Not Enough

AKA Simon Lee #5.5

by P.D. Atkerson

How do you raise a three-year-old kid who thinks a thousand-piece puzzle is easy and who will always find the cookie jar, no matter where you hide it? Lee’s mom has had it tough. With his father almost always gone, the pressure of raising a kid like Lee has fallen on her shoulder.

But what happens when she decides she can’t take it anymore? How will that affect Lee's life, and that of everyone around him, forever?

Genres: Short Stories

Unknown Binding

First published September 4, 2020

About the author

P.D. Atkerson is a homeschooled writer, living in Montana, who may or may not be a secret agent. She spends almost as much time in the worlds she creates as she does the real one.
When she’s not reporting the stories of her agents, she’s learning different languages, or traveling to different worlds through the portals of books.
She has a black belt in sarcasm and a master’s degree in useless facts.

If you're interested in reading any of her books for an honest review, just fill out the form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...

Reviews

[M.L. Milligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hang onto your heart. Cause this book will rip it right out of your chest.

It's not easy raising a kid like Lee. In fact, "difficult" might just be the understatement of the year. I wish she had found another way, and not broken both Lee and his Dad's hearts (and in turn, mine). I really do. But I can't blame her for doing what she thought was right.

With a kid like Lee, just what is normal??

[Erika Mathews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, little Lee is SUCH an awesome character! Yet at the same time, I am so sorry for his parents and guardians!

In this short story, we get the two-fold bonus of seeing what Lee was like as a preschooler and gaining insight into the life and struggles of his mother. All I have to say is - what a perfectly crafted story. We were given enough to be immersed in their life at that time and truly feel as though we know them, and yet the story was concise and complete. The plot was well done. The characters - oh my. Perfect. The themes: sad yet meaningful. And through it all, the reader both gets to know Lee and his family better and wants to read more of him.

[P.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guys, it's out!
09/04/2020

Preorder here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DLDKNYX

[Akira R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another sad yet sweet short story that again gives more of Lee’s backstory. It’s was very nice to see the emotion in the hardest part of Lee’s life and why things get to him the way they do. This was a great story and I am happy to understand Lee even better.

*I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

[Lydia Willcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so, so much. Lee as a three-year-old is just hilarious to see, and exactly what I would expect him to be - sharp as nails and well beyond his years.
I don't like Lee's mother, especially after what she does to the two of them, but at the same time I can see it from her perspective too. I wish she had found another way around it, of course, instead what she did do. It's obvious that she does love them in her own rather strange way, even though she doesn't make it seem like it. I only hope there's a happy ending for Lee and especially his dad...
Lee's dad is an absolutely amazing father and I love him even more than I did before, if that's possible. I feel so sorry for him and I love the way he treats Lee and how close they are. The ending, particularly, was so sweet. This might actually be my favourite in the whole series. Soooooooooo sweet.
And yes, since reading this for the first time and writing this review, I'm read a lot more of little-Lee stories (you can find them on the author's blog, and I highly recommend you do, as per reading order below), but they never get old. Seriously, the author could write a detailed day-by-day Life of Lee from babyhood to present day, and I would 100% read it.
Again, please read this in its right place, between WW and RM! It has major spoilers for the AKASL series, though you wouldn't immediately think so.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


Recommended Reading Order for the Simon Lee Universe books (SLU):
Note: This is the order I've put together after reading and rereading almost all of these books, sometimes at once. While there are different opinions on which series should be read first, this is the order I personally feel is best for a first-time reader. It is NOT the chronological order - and I strongly recommend that a first-time reader does NOT read these books in chronological order. That's great for rereads, but the most will be got out of the SLU books by reading them loosely in the following order
Phantom Thief
Nicholas Bishop
Gregory's Epilogue (blog short)
Christmas Hostage
Guardian Eagle
Murphy Lawson
Ghost Hunter
Most Wanted
Winnie Winfield
Not Enough
Rebel Mind
Talking Turkey (blog short)
Killian Young
Domestic Conflict (Seize the Fight)
They Call Her Ella
Deadlock
First Christmas (blog short)
Exploit
Choices
License
Training
Guilt
My Name is Anastasia
Night Crier (blog short)
Only For a Moment (blog short)
Christmas Bear (blog short)
Everything
Sick Leave (blog short)
Water Boy (blog short)
Школьник (blog short)
Bank Robber (Classified Files)
Blinded (blog short)
Room Escapee (Classified Files)
Dare (blog short)
Wrong Number (blog short)
Minor Detail
Unwanted Services
Off the Rails
Smoke Screen
Lost Time
Web of Lies

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ stars & 6/10 hearts. Wow… I was not expecting this. All the feels, y’all.

As someone who struggles with feeling worthy, I felt a lot for Stasia. I still don’t agree with her decision, but I see why she went with it. It was a tough call.

And poor Winfield broke my heart. Not to mention little Lee. 3 I absolutely adored their relationship. Winfield is such a great daddy and Lee absolutely loves him and it’s amazing. And I do love Stasia, and her relationship with Lee and with Winfield are pretty sweet…

I just love these characters so much. And all I ask is a happy ending for them all. <33

I don’t even know what else to say, except… I loved this story. So much.

A Favourite Humorous Quote: “She said you were on the roof; is that true?”
“Simon kept his gaze down as he ran his finger over the pattern on Winfield’s bedspread. “Well…”
“Why?”
“I didn’t answer you yet,” Simon said[.]
“You didn't have to[.] I know you did because you were trying to avoid answering my question.” ….
“How did you know that?”
“You started to answer a yes or no question with ‘well,’” Winfield said, then he stopped and glanced toward Simon. He didn’t know why, but he had a bad feeling he was going to regret telling him that.”

*I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for my honest review. A positive review was not required. These are my honest thoughts & opinions.*

[Jes Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always found that I enjoy my series to have short stories in between novels. There is something intimate about seeing characters from a different perspective, on a tighter time-scale. This short story is no different, as we see Simon Lee as a three year-old, and see Winfield as not only a father, but also a husband. However, the mother and wife in the picture is feeling overwhelmed and unfulfilled, possibly suffering with a long-lasting strain of post-partem depression exasperated by past trauma of her dangerous life, and the present stress of a genius toddler who hasn't learned how to stay out of trouble along with his other impressive advanced behavioral qualities. A great glimpse into the past as we readers prepare to see what the next chapter of the AKA Simon Lee series takes us.

I received a copy from the author, but was not required to write a favorable review.

Review first published on my blog: https://agencyofbooksandspies.blogspo...

[TheRoer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally love that it was Stasia!! I NEED to know what happens!!

[Rhys-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Lee...I hate that he had to go through something so traumatic at such a young age.

[Rosy Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️😭💔
This was so good. Lee as a 3 year old? Yes please! He was the cutest EVER. It's SO sad what his mother did to him and Winfield. I feel for her though.😢 And Winfield...? Poor guy. My heart hurt so much for him.❤️ And it hurts even more thinking about what happens in the future! He's the best father ever. The ending was so sweet!

[Deigan Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

😭😭😭😭😭

*ehem*

That was probably the saddest book in SLU history.

Seriously.

P.D. had me in tears before the book was half-way done. Not recommended to read if you want a happy note before bed 😭