Unfortunately, the romance in this one just didn’t work for me.

This got off to a strong start focusing on family scenes, Annie, her sisters, and their mom, adjusting to moving in with their Aunt and Uncle following their father’s death. The family moments, the moments that took place in the Aunt and Uncle’s home, the dinners, etc., were far more engaging than Annie’s love life which dominated this book.

Annie, having had heart issues since childhood is very sheltered and inexperienced, her thinking, her behavior, her inability to read men at all, made her seem on the young side of eighteen, more like fourteen going on eighteen, which on her own would probably be an interesting journey to read about, but pairing a heroine like Annie with a significantly older guy, it’s just difficult for me to see the charm in a fully adult man being attracted to someone who is basically still a girl. I just couldn’t buy into any chemistry there.

I also couldn’t abide by Greg’s weak reasons for not properly warning Annie about a certain someone, even if Greg didn’t know the whole truth he knew enough that it baffled me that a “hero” would let someone as vulnerable as Annie enter into a situation without all the available information.

I did enjoy a previous book by this author and will likely try another, this one just wasn’t the right fit for me. ( )

Staci Hart has done a great job of writing a story influenced by Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility without making it just a copy cat version. The characters are well written and a delight to read. Staci's imagination of Wasted Words makes it a bookshop that I'd love to go to. The Happily Ever After is much better than the Austen version. ( )

4.5 Stars

Jane Austen meets contemporary romance in the third novel in the Austen series by Staci Hart. Living Out Loud features middle Daschle sister, Annie, and the perplexing situation she finds herself in when two gentlemen set their sights on her. Set amongst the backdrop of the famous Wasted Words bookstore and bar, Annie begins her adult life in a new city, around new people, and with a list of firsts to complete along the way.

"But, out of nowhere, she would invade my mind like cigarette smoke."

As a girl raised on the beautiful, romantic words of Jane Austen I've always avoided novels that tell the story in a different way. I like the original, I don't think anything compares, but then I read A Thousand Letters and Wasted Words and I found myself drawn in, addicted to the completely original story and characters that Hart has created with just the right amount of retelling thrown in. It's like baking, where too much salt throws everything off, but she's figured out how to blend the two worlds together perfectly. I found myself unable to even compare Living Out Loud to the story I know all too well, too mesmerized by the sweet, unhurried romance unfolding in the pages to worry about it all. It's the sort of novel you escape into, perfect for a rainy day in or laying out in the green grass with the sun shining down.

"He'd kept my breath, taking it with him. I wondered if I'd ever get it back."


Living Out Louds takes place in one of my favorite cities, New York. The world is different there, it's bright and shiny, especially to newbie Annie Daschle. She has definitely had a rough go of it, but she's by far the sweetest character I have ever read from any author. She has a great personality and a positive outlook we all should envy, so it's no surprise this novel is about giving her a little dose of reality, but also showing her that dreams, fantasies, and fairytales do exist too. She's got the perfect Austen-esque sisters on either side of her, a heart that she won't give up on, andthe desire to follow through on the most innocent of bucket lists. She's got the world at her fingertips and this book is as dreamy as her goals are. There's also handsome admirer, Greg, willing to do anything to show his level of care for Annie. Unaware of how he's doted on her, Annie's heart leads her to Will, a man in shiny armor, though less so of a knight than she'd like.

"But mostly I just listened to her, watch her. Heard her. Saw her."

Both men have their positive qualities, though I admit I was automatically #teamgreg and spent several pages expressing my frustration at Annie. She's a wonderful character, full of rainbows and sunshine and naivety, though that final quality is something I ultimately found to be a fault that bothered me. It makes for a very interesting book, for one to be so caught up in the fairytale to forget common sense, but in this case I questioned how a book lover couldn't see any of this coming. The setting though, was perfect. I loved revisiting Wasted Words and the book store family readers have come to love. Annie's list was so fantastic and really lent itself to the overall sweet vibe of the story. It also allows for so much character development, showcasing Annie's optimistic outlook as she overcomes tragedy and personal hurdles.

"And I found myself feeling foolish and blind and without direction."

Living Out Loud is just another example of why Staci Hart is one of my go-to authors. The characters, the plotlines, the dialogue and writing, it's all so stunning and done so well. There's even one particular moment that I could see happening right before my eyes, like a movie screen had pop up to show me just how Staci Hart's words would have played out. I'll probably forever connect yellow peacoats to Annie. I definitely saw just the right amount of Sense & Sensibility in this one and I think Staci Hart did a perfect job of bringing a contemporary new swing to it.


ARC provided in exchange for an honest review. ( )

This book is, in one word. Amazing. I loved this book so hard. Annie is such an amazing character, she lifts you up when you are having a crap day. The writing was excellent, I felt like I was right there in the thick of things. I wish we had a book store like that around here, I would never leave. This is told in dual pov. ( )