A Song for Julia Review

A Song for Julia by Charles Sheehan-Miles

Book description…

Everyone should have something to rebel against.
Crank Wilson left his South Boston home at sixteen to start a punk band and burn out his rage at the world. Six years later, he’s still at odds with his father, a Boston cop, and doesn’t ever speak to his mother. The only relationship that really matters is with his younger brother, but watching out for Sean can be a full-time job. The one thing Crank wants in life is to be left the hell alone to write his music and drive his band to success.
Julia Thompson left a secret behind in Beijing that exploded into scandal in Washington, DC, threatening her father's career and dominating her family's life. Now, in her senior year at Harvard, she's haunted by a voice from her past and refuses to ever lose control of her emotions again, especially when it comes to a guy.
When Julia and Crank meet at an anti-war protest in Washington in the fall of 2002, the connection between them is so powerful it threatens to tear everything apart.

Another five star must read by the extremely talented Charles Sheehan-Miles.  I didn’t think it was possible for me to love another book by Charles anymore than I loved Just Remember to Breathe… but I was wrong.  While I absolutely adored Just Remember to Breathe I have to say that I absolutely LOVED A Song for Julia… there was something deeper in this story, something that made their love that much more special.  I couldn’t tell you what it was but I know that when I read the last sentence I seriously was not ready for their story to be over. 

I swear these Thompson Girls really know how to pick some amazing freaking men!!!

Julia is one of those heroines that you may not necessarily like at first but once you get to know a little more about her and then learn her secrets you can’t help but love her and want to do anything possible to take all the pain from her past away.  She’s extremely smart but she’s concentrating on doing what is expected of her instead of what she wants to do.  She’s been emotionally abused by so many people including her own mother that trust is something she just doesn’t give out… actually she doesn’t even get close enough to anyone to think about giving them an ounce of trust.  Well until she meets Crank.

Mmm… there is no doubt that I love myself a musician.  They make some of the best heroes in books… especially those like Crank.  He was downright perfect… well okay not really but his own issues aside, when it came to those he loved he was willing to do whatever it took to make them happy and it my eyes that alone made him pretty perfect!  But when he finally gets past his own issues he’s even better.

Their relationship was so perfect and yet such a mess.  If only Julia could have realized her feelings and understood that she DOES deserve them earlier than she did then it wouldn’t have been such a mess… but in the end everything turned out perfect because even though they had a road of hard work ahead of them in the relationship department… what they had was downright amazing.  They did things to heal each other without ever realizing it.  These two deserved each other and the happiness they brought each other.

Happy Reading!

Just Remember to Breathe Review

Just Remember to Breathe by Charles Sheehan-Miles

Book description…

Alex Thompson’s life is following the script. A pre-law student at Columbia University, she’s focused on her grades, her life and her future. The last thing she needs is to reconnect with the boy who broke her heart.
Dylan Paris comes home from Afghanistan severely injured and knows that the one thing he cannot do is drag Alex into the mess he’s made of his life.
When Dylan and Alex are assigned to the same work study program and are forced to work side by side, they have to make new ground rules to keep from killing each other.
Only problem is, they keep breaking the rules.
The first rule is to never, ever talk about how they fell in love.

True love is one of the most beautiful things in the world.  It’s unconditional, it’s full of passion, full of understanding and compassion, it’s selfless, it’s knowing that quality time together always means more than quantity, and most importantly it’s unbreakable.  Personally, I saw the beauty in the true love between the characters in this book.  I saw it because I understand it.  My true love means everything to me.  We don’t get to spend a lot of time together because of his job, but when we are together it’s always filled with unconditional love, unless of course, I’m driving him nuts – which happens more than I’d like to admit ;)  I ♥ you hubby!!

Alex and Dylan fell in love years before finally coming face to face again.  What they shared was intense and full of adventure, until they both had to go back to their own homes… in different states… clear across the country from each other.  They were young, but were unable to fight the pull they had for each other.  But like I said they were young and didn’t exactly understand the level of communication a relationship like theirs should take. 

After a heartbreaking break up (for both of them) they’re forced to work together on a work study project.  At first things are tense, and I mean like neither of them knew exactly what to do about being around the other… both wanting to find a different work study project, in order to avoid each other.  I was heartbroken for both of them - He believes something happened… something unforgivable in a relationship, and she’s convinced he broke her heart… by stopping all communication with her.  To top it all off Dylan was hurt while serving overseas and now believes that he is, nor has he ever been, good enough for Alex.  Not to mention a few outside influences that seemed to keep getting in the way.

I wanted to smack these two, numerous times.  More Dylan than Alex, but I also got where he was coming from.  Why he believed the things he did.  I was proud of both Dylan and Alex as well.  They worked together as well as on their own to overcome their own struggles as well as the problems they believed they had in their relationship. 

Just Remember to Breathe is one of those books that touched my heart.  It’s one of those books that you have to experience for yourself and it’s definitely a must read. 

5 BIG STARS!!!!

Happy Reading!