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You Only Get So Much
When Billy Redmond returns to his hometown to attend his brother's funeral, he's hoping for a quick trip. No reason to stay for more than a few hours. He's been in self-imposed exile from his family after a tragedy 12 years ago. It's better this way. He can't harm people he never sees.
Billy soon finds that his family isn't better off without him, in fact he's the only one who can help them. Billy is forced to fight through his tormented past to make a better future for those he loves. He is guided on this journey by a woman from his past, who he quickly realizes was the one who got away.
For Billy, it's more than a second chance, it's his last chance to get it right.
Billy soon finds that his family isn't better off without him, in fact he's the only one who can help them. Billy is forced to fight through his tormented past to make a better future for those he loves. He is guided on this journey by a woman from his past, who he quickly realizes was the one who got away.
For Billy, it's more than a second chance, it's his last chance to get it right.
278 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 10, 2014
About the author
Dan Kolbet
10 books48 followersDan Kolbet lives in Spokane, Washington, with his family. He is an independent author, former newspaper editor, and reporter. He is currently working on his next story.
Visit www.dankolbet.com to learn more and sign up for Dan’s newsletter. You can like his author page on Facebook www.facebook.com/DanKolbetBooks.
Follow Kolbet on Twitter @dankolbet. Find him on Instagram at dankolbet.
Visit www.dankolbet.com to learn more and sign up for Dan’s newsletter. You can like his author page on Facebook www.facebook.com/DanKolbetBooks.
Follow Kolbet on Twitter @dankolbet. Find him on Instagram at dankolbet.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
January 31, 2016
I started this book with no expectations. And it turned out to be quite a page turner.
A few pages in it seemed like the story of a loser who shut himself up in a cabin somewhere trying to cope with the loss of wife and child and his seemingly perennial writer's block.
We start with a tragedy that requires him to clean up his act - tragic death of his brother and sister-in-law leaving to him sole responsibility for his aging parents and 2 kids.
This is not just a late coming of age story, its also a thriller with suspense and drama, love and redemption. To say more would mean spoiling the plot. But let me say there were twists and turns throughout the book. Mid-way through I didn't know what to expect anymore.
I must say that 1 of the 4 stars I gave this book was for the title and its explanation in the book. It's true - you only get so much family. And much as you wish otherwise, it is what it is mate. So chin up and hug your loved ones close. Don't give up on them. You only get so much. Make the most of it.
A few pages in it seemed like the story of a loser who shut himself up in a cabin somewhere trying to cope with the loss of wife and child and his seemingly perennial writer's block.
We start with a tragedy that requires him to clean up his act - tragic death of his brother and sister-in-law leaving to him sole responsibility for his aging parents and 2 kids.
This is not just a late coming of age story, its also a thriller with suspense and drama, love and redemption. To say more would mean spoiling the plot. But let me say there were twists and turns throughout the book. Mid-way through I didn't know what to expect anymore.
I must say that 1 of the 4 stars I gave this book was for the title and its explanation in the book. It's true - you only get so much family. And much as you wish otherwise, it is what it is mate. So chin up and hug your loved ones close. Don't give up on them. You only get so much. Make the most of it.
August 24, 2015
I have to say that I really enjoyed You Only Get So Much by Dan Kolbet, Billy Redmond is a writer who tragically lost his wife and daughter, he moves into a remote cabin for twelve years, he comes back home for the funeral of his brother and sister in law to find that his two nieces have been trusted into his care, without giving away any more of the story I will say this is a well written tale of love, loss, and the reminder of what is important and rightly should be for each of us. Dan Kolbets You Only Get So Much is a quick read with a few twists and turns that you may not see coming, and even if you do they still make up an excellent story, Well done Mr. Kolbet.
October 13, 2014
Wow! I didnt see that coming! Loved the book to think I just accidentally found it, started reading and cant stop! A family drama with twist, funny at times!
April 5, 2015
Maybe I read a different book than everyone else
December 13, 2015
Very well done! Totally unexpected revelations :!
January 16, 2021
When Billy's life is turned upside down, he disappears to the mountains of Montana, living alone and keeping to himself. He goes home for the first time in 12 years, for the funeral of his brother and sister-in-law. He ends up as the guardian for his nieces. I didn't know what to expect from this book. It delivered a lot to think about. The characters are well-developed; though not always likable, they're real, flawed, very much like our own friends and families. Full of deceit, mystery, betrayal, forgiveness and second chances, this was a wonderful book to read. I look forward to more from this author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 15, 2021
This book kept me glued to the edge of my seat as I read it is a well written story with a very good storyline. I did not see a lot of this coming. When Billy Redmond comes back to his hometown for his brother and sister-in-laws funeral he did not expect everything that was going to happen. This is an Author I have not read before, his written draws you into the story.
January 18, 2020
Good read. Didn't see the first surprise coming but then was on high alert for the next surprises. The book is blunt in places where it needs to be. Sometimes even funny blunt because you can relate.
You can't choose your family. Some of your family you don't even know. Some of your family you can't know until you all change.
pg 265 'People who bring you pain with no regard for the damage they cause aren't worth your time. You should focus on the family that is best for you. Blood relatives or not.'
You can't choose your family. Some of your family you don't even know. Some of your family you can't know until you all change.
pg 265 'People who bring you pain with no regard for the damage they cause aren't worth your time. You should focus on the family that is best for you. Blood relatives or not.'
June 27, 2017
I have to say, I actually really enjoyed this book. I am personally not a huge fan of contemporary, but this really got me into the story. It took me such a long time to read mostly because I was busy with full-time work and full-time school but every part of the story was so engrained in my head that every time I went back to it, I never had trouble remembering what happened last. I love how this ended very realistically and would recommend this to readers who enjoy realistic endings and not super made-up fairy tale endings. I also appreciate the author, Dan Kolbet, mentioning in the book about independent works.
January 1, 2018
Enjoyed another great book by Dan Kolbert. Read "Don't Wait For Me" a couple of years ago and didn't realize this one was also written by him. Loved the gathering of characters into Billy's once isolated life. Even though the "twist" in the plot was pretty predictable, I was still drawn into the story.
December 9, 2019
Page turner
Well this booked grabbed me right from the start. At the 50% mark I hit the wth just happened and where is this going ....well I really enjoyed the ride it took me on....the character development was great.and I enjoyed each one. I will definitely read more of your books :)
Well this booked grabbed me right from the start. At the 50% mark I hit the wth just happened and where is this going ....well I really enjoyed the ride it took me on....the character development was great.and I enjoyed each one. I will definitely read more of your books :)
January 24, 2020
Loved it
I didn't read it for along time and when I decided to I
thought I would be reading a self help book. I chuckled when I discovered it was a novel. It is a very moving book showing what families and people with bipolar might go through. Lots of surprises, twists and turns. It kept my attention. I would recommend it to anyone.
I didn't read it for along time and when I decided to I
thought I would be reading a self help book. I chuckled when I discovered it was a novel. It is a very moving book showing what families and people with bipolar might go through. Lots of surprises, twists and turns. It kept my attention. I would recommend it to anyone.
November 20, 2016
A Book Bub freebee that actually worth reading. It started well, slowed for a tick and then became a can't put downer. It is in essences a feel good story and might be considered a woman's book, but I'm okay with that. I enjoyed it.
November 9, 2019
Good
I enjoyed the story but the editing in this book was terrible. I would think someone would have proofread it better. I can recommended the story if you can get past all the errors.
I enjoyed the story but the editing in this book was terrible. I would think someone would have proofread it better. I can recommended the story if you can get past all the errors.
October 21, 2022
spent more than one night up to late reading
This book was a good soul searching read. How well do you think you know those you love and how well do you know yourself. The characters were genuine and the book itself was so well written. Going to look into more of his books
This book was a good soul searching read. How well do you think you know those you love and how well do you know yourself. The characters were genuine and the book itself was so well written. Going to look into more of his books
December 3, 2017
An honest story
A guy telling the story of his adult life. The story is filled with surprises. It really draws you in. I felt like I really knew and understood him.
A guy telling the story of his adult life. The story is filled with surprises. It really draws you in. I felt like I really knew and understood him.
May 8, 2021
Twisted family connections form the backbone to a rather unusual story which, despite seeming not to do much, actually works. I enjoyed seeing how things fell out.
February 6, 2022
I really enjoyed the author’s voice in this story. He is a really good storyteller. The story itself was poignant and I liked it a lot.
March 6, 2023
You Only Get So Much
This was a very good book. It was unpredictable at times and it took this reader to places I didn't expect to go. That said, it was very enjoyable.
This was a very good book. It was unpredictable at times and it took this reader to places I didn't expect to go. That said, it was very enjoyable.
October 21, 2014
I was provided with a free ebook copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
You Only Get So Much is a book about family. It's about the ties that make a family, and about how those ties are unbreakable, no matter what you do.
Billy Redmond is a man who's lost everything - his wife and daughter died in a fire twelve years ago, and he's never stopped blaming himself, certain that it's his fault. He's been hiding out in the Montana wilderness since, convinced that he's bad for anyone. He's a writer, who managed to publish one book that was wildly successful, but hasn't written anything worth publishing since.
When his brother and sister-in-law both die, he heads back home to Spokane, Washington for the funeral. He doesn't want to be there, but he feels he has to be. He can't even bring himself to go inside, until his niece finds him and drags him in. Things snowball from there, and he goes from having no contact with his family to being right in the thick of it: he has custody of his two nieces, is living with his parents, and might even finally be ready to move on from the loss of his beloved wife and daughter.
But just when things are being to look a little brighter, he gets a strange phone call. A stranger wants Billy to believe that his dead wife and daughter aren't dead after all. It seems easy enough to check out this stranger's story, but as Billy begins down the rabbit hole to try to find the truth about what really happened twelve years ago, he finds more and more to confuse, anger, and depress him.
In the end, it's all about family. The family you're given, and the family you create, and in this story, we see Billy learn the real value of family and take pleasure in seeing him learn to embrace and cling to them, realizing that keeping his distance doesn't protect anyone, least of all himself.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had everything I look for in a good read: some romance, a mystery to be solved, connections to family and friends that are tested, and an ending that fits the story being told. I think Dan Kolbet knocked it out of the park with this one, and I'm looking forward to reading more by him in the future.
You Only Get So Much is a book about family. It's about the ties that make a family, and about how those ties are unbreakable, no matter what you do.
Billy Redmond is a man who's lost everything - his wife and daughter died in a fire twelve years ago, and he's never stopped blaming himself, certain that it's his fault. He's been hiding out in the Montana wilderness since, convinced that he's bad for anyone. He's a writer, who managed to publish one book that was wildly successful, but hasn't written anything worth publishing since.
When his brother and sister-in-law both die, he heads back home to Spokane, Washington for the funeral. He doesn't want to be there, but he feels he has to be. He can't even bring himself to go inside, until his niece finds him and drags him in. Things snowball from there, and he goes from having no contact with his family to being right in the thick of it: he has custody of his two nieces, is living with his parents, and might even finally be ready to move on from the loss of his beloved wife and daughter.
But just when things are being to look a little brighter, he gets a strange phone call. A stranger wants Billy to believe that his dead wife and daughter aren't dead after all. It seems easy enough to check out this stranger's story, but as Billy begins down the rabbit hole to try to find the truth about what really happened twelve years ago, he finds more and more to confuse, anger, and depress him.
In the end, it's all about family. The family you're given, and the family you create, and in this story, we see Billy learn the real value of family and take pleasure in seeing him learn to embrace and cling to them, realizing that keeping his distance doesn't protect anyone, least of all himself.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had everything I look for in a good read: some romance, a mystery to be solved, connections to family and friends that are tested, and an ending that fits the story being told. I think Dan Kolbet knocked it out of the park with this one, and I'm looking forward to reading more by him in the future.
October 13, 2014
An entertaining, humorous romantic mystery
The protagonist, Billy Redmond, has been hiding out in the mountains of Montana for twelve years ever since his wife, Jane, and daughter, Aspen were killed in a fire. His former home was
Spokane, Washington but none of his family knew where he was except that he had left word with the director of an assisted living institution where his father and mother lived. This was in case anything happened to either. The director contacted him because his father, suffering from dementia, had passed. He drove his old pickup to Spokane and stood back during the funeral, intending to leave immediately thereafter. But as life so often does to us, he was not allowed to return to his former life. A few months prior, his brother, Trevor, and wife had been murdered while on a trip in Europe, leaving a six year old girl, Gracie, and a teenager, Kendall. His mother, who was a very bossy and caustic person, spotted him and told him he had to show up for the reading of the will the next day.
Trevor and wife had left the guardianship of their girls to Billy and Trevor’s sister, April, but Billy’s mother got a court order vacating April as guardian because she was a drug addict and could never be found, and appointing Billy. Billy hadn’t been around children for so long, Kendall proved difficult, Gracie loveable, Billy’s mother impossible and then a stranger claimed that Billy’s daughter, Aspen, was alive but in jail in Spokane, going by the name of Libby and that he should go help her.
From then on Billy is on a fast track trying to catch up and learn the truth of a multitude of lies, raise Trevor’s daughters, develop a kinship with his now nineteen year old daughter, Libby, and learn the truth of Jane’s death. The author has a wit about him that shows throughout this story and although the plot is very convoluted, it is entertaining as Billy attempts to untangle everyone’s lives and find a new romance for himself.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone for a few hours of light reading. I received a complimentary copy for an honest review.
The protagonist, Billy Redmond, has been hiding out in the mountains of Montana for twelve years ever since his wife, Jane, and daughter, Aspen were killed in a fire. His former home was
Spokane, Washington but none of his family knew where he was except that he had left word with the director of an assisted living institution where his father and mother lived. This was in case anything happened to either. The director contacted him because his father, suffering from dementia, had passed. He drove his old pickup to Spokane and stood back during the funeral, intending to leave immediately thereafter. But as life so often does to us, he was not allowed to return to his former life. A few months prior, his brother, Trevor, and wife had been murdered while on a trip in Europe, leaving a six year old girl, Gracie, and a teenager, Kendall. His mother, who was a very bossy and caustic person, spotted him and told him he had to show up for the reading of the will the next day.
Trevor and wife had left the guardianship of their girls to Billy and Trevor’s sister, April, but Billy’s mother got a court order vacating April as guardian because she was a drug addict and could never be found, and appointing Billy. Billy hadn’t been around children for so long, Kendall proved difficult, Gracie loveable, Billy’s mother impossible and then a stranger claimed that Billy’s daughter, Aspen, was alive but in jail in Spokane, going by the name of Libby and that he should go help her.
From then on Billy is on a fast track trying to catch up and learn the truth of a multitude of lies, raise Trevor’s daughters, develop a kinship with his now nineteen year old daughter, Libby, and learn the truth of Jane’s death. The author has a wit about him that shows throughout this story and although the plot is very convoluted, it is entertaining as Billy attempts to untangle everyone’s lives and find a new romance for himself.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone for a few hours of light reading. I received a complimentary copy for an honest review.
May 30, 2015
You Only Get So Much is a book about family. It's about the ties that make a family, and about how those ties are unbreakable, no matter what you do.
Billy Redmond is a man who's lost everything - his wife and daughter died in a fire twelve years ago, and he's never stopped blaming himself, certain that it's his fault. He's been hiding out in the Montana wilderness since, convinced that he's bad for anyone. He's a writer, who managed to publish one book that was wildly successful, but hasn't written anything worth publishing since.
When his brother and sister-in-law both die, he heads back home to Spokane, Washington for the funeral. He doesn't want to be there, but he feels he has to be. He can't even bring himself to go inside, until his niece finds him and drags him in. Things snowball from there, and he goes from having no contact with his family to being right in the thick of it: he has custody of his two nieces, is living with his parents, and might even finally be ready to move on from the loss of his beloved wife and daughter.
But just when things are being to look a little brighter, he gets a strange phone call. A stranger wants Billy to believe that his dead wife and daughter aren't dead after all. It seems easy enough to check out this stranger's story, but as Billy begins down the rabbit hole to try to find the truth about what really happened twelve years ago, he finds more and more to confuse, anger, and depress him.
This book was unbelievably emotional, filled with love, sarcasm, augments, broken hearts and outstanding relationships between both family and the one that you thought got away.
I loved everything about this book, it's unlike anything I have ever read and was hooked from the very first page.
The characters were relatable. It shows the struggles that a family can go through and still pull through as long as they have each other.
I extremely enjoyed how it was written, that it was all in Billy's P.O.V and it was like it was one of his very own books. 100% recommendation this book and it up there in my top 3.
Billy Redmond is a man who's lost everything - his wife and daughter died in a fire twelve years ago, and he's never stopped blaming himself, certain that it's his fault. He's been hiding out in the Montana wilderness since, convinced that he's bad for anyone. He's a writer, who managed to publish one book that was wildly successful, but hasn't written anything worth publishing since.
When his brother and sister-in-law both die, he heads back home to Spokane, Washington for the funeral. He doesn't want to be there, but he feels he has to be. He can't even bring himself to go inside, until his niece finds him and drags him in. Things snowball from there, and he goes from having no contact with his family to being right in the thick of it: he has custody of his two nieces, is living with his parents, and might even finally be ready to move on from the loss of his beloved wife and daughter.
But just when things are being to look a little brighter, he gets a strange phone call. A stranger wants Billy to believe that his dead wife and daughter aren't dead after all. It seems easy enough to check out this stranger's story, but as Billy begins down the rabbit hole to try to find the truth about what really happened twelve years ago, he finds more and more to confuse, anger, and depress him.
This book was unbelievably emotional, filled with love, sarcasm, augments, broken hearts and outstanding relationships between both family and the one that you thought got away.
I loved everything about this book, it's unlike anything I have ever read and was hooked from the very first page.
The characters were relatable. It shows the struggles that a family can go through and still pull through as long as they have each other.
I extremely enjoyed how it was written, that it was all in Billy's P.O.V and it was like it was one of his very own books. 100% recommendation this book and it up there in my top 3.
January 16, 2021
Okay, let me just catch my breath for a moment. I was not expecting that! It's been a while since I have been on high alert for what will happen next.
"You only get so much family. Keep them close."
Billy Redmond is a reclusive "writer has been", who hid away in the mountains of Montana for 12 years, wracked with guilt, after losing his wife and daughter to a fire. He soon finds himself going back to Spokane, his hometown, to attend his brother's funeral. Forced by circumstances to take care of his nieces and his parents, Billy struggles to juggle between holding his family together and reintroducing himself to society. He reconnects with Michelle, his high school sweetheart, and just as he almost gets his groove back, another tragedy hits the family, with the death of his father. Making matters even more difficult and confusing than they already are, is information he receives concerning his daughter--- who is very much alive, albeit locked in jail. Billy then goes on a an interstate quest for the truth, picking up his sister who is pregnant and a recovering addict on the way, until it leads him to Missouri and he sees with his own eyes, the biggest lie that is also the truth.
This beautiful story is the first of its kind (at least for me). It tells of a man and his splintered family and how they put the pieces back together, after the great loss they have had to endure. It is an impassioned tale about resilience and unconditional love that heals and protects, even if it means shielding your loved ones from yourself. It is a story of forgiveness and second chances. This is by and large, one of, if not the best I have read in many years. Simple yet masterfully written prose. Concise (less than 300 pages, size 12 font, single space --- you get the idea, right?) No eloquent words, no romance, but enthralling just the same.
If this is what I can expect from Dan Kolbet's work, then his books will figure into my reading list (which I hope to finish before I become a nonagenarian).
"You only get so much family. Keep them close."
Billy Redmond is a reclusive "writer has been", who hid away in the mountains of Montana for 12 years, wracked with guilt, after losing his wife and daughter to a fire. He soon finds himself going back to Spokane, his hometown, to attend his brother's funeral. Forced by circumstances to take care of his nieces and his parents, Billy struggles to juggle between holding his family together and reintroducing himself to society. He reconnects with Michelle, his high school sweetheart, and just as he almost gets his groove back, another tragedy hits the family, with the death of his father. Making matters even more difficult and confusing than they already are, is information he receives concerning his daughter--- who is very much alive, albeit locked in jail. Billy then goes on a an interstate quest for the truth, picking up his sister who is pregnant and a recovering addict on the way, until it leads him to Missouri and he sees with his own eyes, the biggest lie that is also the truth.
This beautiful story is the first of its kind (at least for me). It tells of a man and his splintered family and how they put the pieces back together, after the great loss they have had to endure. It is an impassioned tale about resilience and unconditional love that heals and protects, even if it means shielding your loved ones from yourself. It is a story of forgiveness and second chances. This is by and large, one of, if not the best I have read in many years. Simple yet masterfully written prose. Concise (less than 300 pages, size 12 font, single space --- you get the idea, right?) No eloquent words, no romance, but enthralling just the same.
If this is what I can expect from Dan Kolbet's work, then his books will figure into my reading list (which I hope to finish before I become a nonagenarian).
August 24, 2015
After a tragic, life-changing event shatters Billy Redmond's idyllic life forever, he becomes a reclusive loner. He chooses to live alone in the Montana Mountains and remain estranged from his family for the next twelve years. He thinks it's better and safer for everyone that way. When he returns to Spokane for his brother's funeral, he's determined to stay just one day. He has no idea his life will be turned upside down once again.
"You Only Get So Much" is a heartfelt story of a man who punishes himself for far too long because of a one-time indiscretion. Eventually he learns he's been duped several times over, by more than one person. It's a story that makes us pause and wonder how well we really know the people we are closest to - and how well we really know ourselves.
There's a lot going on in this book. The story branches out in several directions, using several characters. Yet, the author takes great care to intricately and memorably develop each character so readers can easily connect and sympathize with them. I found Billy's character to be likable, sensitive and caring. Billy's moody, broody teenage niece, Kendall, was spot on. His critical, judgmental mother was believable. Billy's romance with his old flame, Michelle, was wonderfully charming. The author's clever sense of humor added some comic relief to the drama.
I thought the book would have flowed a bit better if it had been written exclusively in past tense, instead of reverting to present tense at various points. But I didn't think this took anything away from the story.
This is the second book I've read by Dan Kolbet, having previously read and loved "Don't Wait For Me". The two books are distinctly different, but equally wonderful. I would recommend reading "You Only Get So Much" if you're looking for contemporary fiction with an emphasis on family life and romance.
"You Only Get So Much" is a heartfelt story of a man who punishes himself for far too long because of a one-time indiscretion. Eventually he learns he's been duped several times over, by more than one person. It's a story that makes us pause and wonder how well we really know the people we are closest to - and how well we really know ourselves.
There's a lot going on in this book. The story branches out in several directions, using several characters. Yet, the author takes great care to intricately and memorably develop each character so readers can easily connect and sympathize with them. I found Billy's character to be likable, sensitive and caring. Billy's moody, broody teenage niece, Kendall, was spot on. His critical, judgmental mother was believable. Billy's romance with his old flame, Michelle, was wonderfully charming. The author's clever sense of humor added some comic relief to the drama.
I thought the book would have flowed a bit better if it had been written exclusively in past tense, instead of reverting to present tense at various points. But I didn't think this took anything away from the story.
This is the second book I've read by Dan Kolbet, having previously read and loved "Don't Wait For Me". The two books are distinctly different, but equally wonderful. I would recommend reading "You Only Get So Much" if you're looking for contemporary fiction with an emphasis on family life and romance.
February 10, 2017
And then you get more!
This was a very good book, it just kept me going. It was a bit of a mystery, always keeping me wondering what was going to happen next. And it's life at its most complicated, as are the people who make up your family. I enjoyed it very much. Thankyou
Lynn
This was a very good book, it just kept me going. It was a bit of a mystery, always keeping me wondering what was going to happen next. And it's life at its most complicated, as are the people who make up your family. I enjoyed it very much. Thankyou
Lynn
November 9, 2015
This is in first person present tense - which usually is enough to make me delete a novel after reading a couple of ages. But this is surprisingly well written, with a good style and a main character who is neither a navel-gazer or an alpha-male.
The story is, outwardly, very simple - man returns to family after being a loner for 12 years, but there is a lot more to the back-story than at first appears.
I enjoyed the novel. There were a few ?? moments - do six year olds really have an afternoon nap? but on the whole it flowed well and Billy is very a very believable character, (as is his father who was touchingly portrayed without being mawkish).
The story is, outwardly, very simple - man returns to family after being a loner for 12 years, but there is a lot more to the back-story than at first appears.
I enjoyed the novel. There were a few ?? moments - do six year olds really have an afternoon nap? but on the whole it flowed well and Billy is very a very believable character, (as is his father who was touchingly portrayed without being mawkish).
June 11, 2016
This was a pleasant surprise! I downloaded it as a free book (and you NEVER know what you'll get with those!) and found an interesting, well-written story that held my attention and managed to unravel the "mysteries" and plot twists without becoming cheesy or (overly) predictable. I did laugh at the irony of finding some minor typos and missed edits in an e-book where the main character, an author, spends quite some time explaining how books need professional editing because people hate to find errors and typos in the finished products. :) Overall, a nice, happy story that's not too fluffy and has some substance. The main character is likable and has a good sense of humor about most things.
November 18, 2014
Note from the author: You Only Get So Much is the story of one man and his struggle to find himself amid the chaos of the family he so desperately wants to avoid. He stays away because he believes this is the only way he can keep them safe. He's wrong.
It took me nearly two years to get the story in its final form, so these characters have been running around in my head for a long, long time. Thus some of them mean a great deal to me.
The novel takes place in the Northwest, where I'm from. Those of you who have visited Spokane, Washington, my hometown, will recognize several locations.
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed writing it.
It took me nearly two years to get the story in its final form, so these characters have been running around in my head for a long, long time. Thus some of them mean a great deal to me.
The novel takes place in the Northwest, where I'm from. Those of you who have visited Spokane, Washington, my hometown, will recognize several locations.
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed writing it.
October 15, 2014
You Only Get So Much
Truth: the author gave me a copy of the book with no rules.
I had previously read his book, "Don't Wait For Me," and really liked it. This book was, again, a really great read. Dan's characters are like our (mine anyway) friends and family - real-life, flawed, caring, worried, wanting love in their lives, and more.
In both books, the main character fights the lows of their lives to become good men. Dan was able to make all his characters dance through my head as I drove into the books.
My recommendation: buy the book and spend your day immersed in his writing. You won't regret it.
Truth: the author gave me a copy of the book with no rules.
I had previously read his book, "Don't Wait For Me," and really liked it. This book was, again, a really great read. Dan's characters are like our (mine anyway) friends and family - real-life, flawed, caring, worried, wanting love in their lives, and more.
In both books, the main character fights the lows of their lives to become good men. Dan was able to make all his characters dance through my head as I drove into the books.
My recommendation: buy the book and spend your day immersed in his writing. You won't regret it.
September 2, 2015
This book was an absolute pleasant surprise. I didn't have much expectations and only bought it because it was free. So there was a good chance it would of been pushed down the list of books to be read.
Billy pulled me right away. Billy came home after his brother and sister in law passed away tragically. He had no intention of staying, after all he had stayed away for so long. After realizing his nieces need him Billy finds himself slowly growing his family. There are twists, and unexpected turns.
This book was a great read. It was totally unexpected, and I'm glad I read when I dead.
Billy pulled me right away. Billy came home after his brother and sister in law passed away tragically. He had no intention of staying, after all he had stayed away for so long. After realizing his nieces need him Billy finds himself slowly growing his family. There are twists, and unexpected turns.
This book was a great read. It was totally unexpected, and I'm glad I read when I dead.
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