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The Long Goodbye
Under the sweltering Savannah sun, magnolia trees bloom and a posh wedding takes place. The happy couple, open bar, opulent favors and scrumptious food are merely window dressing for the real drama…Fifty-five-year-old Samuel is mesmerized by Kat, the gorgeous maid of honor who is half his age and is doubly interested in him. Samuel’s wife, Tabitha, fights desperately to draw his attentions back to her and their floundering marriage. Meanwhile, Samuel’s mother, Maxine, runs into a man from her past. As the liquor flows, lips are loosened and the truth wins out. Will Samuel be led astray by the promise of restoring his own waning youth? Will Maxine find new love with an old flame?
135 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 4, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 26, 2025
Carrier Pigeon 👀⁉️
Ummm, you have to either chuckle or cry at ludacris escapades of this Johnson clan. …The average age between the four of these acute senior citizens was six seven years old 🥴🤦🏾♀️. Please let this buffoonery be a dream sequence or a prelude to Junior’s characters in his dormant alternate author career⁉️ Otherwise, there’s no way, AARP triple platinum cane carrying members should be cavorting a wedding venue like survival of the fittest during a divine nine’s pledgee’s nightmare at hell week folly. Nonetheless, “The Long Goodbye (Johnson Family Chronicles - Book 2” was mostly comical but thereafter barely tolerable to follow the irrational behaviors of the primary characters. Nevertheless, I’m hopeful the fragments & fractures will reunite (somehow🥴) 👀 😬. …or at least determine who’s 🤬 the carrier pigeon “little birdie”🤭🤷🏾♀️⁉️
Ummm, you have to either chuckle or cry at ludacris escapades of this Johnson clan. …The average age between the four of these acute senior citizens was six seven years old 🥴🤦🏾♀️. Please let this buffoonery be a dream sequence or a prelude to Junior’s characters in his dormant alternate author career⁉️ Otherwise, there’s no way, AARP triple platinum cane carrying members should be cavorting a wedding venue like survival of the fittest during a divine nine’s pledgee’s nightmare at hell week folly. Nonetheless, “The Long Goodbye (Johnson Family Chronicles - Book 2” was mostly comical but thereafter barely tolerable to follow the irrational behaviors of the primary characters. Nevertheless, I’m hopeful the fragments & fractures will reunite (somehow🥴) 👀 😬. …or at least determine who’s 🤬 the carrier pigeon “little birdie”🤭🤷🏾♀️⁉️
October 21, 2024
A great continuation of The Book of Samuel. Interesting and fun read.
March 18, 2014
Even though this is the second book in the series and I have not read the first one, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading about Samuel and his family. I had never heard of James Robinson before but I am sure glad that I know about him now! He is a great author and these stories are short (around 100 pages each). I am definitely going to go back and read the other in the series now that I laughed so much through this one. I loved that almost every moment in this short was light hearted. It made it all that much more enjoyable and easy to read. Reading about Samuel and his family made me so happy and I read this book in one sitting. Sometimes you need that in a read.
The story follows Samuel and Tabitha as their lives go on around them. Temptation comes to find Samuel when a woman is in his life that is half of his age. Things start to get a little bit difficult for him. His wife notices what all is going on but she sits back and watches as things go the way that they will. She definitely is not the silly and naive type, so she tries for Samuel’s attention back to her but the outcome of her efforts go differently than we expect. You will be asking lots of questions while you read about the troubles and the triumphs that come along with this short. You will wonder what the future holds for the two of them? You hope that it will go well and that Samuel will not go astray.
All the situations make you question whether spark really does just fade between people who are in love but have been married for a long time. What do you do when attention is given elsewhere? Do you go for that fun and lose other things that mean the most to you? Or do you try to rekindle what you may be losing? Family units are a hard thing to understand sometimes and why people that are in love make the decisions that they do. This story is full of ups and downs and the things that life bring. The wedding is all over the place but what is going on in everyone’s head and lives will be brought out in the end. Your emotions will be brought out all the way throughout reading the story. There will be smiles and there will be times when you want to rip your hair out with distress. You will love following Samuel and Tabitha through their craziness of a family wedding and will make you believe in that little thing called love once again.
I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.
The story follows Samuel and Tabitha as their lives go on around them. Temptation comes to find Samuel when a woman is in his life that is half of his age. Things start to get a little bit difficult for him. His wife notices what all is going on but she sits back and watches as things go the way that they will. She definitely is not the silly and naive type, so she tries for Samuel’s attention back to her but the outcome of her efforts go differently than we expect. You will be asking lots of questions while you read about the troubles and the triumphs that come along with this short. You will wonder what the future holds for the two of them? You hope that it will go well and that Samuel will not go astray.
All the situations make you question whether spark really does just fade between people who are in love but have been married for a long time. What do you do when attention is given elsewhere? Do you go for that fun and lose other things that mean the most to you? Or do you try to rekindle what you may be losing? Family units are a hard thing to understand sometimes and why people that are in love make the decisions that they do. This story is full of ups and downs and the things that life bring. The wedding is all over the place but what is going on in everyone’s head and lives will be brought out in the end. Your emotions will be brought out all the way throughout reading the story. There will be smiles and there will be times when you want to rip your hair out with distress. You will love following Samuel and Tabitha through their craziness of a family wedding and will make you believe in that little thing called love once again.
I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.
March 22, 2014
The Long Goodbye by James Robinson Jr starts off with the chase and it got me going – actually my heart was racing possibly faster than Samuel’s throughout the scene with the dog… But, he had to be at St Mary’s Church in a rush. Parking his car a few blocks away brought him a pack of problems he really didn’t need or wanted.
Feeling all sweaty and ruffled up, Samuel finally makes it at church where Tabitha tells him that the service was delayed. At this moment, he looks at his wife – beautiful & stylish, *sigh* When asked what happened; Samuel decided to talk about it later.
Maxine was possibly the highlight at the church – whatever she wore, said and sang seemed to be annoying or redundant. Ah well. In my book, there is such a thing called freedom of speech. She is thinking of when she was a nurse and meets an all American football star. A lot was said on Samuel Sr but Maxine felt that it was all talk.
When BJ, the father of the bride, kissed his wife’s hand; Maxine felt some jealousy feeling that this kind of true love was missing from her marriage. **oh no**
At the sight of Kat, CiCi’s maid of honor’s low décolleté and stylish gown, Samuel gets “infatuated” Kat (Katrina Alexander) is into fashion and extends an invitation. Sam Sr butts in and warns him. Unexpectedly, Tabitha is showing signs of jealousy. She drinks and begins to have some fun, made me laugh. Especially at the table. “plastered or wasted” Tabitha is having a good time until… she vomits or is it upchucks? This - you got to read, lol
Samuel and Kat dance. Her head on his shoulder and then, well… I’ve said too much. The end made me wonder a little – Tabitha, Samuel, a text from Kat and those damned birds! As a woman with a fertile imagination, this man is up to no good, lol.
I loved it. I recommend it.
Adriana LG
Feeling all sweaty and ruffled up, Samuel finally makes it at church where Tabitha tells him that the service was delayed. At this moment, he looks at his wife – beautiful & stylish, *sigh* When asked what happened; Samuel decided to talk about it later.
Maxine was possibly the highlight at the church – whatever she wore, said and sang seemed to be annoying or redundant. Ah well. In my book, there is such a thing called freedom of speech. She is thinking of when she was a nurse and meets an all American football star. A lot was said on Samuel Sr but Maxine felt that it was all talk.
When BJ, the father of the bride, kissed his wife’s hand; Maxine felt some jealousy feeling that this kind of true love was missing from her marriage. **oh no**
At the sight of Kat, CiCi’s maid of honor’s low décolleté and stylish gown, Samuel gets “infatuated” Kat (Katrina Alexander) is into fashion and extends an invitation. Sam Sr butts in and warns him. Unexpectedly, Tabitha is showing signs of jealousy. She drinks and begins to have some fun, made me laugh. Especially at the table. “plastered or wasted” Tabitha is having a good time until… she vomits or is it upchucks? This - you got to read, lol
Samuel and Kat dance. Her head on his shoulder and then, well… I’ve said too much. The end made me wonder a little – Tabitha, Samuel, a text from Kat and those damned birds! As a woman with a fertile imagination, this man is up to no good, lol.
I loved it. I recommend it.
Adriana LG
August 6, 2016
I enjoyed The Long Goodbye! This was my first time reading a book by James Robinson, I'll have to catch up with book one but I truly enjoyed this one. Loved that everything was so down to earth, realistic and believable, which made it even more fun to read. This was a real life situation that unfolded with some great writing, I enjoyed wondering how it would end up.
We follow Samuel and Tabitha the happy couple and some real life drama unfolding before them. When temptation comes along for Samuel to a woman half his age, things start to get a bit rocky. His sights are on the maid of honor who isn't in the least hiding her interest right back, the wife? She notices what's going on and tries to gain Samuel's attention back on her but that seems to have the wrong outcome she'd hoped for. It stirs up a lot of questions, on what the furture will hold.
What happens when being married for so long has lost it's spark and fire? Throw it all away for a little fun or joy ride? Or try to rekindle what has been there all along? Will the family tear apart as trouble stirs, or will they be able to come together with full support? It's a crazy roller coaster of a wedding to say the least and the truth will come out in the end.
You'll laugh, you may cry, but you will enjoy following the journey of Samuel and Tabitha and this crazy family wedding, leaving you hoping that Love really is timeless.
We follow Samuel and Tabitha the happy couple and some real life drama unfolding before them. When temptation comes along for Samuel to a woman half his age, things start to get a bit rocky. His sights are on the maid of honor who isn't in the least hiding her interest right back, the wife? She notices what's going on and tries to gain Samuel's attention back on her but that seems to have the wrong outcome she'd hoped for. It stirs up a lot of questions, on what the furture will hold.
What happens when being married for so long has lost it's spark and fire? Throw it all away for a little fun or joy ride? Or try to rekindle what has been there all along? Will the family tear apart as trouble stirs, or will they be able to come together with full support? It's a crazy roller coaster of a wedding to say the least and the truth will come out in the end.
You'll laugh, you may cry, but you will enjoy following the journey of Samuel and Tabitha and this crazy family wedding, leaving you hoping that Love really is timeless.
December 14, 2015
This was a great light hearted read that made me chuckle right from the beginning as it follows the antics of a family attending a close friends wedding.
The story centres around Samuel and his wife Tabitha, Samuel's parents Maxine and Samuel Snr, not forgetting about good old Uncle Ray. I'm sure every family must have an Uncle Ray with his loud, life and soul of the party ways. The wedding they are attending is for the daughter of Maxine's closest friend Gail. Although there is already tension in the air before the wedding has even started as the previous wedding they attended for Gail's other daughter ended up with the bride running off with her lover before the 'I do' part.
All in not well behind the scenes of this family trip though as feelings of sadness, lack of love and affection is multiplied by drink, leading to crazy events and creating temptation.
I loved the humor throughout the story, well what I took as humor, maybe I was just enjoying the book too much! The author's writing had the story flowing really well, it was down to earth almost familiar in some areas in the way families engage and react to each other.
There are some swear words in the story that I did feel were unnecessary but it didn't really affect the overall read.
A quick, enjoyable read that was a great tonic, I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. I feel that there is much more to come with this family. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
The story centres around Samuel and his wife Tabitha, Samuel's parents Maxine and Samuel Snr, not forgetting about good old Uncle Ray. I'm sure every family must have an Uncle Ray with his loud, life and soul of the party ways. The wedding they are attending is for the daughter of Maxine's closest friend Gail. Although there is already tension in the air before the wedding has even started as the previous wedding they attended for Gail's other daughter ended up with the bride running off with her lover before the 'I do' part.
All in not well behind the scenes of this family trip though as feelings of sadness, lack of love and affection is multiplied by drink, leading to crazy events and creating temptation.
I loved the humor throughout the story, well what I took as humor, maybe I was just enjoying the book too much! The author's writing had the story flowing really well, it was down to earth almost familiar in some areas in the way families engage and react to each other.
There are some swear words in the story that I did feel were unnecessary but it didn't really affect the overall read.
A quick, enjoyable read that was a great tonic, I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. I feel that there is much more to come with this family. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
February 27, 2014
This is book two in the Johnson Family Chronicles. The books are short under 100 pages. They are full of action though.
This time the family travels to Savannah for a wedding. This family is like so many in real life. To the outside world they look happy, and so in love. Behind closed doors it is a whole other story.
Samuel is tempted by a woman half his age. Tabitha his wife realizes this. The more she tries to get his attention back to her, the more he wants to spend time with Kat.
What do you do when you feel like your marriage has lost the love and luster after being together for years? Do you stay in a loveless marriage? Do you divorce and move on? Do you cheat and hope no one finds out? Everyone has temptation of some sort in their life. It's how you react to that temptation that matters.
This was a good quick book to read. I liked reading about Samuel and his family. I give this book a 4.
This time the family travels to Savannah for a wedding. This family is like so many in real life. To the outside world they look happy, and so in love. Behind closed doors it is a whole other story.
Samuel is tempted by a woman half his age. Tabitha his wife realizes this. The more she tries to get his attention back to her, the more he wants to spend time with Kat.
What do you do when you feel like your marriage has lost the love and luster after being together for years? Do you stay in a loveless marriage? Do you divorce and move on? Do you cheat and hope no one finds out? Everyone has temptation of some sort in their life. It's how you react to that temptation that matters.
This was a good quick book to read. I liked reading about Samuel and his family. I give this book a 4.
March 13, 2014
I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.
I didn't read Book of Samuel, the first book in the Johnson Family Chronicles, but that works since this one is a prequel. I plan on reading it sometime in the future.
The Long Goodbye is a quick read. James Robinson, Jr., has a good sense of humor and his writing style flows well. I was distracted at times by missing or misplaced quotes, though, and had to re-read paragraphs because of them.
The characters are interesting and well-developed as well as hilarious at times. Their struggles with their emotions, their relationships, and their particular situations were very realistic (except maybe the beginning but that was just funny...a great way to start a book).
I recommend The Long Goodbye. It's a quick and enjoyable read.
I didn't read Book of Samuel, the first book in the Johnson Family Chronicles, but that works since this one is a prequel. I plan on reading it sometime in the future.
The Long Goodbye is a quick read. James Robinson, Jr., has a good sense of humor and his writing style flows well. I was distracted at times by missing or misplaced quotes, though, and had to re-read paragraphs because of them.
The characters are interesting and well-developed as well as hilarious at times. Their struggles with their emotions, their relationships, and their particular situations were very realistic (except maybe the beginning but that was just funny...a great way to start a book).
I recommend The Long Goodbye. It's a quick and enjoyable read.
March 12, 2014
I was lucky enough to receive the first in this series as well as this one. Truthfully I think the sequence should have been reversed but since they were both very short-these are actually novellas- I was able to read both in one sitting! I was left wanting to know more--much more. You can be sure I will be getting the subsequent books in this series as soon as they are written.
This family sure has its share of troubles-which nobody speaks about. Until the wedding where things that happened in the past are brought to light and futures are in doubt.The Long Goodbye
This family sure has its share of troubles-which nobody speaks about. Until the wedding where things that happened in the past are brought to light and futures are in doubt.The Long Goodbye
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews