Jessica Strawser

Okay, wow. Just wow. Jessica Strawser has done it again. Written a book so full of characters and scenes and situations and complex, intricate, fast-moving plot that once you turn back the cover you can’t stop reading until you have finished this story. There are no murders, no car chases, no gunfights, but Caroline and Sela’s story is mesmerizing and action-packed. Just a few pages in and I remembered that this is an author who loves to surprise you, and who is very, very good at it. show more You know from the start that this DNA test – which was really just an offhand Christmas gift to the extended family from Caroline and her husband Walt, not really meant to be taken that seriously – is going to shake things up. Suddenly Caroline has a half-sister, Sela. Whoa. How could this have happened? What else doesn’t she know about her parents? Well, turns out what she doesn’t know is a lot. And they don’t really want to talk about it.

But Caroline feels a connection. She always wanted a sister, and now she can have one, right? So she replies to Sela’s email and it’s like pulling a loose thread on a sweater. Things start to unravel right before her eyes. She doesn’t tell her parents because they’ve distanced themselves. Her husband is skeptical. But when Caroline and Sela meet there is a bonding, and Caroline and Walt’s children love the new “auntie” in their lives.

Things are a little more complicated on Sela’s side of the sisterhood. What she hasn’t told Caroline is that she is suffering from irreversible kidney failure, her marriage has already irreversibly fallen apart, and the mother who was her everything has unexpectedly passed away. Sela’s ex-husband and her best friend pressured her to submit the DNA test in hopes of finding a family donor, but she’s not sure even if there is a match she will be able to make that Big Ask. But if she doesn’t, what will happen to her two-year-old son Brody when she’s gone?

Before she can think it through, her illness is discovered and a chain of events is started that is like a snowball gathering momentum. Finding out as a result of an innocent DNA test that you have a sister is a big deal. Finding out that this sister has kidney disease and may need you to be a donor is a bigger deal. And it doesn’t stop there. A Million Reasons Why is a story of revelations and realizations about family and relationships that you thought were all figured out. It’s a story of expectations and betrayals and grief. And if after all these secrets and surprises there is any room for forgiveness, for hope, for the future.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press via Goodreads and author Jessica Strawser for providing an advance copy of this masterfully written, expertly plotted, heart-wrenching look into the lives of Caroline and Sela and their families and a glimpse of what those waiting for donor kidneys must endure. A look at what might have been and wondering if what is now is really enough. Reading this book was an experience I won’t soon forget. All opinions are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed A Million Reasons Why and recommend it without hesitation. I cannot wait to see what Jessica Strawser comes up with next! show less

I almost Missed you by Jessica Strawer is a 2017 St. Martin’s Press publication.

Serendipity- Fate- Kismet-

This is the story of Violet and Finn, a couple who seemed destined to be together…

They met on a beach by chance, but that one encounter was enough to leave a lasting impression on them both.

But, for a long time they were like two ships that passed in the night, until yet another chance meeting finally cements them firmly together. But, for one of them the cement has begun to show more crack.

Out of the clear blue sky, Finn suddenly packs up his and Violet’s three year old son,'Bear', on what looks like a spur of the moment decision, and skips off to parts unknown, leaving everyone who knows the couple flummoxed and bewildered- including Violet and Finn’s best friend, Caitlin.

But, Caitlin soon finds herself in between the ultimate rock and a hard place when she must choose between Finn and Violet. Which one will she help? Which side will she take? Why did Finn leave his perfect marriage and why did he kidnap his son?

I had this book on hold at the library for a long time. I don’t know why there was only one digital copy of this book, but long story short, the wait time was very long. Truth be told, it had been so long since I had thought about this book, I’d forgotten the premise entirely.

As a result, I just dove into this book blindly, believing it to be a psychological thriller. Initially, the novel went right down that path. But, as time moved on, the story seemed to morph into something a bit more than that.

I was unprepared for the level of suspense that gripped me. It was so unbearable I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Every character has a secret and every secret carries an enormous consequence if they are exposed. Some secrets are scandalous, some are more minor, and some are incredibly heart wrenching.

This book was not exactly what I was expecting it to be, since, in my opinion, it’s not a traditional psychological thriller, or novel of suspense, which caught me completely off guard- and this is yet another one of those books that is hard to categorize. Having said that, this story blew me away, with its intensity, emotion, characterizations and dialogue. The pacing is so perfectly timed, the mere thought of putting this book down was untenable.

At the end of the day, this is a story of loss and tragedy, of ill -advised choices resulting in deeply held cataclysmic secrets that come back to roost in a most spectacular fashion. It’s a story of sacrifice, love, guilt and hope, which put me through an emotional wringer that left me nearly breathless.

It’s intense, but also has a beauty to it, with an ending that made feel as though a giant weight was lifted and that all would be well, just given a little more time, and what’s more, left me believing wholeheartedly in destiny, fate, kismet, and all the rest. Some things are just meant to be. show less

"Catch You Later" was an unforgettable read, and I'm delighted I chose the audiobook version included with my Kindle Unlimited subscription. I knew I had to read it when I saw the striking cover.

Mikki and Lark are inseparable, working night shifts at a local truck stop, bound by their dreams of escaping their dull hometown. But life keeps getting in the way. Now that Lark is pregnant, Mikki can’t help but envision the future they always wanted slipping away. Then fate intervenes in the show more form of a handsome stranger in a sleek BMW. Chris shows up at the truck stop and convinces Mikki to take a spontaneous road trip to Florida, and she knows this could be her last big adventure. Despite Lark's protests, she follows her heart. But her impulsive decision leads to her disappearance.

The author skillfully uses alternating timelines to unravel the gripping stories of these two friends and the lengths they’ll go to for each other. In the present day, Lark is left to navigate the pain of losing her best friend. Now living with Mikki's grandmother, who battles dementia, Lark strives to keep her life together for the sake of her daughter.

Meanwhile, Mikki's narrative follows her exhilarating—and occasionally heart-wrenching—road trip with Chris as they navigate the thrill of their time at a vibrant Florida resort. Despite my usual aversion to romance, I was rooting for a joyful ending for these two!

When Lark starts to find her footing, Chris—the last person to see Mikki—unexpectedly reappears at the truck stop, sending Lark's world spiraling again.

The delightful bond between Mikki and Lark sets this book apart from my usual thrillers. Their close friendship is fun and refreshing, even stuck in their small, one-horse town. Every woman needs a best friend like Lark!
#CatchYouLater #JessicaStrawser #KindleUnlimited show less

"Catch You Later" was an unforgettable read, and I'm delighted I chose the audiobook version included with my Kindle Unlimited subscription. I knew I had to read it when I saw the striking cover.

Mikki and Lark are inseparable, working night shifts at a local truck stop, bound by their dreams of escaping their dull hometown. But life keeps getting in the way. Now that Lark is pregnant, Mikki can’t help but envision the future they always wanted slipping away. Then fate intervenes in the show more form of a handsome stranger in a sleek BMW. Chris shows up at the truck stop and convinces Mikki to take a spontaneous road trip to Florida, and she knows this could be her last big adventure. Despite Lark's protests, she follows her heart. But her impulsive decision leads to her disappearance.

The author skillfully uses alternating timelines to unravel the gripping stories of these two friends and the lengths they’ll go to for each other. In the present day, Lark is left to navigate the pain of losing her best friend. Now living with Mikki's grandmother, who battles dementia, Lark strives to keep her life together for the sake of her daughter.

Meanwhile, Mikki's narrative follows her exhilarating—and occasionally heart-wrenching—road trip with Chris as they navigate the thrill of their time at a vibrant Florida resort. Despite my usual aversion to romance, I was rooting for a joyful ending for these two!

When Lark starts to find her footing, Chris—the last person to see Mikki—unexpectedly reappears at the truck stop, sending Lark's world spiraling again.

The delightful bond between Mikki and Lark sets this book apart from my usual thrillers. Their close friendship is fun and refreshing, even stuck in their small, one-horse town. Every woman needs a best friend like Lark! show less