It was a hot summer day when I met him on the construction site next to my parents’ house. Under the sweat and dirt, Manning Sutter was as handsome as the sun was bright. He was older, darker, experienced. I wore a smiley-face t-shirt and had never even been kissed. Yet we saw something in each other that would link us in ways that couldn’t be broken…no matter how hard we tried.I loved Manning … loved Manning before I knew the meaning of the word. I was too young, he said. I would wait. Through all the carefully-chosen words hiding what we knew to be true, through his struggle to keep me innocent, and through infinitely-starry nights—I would wait. But I’d learn that life isn’t always fair. That no matter how much you achieve, none of it matters if you suffer the heartbreak that comes with falling for someone you can never have. Because even though I saw Manning first, that didn’t matter. My older sister saw him next.
Book one in an epic, three-book saga of forbidden love.
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No sex, but a wonderful story. Guaranreed for a nice cold weekend in front of the fireplace.
I enjoyed the characters and the building of chemistry between the woman and young boy who were both left alone after losing their families by death.
A gripping, passionate story laced with Jessica Hawkins’ special brand of angst and longing. The unforgettable kind that leaves you holding your breath as you turn the last page.
A brilliantly woven tale of young, forbidden love that will leave behind a craving you can’t explain. It’s sweet, it’s innocent, but it’s also undoubtedly an EPIC love story in the making that I can’t wait to read more of.
This book left me speechless in the best possible way. Something In The Way contains that special combination of heartache, angst, and joy that is Jessica Hawkins’ alone.
What an astronomical forbidden love. Wanting something bad that it is out of reach that turns into an unobtainable love. A heart throbbing story you cannot put down.
Ahhhhh, what to say about this book. This is the second book of Jessica Hawkins that I have read. I liked the writing and the plot drew me in…there was just something that didn’t sit right with me with a 16 year old and a 23 year old…butttt at the same time, I rooted for them at times. It didn’t make sense to me but it did. It drew me in enough that I have to read book two, that’s for sure.
Something in the Way was about three characters that bonded together yet found themselves in a love triangle. Manning kept both sisters close in honorable ways by encouraging them in different ways. Manning took the reins as a role model and guided these two young sisters. Manning knew the consequences of his friendship with Lake was a situation others would not understand. Trying to convey that to Lake who was not worldly was difficult. Lake’s youth caused unexpected reactions on an impulsive level that began a dangerous game entrapping Manning.
Jessica told the story from Lake’s POV with a few chapters including Manning’s POV. Jessica captured the essence of each character with extreme beauty. Reading about Tiffany’s transformation at the hands of Manning was supremely touching. Manning was great with these sisters being able to teach them how to respect each other and show Tiffany how important she was as an older sister who had to be a good role model.
Lake’s character was an innocent and naive sixteen year old girl studying college prep courses in preparation for USC. Tiffany her older sister by three years had the same expectations from her father but chose a different lifestyle. Charles Kaplan was a USC alumni who wanted the best for his daughters. He planned both their futures from the time they were born. When Tiffany stubbornly chose to defy her father he turned his attention to Lake. As a consequence, Tiffany’s parents became too lenient with her and too strict with Lake. Mom became team Tiffany while dad became team Lake.
Lake focused on school sacrificing her youth with reading and extracurricular activities to add to her application. Therefore, when it came to boys Lake had no experience. Unlike Tiffany who spent her time dating and exploring guys.
The parents banked on Lakes success to overcompensate where they failed with Tiffany. The parents were afraid Tiffany’s influence would rub off on Lake.
Construction was taking place across the street from the Kaplan’s house where Lake met Manning. At twenty-three Manning was a gentleman with common sense and control. Manning became a role model guiding the girls like a brother. Except Tiffany and Lake were both attracted to him. Tiffany was a nineteen year old girl who asserted herself physically and vocally towards guys.
Manning was aiming for honorable intentions with both girls unknowingly to himself what his attention was creating. Manning provided hope and encouragement to the sisters in different ways trying to guide them both into young women deserving of a good man.
Jessica captured the essence of Lake’s feelings with such beauty. The way Lake’s innocence shined and blossomed was truly magnificent. Every time I had an idea Jessica confirmed those thoughts by revealing the words through Lake’s character.
Jessica high jacked my heart. The circumstances in Something in the Way went way beyond what I imagined. Jessica hooked me from beginning to end. The entire triangle of friendship between Manning, Tiffany, and Lake was a learning lesson in life so unexpected.
“You have so much to learn about life.” This quote was the perfect summation to this story. These characters had so much to learn about life. The way Jessica created certain circumstances to illustrate how true that statement was messed with my head.
What a book. Didn’t end at all like I expected it to! I was rootin for Lake the entire time, even if it was a little taboo to do so. I love books like this, that make you question whether your morality a little bit.
I’m having troubles finding the words to explain how beautiful this book is. Lake and Manning have an immediate connection the minute they meet, and it’s so well written that, despite their age difference, you pull for them from the very start. It’s not instalove. It’s more subtle, more beautiful, more everything.
The reasoning behind Manning’s protectiveness over Lake is heartbreaking. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and do everything in my power to soothe him. And while it’s completely understandable why he acts the way he does towards Lake, at times I wanted to slap him across the back of the head and tell him to stop.
I loved Lake’s progression and growth. From the naive and innocent little girl she is when she first meets Manning, to the less naive, stronger, and more bold girl she becomes as their friendship progresses. How she stands up to her sister and Manning, how she starts to do what she wants instead of always doing what she’s told. It’s like you see her grow up right in front of your eyes. I couldn’t help but cheer her on.
Something in the Way is a fantastic read, and I’ll be waiting on pins and needles to read more of Lake and Manning’s story.
This book has everything you could want in a story and you need it in your life now!!
This poignant and touching love story is not your ordinary romance. It is a forbidden tale about Star-crossed lovers and their epic love for each other. It starts at the beginning when a 16 yr. old Lake Kaplan first meets mysterious and rugged, Manning Sutter. Lake has always done what she is told and still idolizes her father. He wants great things for her, so she is totally focused on achieving those goals. Lakes older sister, Tiffany, is rebellious, wild and carefree. She sees Lake talking to Manning and decides that he will be her next conquest. Manning is a flawed and broken hero who works hard and wants to be better. Something about Lake calls to him and he is torn by his need to protect her and stirrings of feelings he doesn’t want to acknowledge. Lake has never thought about love and lust, like her sister, but Manning causes sensations to surface that she doesn’t quite know how do handle. She does know that they have a special connection and they grow to genuinely care for each other. But there are those that would not understand their friendship and it is dangerous for both of them. I really cared for all the characters, even tho they would frustrate me at times, they were well developed and honest. The story line was so engaging I couldn’t put it down. This is a moving and emotional story of love, redemption, trust, sacrifice, and consequences. It brought out so many extreme emotions and I loved every minute of it! I did not see the twist this would take and it left me stunned! I can’t wait for the next book!
This was my first book I read by author Jessica Hawkins, and I immediately fell in love with her characters Lake and Manning. Her story of Lake and Manning’s forbidden love is so beautifully written, and it is an emotional roller coaster. Do not miss out on this series! Book one grabs hold of you and doesn’t let go!
A definite page-turner!
Something In The Way is the kind of book you don’t find on every corner (metaphorically speaking). It’s one in a million. Heartbreaking, nerve-wrecking, enticing from the first page. No, not page – cover!
Jessica chose the theme of a forbidden love for this series – young girl and just slightly older guy. Not old enough for it to be against common sense but old enough that the law is against them. Although Manning and Lake are pulled together by their hearts, the world around them seems to be doing everything to tear them from each other.
Manning is against the idea of dating Lake even though he feels a lot for her. More then he lets on. He sees himself as unworthy of Lake, which, to be honest, speaks more Manning than Lake. Because let’s be clear – if a guy thinks he is unworthy, if he even considers the though – he is probably more worthy than tons of other boys.
Through out the book I couldn’t decide what I hated more – the fact that Manning was overthinking things or the fact that Lake was overly careless? It was the kind of situation where you just wants to smack their heads together and be like “and now you kiss”.
Seriously though, this books deserved 10 stars, not just 5. It was perfect. It was everything.
Something in the way by Jessica Hawkins a gut-wrenching breath-taking five-star read. This is the first book in the Something in the way series, the next book isn’t released for a couple of months and Jessica Hawkins has just become number one on my most hated list, she used to be number one on my fan girl list, but agggghhhhhh. I loved this book even though I spent a large chuck of the reading time with that horrid sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I am sobbing like a baby because it’s over!! May can’t come soon enough. I foresee re-reading this book several times before the next book is released. You need this book in your life, especially if you were around in the 90s, even if you weren’t you still need it to understand the pain we went through. (life was hard, no mobile phones (you generally had to talk on the house phone in front of your parents) no GPS, no internet to get more details of your latest crush. ie stalk)
Sixteen-year-old Lake Dolly Kaplan is a young woman with a serious head on her very innocent shoulders, she has never been kissed, she enjoys studying and her dad has a plan for her that doesn’t involve unsuitable boys, that’s what her sister is for. Lake has never thought of boys in the way that she starts thinking of him, a hot, dark yummy older man who works construction next door.
Him being Twenty-three-year-old Manning Raymond Sutter a man who knows first-hand that life isn’t fair, when he finds up a gold bracelet on site he didn’t realise it would change his life in more ways that anyone would think possible. Manning and Lake have a connection, but he knows she in innocent and he wants to keep her that way. But life doesn’t always work out the way you want, and no matter how hard you want your happy ever after you don’t always get it. Lake may have seen Manning first but her older sister Tiffany sees him next, and Tiffany is a girl who gets what she wants, just ask her daddy.
I loved how this book was set in a simpler time, the 90s were my golden era so I loved all the references and remembering just how hard life was without such things as a mobile phone, things like having to rush home to make sure you didn’t miss a call from a boy you like. I was so surprised by the characters in this book, I can’t wait to see Lake come into her own more. I also surprised myself as I saw more of myself in Tiffany than I liked. I will even own up to how much I wanted to change my name to Tiffany when I was younger as mine was so boring, and I used to have a massive girl crush on Tiffany the late 80s pop star, I still sing along every time I hear the song (head hanging in shame). Most of all I want to thank Jessica Hawkins for yet another amazing book, if only she wrote faster, she would be the perfect woman and I could still fan girl over her.
This story was completely consuming.
This reminded me of young love and that first crush that feels like it’s more powerful than anything you’ve ever experienced before and for Lake, it is.
Lake and Manning have a journey ahead of them and it’s not going to be easy. This book completely broke my heart but it was an experience that I’d do all over again.
Jessica Hawkins gave me all the feels.
Highly recommend
This is one of the best series I have ever read! Jessica Hawkins writing skills are amazing and she knows just how to keep you wanting more!
You’ll need to buy the whole series at once and then binge read them. Something In The Way is impossible to put down and will wreak your nerves.
So amazing. This is definitely one of those books that will leave you longing for more, with a great book hangover… and trying so hard not to cry because damn, they’re fictional people! It must be PMS anyway… *coughs*
Lake and Manning are two characters who found each other at the wrong place, but most of all, at the wrong time. He’s older than her, and not just a few years, and she’s still an underage girl. Most of the time, it wouldn’t even be obvious that she’s young teenage girl – she’s very mature for her years, wise beyond them and very perceptive and smart about the world. But in some other ways, she has the innocence and naivete of a young girl – love, sex – it’s all unknown to her: she’s a teenager with optimistic faith in love. Manning, on the other side, has seen the worst the world can offer, felt the sorrow and sadness on his own skin… He’s a tortured soul, a broken one. These two souls, though, feel this inexplicable, weird and strong connection between them. But it’s forbidden.
The tension in the book new to be beyond what I expected, but it made me feel that forbidden part – even I had to remind myself it shouldn’t be right; the tension, the ‘one-way street’ situation could be frustrating at the times, tied me in knots… all with the mastery of writing that revealed you more about Lake and Manning in every forbidden word, breath, every forbidden touch.
It feels like race, and then the ending leaves you breathless and in disbelief. You like taboo, you like forbidden – this is the book for you. Hell, it’s THE book of the month, THE book that will be thought about, talked about, THE book – the must read!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this series!!