Wednesday, October 21, 2015

SWELTER BY NINA G JONES - BUY LINKS AND REVIEWS

 
SYNOPSIS
 
I married the right brother.

At least that's what I tell myself at night, when I stare at the ceiling and listen to the rhythm of the grandfather clock down the hall. It never feels like the mere passage of time, but a countdown towards something inevitable.

Bobby Lightly is selfish, irresponsible, and careless. I haven't seen him since the day I married his brother. He slipped out during the wedding reception without a word.

A year later, I heard Bobby was drafted to Korea. He never said goodbye. Never sent a letter. We had all come to terms with the fact that he was probably dead somewhere, either a victim of the war or its aftermath.

That is, until in the midst of an unrelenting heatwave, he showed up at the doorstep of the house I lived in with his brother.

Everyone thinks I'm cruel. Everyone thinks I should be easy on him. They think I don't understand him. They all think I hate him.

But what no one understands is that it was Bobby who broke my heart.

And I think he’s back to do it again
 
BUY LINKS
 

 

SHANDA'S REVIEW - 5 STARS
 
I will start by saying please be mindful of the blurb!!! You can probably figure out what the topic is and if you don’t like these storylines this may not be for you. If you like heavy doses of realism in your fiction you will probably love this.

Swelter is a story of love, loss, jealousy, and going for what you need to be happy. It raised so many questions about the choices people make out of obligation versus following their hearts. It also shows the ugly side of those choices and how Bobby, Rory, and Lilly deal with the consequences, and how it shapes the rest of their lives.

I won’t recap or add too much about the story to avoid spoilers. I will say that I loved Bobby; I felt he was such a good man faced with impossible choices. I was back and forth in my feelings on Rory and Lilly. At times I hated Rory but I kept wondering if things had been different would he have found a better path. I understood Lilly’s struggle, and considering the time they lived in I think her struggle was multiplied and made her choices harder. I wanted her to take a stand sooner but I also can see how difficult that was. This was another reason why I loved Bobby; he always seemed to be the one willing to fight and the stronger one.

I really hurt with this story and it was a tale that I could easily imagine people going through. Well Done!
 
AMY'S REVIEW - 5 STARS
 
 
 
I'm just flabbergasted after finishing this book, but it in a good way. It's going to be difficult writing a review without spoiling this story.

Swelter is set in the 1950's and is the story of Lilly, and brothers Bobby and Rory Lightly. They all grew up together, spending summers at the Lightly lake house. Bobby is the goofball; the playboy; the one no one takes too seriously. We learn fairly quickly that Bobby leaves town after Lilly & Rory's wedding, but we don't know why. He joins the Army and is sent to Korea; after several years, there is no more communication from him and he is believed to be dead.....and then he shows up at Rory & Lilly's very much alive, seven years after leaving them all behind.

Rory and Lilly appear to be the perfect couple....from the outside at least. However, we all know that perfection isn't as it always seems. Lilly is desperate for a meaning to her life and Rory has been drinking more and more. When Bobby shows up on their step, Rory is elated and Lilly is frustrated...and we soon learn why. I won't say more without revealing too much of the story line, so I'll stop here and just say that I believe that the decisions made were completely in line with the era they were set in and I think that's what helps to push the story along.

This book kept me in suspense as to what would happen next....and the last few chapters gave me a range of emotions- disbelief, sadness, triumph, heartbreak and finally closure.
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 
By day, Nina G. Jones works for an internet startup and is a freelance copywriter. She lives with her husband and two dogs.

By night, she explores the hidden recesses of the human psyche in her writing.

Nina has a background in Psychology and uses this as a starting point for her writing. She adds depth to her characters by exploring their psychological motivations. Due to the nature of the topics she explores, Nina does not shy away from explicit language, sexuality, or violence. Despite covering some heavy topics, Nina finds a way to infuse humor into her writing as well.

She has a particular fascination with people who appear to be “normal” or “successful” by all outside appearances who are hiding a secret life.
 
 
 
 

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