Review: Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson

Here is a summary of the book from the Goodreads website:

At twenty-one, Shandi Pierce is juggling finishing college, raising her delightful three-year-old genius son Natty, and keeping the peace between her eternally warring, long-divorced Catholic mother and Jewish father. She’s got enough complications without getting caught in the middle of a stick-up in a gas station mini-mart and falling in love with a great wall of a man named William Ashe, who willingly steps between the armed robber and her son.

Shandi doesn’t know that her blond god Thor has his own complications. When he looked down the barrel of that gun he believed it was destiny: It’s been one year to the day since a tragic act of physics shattered his universe. But William doesn’t define destiny the way other people do. A brilliant geneticist who believes in science and numbers, destiny to him is about choice.

Now, he and Shandi are about to meet their so-called destinies head on, in a funny, charming, and poignant novel about science and miracles, secrets and truths, faith and forgiveness,; about a virgin birth, a sacrifice, and a resurrection; about falling in love, and learning that things aren’t always what they seem—or what we hope they will be. It’s a novel about discovering what we want and ultimately finding what we need.

My Review: 
Shandi's life as a young, single mom is changing, as she loads all of her belongings to move her and her young son to a new life.  Once she gets there, she will be able to finish college and actually make a living to support herself and her son, Natty.  But, when they make a normal pitstop for gas, snacks, and potty, her life changes in ways she could never imagine.  

There is a robbery in the gas station, bringing people from all walks of life together, making them count on each other to survive.  Shandi has always been drawn to older men, so when William Ashe, a fellow victim, with his muscular, solid body, is forced to get very close to Shandi, she doesn't push him away.  She accepts William's help, as his actions may be needed to keep her and Natty alive, but does she feel another kind of bond with this man?

Once the hold-up is over, Shandi finds herself as a part of William's everyday life.  She learns that William was trying to deal with the loss of his wife and daughter, that happened exactly one year before the robbery.  She can't help think that fate drew them together on that anniversary, putting her in his path to help him get on with his life.  

This was an enjoyable novel to read as new friendships flourished and mysteries were solved.  Many characters found themselves physically attracted to characters that did not return those feelings.  We just had to wait for events to play out leading our characters to the individuals they were truly in love with.  The title was very fitting in that respect.

Jackson once again created a novel keeping me on the edge of my seat with the suspense of the robbery and the mystery that I will not even start to describe.  You can read the book for that!  With themes of love, family. and friendship, you may enjoy this novel as much as I did.  I don't hesitate in recommending this book for either personal leisure or as a book club discussion.

My Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Audiobook Review: Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson

Here is a summary of Gods in Alabama from the Hachette website:

For 10 years Arlene has kept her promises, and God has kept His end of the bargain. Until now. When an old schoolmate from Possett turns up at Arlene's door in Chicago asking questions about Jim Beverly, former quarterback and god of Possett High, Arlene's break with her former hometown is forced to an end. At the same time, Burr, her long-time boyfriend, has raised an ultimatum: introduce him to her family or consider him gone. Arlene loves him dearly but knows her lily white (not to mention deeply racist)Southern Baptist family will not understand her relationship with an African American boyfriend.

My Review:
Gods in Alabama includes characters from Jackson's book, Backseat Saints, but after listening to both books on audio now, I really don't think it matters what order the books are read in.  I think I may have actually enjoyed Backseat Saints more by reading this book later.  If you are interested you can also check out my review of Backseat Saints here.

Arlene has spent the last ten years of her life in Chicago as she tries to forget the events that led up to her departure of her childhood home in Possett, Alabama.  She has changed her life around as she no longer will sleep with any man that walks through the door and has received a great education that will give her a stable future.  Things are about to change for Arlene when her boyfriend Burr is ready to take their relationship to a new level.  To make things more complicated, Arlene is caught off-guard when Rose Mae Lolly happens to show up at her door inquiring about the whereabouts of Jim Beverly, since Arlene was probably the last one to see him.

Arlene's aunt Flo has been hounding her for the last ten years to come back home to visit, but she vowed she would not step on Alabama soil again.  Now that Rose Mae is on a quest to find Jim Beverly and will be heading to Alabama herself she finds that she must face her fears and go back home to where all of the secrets are kept.  This will give her the opportunity to introduce her African American boyfriend to her traditional Southern family and also keep Rose Mae at bay.

I really don't want to go into too much of the story as it really is a story that should be revealed as you are reading it.  The secrets are uncovered as Arlene faces her past and confides in Burr and her family.  She learns how important her family really is and the lengths they will go to protect her.

This audiobook was read by Catherine Taber and I think she did a wonderful job of narrating this novel.  With themes of family, love, and mistakes, this book has so much to offer.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and don't hesitate in recommending this one for leisure or a book club selection.

My Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:  I borrowed this book from my local library and listened to it for my own entertainment.

Audiobook Review: Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson

Here is a summary of Backseat Saints from the Hachette website:

Rose Mae Lolley is a fierce and dirty girl, long-suppressed under flowery skirts and bow-trimmed ballet flats. As "Mrs. Ro Grandee" she's trapped in a marriage that's thick with love and sick with abuse. Her true self has been bound in the chains of marital bliss in rural Texas, letting "Ro" make eggs, iron shirts, and take her punches. She seems doomed to spend the rest of her life battered outside by her husband and inside by her former self, until fate throws her in the path of an airport gypsy---one who shares her past and knows her future. The tarot cards foretell that Rose's beautiful, abusive husband is going to kill her. Unless she kills him first.

Hot-blooded Rose Mae escapes from under Ro's perky compliance and emerges with a gun and a plan to beat the hand she's been dealt. Following messages that her long-missing mother has left hidden for her in graffiti and behind paintings, Rose and her dog Gretel set out from Amarillo, TX back to her hometown of Fruiton, AL, and then on to California, unearthing a host of family secrets as she goes. Running for her life, she realizes that she must face her past in order to overcome her fate---death by marriage---and become a girl who is strong enough to save herself from the one who loves her best.

BACKSEAT SAINTS will dazzle listeners with a fresh and heartwrenching portrayal of the lengths a mother will go to right the wrongs she's created, and how far a daughter will go to escape the demands of forgiveness. With the seed of a minor character from her popular best-seller, GODS IN ALABAMA, Jackson has built a whole new story full of her trademark sly wit, endearingly off-kilter characters, and utterly riveting plot twists.

My Review:
I loved listening to this story that was read by the author, Joshilyn Jackson, herself!  I think I could have listened to her voice all day and found when I popped the first disc in I was so engrossed in her voice that I found myself driving only 45 mph on the way home one evening.  Jackson did a great job of delivering such a serious storyline by managing to insert both humor and jaw-dropping fear within the same book.

We are introduced to Ro Grandee as an abused housewife whose life takes a drastic change after consulting with a gypsy in an airport one afternoon.  Ro realizes that she must kill her husband before he kills her.  When all goes wrong with the assassination attempt life at home changes as her husband seems to magically turn into the man that she fell in love with.  After being abused for so long, how long can this change of attitude last?

Ro finds herself on the road, first to flee from her abusive husband, then to find her mother that abandoned her years ago, but in the end it turns out to be a search for her true self.  As she battles demons from her past she learns a lot about herself and can finally reconcile with the cards that have been dealt to her in the game of life. 

I really enjoyed this audiobook and definitely plan on reading more of Jackson's work in the future.  With themes of emotional and physical abuse, forgiveness, and survival this book has a lot to offer and  I think it would also make a great book club selection.  As you can tell I really enjoyed this book so I definitely recommend it.

My Rating:  4/5

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me by Hachette in exchange for an honest review.

You can check out more great book reviews at Cym Lowell's Book Review Party Wednesday!