The Compass

by Jenna Miles

From the author of The Catch comes THE COMPASS, Part One of its stand-alone “midquel.” With brand-new material as well as flashbacks to The Catch, all told from William’s point of view, The Compass is equal parts hilarious, harrowing, heartwarming, and hopeful.

In 1995, twenty-year-old William Quinn’s quest for reprieve after a painful breakup reunites him with Serafima “Haze” Temkina, a tattoo artist with an opaque background who’s twice played a pivotal role in his life. Although their friendship and blooming intimacy promise a foothold, traumatic memories and perilous temptations threaten to bury him beneath their weight. Soon, William is losing his already-tenuous grip on himself, his mental health, and everything he values. But when he finally resurfaces, his oldest friend Haze is waiting – and this time, she bears a bombshell about William’s past that could clear the way to his future.

Told in non-linear fashion, The Compass alternates between William’s present and past. Equally enjoyable as a stand-alone novel, it offers an intriguing look at how William got his albatross and compass tattoos.

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2024

About the author

Jenna Miles is becoming JENNA MALABY! Totally Gen X author of THE CATCH, THE HOLD, and THE COMPASS. Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. 90% cat hair.

Jenna Malaby (formerly Jenna Miles) writes contemporary romance and literary fiction that’s swoony, funny, and sometimes angsty. An avid author since she first picked up a crayon, Jenna is a Texas native and still says y’all without warning, despite living in California since 2008. Prior to having a midlife crisis, piercing her nose, and quitting to be a writer, she provided nutrition counseling to people living with HIV. When Jenna is not dreaming up the next drama for her fictional characters, she and her husband stay busy improvising voices for their cats and unintentionally embarrassing their three daughters.

Reviews

[Jackie Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Jenna for sending me this ARC.

This book was a roller coaster ride of emotions. The non-linear time line can be hard for me to follow some times, but this book follows William through abuse, alcohol, death, addiction, love, and heartbreak. It's a beautifully written journey of rising above. Things don't always end in sunshine and rainbows, but peace can still be found.

[Julia Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dark and gritty tale about the agony of losing your first love — a love you thought would last forever — and the depths to which the human soul can descend. This is a story that moves between two timelines and tells the history of William and Julia. Teenage lovers, their affair is the stuff that movies are made of but maybe it was always doomed to falter at the first hurdle.

Gutted, his soul shattered into pieces, Will loses his way in a miasma of drugs, drinks, sex, and rock and roll. A cliché, I know, but the author manages to make it fresh and original. Surrounded by a dysfunctional family all as damaged as Will is, he seeks distraction elsewhere and discovers it in the fascinating and unique tattoo artist, Haze.

But is Will too broken to ever be reassembled? Can there be a life for him after Julia? Very well-written, this is a story that explores human emotions of all shades be they the intense red of love and desire or the pitch black of jealousy, despair, and rage.

As a companion novella to The Catch which continues Will and Julia’s tale, The Compass is a fascinating and engrossing colouring in of the background. I now look forward to reading The Hold which will complete the story and bring it up to the current day.

[Vi Bakshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of reading “The Compass” by author Jenna Miles recently. It’s not your usual recycled plot with tedious characters. It is an amazing story about a real life main character William, at a pivotal point in his life’s journey, told from his perspective. I was surprised by the multi dimensional main character as I found myself loving him, hating him, and rooting for him all at the same time. I was impressed that it reads so true to life. It shows us the many sides of his personality as he struggles with lost love and self loathing in an attempt to find his way through, from one day to the next. We all know that life and happiness are not guaranteed from one day to the next so what happens when you lose your way? I LOVED this book for the characters, the life lessons and family struggles I could relate to, and especially because all of the characters are well developed and just “real”. I highly recommend this as your next read. It’s a stand alone beautifully written story that will leave you wanting to read her other book “The Catch”. They’re both excellent stand alone stories and she is an imaginative, talented, and impressive author!

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Compass

Well, Jenna Miles has gone a reached in a grabbed hold of my heart. I’m still processing how I feel about The Compass, so this may not be particularly eloquent… Jenna’s writing is quirky, fun, heart-wrenching, and provoking. All. At. Once. I’ve no earthly idea how she does it. I devoured this book, eager to turn the page one minute, and dreading to read what I knew was coming the next. I adore William and Haze, and my heart is still a bit achy right now. This is my first Jenna Miles book, but far from my last. The Compass is immediately going on my reread list. I’m sure I’ll read it at least another several times. Five unrepentant stars!

[Kalaya Craft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartfelt

I have no words to accurately describe how this book affected me. I cried so much…a good cry though. I felt his pain. This book truly moved me. I would have liked to read more of his story as told from his point of view but this was still a wonderful explanation of his story.