“One of the best books of 2017.”–USA Today’s Happy Ever AfterBook three in the USA Today bestselling Something in the Way series, a love saga.LakeIt was a hot summer day when I met him on the construction site next to my parents’ house. If I’d known then what I do now, would I have kept on walking? Manning was older, darker, experienced—and I’d trusted him when he said the story would only ever … experienced—and I’d trusted him when he said the story would only ever be about us. I’d held those words close and challenged fate, but I had lost.
A part of me is still that sixteen-year-old girl squinting up at Manning, but no matter how far I fall or high I soar, I’ll always be a bird without her bear and nothing without him.
Manning
When I close my eyes, I can no longer see her. The decisions I made were to push Lake in the right direction—away from me. But now that she’s gone, would I have made those same choices?
I’d walked away like I was supposed to. I’d kept my distance. I’d bent over backward to keep Lake pure, but she’s no longer that girl, and I don’t know if I can stay away anymore. I only know I don’t want to. She’s still everything I want and nothing I should ever have, but if anyone can move the stars, it’s her great bear in the sky.
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Not sure how or where to start this review. I knew this book was going to rock my world but I didn’t realise just how much. It was the perfect and only way this story could end, but I have to say, there were times I almost couldn’t cope. Jessica’s writing almost broke me today. She is crazy talented and solidified as a Forever Author for me.
This book gave me ALL THE FEELS:
* I cried so hard at points I had to stop reading to get my breathing back under control as I thought I would be sick
* I threw my IPad on the floor and stormed out of the room
* I PMd a friend who had read it over 30 times as I had to vent
* I highlighted over 70 quotes
* I completely neglected my family and my hubby took one look at my face and knew not to speak to me until I was done.
Jessica Hawkins has a way of drawing you into a story so completely, that you feel like you are actually there – feeling the pains and the joys of the characters. In Move the Stars she does this to perfection. Beautiful Painful Perfection.
A lot has changed since we left Lake in Somebody Else’s Sky. She has grown up and is pursuing her dreams, on her terms. In fact I think she changed the most throughout this journey and was the strongest of them all. I adore her.
Manning. Oh Manning. He is a hero like no other I have read. I loved, and at times in this book, detested him in equal measure. This story really tested my feelings for him but ultimately I loved him. All his flaws. All his bad decisions and all the heartbreaks he caused. By the end of this story I felt like I truly understood him and just wanted him to be happy. However that was.
There are plot twists in this story that had me gasping out loud. Screaming at Jessica in my head and questioning everything I thought I felt about this series. It’s definitely not your average love story, it’s more, so much more. It’s a love story that I know will float through my mind for years to come. A love story that deserves to be read. A love story that it might hurt to read at times, but all the real love stories do. I think so anyway. Have your tissues handy. You will need them.
Beyond AMAZING!
Absolutely breathless! Left speechless. I’m soo in love! The road to this ending was definitely not all hearts & flowers. It was a rollercoaster of emotions that took me soo high only to make me feel soo low.
My heart broke in soo many tiny little pieces I could’ve sworn it would never be whole again cause nothing could put it back together.
I was impressed and soo happy with this book (the conclusion) was different than any other trilogy I’ve read before. The timeline of Manning & Lake’s journey was the best. I won’t say too much more cause I don’t wanna spoil. It was perfect to me!
Yes I got mad and cried and swooned and was so hot and everything else one can feel.
It ended waay too soon even though I read it slow to savored it. lol
#bookhangover
Jessica Hawkins please tell me how one is supposed to possibly move on after giving their heart so completely to this emotionally raw and captivating series?!
This is the story that I have been craving long and hard for ever since devouring Something in the Way back in February, but now that it was here I wasn’t sure if I was going to be ready to say goodbye to Manning and Lake…I feel as if I’ve become so emotionally invested in these two that there was no way I could say goodbye to them, but as we say…”all good things must come to an end.”
FOR·BID·DEN – not allowed; banned: that is perhaps the worst feeling that Manning and Lake have dealt with since that fateful summer they met when Lake was a mere sixteen years old. Two lost and beautiful souls that were meant to be together, but obstacles forever seemed to keep them apart. Each time SOMETHING or SOMEONE got it the way of their happiness my heart broke a little more until nothing was left.
In Something in the Way my heart was split in two. Then in Somebody Else’s Sky it was torn out, shredded into a million pieces and then thrown into a pit of fire to burn until October. Finally, Move the Stars slowly began to repair the damage in PART 1 (yes I just said that) before promptly tossing it back into the burning pit of fire before oh so painfully sewing it back together again by the end of PART 2. I feel as if this series will forever hold a piece of my heart and every time I think about Manning and Lake butterflies will fill my tummy…tears will fill my eyes and my heart will speed into overdrive.
Jessica Hawkins I must applaud you and say…NO…SHOUT that Move the Stars was a brilliant conclusion to one of the BEST series that I have ever read!
Omg I don’t even have the words to describe how incredible amazing this book is. Made me cry and have so many emotions. Can’t believe the story is finally over. I couldn’t stop reading it. Totally sucked me in. I heart this book. Must read series. Highly recommended. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
This is one of the hardest reviews I’ve had to write. I’ve been dying for this book. After been taken on such an epic, angsty journey with the previous two books I was more than desperate for the conclusion to Lakes story.
I struggled quite a bit with this book. After the events that took place earlier in the series, I was already conflicted over my feelings about Manning and this book didn’t make them any clearer. There are events that happen that I had trouble accepting and too much has happened in the past that I’m not quite ready to forgive him for yet. My feelings about Manning have swung back and forth so many times reading this series. I started off absolutely loving him but somewhere along the way that love turned to hate. I didn’t think there was anything Jessica Hawkins could do to change my mind but after reading this book I may not love Manning but I do understand him a little better.
I loved Lake throughout this series and I loved her even more in this book. She’s grown and matured since the last book. I was desperate for Lake to rise back up, mend her broken heart and build a life for herself without her family in this book but I mostly just wanted her to be happy. After losing so much at such a young age, I desperately wanted her to be truly happy.
I found Move The Stars to be a lot less angsty than I was expecting it to be based on the previous books but it still had those emotions kicking in big time. The ending felt a bit rushed to me. I’d have liked an epilogue to give me the closure I wanted and to witness the aftermath but maybe it’s for the best that it ended the way it did.
So in a nutshell….
Did I enjoy the journey? Yes.
Did I get the ending I wanted? Yes and no.
Did i get all my answers? Not all of them.
Was I still thinking about it a week after finishing it? ‘Fraid so. With a story like Lakes, it’s been hard to think about anything else.
Would I recommend this series? Without a doubt, yes!
There are those books that just work. They stay with you, you believe in them both during the book and at the ending.
The ones that keep you up at night (I was up until 1am) the ones that make your heart jump in your chest, that make you want to skip ahead to the ending to relieve the tension (I didn’t but I would be lying if I said I didn’t think about it fleetingly, a time or 2) and that make you cry. Not sniffle, but actual tears.
The scene in the snow, by the cab, at the door, in the hotel…my heart skipped a beat while hanging out in my throat and about to jump out of my chest.
There were tears, and at the end I was a bawling mess. Literally, sniffling with tears running down my cheeks.
It was perfection.
And, I am not going to say it was easily achieved perfection. The author, the characters and the reader put in the work to get to the happily ever after for Lake and…well, I am not going to be the one to tell you, because here is the thing about this book. It is Lake’s story to tell, Lake and the other characters who are living it, and the author who wrote it perfectly. Telling you what happens would spoil so much.
There are changes in the characters, in Corbin, Lake and in Manning. Changes in the ways they relate to one another, and this happens in life. Events of a single day, a week, a year, 5 years…you are a different person for the sum of your experiences, and those experiences build over time. A single day can matter, and change the course of your life.
This, at it’s core, is what this book is about. It’s about living your life, and working your wants and needs in with what fate has in store for you. And, finding the balance, and coming full circle so the things you wanted are the things you can let go…and so the things you never though you could have are the things you find yourself living.
Was I happy with all of the characters at all times through the book? Nope. Not a little. I was mad, I was frustrated, I was enraged, I was annoyed….and I was engaged with them every step of the way. All of their actions were believable…is this to say there was happiness the entire time? Nope. There was angst.
There is also cheating. Because, in order to tell this story there has to be. And, if you have read the first 2 books (if you haven’t what are you doing here? You need to read them first, this is not a standalone) you know it is coming. That boundaries are going to be pushed, that you are going to want it to happen with your whole heart but, if you are like me, questioning with your head if it is right.
And, really, how amazing is the book that can get you to ask serious questions, to grapple with emotions, and to wonder if you are feeling the right way toward the characters? Answer? It’s a book that is astoundingly good, perfectly plotted and written with an impressive precision for the story, the characters and the plot.
This book doesn’t lend itself to a plot based review, as there are spoilers there. Literally from page 2….and, I am not going to do that to you.
I will leave you with this. Jessica Hawkins is a one-click favorite author of mine because of books like this. Books that challenge boundaries, and make you question what you would do, and make you want things with the characters. She writes books that leave you wrecked, but in the best possible way.
If Jessica Hawkins writes it, I am first in line to read it. 5 Stars is not a high enough rating for this book.
REVIEW: 5 *SPOILER FREE* STARS
BUY THIS SERIES
READ THIS SERIES
LOVE THIS SERIES
~BEE
Ok, for real. That’s what I wish my review was able to say. Because, yeah. I cannot and will not spoil anything for you, and please go in to this book completely blind. A lot happens. A lot is discussed. A lot of emotions are had. And when I say that Jessica doesn’t just give the love away, I really mean it. Go into this one with an open mind, an accepting heart, and a forgiving conscience. I just finished it and I am in shock still. I’m trying to come to terms with the multitude of emotions I felt while reading it.
“That was Manning’s problem. He’d turned down real love because others would judge it. He refused to accept what he deserved unless it was bad.”
To note: this story was NOT all champagne and roses. This wasn’t an easy trip down merrily ever after lane. It was flawed and real, heartbreaking and maddening. The pain and the depth, the wait and the torture; it was all there. I want for everyone to see their suffering, the depth of their love, and then understand that neither time nor distance was enough to take away from their amazing love story. This, for me, was full-on heartbreak within the opening pages of this book. We have a super feisty Lake and a mouthy Manning, and to say I loved it would be a serious understatement.
I truly feel…..worn out. After finally getting the conclusion to one of the angstiest, most intense trilogies I have read this year, I am honestly emotionally worn out. I don’t know how else to put it. After I finished it, I just kinda sat there and pondered what I had read. I know a lot of people don’t trust all the 5 star reviews they constantly see from “super fans” of an author, but I think this one is warranted. I like to think I’m a super fan, and Jessica is my favorite author, but I think I come with explanation and understanding, as well as discussion. I would honestly love to say this was told in a way that made me think. Made me ask questions. Made me try to put myself in their shoes to better understand the reactions. I loved that I was able to be mad at Lake for her decisions, but I could also empathize with her. Your first love is the hardest to reconcile all your feelings for, whether they are anger, happiness, sadness, jealousy, fear, or complete comfort. I wanted to see it through her eyes, and I got that. I also got a better understanding of Manning’s motives, right or wrong. I am so glad we got closure on some of the serious items that were bugging me.
“I didn’t know it would turn out this way, Lake. Your life, and mine, nothing is how I thought it would be.”
I loved that we got to see them both grow, mature, mess up, fix things, try to move on, and then figure things out. I love that Manning challenges Lake to look within to feel out her happiness. It’s not surface scratching happiness he’s looking for. It’s the depth these two have that is beyond words. Unspoken and felt with their hearts, they challenge each other and nurture each other in ways beyond comprehension. It is such a beautiful thing to see. True love at it’s finest.
I know this might not be everyone’s cup of tea and I’m ok with that. But for me, their story couldn’t have been any easier or harder than how she wrote it. It needed to be this messy, gritty and raw story that made you feel the gamut of emotions. There was NO way it could have played out easily. I honestly think Jessica did this story justice.
The book was the culmination of tempting fate, and fighting fate. What do you think is going to happen? The story is told with some mind-spinning wonder, in a way that you can’t help but get caught up in emotionally and mentally!!! I hope you love this series as much as I did.
“You can’t come back into my life and tell me it’s a mess when you’re the one who created it.”
~BEE
Please note, this book is NOT a standalone. The first 2 books in the Something in the Way series need to be read first.
If ever there was a book that you needed a paper chain to tear off the links each day till release day…this book would be it!!! Never thought the day would come.
Ahhh what an ending we were left with in Somebody Else’s Sky (#2).
We needed this book. We all have our theories on how this book would play out. We’ve hashed it out in our head, in groups, in messages and emails.
The book landed and I read nonstop. I will admit, I considered flipping to the last chapter. Only because I didn’t think I could make it without knowing… But you know what, I pulled up my big girl panties and read, starting at page 1 … straight through to the end.
I set the bar high for this one. I knew there was going to be several giant hills to climb on this roller coaster ride! Heck, throw in a couple corkscrew twist and turns while you’re at it!
What we get in this book is a raw, emotional, heart shattering ending to a fantastic love story that spanned over many years. Lake has matured a lot and Manning has developed into a man of his word.
But with maturity comes knowing when to realize that maybe those stars many years ago didn’t really line up like they thought they did. Manning being married it’s hard to make promises even though he knows what he truly wants in life.
Epic Ending to a series that will stay with me for a long long time!!! Thank You Jessica Hawkins for bringing us Lake and Manning’s fantastic story!
The gut-wrenching, heart-shattering conclusion to Jessica Hawkins’ Something in the Way series is finally here. Move the Stars is EPIC. This is the ending we have been waiting for. If you haven’t read the first two, please do so before starting this. It is not a standalone and you will be lost and lose the emotional experience that this book is.
It’s been a few years for Manning and Lake. Both are trying to move forward with their lives after Manning pushed her away from him. He thought he was doing the right thing. But was he?
That’s it. That’s all I can give you about the book. Why? Because to say anything more is to give away the plot and the experience of the emotion as a reader. I can say that things are not easy for either of them. You will hate Manning, more than you already do, but that will make you love him even more. Yeah, I know that makes absolutely no sense, just trust me. You will cry for Lake. Tears of sadness. Tears of joy. Tears of frustration. You will curse Jessica and these characters. You will toss this book to the side and say you are done, that you cannot take anymore. Then you will come back, because everything that happens with Manning and Lake has become a part of you. You will not be able to leave it unfinished.
There are so many fantastic quotes and scenes that I highlighted, but I decided against using them. I want to. I want to give you all of the glorious and heartbreaking words. But I won’t. Like with the plot I don’t want to give you anything. I want you to read this and I want you to find the words that speak to you. I want you to cycle through all the emotions of this story. Hate Manning, and then love him. Sympathize with Lake. Curse Jessica, and then praise her. And after you have read all the words, I hope that you will insist that others read what could easily be one of the best books of the year. Five agonizingly heartfelt stars!!!
This book deserves an infinite amount of stars. I need to pull my self together to write a review. Wow!!! UPDATE:
This forbidden romance series is EVERYTHING. It’s addictive. It’s intense. It’s heartfelt, and it’s one of the best romance book series you’re going to read in 2017 and beyond. Move the Stars (Book #3) by Jessica Hawkins will release on 10/23. #movethestars
There’s a Truck, there’s a Lake and there’s The Stars. And in it is an adorable young couple , in the Big Bear camp wishing and hoping for their Happily for Now . Their Ever-After improbable and seemingly impossible.
And from here starts the Pain in the Heart story. It pulsates with angst , chokehold emotions and soul crumbling tears . Jessica shows no mercy , takes no prisoners and prepare for cutting your heart out and putting it through the wringer , before you open the pages.
None of us were guaranteed anything in this life— especially true happiness.
And that is the underlying emotion of the entire series. A Half finished love that would have the power of a devastating storm , destroying 3 lives in their wake. In earlier books Lake and Manning meet and fall for each other, yet Manning struggles to be the adult and do the right thing.
Here Lake is picking up the pieces of her life and heart , post Manning.
She’s in a tiny apartment with a broken heater , A broken lock and a broken heart with her friends who held together her sobbing heart and weeping soul.
The story spanning three hefty books has many facets like a well cut diamond. It shall touch different people in different ways , yet the inherent beauty of pure virginal love and insecure heart will truly sit heavy on your chest . I’ve been so invested in Lake, Manning and Tiffany’s lives , even though I’m not a young love fan. Gimme dark taboo any day , but I couldn’t walk away from their ballad. And ballad it is , there’s music and romance in Jessica’s words, their resonance loud and strong , affecting you for days after you finish.
Keep the box of Kleenex handy though , cause beneath all the feverish kisses and desperate love making is heartbreak and bad timing.
There’d been so much heartbreak and only just enough love to keep me going.
Sometimes just powerful love is not enough to keep the world going, and if it’s not good enough, what good is it?
Nobody could say we hadn’t tried. We’d been pushed, and we’d pushed back. We’d wanted love to be enough, but it wasn’t.He’d turned down real love because others would judge it. He refused to accept what he deserved unless it was bad .
The characters are so brilliantly etched. They’re not perfect humans, making innumerous mistakes along the way, some they learn from, some their insecurities let repeat. But thats what makes them so endearing, so real. You’ll rub your chest where it’ll hurt so bad, you’ll forget to breathe, eyes will well up and overflow in contionous streams , yet won’t wash away the pain. You won’t walk away untarnished. If you believe in God Almighty, you’ll summon him to have mercy on these people , and wish upon all the falling stars to let their love unite in perpetuity.
Bear in mind – you couldn’t move the stars God still holds the pen to all our fates and Jessica holds Lake and Manning’s . She keeps it very real, very fresh and very potent. The conclusion is so powerful and amazing , it couldn’t have been anything else.
I’ve lived in a time of Lake & Manning and I don’t wanna come out of the pages.
He may be Her universe, her sky, her stars. Her Ursa Major. But he’s ours too
I’m guessing writing Must be taken a heavy toll on her too, reading sure did annihilate my heart
As I closed the book , I’m thankful for meeting Jessica and her beautiful soul that created these extraordinary stories. What incredible talent she is. So , Purge and move on to create more immortal characters Jess and slay our hearts , because who needs a whole heart anyway !!
Move The Stars was a fantastic conclusion to one of the most heart-wrenching trilogies I’ve ever read. True to the first two books, Move the Stars gripped onto my soul and I simply could not put it down. My heart was pounding, and my stomach was literally in knots. The final part of the journey we have been following isn’t an easy one, and the reader just feels so much, so strongly.
The writing was fantastic, the pacing a bit jumpy, but its jumpy in a way that fits. Its the way it needed to be told. 100% a must read series.
This series has been one of the most emotionally gripping and yet rewarding of my life. Not to compare the styles or authors or books; but I can only liken it to how I was after reading Twilight. That series led me to this romance genre of books via fan fiction and opened up a whole new world for me.
The Something in the Way series has brought me book friends and honest, open hilarious relationships with women that I will treasure for always. I was a fan of Jessica’s prior to the SitW series, and will continue to be her fan as long as she writes for us.
Move the Stars is the conclusion of the series, you MUST have read the other two books. I will have no spoilers in this review, because I want you to experience every emotion for the first time on your own. And trust me you will experience every emotion in MtS, that you have experienced in the other two books. Possibly even deeper because you know the end is coming. Jessica has made me scream in happiness, sob uncontrollably, put the book down and walk away, so ragey I couldn’t speak and start all over again. These characters are flawed. Perfectly, accurately, truly flawed; there is not one I can point to and say well they were perfect. And why should you? I want stories to provoke emotion and thought and conversation. Jessica writes from her soul; it pours on to the pages and then seeps into your bones and only leaves you when you expel your next breath.
I’m not going to sit here and say I loved all the characters every second of this conclusion, but I feel their journey and that to me is the true mark of a good character and exceptional writing. You will physically hurt for them and you will physically love for them. It’s unavoidable.
Even though I am legitimately devastated to see this series end, I’m so thankful for the lasting connections and emotions it has brought out in the readers and ME! I have NEVER, NEVER seen such passion brought forth from words on a page. I can’t wait to see what Jessica has in store for us next.
Side Note: I was the lucky recipient of an ARC copy of the paperback book at the 2017 Big Apple Author Event!! So I actually read this one in paperback, and it gave me a paper cut!! hahahahaha. I thought that was so fitting for the end of Manning and Lake’s story. I literally bled for them.
5+ PHENOMENAL STARS!! This is by far the best trilogy I have ever read. What a phenomenal conclusion to one of the most epic love stories ever. The story has all the feels and pushes every emotion button you have. Lake and Manning’s story was painful, sweet, maddening, but most of all beautifully written and unforgettable. Jessica Hawkins has given us a trilogy that will stick with you forever and the characters will take up residency in your heart. This is one trilogy you will want to read, so add to your TBR list and read it. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
Gut wrenching. So much pain, agony and separation and just as much love and passion. Great characters, wonderful writing. I would liked a little more of the happier or mundane times to balance the sadness. I have absolutely loved the series!
ALL-CONSUMING & SOUL-SHATTERING
yet also BEAUTIFUL in the most perfect way!
When I said that Jessica Hawkins broke my heart while reading this series I meant it…but when I say she completely shattered my soul while reading THIS BOOK….UNDERSTAND that I had moments where I could NOT continue reading because I could physically feel the pain they were going through.
After reading ONE SINGLE LINE in this book, it led me to throwing my blanket off me which in turn tossed my kindle feet away from me…my husband had to hold me. Yes I asked him to hold me! Which he did. #noshame
He held me while I talked through my anger and I might have called a fictional character some really horrible names. #noregrets
I’ve typed up dozens of sentences in this review that I’ve had to delete because although they express how I felt while reading this book they also provide major spoilers and I’m not that person!
THIS book was the hardest for me to read out of the series! It cut the deepest and left the most jagged scars.
THIS book cemented my deep-rooted hate for a character even though I found myself at one point almost feeling sorry for her! Yet I just couldn’t and if that makes me cold-hearted I’ll proudly wear that badge! I finished this book feeling NOT a single ounce of sympathy for her!
THIS book also cemented my adoration for a side character that I wanted NOTHING but the absolute best for. Corbin…it’s Corbin! And he’s MINE!
*Move The Stars is book 3 of the series. Start with book 1, Something In The Way. Do not skip books, this series is meant to be read in order.
This is the third book in the Something in the Way Series. The story continues where the second book left off. Manning and Lake’s forbidden story is beautifully written, heartbreaking, and gripping. Impossible to put it down. They are such wonderful characters, and their story is heartbreaking. The storyline is filled with drama, and twists and turns. Andi Arndt and Zachary Webber did a fantastic job with the narration. Looking forward to listen to Lake and Manning, the conclusion to this emotional series.
This book just keeps getting better and better. I love the dual pov. This book completely consumed me and I loved every moment of it!
This series is gutting me. There are no other words to describe it.
This book is the continuation of Lake and Manning’s story and is filled with all the angst and emotion of the previous books in the series. There are times when it physically hurts to read this story. I ache for the characters and all the problems they face. I will definitely be recommending this book to everyone.