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In a Flash #1
Coming About
Rachel Robinson knew that it was normal for couples to become distant over time. Her husband, Brad spent more time at work and at the local pub than with Rachel and their daughter. When their daughter goes off to college, Rachel is faced with an empty nest that is painful. Narcissistic Brad had been waiting for his “responsibility” to end so that he could finally ask Rachel for a divorce. She is blindsided by his betrayal and turns to her new friend, Sadie for support. As the women unveil secrets from their past, it triggers a chain of events that will change their lives forever. With nothing else to lose, Rachel sets sail on an unforgettable journey where she finds that true love has been waiting for her all along. Coming About will speak to any heart that’s ever had a change of course. Sometimes the path we’re on is not where we are destined to be. It takes a twist of fate and a leap of faith for redirection. Never give up hope, just “come about.” Excerpt from Reader's Favorite reviewer Lisa Coming About hits every aspect of a true romance story. It is not just about the love between a man and a woman. It is not a story of flowers and Valentine sweetness. Jan Tilley has intricately woven a romance rich in self-exploration. Rachel is forced to reach deep within herself to find the woman she never knew existed. Rachel begins to see that her life has not been wasted, but is only just beginning.
- GenresFiction
287 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 15, 2010
26 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
Jan Tilley
15 books15 followersJan Tilley was born and raised in northern Ohio. Enticed by the Atlantic Ocean, she later moved to Wilmington, North Carolina and now resides in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
She has held a wide array of jobs throughout the years, including newspaper reporter, veterinary assistant, and Public Information Officer for Emergency Management. But, her most important job has been raising her two daughters. She has been married to her high school sweetheart since 1985.
Jan wrote her first novel "Coming About" after her oldest daughter went off to college. She began writing about her feelings over the loss of her child to the big bad world. It began as a purging of emotions but as they always do, the characters came alive and took the story down a totally different path that she never expected.
She was then bitten by the bug and is now admittedly obsessed with writing. Her second novel "Embody" was released to rave reviews. She was recently featured on The Kevin Smith Show where she discussed the book in a live two-hour interview.
"Rogue's Hollow" was her next release which is a suspenseful ride, fictionally based on a spooky town near where she grew up.
Next came "Jasper's Gift", which is the highly anticipated sequel to her first novel. Tilley loved revisiting her pals, Sadie and Rachel. She said it was like going home to visit old friends again.
Tilley is an award-winning author who has been a guest speaker at multiple conferences and events. Her books have been sold world-wide and she is more than happy to accommodate interviews.
She will continue to write her heart out and do her best to entertain you for as long as you'll welcome her into your lives! If you would like to contact Jan you can reach her on twitter @tilleytalk or at Jan Tilley & Friends on Facebook.
She has held a wide array of jobs throughout the years, including newspaper reporter, veterinary assistant, and Public Information Officer for Emergency Management. But, her most important job has been raising her two daughters. She has been married to her high school sweetheart since 1985.
Jan wrote her first novel "Coming About" after her oldest daughter went off to college. She began writing about her feelings over the loss of her child to the big bad world. It began as a purging of emotions but as they always do, the characters came alive and took the story down a totally different path that she never expected.
She was then bitten by the bug and is now admittedly obsessed with writing. Her second novel "Embody" was released to rave reviews. She was recently featured on The Kevin Smith Show where she discussed the book in a live two-hour interview.
"Rogue's Hollow" was her next release which is a suspenseful ride, fictionally based on a spooky town near where she grew up.
Next came "Jasper's Gift", which is the highly anticipated sequel to her first novel. Tilley loved revisiting her pals, Sadie and Rachel. She said it was like going home to visit old friends again.
Tilley is an award-winning author who has been a guest speaker at multiple conferences and events. Her books have been sold world-wide and she is more than happy to accommodate interviews.
She will continue to write her heart out and do her best to entertain you for as long as you'll welcome her into your lives! If you would like to contact Jan you can reach her on twitter @tilleytalk or at Jan Tilley & Friends on Facebook.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 27, 2022
Coming About (by Jan Tilley) [Narrated by Kristina Rothe]
Rachel is not having a good time in her marriage, her husband is distant and she suspects he actively avoids contact with her, but when her daughter leaves for college things take a sudden turn for the worse.
Brad, feeling his own responsibilities leaving along with his daughter, decides to fly the nest himself, and asks Rachel for a divorce. The breakup is a bad one, Brad suddenly showing a cruelty she had not previously encountered from him.
Alone, with no plan or prospects, Rachel turns to a new friend for support, and she finds herself on a journey of self discovery, following a chain of events that reveals secrets and heals wounds.
I’ve never before read a book that could be considered a “romance novel”. If you look through my list of Audible reviews you’ll see nothing like Coming About in there, and the absence of such a book in there is a good microcosm of my reading habits.
Nope, never read a romance novel before, and never thought of reading one.
So why did I read this one? You may ask.
Well I read a previous novel performed by Kristina Rothe, and in speaking to her regarding it she mentioned this book, and offered me a copy to review. So I agreed to read it in exchange for a review.
I won’t lie, it took me a while to get to it.
One day, I’m not sure why, I thought I’d listen to a few minutes of it, as an experiment I’d guess. Just to see how it would land in the mass of undergrowth that serves me for a mind, and - oddly - it managed to land in a small clearing instead of some overgrown bit of wasteland where it would be forgotten.
Instantly I felt a warmth from the story, a warmth not just attributable to Kristina Rothe’s voice. The book’s lead - Rachel - is an imperfect heroine, sometimes a rather irritating one if I’m honest, but there’s a realism to her that I recognised. I think we probably all know a woman like Rachel, though we may not realize it. She might be too wrapped up in her daily chores, or comfortable in a life that has become more a plateau than a peak, but the Rachel we know is probably only one bad day away from the Rachel of Coming About.
Rachel often falls into self examination that can be somewhat self-absorbed, she seems to see herself as someone to whom things are done rather than a character with autonomy. At times I could understand her husband's irritation with her. Though it was laudable of her to raise her daughter with complete single mindedness, she had neglected her own growth in the process, but this was a choice she had made that would inevitably have consequences to her own autonomy as well as her marriage.
As she begins to see this in herself I found it interesting that she could not see that her husband would probably have similar issues, but unfortunately Brad’s character isn’t examined at all in the book. He is presented as a villain of almost Bond movie proportions. While Rachel could see the sacrifices of other people around her she could see no such nobility in Brad. This - I think - was a flaw in the book. Perhaps because I am a man, who is probably much the same age as Brad, I was taken back a little by what I saw as Rachel’s self-entitlement. She could lament the loss of the house he had purchased and the money he had brought into the family, but not appreciate the sacrifices he had made to provide these things.
Don’t get me wrong, Brad is not a nice man at all, but even this seems a little off. It is presented that he takes the opportunity for his daughter going to college to leave his wife, but why would this matter? If he was planning to stop college payments anyway, it seems counterproductive for him to wait so long.
Of course the real reason all this happens is that the author needs him out of the picture so Rachel can have no burdens, so SHE can escape the nest unhindered. The irony being that Brad has to desire the very same things that the author intends to write for Rachel, in order to release Rachel from the familial burdens to pursue them.
I have to say I was grinning a lot during that particular chapter, there seemed to be a lot of projection going on through Rachel at that point.
Once Brad is out of the way, and Rachel is free of her family, she follows a path of creative self-discovery. In Rachel’s case this is photography, and this is where she meets her best-friend-to-be Sophie.
Sophie is a character much like Rachel, perhaps a little further down the road of self discovery, but still very much traveling it. She is rough around the edges in all the right ways. Brash and sometimes inappropriate in what she says. In short, she’s the friend most people would want, and it's through Rachels’ adventures with this new friend that she meets Charlie Sinclair, a man she once knew from deep in her past.
This is where the love story begins, and there are many things about it that are appealing. The characters are older in years, and there is something of a return to their youth as they discover this romance is an option for them. Charlie is exactly as you’d imagine a man in a romance novel to be, and - initially - I couldn’t relate to him all that much. But, even from a male perspective he is likable, a little too idealized perhaps, but this is a romance novel so I suppose that’s to be expected. There were moments when I cringed, there were other moments where I squirmed a little in discomfort, but - in fairness - I’ve never read a romance novel before, so it’s all a little new to me.
Oddly I began to relate to Charlie far better than I’d have thought. The idea that I could relate to a male romantic lead makes me feel very uncomfortable, but let’s be honest, we’ve all been there at some point in our lives, and as much as many men sneer at the “mushy stuff” we’ve all perpetrated it at some point.
Though - thankfully - I found that I was disappointed in him when they found themselves fully clothed after their first night together, so I’m glad to report that I still have some testosterone left in me.
There are no great surprises to be had in Coming About, there are twists and turns, and it keeps the reader’s interest right to the end, but I imagine it’s not the best example of the genre. Some of the writing is a little clunky, and there were the aforementioned issues with the character of Brad, but despite this I did find that I liked it.
Much of my enjoyment of the piece is undeniably due to Kristina Rothe’s performance. She has a voice that is easy on the ear, and she displays more than enough skill to bring the characters to life while not overloading her performance. As much as I liked the book I’m not sure I’d have gotten through some of the book’s more uneven moments without her help.
Coming About was an interesting introduction to the romance novel genre, and though I have reservations about it I did think it was an enjoyable novel that sped by pretty quickly. There’s not a lot of dead air in there, and there’s enough going on to keep the reader’s interest. Mostly it’s rather a sweet story, it’s only when it deals with Brad’s character that it becomes something that I can only describe as mean-spirited, always presenting him as a grotesque caricature.
Thankfully these moments are few and far between, and the vast majority of the book focuses on things that are much more fulfilling. In these moments Jan Tilley creates a tale that I really enjoyed, and I think a more even-handed approach to Brad would have improved the novel immeasurably.
There is a second novel in the series, Jasper’s Gift, named after a character who leaves a lasting impression from the first book, and I have to admit some interest in reading this one too. So maybe, in the future, I might not be so dismissive of the genre, and for that I thank Jan Tilley and her novel Coming About, and - of course - that audio gem named Kristina Rothe.
Rachel is not having a good time in her marriage, her husband is distant and she suspects he actively avoids contact with her, but when her daughter leaves for college things take a sudden turn for the worse.
Brad, feeling his own responsibilities leaving along with his daughter, decides to fly the nest himself, and asks Rachel for a divorce. The breakup is a bad one, Brad suddenly showing a cruelty she had not previously encountered from him.
Alone, with no plan or prospects, Rachel turns to a new friend for support, and she finds herself on a journey of self discovery, following a chain of events that reveals secrets and heals wounds.
I’ve never before read a book that could be considered a “romance novel”. If you look through my list of Audible reviews you’ll see nothing like Coming About in there, and the absence of such a book in there is a good microcosm of my reading habits.
Nope, never read a romance novel before, and never thought of reading one.
So why did I read this one? You may ask.
Well I read a previous novel performed by Kristina Rothe, and in speaking to her regarding it she mentioned this book, and offered me a copy to review. So I agreed to read it in exchange for a review.
I won’t lie, it took me a while to get to it.
One day, I’m not sure why, I thought I’d listen to a few minutes of it, as an experiment I’d guess. Just to see how it would land in the mass of undergrowth that serves me for a mind, and - oddly - it managed to land in a small clearing instead of some overgrown bit of wasteland where it would be forgotten.
Instantly I felt a warmth from the story, a warmth not just attributable to Kristina Rothe’s voice. The book’s lead - Rachel - is an imperfect heroine, sometimes a rather irritating one if I’m honest, but there’s a realism to her that I recognised. I think we probably all know a woman like Rachel, though we may not realize it. She might be too wrapped up in her daily chores, or comfortable in a life that has become more a plateau than a peak, but the Rachel we know is probably only one bad day away from the Rachel of Coming About.
Rachel often falls into self examination that can be somewhat self-absorbed, she seems to see herself as someone to whom things are done rather than a character with autonomy. At times I could understand her husband's irritation with her. Though it was laudable of her to raise her daughter with complete single mindedness, she had neglected her own growth in the process, but this was a choice she had made that would inevitably have consequences to her own autonomy as well as her marriage.
As she begins to see this in herself I found it interesting that she could not see that her husband would probably have similar issues, but unfortunately Brad’s character isn’t examined at all in the book. He is presented as a villain of almost Bond movie proportions. While Rachel could see the sacrifices of other people around her she could see no such nobility in Brad. This - I think - was a flaw in the book. Perhaps because I am a man, who is probably much the same age as Brad, I was taken back a little by what I saw as Rachel’s self-entitlement. She could lament the loss of the house he had purchased and the money he had brought into the family, but not appreciate the sacrifices he had made to provide these things.
Don’t get me wrong, Brad is not a nice man at all, but even this seems a little off. It is presented that he takes the opportunity for his daughter going to college to leave his wife, but why would this matter? If he was planning to stop college payments anyway, it seems counterproductive for him to wait so long.
Of course the real reason all this happens is that the author needs him out of the picture so Rachel can have no burdens, so SHE can escape the nest unhindered. The irony being that Brad has to desire the very same things that the author intends to write for Rachel, in order to release Rachel from the familial burdens to pursue them.
I have to say I was grinning a lot during that particular chapter, there seemed to be a lot of projection going on through Rachel at that point.
Once Brad is out of the way, and Rachel is free of her family, she follows a path of creative self-discovery. In Rachel’s case this is photography, and this is where she meets her best-friend-to-be Sophie.
Sophie is a character much like Rachel, perhaps a little further down the road of self discovery, but still very much traveling it. She is rough around the edges in all the right ways. Brash and sometimes inappropriate in what she says. In short, she’s the friend most people would want, and it's through Rachels’ adventures with this new friend that she meets Charlie Sinclair, a man she once knew from deep in her past.
This is where the love story begins, and there are many things about it that are appealing. The characters are older in years, and there is something of a return to their youth as they discover this romance is an option for them. Charlie is exactly as you’d imagine a man in a romance novel to be, and - initially - I couldn’t relate to him all that much. But, even from a male perspective he is likable, a little too idealized perhaps, but this is a romance novel so I suppose that’s to be expected. There were moments when I cringed, there were other moments where I squirmed a little in discomfort, but - in fairness - I’ve never read a romance novel before, so it’s all a little new to me.
Oddly I began to relate to Charlie far better than I’d have thought. The idea that I could relate to a male romantic lead makes me feel very uncomfortable, but let’s be honest, we’ve all been there at some point in our lives, and as much as many men sneer at the “mushy stuff” we’ve all perpetrated it at some point.
Though - thankfully - I found that I was disappointed in him when they found themselves fully clothed after their first night together, so I’m glad to report that I still have some testosterone left in me.
There are no great surprises to be had in Coming About, there are twists and turns, and it keeps the reader’s interest right to the end, but I imagine it’s not the best example of the genre. Some of the writing is a little clunky, and there were the aforementioned issues with the character of Brad, but despite this I did find that I liked it.
Much of my enjoyment of the piece is undeniably due to Kristina Rothe’s performance. She has a voice that is easy on the ear, and she displays more than enough skill to bring the characters to life while not overloading her performance. As much as I liked the book I’m not sure I’d have gotten through some of the book’s more uneven moments without her help.
Coming About was an interesting introduction to the romance novel genre, and though I have reservations about it I did think it was an enjoyable novel that sped by pretty quickly. There’s not a lot of dead air in there, and there’s enough going on to keep the reader’s interest. Mostly it’s rather a sweet story, it’s only when it deals with Brad’s character that it becomes something that I can only describe as mean-spirited, always presenting him as a grotesque caricature.
Thankfully these moments are few and far between, and the vast majority of the book focuses on things that are much more fulfilling. In these moments Jan Tilley creates a tale that I really enjoyed, and I think a more even-handed approach to Brad would have improved the novel immeasurably.
There is a second novel in the series, Jasper’s Gift, named after a character who leaves a lasting impression from the first book, and I have to admit some interest in reading this one too. So maybe, in the future, I might not be so dismissive of the genre, and for that I thank Jan Tilley and her novel Coming About, and - of course - that audio gem named Kristina Rothe.
August 22, 2012
Got this free for my Kindle off the Amazon Top 100 list ages ago... Thought I'd give it a try, even though I couldn't remember what it was about! The main character is a 44YO mother and goes through a ton of "mid life" changes. Usually, I read romance novels about perky twenty something year olds, so this was a nice change up. At one point, I was balling in the middle of the night and questioning things within my life... emotional! I would recommend this book, but expect a slow start.
April 4, 2021
A good story
I really enjoyed the story, although I had a hard time with the many grammatical errors that were rampant throughout the story. Sentences jumping from third to first person naration made for some confusing dialogue.
I really enjoyed the story, although I had a hard time with the many grammatical errors that were rampant throughout the story. Sentences jumping from third to first person naration made for some confusing dialogue.
May 20, 2019
A fun read
Finding a new path in life is never easy. This story is heart warming with unexpected turns.
Well written story
Finding a new path in life is never easy. This story is heart warming with unexpected turns.
Well written story
June 16, 2025
I liked the read but found it hard to stay engaged with all the crying Rachel did. All in all I enjoyed the book but I found it did not hold my interest.
November 1, 2013
I greatly enjoyed this story and will read the follow-up for sure BUT the editor needs a kick up the arse as it's full of mistakes !! I had really had enough of them and was ready to pack it in a few times but the story itself won out.
For starters the font used in the prologue was different to the actual story and a nicer one as well, though I've no idea why it was altered.
There were too many apostrophe errors, words inserted that weren't needed, spaces in words not required, way used instead of was,commas left out of sentences, there were also words left out of sentences making for tricky reading, too used instead of to, speechmarks were dropped, Charlton Heston doesn't have an E in his christian name, loosing was used instead of losing and waiver instead of waver, Outter not Outer, extremem instead of extreme......a LOT of mistakes throughout which really need sorting out.
I hate it when the expression drug is used......such as "the week drug on". It always sounds like appalling English to me but I've noticed it used a few times by American authors. I wasn't sure about making so much of the book feminine-such as the morning peeking her face in a window or the sun making her final exit for the day. Quite strange. This little passage sounded like it was written as someone might say it with slang inserted-"....but God I was grateful to of had the chance"....ouch !!!
I enjoyed hearing about the Covered Bridges and Googled them and they reminded me of those in Madison County I've only seen on film. The same goes for the Outer Banks' Horses. Very interesting.
I enjoyed the little photography tips at the beginning of each chapter too. I liked Sadie and Rachel although at times Rachel was on the whiny side a bit too much for my liking !! They're both interesting characters and if you can grin and bear the mistakes you'll love it !!
For starters the font used in the prologue was different to the actual story and a nicer one as well, though I've no idea why it was altered.
There were too many apostrophe errors, words inserted that weren't needed, spaces in words not required, way used instead of was,commas left out of sentences, there were also words left out of sentences making for tricky reading, too used instead of to, speechmarks were dropped, Charlton Heston doesn't have an E in his christian name, loosing was used instead of losing and waiver instead of waver, Outter not Outer, extremem instead of extreme......a LOT of mistakes throughout which really need sorting out.
I hate it when the expression drug is used......such as "the week drug on". It always sounds like appalling English to me but I've noticed it used a few times by American authors. I wasn't sure about making so much of the book feminine-such as the morning peeking her face in a window or the sun making her final exit for the day. Quite strange. This little passage sounded like it was written as someone might say it with slang inserted-"....but God I was grateful to of had the chance"....ouch !!!
I enjoyed hearing about the Covered Bridges and Googled them and they reminded me of those in Madison County I've only seen on film. The same goes for the Outer Banks' Horses. Very interesting.
I enjoyed the little photography tips at the beginning of each chapter too. I liked Sadie and Rachel although at times Rachel was on the whiny side a bit too much for my liking !! They're both interesting characters and if you can grin and bear the mistakes you'll love it !!
November 4, 2012
Enjoyed the storyline, but was bothered by some inaccuracies throughout the story - the father wouldn't have been able to get away without paying some part of the daughter's college. Rachel didn't seem to be a nurse - more like an aid, but she was allowed to give Morphine to a patient (which probably wouldn't be done in a nursing home anyway). But I enjoyed her friendship and her strength later in the book.
July 15, 2012
This was a good story about overcoming the hard times that the world may throw upon someone and taking chances and letting things just happen. I liked how the character began to realize her own strength as the book was ending. I also liked that she learned to overcome her fears, throw caution to the wind, and take chances no matter how big or small they might be..
March 10, 2013
the book started off very slow but it was very nice to read about an "older" heroine for a change. I was a little confused about her job at the skilled nursing facility and that the husband was going to get away without paying for his daughter's college education. However, I was rooting for Rachel toward the end once she found her self-confidence.
May 22, 2015
Karma
Story was good, deep, emotional, focusing on two women and their lives. Not your perfect fairy tale, real life like and believable. One glaring grammatical error near the end "...I was grateful to of had the chance..." to HAVE had the chance.
Story was good, deep, emotional, focusing on two women and their lives. Not your perfect fairy tale, real life like and believable. One glaring grammatical error near the end "...I was grateful to of had the chance..." to HAVE had the chance.
April 12, 2012
If I could give this book 0 stars I would. It's a grammatical nightmare.
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February 25, 2016kindle - chick lit
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews