Julie Ryan

Is it bad that the first thing that drew me to this book was the cover image? I'm seriously coveting that hair! But a very close second was the blurb which intrigued me so much. I thought the idea of a man on his deathbed, possibly reliving his lives as a Tudor monk and as a WW1 soldier, sounded fascinating.

We have three sisters, Ginny, Sally, Molly. There are the usual sibling dynamics, with Ginny, as the eldest, being quite dominant. Molly, the youngest is fairly submissive, whilst Sally, show more as the middle child, ends up trying to please everyone. When the book begins their dad, Eddie, is in hospital and is expected to pass away fairly soon. But it's clear something is preying on his mind and his final words are that the sisters should "find Rose".

This present day storyline is the most prominent but we also follow the story of William and Rose in Tudor times, and Matthew and Rosie in 1916. The first half of the book is scene setting, introducing all the threads and letting them run alongside each other. It's only later that they are weaved together and we get to know how they are all linked, and it's only then that the sisters set about finding Rose.

I thought this was an excellent read, a story of family with an ending that surprised me. I read it in a day and found it such an easy read, and a compelling one. It's much more about the sisters and their lives than I expected. I did expect the three strands to be more linked, but it all came together in the end quite splendidly.

If you're after a time slip or historical novel then this isn't it. What this is is a book about relationships, finding yourself, repairing fractured connections, with hints of the past coming into play. I thought it was warm-hearted and a really satisfying read. show less

This was the first book in a new series by Julie Ryan. The book is set in Greece and the author does a fantastic job of describing Greece so that it comes alive for the reader. The story itself is a bit more complex but has an interesting twist. Part 1 is the story, part 2 and 3 are alternate endings to the story. It was an interesting way to set up the novel but I'm not sure that I liked it.

Jenna and her husband are not getting along and on the spur of the moment, she decides to take a trip show more to Greece. There she meets a new man who seems very interested in her but is he interested for the right reasons? Jenna becomes involved with some bad guys and some Greek antiquities and is fairly oblivious to everything going on except for the beauty of Greece.

Despite a few inconsistencies and a bit of confusion in the story, I enjoyed this novel and will look for the next book in the series. I loved the Greek setting and I like the main character - I found her very true to life. It was a good read and I highly recommend it. show less

Jenna's Journey: A Greek Island Mystery
Book 1
By: Julie Ryan
I received an early reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Overall:
The story is a mystery/ romance. There are sinister characters and a convoluted plot. I love reading this sort of story where I can untangle lots of threads and all the bits and pieces are intertwined. Unfortunately, this book does not deliver on its promises. However, there is an unusually vivid story location and an enjoyable enough plot if you show more can overlook the plot holes and dangling threads.

Setting:
The best part of this book is Greece. Ms. Ryan's descriptions are so visual and tangible. I loved thinking about the beautiful ocean and buildings, even the shiny lacquered blue shutters. I especially loved learning about Greek culture and its people along with the main character. That was so interesting and really I fell in love with Greece and the Greeks while reading this book. I need some Greek food (Yia Yia Mary's in Houston, TX - here I come)

Plot:
This story suffers from not having a proper focus for its plot. Does it want to be a gothic mystery with a light tone and a touch of romance (like Barbara Michaels does perfectly)? The book also delves into deeper waters such as abuse (spousal, pimps, police), corrupt politicians, the economic woes of Greece, and other dark themes. These deeper issues are interesting but do not lend themselves well to the lighter elements. Am I enjoying a beachy, fun summer book or something darker? These differences in tone are jarring.

Problems:
This book also suffers from serious plot holes. I don't want to read a story and be constantly feeling confusion about plot. The author has created this beautiful world but I keep being jerked out of it by irritating inconsistencies.
For instance:
1. Tom - How could he be trailing her when Jenna didn't even know that she was going to Greece until the last minute? The whole Tom element was not well developed. It started out promising and mysterious but so many details were never explained. Who was Tom reporting to? Also, the conclusion of Tom's storyline was just too quick and easy.
2. Unexplained Time Jumps - For instance, in one paragraph Jenna is dealing with the conclusion of her marriage (another very tidy end) and in the next, it is Christmas Eve. I can fill in the blanks but the reader should not have to do so.
3. Greg - All this rambling on about Greg and his faults. Should she or shouldn't she leave him for good? So annoying and boring. The faults all seem to be Greg's and we hear about them page after page. Why did she ever marry him? One page she is saying she has completely forgotten Greg and her life back home and on the next page, Jenna is again questioning her future. This might be true to life but it is annoying to read page after page. Also, really, why didn't she at least have the courtesy to let him know she was safe? For all Greg's awful qualities he did spend several boring chapters worrying about her fate.
4. Corpse on Beach - Why did Omar steal Greg's clothes on the beach? It just seems an element inserted to create confusion about the identity of the corpse.
5. Two Endings - One of the two endings doesn't correlate with the beginning of the book. Partway through the book, Jenna almost dies and realizes that she can choose between Greg and Nikos (England or Greece). The book first resolves the story one way (home to England) and then Part 3 resolves it the other way (Nikos). The beginning of the book only works with the first ending, not the second. I read that section over several times and cannot make this work. The two endings is a clever idea but only if they are both done well. The author should have focused on one ending and one story. She could then have fleshed out her characters and made the mystery resolution richer. The ending was too quick and the mystery too easily resolved to be satisfying. The close of Jenna and Niko's story was like gulping lumps of sugar - just way to sweet and predictable.

Conclusion:
I cannot recommend a book that left me so frustrated and irritated. However, the scenery and descriptions were unusually beautiful. Please try and read this book as a fun read but do not attempt to dig too deep. show less

Jenna's Journey: A Greek Island Mystery
Book 1
By: Julie Ryan
I received an early reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Overall:
The story is a mystery/ romance. There are sinister characters and a convoluted plot. I love reading this sort of story where I can untangle lots of threads and all the bits and pieces are intertwined. Unfortunately, this book does not deliver on its promises. However, there is an unusually vivid story location and an enjoyable enough plot if you show more can overlook the plot holes and dangling threads.

Setting:
The best part of this book is Greece. Ms. Ryan's descriptions are so visual and tangible. I loved thinking about the beautiful ocean and buildings, even the shiny lacquered blue shutters. I especially loved learning about Greek culture and its people along with the main character. That was so interesting and really I fell in love with Greece and the Greeks while reading this book. I need some Greek food (Yia Yia Mary's in Houston, TX - here I come)

Plot:
This story suffers from not having a proper focus for its plot. Does it want to be a gothic mystery with a light tone and a touch of romance (like Barbara Michaels does perfectly)? The book also delves into deeper waters such as abuse (spousal, pimps, police), corrupt politicians, the economic woes of Greece, and other dark themes. These deeper issues are interesting but do not lend themselves well to the lighter elements. Am I enjoying a beachy, fun summer book or something darker? These differences in tone are jarring.

Problems:
This book also suffers from serious plot holes. I don't want to read a story and be constantly feeling confusion about plot. The author has created this beautiful world but I keep being jerked out of it by irritating inconsistencies.
For instance:
1. Tom - How could he be trailing her when Jenna didn't even know that she was going to Greece until the last minute? The whole Tom element was not well developed. It started out promising and mysterious but so many details were never explained. Who was Tom reporting to? Also, the conclusion of Tom's storyline was just too quick and easy.
2. Unexplained Time Jumps - For instance, in one paragraph Jenna is dealing with the conclusion of her marriage (another very tidy end) and in the next, it is Christmas Eve. I can fill in the blanks but the reader should not have to do so.
3. Greg - All this rambling on about Greg and his faults. Should she or shouldn't she leave him for good? So annoying and boring. The faults all seem to be Greg's and we hear about them page after page. Why did she ever marry him? One page she is saying she has completely forgotten Greg and her life back home and on the next page, Jenna is again questioning her future. This might be true to life but it is annoying to read page after page. Also, really, why didn't she at least have the courtesy to let him know she was safe? For all Greg's awful qualities he did spend several boring chapters worrying about her fate.
4. Corpse on Beach - Why did Omar steal Greg's clothes on the beach? It just seems an element inserted to create confusion about the identity of the corpse.
5. Two Endings - One of the two endings doesn't correlate with the beginning of the book. Partway through the book, Jenna almost dies and realizes that she can choose between Greg and Nikos (England or Greece). The book first resolves the story one way (home to England) and then Part 3 resolves it the other way (Nikos). The beginning of the book only works with the first ending, not the second. I read that section over several times and cannot make this work. The two endings is a clever idea but only if they are both done well. The author should have focused on one ending and one story. She could then have fleshed out her characters and made the mystery resolution richer. The ending was too quick and the mystery too easily resolved to be satisfying. The close of Jenna and Niko's story was like gulping lumps of sugar - just way to sweet and predictable.

Conclusion:
I cannot recommend a book that left me so frustrated and irritated. However, the scenery and descriptions were unusually beautiful. Please try and read this book as a fun read but do not attempt to dig too deep. show less