With a history like ours, the meaning of the word family tended to tangle into something unrecognizable. DNA and bloodlines didn’t tie us together, and neither did our last names. Various shades of grey blurred the branches of our twisted family tree.I wasn’t her brother.They weren’t my parents.Not that it mattered… She was off limits.Portia was my friend.Then my foster sister.And she’d always be … friend.
Then my foster sister.
And she’d always be the love of my life.
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An amazing 4.5 stars!! I really enjoy reading everything that this wonderful author writes…..it seems that she just knows what I like. This was one of those books that I literally didn’t want to put down, I stayed up extra late just so I could finish it. It was beautiful and forbidden and everything else I could have wanted from a book.
Never has a book gutted me at the beginning. Well this one did. It could be because of the way that Jude’s mom reminded me of my own. And of course because of the way that Stephie Walls can express the feelings of her characters so perfectly that it provokes you to feel for them. This one was a rollercoaster ride of emotions that I just didn’t want to get off of. You are taken through turns and loops with Jude and Portia, and you just have to hold on for the ride.
Jude and Portia’s story is in no way a conventional one. Then again who needs conventional when it comes to loving someone. You are able to connect with these two characters emotionally, and keep that connection all the way thru. When Jude is horrendous pain resonates off the pages. This is just one thing that I have come to expect from reading Walls’ work.
I wish there was a higher rating then 5 stars, because for this soul grabbing story 5 stars is not enough.
The ties that bind aren’t always what they seem.
I can always count on Stephie Walls for a stunning family-centric story and Family Ties was all that and more. This forbidden love romance was simply the bees knees and I loved every gorgeous word of it.
Jude was a sometimes foster kid and Portia as the adopted daughter of the couple who helped raise him from the age of eight. Portia was older at nine when Jude first appeared in her new home, but she quickly took him under her wing and the two grew close. So close, that even though it should always have been a familial love, there was something that held them both back from simply being fostered siblings, even though they didn’t realize it at the time.
Not until they first kissed.
That’s when it all changed.
This story is filled with teenaged angst and assorted worries of growing up. From college to leaving home. It’s got it all.
The dual POV gives added nuances to Jude and Portia’s story. Giving insights from both we wouldn’t get with a single POV.
These two have a connection that goes deeper than skin. This was quite a roller coaster of a story, heartbreaking at times and soo emotional, I dare you to read it and not cry.
Portia and Jude became foster siblings and friends but things get a little taboo when their emotions grow stronger and they find themselves falling in love.
This book had my emotions all over the place. It was a wonderful friends-to-lovers story with bittersweet memories, grief, bad decisions, finding yourself and the two most amazing foster parents ever!
Stephie Walls has done it again! If you’ve never read any of Walls’ books, first run, don’t walk, to get any of her titles – what are you waiting for? Next, you need to understand you will run the entire gambit of emotions, including tears (there might even be ugly crying). This is because of magical way Walls has with words. Not only that, she creates characters that are achingly human and beautifully flawed. You can’t help but be drawn into the complex worlds she creates with the prose she weaves. Finally, what every Walls fan knows, and anyone new to her work, be prepared for a book hangover. You will become so emotionally invested in her characters, you won’t be able to pick up another book right away.
Family Ties explores so many different themes. It’s a coming of age, understanding what makes a family, coping with loss and understanding when a relationship is in an unhealthy place. You are going to ache and cry for Jude. I have loved many of Walls characters, but Jude has wormed his way into a very special place in my heart.
I try not to rehash the storyline of the book in my reviews, you can get that from m the blurb, and I don’t want to give anything away. What I will tell you is, be ready to hit every emotion in the spectrum, have your box of kleenex ready (I also recommend a glass of wine), be prepared to stay up past your bedtime and have a book hangover. But it will be worth it!
Oh Wow!! Just Wow!!!
“Family Ties” By Stephie Walls was friggin amazing; like sooo good.
It’s an angsty coming of age story; with blurred boundaries lines and an almost forbidden attraction between two vulnerable young adults just trying to navigate lives obstacles while existing in a world of chaos where their path in life is still waiting to be forged and the coming chapter is still yet to be written.
Clinging to each other like a lifeline in a storm; Portia and Jude’s destinies have been intertwined since a young age.
Both entering each other’s life at a critical time these two share an unimaginable bond; foster siblings and confidantes since the day they met.
Shared Experiences and broken psyche’s Portia and Jude share a bond like no other.
But what happens when these feelings start to morph into something more.
When one is almost more broken than the other can deal with and when the one who makes your soul sing is the very last person society believes you should be with.
So, This was such a beautiful and at times heartbreaking tale.
From the moment I started reading this, I was transfixed with fascination and delight; never have I wanted someone to win at life as much as these two.
I can not find anything about this story I actually disliked; it ticked every one of my boxes and more.
A raw and emotional tale that leapt of these pages capturing my heart with its magical and emotive Prose.
this slow build style of narration really did work here; building an atmosphere of almost hopeful anticipation with its smouldering low burner approach; I loved and adored every expected moment. Every twist and turn took to arrive at its eventual end game.
At times this awakening wasn’t pretty or politically correct, but what this journey definitely was at its core was honest.
I can not recommend this story enough it was so thought-provoking and real and its one that will certainly stick in my mind for a long time to come.
This is an author I have never experienced before and she has undoubtfully scored a new fan in me; so impressed with this excellent piece of fiction; Bravo.
Thank You to the Author for providing me with an ARC copy of “Family Ties” of which I have reviewed voluntary.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
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Family Ties is filled with angst, heartbreak, friendship and love! I loved Jude and Portia. The bond they had was beautiful! This was a great read! I loved it!
Family Ties was a good read. I honestly have to say though, after reading a previous book from this author I expected a little more from this story. I have a habit of comparing a previous book I read from an author to their newer stories, and I know I shouldn’t but it’s just something I do. However, I absolutely enjoyed the characters; Ernie, Hensley, Portia, Jude, Carson, Ethan, Bart and Jet. There were moments that made you smile and moments that made you feel what the main characters were going through, and although this wasn’t a 5 star read for me it was still a good read with a great ending. Would I recommend it? Yes. Would I read more books from this author in the future? Absolutely!
I cannot stress how much I loved this book. The roller coaster of emotion I felt, I can’t describe.
The pain, heartache, doubt, and most of all, the love. I felt like I was living the story along side of Portia and Jude. At times I wanted to reach in the book and grab them by the collar and yell, “get it together!”
This book was beautiful
4 Lemon Pie Stars!
Stephie Walls just earned herself another reader for all her words. Family Ties is the first book I’ve read by her, and as cliche, as it sounds, it won’t be my last.
I’m a sucker for a good forbidden romance, I’ve read a lot of them but Family Ties certainly stands out with her beautiful prose, flawed characters, and an imperfect tale of love, family ties and all.
Not every book is perfect—I had a hard time relating to Portia, for me, she was selfish, but as I flip the pages of the story, I understood her, I felt her, and at the end, I couldn’t agree more with her. But despite my feelings toward her, I never doubt that she belonged to Jude. Walls did a great job making me root for them.
Jude and Portia struggled not only with the forbidden factor in their relationship but with the pain of losing someone. Grief doesn’t come in stages, and it’s not the same for everyone. Unfortunately, Jude’s way of dealing with it was not the right one, causing a rupture in the relationship. Gawd, how I suffered reading those chapters! I wanted to vagina punched Portia and hug my baby Jude.
Did I mention that Jude was a bookworm? OMG! He has read E.L. James! He was an introvert, music lover, and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVEEEEE HIM!
Did I also mention that the secondary characters were ah-mazing? The parents, Ethan, Carson, Jet, BARTTTTTTTTTT!!! Dear Stephie Walls, I’d give you my left arm to get Bart’s story.
Unputdownable. Family Ties grabbed me by the throat early on with a forbidden, yet sweet romance that delivered all the feels. Sadness, anger, angst, hope and happiness, I felt it all.
Family Ties is, hands down, the best book I’ve read all year! The angst, heartbreak, and hard topics that Stephie Walls intricately balance with humor, love, and hope create a beautifully written story that will leave you breathless. u202c
u202aI knew going in that this author writes books that are always much deeper than the blurb portrays. Family Ties still managed to catch me off guard and completely wrecked me within the first chapter. Three hours later I’d made it to Chapter 3. I can read an entire book in three hours, but Family Ties decimated my heart in the first three chapters. For me, good books get devoured, but great books require an additional level of processing. Family Ties is a great book.u202c
u202aTold from both Portia and Jude’s perspectives, their journey from friendship to more is an enthralling, tear jerking, all encompassing tale. “u202cPortia didn’t try to make a hasty exit or encourage me to put on a brave face. Just as she’d done since the day we met, she accepted me exactly as I came to her—broken.” But u202atheir imperfect parts compliment each other in ways that aren’t always for the best. “u202cI could feast on her body, get drunk on her scent, and swallow her affection for days. There was no doubt in my mind, I could starve to death trying to survive on Portia.u202a” u202c
u202aWithout revealing any spoilers, I’ll simply say that Stephie Walls has created a masterpiece. I’ve considered another author as the queen of angst for years, but Stephie Walls has taken that title. Family Ties by Stephie Walls is a tissues required, MUST READ, angst filled shot of whiskey.u202c It’s gonna burn all the way down.
4.5 Stars
Jude Thomas is first brought to the Shaw family when he is 8 years old and his single mom is struggling to raise him while fighting cancer. He is in and out of the Shaw residence while his mom continues to fight until she passes away when he is 17 years old and he moves in with Ernie and Hensley Shaw and their adopted foster daughter, Portia.
Portia Shaw has always been there for Jude as his mom battled cancer and she refers to him as her little brother. Now Portia, 18, is headed off to college and the University of Maine while Jude finishes high school.
But for Jude he cares for Portia in a different way than “sibling love” but will she ever see him as more? As the death of Jude’s mom finally hits him he begins to unravel and as he tries to find himself will he lose Portia in the meantime?
This was another beautifully written book by the author dealing with heartbreak and love.
I really liked Jude and I could understand at the beginning why he was hurting so much when it came to Portia. Yet there was so much behind the scenes for Jude with what he was quietly battling and not letting anyone into his pain and therefore he found his own outlet at times.
Portia was trying to deal with her own things while away at college and I felt bad for what she went through at the frat party but I loved her friendship with Jet and Bart. I liked how Bart was able to really talk to her and get her to see what he saw and help her through a difficult time.
I totally saw the events of Cape Cod coming and knew it was just a matter of time but I was so surprised that nobody else caught on or that nothing happened with Portia that she wasn’t expecting. I wondered how things were going to go after and I saw the slide in Jude and it really broke my heart.
Jude’s tailspin was so heartbreaking yet I loved how he finally accepted the help he needed and really took charge of his own life and situation. I also really liked that the author added two different counselors as it is something so important in today’s society that people get the help they need. I loved the idea of the notebook and how that really made Jude see everything differently.
The end was so awesome and a long time coming! It just made me so happy that Jude was truly able to find himself and the person that he needed to be before reaching out to anyone else! – By Rebecca
Emotionally drained but in the best way! Family Ties grabs your emotions from the Prologue and doesn’t let go until the very last page. This author knows how to tell a story about real life and characters that are imperfect. Jude stole my heart in all ways. I felt his burdens and triumphs. Portia has a way of handling things and though I may not have agreed I certainly understood. I love how easily this author brings life to this story through her words and the emotions that are easily taken from me. Family Ties is worth the time to lose yourself but be prepared to not put it down until you are done and be ready for Family Ties to stay with you for a long time.
…You’re my lemon pie…
I love the catchphrases in Stephie’s books. They are amazing!
I have admired Stephie’s words since I read Label Me Proud. She knows how to write a story full of love, angst and odds that seem insurmountable. She does it with poise and class and doesn’t have to dumb it down to make people understand.
Yes there is a bit of taboo in the subject of the story, but it’s slight and it actually brings more to the story of Jude and Portia. They are foster siblings and grew up together, in a unconventional way. They were drawn together by personal tragedies. But that was also what seemed to have separated them too…
This story of Jude and Portia was original, fresh and it was a page turner. Yes they were young, but their world experiences had aged them beyond their years. And I truly believe that Jude was an old soul.
The two of them had depended on each other for such a long time that it was almost written in the stars that they should be together.
The words flowed from the page and I could really feel the emotions from both Jude and Portia.
I am in awe at how Stephie handled the subject of this book and made me admire her all the more. This is definitely a must read book! I am so glad I have been introduced to her work. Well done Stephie! I cannot wait to see what you come out with next! Don’t ever stop writing.
Family Ties is a different story then any others I’ve read by Stephie Walls. Families can be made up of different people who share no bloodline. The main factor in a family is the love. When 8-year-old Jude Thomas’s Mom had to under go Cancer treatments, he was temporally placed in foster care and the home of Hensley and Ernie Shaw. The best foster parents any child would ever want. He also gained a 9-year-old foster sister named Portia. Through the years Jude and Portia grew to love each other. Complications began when the two of them found each other “in love” with each other. I personally believe that people don’t meet by accident. They are meant to cross our path.
Ever since Jude and Portia were just kids (him eight and her nine) he had welcomed the comfort that only Portia could give him. At seventeen Jude lost his mother, and he felt so lucky to have the Shaws to fall back on, but most of all Portia. All he knew for certain was that when two kids land in a house, scared and alone, they cling to each other because it’s safer than the adults. But their feelings for each other, the love that grew over the years, was not the love of brothers and sisters, or even just friends. This is what filled this book with angst and worry. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Even though they were not related. They share foster parents, not blood. They are of no relation. But the fact they grew up together makes them siblings in other peoples eyes including their doting foster parents. Jude and Portia didn’t talk much about what was happening between them, but knew to hide it from everyone. But what they had turned into love that was soul deep.
“I need you, Portia. In a way I’m not sure I even understand Everything about you makes me better. You create sunshine in a bleak world. You fill my heart and touch my soul. I’m invincible with you at my side.”
If you like angsty, taboo and forbidden stories that make you nervous, then here is a book you will want to read for sure!!
Warning: Tissues needed!!!! Family Ties is the story of Jude and Portia, brought together by unfortunate circumstances. Jude will break your heart, but walking with his as he puts his back together was so refreshing. I absolutely LOVED this story! The story is so well written and the story was well thought out. Job well done!
Epically emotional Family Ties had me grabbing the tissues one second and falling over from the heart melting romance the next. Delving deep into what makes a family and the reality of true love Jude and Portia’s story took me on a roller coaster of emotion. Even as children the bond between these two is undeniably powerful and growing older only shifted it into something much deeper. There is no way to describe the love they share other than epic!
What may seem taboo is truly not when it comes to Jude and Portia, so if you’re on the fence take that jump. Trust me, this book is overflowing with so many beautiful things it will take your breath away! I applaud Stephie Walls for creating a story unlike any other. Family Ties is not only beautifully moving, the story grips you from the very start and keeps you hooked until the end.
The Heart Wants What The Heart Wants
Let me start by saying that love follows no boundries, no age, no relations. It’s wonder when Portia and Jude, foster kids in Shaw home, just stumble & fall in love. It’s messy, conflicting, tearing, slaying love
This was the Portia I’d loved as a kid, through the various awkward stages of puberty, and now into adulthood—although each with a different passion.
Hearts oscillate between should we/shouldn’t we constantly, which became annoying but I totally get it. Social restrictions ,Tabboo relationship, which is technically not forbidden, but they are young kids. Moral compass is going haywire, physical reactions belie sensible morals.
I wasn’t her brother
They weren’t my parents
Not that it mattered……
She’s off limits
At times, maybe few only, Portia seemed self absorbed and childish. Jude was angry and frothing with jealousy more than she was. But at least he read smut. #GoJude!!
Pick up this slow burn story and watch your heart twist & hurt
4 “Pink Cotton Candy” stars
Stephie Walls gave us another interesting read with Family Ties. This is a story about love, about family, about dealing with grief. Its a coming of age novel about two foster kids meeting as kids, becoming friends and eventually falling in love.
These character were complex and well-developed and I loved how we are taken on this journey with them, seeing them mature as we turn the pages.
This story was full of emotions and will give you all the feels. You will feel it all along with these characters. The secondary characters all added to the novel and provided great support to the main characters.
Told in dual POV, this novel will have you hooked from start to finish. You will enjoy this fantastic read. I loved it and would recommend it.
Family Ties is a beautifully written book. Stephie Walls definitely has a way with words! I thought this book was refreshing in that it showed a good side of foster parents. Often books show kids who were treated badly by foster parents and that experience shapes their adult life in a bad way. This book is completely different. The Shaws are an amazing couple who want to foster kids and end up with Jude and Portia. They do an excellent job in helping them through hard times and shaping them into the adults they become at the end of the book. Jude and Portia’s stories are similar but yet quite different also. They have to overcome a lot to be together. The characters are wise beyond their years, which is so nice to read about. You don’t want to miss reading about Portia and Jude and discovering whether or not they can find love with each other!
Reviewed by: Alexis B.