Sex isn’t love. Love isn’t sex. And friendship is neither. The son of a French Olympic skier and a Malaysian fashion designer, Ronin Alexander has lived the life of a nomad, traveling the world to find his next adventure. Life takes a dramatic turn when he meets Evelyn, a beautiful scientist who owns a bath shop in Aspen, Colorado. They defy all the rules of relationships, falling hard and … relationships, falling hard and quickly in love.
Their world intertwines with Evelyn’s two best friends, the Governor and his soon-to-be wife. The four become close—very close.
When tragedy strikes, things from their pasts are unveiled—unimaginable truths and the grim realization that life will never be the same.
Jewel E. Ann steps into another dimension with this mind-bending thriller, a provocative story that pushes boundaries and tests the true meaning of love.
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Jewel E. Ann is an archaic storyteller, and her writing style is unlike any other, meaning she writes a story in the third person omniscient. Each one of her nineteen stories is different from anything that she has ever written. Jewel introduces her readers to new and unusual topics from reincarnation, abused street fighter, guidance counselor/student relationship, laugh out loud fashionista, to an autistic healthcare provider, vegans, coffee addicts, etc. The Life that Matters bring forth yet another foreign concept that will leave you thinking, feeling, and questioning the reality of the situation. However, that is not the only thing that you will be thinking about, and you will be falling in love with Jewel’s characters, Evie, Lila, and Ronin, you might be shaking your head about Graham? There is always an epic quote that goes the distance; in this case, it’s
“Hinder not the soul’s intended path unto light, lest shards of darkness shed upon thee. ”
You might be wondering what the hell does that even mean? What’s the point? Well, if you are a doctor, there is a Hippocratic Oath, Do No Harm! Paramedics take an oath similar to that of a doctor. Only the above oath involves more, more in that you will not hinder a soul that is intended path unto the light. If they’re dead, don’t bring them back to life, let their intended path toward the light, go toward the light. Whatever will be, will be.
Now you know if you are a huge fan of JEA, that she is not going to let this go and be present! Oh no, she is going to mess you up, shred your heart and fuck with your mind no matter what you thought you believed. It just is! Trust me, you’re going to want to read this story!
“It’s too big for words now. Don’t belittle it with a four-letter word. It’s too intangible. Too undefinable. Don’t ever tell me what you can show me.” – – One book was all it took for me to be absolutely hooked on Jewel E Ann Everything from this gorgeous cover to the huuuge cliffhanger at the very end, I am here for it all! Because I was so eager to start it I went into reading it completely blind having no idea what it was going to be about and I highly recommend going into it that way. This book had quite the twist I was not expecting and is filled with romance, suspense, steam, friendship, and epic love so pretty much everything (in my opinion) that makes for the perfect story. I cannot wait to dive into the next book because like I mentioned that cliffhanger has me on the edge of me my seat!
Unique!!
How JEA evokes all of the emotions out in one book is mind boggling. My emotions are in shreds right now. Once again, JEA has come up with such a unique plot. The connection between Evie and Ronin is palpable. Their relationship is intense, real, and sexy. God, I love a dirty talker.
I can’t tell you how high and low your emotions are going to go with this one. Grab your tissues and dive in!
#avidreaderbookblog #readingislife #bookblogger #bookworm #bookaddict #jeweleann #angst #streamy #intense #emotional #romance #uniqueplot #greatwriting
A phenomenal story about four people who start as friends, but through twisted events their lives end up becoming intertwined in a way I could have never imagined.
I absolutely fell in love with Ronin and Evie! This book was devoured in two days (only because I had to sleep) and I had to immediately go to Amazon for the second book.
I really enjoy most books by this author. I could not stay interested in this one. Ended up just scanning to the end.
What have I just read? It’s wonderful, amazing and out of this world. The beginning this duet is exactly what you come to expect from Jewel E. Ann! And there’s more. But I’m not sure my heart can take it! Loved it!
Shut the front door!
Dammit! I’ve been swept up in the kill me now abyss of Jewel E. Ann’s two-part storytelling!
The end of the Life that Mattered is far from an ending I’m willing to accept. It’s an insta click on to the conclusion, of Ronin and Evie’s story, The Life you Stole.
Great character development is just one pillar of this spectacular story and writing. Blown away, doesn’t come close to describing the emotions I’m left with and the clickity click click of my fingers as I download book 2.
Stay tuned for the next review of the Life duet.
This was my first book by this author and it will absolutely NOT be my last. As I read the last page of this book, it felt like a fist had enclosed my heart while squeezing as tight as possible. Jewel E. Ann weaves a story unlike any I’ve ever read. The one thing I look for in a book is also a test. I need to feel this story in my core. When I find that, I consider that story a precious gem and one I want to etch in my memory.
This author definitely made me FEEL which is not an easy task. This book has so many unique points and directions. It kept my adrenaline pumping and making me feel like I was on the edge of a cliff waiting to be pushed off. The feeling stayed with me with every word read.
I fell madly in love with Ronin and Evelyn! They will forever remain in my top ten list of favorite couples. The beauty of their connection added more aspects of uniqueness. I really valued how they didn’t even take the word “love” for granted. I love the depth, quirkiness and heat that bled through the pages. I cried several times during the journey as well as laughed and worried for them which left a heaviness in my chest. This book does end on a cliffhanger but it was the type that didn’t devastate while waiting to finish this duet. I can’t wait to dive into the conclusion to this story!
Mrs. Ann’s talent has given me a giddy excitement in anticipation of more of her words. I just need to do a little breathing exercise to calm myself before reading “A Life You Stole”.
My mind is blown….Jewel E Ann has done it again. She is such an amazing author and this is such an amazing book. I loved everything about this book, the plot and characters kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire thing. I cannot WAIT for number 2!
We need more stars…so many more stars in order to convey exactly what this story did to me…and to be fair, I know it’s not over yet. I have book 2 ready to start as soon as my heart stops weeping and pounding as though I’ve just run a marathon. Never could I have imagined that another story written by Jewel E. Ann could have surpassed the Transcend/Epoch duet that so completely kept me in its thralls months after I’d read them. Evie and Ronin have what might seem to most as an idyllic life. Do they have a ton of money? Not really, despite the fact that their closest friends Graham and Lila are rich and famous. They live their owned charmed life in their cabin in Aspen, both doing what they loved. But there are things, things just beneath the surface, perhaps secrets, perhaps something just a little more otherworldly lurking that threaten to upend their lives. Are they prepared to face the music? Is your life or another life worth the pain of living in THIS life? I knew going in that the author would throw us for a loop…and boy I wasn’t wrong. She always has this ability to make me REALLY think about things that I sometimes can’t even imagine or perhaps don’t want to imagine and she does it so brilliantly, so smoothly that you find yourself a complete victim to her words (and I mean that in the most complimentary and beautiful way).
“I couldn’t remember the moment I fell for him which meant … I had loved him forever. Probably in a parallel universe. Déjà vu. Destiny. Kismet. Serendipity. They were all just fancy names for justifying fate when in actuality we had met before. We fell in love in a different world. I got to live more than one life with this man.”
“People with broken souls didn’t have real smiles. They grimaced from the broken pieces of their soul impaling their heart.”
Jewel E. Ann is a storytelling mastermind!! She writes a story. You must read it. I don’t know how she manages to evoke so many different emotions in every page, but she has such an incredible gift.
This story. Wow! I’m moved beyond words. The feelings are overwhelming, the story so very thought provoking, and the characters will burrow into your heart. Ronin and Evelyn have such an amazing chemistry, their relationship one that inspires so much love. The relationship and bonds between Evelyn and Graham and Lila are incredibly heartwarming. There are so many heartbreaking moments and so many moments fill with joy and love. The way this story evolves and the events that transpire will have your heart beating out of your chest.
Filled with great emotion, this story will leave you waiting with bated breath for the next book! Truly remarkable!
“We have a few rough days ahead of us.” “We’ve got this. Just let me ski backward until you find your balance.”
4.5 “Probably.” “my favorite” Kisses
I know to expect great things when it comes to Jewel E. Ann’s books. It’s not even up for debate anymore, it’s a fact she has proved countless times. I didn’t even have to think twice if I wanted to read The Life That Mattered…I had to read it. Even without reading the amazing blurb or seeing the fantastic cover…I knew I needed to read this book. I needed to meet Evelyn and Ronin…I needed to know their story…and most of all, I NEEDED to know what kind of mind bending spin Jewel was going to throw at me next. I had a feeling pretty early on that TLTM was giving me similar vibes to the Transcend Duet…which is definitely not a bad thing because I loooooved the Transcend Duet. But, similar to the Transcend Duet, I went into The Life That Mattered with an open mind and no expectations…I know Jewel can push my boundaries and get me out of my comfort zone, but she has yet to disappoint me so I usually go with it…and I’m very glad I went with TLTM.
Evelyn Grace Taylor Alexander…oh my little soap making scientist – I loved that Evie was a little bit of a creative and a little bit of a science geek, it’s hard to find someone who is both but on Evie, it just fit. I loved her devotion to her friends and family…if Evie loved you, she loved hard and fierce and true. She showed it with her actions and her words…she loved supporting the people she cared about. I loved her friendships with Lila and Graham…they’re uniquely devoted to each other and in some ways it wasn’t completely traditional, but it worked for them. I loved her honesty…I loved how horrible she was at skiing…I loved her personality – Evelyn is just a really easy character to love. It was very easy for me to connect with her – I related to her a lot and it really didn’t take me long to bond with her…the more I got to know her, the more I loved her.
‘I would marry this boy. I just knew it.
Boy.
Yes, Ronin had this boyish charm to him. When I fell in love with him — because I was certain it would only be a matter of time — I would always remember how falling in love at any age felt like taking your first steps. Sometimes it happened slowly, and other times it took off. And all you could do was go with the momentum and hope you didn’t fall too hard.’
Ronin Alexander…I adored this man from the very beginning and my love for him only grew leaps and bounds with everything I learned about him. Ronin is a rare breed…he’s an honest, truly good guy. I’m serious…like I don’t think he has a bad bone in his body. I mean, he’s a paramedic and works for the Ski Patrol for crying out loud…the man helps people and saves lives on a regular basis – he’s basically a saint! And the best part is, he’s beautiful on the outside and on the inside…does it get any better than that? Oh…but it does – the icing on the cake – he reads! *be still my heart!* Yes! He reads…actual books – I’m telling you, the man was sent directly from heaven. He’s charming and sophisticated, funny and sweet, athletic and a terrible gift giver (it sounds weird but is totally endearing – I promise!). I could sing Ronin’s praises all the live long day…he’s not perfect, but he’s pretty damn close. We don’t get a lot of chapters from Ronin’s POV which is a pitty because I gotta be honest…I loved every single moment from his POV that we got. I would have loved to have had more because the thoughts out of this man – especially in regards to Evelyn – were all that I needed ever, but I understood why they were a bit infrequent.
“I want one more kiss. One more minute just to look at you. One more smile. One more whisper of my name ‘Roe…’ from your beautiful lips. Roe…no one has ever called me that. And when you say it, I feel like the goddamn king of the world. I want this, and I’ve never wanted anything more than seeking the next adventure. But you…you make me want to stay.”
Evelyn and Ronin are…true perfection. Like legitimately…from the moment they meet it is nothing but amazingness and it only gets better from there. Their connection is pretty instant…not just attraction or lust, that’s there but it is completely secondary to the chemistry that they have. It’s one of those indescribable things…when two people just instantly click and you can’t imagine the two of them not being together. They just compliment each other so perfectly that life feels better just because the two of them are together – that is Roe and Evie. Also…super random, but I loved that they were older – in their mid 30’s – which isn’t old IMHO, but it’s not the norm and I dug it…big time. So, I wasn’t sure where their story was going to take them and as much as I tried to guard myself (just in case something bad might happen – this is Jewel E. Ann we’re talking about, she has shredded my heart before!)…but it was completely futile and useless against the force that is Ronin and Evelyn. Falling in love with them was effortless and inevitable. Trying to deny them is like trying to deny the basic truths of the world…it’s like Evelyn said “For me, I felt like we were a fact—the sky was blue, water was wet, the wind blew. Ronin and Evelyn just were.”
‘“Roe …” I whispered, turning toward his chest.
“Evie …” He kissed my forehead.
“You’re here.”
“I’m here.”
“For me …” I whispered over his lips, pressing my palms to his cheeks.
“For you.” He kissed me slowly.’
Jewel E. Ann never ceases to amaze me. I really didn’t know what to expect with The Life That Mattered…and I’m trying to be intentionally vague with my review because this is one of those books that I truly feel needs to be experienced…and there is so much to experience. So many complex feelings and emotions…all the different situations that characters are placed in…so much detail…it really needs to be experienced first hand. One of the things I love most about Jewel’s books…they are so character driven and right now, I am so over the moon in love with everything about Evie and Roe it’s unreal. I also love the way she infuses emotions into her stories – and that does go hand in hand with her characters…it’s just perfection. I never have any doubt or question about the way her character feels, it just bleeds from the page. It’s what keeps me hooked! I live for the way Jewel writes…her books are un-put-down-able – case in point, I read The Life That Mattered in less than 24 hours…I just couldn’t stop!
‘Life was about breaths and heartbeats.
A smile.
A wink.
The squeeze of a hand.
Sunrises and sunsets.
The rest…it was all extra.’
Well…it’s no secret that The Life That Mattered is the first book in the Life Duet…and it is a traditional duet in the sense that you must read the first book before you can read the second, The Life You Stole and that’s because *drum roll please* – The Life That Mattered ends on a cliffhanger. *GASP!* Yes…I know, the dreaded cliffhanger – I feel like they get a bad rap because no one wants to be left hanging, but I personally love them. A good cliffy can build up that anticipation, yes I’m obviously left wanting more but if it’s paced out properly and obviously not done for the sake of drama then it totally works. In the context of The Life That Mattered…it works for me. I figured it was coming…the events and how they unfolded were timed and paced very well and I’m absolutely dying to read The Life You Stole, so for me, it’s done its job. I am anxious to see how Jewel is going to resolve everything because there is much to be resolved…and especially with the way everything began with the Epigraph…I need a lot of answers! #RoeandEvieForever
I just finished this book and my heart is still beating fast, what an incredible cliffhanger! I knew it was going to happen since this is the first book in a duet and I know how this author operates, but really, leave me in crisis?!?
Stunning, complex, funny, sad, happy and a little ethereal, this book packs a punch of all this author’s writing styles. The characters, all of them, are fantastic; multi-layered, living perfectly imperfect lives, with a lovely interconnection that makes them like a big family. Every paragraph written, every conversation, was a necessary part of the story and it will carry you, turning pages feverishly, looking to where it is headed. Ronin and Evie’s love story is that of soul mates, it was destined to be, and they turned out to be each other’s biggest strength and biggest weakness.
There are different couples in this book, all connected by different feelings: Evie and Lila have been best friends since kindergarten; Evie and Graham have been best friends since university. They had a brief and disastrous fling which convinced them they were best friends and dismal lovers; since then, they’ve had a strong connection. Years after college, Graham begged for a chance with Lila, who hated him with a vengeance. Evie interceded and now Graham and Lila are engaged to be married. When Evie met Ronin and they fell in love so hard and so fast, he fit right into the group.
Fate leads these two couples in different life paths, and they have ups and downs in their closeness. There are secrets and events that rock their world and bring them close together again, then apart again. What never wavers is the love between all of them, their closeness and how, in all moments of urgency, they all come together as a family. The book encompasses several years in their lives and is presented in dual POV’s; Ronin’s and Evie’s. I became completely invested in their lives, as much as in Graham and Lila’s. Their fate seems to be interconnected by some mythical force, Ronin has more secrets to deal with and all the drama takes us up into a spectacular dramatic cliffhanger that left me literally breathless. The otherworldly element in the story enchanted me! This is a page-turner, epic book about love between friends, between lovers, between mothers and daughters, dealing with loss and jubilation. It was an epic read, my favorite of this year.
“Life was about breaths and heartbeats. A smile. A wink. The squeeze of a hand. Sunrises and sunsets. The rest … it was all extra. When forced to choose what really matters, it all became so clear. This moment. The only moment.”
Hold on with both hands because you’re about to experience the ride of a lifetime. All the stars for this masterpiece.
It took me about a week after finishing this book to be able to put my thoughts together. I’d start writing a review and have to stop, feeling discombobulated and out of sorts. The only coherent thought I had was, “I am not okay!”
The prologue immediately establishes the tone: you begin this book worried. You worry for Evie. Her friendships with Graham and Lila seem unhealthy for her, with boundaries too easily crossed and confused. You worry about her mother. You worry about her new relationship with Ronan.
And you worry about Ronan. Oh, dear reader, do you ever worry about Ronan.
It isn’t that he seems fragile because he isn’t. He is strong and knows what he wants. Evie throws him off-kilter, changing his patterns and plans. He loves all of her, and it is a beautiful thing to watch unfold. And yet that prologue lingers, flickering in the back of your mind, making you ever vigilant for him.
Making you worry.
This is the first of a duet, and the questions I have after that prologue are not answered here. If anything, I have more questions. There are more loose ends. I can’t figure out how Jewel E. Ann will get from the conclusion of The Life That Mattered to its prologue to the second book, The Life You Stole. I’m quite all right with guessing and predicting.
While there are many wonderful things about The Life That Mattered, there are a couple of problems with it. First is a rather glaring one: a character fights an addiction in a way that seems almost dismissive. For such a critical plot point, I expected more. I had to go back and re-read those parts to make sure I hadn’t missed something. By the time the plot point played out, it felt negligible, almost as if it was thrown in to add unnecessary conflict. I was disappointed.
The other issue regards an accident a character gets into. The circumstances surrounding this seem to point to something far more serious, yet no one asks the character about it. No one wonders about something that appears to be glaringly evident. I was confused.
Even with those complaints, I loved this book. I need The Life You Stole right now. RIGHT NOW. I cannot wait to find out how Jewel E. Ann will pay off that prologue.
Jewel E. Ann delivers another phenomenal read with this one!! Each book she writes becomes my new favorite, and this one is no different.
Evelyn meets Ronin while on vacation with her two best friends who happen to be engaged to each other. They share a cup of coffee and a fantastic conversation. Evelyn is pleased to discover that Ronin is relocating to Aspen, where she lives.
When he stops by her shop, the pair pick up where they left off the day they met and soon become inseparable. Will this whirlwind romance be the HEA they want it to be?
This is a story unlike any other I’ve ever read. The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat and left me hanging with an enormous cliffhanger!! Anyone who knows me knows I hate cliffhangers but waiting to read a book by Jewel E. Ann is out of the question. I love her writing and the elements of surprise that keep me hooked until the story ends. This book made me feel so many emotions and I loved every word of it!! Now bring on part 2!!
Jewel has the capacity to bring her beautiful style of story telling to a variety of different topics, and The Life That Mattered is no exception. I loved this book so much that when it ended, I couldn’t believe it! The anguish I felt and the readiness I had for book two were almost out of control and I cannot wait to see what happens to my beloved Evie!
5 EVERYTHING Stars!!
This duet has been at the top of my most anticipated reads list! I knew from the prologue that there was no way I was going to put this book down until I reached the end. This story and it’s characters consumed my thoughts. With every page turn The Life That Mattered kept me on my toes and I absolutely loved it!
This journey was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Every single bit of it hit me right in the chest with it’s realness. I loved how these characters made me feel EVERYTHING! This story left such a big mark on me and I can’t wait for more!
Jewel E. Ann has done it once again! With this first installment of the Life Duet she’s created an unputdownable, memorable, and refreshing read! I can’t stop thinking about this story and I now have my first big book hangover of 2020! I’m counting down the days until book two The Life You Stole.
*I volunteered to read and review a copy of this book from Social Butterfly PR / the author*