Brandt Grace is trouble no matter what he says or does, always getting in his own way, and trying to prove he can do better and be better only to fall on his face. Saving Grace follows Brandt’s unintentional fall for Lola Donovan, the previously friendly girl turned quiet ghost of a girl. They connect at rock bottom, finding an unexpected source of strength in each other. Can they find a way to … to leave the past behind and build a future together?
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Saving Grace is the first book I have read by Jess B. Moore and it definitely won’t be the last! Lola is punishing herself by avoiding her family and most of her friends for something that happened a year ago. Brandt comes into her life again on Thanksgiving. He has a reputation as a bad boy. As the story progresses his true character starts to shine while Lola continues to punish herself. A truly wonderful story!
I received an advance copy of this book and I voluntarily wrote an honest review.
I was given this book to review.
Lola comes from a loving and supportive family. She couldn’t forgive herself for what she did, and didn’t allow herself any forgiveness, neither the right to be happy. Brandt came from a dysfunctional family, it rose above all of that to become a strong man of integrity. He liked Lola from kindergarten. Read the book to find out more .
Saving Grace is the 4th book of the Fox River Romance series written by Jess B. Moore. This book is told in alternating points of view between Lola Donovan and Brandt Grace. Brandt and Lola have known each other since kindergarten and their attraction for each other is undeniable.
Brandt, a handsome tattoo artist, has a rough past and a dark family life, who grew up with an abusive father who hurt his brothers Ash and Hudson. Staying sober is a daily challenge for him.
Lola Donovan is a school teacher whom for over the past year has avoided people and her family. Lola felt that she had done something that was a complete shame to the man she loved.
Brandt and Lola both have had some troubled past, but need each other to make themselves whole again through their love and honesty for each other. This book goes over deep topics such as domestic abuse, alcohol abuse, and rape as issues the main characters have to go through as part of their back story and their journey to healing. I enjoyed this quick read, and I would loved the complexity of the characters, the small town and family story.
Not sure how this should go; have never written a review before. I do want to express my pure enjoyment of Saving Grace. I had never read this author before, and will definitely read more of Jess B. Moore. The story line drew me in and I had a hard time putting the book down (like to sleep). The characters Lola and Brandt fit together so well, such a sweet love story. I found Lola somewhat naive and Brandt an awesome character. I recommend this book to everyone. It’s a sweet read, but has topics that are pertinent to today and introduces discussions of those topics.
Favorite Quotes:
Growing up, everyone had a secret crush on a Grace brother. A whispered admission followed by all the reasons it was a bad idea.
If I’d been a cartoon, my jaw would have dropped open and flies would have flown into my mouth. He walked in heels? For a good cause?
Right. Wrong. They had lost some of their meaning over the years, words worn soft from constant use and too much thought. I had too often done the wrong thing, knowing it, and unable to climb my way out. When I tried to do the right thing, it often turned out to be wrong, and I had lost all concept of which was which.
What must it be like to see the world in lines and color? I imagined a mix of vibrancy and shadows, but couldn’t fathom translating objects or people or ideas into art.
I adored my baby brothers, but they drove me nuts. Did not care they were technically adults with good reputations. To me, they were brats who made too many fart jokes and cut the hair off my Barbie dolls.
My Review:
I don’t know how she does it but Jess B. Moore makes angst palatable rather than painful. She has to be some sort of magical being as she has now pulled off this miraculous and mystifying feat four times, I can think of no other explanation. Her writing is poignant, perceptive, and cunningly emotive; it stings my eyes, squeezes my heart, and plays me like a finely tuned Dobro while hitting all the feels as well as the notes to a haunting and evocative melody.
Written in my favorite dual POV, Saving Grace was a heartrending and deftly penned tale occurred during the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas and dealt with addition, regrets, abuse, shame, small-town gossip, and a load of family drama while an unexpected fledgling romance was slowly gathering speed between two silently struggling acquaintances. The characters were endearingly flawed and realistically drawn with real-world issues. Brandt had a dark history and tainted reputation and Lola was a girl with magic eyes, and in more ways than one as she could see Brandt when his own family couldn’t. Sigh, I adored them but am now more curious than ever about Hudson, the last remaining Grace brother.
I found this book difficult to read; it did not pull me into the story. I like the title best about this book. The title is very appropriate as Lola’s saving grace is a man called Brandt Grace. I found Lola naïve and a bit immature in her thoughts and actions. Yes, she did something that she should be ashamed of, but I think she did not need to push her loving family away the way she did. This book is written in the new practice of authors to devote a chapter to the viewpoint of a particular character . Very few can pull it off successfully. I am sure there are people who would like this book.