Jolene PerryReseñas

I have very mixed feelings about this book.

On one hand - I could feel the grief. Good development of father-son bond. The rocky beginning of a beautiful friendship strong relationship.

On the other - There is a clear split in the book.
Part 1 aka Before
- Solid and interesting. Somewhat predictable drama to set the plot moving (I knew right away what goes down, not many options there really).
Part 2 aka After, aka In comes Helena
- Also known as The Great Divide. I had a What happened? moment - and my suspension of disbelief came to a grinding halt. Was it the looming deadline? Some life crisis? Something else?

Before was enjoyable. After turned out to be a terrible disappointment. There's NO WAY a single talk could revamp a person so completely. NO WAY.

Not to mention that the ending was terribly rushed. And had a sleazy feel of a horrible Happily Ever After.
(Not that I'm terribly against HEA. But one has to draw a line somewhere. It's one thing when there's a feeling of Possibility lurking on the horizon. And quite another matter when HEA is sugary sweet to the point of inducing nausea or so detailed there's no space for Possibility or -heaven forbid!- Imagination.)

FINAL VERDICT: A LET-DOWN

Rating: 4.5/5

*dab her eyes with a Kleenex*

Second chances are a beautiful thing, indeed.

From the beginning of the book, sorrow and sadness clenched my heart in a iron grasp and didn't let go until I turned the last pages and breathed a sigh of relief at seeing the two lovers getting finally their happy ending. It was the least they could have after all the hurt and heartaches they've been subjected to in one year.

A whirl of misunderstanding, pain, grief, loss, bitterness, love, heartbreak, a messy break-up and Tobin and Delia in the middle of it all, how can anyone stay stoic and unmoved by what they have been through?

I cried and cried and stayed until 2am reading in a frenzy, aching for a small flicker of happiness, to see them get past all their mistakes, overcome their fears and obstacles and be in each other arms again.

I cried for Tobin who just lost his older brother but couldn't understand why he did that to himself.

And I cried for Delia, who had been bullied her whole life by her control-freak father but then had enough of it and stood up for herself and her happiness against him.

Beautiful, emotional and hazardous for mushy hearts (like myself); Mrs. Perry and Mrs. Campbell are two authors I'm adding to watch-out-for list.

Some thoughts:
It's not summer when this story takes place, more like late spring, early May. So a different title would be appropriate.

Kate reminds me of one of my family members who hoped her diabetes diagnosis would go away, if she ignored it.

I was reminded of Something Like Normal as I was reading this book. I'll buy it for my students who liked that one and want something similar to read next.

I would be willing to pay $5.00 for this on my kindle, but not $10.

I hope the spelling errors are corrected in the final draft. Aiden or Aidan?

When I finished The Summer I Found You, my very first thought was something like this: “Why the hell is it titled something with summer, when the entire book takes place during spring?” It may not be such a big deal, but it bothered me. (Still does, by the way!)

Of the two MCs, I liked Kate the best. I understand her reaction to the sickness and why she tries so hard to continue on with a normal life. She makes some stupid mistakes, but to me it just seemed like teenage-rebellion. Too bad that it could actually kill her!

Aidan I don’t really get. He never got under my skin and his chapters were a bit boring to me. I understand his frustrations and he is actually a very interesting character, but he just lacked something to make me really care for him.

The different POV’s would have been great if it was possible for me to differ between the two. I was unable to tell just from the writing who I was reading about and I needed the character’s name at the beginning. In general, the writing isn’t amazing and there are a lot of mistakes both in the writing and in the setup of the Kindle version. It’s too bad, because it disturbed my reading-flow a lot!

It’s a cute story, but it could have been longer. The romance between Kate and Aidan would have been more realistic and they would both have had more time to work on their problems and thereby make the story more plausible.

This first person #YAlit novela (a bit short for a novel, I imagine) was both very hard-hitting in its accuracy, and very hope-giving, if a bit too much so, perhaps, in the ending. I find myself agreeing with another reviewer about the timeline being too short for certain things, but I can understand or imagine that the author wanted to give hope and encouragement, and teenagers have very short attention-spans and time-line perspectives, in general.

For me, this was a difficult read emotionally because it had me reliving events from my own early childhood and teenage years, and the earliest were the worst, as the ending of the book brought the external and internal conflicts together in ways that confirmed my own experiences very uncomfortably. But this is a very important work, and it is crucial to persist.

The premise for this novel was definitely interesting. I mean, you don't hear too often about teenagers living and working in a funeral home. And Gabriella - or Gabe, as she likes to be called - is definitely on the morbid side. She wears vintage clothes in black, and loves Wednesday Addams. Not that I have a problem with either of these things! I think that the author enticed readers by showing them this breakdown in friendship between Gabe and Bree, and the emergence of something romantic between Gabe and Hartman. But I wish the author had really gotten into the material instead of just skimming the surface. There were quite a few instances where the author could have really pushed and delivered more on the emotional front, but instead, it just felt very ... superficial. Instead of making this more of a heartbreak, this novel (for the most part) just seemed like a girl whining about growing up. Even during times when my alarm bells went off, things didn't really take a serious or deep turn. This novel had a lot of potential but I think its flaw comes from the fact that everything that happened with the characters just skimmed the surface. When I read a realistic fiction story, I expect it to be very character-driven; I want it to be teeming with complex emotions from the side of the protagonist as well as the other characters. However, this novel didn't dig deep enough into the character's personality, so it was very hard for me to feel any sympathy for anyone in the story. Also Hartman's character just came off weird. I understand that the author wanted to show him as grieving but his actions just didn't match up so he just confused me. In the end, this was a novel with a lot of potential that didn't really deliver what I was expecting.

I received this novel as an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Beautiful, amazing little book!

Loved, loved, loved it.

Forevers are everywhere!

The setting and premise of this book were interesting, and I think many of my students would identify with the teenage dilemmas of home vs adventure, childhood sweetheart vs cool outsider. The fact that Clara is so disfigured navigating the transition to adulthood without her mother adds both interest and poignancy to what could otherwise be a cliched story.

The Alaskan setting is developed well in places, but I think the author could have explored it more fully. The setting/context perhaps also explain why I felt a little uncomfortable with a few aspects of the plot: the controlling church (yet her personal faith wasn't fully explored); the idea of getting married so young; the fact that such a young and poorly qualified teacher could seemingly teach students only a few years younger than him with little supervision. These would all make me hesitate before recommending Has to Be Love to my own students, and I was particularly unconvinced by the portrayal of Rhodes in the latter sections of the book.

I received an advance digital copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The setting and premise of this book were interesting, and I think many of my students would identify with the teenage dilemmas of home vs adventure, childhood sweetheart vs cool outsider. The fact that Clara is so disfigured navigating the transition to adulthood without her mother adds both interest and poignancy to what could otherwise be a cliched story.

The Alaskan setting is developed well in places, but I think the author could have explored it more fully. The setting/context perhaps also explain why I felt a little uncomfortable with a few aspects of the plot: the controlling church (yet her personal faith wasn't fully explored); the idea of getting married so young; the fact that such a young and poorly qualified teacher could seemingly teach students only a few years younger than him with little supervision. These would all make me hesitate before recommending Has to Be Love to my own students, and I was particularly unconvinced by the portrayal of Rhodes in the latter sections of the book.

I received an advance digital copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Who could pass up reading an intriguing collection of five road trip romance novellas on a lazy summer day?

Since I enjoyed reading all five romance tales in the Road Trip Collection, I decided to only provide a general book review instead of individual reviews.

Road Trip Collection is an eclectic anthology of six romance novellas from authors Jolene Betty Perry, Sarah M. Eden, Ranee S. Clark, Annette Lyon, Heather B. Moore, Aubrey Mace. Each romance novella flows smoothly from one to the next, and has a unique mixture of road trip romances that will appeal to everyone. Each of the authors weave an intriguing, unique, and thoroughly enjoyable short romance tale with engaging characters, a variety of themes and richly descriptive road trip settings, and enough drama, humor, mystery, and suspense that will easily draw the reader into each story, keep them turning the pages, and leave them wanting more.

Road Trip Collection is the perfect anthology collection of road trip romance novellas to read while at the beach or pool. Each story will certainly peak your interest, and whet your appetite to read more from each of the individual authors featured in this delightful anthology collection.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the novella collection by the authors / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a book review program hosted by I Am A Reader.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2016/07/road-trip-collection-by-jolene...

I started this novel thinking "Oh no! A novel that is going to describe abuse and neglect", but it is actually a study in the damage caused by perpetrators of abuse. The descriptions of abuse are not too graphic and the reader understands that the memories are too painful for Joy to revisit in any detail. I really grew to like Joy, to suffer with her through her anxieties and depression and to rejoice in her slow and realistic healing. It's an uplifting read, and while there are other characters in the book, this is firmly Joy's story. One small niggle - the minor characters are, for the most part, all goody two-shoes. (How can Tara and Trent not feel the tiniest bit jealous that their parents have "adopted" another child?) Justin's attraction to her feels a trifle contrived. Tyler, the "Bad boy" is warned off with merely a word from Trent) A little more tension might have made Joy's situation among her peers a little more interesting. But that's a small negative and I think I'm being really picky. Over all, it's a fantastic read.

"5 out of 5 stars!! Two people meet and help each other during difficult times in their lives, while unintentionally falling for one another.

Kind of a NC-17 type of YA novel or rather somewhere in between YA and NA genres, I found this novel to be fun, intense, touching, and romantic!"

Read more of this review and a teaser here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2014/02/idolizing-in-summer-i-found-yo...

This was such a disappointment after "Stronger Than You Know" by Jolene Perry. The writing was slow and I didn't feel the connection between Tobin and Delia - it felt fake all the way through. Also, there were too many flashbacks which interrupted the flow of the book. However, the one thing that did amuse me was that throughout the book Tobin's eyes changed from bright blue to dark brown!!!!! Could not recommend this as a good read to anyone.

This turned out to be a great read about a teenage girl struggling with the affects of physical and emotional abuse. The author never went into explicit detail about what Joy had to suffer, but enough information was given to know she was horribly abused. However, the book was not seeped in darkness. Instead the reader follows Joy as she learns to trust and live a normal life, surrounded by a loving family and supportive friends. I empathised with Joy, but my favourite character was Uncle Rob. His gentleness and patience helped Joy come to realise that not all men were monsters. A gentle story worthy of my time, and certainly a Literature Circles contender.

I loved this book! I thought that some of it only Mormons would get, but other than that it was an awesome book. Since I am Mormon I understood what FHE was. I did not think that it was explained very well. Great love story and I am hoping there will be another about them. There was no epilogue and that was disappointing.

Young Reader Reaction: Readers will be changed by this book. Joy's story shows them a new perspective on how people who have troubled lives live. I liked this book. Stronger than You Know uses figurative language in a very creative style that got the message across and still made you empathize with the character.

It very realistically depicts abuse, and the way that teenager would handle that situation. It's a tough book to read, especially since you can empathize so easily with the main character. You don't want the horrible things to happen to her, as you've learned a lot about her. You follow her life and the ups and downs, and this is a very good aspect of this book.

There's more to our review. Visit the The Reading Tub® to see why we recommend this book. You can add your review, too.

Summer I found You 2.5 ★☆The Summer I Found YouJolene PerryNetgalley in exchange for an honest reviewI think this is a good Ya novel. Could use a few revisions, editing being a major one. This is an ARC copy so I hope the Author is going to fix the editing issues. Grammar, punctuation, run ons, and so forth. The biggest editing issue I saw was with the Heros name Aidan/Aiden. Yes that editing error bugged me more than anything. He is our hero the main guy the author/editor should know how to spell his name of all people...I didn't dislike the novel I just felt it to be very vague and superficial, but then again I remember this a YA novel. I think im more jsut saying this book didnt have depth that I was looking for and I can see that it being a ya novel thats a little more ok because they are meant to be fun and breezy hmm more of a light read. (I think I requested this in the NA section but im just going to say they had a filing issue and its YA.) If this was a NA novel I def would have expected the author to explore deeper into both of the characters experiences. I yearned for more information on Aiden/Aidens experiences overseas. I felt the author really stayed on surface with this topic.I Also REALLY wish the author would have gone deeper with the juvenile Diabetes as well. Especially since more and more children and teens are being diagnosed with this disease. I felt this book hit some major ballsy topics but again it only skimmed the surface and I am not satisfied with that.I like many others do not understand the title of this novel. It doesnt work with the book. Neither does this cover art. I was expecting amazing summer things from the cover/title. Again I think for a young reader this book is good, but it is not for me!

When I saw this book on Netgalley, I thought it would be fast-paced and a good read, so I requested it. I’m glad I decided to read The Summer I Found You, I loved it; I loved every single page of it. Yes, it was fast-paced; and no, it was not a good book, it was more than good; it was a beautiful story, with deeply damaged characters.

Although I loved TSIFY, I had some problems with the female main character, Kate. There were times where she was annoying. Here’s the thing: She is diabetic, and is always carrying a bag full of medicaments because she has to check her sugar level all day, and there is the thing about the insulin too. She hates when people treat her different because of her illness, so when she met a new guy (her best friend’s cousin), Aidan Connelly, who happen to have just one arm, she doesn’t feel the need to tell him about her diabetes, because it was a one-date thing. So far, so good, but when they start seeing each other frequently, she decided that he was treating her like a “normal” person, and hey! No need to tell him about something unimportant *sarcastic mode-on*.
Lies are short lived, even if they are by omission, and she knew it. Therefore, she decided to tell him the truth, and was waiting for the perfect time. Yep, it never came! No even when he was opening his heart and soul to her, and showing his deepest demons: how he lost his arm in Afghanistan, how he awakes in the middle of the night with his heart racing because he was having a nightmare about that day.
Sometimes she was irresponsible -and annoying-, but there were good things about her. Things that made me love her even in the moments I didn’t like her. She didn’t make Aiden feel like everyone did: tiptoeing around him and avoiding the subject of his lost arm, like if not talking about it would make his arm be suddenly there; she made him not care, much, about his arm; she made him happy, and it made me happy too; She gave him hope, hope for a better future, a happy one.
I really loved Aiden; he was my favorite character in the book. He lost his arm in Afghanistan, his friend, and now he is struggling with his fears, his demons. I really liked him; he is a realistic character and a damaged one.

I have read reviews mentioning how the author changed Aiden to Aidan and vice versa in the book, but I was so catch up in Kate and Aiden’s story that I didn’t notice it. Also, there is the thing about the tittle; I’m still trying to figure out the Summer part, but never mind, it doesn’t change the fact that I loved TSIFY.

Ms. Jolene did a great job with The Summer I Found You; she wrote about two damaged characters and created a beautiful love story and realistic and deep characters with a heartbreaking story to tell.

I will recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading YA/YA romance and, why not? To everyone I know!

Overall, The Summer I Found You was a beautiful and fast-paced story that melted my heart and hooked me up since page one.

Disclaimer: I received The Summer I Found You through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These are my own thoughts and haven’t been affected by a third party.

All it takes is one person to walk into your life to make you question everything. Jolene Perry writes this touching story in POV of Jay, a senior in high school who feels like his heart has been stabbed because his friend Sarah who he has been in love with for three years has started dated a shinning star jock Eric. Returning home after this finding he meets Sky, a college girl who is as gorgous as the night sky (or the cover, which I love!). This is a coming of age book for Jay as Sky helps shows him who he can really be through honesty, it is almost as if the fog has been removed for him. Yet as much as Sky is helping Jay he can't, but feel that there is something she isn't telling him...

This was a quick read for me that was very fluid. The characters were both enjoyable and realistic that will have the readers flipping through the pages eagerly to find out what happens next. The author creates a world that the readers can visualize even if they have never stepped foot in Vegas like me. I do not read many male POV's, but Jay was very enjoyable to read and I felt for him as he was in pain from a heart ache, plus a few other things! Sky is a strong, independent woman who speaks her mind causing the dialogue between the two enduring and funny. A must read :)

Does loving someone mean losing your inner strength? Knee Deep by Jolene B Perry is the second book I've read by this author, and I adore her writing! I read this in a day. Senior year, the last year in high school which is suppose to hold all these options for students, their last year of high school Ronnie and her friend Mindy each year set a goal of what they plan to accomplish that year in their notebooks of firsts. However as Ronnie sets out to try out for the school's play with her best guy friend Luke her senior year is far from what she could have ever imagined! Problems arise from her soulmate of a boyfriend, Shawn. Ronnie's head is spinning as she keeps trying to understand Shawn while balancing the play. Jolene Perry creates a story that teens should read, not only because she has developed this world where the readers feel as if they are in the character's heads with all the emotional chaos that unfolds. Knee Deep is a great coming of an age book for anyone, yes finding love is important, but does that mean losing yourself to be with the one they love?

Knee Deep kept me wanting to not stop hitting my kindle next page button. Ronnie is a believable character. I have read books like this before, but the main characters annoyed me. However Ronnie is a strong character despite all that she is dealing with. With the strength of her parents, brother, and two friends Mindy and Luke she learns so much about not only herself, but life. Perry shows not only the present, but also flashbacks to help the story flow which were fun. Also I wish there were more Luke's in the world ::sighs::. This book is for anyone who loves love, characters who are real, and beauitfully written stories! I would recommend it. :)

I’m just a bundle of feels right now. Ohh, the feels!

Not gonna lie, I kept getting frustrated with Kate when she wouldn’t tell Aidan about her diabetes. I mean, the guy got his arm blown off and tells you all these hard repercussions of that horrible incident he had to go through and you can’t be straight with him? AND he’s TOTALLY swoony!

Sooo grow a pair already, sheesh!

BUT she does grow on me, because she starts to grow up and stops being so flippant about her serious health issues. And she FINALLY learns to trust Aidan like she should have all along. (Girl, it would have made thing SO much easier if you’d trusted him in the first place. GAH)

The story is told from both Kate and Aidan’s perspectives–not only did I love each’s inner dialogue, but I loved their conversations with each other! That Kate is so frank and blunt is just what Aidan needs. They understand each other, and their chemistry is one that felt real.

This isn’t a super long read, and it’s one that hooked me enough that I sat down and read it straight through the night, start to finish. It tugged at my heartstrings at times, and had me chuckling at others–any book that can do that is a success for me:)



4/5 stars;)

(DAAAAAAAMMIT. Had to re-write it because I accidently clicked the back button and deleted my whole first review. Booooo. Anyways. Take two.) This book made me feel happy inside. I really enjoyed reading it, and I really couldn't put it down, I couldn't get enough of it. Thanks to Netgalley for letting me read it. Okay. Here we go. I might have a teensy bit of a book crush on Aidan, as much as I don't want to admit it. He's adorable and I wish I knew someone like him. I'd never let him go.

I wanted to read The Summer I Found you for several reasons. First, I am drawn to anything about teenage illness and the diabetes caught my attention. Second, I respect vets and those who serve or have served in the military and I love to read about them, so this romance with broken but amazing sounding Aidan sounded like something that I would enjoy his journey to healing and moving on from a life that he never thought would be over so soon. Third, I have read a few of Jolene Perry's other books and enjoyed so given the perfect storm above, it was a no brainer.
I really connected with Kate. I think she was described as just this side of weird and that sounds just like me. She ends up blurting out blunt things, sarcastic, awkward things and I do the same. She handles it with more grace than I do, and she found an admirer in Aidan because most people act like the missing arm is a non-issue, and Kate, first time meeting brought it up, asked him questions and even made harmless jokes. And that made him feel more like a person than he has in a long time. But he has other battles--he has nightmares that plague him and he has no idea what he wants for his future moving on.
Kate and Aidan had some pretty obvious and immediate chemistry, but there were some concerns with him being so over high school and she is hiding her diabetes because ironically she enjoys that someone doesn't know and doesn't make a big deal out of it. Her parents smother her as she's trying to learn to deal with the disease and she is not the most responsible with it, but I think its because she isn't accepting that this is something that will forever shape her life and interfere even if in minor things.
But as Kate and Aidan become friends, they both realize things about themselves and their illness/disability. And they also find a safe outlet, an ease of opening up and the freedom found in comfortable silences, just being with someone.
The issues of PTSD are so important to me, because my mom suffers so I really appreciated seeing it dealt with in ya lit. Aidan's struggles are real and hard and she writes that very well.
So--as far as title and cover, while lovely, I think that they are somewhat misleading. Because this isn't really the light romance that you would think on first impression. Don't get me wrong, the synopsis does let you know, and I loved what I found inside, just a disclaimer/worth mentioning thing.
In the end, Kate's hiding def caught up with her, and I am glad everything she learned through it and that her and Aidan figured it out.

Bottom Line: Sweet romance with characters I felt for.½

I received this book from Albert Whitman & Company and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


I really enjoyed the concept of The Summer I Found You by Jolene Perry. Two teens, both having a traumatic health/body experience and find comfort with one another. As the daughter of someone who has lost a limb AND has diabetes, I can truly say the emotional highs and lows both Aiden and Kate go through are on target. I feel that they work well together as a couple and similarly grow as people by the end of the story. Even though the book dealt with some heavy situations, it never actually felt "heavy", something I think would help teens/new adults relate to the book, but also take away from it a positive reading experience.

Now, a couple of criticisms. I realize that as a galley copy, the book is prone to mistakes, but there are dozens throughout this galley in spelling, punctuation, grammar, and continuity. Also, the cover and title, though beautiful, have nothing to do with the book itself. The book actually takes place during the school year, not summer, and I don't recall any trips to the ocean in the story either. I am going to assume these things will all be fixed by publication and in no way affected my overall opinion of this book.

Overall, I found this book an enjoyable read, and will definitely be recommending it for purchase. Fans of Sarah Dessen and Susane Colasanti should love this book.

Thank you to Albert Whitman & Company and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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