Scan barcode
A review by lectorliber04
The Closer You Come by Gena Showalter
4.0
Having read the prequel to this series and having a few doubts and misgivings after I finished it I read The Closer You Come and well... I was pleasantly surprised. Jase, West and Beck have made Strawberry Valley their home. Bad boys with a dark past attempting to start anew in a small town. Their tortured past lives is something they can't hide from nor ignore. The house the three friends bought is a metaphor of their lives which Jase described best: 'Bits and pieces fixed up, the rest a crumbling wreck'
Jase is an ex convict with all that it implies. However, Brook Lynn is intimidated by the hardness and coldness he wears as a means to protect himself. I liked Jase a lot. I liked Brook Lynn even more. And what a nice twist! Brook Lynn has a disability. That a heroine wears hearing aids is refreshing. That a heroe is so broken and traumatised that he has PTSD episodes makes for a more believable read.
Jessie Kay, Brook's sister I can't stand and dislike with passion. Yes, she has suffered a loss, yes, she blames herself for it but at some point she needed to stop behaving like an immature slut. I just can't understand Jessie Kay's disregard for her sister. It is Brook Lynn who has kept them afloat, who had to drag Jessie back home after getting so drunk one has to wonder how many guys entertained themselves with a very willing Jessie. How many times did Jessie spent the night away from home without even bothering to call her sister? Like most young people Jessie finds the solution to her pain in alcohol, sex and drugs. In the end hurt is spreading beyond ourselves. Her selfishness, immaturity and lack of self respect irked me a lot. Brook Lynn excuses her sister's appalling behaviour way too many times. Jessie Kay grow up already! I really wish Jessie would get a much needed wake up call but apparently it won't happen if the end of the book is any indication.
What's up with Harlow Glass other than not having two coins to rub together? She intrigues me and can't wait to learn more about her past. Is Daphne going to get her own happy ending?
Humans are not perfect. We fall, stay down, pick ourselves up or not, keep on doing the same things over and over again until we either come to an epiphany and find a better path or stay in hell with no hope of ever getting out. Brook Lynn and Jase's story is about risking our hearts for the elusive happiness with all crave. Jase's struggles were heartbreaking. So many kids end up like him because of one mistake! He was contrite and most certainly payed his dues in his own flesh. Ms. Showalter did a fabulous job depicting not only the traumas of his ten years in prison but of his struggles to believe in himself and the love offered to him. West and Beck are going to get their story of course. Like Jase both have chosen to protect their heart in a destructive manner. Thank Ms. Showalter for writing a truly amazing story.
Jase is an ex convict with all that it implies. However, Brook Lynn is intimidated by the hardness and coldness he wears as a means to protect himself. I liked Jase a lot. I liked Brook Lynn even more. And what a nice twist! Brook Lynn has a disability. That a heroine wears hearing aids is refreshing. That a heroe is so broken and traumatised that he has PTSD episodes makes for a more believable read.
Jessie Kay, Brook's sister I can't stand and dislike with passion. Yes, she has suffered a loss, yes, she blames herself for it but at some point she needed to stop behaving like an immature slut. I just can't understand Jessie Kay's disregard for her sister. It is Brook Lynn who has kept them afloat, who had to drag Jessie back home after getting so drunk one has to wonder how many guys entertained themselves with a very willing Jessie. How many times did Jessie spent the night away from home without even bothering to call her sister? Like most young people Jessie finds the solution to her pain in alcohol, sex and drugs. In the end hurt is spreading beyond ourselves. Her selfishness, immaturity and lack of self respect irked me a lot. Brook Lynn excuses her sister's appalling behaviour way too many times. Jessie Kay grow up already! I really wish Jessie would get a much needed wake up call but apparently it won't happen if the end of the book is any indication.
What's up with Harlow Glass other than not having two coins to rub together? She intrigues me and can't wait to learn more about her past. Is Daphne going to get her own happy ending?
Humans are not perfect. We fall, stay down, pick ourselves up or not, keep on doing the same things over and over again until we either come to an epiphany and find a better path or stay in hell with no hope of ever getting out. Brook Lynn and Jase's story is about risking our hearts for the elusive happiness with all crave. Jase's struggles were heartbreaking. So many kids end up like him because of one mistake! He was contrite and most certainly payed his dues in his own flesh. Ms. Showalter did a fabulous job depicting not only the traumas of his ten years in prison but of his struggles to believe in himself and the love offered to him. West and Beck are going to get their story of course. Like Jase both have chosen to protect their heart in a destructive manner. Thank Ms. Showalter for writing a truly amazing story.