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Drifters #1
A Song for Josh
RONE (Romance Novels of Excellence) 2014 Award Winner!
Best Contemporary Cover Design - Alanna Munro
Music has the power to heal. Discovered while busking on the streets of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, Jessie Wheeler -- once a teen runaway from Prince Edward Island - is now a popular singer-songwriter and actor. On the day her boyfriend Charlie proposes, he kicks an estranged friend - actor Josh Sawyer - out of his Club. Jessie sees something of herself reflected in Josh's sorrowful chocolate brown eyes -- a deep loneliness and angst. When a part on Josh's new television series Drifters becomes available, Jessie can't resist the temptation, despite the fact that taking the part threatens her engagement to Charlie. When a past nemesis, Deuce McCall, makes a tragic appearance in the city, Jessie's turbulent past catches up with her, threatening any chance she has at a true and sustainable love. A Song For Josh is a simple sweet story about hope and love, and the power of music to heal. Through Josh and Jessie's story we learn that all of us damaged souls are indeed lovable, even when we are quite certain we are not.
Best Contemporary Cover Design - Alanna Munro
Music has the power to heal. Discovered while busking on the streets of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, Jessie Wheeler -- once a teen runaway from Prince Edward Island - is now a popular singer-songwriter and actor. On the day her boyfriend Charlie proposes, he kicks an estranged friend - actor Josh Sawyer - out of his Club. Jessie sees something of herself reflected in Josh's sorrowful chocolate brown eyes -- a deep loneliness and angst. When a part on Josh's new television series Drifters becomes available, Jessie can't resist the temptation, despite the fact that taking the part threatens her engagement to Charlie. When a past nemesis, Deuce McCall, makes a tragic appearance in the city, Jessie's turbulent past catches up with her, threatening any chance she has at a true and sustainable love. A Song For Josh is a simple sweet story about hope and love, and the power of music to heal. Through Josh and Jessie's story we learn that all of us damaged souls are indeed lovable, even when we are quite certain we are not.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 9, 2013
73 people are currently reading
738 people want to read
About the author
Susan Rodgers
23 books35 followersWell, I used to be a museum curator but now I'm a writer and a filmmaker! Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't do what you want in life - my mantra is 'if you believe it, you can achieve it!'
The Drifters Series was supposed to start out as three books but has expanded to fifteen. The Dallas White Series is growing, and I just completed my first feature film, Still The Water. My mother always said I had my head in the clouds - I guess she was right! I do love to 'imagine,' and am now working on a new book (Dallas, three) and a new screenplay (Kristian's Cross). Oh, and did I tell you the Drifters series has been optioned for television? Can't wait to see where that lands!
I live with my partner Stephen and my striped cat Oliver (Lucy Maud Montgomery once said the only good cat is a striped cat!) in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada, and I make frequent trips to Vancouver to visit my son Christopher and his sweet puppy, Winston.
"Music has the power to heal" - music, a great cuppa joe...and maybe love...
The Drifters Series was supposed to start out as three books but has expanded to fifteen. The Dallas White Series is growing, and I just completed my first feature film, Still The Water. My mother always said I had my head in the clouds - I guess she was right! I do love to 'imagine,' and am now working on a new book (Dallas, three) and a new screenplay (Kristian's Cross). Oh, and did I tell you the Drifters series has been optioned for television? Can't wait to see where that lands!
I live with my partner Stephen and my striped cat Oliver (Lucy Maud Montgomery once said the only good cat is a striped cat!) in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada, and I make frequent trips to Vancouver to visit my son Christopher and his sweet puppy, Winston.
"Music has the power to heal" - music, a great cuppa joe...and maybe love...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
December 16, 2017
3/5 stars
Video Review: Coming Soon
This book is told in third person omniscient, but mostly follows Jessie and of course Josh. Both characters havea troubled past and the amount of emotion that comes off the pages is unreal. The story was short and with this being the first book apart of the Drifters series and my first book from Susan Rodgers I'm interested in seeing what else she comes out with.
**was sent an ebook in exchange for an honest review**
Video Review: Coming Soon
This book is told in third person omniscient, but mostly follows Jessie and of course Josh. Both characters havea troubled past and the amount of emotion that comes off the pages is unreal. The story was short and with this being the first book apart of the Drifters series and my first book from Susan Rodgers I'm interested in seeing what else she comes out with.
**was sent an ebook in exchange for an honest review**
April 27, 2013
Rating more of 2.5 but not quite 3. I struggle with this rating because I believe this is more of Women's Fiction versus Romance. Yes, there are some romantic elements but that doesn't necessarily make it romance. This is about the physical and emotional journey of a young lady with all the struggles and some that entails. The author's writing style is not one that I find easy to read, but someone else might. There are two types of books: those that "show" you what is happening and those that "tell" you what is happening. This is a "tell" me book. There is so much data on all the setting and characters that it is easy to loose sight of actually who's thoughts at the moment you are reading. I found myself skimming pages to get to the dialog (this is the show me part of books) and found that I was missing a lot of the unnecessary parts of the book thus making it more enjoyable to read. It is very wordy and a lot of the words have no bearing on the real plot of the story. However, the dialog is very slim and the author mixes the show and tell during the dialog. I'm not sure if this book is intended to be a series or not because there are a lot of open ended struggles and dangers. The book abruptly ends when it appear that people are getting close to solving a murder which is one of the climatic threads in the book thus leaving the reader hanging because the climax was a dud. It also does not show the main characters ending up together but thousands of miles apart, yet they share a phone call.
This book was free from the author and the gift of the book has had no bearing on my rating. This review is strictly my opinion and you know what they say about opinions, "Opinions are like butt-holes, everyone has them and they all stink."
This book was free from the author and the gift of the book has had no bearing on my rating. This review is strictly my opinion and you know what they say about opinions, "Opinions are like butt-holes, everyone has them and they all stink."
May 10, 2013
#ARR from Fifty Shades Support Group#
This book was so amazing. It made me shudder, gasp,cry and laugh. It is a page turner and actually barely let it down. I read it in 3 days and the emotion cocktail from it put a paw print into my soul
Congrats to the author for the AMAZING book.
This book was so amazing. It made me shudder, gasp,cry and laugh. It is a page turner and actually barely let it down. I read it in 3 days and the emotion cocktail from it put a paw print into my soul
Congrats to the author for the AMAZING book.
May 9, 2013
Find This and Other Reviews At Craves The Angst.
A Song For Josh is the first book in the Drifters series and is a Drama/Contemporary Romance written by Susan Rodgers. I read this as a R2R with Fifty Shades Support Group As always, a special thank you to the mods and author for allowing me to participate.
4 Heartfelt Aching Stars!
The Review:
A Song For Josh is a remarkable yet sorrowful story of one girls incredible sojourn in a hostile world of grief and sorrow and her skillful attempt to free herself through the gift of music and second chances. I completely enjoyed this read with all its angsty emotions, well crafted imagery and noteworthy characters.
Characters…
Jessie’s Story…
Jessie is an accomplished singer songwriter and actress with a tumultuous past. At age seven, her father introduces her to the joys of music as he shares his talents and knowledge. He is her only confidant in a house with a jealous and miserly mother. After her father died when she was twelve, her life spiraled down a dark and gritty path as she tried to survive a childhood unprotected by the one person who should have given everything to keep her safe. Escaping home at age fourteen, she embarks on a desolate journey that takes her into the seedy world of prostitution, homelessness and though she doesn’t succumb to the addiction herself, she is surrounded by drugs that seem to evade the life choices of those around her. At age sixteen, she meets two likeminded people, Sandy and Rachel, and collectively, they forge the roads of friendship, banding together to survive. Sandy is her first true love but after a short respite, something twisted and insidious happens, sending Jessie fleeing once again to the lonely streets she once called home.
One day while busking on the streets, she’s happened upon by what would become her future family and is introduced to an inspired life as she tours down the road of discovery, her music and acting career taking hold. But loneliness and tragedy are difficult things to leave behind and they always seem to be lurking behind hidden corners.
In her current day, she’s famous but still stuck in a past that longs to resurface. She devotes her life to helping those escape the life she struggled through and is in a convenient relationship that is unattached, just the way she likes it, as she has no intentions of revealing her past to those who have come to love her.
Josh’s Story…
Josh has a frightening past of his own that is wrought with pain and suffering at the hands of an abusive father that cared little for him. As if this wasn’t bad enough, fate deals him yet another tragic blow when an accident and a death send his life spiraling into darkness, drug addiction and hopelessness until one night, a chance meeting with Jessie would change his world forever. Showing compassion and encouraging a hope he thought long since gone, he gets himself straightened out and in a position to actually live once again. Haunted by the incredibly beautiful and mysterious woman he met one night amongst the garbage he’s shocked when fate intervenes once more and brings him face to face with his would-be savior for an HBO series. Sparks fly, attraction is rampant and two hearts who thought life had sucked them dry, find a glimmer and a hope of something more.
Story…
This story was beautiful and sad and poignant. I really enjoyed watching Jessie discover a life outside of the pain she was trapped in. Though she lived in the public eye, she was down to earth, shy and quiet. She was also strong, formidable and a complete survivor. She was a character to admire. But through all her tragedies, she's shut herself off from emotions and feelings, leaving a hole she never thought could be filled again.
That is, until he came along.
Josh was a walking, hot mess. He was perceived as "…a loser, a druggie, a young man with seemingly no hope left in the world." But her parting words to him gave him the courage to try harder and to be better. "There’s always hope, Josh. Never give up."
The romance between these two was tender and sweet yet complicated and I took pleasure in watching them blossom despite the pressures and strains of life.
Downside…
I do have to say, though I enjoyed this story, I really struggled with some of the writing. It was poetic and brilliantly written but it was filled, and I do mean FILLED, with descriptive, flowery sentences that distracted greatly from the story itself. Every page, every paragraph and every sentence was wordy in the extreme. It was tough finding this amazing story behind all the flamboyant writing. The author would go off on obscure tangents with inconsequential characters in a scene that had me racing through to get to the meat of the story. One scene would lead into another and then into another only to be back at the original scene. It wasn’t really hard to keep up but it was distracting and I just wanted so bad to get back to the scene at hand and find out what was going to happen. It was frustrating.
The Wrap Up:
This story is far from finished as this book ends with a slight cliffy and tons of unanswered questions. It encompassed me enough that I’ll definitely be moving on to Promises (Drifters #2). I can’t wait to see what happens next and what’s in store for Jessie and Josh and the rest of the cast from this incredible series.
A Song For Josh is the first book in the Drifters series and is a Drama/Contemporary Romance written by Susan Rodgers. I read this as a R2R with Fifty Shades Support Group As always, a special thank you to the mods and author for allowing me to participate.
4 Heartfelt Aching Stars!
The Review:
A Song For Josh is a remarkable yet sorrowful story of one girls incredible sojourn in a hostile world of grief and sorrow and her skillful attempt to free herself through the gift of music and second chances. I completely enjoyed this read with all its angsty emotions, well crafted imagery and noteworthy characters.
Characters…
Jessie’s Story…
Jessie is an accomplished singer songwriter and actress with a tumultuous past. At age seven, her father introduces her to the joys of music as he shares his talents and knowledge. He is her only confidant in a house with a jealous and miserly mother. After her father died when she was twelve, her life spiraled down a dark and gritty path as she tried to survive a childhood unprotected by the one person who should have given everything to keep her safe. Escaping home at age fourteen, she embarks on a desolate journey that takes her into the seedy world of prostitution, homelessness and though she doesn’t succumb to the addiction herself, she is surrounded by drugs that seem to evade the life choices of those around her. At age sixteen, she meets two likeminded people, Sandy and Rachel, and collectively, they forge the roads of friendship, banding together to survive. Sandy is her first true love but after a short respite, something twisted and insidious happens, sending Jessie fleeing once again to the lonely streets she once called home.
One day while busking on the streets, she’s happened upon by what would become her future family and is introduced to an inspired life as she tours down the road of discovery, her music and acting career taking hold. But loneliness and tragedy are difficult things to leave behind and they always seem to be lurking behind hidden corners.
In her current day, she’s famous but still stuck in a past that longs to resurface. She devotes her life to helping those escape the life she struggled through and is in a convenient relationship that is unattached, just the way she likes it, as she has no intentions of revealing her past to those who have come to love her.
Josh’s Story…
Josh has a frightening past of his own that is wrought with pain and suffering at the hands of an abusive father that cared little for him. As if this wasn’t bad enough, fate deals him yet another tragic blow when an accident and a death send his life spiraling into darkness, drug addiction and hopelessness until one night, a chance meeting with Jessie would change his world forever. Showing compassion and encouraging a hope he thought long since gone, he gets himself straightened out and in a position to actually live once again. Haunted by the incredibly beautiful and mysterious woman he met one night amongst the garbage he’s shocked when fate intervenes once more and brings him face to face with his would-be savior for an HBO series. Sparks fly, attraction is rampant and two hearts who thought life had sucked them dry, find a glimmer and a hope of something more.
Story…
This story was beautiful and sad and poignant. I really enjoyed watching Jessie discover a life outside of the pain she was trapped in. Though she lived in the public eye, she was down to earth, shy and quiet. She was also strong, formidable and a complete survivor. She was a character to admire. But through all her tragedies, she's shut herself off from emotions and feelings, leaving a hole she never thought could be filled again.
That is, until he came along.
Josh was a walking, hot mess. He was perceived as "…a loser, a druggie, a young man with seemingly no hope left in the world." But her parting words to him gave him the courage to try harder and to be better. "There’s always hope, Josh. Never give up."
The romance between these two was tender and sweet yet complicated and I took pleasure in watching them blossom despite the pressures and strains of life.
Downside…
I do have to say, though I enjoyed this story, I really struggled with some of the writing. It was poetic and brilliantly written but it was filled, and I do mean FILLED, with descriptive, flowery sentences that distracted greatly from the story itself. Every page, every paragraph and every sentence was wordy in the extreme. It was tough finding this amazing story behind all the flamboyant writing. The author would go off on obscure tangents with inconsequential characters in a scene that had me racing through to get to the meat of the story. One scene would lead into another and then into another only to be back at the original scene. It wasn’t really hard to keep up but it was distracting and I just wanted so bad to get back to the scene at hand and find out what was going to happen. It was frustrating.
The Wrap Up:
This story is far from finished as this book ends with a slight cliffy and tons of unanswered questions. It encompassed me enough that I’ll definitely be moving on to Promises (Drifters #2). I can’t wait to see what happens next and what’s in store for Jessie and Josh and the rest of the cast from this incredible series.
August 27, 2015
A Song For Josh was a highly emotional read that’s filled with heartache, loss, despair, helplessness – essentially any emotion one would experience after suffering years of malevolence. Yet, it’s equally heartwarming and truly inspirational. It demonstrated that even if imprisoned by unrelenting darkness, one could still find redemption and truly live again through the powers of music, friendship, love, and simple acts of kindness.
The story began with a young Jessie and her loving, musician father. He taught his young daughter—his passion, escape, and salvation from the hardships of the world—the guitar. Music.
After his death, the twelve-year-old Jessie found herself with a new reality. It was full of depravity, loss, and destitution, so the young girl sought refuge in her music whenever possible.
Eight-years after her father’s death, the now hardened, twenty year-old Jessie was living on the Downtown Eastside in Vancouver where she performed on the streets. It was here that the philanthropic, famous actor Jack Deacon discovered her. He saw something in the young homeless girl. Through him, Jessie met Deidre and Charles Keating. Dee was a manager and Charles, a music producer. The power couple made Jessie into an Oscar winning superstar and loved her as if she were their own. Yet, Jessie was still numb. A shell of a girl, who only lived through her music. However, she didn’t truly live at all, at least not in any real sense of the word. That was until she met a kindred soul…
Since Jessie’s first encounter with Josh Sawyer, she noticed the haunted look in his eyes. It was the same look she saw whenever looking at herself in the mirror. She knew his pain; and therefore, instantly felt a connection. Jessie wanted to help him. She couldn’t explain it, but he evoked feelings in her that she’d thought were long gone and this terrified her. She never wanted to love again. She was afraid to lose another person that she cared deeply for. That’s why she’d always kept herself distant from everyone and why she didn’t really care about her fiancé Charlie’s philandering ways or his narcissistic behavior. She was detached and therefore safe. Her instincts told her to run, but an irrefutable pull made her want to surrender. You’ll have to read the book in order to see what happens ;-)
This was not an ordinary Hollywood'ish romance. It was seriously unlike any that I’d ever read before. Yes, it dealt with the typical angst that accompanies many famous relationships, but expect SO MUCH MORE! The subject matter was dark and both the primary and secondary characters were great. Now, I’m off to read book two, Promises!
4—KINDRED STARS!!!
*I was provided with an ARR from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The story began with a young Jessie and her loving, musician father. He taught his young daughter—his passion, escape, and salvation from the hardships of the world—the guitar. Music.
“Music is the salve to our souls in this bitter world.”
After his death, the twelve-year-old Jessie found herself with a new reality. It was full of depravity, loss, and destitution, so the young girl sought refuge in her music whenever possible.
Eight-years after her father’s death, the now hardened, twenty year-old Jessie was living on the Downtown Eastside in Vancouver where she performed on the streets. It was here that the philanthropic, famous actor Jack Deacon discovered her. He saw something in the young homeless girl. Through him, Jessie met Deidre and Charles Keating. Dee was a manager and Charles, a music producer. The power couple made Jessie into an Oscar winning superstar and loved her as if she were their own. Yet, Jessie was still numb. A shell of a girl, who only lived through her music. However, she didn’t truly live at all, at least not in any real sense of the word. That was until she met a kindred soul…
“Lost souls attract other lost souls.”
Since Jessie’s first encounter with Josh Sawyer, she noticed the haunted look in his eyes. It was the same look she saw whenever looking at herself in the mirror. She knew his pain; and therefore, instantly felt a connection. Jessie wanted to help him. She couldn’t explain it, but he evoked feelings in her that she’d thought were long gone and this terrified her. She never wanted to love again. She was afraid to lose another person that she cared deeply for. That’s why she’d always kept herself distant from everyone and why she didn’t really care about her fiancé Charlie’s philandering ways or his narcissistic behavior. She was detached and therefore safe. Her instincts told her to run, but an irrefutable pull made her want to surrender. You’ll have to read the book in order to see what happens ;-)
This was not an ordinary Hollywood'ish romance. It was seriously unlike any that I’d ever read before. Yes, it dealt with the typical angst that accompanies many famous relationships, but expect SO MUCH MORE! The subject matter was dark and both the primary and secondary characters were great. Now, I’m off to read book two, Promises!
“Here’s to secrets, and love, and all that bullshit.”
4—KINDRED STARS!!!
*I was provided with an ARR from the author in exchange for an honest review.
May 3, 2013
I received this as an ARR from the author.
Actual rating is 4 1/2 stars, but it was so close to 5 that I went with it.
This was a seriously intense book that I had difficulty putting down. The reason I didn't give it a full 5 stars was that, for me, it was very difficult at first to follow the story the way it was written. As I went along I started to get more familiar with the style and it wasn't so bad. The story is written as if the person writing it already knows what happened, almost reflective, but with intimate knowledge of all the characters feelings. I would call it a narrative with lots of flashbacks that can get you lost easily. Even with the sometimes confusing writing, the story is moving. Be prepared to be floored and brought to tears over the emotional roller coaster that is Jessie's life.
This is a truly moving story of survival of the greatest kind, and a great love story as well. I look forward to following Jessie and Josh's story to see if they are able to find the love they deserve in each other. I definitely recommend this book.
Actual rating is 4 1/2 stars, but it was so close to 5 that I went with it.
This was a seriously intense book that I had difficulty putting down. The reason I didn't give it a full 5 stars was that, for me, it was very difficult at first to follow the story the way it was written. As I went along I started to get more familiar with the style and it wasn't so bad. The story is written as if the person writing it already knows what happened, almost reflective, but with intimate knowledge of all the characters feelings. I would call it a narrative with lots of flashbacks that can get you lost easily. Even with the sometimes confusing writing, the story is moving. Be prepared to be floored and brought to tears over the emotional roller coaster that is Jessie's life.
This is a truly moving story of survival of the greatest kind, and a great love story as well. I look forward to following Jessie and Josh's story to see if they are able to find the love they deserve in each other. I definitely recommend this book.
April 26, 2013
ARC received
After reading several ARC of new books recently with disappointing results, I was delighted by this story. The characters are at once love able and draw you into their sphere with a genuine desire to know more. I found it interesting that the author changed the perspective of the narrative so frequently and included perspective of secondary characters, which I felt gave the book depth and personality.
I felt like the development of the plot matched the pensive nature of the story. The story seems to take a gentle meandering line even in moments of crisis for the characters.
The narrative itself was somewhat choppy at points, particularly in the last quarter of the book. This, combined with very long run on sentences required me to do several read throughs of a few passages to fully understand and also, I'm not sure if this is a formatting issue, but there were quite a few unfinished sentences at the end of pages. A .mobi file problem perhaps? I unfortunately don't know enough about epublishing to know if this was an editing or formatting error.
All in all a delightful story and I am eager to read book 2 and experience more of Josh and Jessie's poignant love story.
After reading several ARC of new books recently with disappointing results, I was delighted by this story. The characters are at once love able and draw you into their sphere with a genuine desire to know more. I found it interesting that the author changed the perspective of the narrative so frequently and included perspective of secondary characters, which I felt gave the book depth and personality.
I felt like the development of the plot matched the pensive nature of the story. The story seems to take a gentle meandering line even in moments of crisis for the characters.
The narrative itself was somewhat choppy at points, particularly in the last quarter of the book. This, combined with very long run on sentences required me to do several read throughs of a few passages to fully understand and also, I'm not sure if this is a formatting issue, but there were quite a few unfinished sentences at the end of pages. A .mobi file problem perhaps? I unfortunately don't know enough about epublishing to know if this was an editing or formatting error.
All in all a delightful story and I am eager to read book 2 and experience more of Josh and Jessie's poignant love story.
May 10, 2013
This was a fantastic book with a story that will grab you from the start. It was a little hard to read in the beginning because of the style of writing...very poetic, but once you get used to that is is much easier to understand. Being written in such a fashion makes the book unique and the depth of emotion from the characters is very pronounced because of it. I enjoyed following Jessie's story, following her tragic life and struggle to overcome the wrongs that have been done to her over the years. I like that she has stayed true to herself and is uniquely a beautiful soul despite her past. I also fell in love with Josh, and see how he completes her because of the struggle that he has faced and continues to face. This story took hold the more I read and the bad things that appear to be coming back to haunt her in the next book leave me a little worried for her....I will definately be off to read the next installment to see what happens next! Great story told in a bold new fashion!
May 4, 2013
I was so excited to get a copy of this book and have to say that it was an amazing read!
This was a really well written novel. The characters were complex and each were described in such a way that you could picture in detail where they lived, what they looked like, their pasts and their presents.
Jessie was a shell of a person that just existed in the world without feeling, attaching to or becoming truly involved with anyone for years. She suffered so much heartache for so long and at such a young age that she could not allow herself to feel anything but numb. Her character lived through so much heart break that is was hard not to be emotional to read her story. It was great to read how her current life played out to open up her heart and allow her barriers to break down. It was great to read a story of a strong woman who learns to find herself and is able to look at her life and make choices for the better.
I am so excited to finish reading this series and only hope that Jessie is able to overcome her past and has an amazing future!
This was a really well written novel. The characters were complex and each were described in such a way that you could picture in detail where they lived, what they looked like, their pasts and their presents.
Jessie was a shell of a person that just existed in the world without feeling, attaching to or becoming truly involved with anyone for years. She suffered so much heartache for so long and at such a young age that she could not allow herself to feel anything but numb. Her character lived through so much heart break that is was hard not to be emotional to read her story. It was great to read how her current life played out to open up her heart and allow her barriers to break down. It was great to read a story of a strong woman who learns to find herself and is able to look at her life and make choices for the better.
I am so excited to finish reading this series and only hope that Jessie is able to overcome her past and has an amazing future!
June 5, 2013
The premise of the story is a good one, but I was so disappointed. None of the story lines were resolved so I was left hanging on all fronts. They were all teasers with no ending because you were given some background but not enough. Why was Sandy killed? What happened between McCall and Jessie? Jessie and Josh 's love was so much in their heads that it was surreal. They never seem to share their feelings out loud only through looks & gestures. Everywhere else the descriptors were too flowery and went on forever losing the importance of what was happening. I want to read the next one if only to get closure. I didn't like the ending because it was so abrupt and vague. They should have come together so they could face hope together to face the next phase of their life. It was nothing but loose ends everywhere.
February 20, 2013
An enjoyable read! Author Susan Rodgers imbues her characters with depth, tenacity, and a tangible sense of emotional intimacy. Look forward to getting to know Jessie, Josh, and even Deuce McCall better in the second offering in the series.
March 28, 2013
Have your tissues ready! This beautiful story about Jessie, Josh, and the healing power of music will bring both a smile and tears to your eyes. This book has lovely flow to it, and I can't wait to start reading book 2.
April 22, 2013
A light hearted story of a gift a father gave to his daughter. A gift of music that Jessie learns can heal the past and give her hope for the future. I really enjoyed this book.
May 6, 2013
Thanks to Susan Rodgers for a free copy of this book in exchange for honest review. I give it a 3.5 Stars.
This book is well-written with good plots. The writing style is different than other books I read. However, I think this book is too long. All of the characters are well developed. I am rooting for Jessie and Josh.
Jessie was a run away girl with talents in music and acting, who became famous. Her journey was hard to read at time b/c it was so heart breaking. She endured so much wrong in the life. Then she met Charlie, famous actor who cheated on her the whole time in their relationship. This is hard for me take in but I understand why she put up with him. Toward the end of their relationship, Charlie realized that he wanted Jessie and learned to love her but it was too late.
Josh was a broken individual, tormented/abused by his father, who turned to drug. He finally cleaned up and got a break to act in a TV series. He loved Jessie and thought that she was his only hope. Their love and connection were out of this world. This was where I struggled with Jessie's choices while reading this book. If she loved Josh so much, then why did she not dump Charlie for Josh? Her reason was that she did not want to throw away an 8 years relationship. I think this was BS b/c for a person who suffered so much, I would think that she would grab Josh with both hands and hold on to him.
All in all, this was a good read with an unexpected twist. This is a series so there are book 2 and book 3. I am not sure if I want to keep going.
This book is well-written with good plots. The writing style is different than other books I read. However, I think this book is too long. All of the characters are well developed. I am rooting for Jessie and Josh.
Jessie was a run away girl with talents in music and acting, who became famous. Her journey was hard to read at time b/c it was so heart breaking. She endured so much wrong in the life. Then she met Charlie, famous actor who cheated on her the whole time in their relationship. This is hard for me take in but I understand why she put up with him. Toward the end of their relationship, Charlie realized that he wanted Jessie and learned to love her but it was too late.
Josh was a broken individual, tormented/abused by his father, who turned to drug. He finally cleaned up and got a break to act in a TV series. He loved Jessie and thought that she was his only hope. Their love and connection were out of this world. This was where I struggled with Jessie's choices while reading this book. If she loved Josh so much, then why did she not dump Charlie for Josh? Her reason was that she did not want to throw away an 8 years relationship. I think this was BS b/c for a person who suffered so much, I would think that she would grab Josh with both hands and hold on to him.
All in all, this was a good read with an unexpected twist. This is a series so there are book 2 and book 3. I am not sure if I want to keep going.
May 19, 2013
*******ARC/R4R given by author for honest review***********
Ok, it's hard to know where to begin with reviews. I literally just finished this book. The first thing is that it's a really long book. I'm not sure that I liked the ending but I definitely have to read the 2nd book. It's not really an ending but a beginning of sorts; it's a cliffhanger really. I was conflicted while reading. It was not what I expected. It took me through many emotions, as I found myself identifying with Jessie in too many ways. It seems her life paralleled mine in some ways that it's saddening. I rooted for Jessie and Josh the entire time. I never really liked Charlie for his ways, but was happy with the way their relationship ended. I felt it was a long time coming. I gave the book fours stars because I was so enthralled and invested in the characters but I found one thing I really didn't like. Besides the length, the POV bothered me. The narrative/omniscient POV is too confusing. I usually prefer for one or two characters to be the speaker. I'm not a fan of third person nor narrative. Personally, there are just too many people to keep track of. And some of them I really don't care to know their thoughts or feelings. They just don't matter. Josh and Jessie I definitely needed to hear. It was interesting to know how some of the other characters felt, but overall it was too much and didn't really lend a whole lot to the story. I will definitely read the 2nd book, and may re-read this one in the future. AND I DON'T THINK I FOUND ANY TYPOS...YEA!
Ok, it's hard to know where to begin with reviews. I literally just finished this book. The first thing is that it's a really long book. I'm not sure that I liked the ending but I definitely have to read the 2nd book. It's not really an ending but a beginning of sorts; it's a cliffhanger really. I was conflicted while reading. It was not what I expected. It took me through many emotions, as I found myself identifying with Jessie in too many ways. It seems her life paralleled mine in some ways that it's saddening. I rooted for Jessie and Josh the entire time. I never really liked Charlie for his ways, but was happy with the way their relationship ended. I felt it was a long time coming. I gave the book fours stars because I was so enthralled and invested in the characters but I found one thing I really didn't like. Besides the length, the POV bothered me. The narrative/omniscient POV is too confusing. I usually prefer for one or two characters to be the speaker. I'm not a fan of third person nor narrative. Personally, there are just too many people to keep track of. And some of them I really don't care to know their thoughts or feelings. They just don't matter. Josh and Jessie I definitely needed to hear. It was interesting to know how some of the other characters felt, but overall it was too much and didn't really lend a whole lot to the story. I will definitely read the 2nd book, and may re-read this one in the future. AND I DON'T THINK I FOUND ANY TYPOS...YEA!
April 28, 2013
I really enjoyed reading this book. Jesse was a heartbreaking character. The tragedies she has suffered are more than most people could ever live through. As more of her story is revealed you see the person she has become to be able to deal with all the hurt and pain in her life.
In most of the book you see that Jesse is really just a shell of a person. She is just existing not surviving and not living. She is in a comfortable relationship with a man, Charlie that does not expect much from her. It is easy. Then we meet Josh and he is everything Charlie is not. He is not easy, he is everything real and scary for Jesse. Only Jesse can choose which path the rest of her life well take. Seeing how everything starts to pay out was beautiful and great wrenching. Sometimes people get hurt in the journey to find ourselves.
I felt this book told a wonderful, complex story. It left me wanting more and am so excited to read the rest of the books in this series.
My only criticism would be that in the beginning of the story was awkward. I had to read some parts per a couple of times to really understand what was being said. Once I got into the book though it was not noticeable anymore.
I would defiantly recommend this book to my friends!
In most of the book you see that Jesse is really just a shell of a person. She is just existing not surviving and not living. She is in a comfortable relationship with a man, Charlie that does not expect much from her. It is easy. Then we meet Josh and he is everything Charlie is not. He is not easy, he is everything real and scary for Jesse. Only Jesse can choose which path the rest of her life well take. Seeing how everything starts to pay out was beautiful and great wrenching. Sometimes people get hurt in the journey to find ourselves.
I felt this book told a wonderful, complex story. It left me wanting more and am so excited to read the rest of the books in this series.
My only criticism would be that in the beginning of the story was awkward. I had to read some parts per a couple of times to really understand what was being said. Once I got into the book though it was not noticeable anymore.
I would defiantly recommend this book to my friends!
May 31, 2013
I received a copy of this book as an ARC and I was so pleasantly surprised! I identified with both the main character and Josh in many ways and look forward to the next book. I enjoyed the descriptive writing style and I felt transported to Vancouver which I have traveled to numerous times but now I want to go again. Make sure that you have a box of tissues as this book is an emotional roller coaster and you can't help but be taken with the main character Jesse. Thank you again for the advanced cop! I unfortunately was reading the end at work today and had to come home and cry as I too was filled with emotion. Keep up the great work, I love your writing style and the depths of the characters.
May 1, 2013
I'm really conflicted on my thoughts for this book! I actually don't know if I like it or not, but the fact that I am somewhat eager to read the next book, I am more inclined to say I did enjoy it to a degree. All I kept thinking throughout this book was 'it's nice', but nice doesn't make my heart skip a beat when reading an emotional scene. I did however have a OMG moment when reading the scene at the 'after show' party near the end of the book and then there's that ending which seems that all has been built up to have what I can only describe as anti climatic. I am hoping and praying that the next book provides the conclusion I'm looking for.
May 10, 2013
This is an ARR for review in the Fifty Shades Support Group
I liked this story as it was very emotional and the characters, Jessie and Josh are quite likeable. However, I found the writing a little confusing at times and I was reading paragraphs more than once to understand what was happening. It was also a little predictable and for me it dragged on towards the end.
The story is interesting though and enough openings have been left to carry onto the next book. It think it has potential to be a good series of books. I look forward to seeing where this story goes.
I liked this story as it was very emotional and the characters, Jessie and Josh are quite likeable. However, I found the writing a little confusing at times and I was reading paragraphs more than once to understand what was happening. It was also a little predictable and for me it dragged on towards the end.
The story is interesting though and enough openings have been left to carry onto the next book. It think it has potential to be a good series of books. I look forward to seeing where this story goes.
September 14, 2014
I've been an avid reader for over 25 years. I love meeting new characters and reading all sorts of stories, but it's rare for me to pick up a book and literally, be unable to put it down anymore. Start to finish, this book held me captive! Jessie is such a relatable character and her story is so painfully common that it reaches you at a soul level. Jessie could easily be that girl you went to school with, who just stopped showing up one day and you wonder, in passing, what ever happened to her.
I can't wait to read the next book and learn more of her story!
I can't wait to read the next book and learn more of her story!
May 11, 2013
"I received this as an ARR from the author.
I was in two minds with this it is unusually written and at times found it hard to get into although i had to read until i had finished this story! such a heartbreaking story as well which at times I needed tissue for my tears and I was creasing up and shouting at my ipad, I found their was great plots to this and the characters are intense and have so much depth to them which us very engaging.
I was in two minds with this it is unusually written and at times found it hard to get into although i had to read until i had finished this story! such a heartbreaking story as well which at times I needed tissue for my tears and I was creasing up and shouting at my ipad, I found their was great plots to this and the characters are intense and have so much depth to them which us very engaging.
May 13, 2013
ARR from Fifty Shades Support Group
Little hard to read at first, but once you get used to Susan’s writing style it gets easier and the book just flows like poetry. This book is filled with loss, heartache, a full 360 of emotions. A box of tissues close by is a must have! Shows you the healing power of music and the escape it gives you. Looking forward to the next book!!
Little hard to read at first, but once you get used to Susan’s writing style it gets easier and the book just flows like poetry. This book is filled with loss, heartache, a full 360 of emotions. A box of tissues close by is a must have! Shows you the healing power of music and the escape it gives you. Looking forward to the next book!!
August 16, 2014
2.5/5.0
This review is really difficult because Susan Rogers has such a beautiful gift with the written word. The story itself is very vague and two-dimensional, leaving one with wanting to know more about the situations.
Read full review in the 2013 July/August double issue of InD’tale Magazine.
This review is really difficult because Susan Rogers has such a beautiful gift with the written word. The story itself is very vague and two-dimensional, leaving one with wanting to know more about the situations.
Read full review in the 2013 July/August double issue of InD’tale Magazine.
April 30, 2013
I didn't think I would like this book. But I took a chance and I was happy I did. It's a sweet romance of a young runaway trying to become a singer. I loved the characters and really was intrigue with Jesse life.
April 28, 2013
ARC Copy Review:
Wow I loved that book. Jessie is a complex character but she is a kindred spirit with Josh.
Totally felt for Josh.
What a heartbreaking story. Needed hankies at some points.
Totally would recommend this book.
Will read the next one when i have recovered from this one.
Wow I loved that book. Jessie is a complex character but she is a kindred spirit with Josh.
Totally felt for Josh.
What a heartbreaking story. Needed hankies at some points.
Totally would recommend this book.
Will read the next one when i have recovered from this one.
March 31, 2013
loved it! Can't wait for the next one...
April 1, 2013
what a great story, kept me reading right until the very end. will start reading book 2 this week, can hardly wait for the rest of them !
April 3, 2013
Really enjoyed reading A Song for Josh. Kept me interested from the start to the end. Will be reading the rest of the books in the Drifters series. Susan is local author and did a great job.
May 22, 2013
I got a copy if this book as an ARC!! It was hard for me to start and get through, however I did enjoy reading it and definitely want to read the next in the series!!!!
June 15, 2013
I love the cover. I love the theme. I love the title. I love everything about this book!
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