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Always: A Novel | 
so-soALWAYS by Sarah Jio
A story of lost love and second chances, of what happens when the past collides with the seemingly perfect present. It is an intriguing storyline, one that managed to tug on my heartstrings, but the way things played out, and then were resolved left me thinking WTF. A well-intentioned but thin portrayal of love.
WOW....This story was heart wrenching and beautiful. Kailey and Cade go on an incredibly tumultuous journey that ends with some warm and fuzziness.
pickOk so this book just ripped my heart out. First of all it deals with homelessness, something that is on my communities radar. To give panhandlers money or not? Buy them some food instead? Is it a mental health issue, drug addiction or bad luck? And then.... love! Is your first love really the only love?
What if you had to choose between your current love and your first love? How do you choose? Life really isn't fair!
#2019reads
#1/52
so-soA fast read, enjoyable, but terribly predictable and there is a gaping plot hole—who prevented Cade from getting the medical care he needed and signed him out of the hospital? Would nobody really be looking for him? He was after all a famous producer and co-owned a record label. If you are a fan of this genre, you would definitely enjoy the book.
"...detours in the road. Because without them, this life we're living... wouldn't be possible. Disappointment is really just a stepping stone on the path to better things, to best thing."
pickYou'd think I'd expect it by now but no, Sarah Koo rocked it once again. What a fantastic boom! While not my favorite (That will always be The Bungalow), this ranks a very close second! Damn, I cannot say enough good things. My one tiny annoyance was how Kaylie treated Ryan. But very very minor. Overall excellent book!
pickI usually don't read love stories, but this had a little mystery to it. Kaliey is engaged to another man, when the love of her life from years ago reenters her life. This book shows that true love conquers all.
panThe plot was too predicable for me. By the end of the book, everything wrapped up so easily for me and I found it to be very unbelievable. Also, the big mystery that the entire story was based upon wasn't ever fully revealed, so that left me frustrated. This is a quick, light, and easy read. Had I understood there are some major flaws in the writing and story line, I may have been better prepared to enjoy it for what it is.
pickI really enjoyed this book. A woman is out to dinner with her fiancee when she sees a homeless man and realises it's the love of her life that went missing years before. He has no memory of her, but she can't let it go. The novel goes back and forth in time telling their story. If you enjoyed the grungy 90's you'll appreciate this book.
pickAt its most basic, this book is about how love wins in the end. ❤️
pickWhile at times I did have to suspend disbelief while reading this and I found the ending a little too perfect, this was a nice light read that was the perfect choice after reading an ultra-dark book. Plus, it also managed to discuss the subject of homelessness in a respectful and unique way.
I picked this up and instantly fell in love with the story! 💞🌸
pick#2017Book93
Kailey never really recovered from her relationship with Cade, not even a decade later and engaged to someone new. So when she runs into a homeless man who looks exactly like Cade, she can't help but push her seemingly perfect new life aside in order to help the man she once loved, even if he doesn't seem to know who she is. This novel was sweet, but I wish we could end the trope that mental illness can be cured by true love's kiss.
so-soThis book was a quick read and made me think more about the circumstances that may lead to homelessness, but I didn't feel that the story was in-depth enough for me to really make a connection wth the characters.🙋🏻♂️🤷🏻♀️🙋🏼♂️💍❓
pickLoved the story but my heart broke for Ryan. However, the heart wants what the heart wants. It did wrap up too neat at the end. It needed a little more. This was my first book by her and I'm excited to read more.
For so long, I have felt lost, like a balloon floating aimlessly. And then his man reached up and plugged me down, Tying the string around his wrist.
The moment when you run into an ex...😬😯😲😮😱😨
pickWhile I really liked this one, I think with another maybe 30 pages and a slightly edgier finish, it could have been really outstanding.
Finally going to dive into this tonight. Hope it awesome like all her others.
Aaaaack!! Just picked these up today and I'm so excited, I can't decide what to read first. Probably Always as her books are always soooo good!!
pickWhat would you do if your boyfriend seemed to just disappear and then 10 years later, here he is, homeless and very unclear of how he ended up the way he did? Full review at http://whatchatreadin.blogspot.com
What I'm reading now!! #whatchareadin📚📖📰📜
so-soAlways is a pleasant read, but Jennifer wanted a little bit more.
http://bookishdevices.com/2017/02/13/always-jio/
so-soNetgalley arc...entertaining, but lacks some substance. Recommend for anyone with a soft spot for the Seattle grunge scene
pickEnjoyed this more than expected! Sweet story, tale of love lost and found. Was a quick, engaging read!
Picked up the new Sarah Jio book today. Her book The Bungalow was awesome. Looking forward to this one.
Starting this one. I'm seeing mixed reviews online but the premise has grabbed me ...
pick10 years ago the love of Kailey's life walked out, never to be seen again. Now, on the cusp of her happy-ever-after with new, steady love Ryan, she is confronted with her past. Cade, hurt and homeless, needs her help. While trying to get him medical attention and discover what really happened all those years ago, Kailey must admit that she still loves him... and Ryan. Does she pick her sweet, steady Ryan, or the mad love that touches her soul
Enjoyable reading, perfect for a lazy afternoon or an evening by the fire. Set in Seattle, it's the story of a young woman whose past begins to intrude in her present. Women's fiction from a well-known & -liked author.
So many books, so little time! At the American Library Association conference in Atlanta, finding some amazing books!
#bookmail from yesterday! This synopsis of this title sounds really good! Always, by Sarah Jio 📖 Thank you @penguinrandomhouse - Who's read this book already? #fiction
pickNice little tale of love lost & love found by the lovely Sarah Jio. 3 stars, I'd say. Another *guilty pleasures* read for the win!!
so-soThis may be a result of having read some really well-written books lately, but this one just didn't do it for me. Not overly impressed with the writing: very cliche, predictable, & almost cheesy at times. It would be suitable if you want a feel-good book, but otherwise I'd pass.
There is not a wine glass large enough for the amount of wine I need to consume tonight. My day just kept going from bad to worse. (And my hedgehog died yesterday, so maybe it all started last night.)
I am going to chill out with the Christmas lights, drink my wine, & hopefully finish my book. And hope tomorrow is better!
pickKailey lost the love of her life years ago, at least she thought, until she finds Cade homeless and unable to even recognize her. Engaged to be married, Kailey must balance between helping Cade and life with her fiance Ryan. I'm not normally drawn into fiction, but the way Sarah Jio paints the characters, they grab your heart and don't let go. I lost track of time, absorbed in this novel. It was heart warming and heart breaking at the same time.
Book mail x 2!
so-soI enjoyed this book...but it just wasn't a great book for me. It felt a bit flat...More like an outline for a great book, but missing all the real meat of the story. At the end of the day though I have to hand it to Jio. So often in love triangles, the author always turns around and tries to make one of the characters into some sort of villain or undesirable person to make it easier for the reader to accept the choices made. Jio didn't do that.
A unique love story about a woman who faces an impossible choice.
pickA lovely read, just like all of Sarah's books. Music is always a big part of her books, but this one really revolves around the Seattle music scene in the mid-90s. I wish there had been some more depth with the homeless aspect of the story. It's been a few years since Sarah's last book, and this one makes the wait worth it.
An early chapter takes place at a Mazzy Star concert in 1996, so it's only logical that I put this on while I read, and pretend I'm there.
That's some sexy #bookmail today. I'm dying to read both!
