This is the story of how I fell in love with a broken man and his three little princesses. It is tragic, but it is true. And with truth, there is almost always tragedy.Tessa Lang has dreams of becoming the world’s next great author of horror novels. So, when she’s given the opportunity to write full-time, she sets out to do just that. There’s just one little problem.She’s not scary. At all.It … problem.
She’s not scary. At all.
It seems that her plans are ruined, until she meets heartbroken pianist, Jon O’Dell and his three little girls. Suddenly, she finds herself full of inspiration, and with the advice from her grandmother and best-selling novelist, M.L. Lang, Tessa decides to write what her heart wants – romance.
But as her novel moves steadily along, relationships start to develop, and Jon’s heart begins to mend, Tessa finds herself facing another unexpected dilemma.
What happens when you fall in love with your muse?
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Kelsey Kingsley has become one of my absolute favourite and automatic go-to author’s since I was lucky enough to read The Life We Wanted earlier this year. I shall never forget that story or Sebastian. Kelsey Kingsley has again stunned me with her gift for writing straight from the heart. She truly has a gift with words. Anybody can string a bunch of words together, but Kelsey is one of the rare few who can breathe life into them. The sentiment behind the title of this book was so enchanting, touching and the emotions weaves through the pages throughout the book.
Tell Me Goodnight is a heartbreakingly beautiful tale. It tells the story of how two broken people react and process their own circumstances both as individuals and together as a couple. By finding solace in the other, they simultaneously blossom into the best versions they can be of themselves. Through this delightful story, you’ll get to meet some wonderful secondary characters who help inspire the healing that Tess and Jon both desperately need.
This is an absolutely wonderful story of second chances, moving on and living after a devastating loss. It’s a story of hope and forgiveness, and it’s about working hard and ultimately realising that dreams do indeed come true. Tell Me Goodnight showcases Kelsey Kingsley’s unique flair of crafting a story of sadness, love and new beginnings.
“So, tell me you love me and tell me goodnight.”
Kelsey does it again! She has this ability to tell unique stories that makes you feel!
Tell Me Goodnight is a story of taking chances, learning to let go, and living for the moment.
Tessa meets Jon and his daughters by chance and a wonderful, emotional story unfolds.
Jon and Tess are similar in spirit. One has lost something precious and the other is preparing for a great loss. They learn to lean on each other and develop a bond in the process.
While the story is about Jon and Tess, those three little girls stole my heart.
There were definitely tears, a little sobbing, but there were also funny moments, mostly thanks to Sebastian Moore.
I HIGHLY recommend reading this book as well as Daisies & Devin and The Life We Wanted. They can be read as a standalones.
Powerfully written but so beautifully tender. Kelsey as always has written a story so relatable with characters that jump off the page as she tells a story of grief. We meet Tess a gorgeous single sexy writer with writers block who is taking care of her failing grandmother. Tess is losing patience with her grandma and decides to find a job. She stumbles into Jeff’s bar and applied for a bartenders job. With no experience Jeff offers her a babysitting job for his three nieces. While filing out the application she meets an adorable toddler dressed as a princess with a messy bun. Jon the girls father apologizes for his daughter. Jon is widowed and plays piano nightly at the bar. Jon has been in playing and writing music for years and waiting for his break. Jon has a sad demeanor yet his eyes strike something in Tess’s heart and Jon feels a pull to Tess. It’s here their story begins as Tess begins to break down Jon’s walls. This is a story of lost love, trust, family, faith, success, hope and fate as two hopelessly broken spirits heal each other on a quest to find love. This five star plus read pulls every heartstring as you laugh, cry and love. I love when a book leaves you breathless and this one does.
It’s truly hard to grieve your loved ones, and get to the stage where you can even begin to mend and move on. The people caring for you seem to want you back to your normal life a lot sooner than you are capable of. This book made me very melancholic, but in a good way. It’s about second chance to love so don’t think its all sad. It’s a quiet and peaceful, yet fun celebration of life, love and forgiveness. I loved the band members and will have to explore the two previous and the next book in this series to get to know more about them.
To say I loved this book is an understatement. I loved it so much I can’t quite describe how I feel, but here goes…
“Tell me you love me and tell me goodnight.” That has got to be my most favorite line in the whole book! Because goodnight is infinitely easier to say than goodbye. This story is a romance with your usual ending, but it is so much more than that. It’s about heartache, heartbreak, loss, chasing your wildest dreams, disappointment, a crochety old lady who loves Richard Dawson, finding the path you were meant to travel, three little ladies who capture your heart from the very beginning… it’s about discovery.
Kelsey has a way with words that makes the usual HEA so much richer, more vibrant, and full of well-rounded characters. With every book I think it can’t get any better than this. Yet Kelsey continues to amaze me with each new release.
Tell Me Goodnight is the book you didn’t know you needed to read. It breaks your heart and mends it back together. The words are so beautiful. The advice given the characters is so applicable to everyone’s life.
I feel like I need prints of some quotes from this book. And maybe real life people singing the songs. Even thinking of this book, I tear up, and I finished it days ago. I didn’t even realize I could like a book that made me tear up in every chapter, but I really really do.
TMG is a page-turner. I couldn’t put it down. I’m still behind at work because of it. And I really want to read it again. Like, now. Like, yesterday.
**MILD SPOILERS BELOW**
As a mother, the premise of this book – leaving behind my husband to raise my children – it just gutted me. Reading Jon’s struggles and triumphs in raising his children without his wife brought me to tears in every chapter. I could relate to Tess in so many ways, but especially the guilt of wanting to love someone and take care of them, but feeling annoyed and like you need a break from them. I feel like this is also a mother’s struggle, that many won’t talk about (for fear of being shamed). This book was just so very relatable, even though my struggles don’t exactly match those of the main characters.
My favorite line from the book: “Because I took your … horribly sad story, and turned it into–”
“A love letter,” he finished.
This book is a love letter. It’s a perfect, wonderful love letter. Well done, Kelsey Kingsley. So very well done!
*I won a free ARC of this book in a contest, and am leaving my very honest review.*
INITIAL IMPRESSION: It’s the middle of the night and I just finished this beautiful book. Not sure I can put into words how much I enjoyed it, but I did. Jon and Tess and those three little ladies are going to stay with me for a long while.
UPDATE (the morning after): Spent ten minutes reading sentimental and faith-in-humanity-restoring memes on the internet, so now my heart is full, my cheeks are damp, and I’m back in the right frame of mind to review this book. Jon O’Dell is adorable. He is also severely handicapped by his wife’s death. He’s missing a lot but hasn’t put in any effort to find it. Tess is also adorable. She’s rudderless and frustrated and looking for something. I love these two people. I loved them immediately, when they were still holding themselves back, when they were still so broken.
I recommend Kingsley’s books to everyone who scrunches up their face when I say I prefer to read romance books. Like her other works, Tell Me Goodnight is a romance, and it’s also so many other amazing things. It’s a story about family, about loss, about hope, about sacrifice, about belonging, about the power of music, and the connection of fandoms.
“We met because my chatty girl – wearing a fairy dress, a tiara, and wand – walked up to you in a bar to tell you you’re pretty.”
I’ve had a lot of books grab my attention at the very beginning. A first line that makes me laugh or a situation that just lets you know the endeavor you are about to embark on is going to be memorable.
This book did that and more. From the prologue (maybe even the dedication), you knew this one was going to be raw and real and hit you in the heart.
Kelsey Kingsley takes you along on the journey with Jon and Tessa as they work through their tragedies and struggles with self-belief. You cry with them when they hurt and you will smile and celebrate when they prosper and each figure out their own path.
I always love seeing characters reappear and it’s nice to get to catch up with a Devin and Sebastian (and Greyson). A great read that will tug at your heartstrings.
When I get a Kelsey Kingsley book I know I’m going to be in for an amazing story as well as an emotional one. This is no exception! Jon and Tess are two people who deserve love. They deserve to be happy. Jon’s daughters are adorable!
These characters are well developed, the dialogue is great. The emotion is there to reel you in, but doesn’t resort to a gimmick. You know right off that Jon has been widowed. You know his girls are great and that he has a decent support system. He’s just not ready to live without guilt.
Tess is ready to live her dream-she wants to write! Be an author! But, she’s so caught up in her own head she can’t seem to find her voice. These two have immediate chemistry. It jumps off the page. Jon and Tess don’t have an easy story. It will bring tears to your eyes because that is life! But the journey is so worth it!
It was also nice to check in with some of the characters we’ve met in previous books, though this is a standalone book.
Do yourself a favor and read this book! You won’t regret it!
I was provided an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
4.5 Tea & Tiaras Stars
That opening prologue grabbed me and I just knew the ride would be bumpy. But the best part was knowing that with those bumps, Tell Me Goodnight was going to take me on a beautiful journey and that the path to happiness isn’t always an easy one but so worth the fight.
Jon O’Dell is a sweet, loving man. His need to be a good father and provider is evident. His feelings of sadness and guilt are so acute, but his devotion to his daughters was abundant. Tessa Lang is a caregiver. I could feel it in my bones. She has so much love to share. Her interactions with her grandmother are heartwarming and hilarious. And her struggle to do the right thing always at the front of her thoughts.
I don’t know how to explain it, but Ms. Kingsley’s writing is just so easy yet so emotive. Jon’s sweet girls are the best. Their innocence is bar none. Tess’s grandma gives the best advice. Family is so important and play such a vital role in their lives. It’s one of the main reasons I love her writing. And it doesn’t hurt to throw some of my favorites in there too (ahem Sebastian and Devin)!
A story full of ups and downs, love and everything it has to offer with some great comic relief mixed in to lift the sometimes heavy load, Tell Me Goodnight left me with that happy, heart full feeling and that’s exactly what I want when I’m done reading.
Kingsley wrote my favorite book of 2019 in January, and I wondered how long it would stay at the top. Well, she now holds my top two spots of the year.
I am a reader, not a writer. I cannot do this book justice, but I will try.
Tell Me Goodnight is a sincerely emotional love story. It gives as much it takes. Jon and Tess are both stuck in unhappy places. Jon is two years into his grief of losing his wife, continuously floundering music career, and single dad of three little girls. Tess is spinning her wheels in her inability to write her novel and in caring for beloved grandmother, whose health is in rapid decline. Through caring for Jon’s girls, the two become friends. The recognition of kindred souls who know the struggle of artists who are aren’t creating makes for a strong bond. Tess’ optimistic nature buoys Jon and gives him the permission to “unstick” himself, even if it means taking a regular job instead of playing music as a career. That is his key to get him writing and performing again, taking his life in an unexpected direction. Tess finds her writing spark in Jon and his girls, and off they both go.
What I adore about Kingsley’s writing style is how relatable her characters are to a wide variety of readers. They aren’t shiny and fancy. They wear the bumps and bruises of life, and they persist. She weaves grief and loss among small smiles and moments of joy so the story never feels oppressive or voyeuristic. She writes two creative characters, but even I understand what drives them. While sad, there is sweetness and humor and a slow burn friendship-turned-romance that makes every page so special. The simple joy of a tea party with the girls, a beer with a brother, a cup of tea shared, and the breakdown of the best boy band create the magic of the book where I smiled through tears. Add to that Sebastian (still my favorite KK character) from “The Life We Wanted” and three little girl’s brutal honesty, and you have so much levity.
Tell Me Goodnight is stunning in its balance. We watch Tess and Jon blossom in their relationship and careers while Tess’ grandmother fades. Tess wants nothing more than to be wanted and Jon fights his guilt over wanting Tess. He wants her to be a part of his success, but that success was the dream he had with his wife. How does someone move forward with a shared dream when the one you shared it with is gone? Tess’ grandmother offers poignant advice in her moments of clarity, and those are balanced with the frustration she feels as her independence and control slip away. Both Jon and Tess’ grandmother talk to their deceased spouses (as I think we all talk to those who are no longer with us). Both Jon and Tess find their muses, but only one celebrates the outcome. Even the heartbreak is beautifully done.
In the end, this is a story of love, loss, resiliency, and being true your passion. It is universally relatable and artfully written. Tell Me Goodnight is a must read.
Let me start by telling you that I’m not a reader of ugly cries. I actually avoid those books like the plague. I am, however, a lover of Kelsey Kingsley’s words. These characters are real. They pull you into their lives and force you to feel with them. Through every look, every laugh, every touch, every tear, every word spoken, you will find yourself right there with them. Grab yourself a box of tissues, a bottle of wine, and a huge bar of chocolate and settle in for the ugly cry of your life.
Tell Me Goodnight by Kelsey Kingsley is an emotional, slow burn, contemporary romance told in first person, dual POV. It’s a standalone that takes place in the same world as Daisies & Devin and The Life We Wanted. Although it’s not necessary to have read them first, I highly recommend it because they’re outstanding stories with wonderful characters that make appearances in subsequent books.
Jon O’Dell is a struggling pianist, songwriter, single parent of three little girls, and grieving widower. He lost his wife two years ago and has remained broken, stuck in his grief, unable and unwilling to move on. A loving father, he only manages to keep it together for his girls.
Tessa Lang is an aspiring author living with her aging grandmother as her caretaker while working on her first novel, but she’s also stuck. Her attempts at writing horror feel forced and unnatural, and Grandma has become increasingly difficult to deal with. She needs a break and she needs some inspiration.
When Tess takes a job babysitting Jon’s girls, she finds her creative muse. She’s intrigued and fascinated by the handsome, tragically sad, single father. After each interaction with him, the words just pour out as she’s inspired to write a romance. Jon is drawn to the beautiful babysitter but struggles with guilty feelings of betraying his wife.
Jon and Tess develop a friendship as she cares for his daughters. Before she even realizes it, Tess has not only fallen for the little girls but also for their father. Will Jon ever be ready and willing to move on? And how will he feel about Tess using him for inspiration? What will happen when he finds out what she’s been writing?
I absolutely loved this story! So much in fact, that I’m not even sure how to accurately convey it. I think the last time I was so emotionally invested and affected by a story was when I read The Life We Wanted. I don’t know how it’s possible to continually outdo oneself, but Kelsey Kingsley does it time and time again as each book she writes is better than the last. Tell Me Goodnight was no exception. It’s a beautifully written, emotionally complex, character-driven story. Deeply moving, tragic, realistic, heartbreaking, hopeful, romantic, and endearing. This is easily one of my favorite books of 2019. I highly recommend it!
*** I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC. ***
I have been trying to gather my thoughts to write this review since yesterday. I have no words that could possibly convey how much this book touched my soul. Kelsey Kingsley took a broken man with 3 of the cutest little girls and made him whole in a way that only Kelsey Kingsley can. The words she writes, the feelings that she is able to convey, the imagery that she is able to draw in written words, and the emotions that she makes me feel are truly magical. There are so many words, sentences and paragraphs I highlighted in this book (and that in and of itself is unusual for me) but the one that sticks with me is “sometimes the most magic can be found in simplicity”. Look at the cover of the book….it is simple but absolutely beautiful and when you open the book and begin reading you will discover the magic that lies within. 5 stars aren’t nearly enough! This one will stick with me for years to come.
I had to process for a minute before I could write this. I was the oldest of three girls raised by a single Daddy, so my heart y’all (my Daddy died in 2010)I needed first off to condense this, so I didn’t write a novel myself about all the things I loved about this book. I also don’t want to give away any spoilers, because I think everyone should enjoy this book in its truest form, and that’s to go into it as I did. Only knowing what the blurb told me. Tell Me Goodnight is the heartbreakingly beautiful tale of Jon and Tessa’s journey. Jon is our devastated Hero that has been living the past couple of years struggling to get by and dealing with some hard core survivors guilt. It literally takes everything and every bit of energy he has to take care of his three adorable daughters. He’s struggling y’all! Tessa Lang turns Jon and his girls world on its axis when she arrives in town to care for her grandmother, who’s health is declining. She plans to follow in her grandmothers footsteps and write her first novel while she is living and caring for her grandmother. When Tessa meets Jon’s brother Jeff, he offers her a job babysitting Jon’s children in her spare time. Tessa has been struggling with a severe case of writers block. However, instantly after meeting Jon and his girls she is hit with inspiration and seems as she has found her muse, and maybe something even more with Jon. Jon is not prepared for the strong feelings or guilt that comes with when he starts developing them for Tessa, nor how well she quickly fits into his family. I love that this is a slow-burn romance. They formed such a fantastic friendship. It was organic and authentic and such a joy to read the development of it. However, like in life there are ups and downs and there’s devastation and it’s messy , sad stuff happens. This is not a fluff story. Yet, there are some funny parts in there too with kiddos and some of the great secondary characters as well. If your looking for a story that won’t hit you in the feels and make you cry. This isn’t the story for you. These characters were broken,they had to be, so that the author could put them back together stronger than before. This is a wonderful story of second chances and life after devastating loss. It’s a story of hope and forgiveness, a story about working hard and dreams coming true. It’s a story about realizing that sometimes your new chance might be your true chance and that just because you thought things were supposed to be a certain way doesn’t mean they will. Things do truly happen for a reason. Ladies and Gentlemen, you never look a second chance gift horse in the mouth. Mount that sucker and ride off into the sunset with your Prince or Princess and always “Tell them you Love them and Goodnight” I highly recommend this book. Have tissues on hand, but definitely read this book.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.