AN AMAZON TOP 60 BESTSELLER It’s crazy how fast the buzz comes back after you’ve been sober for so long.Whiskey stood there, on my doorstep, just like he had one year before. Except this time, there was no rain, no anger, no wedding invitation — it was just us.It was just him — the old friend, the easy smile, the twisted solace wrapped in a glittering bottle.It was just me — the alcoholic, … bottle.
It was just me — the alcoholic, pretending like I didn’t want to taste him, realizing too quickly that months of being clean didn’t make me crave him any less.
But we can’t start here.
No, to tell this story right, we need to go back.
Back to the beginning.
Back to the very first drop.
This is my love letter to Whiskey. I only hope he reads it.
more
This was my first Kandi Steiner book I have ever read! I loved Jamie and B’s story!! If you like the story to hurt just enough, then you have come to the right place! Kandi makes you bleed, and then throws you a small bit of hope, then crushes you before putting you and her characters back together for their happily ever after. I love Kandi’s work, she always makes me cry but at the end I’m happy I’ve read her stories!
Speechless. This book literally broke me and it was all consuming – when I wasn’t reading, it was all I could think about. We had a love hate relationship, with tears (quite a lot of tears!). One chapter I loved it, the next I hated it (but in a good way!).
This doesn’t happen often when I’m reading but so many times throughout the book I wanted to throw my kindle and give up and make up my own ending. I was getting so mad at B! But wow how I loved B and Jamie. Their love was one of a kind, more than soulmates – I can’t even describe it!
This book was truely amazing and I loved every word. The writing was superb. Kandi is a new author to me and I can’t wait to read more of her books. I have literally just finished the book and feel lost without them already. I am so in love with B and Jaime I need to know more about them!
I’ve had this book on my kindle for a while, so if you do too and you haven’t read it yet, then you are missing out. Read it!!! You will absolutely love it, of that I am sure.
No question – it deserves way more than 5 stars!!
It all started with a collision….literally. An accidental crash from two people that never knew how that one moment would shape their lives. Jamie met B in the most unexpected way….a collision while out running. In that one moment – B knew that not only did Jamie slam into her body….he found a way to collide with her soul. It was B’s junior year and high school, and that one moment would bring Jamie into her life in the most unexpected ways.
As we know fate and time can be wicked creatures. They tormented B and Jamie through the years. Each moment another pull at the heart for both of these tortured souls. Their lives were like a whirlwind where the other was concerned. So many misunderstandings led these two by the hand. The love more evident with each passing year. Never forgotten but always dismissed. Jamie and B ignored a thirst that couldn’t be quenched. A continuous burn that threatened to consume them all the way to the depths of their souls.
What a ride!! I have been stewing on how to write my review. This book…..it just goes so deep in your soul. Evoking so many feelings that stay with you after that last turn of the page. It is beautiful in a way that is so hard to describe. I want to gush all about A Love Letter to Whiskey, but if I do that they it will spoil all of the special nuances that make this book absolutely unforgettable.
The journey that B and Jamie lead us on is poignant and beautiful all at the same time. Simple events that leave you holding your breath and reeling from the pounding of your heart. It’s a story that needs to be told. One that leaves you breathless with tears leaking from your eyes.
The writing….oh my lord!! Such beauty that is twisted around a talented verbal experience. One that I savored with every single turn of the page. Seriously…it was that good!! A muse among the simplest of vices. A trickle that burns with each word. Pulling you in for another drink.
This was my first time reading a book written by Kandi Steiner, but will definitely not be the last. I am hooked!! Such a talented author that deserves so many accolades for this stunning piece of literature!!
When I first got the book and read the back, I wasn’t sure if it was about a romance or an actual alcoholic. Rest assured, my romance reading friends, it is a romance. Whiskey is what the MC calls the man that she’s been in love with forever. Due to the way he makes her feel like she’s an alcoholic for him and due to the color of his eyes and his whiskey like scent. Each chapter is named something to do with alcohol that compares her infatuation with him to a drunk’s infatuation with their favorite liquor.
I’ve really been into contemporary romance lately and this book fit right in with what I’ve been wanting to read. I enjoyed how the story started in High School but spanned clear out into their late 20s. We got the WHOLE story, and it didn’t just fast forward through parts to get to the ending quicker. At the same time, it didn’t feel like the story was dragging…even though I was screaming in my head “Come on already!” to the characters to get their stuff together.
I would recommend it to friends and possibly even re-read, and that means a full 5 stars from me.
I have mixed feelings for this book. It’s good, but it was very hard for me to read.
I had to stop a few times because the feelings and emotions the story was evoking really were messing with me so much..
I did finish but I have to say it was really hard for me to go through and Not because of the story or the characters, nothing about that. it was more because I felt broken the whole story, I didn’t feel happiness or love between the characters, I felt constant pain and sadness.
The only reason I’m giving this book 3 stars is because the feelings and emotion the story made me feel where never pleasant..
This book is good, the story is good and the idea is good.. but it wasn’t for me.
I encourage you to read it and make your own decision..
looking forward to read more books by Kandi Steiner!!
This book talks about addiction and yet I feel like every word fed my own addiction to this story. I was brilliant. I felt all the emotions with the characters. This is a must read book!
A Love Letter to Whiskey by Kandi Steiner is an emotional, contemporary, friends to lovers, new adult romance. It is told from the single perspective of the main character, Brecks who goes by “B”, and spans a period of 10+ years.
The story follows B’s friendship with Jamie aka “Whiskey” through the years as they both experience various struggles and hardships as well as relationships. Their connection is likened to alcohol addiction as there is a continual magnetic pull between them which wreaks havoc on their lives. Bad timing, stupidity, circumstances, and stubbornness keep them apart for the bulk of the story.
This book is an angst lovers dream which will put you through the emotional ringer. The writing was lyrical, poetic, and completely stunning. It was painfully heart-wrenching, and I’ve got to admit… I drank it in, savoring the story, and I loved every last drop.
Whiskey
“We’re built on lust and bad decisions.” This quote sums up so much of this book. Be prepared. This book is written to crush you heart then give you hope again. I could feel the angst in you chest as B and Jamie’s story unravels. It is one of my favorite all time reads. Even after re-reading, it still makes me fall in love with the story all over. A definite 5stars.
I’ve heard that this book was amazing and I truly have to agree now that I’ve read it. It was a beautiful story between two people that can never find the right time to be together. Jamie and B weren’t always the best people when it came to other people and their love for one another but the thing about love is it never makes sense. This book shows that no matter how crazy it is. No matter how wrong it is. When you have that one person that you know you belong to…. well….. it just works.
There was a lot of back and forth, off and on in this book and while I wanted to scream to just be together, go annoyed by all the crap the characters pulled, I could totally understand why it played out the way it did. This book spans over a decade of love and heart breaking but it was an amazing journey. My only complaint is I would have liked a longer epilogue. While it was perfect for B, I need more then what we got to really be happy. That’s just a personal thing to me though, it was a good ending. 4 stars #2OCCJD
This was a tear-jerker. It was full of angst and longing and my favorite kind of read. I recommend it highly 10+ stars if they went that high!!
I really have no words for this book. What an emotional rollercoaster it put me through. This is probably one of the best books I’ve ever read. The writing is fantastic and I loved how it was told to the reader, like your actually reading a book by the character. I’m not gonna lie, I literally thought B and Jamie were just not going to get their chance. But that ending??
Holy crap. I absolutely loved B and Jamie so much. They were destined to be together. As much as I cried and laughed, I didn’t know if I could handle finishing it. My heart broke so many times, it was like watching a sad movie. But I’m glad I stuck with it. It was such a fantastic love story and if I could give it more than 5 stars I would!!
A “friend” told me to read this book. I use the term very lightly because what kind of friend tells you to read a book that you want to throw across the room?
Oh, a good friend who knows what I like to read. That’s right.
Let’s try this again.
A friend told me to read this book. She said I just had to meet Whiskey. HAD. TO. Like, stop everything you’re doing and read this damn book. But me being me, I was swamped with ARCs and at that moment I believe I was editing book, so I told her I’d get to it when I could.
Fast forward a month later, because I’m a good friend like that, and I finally sat down and opened Whiskey.
And I was hooked from that first taste.
Sometimes, even when we know something is bad for us, we do it anyway. Maybe for the thrill, maybe to cure our curiosity, or maybe just to like to ourselves a little longer.
Jamie Shaw. Man, even as a teenager I knew he’d be something special. But I could have never predicted just how special, just how loyal, just how kind, and sweet, and perfect he would be.
B’s best friend, Jenna, didn’t see Jamie first, but it wouldn’t matter in the beginning. All that would matter is that she did see him. And that would start the path of how ill-timed love can be. And how it doesn’t always fit in with your plans.
But what if you secretly crave your best friend’s boyfriend? What if, when she was gone, he called you? What would you do if you found yourself falling for the one boy who is off limits?
“But lines always have been pretty blurry with us, haven’t they?”
Truer words, man. Truer words have never been spoken.
Let’s get out of high school and fast forward to college. B’s first day and she runs into Jamie (I’ll give her the benefit of not knowing he attended school here because they stopped talking after he moved). Like, he’s right there, behind her. You can see that sparkle, the hint of it being their time now that they were adults and the BFF wasn’t an issue, and life was finally lining up perfectly for them. FINALLY! YES!!
Now this is the point in the book where I really, really wanted to toss my Kindle out the window. Just say fuck it and be done because this chick can’t be this goddamned stupid. Can she? Oh, right. Yes, yes she can.
“I’m not sorry I kissed you, but I’m sorry I did it when you weren’t mine to kiss.”
Fuuuuuuck. Right? I mean, why does she have a fucking boyfriend? Let’s be real here. Jamie is fucking perfect. He’s her bestie. He’s been the guy she has wanted since she first laid eyes on him. So, I ask this very important question: WHY DOESN’T SHE BREAK UP WITH THE BOYFRIEND? Seems like that would save us all a hell of a lot of angst and heartbreak and struggle. This is literally the best time for them.
But no. Because B is a fucking idiot. And that is basically what I have to say for the rest of the book. My friend? Yeah, she got tired of my messages because they all said the exact same thing: B is a fucking idiot.
Because she kept pushing this perfect guy, this guy who loved her unconditionally, this guy who wanted her and fought for her and waited for her. FOR YEARS.
And she kept saying no. Like a fucking idiot.
So, why the four stars if I was so annoyed with this book? Well, Kandi Steiner made me feel. She made me hurt. She made me love and cry (yes, I fucking cried) and she made me want a drink. Of Whiskey. And because she gave us the most perfect of male specimens and put him through the fucking wringer. And he came out the other side just as good as ever.
Oh, and this. Because Jamie Shaw is a dirty talker. And I just love a dirty talker.
“If you didnt’ mean even a word of what you just said, you have roughly seven minutes to take it back. After that, you’re not allowed to say another word, not even my name, because I’m going to fuck you speechless.”
Yes, please!
I loved the story of this couple and the struggle they went through during this book. Jamie was such a good guy and did everything he could when it came to B. He loved her at her worse, never gave up on her and waited for her. He was just amazing with his love and devotion. B in my opinion was very wishy washy and selfish. Some of her choices in this book pissed me off several times!! I just wanted to reach into my iPad and shake her!!! I had a hard time relate to her in the book. Jamie was just perfect and what every book boyfriend should be!! This author has such a way with words and making you feel so many emotions. This story literally had me up and down. The angst was very high and I enjoyed every second of this ride. The raw
passion the characters had was oozing off the page. I LOVED their connection and tension in this book. You felt everything!! I absolutely loved and adored “Weightless” by this author and this book has become a close second. If you are looking for a book that will bring out a slew of emotions look no further!! Well done Steiner!
4.5 stars
Oh my goodness! Omg! What in the ever loving hell did Kandi Steiner just do to me!!!!! I spent the entire book shaking my head, burying my head, or grabbing it to pull my hair out. Not only that but I’m pretty sure I’m now sexually attracted to whiskey, the beverage- ok both- shhh.
If you thought Ms. Steiner was able to bring the feels in Weightless, you will be laughing at your naivete. This book gives you hope and crushes it. It gives you love, then torments you. Hope resurfaces…and the cycle begins again.
This is a book you will need a reading buddy for. Don’t question it, just force your unsuspecting book besties to read it. You will need to vent. Omg! I sent my requisite 13 pms via Facebook to vent properly and am now on another author stalker watch list. But A Love Letter to Whiskey is worth it. It is worth every heartbreak, every sniffle, every tear. The thing about hope is it’s always hiding waiting for you to embrace it again. A Love Letter to Whiskey may make you lose hope at times but it’s always hiding. You just aren’t sure whether to hug it or strangle it to the very end.
I have so much I want to say but refuse to spoil anyone’s read. Just know that both Jamie and B are people. They make bad calls, mistakes, and shove their feet where they don’t belong. This is what makes you mad, sad, angry, happy, and horny too. You can easily experience it all.
Amazing writing
Beautifully twisted tale
Revelations that come very late twist the readers heart
But in the end, what did you expect?
An incredible tale of love that leaves you wanting…
wanting more
wanting Whiskey
wanting…
Breck ” Just B” And Jamie meet , when in high school. He literally knocks her off her feet and on her ass, right on the pavement. But she watches lamely as Jamie and her Bestie Jenna fall for each other. He has whiskey coloured eyes, golden brown with specks of green, auburn hair….and that’s the moment she gets a taste of , what is to follow her full blown addiction to whiskey. !!
Even though it’s bad, she still gets closer to him , any chance she gets
“Sometimes even when we know something is bad for us, we do it anyway. Maybe for the thrill, maybe to cure our curiosity, or maybe just to lie to ourselves a little longer.”
THE THING ABOUT WHISKEY is that the longer it sits in the barrel, the more it cahnges– it never stops.whiskey aged for two years is different than whiskey aged for ten, and no matter which year you decide to throw in the towel and pour yourself a glass, you can’t go wrong. Whiskey at ripe age, young and full of character, is buzz-worthy. But whiskey aged, even just a little bit ? Pure Bliss !
So she let’s herself fall in love with him, as years progress , the addiction starts to take root. Right from the first kiss to a clandestine affair , which she tries to slip off as a mistake. But she’s already had the taste of him on her tongue…..
“turned out the whiskey stain was just as permanent as ink, and I wondered if I would ever truly wash my self clean. I was tipsy, teetering on the edge of being wasted on Whiskey”
She tries to pull back because she’s with Ethan now. Her heart pulls herself in one direction , while mind in the other
“Jamie was Whiskey. Ethan was Rum. But I didn’t get drunk off Rum the same way as I did off with Whiskey.
No one warned me, once a Whiskey girl, always a Whiskey girl.
All I knew was that I couldn’t enjoy the spicy sweetness of Rum if I was drinking it while staring at a neat glass of Whiskey”
So this push and pull continues throughout the college years, till a family emergency separates them . She takes time off to get clarity they go without for three years . By the time she sorts her life, he’s matured. And she comes to the painful realisation that their time apart has done nothing to lessen the attraction
“In Scotland , you can classify Whiskey as Scotch once it’s been aged in Casks for a minimum of Three years. Scotch was much stronger than Whiskey I’d let intoxicated me three years ago”
But then again her career choices separates the,. Only after falling into a rut jolts her into facing her priorities in life. Does she want a career or her love . But by then An Angel had soothed his aching heart she had manged to break !
“The Scottish are the only ones who can technically spell whiskey as “whisky.” They claim more vowels wastes good drinking time, and I wish I could have realized that then, because that’s exactly what I was doing — wasting time.”
If I’d known back then about the Angel’s tax, I would have laughed. They say every year a batch of whiskey goes without being bottled, each year it’s aged, four percent of alcohol evaporates — and that’s the Angel’s share.
So she tries to pull herself back together – yet again and focus on herself, her own needs, her own life
“I let myself be broken for nearly another month before I started on my own twelve-step program.I I was clean.”
So this story is about their on again , off again lust fueled love. They are toxically infused in each others lives. They can’t live without and they can’t get together. But ironically they won’t even allow each other to find peace and happiness either. It just is ……
“To some, whiskey is a crutch. It’s a drug, it leads to addiction, it dulls the senses and damages the mind. To others, whiskey is medicine. A shot of bourbon can chase away what ails you, whether it be a sore throat or a broken heart.
Barrel-aged Whiskey and water mixed together, flavors exploding on my tongue with every sip.”
We’ve always blamed timing, but the timing has always been right — we just never listened.
The writing is very piercing-hurtingly angsty. It will make you pull your hair out with frustration, you’d want to bitch slap both of them, you’d cry for them, root for them too.
I took away half a star for the lone reason that the story got repetitive after the millionth break up. Even I was hoping that they’d separate .
And being a dark addict , it was really sweet for me. But please go ahead and read this fabulous written ugly cry at times , story.
4.5 stars
A Love Letter to Whiskey is one of the top books I see people listing as their favorite angsty read, so I knew going in it was going to be an emotional read, but I was still not prepared for B and Jaimie’s story. There was so much emotion, so much angst, so much pain. Kandi Steiner has to have some sort of magical powers when it comes to her amazing ability to write angsty romance. I loved every minute of this book, even the moments where B and Jaimie frustrated me. I kept switching back and forth between the e-book and audiobook, and the narration on the audible version is perfect. The narrator’s voice was exactly how I imagined B sounding.
This book gave me all the feels. Hard. Well written, great character development. LOVED IT. TOP 5 BOOK!
I love all things Kandi. So glad I found her and her words.