When Life Happened by Jewel E Ann
Plot:
26 years old Parker Cruse knows how being cheated on can suck the life and every ounce of faith in humanity out of a person.
She experienced it first hand when she discovered her fiancé and her twin sister together.
The two people she loved most betrayed her in the worst way possible and then, they went on happily with their life together while she had to pick herself up.
Life happens and she has to learn how stand on her own.
Life is also unexpected and she’ll experience things she never thought possible like… falling in love with a married man.
Personal Thoughts:
I have 2 main reasons for such a low rating:
● #1 ●
Life happens and it often takes your feet right from under you and yet, somehow, you have to pick yourself up and start walking again.
It takes so much courage to open up to love and hope and joy because you don’t see them.
This book is supposed to show you how life can “happen” in the blink of an eye and how the journey is not over because something made you fall and/or broke your heart…
Halfway through I didn’t want to finish it though, because I felt cheated on.
I wasn’t looking for the journey this story forced me to take and I had no way of knowing otherwise because the offical blurb (on goodreads, amazon…) is extremely misleading.
Cheating is not the only big potential trigger and Gus (the man that cheats on his wife with Parker) is not the main lead..
I was really looking forward to this book and I usually wait for the genuine reviews because most of the ARC’s reviewers are completely untrustworthy.
Why didn’t I wait?
è_é
I blame the author for the truly awful reaction I had because…
Dear Jewel E. Ann,
when a book has such a big trigger you should make sure the blurb says something about it!
You don’t let people jump on something like DEATH like it’s nothing.
I’m also particularly angry with the majority of the ARC’s reviewers of this book that were supposed to write an “honest review” about it.
YOU CHOSE TO BE A REVIEWER for NetGallery, blogs and such to help people decide if the book you’ve been given for FREE is the right one for others to buy!
Well, at least I hope that was one of your main reasons for it.
A book should be experienced without major spoilers but when such big triggers are involved YOU SHOULD WARN fellow readers about it.
I’m absolutely not questioning the high ratings because how someone feels about a book is extremely personal and maybe some of you love every book you’re given.
Saying “Be prepared for a major twist that will break your heart…” or just anything similar to warn people this is NOT A LIGHT HEARTED ROMANCE could’ve been of great service.
What did you do instead?
You just gushed on and on about the book.
THANKS for nothing.
I had no way of knowing what I was getting into and I had a very difficult day because of it.
At ~45% I was so angry with author and “honest” reviewers for making me hurt even more than I already did for personal reasons.
I decided to pick up the book again and finish it only because I needed some kind of closure.
● #2 ●
Life is complicated and destinies intertwine every day but this story was often too contrived!
Parker falls for Gus very quickly but I was really into their story and the cheating, that usually bothers me, here wasn’t a complete turn off.
What was completely unbelievable is Parker falling in love so quickly after Gus’s funeral. Gus’s death was random and a lost opportunity for a great story.
Everything about the “Gus plot line”(the new love interest, his failed marriage, his wife’s “mistery man”…) is abruptly cut and forgotten.
I HATED that Gus’ character and story were used as a “plot device”.
Half of this book is about Parker and Gus. HALF.
And in the end… he’s just Parker’s stepping stone toward her “understanding” of her sister’s betrayal.
Parker had her sister back. It meant everything. Maybe that’s why Gus came into her life. Maybe he was a lesson, an experience she needed—and nothing more.
***
[…]“I love you too”
“More than him?”
Her quivering lips pressed together as she swallowed past the pain and fear. “So much more.”
I hated reading those phrases and I hated that feeling I kept with me for the entire second half of this story.
I actually love Jewel E. Ann’s writing and even if this book’s plot was not developed to my taste, the writing is great.
That’s why I was even more disappointed.
I loved A LOT of quotes…
“Hate me. I’ll still love you. Cut me with words. I’ll bleed for you. Regret us. I’ll vanish from your life. But don’t ever ask me to regret us. If we weren’t real, then I don’t want to take another breath. And I want to live, […]. For the first time in so very long, I don’t feel like I’m drowning in anger, hiding from the truth, or in denial that this is my life. I’m imperfect like everyone else. But I’m also worthy of love and forgiveness and settling for anything less would be wrong.”
…and the idea behind this book is brilliant.
A certain character’s “today is my favorite day” attitude was beautifully conveyed.
Even so, this wasn’t a book for me.
Expecially jumping into it blindly.
Not right now.
If the 2 main triggers (cheating and death of a major character) do not usually bother you, give this book a chance, if they do…stay away.
⭐ 1 Star ⭐
~ My Ratings ~
Writing: 4 /5
Plot: 1 /5
Hero: —/5
Heroine: —/5
Secondary Characters: —/5
MC’s chemistry: —/5
Steam: —/5
Triggers: Cheating and Death of a major character
Recommended to: Adult Romance Readers that are not bothered by the triggers I mentioned.
When Life Happened by Jewel E Ann
❤❤ Are you looking for a specific mix of ingredients for your next read?
FIND YOUR BOOK MATCH HERE!
