When Tessa Talman meets Simon Fremont for the first time, not only is she attracted to him, she’s intrigued by how different their lives are. He’s a dedicated scientist, practical, pragmatic, and grounded—while she’s a head-in-the-clouds romance author. As their relationship grows, they agree to meet in places around the world, while continuing to live on opposite sides of the globe.Though their … globe.
Though their feelings for each other deepen, their priorities remain the same. Simon is in a hurry to be financially sound and settle down, but Tessa is enjoying her freedom and newfound success. Neither is willing to give in, but as each goodbye gets harder, Tessa begins to wonder whether fame is the path to happiness, or if she has everything she needs in Simon.
Just as Tessa finds the courage to go after her own happily ever after, the unthinkable happens, separating them in ways they never imagined.
To move forward, she must let go of the past, and determine once and for all if love is truly more powerful than the pain of goodbye.
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To say Eight Goodbyes is a gem of a read would be putting it mildly. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough and even after finishing it, I had an unappeasable urge to reread which I might add, I did. Narrated in third-person, the book’s structural framework is an unusual one as it’s split into eight goodbyes, chapters included and in three parts. What really caught my attention was the female protagonist’s growth throughout the book. It’s a very character and plot-driven novel, the different sections highlighting a distinct change in a relationship that appears to be ill-fated from the start. Passions didn’t quite seem to coincide and made me constantly question if the one who loved unconditionally deserved so many goodbyes, their steadfast commitment to conquer all the setbacks literally left me reeling.
“I have this insatiable need to know everything about you. Maybe it’s the scientist in me. I want to be able to figure you out,”
Time is an equally important element in the story’s different settings as you will see. Also, Brae aroused my suspicions by insinuating something ominous was brewing on the horizon. Those very same subtle snippets completely threw my thoughts off kilter. Clutching at straws, I prayed a love that has its boundaries, timezones and crossed countries, would have a chance to flower. She took me on Simon and Tessa’s emotional journey to beautifully described spots around the world, some I’ve been to and others are on my bucket list.
“Next steps scare me.”
I openly admit that I wasn’t too keen on Tessa’s stance in the first part. Her stubbornness and selfishness caused me to say a few choice words to myself which I’d rather not repeat. I wanted her to be on Simons’s wavelength, to be honest with herself, look hard at what she’d achieved, its worth and handle her restlessness differently. However, learning about her past, what she’d been through and how she’d coped eventually helped me connect to her. Then, when the tough got going, I fell head over heels for her. I’d like to mention that if it weren’t for Brae’s par excellence character development regarding Tessa, I wouldn’t have changed my opinion so easily.
“I’m sorry. You must know more and more, I die with every goodbye. It used to be okay. It used to be easy to separate you, keep you in a different section from the rest of my life. Now, all I want is for you to be in it.”
Simon Fremont. Ambitious, seriously nerdy in his field with a fabulous sense of humour verging on sarcasm, is a gorgeously lovable Brit and from my adopted town in Essex to boot! Coincidences and jokes aside, us Brits do have a unique wit and his softened even the hardest moments. It baffled me at times since he has a grave problem and knowing full well his plans weren’t to be rushed, he manoeuvres carefully, always with his heart in Tessa’s hands. And tick tock…the clock won’t stop…does his patience and love have a limit? Will his tolerance fade and will time run out for both of them?
“I know if I push too hard, I’ll lose you. I’m going to give you time to figure it out. Don’t take too long…”
I honestly couldn’t find fault with Simon, whereas Tessa, well…hers aren’t exactly faults per se but what she has on her plate does tend to stand out and certainly consumed me. On reflection, there were times I felt I wasn’t being totally fair to this writer of romance novels who’s trying to find her purpose in life, so please don’t be put off by her. I disliked her demanding literary agent and the influence she had over Tessa irritated me no end. And Andrew… hmm, wasn’t too keen on him either. On the whole, the secondary characters are a very likeable bunch, especially Tessa’s brother and his girlfriend.
“Live is short, we have to make the most of it.”
Details. I recently read a book where the pace of the narrative was stunted by overuse. I lost interest because I found them immaterial. This is most definitely not the case in Eight Goodbyes. Brae’s offering is as such that I couldn’t help but cry out for more, so much so I did an all-nighter and believe me, this book isn’t an easy one in the respect that I spent a lot of the dark hours sobbing into my pillow. The storyline. In all its originality and a ginormous twist I never in a million years saw coming, the author gave me hope and made me realise every precious moment in our life is worth cherishing. Her magical penmanship has given this standalone a real-life feel and undoubtedly while you’re reading, all the emotions will seduce you. Embrace them and every single moment of this love story. You won’t ever regret it. Bravo Brae! Bravo Brae!
I absolutely loved this book. Brae always has a way of sending you on a rollercoaster of emotions when reading a story. Love, anger, suspense, happiness, and heartache. There’s so much involved when you start the Simon and Tessa journey. I fell hard with this couple. Brae painted such a beautiful picture as you traveled with them on their meet ups. I could invision the scenery so well as if I were there!!! Get ready for the trip of a lifetime with this one!!
I have read this author’s books and I loved them all but so far this is my new favourite. A standalone romance written in third person, Simon and Tessa’s tale gave me my first book hangover of the year.
Simon Fremont is a scientist and on his way to a convention when he met Tessa on the aeroplane, he was in seat 7A she was in 7C. He is career driven, a really hot bloke with that British sense of humour the perfect hero in any book. His pursuit of Tessa was totally uncharacteristic, he was drawn to her like a magnet but surely it’s not love at first sight or is it?
Tessa Talman is a well known author who cannot get into committed relationships as her writing is her top priority. This heroine’s tunnel vision when it comes to her career made her so annoying most of the time. She has a good heart but guards it with twenty foot high walls.
What I have noticed about this author’s writing style is that her heroes are almost perfect and Simon is definitely one; his character comes off as fully evolved, mature and ready to take on the challenge of a budding relationship whilst Tessa was quite frustrating, her selfish attitude and her offhanded treatment of Simon made her an unlikeable person. But with each turning of the page you can see Tessa slowly chipping away at the walls she erected, she becomes more open and develops into a better person for Simon and his heart. This very well written narrative stirred up so many emotions from this reader. I felt the exhilaration every time Simon and Tessa meet up in different places around the world; these settings provided a picturesque and breathtaking canvas to their love story but when certain events happened in the book it shattered my heart into pieces. This book has a truly unique storyline with unforgettable people; the plot, the well developed characters and the stunning locations narrated in the author’s lyrical words make this book a five star read. Highly recommended but keep a box of tissues by your side because you are going to need it!
This was an emotionally captivating love story that I couldn’t put down! It was my first read from this author, and it won’t be my last.
I laughed, I sighed, I swooned and I cried. This is an exciting book about the emotional journey of Tessa and Simon. I have no words to explain this book except that you will not be disappointed. It is a lengthy read, but so worth the time. I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book via Hidden Gems and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Tessa and Simon keep saying goodbye to each other. Will they ever get to the point where they can simply be together without knowing they’ll be saying goodbye to each other again?
Tessa is a newly successful author when she first meets steadfast scientist, Simon. As they keep meeting up all over the world in order to get to know each other and continue their relationship, it seems as if they’ll never quite be on the same page. I could feel the big blowup coming from the very first. These two people were destined to be together and yet couldn’t be more ill-suited. She, the free-spirited and quite frankly, selfish and self-absorbed, author, and he the stable, resolute, patient man from England who did the majority of the pursuing. You can probably tell that I favored Simon, because I did. He was pretty great. Lovely actually. And he deserved far better than Tessa’s half-hearted, selfish character.
I wanted to love this story, was prepared to, actually; but I just couldn’t. I couldn’t get past Tessa’s off-putting character. And I never really connected with these two as a couple. I loved Simon and wanted so much better for him. But the two together? Nope. But I can’t fairly rate this lower than 3 stars because the writing is wonderful and lyrical.
Christine Brae, ‘Eight Goodbyes’.
As ARC reader I received this book for free and promised an honest review. Here it is.
English isn’t my first language. Sorry for errors.
Rating: 5 (of 5) stars.
In general: Exciting love story with unusual plot.
Main character:
– Tessa Talman.
A writer, just hitting the bestsellers list. She’s very busy to establish her name as
a famous author in interviews, tv shows and book signings. For publicity reasons
she fakes an affair with the good looking model of her book cover, Andrew.
– Simon Fremont. Successful researcher of a pharmaceutical business. Travels a lot to promote an important patent on a product he discovered.
Tessa and Simon accidentally meet in a plane. She likes his looks, manners and British accent; he admires her beauty and style, but is too shy to speak with her. He manages to slip his card in her purse. She’s too busy to call him, but they accidentally meet again for a short time in the hotel where they attend different meetings. Then they have short, impulsive dates to learn more about each other. It’s difficult. They travel both all over the world and have very different characters. She wants to enjoy life from day to day based on her feelings and he, the rational scientist – on the other hand – is a very exact longterm planner.
She advises him to use the social, digital media to keep in contact. Simon ignored this media but for her he starts using them. So gradually they get better acquainted. And make dates to see each other at the places she visits for her pr activities. Simon is a little obsessed with her and creates time to meet her when she proposes a random place. He thinks it’s insane but he cannot stop sending her weekly messages and forgets his planning to meet her on the unsuspected moments and cities she proposes.
So they see each other. In NY, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Boston and Hongkong. They start having sex. But a permanent relationship or involve friends and family? Big steps and a lot of complications. Saying goodbye becomes more and more difficult, but sometimes seems unavoidable.
Christine Brae describes in an exciting story with an unusual plot how their love develops and suffers. The story keeps situated in a lot of different, often interesting places, Greece, Paris, London and the USA. And the author creates a lot of credible, sympathetic other characters who get involved in the the lifes of Tessa and Simon.
The book is a page turner difficult to lay down.
R. Huiszoon.
I enjoyed this story. It was original and took you on a wonderful journey with the two main characters. I definitely recommend this book and this author.
Having read books by Christine Brae before I was prepared for this one to be an emotional read and I was just hoping I wouldn’t need tissues. Simon and Tessa are opposites. Tessa is a famous writer who travels a lot. Simon is a scientist. By chance or fate they meet on a plane. There’s a connection there. I liked Simon. He’s sexy, smart, and persistent. Tessa is a free spirit and not ready for what comes next. They meet up in different places throughout the story. Each goodbye gets harder for them and while reading each goodbye pulled tighter on my heart strings. I was so rooting for these two. This is a must read!
It had been a while since I have read a story written by this author. I’m not sure why. This 5 star story really captured my undivided attention. I won’t be forgetting about Christine Brae in the near future.
Tessa is a writer who loves to travel. She never stays at the same place for very long. Simon is a scientist who does some traveling for his job. Simon sees her at the airport and he’s drawn to her. They will meet each other at different places in the world during their travels.
Once I started this story I wasn’t sure what kind of story I was going to be reading. The blurb was captivating but vague. I understood why after a few chapters. It needs to be spoiler free. There were so many shocking twist and turns. I was kept reading none stop with this highly heartfelt addicting story. Once I was in, I couldn’t put it down for very long.
I hadn’t read a story written in the third person in a while but it was beautifully written with an unique storyline. There were never any dull moments. It flowed well. The concept of them meeting at various times and places in the world was amazing. I got to read about some parts of the world. I felt like I was there. These characters were so perfectly created that I felt what they were feeling. Simon holds a special place in my heart.
Standalone told in the third person with an HEA. I strongly recommend this story.
First off this review is hard for me to write without giving away parts of the story. To say that Christine out did herself is an understatement. She has done an incredible job delivering this story of love, hope, time, and distance. I have to say I love LOVE the cover of this book. Stuart Reardon who is the cover model is incredibly gorgeous. He made Simon come off the pages into a mental image that I will not forget for a long time. Enough fan girling it is time for the review.
Tessa is an up and coming author who is at the top of game traveling around the world promoting her romance book. It is on one of these trips she meets Simon who is on his way to a conference for his job. All during the plane ride she sneaks peeks at him and admires him from afar. While unbeknownst to her Simon is checking her out as well. The two of them end up at the same hotel and they talk to one another finding out what each other does for a living. As they talk they decide they are going to be long distance friends and meet whenever they can. Tessa is always traveling for her book tours and Simon is always in his lab working.
This is where the story comes to life. With each meeting they start to build a friendship. Doing things together and talking to one another until they meet again. Tessa teaches Simon to be care free and live each day in the moment and Simon teaches Tessa that some things are worth taking a risk on. As these two grow together you will see a true romance unfold right in front of you. This story will make you laugh and cry and everything in between but it is so worth the read. I recommend this book to EVERYONE who loves a good no great romance.
5+ STAR Review by Jodi for Ruby Red Romance Review
I loved every beautiful moment of this amazing book. I must admit, I’m new to Christine Brea, but I have fallen in love with her writing. I’m trying to figure out how to start this review. This story was heartbreaking, beautiful, loving, sweet, and relatable. I could not put this book down.
Tessa, gosh, where to begin with this woman. At times for me, I wanted to smack her. I felt her behavior was immature, but throughout the story, she really grew, not only as a person, but as a woman. As time went on, I found that I could relate to her more and more. She’s been hurt before and not wanting to feel that type of pain again, she keeps her walls up. You can’t blame her. Simon, I loved Simon from the very beginning. I loved that he was willing to put himself out there for this woman he barely knew. I loved having a sexy, smart hero. It was a nice change. I also loved that when Simon could have walked away and just left Tessa he didn’t. The secondary characters where great in this book as well.
I loved everything about this book and I think you will as well. Please check it out.
4.5 Star Review of Eight Goodbyes by Christine Brae
Christine Brae I a new author to me and I have no idea why. Eight Goodbyes was a strong and unique story line that kept me captivated from the first to the last chapter. This will not be my last book by Christine Brae, of that I am sure.
This book had so many layers to it and I found myself contemplating life and the chances that we as individuals take. I found myself totally invested in Simon and Tessa’s story. Simon was so intense, brooding and I wanted to hug him and make life fun for him; he was not an easy character to relate too and truthfully neither was Tessa initially.
The writing was strong and often I felt I was looking at the world through the eyes of the characters such were the descriptions from Ms.Brae. Not only that but the story was unpredictable, just when I thought I knew where it was heading a curve would take place and I was constantly surprised,
Eight Goodbyes is a beautifully written highly emotional love story, one that will touch your soul.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher through Netgalley.
I received a copy through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Wow! This is the first book of Christine Brae’s books that I have read and I was blown away. Tessa is full of life and fear. She lives every moment to the fullest or at least that’s what she thinks until she meets Simon who is the opposite. I don’t like dropping spoilers but this was a tale of so much more than two people meeting and falling in love. It was a journey and oh my! What a ride. Eight Goodbyes is witty, sexy, poignant and yes I shed a few tears too. I look forward to the movie version because it is one of those tales that will remain with me long after I have closed the book.
This is the first book I have read by this author and I’m really not sure why Christine Brae has not crossed my radar before now this book was amazing and I’m really struggling to put words on paper to describe this wonderful love story. This story was so different to anything else I have ever read it was a unique story and I loved it, this romance was so much more than just a love story it was a journey about two soulmates chasing each other from different parts of the world, it’s about learning to love and trust as you learn about each other as well as learning about yourself. This author isn’t afraid to show her characters vulnerabilities and this story is beautifully written with some great attention to detail, my emotions took a real hit but by the end I was left feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. For me Eight Goodbyes was the perfect read and I urge you all to one click because you won’t be disappointed, I’m certainly going to be checking this authors other books out.
This is my first time reading this author. I really liked Tessa and Simon. It was cool that Tessa is an author and she’s traveling all over for her book tour. They meet on a plane and there’s an instant connection. The bulk of the book is them meeting in different places all over the world so they could try and be together with the limited amount of time that they had. I did think there were some parts that dragged on a bit. It wasn’t until around the 68% mark where things got shook up and got really interesting. Overall this story is really well written, sweet and at times emotional. I’m glad that I got to read this. I’ll have to check out other books by this author.
“One hour. That’s all the time he’d spent with her. One hour, and yet he knew that his life had been forever changed.”
Eight Goodbyes is a contemporary romance about two characters who are the complete opposite. Tessa is a free spirited romance writer. Simon is a scientist, who is organized and very focused. Normally, the chances that these two would come in contact would be pretty slim. However, I loved how they met and how dedicated Simon was from the start. Tessa didn’t make it easy for Simon, but he was very persistent, and that was a very attractive trait. They inspired one another to do things that they normally would never think of doing. I loved that they met in places around the world, it added an extra romantic layer to the story. Because of their different priorities that wouldn’t really work together, they say goodbye after each meeting. There are no promises.
“I’d follow you anywhere in the world.”
However, after each meeting their feelings for each other grows. It especially becomes really difficult for Simon to say goodbye each time. Tessa, is scared to take the next step with Simon. But eventually she’ll have to make a decision. There were times that I was mad at Tessa for being indecisive, however, I understood why she was hesitant. I loved Simon for not giving up, the dedication this guy showed was amazing. Overall, this story was really beautiful and I enjoyed the first half of the story immensely. However, the second half was very unexpected and I felt like the author rushed through the story. Things started happening really fast, and I wanted it to slow down so I could savor the story more. One very significant event results into their separation and the author skips into the future, however I would’ve loved for the author to continue the story a bit more to show what happened. On the other hand I can understand why the author wanted to keep the reader a bit in the dark, have them guessing. This story was romantic, sweet, and very emotional at times. I am looking forward to reading more books by Christine Brae.
“Of all the places you’ve taken me to around the world, the only place I want is with you. This is the best place. Here. With you.”
When you open up a Christine Brae book, you do so with a box of tissues sitting nearby. You know, going in, that she is going to wring every feeling you have from you, and you know that when you turn the last page, you will doff your wig to her in admiration.
Tessa doesn’t make it easy, that’s for sure. If you don’t believe me, ask Simon because she puts him through all manner of love, lightness, and abject misery. I spent at least two-thirds of this book not liking her at ALL. I understood her, though, and that’s one of the things I appreciated in how Christine Brae writes this book. You may be occasionally (almost entirely) frustrated with Tessa, but Christine Brae shows you why Tessa behaves as she does–why she disappoints and disheartens Simon (and you) and why, despite all of this, you can’t help but root for her.
Simon, on the other hand, is joy. Not that he isn’t plagued by afflictions, which brings me to another thing I laud Christine Brae for doing: she has her two characters each beset with agonies, only one suffers from the physical and the other from the emotional. I like that sort of yin and yang.
You can’t say “goodbye” until you’ve said “hello,” and that sense of optimism–that there is another “hello” to say–will keep you turning the pages. Even when you are desperate to shout at Tessa to JUST STOP, you will feel compelled to keep reading, to find out what happens after the eighth goodbye.
Of course, there is a final goodbye, the one after which none of us will be able to say “hello” ever again. Keep saying hello, Christine Brae tells you here. Keep welcoming all of the ups and downs, heart fulfillment and heartbreak, all of the closeness and distance that come with those hellos.
Rest assured that you dearly want to say hello to Simon. He is one of those literary heroes who is indelible.