its pages.
Jane's Melody is definitely page turner as the reader wants to find our what is going to happen next. Even though this novel does have a number of sex scenes, they do not really take away from the novel. The relationship between the two main characters really created a way in which the reader wants to know what happens to them.
In conclusion, this novel, Jane's Melody has a great ending. There are times when the reader may laugh, be in awe and even cry through all of the events that happen throughout this novel. Overall, this is a great novel for any adult who likes to read not only romance, but about the struggles that people go through in life and how those struggles are overcome. Jane's Melody is a wonderful novel and many people should read it.
Jane's Melody is definitely page turner as the reader wants to find our what is going to happen next. Even though this novel does have a number of sex scenes, they do not really take away from the novel. The relationship between the two main characters really created a way in which the reader wants to know what happens to them.
In conclusion, this novel, Jane's Melody has a great ending. There are times when the reader may laugh, be in awe and even cry through all of the events that happen throughout this novel. Overall, this is a great novel for any adult who likes to read not only romance, but about the struggles that people go through in life and how those struggles are overcome. Jane's Melody is a wonderful novel and many people should read it.
"Jane's Melody" by Ryan Winfield is a beautifully written story of a grieving mother, Jane, who is desperately trying to keep her life going after the loss of her one and only daughter, Melody. In the process of trying to get a better understanding of the life her daughter led prior to her sudden death, Jane comes across Caleb, a young man 15 years her junior who she assumes was the boyfriend of Melody. She decides to take him in after finding him beaten and discovering that he's homeless. And thus begins the somewhat unconventional story of Jane and Caleb.
There's no denying that Mr. Winfield is a talented writer and while the assumed conflict (grieving mother is attracted to deceased daughter's boyfriend) turns out to be exactly what it is--an assumption--the fact that the lead characters have what may be considered a noticeable enough age difference, is an interesting aspect of the story. If I were to base it on the story alone and the writing, I would have been more than happy to give the book 4.5 or five stars... but I held back because of one teeny, tiny reason...(proceed to next paragraph)
There's depth in the character of Jane and though she's likable enough, I wasn't able to really connect with her. I felt she was a tad overly obsessive about her perceived problems and found myself agreeing with her friend Grace when she said, "It isn't always about you, Jane." And that's why I ended up giving the book four instead of five stars... Yep, it was Jane's fault. Hahaha.
All in all, "Jane's Melody" was an enjoyable, not-your-usual run-of-the-mill story. Highly commendable and I would recommend it to my fellow bookaholics. ^.^
There's no denying that Mr. Winfield is a talented writer and while the assumed conflict (grieving mother is attracted to deceased daughter's boyfriend) turns out to be exactly what it is--an assumption--the fact that the lead characters have what may be considered a noticeable enough age difference, is an interesting aspect of the story. If I were to base it on the story alone and the writing, I would have been more than happy to give the book 4.5 or five stars... but I held back because of one teeny, tiny reason...(proceed to next paragraph)
There's depth in the character of Jane and though she's likable enough, I wasn't able to really connect with her. I felt she was a tad overly obsessive about her perceived problems and found myself agreeing with her friend Grace when she said, "It isn't always about you, Jane." And that's why I ended up giving the book four instead of five stars... Yep, it was Jane's fault. Hahaha.
All in all, "Jane's Melody" was an enjoyable, not-your-usual run-of-the-mill story. Highly commendable and I would recommend it to my fellow bookaholics. ^.^
Where to start, where to start...
I went into this read with excitement and a little trepidation. Jane's Melody has been on my to-read list for a long time now, since the original release and I'd stopped at it repeatedly, almost like it was calling out to me. Every time something kept me moving on. Likely it was because as much as the idea of this book intrigued me, I also distrusted it. The concept of a grieving mother and a young street musician sounds like the set up of something really beautiful, or it runs the risk of being overly sappy and contrived.
I'm happy to report that it was somewhere in the middle.
If you're like me and you've just been nervous about picking this up, feeling like all those glowing 5 star reviews are just a pitfall into a book that's all hype and no substance... well then this review is for you.
Jane's Melody was the type of book I like to call 'good enough'. Basically it's like this: If you're worried that the pain of Jane losing her daughter becomes overshadowed by the epic love story, I really never thought it did. I felt the painful vise on Jane's heart throughout the entire story. Through the majority of the book, thinking of my own daughter, I maintained a lump and a tickle in my throat. I'm confident that you can rest easy. On the flip side, if you worry that the book is too sad, and that the love story was secondary- a scenario I would prefer over the previous -you can also rest easy. There was plenty of romance and sexy time, but it was appropriate for the premise of the book. Ultimately, I can see why so many people were pleased with the story.
Which brings me to why I rated Jane's Melody only 3 stars, middle of the road, just 'good enough'. Basically, for me, what it comes down to is indulgence. There were just too many scenes describing 40 year old Jane's 'stunning beauty'. I found too many moments where the focus of the book was on how Jane could eat anything she wanted and never work out and yet she maintained the figure of a 19 year old. It's not that I don't believe that there are 40 year old women out there capable of doing this, I'm absolutely sure there are. It's that as a reader, a female reader, it felt indulgent. Very very few women over the age of 30 can maintain that figure without exercise and conscious eating, but fine that's the character of the book, perfectly beautiful with minimal effort. I may have been able to overlook it, except for the fact that Caleb (the musician) was 25 year old perfection also. There were just as many scenes describing the perfection of Caleb. The perfection of Caleb's abs. The perfection of Caleb's smile. The perfection of Caleb's eyes. And on and on and on. So basically we have a book about two perfect people, which I find a little boring.
Sure sure, if you pop over to my Goodreads shelves you'll find many a book about perfect people falling in love, and one may say that makes me a bit of a hypocrite. I would respond by saying, the line in the sand is how much it's stated. I've said it in reviews before, and I'll say it again here, subtlety goes a long way. I prefer to feel that the characters find their love interests beautiful, not have it stated over and over again.
So, there you go. The good and the bad. The reasons that I found it good enough, but not without flaw. A review that I think is realistic, not overly glowing and not scathing. Just my honest, undiluted thoughts.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing a review copy of this book.
Read this review and more at Badassbook Reviews.
I went into this read with excitement and a little trepidation. Jane's Melody has been on my to-read list for a long time now, since the original release and I'd stopped at it repeatedly, almost like it was calling out to me. Every time something kept me moving on. Likely it was because as much as the idea of this book intrigued me, I also distrusted it. The concept of a grieving mother and a young street musician sounds like the set up of something really beautiful, or it runs the risk of being overly sappy and contrived.
I'm happy to report that it was somewhere in the middle.
If you're like me and you've just been nervous about picking this up, feeling like all those glowing 5 star reviews are just a pitfall into a book that's all hype and no substance... well then this review is for you.
Jane's Melody was the type of book I like to call 'good enough'. Basically it's like this: If you're worried that the pain of Jane losing her daughter becomes overshadowed by the epic love story, I really never thought it did. I felt the painful vise on Jane's heart throughout the entire story. Through the majority of the book, thinking of my own daughter, I maintained a lump and a tickle in my throat. I'm confident that you can rest easy. On the flip side, if you worry that the book is too sad, and that the love story was secondary- a scenario I would prefer over the previous -you can also rest easy. There was plenty of romance and sexy time, but it was appropriate for the premise of the book. Ultimately, I can see why so many people were pleased with the story.
Which brings me to why I rated Jane's Melody only 3 stars, middle of the road, just 'good enough'. Basically, for me, what it comes down to is indulgence. There were just too many scenes describing 40 year old Jane's 'stunning beauty'. I found too many moments where the focus of the book was on how Jane could eat anything she wanted and never work out and yet she maintained the figure of a 19 year old. It's not that I don't believe that there are 40 year old women out there capable of doing this, I'm absolutely sure there are. It's that as a reader, a female reader, it felt indulgent. Very very few women over the age of 30 can maintain that figure without exercise and conscious eating, but fine that's the character of the book, perfectly beautiful with minimal effort. I may have been able to overlook it, except for the fact that Caleb (the musician) was 25 year old perfection also. There were just as many scenes describing the perfection of Caleb. The perfection of Caleb's abs. The perfection of Caleb's smile. The perfection of Caleb's eyes. And on and on and on. So basically we have a book about two perfect people, which I find a little boring.
Sure sure, if you pop over to my Goodreads shelves you'll find many a book about perfect people falling in love, and one may say that makes me a bit of a hypocrite. I would respond by saying, the line in the sand is how much it's stated. I've said it in reviews before, and I'll say it again here, subtlety goes a long way. I prefer to feel that the characters find their love interests beautiful, not have it stated over and over again.
So, there you go. The good and the bad. The reasons that I found it good enough, but not without flaw. A review that I think is realistic, not overly glowing and not scathing. Just my honest, undiluted thoughts.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing a review copy of this book.
Read this review and more at Badassbook Reviews.
Jane first sees Caleb at the cemetery, standing at her daughter's new grave, but he vanishes before she can talk to him. She next runs across him playing his guitar on the streets of Seattle, where he is reluctant to speak about her daughter, Melody. The third time she finds him, he has just been mugged, robbed of his guitar and hence his livelihood, so she makes the impulsive decision to take him home with her, hire him to do a major yard renovation, in the hopes that he'll open up and tell her more about her daughter's last days and weeks before her drug overdose. She soon learns that Caleb is mature far beyond his 24 years, and his presence in her life might be the balm she didn't know she needed, if only she is brave enough to take the necessary leap.
For a romance novel, there is an enormous amount of grief and melancholy permeating the pages. Jane's life hasn't been easy--from her family of addicts and enablers, to the boyfriend who abandoned her when she got pregnant in college, to raising her daughter on her own on an insurance agent's unpredictable salary, to the heartbreak of losing her daughter to drugs and alcohol. Still, she has created a life for herself in spite of her obstacles. She has a close circle of friends and a nice home. What she lacks is self confidence, which is one of the three reasons I had difficulty suspending disbelief on occasion. I just couldn't always buy that Caleb would be so attracted to a woman who had no concept of her own self-worth that he'd think a 16-year age difference was irrelevant. What did he find irresistible about a grieving woman who had no faith in her own lovability?
The second quibble I had with the story was also related to Caleb's age. Twenty-four is still in the "Knight" phase for men (see Alison Armstrong's PAX Program) where they are seeking adventure and testing their mettle. Had Caleb been a few years older--say, 30--it would have been far easier to believe he was wanting to find his "Queen" and build his castle, so to speak. Likewise, it would have been more plausible that he had had time to cultivate domestic and handyman skills. It jolted me out of the world of the story every time Caleb demonstrated knowledge and aptitude for something that it didn't seem likely he'd have learned while homeless or couch-surfing, although I suppose some of those skills might have been learned when he was still a kid.
My third bone to pick with the book happened mostly in the middle of the novel when Jane and Caleb were having sex in every conceivable room on every conceivable surface all the time. I think it's a male delusion that (sorry for the blunt language ahead) women orgasm due solely to penetration. Almost no women can do this (see Mary Roach's book Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex). I guess it just makes men feel better to believe what works for them also feels earth-moving to their partners? So it was absurd to have Jane in raptures at Caleb's prowess when most of the time he was just demonstrating stamina, not finesse. My eyes rolled so hard I think I sprained muscles.
That said, I really did enjoy large chunks of the story. The scene where Jane reads Melody's baby book had me bawling. Jane's friendship with Grace was beautiful and also had me in tears sometimes. When I could forget the age, self-esteem, and sex issues, I was totally absorbed in the book.
For readers' advisors: character doorways is primary, story and setting (Puget Sound area, mostly) secondary. Clearly there are sex scenes, so don't suggest it to anyone who asks for "clean reads." It's a contemporary romance, the first in a series that continues with Jane's Harmony.
I received a free ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
For a romance novel, there is an enormous amount of grief and melancholy permeating the pages. Jane's life hasn't been easy--from her family of addicts and enablers, to the boyfriend who abandoned her when she got pregnant in college, to raising her daughter on her own on an insurance agent's unpredictable salary, to the heartbreak of losing her daughter to drugs and alcohol. Still, she has created a life for herself in spite of her obstacles. She has a close circle of friends and a nice home. What she lacks is self confidence, which is one of the three reasons I had difficulty suspending disbelief on occasion. I just couldn't always buy that Caleb would be so attracted to a woman who had no concept of her own self-worth that he'd think a 16-year age difference was irrelevant. What did he find irresistible about a grieving woman who had no faith in her own lovability?
The second quibble I had with the story was also related to Caleb's age. Twenty-four is still in the "Knight" phase for men (see Alison Armstrong's PAX Program) where they are seeking adventure and testing their mettle. Had Caleb been a few years older--say, 30--it would have been far easier to believe he was wanting to find his "Queen" and build his castle, so to speak. Likewise, it would have been more plausible that he had had time to cultivate domestic and handyman skills. It jolted me out of the world of the story every time Caleb demonstrated knowledge and aptitude for something that it didn't seem likely he'd have learned while homeless or couch-surfing, although I suppose some of those skills might have been learned when he was still a kid.
My third bone to pick with the book happened mostly in the middle of the novel when Jane and Caleb were having sex in every conceivable room on every conceivable surface all the time. I think it's a male delusion that (sorry for the blunt language ahead) women orgasm due solely to penetration. Almost no women can do this (see Mary Roach's book Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex). I guess it just makes men feel better to believe what works for them also feels earth-moving to their partners? So it was absurd to have Jane in raptures at Caleb's prowess when most of the time he was just demonstrating stamina, not finesse. My eyes rolled so hard I think I sprained muscles.
That said, I really did enjoy large chunks of the story. The scene where Jane reads Melody's baby book had me bawling. Jane's friendship with Grace was beautiful and also had me in tears sometimes. When I could forget the age, self-esteem, and sex issues, I was totally absorbed in the book.
For readers' advisors: character doorways is primary, story and setting (Puget Sound area, mostly) secondary. Clearly there are sex scenes, so don't suggest it to anyone who asks for "clean reads." It's a contemporary romance, the first in a series that continues with Jane's Harmony.
I received a free ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Loved it (obviously since I finished in two days). Must read #2 in the series.
Adding this to the "made me cry" shelf! This is a very heartwarming story about a woman who loses her daughter to drugs and alcohol. She is left to pick up the pieces and reevaluate her life. It's all about taking chances and living with no fear. Not to mention there is very nice male character helping her do that!
This book was so sad, but so uplifting at the same time. A truly unique love story.
I was lucky enough to meet Ryan at a book signing I attended to see Colleen Hoover. Ryan was there for his newest book, Jane's Harmony, the 2nd book in this series. I found Ryan to be very gracious, down to earth, and sweet, which made me want to read his books. Prior to this, unfortunately, I had no idea who he was or what he wrote. So, I'm thankful he was there that night because ...
Well, because I found an amazing book with amazing characters. I love books that have romance in them, but I also love books that have life lessons. When you walk away from the book and feel a bit smarter for reading it. This story did not have any profound advice, but it did deal with a few tough issues, one being death of a child. Reading this could not have come at a more significant time, because an old friend of mine from grade school just lost her 11 year old daughter. Ugh ... so with the issues, the tears came even stronger.
And I have to admit that I have not read many stories with the older woman/younger man trope, but this one was done so well. I actually did not feel weird about the age difference (because let's face it ... older man/younger woman is okay, but the other way around seems strange). Not anymore. :)
Ryan tackled these obstacles and situations with such grace and understanding, and he relayed the emotions perfectly. I was completely impressed.
Caleb ... I'd love to talk about him for a moment. I love strong men, confident men, and men that know what they want, but I also love when they can be real and genuine. Caleb is probably one of the most raw characters ever. He's nothing if not true to himself. He lives, loves, and sees nothing wrong with his choices. He does not make excuses for himself nor does he put himself first, ever. He's absolutely perfect with his small imperfections.
Jane had all the right in the world to be insecure, gun-shy, and scared. She had so many emotions running through her because so many emotional things went on in her life. I think she dealt with everything really well, and quite normally for someone who had to endure the things she did. Did I wish she would have made things less difficult for herself? Yes, but it would not have been real. She was definitely real.
Jane's best friend Grace was the perfect side kick for her. She gave the best advice and had the greatest definition of F.I.N.E.
F ucked up
I nsecure
N eurotic
E motional
Two other supporting characters added fun and quite a few laughs to the heavy feels ... Mrs. Hawthorne and Bill Clinton.
The story, written in three parts, had me by the ears from word one. The narrator was pretty good, although Caleb sounded quite feminine it was okay. I didn't mind much.
I recommend this book to anyone that loves romance, life lessons, and a great story!
Italian Brat's Obsessions
Well, because I found an amazing book with amazing characters. I love books that have romance in them, but I also love books that have life lessons. When you walk away from the book and feel a bit smarter for reading it. This story did not have any profound advice, but it did deal with a few tough issues, one being death of a child. Reading this could not have come at a more significant time, because an old friend of mine from grade school just lost her 11 year old daughter. Ugh ... so with the issues, the tears came even stronger.
And I have to admit that I have not read many stories with the older woman/younger man trope, but this one was done so well. I actually did not feel weird about the age difference (because let's face it ... older man/younger woman is okay, but the other way around seems strange). Not anymore. :)
Ryan tackled these obstacles and situations with such grace and understanding, and he relayed the emotions perfectly. I was completely impressed.
Caleb ... I'd love to talk about him for a moment. I love strong men, confident men, and men that know what they want, but I also love when they can be real and genuine. Caleb is probably one of the most raw characters ever. He's nothing if not true to himself. He lives, loves, and sees nothing wrong with his choices. He does not make excuses for himself nor does he put himself first, ever. He's absolutely perfect with his small imperfections.
Jane had all the right in the world to be insecure, gun-shy, and scared. She had so many emotions running through her because so many emotional things went on in her life. I think she dealt with everything really well, and quite normally for someone who had to endure the things she did. Did I wish she would have made things less difficult for herself? Yes, but it would not have been real. She was definitely real.
Jane's best friend Grace was the perfect side kick for her. She gave the best advice and had the greatest definition of F.I.N.E.
F ucked up
I nsecure
N eurotic
E motional
Two other supporting characters added fun and quite a few laughs to the heavy feels ... Mrs. Hawthorne and Bill Clinton.
The story, written in three parts, had me by the ears from word one. The narrator was pretty good, although Caleb sounded quite feminine it was okay. I didn't mind much.
I recommend this book to anyone that loves romance, life lessons, and a great story!
Italian Brat's Obsessions