Yesterday I posted to a group on Facebook that I would be happy to do reviews on books or be a beta reader for authors. From that post, I received a request from an author who asked me to do a review. I accepted. I started to read the book she provided by I had to stop. I realized that this was the second book in a series and I said why not go buy the first book, I mean I like what I am reading so far, so why not?
Picture this….you are a 50-something woman who is married with 3 grown children. Your husband comes home one day and says I have been transferred to a different state. He leaves you alone to take care of the move. You arrive in a new city and your husband isn’t even there to meet you at the airport. His friend, whom you will be moving in with until you and your husband and find a place, picks you up. And, he is drop dead gorgeous! After a while has past, your husband goes on another business trip right before Thanksgiving and you call your husband to see when he will be coming home, and he tells you he isn’t. He has been having an affair and wants a divorce. You fall apart thinking your life is over. What would you do?
“Olivia is a good woman, a good mother, a good wife. She’s got it made. She doesn’t want anything to change. Of course, it does…
Swept from her perfect paper-doll life in Houston, Olivia finds herself in Chicago, alone, betrayed, and far from home. Soon everything she thought she knew about herself and her life will be challenged. She has only courage, love, and her passion for music to carry her through the maelstrom—or draw her further in.
Ash is the man who has everything—everything except healing from the losses of a lifetime. His only peace lies in the sweet flow of music pouring from his guitar.
What happens when the married woman and the widower are thrown together by fate?”
Where Out of the Box Awakening leaves off, Out of the Box Regifted continues the beautiful love story of Olivia and Ash. “
“Betrayal, Lies, Loss, Truth, Secrets…
With a new beginning for Olivia and Ash on the horizon, what could possibly stop them from finding happily ever after?
In order to move on, Olivia must face the haunting demons from her past life with Alan, her ex husband. Demands and more betrayals will force her to come to grips with things she couldn’t change and practice forgiveness not only for those in her past, but for herself as well.
Faced with his own hidden secrets, will Ash allow Olivia to stand by him? In the midst of happiness, this blended family will find they will also have to trust in the love and family bonds to get them through what is coming next or they will self-destruct. How long can Ash keep parts of his life hidden from those who love him?
Will Olivia be able to gain the confidence she needs to explore the new life Ash is offering while staying true to herself? Can she let go of the need to know the whole truth and be willing to trust what she’s building with Ash?”
Jennifer Theriot hails from the Great State of Texas. She is a career woman, working as CFO of a Texas based real estate investment firm. Working in her capacity as CFO, she felt something was missing and discovered her passion for writing novels–mostly at night and on weekends.
In her limited spare time Jennifer enjoys being outdoors; preferably somewhere on a beach curled up with a good book. Spending time with family and friends, watching a baseball game and enjoying a good bottle of wine are usually on her to-do lists. Jennifer is also ‘MiMi’ to two beautiful grandchildren and a mom to three grown children, all of whom she adores. Theriot is an admitted music junkie, loving every type of music, which takes up most of the memory on her iPhone. She listens to music from sun up to sun down and her love of music is reflected a great deal in her books.
Jennifer took a chance that there could be an interest in romance with middle aged couples who are finding themselves at a crossroads and wrote her debut novel Out of the Box Awakening, which centers on the hope of finding happiness and passion through unexpected heartache. It emphasizes the need for family and friends as Jennifer has learned in her own life. The book has been described as “Mature Sexy” by one reviewer.
You always hear the saying when one door closes another opens. This saying fits these books so well. I cried when Olivia cried, I laughed when Olivia laughed, and I angry when Olivia got angry. But best of all, Ash stole my heart when he stole Olivia’s. Ash and Olivia make you believe love can happen in an instant at any point in your life. After years of a very vanilla sex life, Ash broadens Olivia’s horizons. Olivia is spoiled beyond her wildest dreams.
The books don’t just focus on Ash and Olivia’s romance and relationship but the relationships they have with their respective children; and their “adopted” family that make up the band Avenue. Olivia is everyone’s mom and Ash is everyone’s dad.
My favorite band member has to be Todd. OMG he is hysterical! The F-bomb must have been his first word. He is the class clown that has so much passion he doesn’t know what to do with himself. The badass with the heart of gold. The connection he makes with Olivia is from the soul. Blessed even. When he finds love, he loves deep and show it through his music.
Something very cool….when Todd sings “FairyTale Man” in the book, you can actually listen to it. The lyrics of the song has been transformed by Five time San Antonio Guitar Wars winner Mark Odom that you can buy and listen to. I bought it and am listening to it now as I write this review. Knowing the story behind it really does bring a tear to your eyes.
I bought Awakening under 24 hours ago and I have to say, I devoured it! I kept looking at my reading progress and was thrilled that even though so much happened in the story, I had so much more to go. I felt like I was watching a mini series on a cable channel or something (I can totally see that). Never wanted it to end! Then, I remembered… I still have another book to read. So at about 1am this morning I started Regifted. Eventually I had to put it down so I could get some sleep.
Thankfully, my boss is away and I could finish this book. Engagements, trips, tours, interventions, and chaos. This second book was just as intriguing as the first as we continue Olivia and Ash’s journey in their relationship and those close to them. I don’t want to say too much, because I don’t like to give any spoilers.
All I can say is that Ms. Theroit had me hooked within the first 5 minutes of reading the first book let alone clamoring for the second. In telling the story of Olivia and Ash we can take away that love can happen at any time and can be just as fun in your golden years as it was in your 20s.
Jennifer is currently working on the third book, Out of the Box Everlasting. 2 Novellas from her other character’s POV are planned as well and I can’t wait!
I was emotionally invested with all of the wonderful characters. The stories were told so beautifully that I was laughing and crying along with them. Out of the Box Awakening and Out of the Box Regifted are books definitely worth reading and I highly recommend you add them to your summer reading lists now! I give both books 5 Hearts!
