Charles Sheehan-MilesCritiques

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Crank Wilson has a bad history. He left home at sixteen, living on the streets, dropping out of high school. He has a volatile relationship with his father, a Boston police officer, and doesn’t speak to his mother. The only person he cares about is his little brother Sean.

Julia Thompson has it all, beauty, brains and a love of music. She also has a damaged past, secrets she has told no one and no desire to allow anyone into her heart. Will she ever open up to find closure?

This was a great story of love and forgiveness. I really loved how realistic this romance novel was. The characters are people you can easily connect with. Julia and Crank had this instant attraction, she wanted no commitment and he wanted the opposite. I spent a lot of time yelling back at Julia’s mother, there were moments that just completely broke my heart. Although this was a love story, they both had to overcome emotional obstacles and there were many tearful moments. Be sure to have some Kleenex ready for this beautifully written romance.

Charles Sheehan-Miles, you're fired. FIRED. I demand book #2 and I want it now! NOW I SAY!

2.5 stars. I think this would have been better as a short story/novella, not a full on novel.

I strongly dislike when books decide to go on and on about nothing for pages and then fit all the epilogue updates on the characters into 2 pages.

Pretty sure my heart just broke into about a million pieces. Should not have finished this one at work.

The Roberts' family lives a comfortable life in a spacious home in suburban Washington DC. Erin and Cole have two children, Sam and Breanna. Erin is a stay-at-home mom involved in volunteer activities and John is a successful executive. Sam, 14, is gifted academically and Brenna is a typical 16-year old girl, who is Sam's best friend. This perfect family facade begins to crumble with the first sentence of the book when a devastated Sam learns that Breanna has vanished without a trace.

Their economic status is impacted severely by a life-altering lapse in judgement by Cole, which leads to a move to a job at a Waffle House in Alabama. Erin sinks more deeply into a dysfunctional way of coping, and Sam is left to navigate living a lie. When Brenna is discovered alive, it is a moment filled with elation, followed by heartache This broken family has to heal enough to communicate with each other about what really matters and find a way to love each other without reservation.

Secrets and resentments abound within the family, and each deals with the aftermath of Brenna's disappearance in different ways, but always individually. The story evolves from their separate points of view over an agonizing two years following Breanna's disappearance. Each character is fully developed and revealed to the reader, but never to each other until the poignant conclusion. There is graphic violence in this book that is relevant to deeply troubling issues. The violence is disturbing, but not gratuitous.

This is a well-written book that deals with relevant, difficult issues. I am grateful to BookSirens and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC.

She's Got Books on Her Mind

Julia has everything under control. She makes sure she's always on top of her homework, she doesn't go out often, and she doesn't date anyone she knows will hurt her. She does all this because before her senior year in High School her once close friend stabbed her in the back and unleashed a secret turned scandal. Now her mother looks her up and down and makes comments of how she didn't raise someone like her. After going through a tough time in High School she takes control of her life even if it means she's not living it. Then she meets Crank, this charming, out of control singer in a band. There's just something about him that puts her instantly on guard. Will he be the one to break her out of the bubble she keeps herself in or will he be the one who finally breaks her?

When I first started reading this book I was pretty interested. After reading and loving A Little Wanting Song any book that had some sort of music theme behind it was a book I wanted to read. Unfortunately the first few pages did not make me happy to read this book. You had Crank on one side. This blond/white bleached hair guy who clearly acted like a "bad boy". He could be summarized by this quote: "I can get a girl to sleep with me anytime. But there's something different about you." That doesn't make me like you Crank. I'm sorry I'm not the "easy lay" that I'm sure you would prefer. On the other side there was Julia that obviously had some tension and secrets. She just ruined her image when she was thinking about Crank and his kiss. It made her whole body shudder or something like that. Let's just say I was deterred by what this book was showing me.

Gloriously it made a comeback and those first couple of chapters were a thing of the past. There were moments where I thought here it is. This is the moment I feel connected with this character. For Julia it was her relationship with her mother that swayed me towards her side. How she must feel worthless when she is around. Her mother would call her a slut for something she did way back then but her mother never asked what happened and more importantly how old she was. It's as bad as it sounds. Julia's life is pretty screwed up. She's living a life she doesn't want. She doesn't want to get into foreign service like her father. She hated moving around every three years. Music is her passion. I grew attached to Julia and her story. I'm sure many of us know what it feels like when someone, anyone thinks you are unable to do something or you are not good enough. Julia also won bonus points with me when she befriended Crank's younger brother but I will get to him later.

I think Crank's moment was when I saw him with his family. I think it was when we saw through Julia's eyes how she saw the tight nit family even if they had arguments a lot of the time mostly about Crank's brother, Sean, and the mother that left them. Something doesn't add up with that and I grew unnerved when I started thinking why she left and possibly who she left because of. His family other than that is one where Julia wishes she had. They fought, who didn't? At least they didn't have this controlling mother who criticized them every minute you got. You really see that towards the end and it's like sheesh. This woman is not a good person. Speaking of Julia's mother I never felt she was redeemed. I think the author did little to do that but that was a good choice because nothing could really be done in a short time to redeem her in my eyes.

I must talk about Sean now. He's autistic and spouts information all the time. I really don't know how to describe him but... is it okay to be in love with him? I seriously think I am. He just melts my heart and I want to hug him even if he won't let me. He grows attached to Julia instantly and there is this scene with her that's just heartbreaking. They bond over each other and their mom issues. His pain is so visible you wonder why his family doesn't realize what he's thinking and must be feeling all the time like he too is a burden. I hate seeing him in pain and want to crush everyone who hurts him. He stole the book for me and is the star in my eyes.

I'm so happy that this book turned around after a few chapters. If it didn't I would completely be disappointed but it did so I'm thrilled. There were a couple of adult moments if you catch my drift which I thought weren't necessary but this is an adult book so what can I expect? It had a great amount of balance with music, family life, and it was close with romance. When I was done with the book I was satisfied with how it all turned out. I also figured out that I had read Just Remember to Breathe by this author too! I can't believe it took me that long to figure it out... Both books are from the same series and it's about the sisters grown up and finding love. In the last book there wasn't really anything about the sisters so I didn't think anything of it. In this book they were there a little and I would like to see them more. The family bonds in this story propel it into such a great book and I think more time with the sisters in the next book would be a perfect addition. I'm really excited what the author has in store with the other sisters. What situations could he possibly put in their way? What kind of guy would they attract? Where will their story lead us? I think the rest of the series is going to be really great. I can't wait to read them.

The most emotional, heart breaking book I've ever read.

El comienzo de esta historia es bastante trágica, pero no irreconocible. Muchos libros aparte de este comienzan con un horrible accidente de auto. Sin embargo, la forma en que está escrito este libro lo hace más real... te hace sentir más. Te hace sentir lo que sucede.

Así que luego de leer los primeros 5 capítulos, como soy una cobarde, decidí adelantarme a los acontecimientos, spoilearme yo misma el libro, y pasar hasta el final. Cruzando los dedos, desesperada, porque fuera un final feliz. Así fue como llegue hasta el epilogo. Así como pase 15 minutos llorando. Y déjenme decirles que no fue un llanto bonito de esos donde una lagrima solitaria rueda por tu mejilla, NO, fue un llanto de esos donde se te corta la respiración y la vista se vuelve borrosa de tantas lagrimas.

Parece imposible estar emocionalmente exhausta luego de leer únicamente los primeros 5 capítulos y el ultimo capitulo más el epilogo (si, luego de leer el epilogo decidí leer el capitulo que le precede, llámenme masoquista), pero así es como me siento: emocionalmente exhausta.

Por eso decidí abandonar la lectura de este libro. Tal vez en otro momento, cuando me sienta un poco más valiente, lo retome. Por ahora intentaré superar mi depresión.

4.5 heartbreaking stars
Quick thought- Lost young girl is used by an older man, without family support she suffers years of issues and has to learn to let them go and trust again. Sounds simple but it's not at all.
I am having a hard time with my thoughts on this book. I connected with the young woman and felt her pain deeply. She was used, an innocent child by a predator who claimed to love her. She was needy, left alone by her disfunction family, unable to ask for advice or help. She was at a manipulator's mercy, and he gave her none. She walked through life, humiliated, bleeding, and fearful, her armor hardened and always in place. Her life is on a track assigned by her family, and as a good girl she follows it.
Enter the man who will upset all her safe set plans and change everything. Crank, is a young man with more responsibly than most grown men. He helps take care of his brother who has Aspergers, he works hard to get his band going and pay his bills. He has issues, and scars, a mother gone, a father distant and a lot of anger. He is everything Julia doesn't want in her life.
This is a bittersweet romance. The story touches on some very ugly moments. it is very realistic and that makes it more heartbreaking. I really liked these two and enjoyed that they were a couple I could cheer for, two very good souls.

Beautiful


I've had to change my rating on this book from 4 stars to 5.
I cant stop thinking about their story.

3.5

Could be Spoilers. A romance novel, between a towny guy & a tony woman, but she has a sad history that she works out with him. Plus she turns out to be a great band manager.

El comienzo de esta historia es bastante trágica, pero no irreconocible. Muchos libros aparte de este comienzan con un horrible accidente de auto. Sin embargo, la forma en que está escrito este libro lo hace más real... te hace sentir más. Te hace sentir lo que sucede.

Así que luego de leer los primeros 5 capítulos, como soy una cobarde, decidí adelantarme a los acontecimientos, spoilearme yo misma el libro, y pasar hasta el final. Cruzando los dedos, desesperada, porque fuera un final feliz. Así fue como llegue hasta el epilogo. Así como pase 15 minutos llorando. Y déjenme decirles que no fue un llanto bonito de esos donde una lagrima solitaria rueda por tu mejilla, NO, fue un llanto de esos donde se te corta la respiración y la vista se vuelve borrosa de tantas lagrimas.

Parece imposible estar emocionalmente exhausta luego de leer únicamente los primeros 5 capítulos y el ultimo capitulo más el epilogo (si, luego de leer el epilogo decidí leer el capitulo que le precede, llámenme masoquista), pero así es como me siento: emocionalmente exhausta.

Por eso decidí abandonar la lectura de este libro. Tal vez en otro momento, cuando me sienta un poco más valiente, lo retome. Por ahora intentaré superar mi depresión.

Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am just going to begin with saying that Charles Sheehan-Miles is one of my favorite authors, and his Thompson Sister series is one I will go back and read again and again. He writes with such fluidity and strength, every word you read having a purpose. I find myself trying to find clues along the way then resolve to just enjoying the ride. The depth of emotion he pulls from each and every one of his characters is what makes his stories so magnificent. You will finish one of his books feeling as if your soul has been altered irrevocably. Even having never experienced anything near what each of these characters have, I find myself connected with them on a pure human level. Their triumphs are my triumphs. Their devastation is my devastation. When they fall in love, my heart bursts from my chest right alongside them. Charles doesn’t just tell you a story, you truly live it!

I’d managed to avoid voicing the one thing I truly didn’t want to say, the thing that would ruin our trip and break my heart. Which was, I didn’t think I could stay with Crank any more, and that this trip was going to be our goodbye.

Right from the beginning we are simultaneously filled with a impending sense of doom all the while holding out hope. Surely the couple that we fell hopelessly in love with in A Song for Julia isn’t headed down the path to a resolute conclusion. Say it ain’t so?! Not Julia, a character the likes of which is still so broken yet on the road to recovery and finally out from under her parent’s watchful and scrutinous eyes. Certainly not Crank, a man who went through his own disappointments and was mad at the world. We left this couple with answers, a clear and promising future, completely immersed in each other, so completely in love. What could have possibly happened to cause them to voice such doubts?

“It’s just that…I see what you and Julia have, and I’m watching you throw it all away, and it just makes me feel like you’re a pack of idiots. She worships you, Crank. Do you know how rare that is? I’ll be lucky if I ever find anyone I love half as much.”

In Falling Stars, we pick up near the end of the summer after A Song for Julia. Having toured for a few months with Morbid Obesity, Julia, Crank and Sean pick up Carrie and make their way to the east coast. Tension is thick on the journey, neither Crank nor Julia knowing where it will lead them, and neither will voice their concerns, hurt, and uncertainty. Sean and Carrie provide the much needed comic relief on this mismatched road trip of epic proportions. Shenanigans ensue, one involving a huge eight or more legged creature and the police, and the outcome is……well, you will just have to read to find out.

“Carrie, you know, some day you’ll find a guy who will be your soul mate. Someone you would do anything for. Someone who makes you feel whole”

She gently shook her head in frustration. “When I do, I guarantee you I’ll stand by him. I’ll be his strength, and he’ll be mine. I won’t let some stupid jealous bullshit get in the way of who I love. It’s a damn shame to see you and Julia doing that.”

Besides the continuation of Julia and Crank’s growing relationship, I was continually amazed and devastated at the foreshadowing in this book. If you have read The Last Hour, you will get what I am talking about. I loved the relationship between Crank and Carrie. It was abundantly clear that he has a soft spot when it comes to her well-being and that he would always be her protector, when she would let him. I loved the no-nonsense dialogue that Carrie delivered to him, seeing through all his crap.

Once again we got to witness one of the sweetest relationships I have ever read; Julie and Sean. They truly are best friends, and it permeates so well in this book! There is a pure honesty in Sean’s words. You can merely be in his presence and know that he only speaks the truth. Carrie and Sean are so invested in the relationship of Julia and Crank, and it is clear from the start that they will do anything to help them find their way back to each other.

Falling stars might be bullshit. And I knew just wishing wasn’t going to be enough. If I wanted her, I had to go to her.

It is true when they say that sometimes the best things come in small packages. This novella is only 70 pages, but you will leave MORE than satisfied! Drawn in from word one, I couldn’t wait to continue on the journey with them all, and devoured every last word. A resounding 5 stars from me! I cannot wait for more Thompson Sisters!!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start off my saying that I had the PRIVILEGE of being a BETA reader for this novel. And what a privilege it was! To witness a story unfolding almost from conception is an experience like none other and one I will always cherish. My little book loving heart is happy.

How do you explain to a stranger the hurts and rejections that you can barely even admit to yourself?

I’ve been a fan of Charles since reading Just Remember to Breathe back in April. I read one, then the next one, then the next one, then the waiting game. Itching for any mere morsel from the Thompson Family. You see, you don’t merely read the Thompson family’s stories, you LIVE them. You experience them. You pack up all your belongings and move in with them. I read almost a book a day, and for a story to stick with me this many months later is rare. Not only rare but the sign of a phenomenally talented author who weaves tales with such layers and intricacies. There is a depth that comes with his stories that rocks you to your core. He is one of my go-to authors because like a fine wine, his books simply keep getting better. There are no fillers, no dull moments, never a time where you wish the book would just be over already. You are taken on a journey and left searching your soul for answers to questions you never knew you had. His books make you think, they are filled with angst, soul-shattering heartbreak, and endings that while not typical, perfect nonetheless (no matter how much grief we give him for The Last Hour). Charles writes with a purpose, an end-goal, and any tidbit of information you find, you can be certain it’s there for a reason.

She knew right then that Dylan Paris wasn’t going to be healed in an hour or a day or a week or a year-this was going to be a lifetime effort.

Girl of Lies is a slight departure from what readers will be used to with his other Thompson Sisters books. Have no fear though. He writes so flawlessly that you won’t even mind the slight disappearance of romance. While there are still romantic undertones, this is largely a suspense novel. The perfect mingling of John Grisham and Melissa Brown, Girl of Lies dives into action within the first few pages. There is absolutely NO leeway, no easing into it. Charles throws you into the deep end from the get-go! You are literally flying by the seat of your pants the entire journey. Truth after truth, lie after lie, perilous danger, deception, murder, fear, revelations; these are all things you have to look forward to. You may think you know the Thompson family, but we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface!

Andrea’s voice was soothing. But Carrie knew the dangers of soothing voices, the dangers of putting faith in anything you couldn’t see, the dangers of believing miracles could happen. Miracles didn’t happen. Not in a world where your husband could be exonerated the same day you told the doctors to pull the plug and let him die.

The truly beautiful thing about this new series is that even though Charles is clearly taking us on a new journey, at the heart of it all are the characters we have fallen in love with. We are seeing some of them in a completely new light, and a few we are meeting for the first time. Hearts WILL be broken. And when I say that, I mean yours. There will be revelations that will rock you to your core and make you question everything you previously knew. But whew….did this book ever make me feel.

Unlike his previous books, this new spin-off trilogy will be a continual story. You have been forewarned; go into this book expecting a major cliffhanger. I welcomed it! This is a book that crossed genres, and will be loved and enjoyed by many. It has a little bit of everything for everyone. For all the lies that will be uncovered in this book, I imagine there will be many more to come. We have only just begun this journey my friends…… I cannot wait to see what unfolds next!

5 resounding, heart-pounding, action-packed, web of lies stars!

How much did I love this book? Let me count the ways…

The way he kept me on my toes and turned me into a conspiracy theorist.

Truths turned into lies, and even the lies ran deeper than I could imagine. There is a depth in his writing that you don’t find often. From the multi-faceted characters to the environment to everything in between. No stone is left unturned, and even though you’re left with more questions than answers, you keep coming back for more. CSM’s writing is so fulfilling that even when you are hanging by a thread you enjoy the delicious torture.

The vulnerability and strength of Andrea.

Only sixteen years old and thrust into a family she doesn’t know, this young woman has continued to amaze me. Seemingly cast aside by those who should love her unconditionally, Andrea still remains cautiously optimistic. She doesn’t view the world through rose colored glasses and possesses a realism not usually afforded others her age.

The quiet stoicism of Carrie.

Though still reeling from the death of her husband, her world doesn’t stop moving. Even when chaos surrounds them, she commands the room. The scenes in which her inner emotions are exposed are raw and gritty and you won’t leave without shedding more than a few tears.

The reflections of Julia.

I loved that, more than anyone else, she seemed to come to the realization that not everything was as it seemed. Memories that once seemed so black and white turned gray, and Julia was left questioning everything and everyone. Empathy began to creep in and I feel like forgiveness is around the corner.

The protectiveness of Dylan.

Here’s a character that life has dumped all over, yet he keeps fighting. Without a second thought to his well-being, he thinks in the moment and takes charge. What I love about CSM’s writing is strength he develops in his characters. They become living, breathing beings that don’t merely exist between the pages. His stories come to life, and the multi-dimensional movie plays out in real time, keeping you on the edge of your seat.

The rawness of Adelina.

Like an onion, we are rapidly peeling her layers. Here is a character that throughout ALL CSM’s books, has been somewhat of a villain. Her inner musings are what drives this series, and you will find yourself bouncing between loving and hating her. Honestly, even two books in, I am still not sure what side of the fence I stand on. I certainly know and understand more, but there are still plenty of truths to be revealed.

The insightful nature of Sarah.

Surprisingly the voice of reason, she brought a much needed humor to this book. Her snarky attitude and call-it-like-I-see-it persona were refreshing. Even when people would lie to her, she could see right through them. Introduced in the last book, she really shines in this one. Her special connection with Dylan was one of my favorite parts!

The realism of the situation.

CSM doesn’t sugarcoat anything for the readers, nor does he ease you into it. From the beginning of this series we were quite literally knocked on our tails with supposed truths and revelations. Everything we thought to be true wasn’t and we had to learn the characters all over again. The authenticity that CSM brings to his books is that of someone who has not only done his research, but lived and breathed it to an extent. The background and locations of the story not only add to the experience, but they are almost a character themselves.

We are two-thirds of the way through this adventure and I can’t even begin to imagine where he’ll take us next. I know one thing for certain though; wild horses couldn’t keep me away!

Where to begin? I am a sucker for love rekindled stories. Add in a wounded man, and a huge misunderstanding? I am hooked! This is the first book I have read by CSM, and it blew me away. I instantly fell in love with the Thompson sisters and wanted to know more. And who couldn't love Dylan? There are many twists and turns and you will be gripped from the first page to the last.

Come along on a story of heartache and redemption as you grow up, and fall in love with Crank and Julia. Having read the other two CSM books first, I feel like I have a completely different view of Crank, and in a good way. My only complaint with this book is I wanted the story to keep going. I would love to know more of what happened in the 10 years between then end of this story, and the beginning of Breathe. That is just the sappy romantic in me though :-) Will definitely be reading these books again someday

So in a perfect world, this would have a cookie cutter HEA, but this isn't a perfect world. Bouncing from present time back to up to 18 months prior, and back again, I was biting my nails from the first page. I love the dual POV's that the author provides, and I am just in love with this family. You will hold out hope the entire book, and only time will tell if it was for naught. Be prepared, and have a box of tissues handy for the majority of the book :-)

Well written, loved the story.

If your looking for a book with a lot of Hot Steamy Sex this is not that book.
However it is a wonderful Love story which as we all know is still Lady Porn!

Lots of Misunderstandings and assumptions were made as well as not truly being able to express their love for each other. This all makes for an up and down of Joy and heart break then throw some outside threat and you got a sweet love story.
I was not even half way through and things seemed to fall in place and were going to work out for Alex and Dylan so I knew it wasn't going to be that simple and of course it wasn't.
Great ending.

Quotes:

"You still smell like strawberries, and it's breaking my heart."

"Only because it looks like you and hormone girl are back together."

"I'd say you're worth falling in love with twice."

This book took me forever to read.. it was a short, touching story that had every component to make it a great emotional book. Something about it had me feeling detached. I don't know if it was the characters or how the story itself unfolded. Overall, I liked the book but it didn't capture my attention. I am sure that others will disagree.

I read an excerpt of this book as a part of a promotional blog tour that I was participating in. I was immediately hooked and had to get myself a copy. I started reading it at bedtime, finally had to put it down to sleep, and then immediately picked it up once I sent my son off to school. I loved it.

The story is told in in alternating sections from both Julia and Crank's POV. I'm always a little skeptical when I see that type of writing because I often find that the characters don't have unique voices. That was definitely not the case here. Crank and Julia each have their own distinct voices, including slang, speech patterns, personality, etc. I loved Crank's Boston Southie accent and Julia's more proper one.

Both characters are shaped by their past experiences, but especially by their families. Family and how they help to shape us is a big theme of the book. What makes a true family? How do our relationships with our parents and siblings shape the people we become? Can giving and getting forgiveness free you to be the person you really want to become?

The relationship between Crank and Julia is a fustrating one. He is singer and guitarist for an up-and-coming band. He's with a different girl every night, parties hard and makes no apologies for it. She has lived a privileged but somewhat troubled life as the daughter to a U.S. Ambassador. At first glance they have nothing in common except a mutual sexual attraction. It soon becomes apparent, though, that despite radically different upbringings, they have both isolated themselves from friends and family but they end up in the same place. The circumstances that brought them there are different but they end up in the same place. I won't go any further than that because I don't want to give anything away, but the relationship is really a lot of push and pull. One pulls closer while the other pushes away and then the tables are turned.

I don't really know what I can say about this one. It is beautifully written with characters that grow and are multi-dimensional. It's a love story between two people. It's a love story about a family. It's about accepting your past and deciding to move beyond it into your future. It's about having the courage to make your own choices and accept the consequences. It's about learning what it truly means to love someone. It made me laugh more than once. It made me tear up more than once. It was beautiful and emotional and raw. I recommend it.

Loved this. And they say men cant write romance.