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Something More #1.5
ReCAP: A Normal Novella
You already heard the story. The one of how Rory and I fell in love, supposedly, even if she couldn't handle it in the end. You know how it all went.
Or you think you do.
You only know her side. But I have my own point of view, and even Rory couldn't know my thoughts in those few months it took for her to go from being a stranger to my whole entire world.
Every moment is permanently ingrained in my memory. In my goddamned soul. From the moment I stumbled upon the girl panicking outside of calculus - the one with the tight little body, the angelic face, and the fierce attitude - to the night she abandoned me in Miami. It was the sum of those moments that changed me irrevocably.
Our story isn't over. I won't let it be. But this, this is what happened so far, the way I saw it.
I'm Cap. Or Sam, to Rory. And this is my story.
Or you think you do.
You only know her side. But I have my own point of view, and even Rory couldn't know my thoughts in those few months it took for her to go from being a stranger to my whole entire world.
Every moment is permanently ingrained in my memory. In my goddamned soul. From the moment I stumbled upon the girl panicking outside of calculus - the one with the tight little body, the angelic face, and the fierce attitude - to the night she abandoned me in Miami. It was the sum of those moments that changed me irrevocably.
Our story isn't over. I won't let it be. But this, this is what happened so far, the way I saw it.
I'm Cap. Or Sam, to Rory. And this is my story.
150 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 13, 2014
89 people are currently reading
1026 people want to read
About the author
Danielle Pearl
13 books1,331 followersDanielle Pearl is the Amazon and iBooks best selling author of the Something More series. She lives in New Jersey with her three delicious children and ever-supportive husband, who--luckily--doesn't mind sharing her with an array of fictional men. She did a brief stint at Boston University and worked in marketing before publishing her debut novel, Normal. She writes mature Young Adult and New Adult Contemporary Romance. Danielle enjoys coffee, wine, and cupcakes, and not in moderation.
Danielle is represented by Erica Silverman @ Trident Media Group
Learn more at Daniellepearl.com
Like her Facebook page for updates -- Facebook.com/daniellepearlauthor
Follow her on twitter.com/danipearlauthor and Instagram.com/daniellepearlauthor
Danielle is represented by Erica Silverman @ Trident Media Group
Learn more at Daniellepearl.com
Like her Facebook page for updates -- Facebook.com/daniellepearlauthor
Follow her on twitter.com/danipearlauthor and Instagram.com/daniellepearlauthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
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June 29, 2020I won’t rate this. I am in denial!
Normal was told by Rory’s pov.
In ReCap I was given a small glimpse of Sam’s pov from a few scenes that had unfolded in the previous book.
Sam’s pov should have been integrated in the first part all along.
Fortunately the next story, Okay, is told by dual pov!!
Normal was told by Rory’s pov.
In ReCap I was given a small glimpse of Sam’s pov from a few scenes that had unfolded in the previous book.
Sam’s pov should have been integrated in the first part all along.
Fortunately the next story, Okay, is told by dual pov!!
July 27, 2016
I'm always a little leery about reading "his" side of the story books. And then I saw that this book was actually titled Recap so I obviously approached it with caution. Thankfully, I had nothing to worry about. Although there were some scenes that were repeated from the first book, it was done in a fresh, new way, giving the reader a chance to really understand Sam's perspective.
I absolutely loved seeing Sam's POV. I cannot even explain how much I appreciated it. And how much it made me love this character even more. I loved how he saw Rory, how he viewed himself, the lengths he was willing to go to in order to have her in his life, his feelings,... everything!
Still waiting for Robin to fall hard. Preferably breaking his face.
XO
I absolutely loved seeing Sam's POV. I cannot even explain how much I appreciated it. And how much it made me love this character even more. I loved how he saw Rory, how he viewed himself, the lengths he was willing to go to in order to have her in his life, his feelings,... everything!
Still waiting for Robin to fall hard. Preferably breaking his face.
XO
April 28, 2017
I enjoyed reading 'Normal' by Danielle Pearl, which was told from the heroine’s POV. I thought seeing the events unfold from the hero’s perspective would have made the story that more effective. Therefore, when I discovered that Recap provided Sam's perspective I could not resist acquiring a copy of this instalment.
The title depicts the storyline. It is a recap of some of the events in 'Normal' through Sam's aka Cap's eyes. Seeing these events unfolding through Sam’s eyes was refreshing. This was not a blow-by-blow account of Normal. What the author did was to focus on important scenes where Sam’s voice had an impact.
When I first met Sam, I believed him to be a special guy, and this instalment confirmed my beliefs. He believes that relationships and romance were not his things, but that was before he met Rory. Now he wishes for Rory to reciprocate his feelings. In ‘Normal’ Sam appeared to be in control of emotions, however, in 'Recap' we are privy to his daily struggles with anger. His issues with anger is a product of his abusive past. Growing up, he learned from an early age to protect the women in his life, so his wish to protect Rory is understandable. Here we see that Rory is not the only one who has triggers. Sam has them too, which, is clear from his emotional outbursts whenever he perceives that Rory is in crisis.
‘Recap’ gives insight into who Sam was as an individual. The author aptly portrayed his emotions. I got a firsthand look at the lengths he was willing to take to ensure that Rory was fine and that she would remain in his life.
Verdict
I enjoyed Sam’s perspective of the events in ‘Normal’. If you read the earlier book, then I recommend you read this instalment. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the
The title depicts the storyline. It is a recap of some of the events in 'Normal' through Sam's aka Cap's eyes. Seeing these events unfolding through Sam’s eyes was refreshing. This was not a blow-by-blow account of Normal. What the author did was to focus on important scenes where Sam’s voice had an impact.
When I first met Sam, I believed him to be a special guy, and this instalment confirmed my beliefs. He believes that relationships and romance were not his things, but that was before he met Rory. Now he wishes for Rory to reciprocate his feelings. In ‘Normal’ Sam appeared to be in control of emotions, however, in 'Recap' we are privy to his daily struggles with anger. His issues with anger is a product of his abusive past. Growing up, he learned from an early age to protect the women in his life, so his wish to protect Rory is understandable. Here we see that Rory is not the only one who has triggers. Sam has them too, which, is clear from his emotional outbursts whenever he perceives that Rory is in crisis.
‘Recap’ gives insight into who Sam was as an individual. The author aptly portrayed his emotions. I got a firsthand look at the lengths he was willing to take to ensure that Rory was fine and that she would remain in his life.
Verdict
I enjoyed Sam’s perspective of the events in ‘Normal’. If you read the earlier book, then I recommend you read this instalment. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the
February 5, 2018
ok .. we had a glimpse of caps feelings and thoughts but i think that this one is just nothing it didn't add anything to their story or the story in general it .
December 2, 2017
I appreciate seeing some of the scenes from Normal from Sam's POV...But I feel like there was a lot left out. Parts felt disjointed and it didn't flow as easily as a story. And after the fight in the bathroom, I wish we'd gotten to see Sam telling the truth about what happen so that the bitch couldn't spread rumors about Rory.
Overall, it wasn't bad, just...well...not a full story.
Overall, it wasn't bad, just...well...not a full story.
November 21, 2016
I really enjoyed reading Normal, so I was thrilled that I'd be able to experience the story again from Sam's point of view in ReCap. Being inside his head explained a lot about his actions and why he reacted to certain situations the way that he did.
I felt that this novella helped add depth to Sam's already complex character, but it also made me more frustrated with both Rory and Sam. Being outside of Rory's thoughts really made her decisions all the more bewildering and I found myself just as confused and frustrated at times as Sam. I felt that Sam was overly apologetic and was too worried about upsetting Rory all the time. As much as I love Sam, his relationship/friendship with Rory felt too all consuming. I did like getting the backstory about his father/family and insight into his friendship with Kendall & Chelle though and more explanation about his "anger issues". Although I felt his inner dialogue and voice was for the most part true of a teenage boy, sometimes he seemed almost too mature/understanding of the events unfolding around him. I suppose with his history though, he was forced to grow up faster than his peers.
Overall, I really enjoyed getting this alternate view point of the events in Normal and am excited to read the final book in the series, Okay.
*Many thanks to the author for providing this ARC free of charge*
I felt that this novella helped add depth to Sam's already complex character, but it also made me more frustrated with both Rory and Sam. Being outside of Rory's thoughts really made her decisions all the more bewildering and I found myself just as confused and frustrated at times as Sam. I felt that Sam was overly apologetic and was too worried about upsetting Rory all the time. As much as I love Sam, his relationship/friendship with Rory felt too all consuming. I did like getting the backstory about his father/family and insight into his friendship with Kendall & Chelle though and more explanation about his "anger issues". Although I felt his inner dialogue and voice was for the most part true of a teenage boy, sometimes he seemed almost too mature/understanding of the events unfolding around him. I suppose with his history though, he was forced to grow up faster than his peers.
Overall, I really enjoyed getting this alternate view point of the events in Normal and am excited to read the final book in the series, Okay.
*Many thanks to the author for providing this ARC free of charge*
January 27, 2022
Ugh, this cemented my love and adoration for Sam Caplan even more!!! I would marry this perfectly imperfect man in a blink of an eye if he would have me (and he wasn't already completely taken by one Rory Pine 🥲). This book reminds me of why I love these special H's POV books, even though it's basically the same book -- getting to be inside Sam's head is one swoon-inducing experience. 🥰
This novella has the same events as book one (Normal) -- just in Sam's POV, so I won't go into much details. If you want details, just check out my review for book 1.
This novella has the same events as book one (Normal) -- just in Sam's POV, so I won't go into much details. If you want details, just check out my review for book 1.
February 10, 2015
I absolutely loved Normal, so of course I would want to read ReCap. I seemed to read through the novella quickly. It was a nice change of reading from a different perspective. I wouldn’t mind reading more from his perspective after each of Rory’s books.
January 8, 2015
I've missed his POV in "Normal".
June 12, 2017
Find This and Other Reviews At Craves The Angst.
3 Stars!
The Review:
I love getting a “his” POV. In fact, it’s one of my favorite things, when an author goes that extra mile, to let us see all the points we might have missed from the “her” POV.
This was a nice look into what Sam was feeling and how he saw things from the first book, but there wasn’t much in the way of anything new and it was really just a shortened, skimmed over “ReCap” of the first book. And again... just like in the first book, Too. Much. Internal. Monologuing! I skipped over a lot of it so I could get to the meat of the story. It all became repetitive.
As for the character Sam, I still love him so much. I was spellbound by his kindness in book one and I think the author did such a great job showcasing his emotions through Rory, that we really didn’t need this book. But it was nice to see how protective he felt and how much in love he is with Rory. That in itself, was swoon-worthy and totally worth reading this book.
3 Stars!
The Review:
I love getting a “his” POV. In fact, it’s one of my favorite things, when an author goes that extra mile, to let us see all the points we might have missed from the “her” POV.
This was a nice look into what Sam was feeling and how he saw things from the first book, but there wasn’t much in the way of anything new and it was really just a shortened, skimmed over “ReCap” of the first book. And again... just like in the first book, Too. Much. Internal. Monologuing! I skipped over a lot of it so I could get to the meat of the story. It all became repetitive.
As for the character Sam, I still love him so much. I was spellbound by his kindness in book one and I think the author did such a great job showcasing his emotions through Rory, that we really didn’t need this book. But it was nice to see how protective he felt and how much in love he is with Rory. That in itself, was swoon-worthy and totally worth reading this book.
June 15, 2020
💙
I really loved seeing things from Sam point of view! I loved how he was so caring and sweet to Rory. I can't wait to see how their story ends. ☺
I really loved seeing things from Sam point of view! I loved how he was so caring and sweet to Rory. I can't wait to see how their story ends. ☺
August 20, 2025
Het we gw hetzelfde maar dan zijn pov maar saai want ik wist toch al wat ging gebeuren
April 4, 2020
Pretty cute! A lot of it was the same as the first book and it was very repetitive & a lot of Sam thinking he messed up. All in all I enjoy rereads/extra POV so I enjoyed it but you could easily skip it and be fine; especially if you don’t care about extra POV
4/5 Stars.
April 2020 reread- I have NO IDEA what happened to me two years ago to like this book. This is so backwards. “Don’t take your clearly needed anxiety pills” umm?? No. He is sweet to her but also there’s just so many problems with this book. I couldn’t even finish it. DNF @ 78%. 1/5
4/5 Stars.
April 2020 reread- I have NO IDEA what happened to me two years ago to like this book. This is so backwards. “Don’t take your clearly needed anxiety pills” umm?? No. He is sweet to her but also there’s just so many problems with this book. I couldn’t even finish it. DNF @ 78%. 1/5
May 26, 2015
I really liked "Normal" and was anxious to jump into "ReCap" for Cap's POV and more insight into the evolvement of this complex relationship. For me, this didn't happen. I felt it was more of an abbreviated version of the story without adding any new perspective.
I gave "Normal" five stars but couldn't go there with "ReCap".
I gave "Normal" five stars but couldn't go there with "ReCap".
January 8, 2018
A lovely little novella but from Sam’s point of view and I loved it!
He explains what happens when he first meets Rory, and it follows all the way through to Rory’s court case... happy reading :)
He explains what happens when he first meets Rory, and it follows all the way through to Rory’s court case... happy reading :)
January 3, 2026
It delivers.
This is Sam’s POV of Normal. You know exactly what you’re getting: the same story, retold from his perspective. It does the job and… that’s it.
It doesn’t really add anything new. I would’ve loved a glimpse into Sam’s personal life—something we couldn’t see in the previous book because everything was filtered through Rory—anything that deepened the story or reframed moments in a meaningful way. But since I didn’t go in with false expectations, I can’t call it disappointing. It’s fine as-is.
What I did appreciate is that it sets up the shift into dual POV for the conclusion in the next book. I hate when a sequel suddenly starts throwing in random extra POVs out of nowhere—if it’s a continuation, it should keep the same rhythm as book one, or commit and make each book a new POV from the start. This book actually makes that transition feel intentional and consistent.
Still, there’s nothing new under the sun here: if you fell for Sam, you’ll enjoy it. If you were hoping for fresh plot or new content, it’ll leave you wanting
This is Sam’s POV of Normal. You know exactly what you’re getting: the same story, retold from his perspective. It does the job and… that’s it.
It doesn’t really add anything new. I would’ve loved a glimpse into Sam’s personal life—something we couldn’t see in the previous book because everything was filtered through Rory—anything that deepened the story or reframed moments in a meaningful way. But since I didn’t go in with false expectations, I can’t call it disappointing. It’s fine as-is.
What I did appreciate is that it sets up the shift into dual POV for the conclusion in the next book. I hate when a sequel suddenly starts throwing in random extra POVs out of nowhere—if it’s a continuation, it should keep the same rhythm as book one, or commit and make each book a new POV from the start. This book actually makes that transition feel intentional and consistent.
Still, there’s nothing new under the sun here: if you fell for Sam, you’ll enjoy it. If you were hoping for fresh plot or new content, it’ll leave you wanting
November 21, 2017
Good things first: it was interesting seeing some of the events from book one from Sam's point of view, and how he handled everything. The writing was fine.
Now to my issues with this book:
1. Degrading expressions like "pussy" from the previous book, and "like a jealous little girl" and "I'm being such a girl" in this book (disclaimer: I did not go back and find the exact example in the book, so the second one may be a little rephrased, but you get the gist) were used frequently. Why you, as an author, would go out of your way to demean over half of the human population, I simply cannot fathom. It pisses me off, and now I'm second-guessing my rating for the first book even though I did enjoy it.
2. Though I have nothing against profanity, a lot of Sam's swearing seemed forced (like when he would say "fuck" and "fucking" in the same five-word sentence)
3. It was slightly boring and, in my opinion, unnecessary. It didn't really add anything to the story.
Now to my issues with this book:
1. Degrading expressions like "pussy" from the previous book, and "like a jealous little girl" and "I'm being such a girl" in this book (disclaimer: I did not go back and find the exact example in the book, so the second one may be a little rephrased, but you get the gist) were used frequently. Why you, as an author, would go out of your way to demean over half of the human population, I simply cannot fathom. It pisses me off, and now I'm second-guessing my rating for the first book even though I did enjoy it.
2. Though I have nothing against profanity, a lot of Sam's swearing seemed forced (like when he would say "fuck" and "fucking" in the same five-word sentence)
3. It was slightly boring and, in my opinion, unnecessary. It didn't really add anything to the story.
June 1, 2017
I loved reading from Sam's view point. Gah!
The thing is, though, this wasn't enough. This was 145 pages, and it basically recapped some of the scenes in Normal from Rory's perspective, but not all. I feel like I didn't get as much out of this as I did from Normal. This was a more summarised version that hurt way less.
The inclusion of Sam's day to day life was almost non-existent, and that kinda sucked. Again, I just don't feel like I got enough out of this book.
Nevertheless, it's still really good (except for all the grammatical and orthographical mistakes), and it's totally worth a read.
I've noted most mistakes I've spotted (loads, yet less than in the previous book), and I'm pretty sure the author will be able to see them somehow on Amazon. I'm also making my notes and highlights visible on Goodreads, and everyone will be able to see them as long as they're my friend.
The thing is, though, this wasn't enough. This was 145 pages, and it basically recapped some of the scenes in Normal from Rory's perspective, but not all. I feel like I didn't get as much out of this as I did from Normal. This was a more summarised version that hurt way less.
The inclusion of Sam's day to day life was almost non-existent, and that kinda sucked. Again, I just don't feel like I got enough out of this book.
Nevertheless, it's still really good (except for all the grammatical and orthographical mistakes), and it's totally worth a read.
I've noted most mistakes I've spotted (loads, yet less than in the previous book), and I'm pretty sure the author will be able to see them somehow on Amazon. I'm also making my notes and highlights visible on Goodreads, and everyone will be able to see them as long as they're my friend.
November 17, 2017
3.5 Stars! Typically I don't care for a story in a series that reiterates what you have read from a previous book but now told from a different character's point of view but this story didn't go that route. It was just as the title says "ReCap" which I guess could be taken in two different ways: 1) we're getting a recap of what happened in the first book Normal to give us a reminder of what we previously read or 2) this story is regarding what Cap's (Sam's) thoughts and feelings were throughout the book Normal and actually both are true. I appreciate that the story wasn't very long and that it didn't seem like an exact copy of events and scenes from book 1. This story basically highlighted what was important to Sam and what he was going through as he was falling for Rory. That's about it.
November 12, 2021
This book was basically the same story as the first book but the first book is through Rory’s eyes and this through Sams eyes.
It was good to see the whole exact same story through Sams eyes to understand his character better. It really helped me understand him more and therefore love him more for his actions in this book and the following one.
It was so well written as usual and i love the story so much but i do wish we saw more of his side and not only the moments with Rory. In the one through Rory’s eyes we see the wole background, we get the whole package to understand the story at the fullest. I feel like in this one we only see his character better and the moments with Rory but not really his story.
It was good to see the whole exact same story through Sams eyes to understand his character better. It really helped me understand him more and therefore love him more for his actions in this book and the following one.
It was so well written as usual and i love the story so much but i do wish we saw more of his side and not only the moments with Rory. In the one through Rory’s eyes we see the wole background, we get the whole package to understand the story at the fullest. I feel like in this one we only see his character better and the moments with Rory but not really his story.
August 10, 2017
★3 Stars★
The one thing missing from book one of this series, IMO, was Cap's POV. So for people like me, who missed the dual POV, this novella is for you!
This short story was basically a highlight reel of events from Normal, but from Cap's perspective. I loved having an insight into his mind. I loved knowing how deeply he truly cared for Rory and my heart hurt for him at all the turmoil he was going through.
This book made me hyped for the second and final book of the series and I was stoked to have this bonus book.
The one thing missing from book one of this series, IMO, was Cap's POV. So for people like me, who missed the dual POV, this novella is for you!
This short story was basically a highlight reel of events from Normal, but from Cap's perspective. I loved having an insight into his mind. I loved knowing how deeply he truly cared for Rory and my heart hurt for him at all the turmoil he was going through.
This book made me hyped for the second and final book of the series and I was stoked to have this bonus book.
July 11, 2017
I've always LOVED reading Male POV, I actually look for it in books. I don't know, maybe because it makes me feel I can dissect their feelings and thoughts. It's like being able to get in their head!
Sam or CAP is one of my favorite character I've read. He makes you feel loved and cherished. He will walk to hell and back to protect you and is ready to make any sacrifices to ensure your happiness and safety.
I'm so glad Danielle wrote this Novella. We really get to know Sam in Book 1 "Normal" but I was able to get closer to his heart and state of mind in this story.
Sam or CAP is one of my favorite character I've read. He makes you feel loved and cherished. He will walk to hell and back to protect you and is ready to make any sacrifices to ensure your happiness and safety.
I'm so glad Danielle wrote this Novella. We really get to know Sam in Book 1 "Normal" but I was able to get closer to his heart and state of mind in this story.
July 31, 2017
Good thing is that it wasn't a word for word recap from the hero's point of view like other similar series installments. We just got Sam's side of the story on 12 particular scenes. I don't believe it was really a necessity as he is pretty transparent with Rory but it was good to hear his thoughts. I feel so bad for him though. He bit more than he could chew with our girl. I know he's man enough for the challenge. He just needs to be allowed to prove that to Ror.
On to the next installment!
On to the next installment!
January 30, 2019
I thought this was a helpful addition to the series, though like the author herself says, not necessary to read. I just really loved seeing everything from Sam's side, and knowing that he basically was in love with Rory from the second he met her makes it clear why his POV wasn't included in the first book. It was so sweet to see her through his eyes, and made me love him so much more as a character.
July 7, 2017
The spelling mistakes and missing words became distracting. Mostly this book was good, but not as good as the original series. I think this being a novella made it feel rushed, and I didn't remember the details of the original books well enough to fill in the blanks. Still, I liked the story from Sam's point of view.
December 18, 2017
This was Sam's POV that I was missing in book one. I appreciate that the author gave us some more insight on his character and I do like him a bit more now. However, this book doesn't seem edited as well. Lots of grammatical errors. But none the less I am glad to know how much he really does love Rory.
April 13, 2020
The reason for 2 stars is very simple. I expected a full book, not random excepts from «Normal» where Sam’s POV offeres little to no more insight to the story than what was already in «Normal». I expected something much more like Twilight’s «Midnight Sun», where Edward’s POV contributes and adds to the story and him as a character, this book did no such thing and I even had to pay for it.
July 31, 2025
2.5 stars. This was mostly an unnecessary and repetitive book. There were a few scenes in book one that I wished I had gotten Sam’s perspective, so that’s why I ultimately read this. I skimmed through the rest. I would have preferred if the author gave Sam a few chapters in book one rather than having to read this novella. Alas, onto the next!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews