book review: Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson

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The backstory: Someone Else's Love Story is the November SheReads Book Club selection.

 The basics: Shandi Pierce, a twenty-one-year-old college student raising three-year-old genius Natty, meets William Ashe, a man devastated by the loss of his wife and daughter, when they're both in a Circle K when it's robbed. This strong, shared connection lingers as they navigate

 My thoughts: I've heard so many of you singing the praises of Joshilyn Jackson for years, so I was excited the SheReads Book Club finally forced me to read one of her novels. I picked it up knowing nothing about it, and I particularly appreciated the novels surprises because they were unexpected. Shandi and William take turns narrating the story, and I enjoyed seeing their shared experiences through both of their eyes. Initially, the pace felt slow. I longed for the first part, when they're held hostage in the Circle K, to end. I could sense the entire novel wouldn't take place in the Circle K, and I wanted to know what would happen to all of them after the robbery. Admittedly, I enjoyed the novel more once the after became the present. Each time I started to lose faith in the story, Jackson pulled me back in with a surprising twist that explained away my hesitations. While I didn't know what to expect when I started Someone Else's Love Story, my expectations kept changing as I read and the story moved in surprising directions.

 The verdict: Someone Else's Love Story is a novel filled with humor, grace, friendship, and love. It's also a novel with quite a few unexpected turns. These turns kept me turning the pages and celebrating the delicate humanity of the characters.

 Rating: 4 out of 5
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: November 19, 2013
Source: publisher via SheReads Book Club

 Convinced? Treat yourself! Buy Someone Else's Love Story from an independent bookstore, the Book Depository or Amazon (Kindle edition.)

Want more? See all the SheReads member reviews, visit Joshilyn Jackson's website, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

As an affiliate, I receive a small commission when you make a purchase through any of the above links. Thank you for helping to support my book habits that bring more content to this blog!

Comments

  1. Gayle WeiswasserNovember 21, 2013 at 11:09 PM

    Great review. Will add this to the TBR - I have it at home.

    ReplyDelete
  2. DoingDeweyDecember 2, 2013 at 9:38 PM

    I was surprised by how long we spent in the Circle K too! I really enjoyed the whole thing though :)

    ReplyDelete

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