Reviewed on NetGalley ( )

4.5 stars. SO glad I finally bought this book! ( )

Jane's Melody is actually a re-read for me as I first read this one in 2014. I have been meaning to read the sequel, Jane's Harmony, so I decided to read the first book again since it has been a while.

In this story, Jane is a forty year old grieving mother. She lost her only daughter Melody to drug abuse.
What stood out again in this one was Jane's pain and feelings of helplessness at the loss of her child. The drug abuse took hold of Melody at a young age and spiraled out of control until Jane got the phone call that her daughter had passed away.

Throughout the story, Jane's grief is real and jumps off these pages. She goes to group therapy and is trying to work through her pain. There is substance abuse in her family so Jane is familiar with the struggle of loving an addict. The author tackles this sensitive subject with heartfelt compassion.

Jane meets Caleb, who knew Melody in passing and offers him work clearing out her backyard. Her motive is to get Caleb to tell her more about her estranged daughter. Caleb is homeless at the time and a musician who has had a rough time himself. Despite the fifteen year age difference, the relationship that develops between these two seems like it could be real. They easily gravitate towards one another.

What was refreshing here is that the character of Jane was independent and mature. I have read a few other older woman/younger man romance novels where the older woman was written with a childishness about her personality, almost as if she needed to be immature to hold a younger love interest. That irked me. It wasn't the case here, Jane doesn't behave foolishly and Caleb is wiser beyond his years, perhaps because of the rough life he has led.

Author Ryan Winfield pens a story that pulls at your heartstrings. There is the loss of Jane's daughter but also her finding love unexpectedly. I love these type of sweet, unconventional love stories. Love that is unexpected can be the best kind. I really enjoyed this one the second time around as much as the first time I read it.

The ending winds everything up nicely but also leaves room for another book, which I also read.

Disclaimer: This review is my honest opinion. I did not receive any kind of compensation for reading and reviewing this book. I am under no obligation to write a positive review. I purchased my copy of Jane's Melody.
https://bookwormnai.wordpress.com/2016/05/28/janes-melody-and-janes-harmony-by-r... ( )

Very hard story for me to read, due to personal issues, but OHHHHH what a wonderful story! Jane broke my heart, and I spent the first part of the book crying and wanting to hug her. Caleb stole my heart, and I spent the rest of the book wanting to... um... 'hug' (ahem) him! ;)

Really, such a great read, and I know the story will stay with me for a while. Ryan is fast becoming one of my favorite authors! ( )

This was a good read, but I didn't find it a great one. Ultimately, Jane's Melody is like a steamy Harlequin romance with some twists thrown in. There are moments where the plot develops beyond the love/sex, but in my opinion, they were actually sidelines in the romance between Jane (an older woman whose daughter dies from a drug/alcohol overdose) and Caleb (the sexy, homeless but talented musician who flirted with her daughter prior to her death). At it's core, I found this to be a romance novel and as such, it works. I think that fans of romance reads, especially those looking for a modern take on romance, might find this book quite appealing. It will be a hit with fans of the 50 Shades books. It is a quick and non-complicated read with just enough conflict to make it a bit interesting. I would compare it to anticipating a 5 star meal, yet ending up with something that is a step above fast food. It filled me up and was good, but I was hoping for much more. ( )