Sometimes every little thing about a person can be kind, sweet, and endearing. But sometimes, every little thing piled on top of all those other little things can bury a person in an emotional avalanche…
Jorie has her hands full managing the house, a job, and her four sons. She has an infant with her new husband, a child with Asperger’s, and a teenager that seems to thrive on disobeying her, not to mention an ex-husband that keeps showing up on her doorstep. But when Jorie’s oldest son—the one that’s easy and steady and never causes any problems—announces he’s gotten a girl pregnant, things fall apart for Jorie.
I immediately connected with the character Russ, Jorie’s ex-husband. He wants to remain involved in his three boy’s lives but is at odds with exactly how to make that happen. There’s something about him that I really liked. It was probably the fact that sweet and caring Russ couldn’t seem to contain his love for his ex-wife, regardless of how inappropriate his feelings were. After all, Jorie is married to someone else. But unlike Russ, the new hubby, Finn, is rarely around to support Jorie as every little thing heaps down on her.
Tracy Broemmer weaves a delightful story filled with relatable emotions that easily draws the reader in. I think the story resonates, because Jorie’s struggles are many of the same struggles women face today. The search for balance between her own needs and those of her family. The desire to be valued as an employee, as a wife, as a mother, and as a friend. And the need to insulate her children from the harsh realities of life, and the realization that, no matter how hard she tries, she can’t always protect them.
Every Little Thing (Book 1 in the Lorelei Bluffs series) by Tracy Broemmer is a great standalone book and perfectly sets the stage for the next book in the series—2 a.m.—without leaving us at a cliffhanger. Although, I’ll admit that I can’t wait to read Auden’s story.