A Sweeping Standalone from New York Times Bestseller Pepper Winters. “Things you should know about me from the very beginning:I was born to true love, witnessed the destruction it causes, and vowed never to let such agony happen to me. I am not a story-teller like my father. I am not a writer like my mother. I am just a son—their son. I am happy being alone. And that is all I ever want to be.”…
I am happy being alone.
And that is all I ever want to be.”
JACOB
The day he was born, Jacob learned his hardest and longest lesson.
It wasn’t a lesson a boy should learn so young, but from his earliest memories he knew where happiness lives, so does tragedy. Where love exists, so does heartbreak. And where hope resides, so does sorrow.
That lesson carved him from the kid to the teen to the man.
And nothing and no one could change his mind.
HOPE
I first met him when he was fourteen at a movie premiere of all places. A movie based on his parent’s life.
He was stoic, strong, suspicious, and secretive.
I was only ten, but I felt something for him. A strange kind of heartbreak that made me want to hug and heal him.
I was the daughter of the actor hired to play his father.
We shared similarities.
I recognised parts of him because they were parts of me.
But no matter how many times we met. No matter how many times I tried.
He stayed true to his vow to never fall.
5 Stars
The Son & His Hope will ruin you in the best possible way. — The Romance Rebels
5 Stars
You need to experience this amazing, powerful, once in a lifetime series. –Heather, Goodreads
5 Stars
Epically beautiful and unforgettable. This story is beyond anything you’ll ever read. –Melissa, Goodreads
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All I’m saying is like father, like son. Both of them smashed my heart to smithereens whilst making me fall totally and utterly in love with them
On paper, when you look at the basis of this story, it could so easily be one of those over emotional, angst-filled-for-the-sake-of-it, too-much-repetitive-back-and-forth books. Instead the amazing penmanship, world-building and character development of the author makes this a book that will stay with you a long time after you finish the last page. This book took me some time to read, both because it is long AND because sometimes I just couldn’t see for the tears. If it made Pepper Winters half as emotional to write this, as it made me feel reading it, I’m surprised she ever managed to complete the book.
To experience the full impact of this story, the one that eviscerates your heart, you really need to have read The Ribbon Duet first. That way you will understand Jacob’s family and why, even as a child, he was so broken by life. You will forgive that he makes you want to shake him until he listens, whilst at the same time your heart bleeds for his self-inflicted pain.
This book, like it’s predecessor, made me cry so much I had to step away at times, just to gather the pieces of my shattered soul together and forge the strength to read some more. Like it’s predecessor it will also stay with me in a way very few other books have. As will Jacob and Hope, who have carved a little space inside my heart and will rest there alongside Ren and Della.
If I was going to be critical I might say that the 17 year old Hope didn’t feel 17, she felt much older.
However her back story had been crafted in such a way that it felt entirely possible that she would be more mature and eloquent than many girls of her age. Her whole life had been spent in the company of adults, with few interactions with other children.
I had no backbone but only because he’s stolen it. Just like He’d stolen
my lungs, my heart, my soul. He’d stolen them so many years ago, yet
he didn’t want them. He’d never asked for them or given his in return.
And although I ached for a heart and begged for a soul and wished for
a backbone, I had no idea how to claim them back.
Oh and the push and pull between Jacob and Hope, the passion, the pain and the fury. It held me spellbound, it held me in the moment there with them. These two feel like so much more than words on paper, they are living, breathing, sweating, crying, loving people with such spirit that they must surely exist someplace somewhere.
Lace and a silver locket will now sit alongside blue ribbon as one of those images that triggers a thousand thoughts, feelings and memories. Despite the struggle and hard work of getting to the end of the story (both for the characters AND me) it was such a worthwhile journey in the end. It was so perfect even in all it’s brokenness and pain.
I did my best to laugh when all I wanted to do was cry.
I’d lost.
I’d failed.
It was over.
I’m now going to have a long lie down in a very dark room whilst I recover.
Live Wild. Love Freely. Be Blessed.
Pepper Winters made me feel the pain of a thousand deaths with The Son and His Hope. I was nothing but a mess of tears and heartbreak. But she put my fractured heart together piece by piece. So I was left with overwhelming hope. This book is a miracle. This book is true love and suffering. This book is a celebration of human life. And death.
Jacob Wild. The loved child of Della and Ren. My heart just breaks for this boy when the story starts. The Ribbon duet left me in a mental chaos and emotional mess. And the story picks up from there. He meets Hope in a movie premiere which is based on his parents’ life. And the changes begin slowly. Pepper Winter takes us on an epic journey which starts when Jacob is 14 and Hope is 10. When the book ends, we have travelled with them for a decade now. What a mesmerizing tale of love and heartbreak.
The strength of the book is Pepper’s story telling and character building. She takes you to the deepest recess of Jacob’s dark and despairing mind. I hopelessly prayed for this boy who saw so much tragedy that scarred and scared him forever. I sincerely felt the pain of a boy who has so much love in his life but can’t accept it and in the process hurts everyone. In reality he is the most kind and protective soul you can have. The story is set in the Farm and I get to meet some old acquaintances like Della, Jacob’s Aunt and Grandpa. The story spreads across time and space through various locations. The characters grow and change. This is just a brilliantly written masterpiece.
Hope is something else. She has lost so much in her early life but she is pushing forward. She lives and loves. She is strong, resilent, faithful and compassionate. I cursed Jacob and begged him to let Hope in. She got hurt so much by Jacob’s insecurity, rejection and fears. But she never stopped loving. I cried ugly tears each time they got separated. I released the breath I didn’t realize I was holding on when Jacob came to his senses. But it was not before they suffered horrible heartache and more life changing loss.Pepper Winters wrote about each and every feelings so eloquently and poetically. The words made me shiver, made me cry and left me hypnotized. Sometimes I had to stop and calm myself before I could go on. But it was worth it.
The Son and His Hope was a philosophical and almost holy experience for me. I was having this out of the body sensation throughout it. I was transported to Jacob and Hope’s life completely. This story is epic and a timeless classic. This is not only a story for me. This is one of those reading experiences that cannot be rated by stars.This was a journey with my inner self. This story changed me forever in subtle ways. I will never forget Ren and Della. I won’t forget Jacob and Hope.
(Received ARC for Honest Review)
After reading The Boy and His Ribbon, and after Pepper Winters tore my heart out, I was justifiably scared to take that leap again. Did I want to read about Ren’s son? Nope. I knew Pepper was going to put me through hell through Jacob’s journey, and after reading the excerpt posted on her blog, my suspicions were confirmed. Jacob Wild’s journey was not going to be one filled with rainbows and roses. People were going to get hurt, readers would be put through the ringer, and the journey was going to be a long, arduous one.
That being said, I did it anyways.
Jacob’s parents story is a larger than life story. Which is why it gets made into a movie. For Jacob it torture. He’s never met his father, but has seen the loneliness that plagues his mother from being away from the one they love. Seeing their story play out on screen, has a deep impact on Jacob. For him it’s the deciding factor of deciding to never fall in love.
On the day of the movie premiere he meets a ten year old girl named Hope. Her father is the actor playing Jacob on screen. Hope is annoying, following Jacob around. He doesn’t want the attention from the ten year old, but fate has another plan for the two of them.
Hope is the kind of person to put all her eggs in one basket. She decides Jacob is going to be her person, and her whole life is spent chasing after the boy who runs away from her. She visits the Wild’s on their farm, and feels right at home. Now if only Jacob would feel the same.
He doesn’t though.
The thing about Jacob Wild is that he’s really good at doing what he wants. Time and time again, he puts down Hope. He neglects her, flat out tells her that he’ll never feel for her, but Hope is a fool who keeps on coming back for more. Truth be told, if I was in Hope’s place I would have left Jacob long ago.
This book was a draining experience. It made me feel sad, happy, and angry all at once. The way Jacob yoyoed back and forth annoyed the hell out of me, but I couldn’t help root for the wary man that he became.
Would I read it again? Maybe after my tears have dried.
Five stars.
From the moment I read Pepper Winter’s teaser for the Boy and is Ribbon, I was hooked! And when I started The Son and His Hope, I knew that my heart would break, and it did. The prologue promised another beautiful and devestating story of love, loss and heartbreak. I was both excited and scared to revisit Cherry River Farm and it’s residents – the Wild’s and the Wilson’s. The place that Della and Ren found love, built a family, found true happiness and felt devastating loss. Their epic love story could be felt throughout the hills and surrounding forest, but with that love came a heartbreak and hurt so deep it impacted the people that witnessed Della and Ren’s love. And it broke the one person they wished true happiness for, their beautiful young son, Jacob. Jacob worshiped his father and would never turn his back on his mother or Cherry River and the promises he made. His parents did everything to show Jacob a world of love and normalcy, but they could not protect him from sickness and death. Experiencing such a devastating loss at a young age left Jacob feeling powerless and scared to live his life free to love. In order to protect his heart, he promised himself he would never get close enough to anyone again. He would keep his distance from those he loved so he would never feel heartbreak again.
Hope and Jacob first meet as children. They both have experienced devastating loss in their young lives. Despite Hope’s loss, she lives her life free to love with an open heart. She questions her existence and the death of her loved ones, where Jacob’s heart has hardened and shut down not willing to feel or give into his grief. Jacob pushes away the young girl that openly accepts him for who he is. Hope is able to see behind Jacob’s anger and recognizes the hurt and fear that has filled his heart. Over the years, Hope does her best to befriend the one person she feels a connection with. There are times where Jacob tries to accept Hope into his life, but he cannot bear or deal with the feelings she evokes in him and lashes out in anger. I absolutely adored Hope and her pure and innocent heart. I loved how much she cared for Jacob and how hopeful she was for a friendship, never letting Jacob’s anger scare her away. At the same time I wanted her to move on, find happiness somewhere else, because the way Jacob treated her was painful to read. Jacob not only resisted Hope’s friendship, but he tried to show Hope he is unworthy of her love and friendship by hurting her and breaking her heart. He feared the inevitable heartache that came with loving someone. Time and time again Hope tries to prove him wrong by showing him the one place he feels chained to is full of life, love and beauty. That once he is able to accept and grieve that with life comes death, there is so much beauty in the moments and the memories left behind by the people they loved. The push and pull between Jacob and Hope became exhausting. It seemed they could never move forward, leaving each other lost and frustrated. Jacob was destined for a life of solitude and Hope needed to accept his choices rather then continue to push. Love and emotion fed their desires, while the fear of a broken heart fed their pain and open wounds, and I so desperately wanted them to stop hurting one another. Throughout this book I felt disappointment and frustration, but I still loved Jacob’s story. It is a beautiful, heartbreaking, soul shattering journey full of love, life, acceptance and a reminder that life is precious and to never take our loved ones for granted.
This book would not have been complete without getting to revisit the past. The author did a beautiful and breathtaking job of giving us a glimpse of the love that captured our hearts in The Ribbon Duet. I was in awe how she was able to simultaneously break our hearts and heal us in the same breathe. Ren and Della’s presence and influence were felt throughout this book in the most devastating and stunning way possible. That epilogue was just everything! I will never forget The Ribbon Duet and Jacob’s story. All three books have left a mark on my heart.
Pepper you did it again why! Why do you have to make me ugly cry again!!! This book is simply amazing. I would recommend to everyone. However you do need to read Ribbon Duet first to understand this book. You are a real storyteller.
There is no way to describe the depth of Pepper Winters’ characters and phenomenal writing! It evokes so many levels of emotions from deep within me. No other author elicits as many feelings in me as she does during and even after reading her magnificent tales!
The Son and His Hope is just another one of those tales that I keep reliving in my mind even after finishing this detailed book almost two days ago. I miss them, I don’t want to let go of Ren, Della, Jacob and Hope! But alas, I have to sing their praises and those of Pepper’s to let you know how much I highly recommend this epic story!
I am enamored and intrigued with her ability to draw me in and hold me enthralled- totally and utterly captivated but not surprised as Pepper Winters is phenomenal in all she writes!
This is the highly anticipated story of Ren and Della’s Son Jacob. The Son and His Hope was so much more than I hoped for! I was spellbound with Jacob and Hope’s highs and lows but through it all love persevered. “Love was a trigger of mine – though I didn’t understand that until much later.” – Jacob
I shed different types of tears, smiled, gasped, chuckled, became frustrated at times, but savored every single word and moment of this beautiful heartfelt story and I felt compelled to hold on to it as long as I could! The Boy and His Ribbon, The Girl and Her Ren, The Son and His Hope should be read in order to fully appreciate the splendor of this tale!
4.5 – 5 stars – With parents like Ren and Della, I expected Jacob to be a child filled with dreams of love and adventure. Instead, he is bitter and completely closed off to the world. Jacob is devasted from the loss of his father and feels the weight of the world on his shoulders to keep his mom safe and the family farm running. He meets a young girl named Hope who only wants to be his friend. The Son and His Hope chronicle Jacob and Hope’s emotionally turbulent relationship. Jacob doesn’t have the emotional bandwidth to open his heart to love his own family or Hope. He keeps everyone at a distance so he won’t be physically or emotionally touched by love. He believes love only causes disappointment and pain. Hope can see past his blackened soul and wants to be with him in any capacity that she can. Will Jacob let her inside his brittle heart or finally push her away.
I think I wanted to throw my Kindle a few times. Jacob and Hope infuriated me. Page after page I cringed at Jacob’s behavior. He treated Hope like an emotional punching bag. There were many times I wanted to jump inside the pages of this book and have a reader to character chat with her. I didn’t know what I wanted to do first: scream, hug or praise her undying strength. Jacob and Hope’s story was gut-wrenching to read right until the very end. That plot twist and Della’s letter were perfectly Pepper! She really is a fantastic storyteller. I can only hope that we get another book. I would highly recommend reading The Ribbon Duet first. One-click worthy.The Son & His Hope
Once again, I am smiling through my tears. Once again, Pepper Winters has me in awe of her storytelling. And once again, I am firmly in love with a book that is more than exquisite. It is beyond wonderful. What The Boy and His Hope is, is a look at how the power of love, the power of forgiveness and the power of acceptance can ultimately heal even the most hardened of hearts. I just about survived The Ribbon Duet, exclaiming with unbridled glee at how masterful Winters told Ren and Della’s story. And now with this last in this series, I am truly gobsmacked at how the emotion bubbled over once more.
I loved that this book picked up right where we left off in the Ribbon Duet, at the premiere of Ren and Della’s life story in The Boy and His Ribbon. Getting that first glimpse of when Jacob Wild meets Hope Murphy and becoming prepared for the ten year push and pull that would ultimately ensue. Watching Jacob’s reluctance at being loved even when his heart was as big as the sun. I honestly thought Ren Wild was hard to understand. But that is nothing in comparison to Jacob. Wild One is the perfect nickname for him since he lives his life a bit recklessly, is oh so willing to test the limits all the while maintaining his distance from anyone who might just want to save him.
And then there is Hope. Little Lace. The girl who has suffered as great a loss as Jacob but still finds it in her heart to love. The way she tries her damndest to break through Jacob’s walls was as excruciating for me as it was for her. I applaud her spirit and her never say die attitude and I appreciated that she truly believed it was not in vain. But my goodness, I don’t know if I would have survived the lack of communication, the lack of respect and the lack of simply decency that Jacob managed to dish out through the years. But Hope is special: the kind of heroine that shines through the darkest of days and is truly a remarkable person, despite her youth. I just adore her. And I was as delighted as Della was that there might just be someone to shed some of that light in her restless son’s world.
This book is a true test in perseverance. Everyone involved in this book had their limits tested as their battle to continue to allow Jacob to be who he needed to be even without the proclamation of love, wore down their spirit. Even Jacob himself in keeping promises to his beloved father had to find a selfless way to honor him even as he pushed those closest to him away. And he is selfless. Even when I wanted to shake some sense in him at his gruff nature, I knew he had a good heart. His way with animals, the way he tirelessly takes care of the farm and making sure Della is content. Jacob Wild is tough as nails but the vulnerability he embodies is incredibly attractive and I fell for him hard.
Pepper Winters meticulously guides us through a journey that is filled with exceptional moments both happy and sad and I couldn’t look away if I tried! Despite every part of me being tied up in knots, I experienced true bliss that I was fortunate enough to read such magnificent words even when painful. Because on the other side of that pain was the glorious feeling of satisfaction that love can truly conquer all. My heart and soul thank you.
5++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ stars!
Final note: it would be beneficial to read The Ribbon Duet first to get the whole story and to understand they whys of Jacob’s actions. You will thank me later.
“She was maddening and frightening and everything I’d always avoided. Yet having her in my arms, I was free.”
I am an absolute mess after reading this book! It was such a beautiful yet heartbreaking read. Hope and Jacobs relationship will take you on the most exhausting and down right heartbreaking ride that you will ever willing go on. I don’t know how many times I literally wanted to just hold Hope and tell her that she was such a brave and beautiful person. She is truly an angel sent from heaven from Ren to his son. My heart completely broke for at 83% I cried so dang hard for her. Enough about that though. What truly made this book what it is was the writing! The writing was beyond amazing and beautiful! It was perfection!
This story was so emotional crippling it was truly hard for me to get thru. It will break you and build you back up to literally rip you apart again, but that is what makes this story so beautiful and utterly unforgettable! I will carry this series with me now and forever!
“Love can sometimes be the worst weapon.”
“Because love….that was the most dangerous thing a person could do.”
“He was the penny on the street you picked up for good luck. The four-leaf clover you tucked into the pages of a book for good fortune. The wish you made to the starry sky, believing there had to be more than this.”
“I’d asked Dad why he put up with abuse—because it was emotional and physical abuse. And he’d said it was our job to be the carers of those who carry the pain. Pain could manifest in many ways, and it wasn’t up to us to point out how hurtful and cruel such pain could be. We had to be brave and show the hurting that they could share their agony or deliver their agony. Either way, there would be no judgment or condemnation. Only love.”
“Because the world wouldn’t be the same without love. Humanity wouldn’t exist. The cycle of life wouldn’t exist. Nothing would exist.”
*ARC received in exchange for an honest review *
I am absolutely speechless! I wish I had the words and new where to begin with Jacob and Hopes story, but I doubt there will ever be the correct amount of words or the right words to even begin to describe the heart wrenching story. Reading the Ribbon Duet completely gutted me, I felt like Della and Ren weren’t just characters in a book but actual people who were actually a part of my every day life so reading their tale left me heart broken for months and still to this day I will tear up thinking about their tale. Right off the bat with The Son & His Hope page 1 I was crying! Jacob’s pain flew from the papers and wrapped around my heart and it felt like my heart was breaking all over again. While I say that I didn’t stop reading and don’t let the heartache deter you from this tale. You need Jacob and Hope to be a part of your your life and soul! Jacob will make you cry and then you will want to slap the crap out of him, but don’t give up on him! I wish their story didn’t end but there couldn’t have been a better ending then what Pepper Winters gives us! She continues to amaze me at her story telling ability and I will forever be in complete awe of her! I can’t wait to order a signed paperback to match Della and Ren’s story!!!
Sigh…. This book…. These 3 books… Before reading The Son and His Hope, PLEASE make sure you’ve read the first 2 books of the Duet before diving into this one.
As with any Pepper Winters book, you must allow plenty of time for reading her beautifully penned stories. Her books not only give you a story that stays with you, they take you on a journey.
Jacob and Hope, their story gutted me.
The farm is such a beautiful place. The love of the land and the love of the horses shows through out this story. But there is something missing… Jacob is a lost person. Throwing himself into the beauty of the farm. Keeping everyone who loves him at a safe distance. For fear of losing the next person he allows to get close.
Death is everywhere on the farm.
Hope met Jacob at the screening of the movie. A witty, strong willed young gal with a backbone stronger than anyone I’ve ever met! From that first meeting, she never backed down. She stood tall and gave Jacob every push he needed. But what she never expected would be, Jacob never accepting her and her strong-willed personality.
This book mentally exhausted me! I didn’t think that after reading the Duet, that this book would do the story justice. Boy was I wrong. After reading this book though, I will totally stand behind my fear of horses. They are beautiful to look at from a distance….but never will you find me standing next to one!
#BookBistroBlogApproved
Selfless love
Selfless gift
Oh boy, how should I start?
This is a stand-alone story but I will implore you to read the Ribbon Duet: The Boy & his Ribbon 1# and The Girl & her Ren 2#
I’ll dare you not! Amazing read, all feels.
These stories are not for the weak, but you’ll regret not reading this “Wild” emotional journey.
Ok I’m still babbling.
Jacob was 14 and embraced Death I mean loss.
Hope was 10 and embraced Life through loss.
Both lost parents, they’ve met when Jacob’s parents life was made into a movie.
(Keep the wound fresh Pepper!)
They build a dysfunctional friendship to the point of a consuming love. ( Heart aches)
Angst will make you climb walls and then crash the hell down… (Thank you)
This is one of the best books of 2019 I’ve read so far …
It’s about love, loss and second chances.
This love that’s true, gut wrenching painful
but better to have it than never have felt it.
I’m a little mess …
(I hope to add a much better review when the audio comes out! )
When the very first line made me cry I knew this would be an emotional read. I adored the first two books in this series and I was nervous for this third book. I loved Ren and Della but I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about their son Jacobs story. I had no reason to be worried it was as utterly brilliant as the first two books.
I’m sat with tears still running down my cheeks as I write this. The Son And His Hope is an emotional rollercoaster so many ups and downs, so many emotional tearful moments. There were quite a few twists but one main one that stood out to me and I wasn’t sure how to feel about it at first. I had to keep having breaks from this story, I wanted to savour it but I was also a little nervous as to how it would end. I didn’t need to be nervous but I am glad I savoured it!
Pepper Winters has done an amazing job of ending this series and telling Jacob and Hopes story, I’m so glad she decided to add this third book!
Cannot recommend this trilogy enough, just to warn you you will need tissues but it’s worth it! Five stars!!
5 Emotionally Charged Stars!!!
I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was a little trepidatious about reading this book with the way The Girl and Her Ren ended. And I’ll say, in my opinion, these books definitely are NOT standalones. They must be read in order to have an appreciation for the characters, the amazing story and all the emotions you’ll feel with each page, chapter and book.
This book is staggering in its beauty. I went through every single emotion possible while reading. My heart was literally broken with the ending of the previous book and I really didn’t think it could shatter any more than it had. When I started reading, I was so happy to see that Della had moved ahead with her writing and of course Jacob who is everything I loved about Ren and Della. I almost feel like I’m getting to see Ren through Jacob sometimes.
There are moments of gut wrenching tears in this book and I was considering not finishing it because I wasn’t sure I could take much more. But this really is grand love story between Jacob and Hope. Their beginning and even their middle is fraught with love, anger, sadness and loneliness. It’s not an easy path for these two is so many ways.
Ms. Winters managed to crush me, but in the end, I’m so glad I continued with this story because the beauty of her writing drew me in, kept me there, even when I wanted to quit, and left me with a few more tears, but also a huge smile on my face.
These have been some of the most emotional books I’ve ever read. I absolutely loved The Boy and His Ribbon duet and this is about on the same level, emotionally speaking.
Poor Jacob’s entire life has been dictated by his experience of a childhood loss, and seeing the pain it caused both of his parents. He now lives his life with the sole purpose of taking care of their land, and his family…. but not allowing himself to feel affection or love for anyone. If he doesn’t feel, then he can’t be hurt. But Hope, bless her heart… she meets him when she’s 10 years old, and is immediately fascinated and drawn to him. She is such a sweet, strong character! You feel bad for her, because she’s had to deal with loss too, but you can’t help but admire how she’s dealt with it, and her sheer determination and stubbornness when it comes to Jacob. I don’t think I could have been as determined as she was, or put up with what she does!
While not quite as heartbreaking as The Girl and Her Ren, this book was still incredibly emotional. It was full of angst and despair, hope, love, fear… it will put your heart thru the wringer for sure! It’s beautiful though, and worth every tear you may shed!
Another amazing read! This story shows how two similar experiences have different effects. How one can open you up and make you fearless vs the complete opposite effect cans leave you so full of fear that you choose solitude. How strength and determination can slowly break down walks, and how experiencing the worst grief imaginable can slowly fix what’s broken. Epic read of love, loss and how nothing can sever a bond so strong it transcends time. I highly recommended this book, The Ribbon duet should be read first. i
I was so excited about getting to read Jacob and Hope’s story, after both loving and hating in equal measure the Ribbon Duet series (which were both five star reads for me), I never really thought that i’d ever get to read another book from this author that would put me through so much emotional turmoil again, but silly me was so very wrong in thinking that Pepper Winters had finished with taking me and her characters to hell and back in this story.
My heart almost bled from the pain and suffering of what Ren and Della went through to survive the life that they both found themselves in, but their poor son Jacob, he is a child born into a life surrounded by gossip, pointing fingers and so much tragedy and death. He is emotionally stunted and shut down from anyone who wants to give him love, care and comfort but that never stops Hope from an early age from trying to be the friend that he never wanted.
The story follows Hope and Jacob as they both grow up and meet through many different circumstances over the years. Their story is a hard one to read that will rip your heart out and emotionally mess with your head. It’s a real gut wrenching read that will leave you emotionally spent by it’s end. Some superb storytelling, and the writing is so brilliant that it will make you want to keep on reading even when you think that you can’t take anymore of this story of heartache and despair. It’s kinda like when you watch a horror movie from behind a pillow, because you hate all the ugly but you just need to know what happens next.
One of the best series I’ve ever read and is a credit to Pepper Winters for her ability to make me love her characters and their stories however tragic they may be.
“Jacob Wild. The loner. The thief of hearts and destroyer of hope.”
The Son & His Hope is heart wrenching and breathtakingly beautiful. Within the first page I was already a nervous mess. Just thinking about Ren brought tears to my eyes and I knew reading about him would be hard for me but this isn’t Ren and Dellas’ story. Although they play a major role in this book it is their son’s story, Jacob, Wild One. Jacob has been damaged by the death of his father, He doesn’t do affection and keeps people at arms length. Hope is damaged in her own way but yearning for comfort. Both are mature and wise beyond their years.
“Life is not a gift; it’s a curse. Death is the gift because then the madness is over.“
Pepper has a way of ripping your heart out and then putting it seamlessly back together again. Her stories draw you in leaving you no choice but to live and breathe every word. I highly recommend this book. It is everything I hoped it would be and more.
“Love, hate, smile, or cry. Be every emotion or none of them. But don’t be afraid to survive.”
~ Read on behalf of Two Darlin Dolls and a Book Review Blog
THE SON AND HIS HOPE is the third instalment in Pepper Winters’ contemporary, adult THE RIBBON DUET. This is rancher Jacob Wild, and actress/script writer Hope Murphy’s story line. THE SON AND HIS HOPE can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the series in order as it picks up four years following the events of book two-THE GIRL AND HER REN.
NOTE: If you have not read The Ribbon Duet, there may be some spoilers in my review
Told from dual first person perspectives (Jacob and Hope) with a few introspective paragraphs from Della Wild, THE SON AND HIS HOPE follows approximately thirteen years in the life of Jacob Wild and Hope Murphy. At age fourteen, four years following the death the his beloved father, Jacob Wild would meet ten year old Hope Murphy at the world premiere of his parent’s story. Throughout the course of the next thirteen years Jacob struggles with what was, what is and what will never be, in an effort to live but barely to thrive. Angry, bitter, and broken Jacob is unable to get close to the people he loves including the woman that stole his heart, years before. As Hope continues to see through the dark and damaged persona of our story line hero, it is Hope’s heart that will inevitably be broken by the man that she loves.
THE SON AND HIS HOPE is an emotional, tragic and dramatic story line of conflict, struggle, acceptance and love. Jacob Wild is unable to move forward; time remains fixed for a young man lost in a world of hurt and hate, hatred he directs at an innocent young woman whose only sin is to fall in love with a broken young man.
Pepper Winters writes a beautiful, poignant and tormented tale of love, loss, grief and denial; a story about two people caught in a vortex of heartache and pain wherein words spoken in anger are more powerful and hurtful than the physical
Do you ever have the urge to communicate with the author of the book you’ve just read because you must tell them how incredible you thought their story was? I’ve just done this. I don’t do it often but I had the need to send a message to Pepper Winters and tell her how much the book affected me and how heartbreakingly beautiful the story is.
We’ve already met Jacob in The Girl and Her Ren. Jacob Ren Wild, son of Ren and Della. Born into a life with parents who have a love for each other that is so fierce but with a time limit on this earth. Ren passes away when Jacob is only 10 years old, and during his short life he has had to witness a disease slowly take his father away from him and his Mom, and then the devastation and loneliness that loss can bring.
This affected Jacob harder than I could ever imagined. The fears he has regarding love and loss has by his own choosing made him seek solitude. My heart broke so many times for him. Knowing that there were people close to him who could give him the love and comfort that humans usually crave, but with the barriers he has in place to protect his heart, Jacob refuses to let anyone in.
Hope Jacinta Murphy – the girl who comes into Jacob’s life at a difficult time. Full of questions about her own life experiences although able to embrace her future no matter what it may bring. Like her name, she brings hope. Hope that one day she will break down the wall guarding Jacob’s heart and he will allow at least one person in. I love this character just as much as the Wild family do. I wish I had her strength and determination, she is an inspiration to us all.
Tears filled my eyes as I read the first few pages of this book but by 13% I was already reaching for the tissues. Jacob’s story broke my heart time and time again and at times I cried enough to fill a lake. This is such an incredible story. One that I plead with you to read. It is very thought provoking and personally brought me lots of comfort too. I cannot recommend this series enough.