A Jar of Dreams

Jar series #1

by Clarissa Cartharn

He was the assassin running for his life and she was the blind refuge who gave him reason to stop and fight for theirs


When Eric Tanner, an assassin, is targeted to be murdered by his former employer, he seeks refuge in the house of a blind woman, Anne Mullen.
Eric knows how to live in silence. He’s done it all his life. So when he discovers Anne is blind and living on her own, he thinks this would be his perfect hideout.
But then he makes the mistake of his life. He forms an attachment to her. And for a man in his profession, such attachments are a weakness. Now, he must do everything he can to protect Anne from the world he’s come from.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction

287 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 28, 2015

About the author

Clarissa Cartharn is the author of romance novels such as Captive,Perfect Vengeance and the action/romance Jar series.

Traveling, learning new languages and cultures are some of her interests which have inspired her books. She turned her love for writing into a full-pledged passion with her first romance, Winter's End and has since never looked back. After almost ten romance novels, each with eclectic themes ranging from angsty Cinderella inspirations to thrillers set in the barren war torn lands of Afghanistan, Clarissa is currently on a new adventure to find her next love story.

Her Writing Style:
1. A premise
2. Romance
3. Realism
4. Heat. Yep, yep and yep
5. Vulgarity- where needed be. Oh come on, if she's gonna be writing about warlords, arms dealers, drug traffickers and rough-necked soldiers, then please don't expect them to be minding their tenses and grammar.
6. Oh yes, and a plot! Especially, a plot! A darned good one!

If this is your kind of romance too, then please hop on board and check some of her books out!https://www.clarissacartharn.com

For her latest rants on the book world, check out her blog:
https://acupofromance.blogspot.com

If you wish to grab a free copy of any of her books to review, then please feel free to drop her a message at any time or simply follow the link to fill in your details:
https://www.clarissacartharn.com/your...

Reviews

[Carol (StarAngel's Reviews) Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book – A Jar of Dreams
Author – Clarissa Cartharn
Publication Date – 2015
Genre – Romance
Type – Stand Alone
Cliffhanger – Hmmm? God, I hope so
Rating – 4 out of 5 Stars

Complimentary copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts - Story
So I went into this book not expecting very much from the ratings, but I was surprised and amazed at how quickly I connected with the characters.

Anne is a strong character and despite her disability, she is sweet, caring and lovable. Eric may have made many bad choices in his life, but shit…he really deserved the love of Anne.

Dual POV’s is always a plus in my ratings along with strong heroines and lovable hero’s (even if they can be considered bad guys).

My feelings about this book range from…



to mid way through the book...



but then at the ending I was...



and...



So, you can see why I didn’t rate this a full 5 stars!

Now to get to the ending…part of me wants to believe that a second book will null and void any animosity I have toward Ms. Cartharn for the pain she caused me with that twist of fate.

Personal Note to Author: You better redeem yourself in the next book – I want more of Eric!

Re-Cap
What do you get when you cross an assassin with a blind woman who has a heart of gold?

You get an emotional love story full of surprises and “ahh” moments.

Eric first saw Anne when they were children and was instantly mesmerized by her. Years later running from a botched job that was meant to set him up, he sees Anne again living alone. Looking for a place to hide out and wanting to know more about his childhood crush, he places himself into her life.

But a love affair between the two of them comes with obstacles – those that consist of her father who has other plans for Anne and a bounty set on Eric’s head.

Will these two fight the odds and find their happily ever after?

Reason for Reading – Author Request
Story – 5 out of 5 Stars
Steam –  4 out of 5 Stars
Angst – 4 out of 5 Stars
Writing – 4 out of 5 Stars
Content Flow – 3.5 out of 5 Stars
HEA (Spoiler) – Ummm? Not so far
Would Read More from Author? Yes
Recommend To – Anyone who enjoys a love story with a bunch of angst

For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways

[CC · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book from the author in exchange for a review. I wish I could write a favorable one but I have to be honest. And frankly, I am pissed. I saw the description of this book and it looked like a sweet romance with a anti-hero and a blind heroine. What could be sweeter right?Something I would love. It reminded me of a prior assassin/hit man book that I loved.

The book was set in NY/MA but there is no way an American wrote this book. The references and phrasing were not American and it threw me immediately. Ok so I can get over that but she also used such odd words. Call young men "louses". Who the hell says that? There are so many examples to name. Switching POV to characters we have not met and have no idea who they are. I actually thought there was an errant chapter in the book. But I kept reading. The relationship between the Hero, Eric, and heroine, Anne, was sweet although based on lies. Eric was an assassin. But I wanted his redemption and hoped he and Anne would find it together. He was so good to her and she was such a strong heroine.

So why am I angry and hating this book?

at the VERY end of the book Eric is run over by a car and killed! Yes killed! I invested my day reading and the author kills off the hero. Seriously, you need to warn people. Knowing this huge trigger, I would have never read this book and you would not have a terrible rating.
Other triggers - hero met her at 18 but was too shy to speak so never really knew her and they lost contact for 15 years. He was a bit of a man-ho in the interim and yet she remained a virgin
Hero does kill people <\spoiler>

[♥ℳelody]

DNF @ 15 %

This was already on shaky ground given the writing. This really needed an editor with the odd choice of wording and weird ass grammar that made no sense:

“I know you’re may be concerned for me in light of my situation, and believe me, I do appreciate that you care. But I really will be okay.....“I suppose I am weighed slightly more in my sense of speech than my eyes.”

He studied her over his eyebrows.
(Is this dude's eyes above his eyebrows? 🤨)

Very interesting premise with an assassin hero falling for a blind woman and hiding out in her home. But the hero sounded very green and still like an 18 year old the book opened up with rather than a 33 year old hardened criminal. But what cinched it for me: There is no HEA. 😐 The hero dies in the end. That's an absolute hard no for me. I'm so glad I checked out reviews while reading this. Apparently there was supposed to be a sequel to this? But this was written in 2015. It's 2022 now. I'm just not wasting my time on books with no happy endings or cliffhangers. Onto the next.

[Pavitra (For The Love of Fictional Worlds) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The review was first posted on For The Love of Fictional Worlds

Actual Rating 3.5 Stars

I received a digital copy of the book via the author for an honest review.

The blurb of this book sounds amazing - romance between a blind girl and a hitman? How awesomely different does that sound? I thought so too, and that's why I requested to review this book!

"I am not denying that I am not normal. But I am far from incapable."

Anne is an easy character to like. She has taken her blindness, not as a disability but has taken it has a part of her life and has, in fact thrived. She is living alone and has a good career as well. All she needs is someone to love, but she of course can't believe that anyone would ever want to want to take the burden of a blind girl - even though she has accomplished pretty much everything from shopping to even living together to even having a career!

"No one retires from being a murderer. And neither will you."

Now Eric, on the other hand, is an accomplished assassin. He is well known in the underground world for taking assignments to only kill bad people, which has made him unpopular. A botched assignment and a curious link to a past one, forces him to go on the run where he meets the girl who will change him for the better!

Honestly speaking, this is such an interesting concept and I was actually looking forward to reading it and I actually enjoyed it. The only issue I had was that while I perfectly loved Anne and Eric individually, they did not spark together romantically. I wanted them to, I really did, and if they had, this would have been a phenomenal book!

It had everything I like in a good book - the writing is point on, the characters, even the fringe ones were interesting to me, multiple POV's to make me understand what exactly or rather why exactly is something happening and best of all, a twist at the end of the book that made me stagger between commending the author to strangling her ( and no, I can't tell you the twist, because well Spoilers!!).

All, this was overshadowed by a lackluster romance between Anne and Eric - they were too cute together - no passionate fights, no irrational jealousy, no passionate making up, nothing, nada (yes, i realise what kind of high expectations I have put on my real life relationships but can you blame me? I gots lots of fictional boyfriends to live upto!) - but it isn't a bad thing, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Except the romance, everything about this book was spot on! I can't wait to read more from this author! (:

[Sivutha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure how to rate this book. I mean the author got potential but why do that? This is not a dark read or dark romance, so why did she end the ending that way?

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC, I was given an ebook copy of 'A Jar Of Dreams' in exchange for an honest review!

Here's a question for all time, guys...Can an ex-assassin on the run and a blind woman have a future? Well, Can they? Clarissa Cartharn weaves a compelling and romantic story on how that could happen.

Just starting with that-an ex-assassin and a blind women. What a interesting dynamic, I mean, How would that work?
Seriously, from reading the blurb of 'A Jar Of Dreams' I was already crazy in it. I've never read a book by Clarissa Cartharn and I can so with absolute certainty that I shall be reading more her books in the future.

The romance between Eric Tanner and Anne Mullen is just...Perfect. It's beautiful.
Their romance begins with Eric, aged 18 saving Anne, who is sitting on a bunch at a basketball court where he is playing, from a bunch of boys harassing her. Immediately he is attracted to her...But It's something profound and cupid's arrow hits him right in the heart (but he is much too shy to actually say something to her) and 15 years later, when He sees her again, it's just as profound and lasting even after all those years.
Eventually, While Eric is on run from bounty hunters, he finds her again and he can't resist going after her this time.

Of course, it has it's problems because A)Eric is an assassin on the run and has a bounty on his head and b)he isn't to keen on telling her about it-I wouldn't be to happy about telling the person I love that I was a hitman either so I can't necessarily fault him on that though I'm all about honesty in relationships but HOW do you bring that up?

Honestly, I loved Eric. He is a mercenary with a heart of gold. His love for Anne is just:

Anne is pretty awesome too. A blind women with spunk and who values her independence above all else? Yes, please!

I loved the way Clarissa Cartharn dealt with blindness; She shows how strong/courageous blind people are. I felt it and I fucking loved it. I've read so many books where the heroine is blind and she has to be taken care off etc. I liked how Anne stood up for herself and put her foot down when people tried to stamp on her and make her feel less than because of her disability.

Anne's father(Phillip), the books many Villains and Nicholous( You didn't even do any thing wrong but I don't like you and stay away from Anne):


But oh, god...That ending had me like:



BUT, THERE IS A SEQUEL COMING OUT THIS AUGUST! Which I will be waiting for with bated breath.


Prayer circle so that in the sequel there isn't a love triangle between Eric-Anne-(and UGH)Nicholos. Don't do that to me, Clarissa. Just don't I can (almost) handle character 'death' but I simply can not handle a love triangle. Don't do it to me.

Playlist:
Massive Attack - Teardrop (Anne's Song)
Civil Twilight-Letters from the Sky (THE END, THIS SONG IS FOR THE END)
E.S Posthumus-Nara
Daughter-Landfill
Lissie-Go Your own Way
Neil Young-Heart Of Gold (Eric's Song)
Christina Perri-The Words

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received an e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

Review is also posted on Let’s Say It’s A Blog.

3.6 jaw-dropping-ending stars

‘He was the assassin running for his life and she was the blind refuge who gave him reason to stop and fight for theirs’

Lie to me and say you’re not intrigued by the line above to read this book.
(me: I was seriously hooked like a kid to a fluffy dog the moment I read it)
Now tell me the first thing comes to your mind about this book by reading that very line.
(me: Romance. Umm… romance, a bit action maybe for the assassin part, drama and tears for the effect, but basically sweet sweet romance with a happy ending right?)
Let me get it straight. This book is indeed such a hooker but sorry dude, you’ll definitely get your heart ripped out and tossed out to a waste basket nearby in the end you won’t even say a word about that…
I’m not trying to scare anyone here but it’s actually what I really feel once I finished this book. I’m not saying I regret reading this book because seriously I do love every sweet scene between the main characters here but I just feel like I’ve been deceived somehow in the end. It’s like when you buy a pack of very tasty cookie with low-fat sticker on the front package. You enjoy the chocolate chip so much all sweet and heavenly that you basically consume the entire package on your own only to find a note in the bottom of the pack saying the low-fat sticker is an April’s Fool joke and the cookie is actually a really high fat kind. You still feel the sweet taste of the cookie in your tongue but you feel like crying imagining all the fat happily flowing inside your body. Real bittersweet.

Eric Tanner was 18 years when he first met Anne Mullen. She stood by the side of the street facing the court where he and his friends played basketball. Maybe it was the way she looked so beautiful with the wind played with her hair. Maybe it was the way she seemed so out of place with the plain surrounding as her background. But the moment he laid his eyes on her, Eric felt something nudged inside him. He knew he was being silly because he got a sudden urge to protect the stranger girl. When he saved her from a bunch of boys trying to make fun of her, only then he realized Anne was a blind girl. But she was a beautiful blind girl with deep green eyes that makes him want to jump into the depth and never coming back. When Anne ‘saw’ him in her own way by feeling the curves of his face with her soft fingers, that’s when Eric finally realized he was already drowned so deep.
15 years had passed but never once Eric forgot the way Anne mesmerized him that one afternoon. He felt so much regret creeping up his sleeves remembering how he used to walk her from her tutor’s building every day for months but never once tried to strike a conversation with her. He just simply followed her down the path in silence until one day Anne stopped coming, leaving him with a real silence in that empty road.
Fate worked in a mysterious way in everyone’s life. It brought Eric to a dark path where he now worked as an assassin. It brought Anne to a nice path where she finally got to lead her own life independently. But it’s funny how fate also even made two very different paths come across each other at one point. When Eric finally met Anne again, the old feeling locked inside his heart bloomed all over again. He was so desperate to be able to get close to her again. But life was different now and it surely wasn’t as simple as it was years ago. Anne finally got everything she wanted and him coming to her life would be a real nuisance and even danger for her. He didn’t want it for her but he sure as hell wanted her. His feeling would cost the safety of hers and even him. Now, there was nothing left except for him to protect her with all his might even though it might mean sacrificing his life.

A Jar of Dreams was told from third person point of view. It started with a scene of first encounter between Anne and Eric. Anne was a blind girl while Eric was a parentless boy. Both of them wanted to be less dependent on people around them. Their first meeting was so innocent yet memorable. And when they meet again years later, their encounter was still the same innocent way and slowly but steadily their relationship shifted into a deep chemistry. Anne had no idea that Eric was the same person who had saved her 15 years ago near the basketball court. Yet her feeling grew for Eric the same way it did for the savior boy she met at 18. I’m such a sucker for second-chance romance. And this book gave me exactly that. I loved how the romance built up between Anne and Eric. There were a lot of sweet moments between them that makes me can’t stop smiling.
I liked Eric’s character. He might have been spending a lot of years of his life as a sinner, but his feeling for Anne remained innocent. Even though he was kind of sneaky at first but he knew his limit and respected Anne in his own way. As for Anne, she was a cheerful, independent, yet vulnerable person. I felt like at some points, she acted much younger than her age such as when she was around Eric. But somehow I understood because Anne almost had no experience with men before. When they were together, they really made a sweet and touching couple.
Meanwhile, there was something that bothered me about the plot. As book told in third person point of view, I understand that this book might contain a lot of different scenes from several sets. But what I don’t understand was this book included a lot of scenes about the villain that I personally think were not quite necessary to be put into the story. There were several scenes showing the villain did some filthy thing that I sure as hell don’t want to know. If it’s for character development, surely there was another way to put it into. Personally, I thought that that kind of scenes flawed the poignant story of the main characters.
And something about the ending…
I swear it felt like I dropped my jaw to the deepest part of the ocean when I read that page somewhere near the ending. I admit that I always have a big craving for HEA in every book that I read but I’m not opposed to sad ending. I read a lot of books that ended in tragic way and somehow I accepted that. But this one, though, this one was out of nowhere. I actually kind of understood why the author opted for that kind of ending, I understood her wanting to go realistic, and even though Ms. Cartharn made a quite touching epilogue, but still, I felt kind of hollow once I finished the book.
I wanted so much to love this book as a whole but because of some parts, I couldn’t. Romance that involved disabled person always be my favorite, moreover if paired with someone with ‘imperfect’ life, it would definitely melt my heart. But the important thing though, I loved it more if it really became the main focus on the book and not flawed by some unimportant scenes within.

[Carmela · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Some major Spoiler alert!*

An ARC is given to me in exchange for an honest review.

A Jar of Dreams is heartbreakingly beautiful. Clarissa Cartharn would make your heart jump and shrivel (figuratively, of course) with her brilliantly written novel.

Let’s start this review by me, being honest. I thought the story was slow, the flow dragged. At the middle of the novel, I was quite bored so I had to put down the novel from time to time. But that’s just me.

Now let me tell you why A Jar of Dreams is worth not just your money but also your time. It’s brilliant. It’s wonderful. It’s a torture. It’s a nightmare. But A Jar of Dreams is a beautiful nightmare I would be revisiting again.

If I am not mistaken, this is my first time reading about a female lead that is blind or handicapped. It was new to me, so reading the first few chapters of the novel got me curious. How would Cartharn portray this character? Would she be dwelling on how hard it is not to be able to see the face of the person you love? Would she make us feel sorry for Anne Murray? Truthfully, I was wary of that.

But she didn’t! Instead, Anne’s handicap made her a strong character, someone who can’t be pushed to something she doesn’t want. She stands for what she believe is right. She fights for her independence. And it’s amazing. Anne Murray is amazing. If she’s a real person I want to be her friend. With her blindness, you’d expect Anne Murray to be wallowing with self pity and would be secretly bitter when she’s alone, but Anne learned to accept what happened to her after losing her sight at seventeen. Sure, she misses it, but even with her blindness, she didn’t fail to see the beauty around her, and most especially the beauty that is Eric Tanner.

There’s this funny conversation with a friend of mine when she asked me about the book I’m going to review this time. I told her it’s about an assassin and Snow White. I called her Snow White because she is sweet, beautiful and nice, all that’s left is for her to start whistling and sing in a very high tone. But then she started showing her temper and it got me like: Oh, this is interesting.

And don’t get me started to Eric’s character. My gosh, he’s kind. Very kind. And hot. I want to build a monument for him. Wipes tears remembering Eric still make my heart twinge. Clarissa, how? How can you do this to me? Eric is an assassin but he has a tender heart and Cartharn will make you fall in love with him and tear your heart out of your chest by the end of the novel. She's evil like that. (LOL)

Anyway, you have to buy the book and read why am I being a drama queen here to our beloved Author.

Now let me rant about Nicholas Bradley's character. And let me start it with this: Anne's father call Eric a boy in one of his conversations with Anne, but Nicholas is the real BOY in this story. He is a boy with a juvenile crush to a beautiful woman. All he notices about Anne is how she manage to be breathtaking all the time! Nicholas desires Anne, admires her beauty but his feelings only grazes the surface of what Love is all about. He couldn't see what kind of woman Anne is, like Eric. It irks me how he repeatedly claim he is in love with her. Love doesn't see through eyes, it sees through heart and soul. That's what this ghastly character doesn't understand. So you can imagine how unhappy I am every time he appears in a chapter. Especially on Chapter 20. Actually every time his eyes wander around Anne's face I have this itch to scratch his eyes out.

And Eric suspects Nicholas is a good man. Pfft. I am afraid the whole time he's gonna abuse Anne! But oh well, it’s my ‘there’s a potential jerk’ radar kicking in.

The best part of the book is the last few chapters. Gawwwdddd, reading those last few chapters is excruciating. It’s ending. And I don’t want it to end. And what Cartharn did made me want to throw my iPad across the room. I totally didn’t see that coming! OMG.

Let me show you how I read the last few chapters by listing my reactions down. I don’t have any other idea how to proceed with the rest of my review, anyway.

1. About time to have some ass kicking in this novel.

2. OMG Eric Tanner is a freaking badass!

3. Serves you right! Ha! Go Eric! Go!

4. OMG Eric, marry me!

5. OMG OMG OMG

6. O.O

7. I’m so glad Clarissa Cartharn doesn’t do mainstream!

8. Awe, so sweet!

9. No

10. No, no, no, no, no, no, no

11. You can’t do this to me! YOU CAN’T DO THISSSSSSS!

12. NOOOOO

13. Sobs no, no, no, why? Why?

14. Cries

15. Where’s the next book?!

16. Where?!

17. Opens facebook and shoot Cartharn a message

18. Tries to move on

19. Thank God there’s still a second book.


So as you can see, the last few chapters are a flurry of emotions. I h And the ending? OMG. It’s great. It’s perffff! However, I had to take a second and decide whether I'd be happy or strangle the author because of the ending. But you know, it's not like there's always happy endings. Don't let the ending derail you from reading this book, be reminded that romance isn't always about happy endings.
When Cartharn told me there’s a second book, which is entitled A Jar of Hearts, it gave me shining shimmering splendid hope!

And I think you are wasting precious time reading my review when you can buy the book now and freaking read it. I assure you, it’s worth everything. It’s…amazing. Okay, how many times have I already said that? Well, who cares right? It’s amazing go and buy it! There are lots of unanswered questions in this book, abrupt happenings and one way to find out and have peace of mind is to read the second installation.

I'm giving this book a 5 star rating!

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

***ARC was given in return for an honest review*** 3.75-4.00 STARS****

Review on Author:
I must say that I did find this book a little hard to follow. I would have wished for Clarissa Cartharn to have labeled the chapters with the characters names. I was confused at first who was talking or who these people were and where they came from. Since this book is written in 3rd person you follow along with more than one of characters thoughts and conversations. It was a little unorganized for my taste, but never the less, I enjoyed the story. The dialect is more sophisticated than what I’m used to reading. At times I felt they were living in the times of Jane Austin when in reality is written in today day.

Overall, I enjoyed Clarissa’s writing and her story-telling. I won’t lie and say I wasn’t a little upset with how the book ends in a cliffhanger of sorts, but I can’t wait until the next installment. Waiting anxiously here!!

Review on Story:
Can you truly have redemption in life when the path you chose to live is stained? Can you honestly live your life in darkness when the world is full of vibrant colors? I consider this a Fiction – YA Romance Novel. 18+ older for sexual content, but not too detailed. This book was written in third person perspective. I thought this was a standalone but I believe it will have a sequel coming out in August 2015.

Synopsis:
I really don’t know how to review this book. I am at a loss for words. If you’re like me, and don’t like waiting for a sequel to be released, then you should would wait to read this book cause you’re going to want to kill the author for leaving you hanging the way she did others who have read this book.

I enjoyed the book. It’s full of romance and character building. This book is a little all over the place but you really get to see what goes on with everyone.
This is a story about a young girl, Anne, who starts going blind at a young age. She’s strong-headed and stubborn and doesn’t want to be defined by her disability. Then there’s Eric. He’s had a rough past, losing both his parents and was left to be raised by his mothers’ best friend. But he always felt like a burden and when he turned 18 he moved out and chose the life of being an assassin. Now his present employer has put a hit on him. He needs a place to hide and fate brings him to the home of a blind woman. His plans were to hide out until he figured out what he was going to do. He never expected to fall for the beautiful woman.

Can an ex-assassin on the run and a blind woman have a future?
In the end, I truly enjoyed this book and I can’t wait until August to read the next installment. I love the romance between Eric and Anne and I was rooting for a happily ever after from the beginning.

[Lorena Tucholke · Rating 5 out of 5]

***ARC was given in return for an honest review***

I give it 4.5 stars!!

Well, what could I say about this book? I have read every book by Clarissa Cartharn and I loved everyone of them. I was expecting this story for a couples of months now and when I got it in my hands I couldn't stop reading.
The story is so beautifully sad, because is real and sometimes unfair, but nevertheless so captivating. I wanted to help them and try to tell them to never give up.
Anna is strong and independent, with a big heart, being blind, she loves music, and how flowers smells. She isn't whining and bitchy, she is a free spirit.
Eric is so much more than just a hitman, he has principles, and he's so protective of her, not always you will see a man showing his feeling the way he did, he really cried!
I was so mad to Clarissa when it finished that way, I sent her a message telling her that I wasn't sure if I hated her or if I loved her, LOL, I was really mad! But then she said there may be another book and I started to do a happy dance, because I sobbed like a baby when I finished, my hubby was looking like I was crazy!
Please read it and show Clarissa some love, you won't be disappointed!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Jar of Dreams is about two people falling in love in a very different scenario than I've ever read. The book starts out with both main characters Anne and Eric "meeting" as high school age kids. Eric stops a group of kids from messing with Anne. Anne is not really able to stand up for herself so much since she is blind. Eric becomes infatuated with Anne and takes it upon himself to follow her home everyday to prevent any bully repeats, but Anne is unaware. Years later they meet again, but only Eric is aware of whom he is interacting with. He is a hitman on the run and decides hiding out in Anne's house is a good idea. This book will pull at your heart strings and definitely ends in a cliff hanger, but from what I've read the follow up book will answer a lot of the questions when your mouth drops at the end of the book--and trust me it will!

**I was given an ARC for an honest review**

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5***

I have just finished reading this book and I am not quite sure how I feel about it. There were so many beautiful parts to this story between Eric and Anne. They were so entranced with each other and loved each other for themselves. With her fierce need for independence and his overly protective streak, I enjoyed them as a couple. But I wanted a little more closure with her dad and maybe more with his "family." The ending was quick with the finishing of a secondary plotline and then the shocking sadness of it all. Really made me sad and was so unexpected. I had to reread it a couple of times to make sure I read it correctly.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the author.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was given to me for an honest review. This book does tear your heart outwith a huge cliffhanger at the end.But this book grabbed me and I didn't want to stop until the end. The characters were interesting. This was the first time I read this author but I will be looking for her in the future. I especially want to read the next book in this series to see what happens next. I enjoyed the book but went in thinking it was a standalone, so the ending kind of ripped my heart out and now I will be waiting to see what happens. Overall I really enjoyed it.

[Elodie Parkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Clarissa Cartharn books because she tells such a good story and Jar of Dreams is not a disappointment. A well-written book with a very brave ending from the author, the lovers are finely drawn and endearing as characters. The bad guys are loathsome and realistic. The setting is full of atmosphere. This suspense has romantic themes and the love scenes are steamy, but it's also poignant. It's a gripping story, full of plot curls.

[Tasmia]

Unless you wanna hunt down the author and torture her for this ending ... PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!!!!
I really thought this book would be just plain amaziiiiiiiiing, I mean it was so different from the trash we read at times with a different plot .... And then I get to the last chapter and I'm WDF'king like snoop dog!

#PissedOff

[Varied Books]

Reminder to self do not read this book b/c of ending.

[Nadine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yet another beautifully written unexpected romance by Clarissa Cartharn!
As always left you wanting more!

[Rose Helg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Book.

This is Awesome Book. It is A MUST READ. This book is so good. It made you cry at the end., But wait It has a Second part to this can't . Wait to read it now.

[Clare]

At school I had a teacher of English who stressed the importance of proof reading one's compositions prior to handing them in for marking as this saved a lot of red ink! I do wish that authors and editors would seriously scrutinise their work before submitting it for publication.

[A. Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of A Jar of Dreams from the author in exchange for an honest review.

A Jar of Dreams is the love story of Eric Tanner aka Ricky Tanner aka Ricky the Runner aka Ricky the Creeper (as I affectionately call him) and Anne Mullen.

Eric Tanner or Ricky to those who know him is an orphan having lost both of his parents young although he feels the loss of his mother more acutely. The care and loss of his mother brings out his protective nature. Raised in an urban environment with a loving adoptive family, Ricky feels that he is a burden leaves. He lacks a sense of self-worth and that is the only reason that I can come up with that explains why his character goes from nice neighborhood boy who didn’t want to cause any trouble to assassin. Anne Mullen is the beautiful woman of Ricky’s dreams and due to a chance meeting in their youth, he has held her in his heart ever since. Anne has grown up privileged but that doesn’t mean that all has gone well for her either. Anne lost her vision during her teens and she is striving to be independent from her father and his influence. Like any young person, Anne wants to find her own way in the world and prove that just because she is blind doesn’t mean that she is limited.

There are a few things (in my opinion) that a make a good story. I love a story full of angst and the more angst there is the better. There is some in A Jar of Dreams but there isn’t enough to make me feel it through the pages. The second thing is action and any good story will have some ‘Holy Cow’ moments. This story begins with the ‘Holy Cow’ but it isn’t carried through the whole story. We get the male lead (Eric) constantly worried that the men from his past would show up any minute and do harm to Anne but it never pans out. Don’t get me wrong … there are some butt kicking moments but not enough to tie in with Ricky’s character (the bad ass assassin). In some areas the story is a bit disjointed because secondary characters are introduced and initially the reader wouldn’t know how they fit with the story.

The most important aspect of any story is the characters. Both the female and male lead for A Jar of Dreams worked well together. It was very easy to fall in love with Ricky and Anne and to be drawn into their love story. But I must speak on Ricky the Creeper for a moment. Ricky sneaks into Anne’s house, lives there, eats her food and watches her. That is just plain creepy and way past stalker behavior. The story is an enjoyable read with an ending gets a major WTF because I wasn’t expecting it and then it turns around and just melts my heart. It’s the jar … that darn message in the jar. Overall rating for A Jar of Dreams is 3.0.

[Bo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Jar of Dreams is the first book in the Jar series by Clarissa Cartharn. I was sent a copy of the book, from the Author's PA to do an honest straight forward review.

From the very outset A Jar of Dreams stood out for me...it was mostly because the whole concept of having a leading character who was blind intrigued me as i honestly hadn't come across anything like this before. Of course this isn't a bad thing, no in fact i love the idea especially seeming being a disabled person myself i understand what anna had to go through growing up ... sure not in the exact same way as i'm not blind but everyone starts off on the same path, and we call get to cross roads in our lives but some of us go one way and some of us go the other.

I must say because of this personal level i had achieved with the leading lady of the story there were many many sessions of tear works but none of it could prepare me for the ending. i actually just want to curl up into a ball and cry forever... its hard to find the right word to describe the feeling but once you've read it you'll totally get it.

One of the great things about this novel is that its well written which allows the reader to truly experience the love that practically emanates from every chapter. With its alternating character pov we get a clearer picture of the character and everything that goes on.... Sure there were times when i had to stop and figure out which character it was because it wasn't one of the leading characters, but i quickly picked up on the disgusting feeling Kurt gave me.

Even though this technically took me a month to finish (due to work and stuff) i honestly enjoyed it ... its not just another romance story, the whole assassin world to the story was so thrilling i think i enjoyed that as much as the romance story ... which is an usual comment for me as i am all about the romance XD

So if your looking for a great read with a captivating storyline full of unexpected turns, and strong relatable characters then i suggest A Jar of Dreams to you ... and if you enjoy it theres the sequel A Jar of Hearts for you to 'help' ease the need for more once you finish. i know i need A Jar of Hearts XD

[PepperP0t · Rating 3 out of 5]

This read was furnished by author in exchange for an honest review.

Eric 'Ricky´ Tanner is fascinated by Anne Mullen as she stands near the crowd watching neighborhood boys playing basketball. Before Eric has a chance to introduce himself to Anne he has to protect her from ruffians and learns that Anne's blind. While it doesn't diminish Eric's fascination for Anne it convinces him they can never be more.

Fifteen years later, Eric has become an assassin and is on the run when he spots Anne again and is just as fascinated and takes advantage of an opportunity to help her in a minor way. Accepting help from the stranger, Eric Tanner, Anne is reminded of Ricky and how special he made her feel years ago.

Reviewing his options for finding a safe haven and keeping an eye on Anne, Eric decides Anne's cute cottage would make an excellent refuge while he resolves who, if anyone is trying to kill him and why. The soft tentative steps Eric and Anne take to find a relationship that worked for them was mostly sweet and believable.

Anne's drive for independence coupled with her blindness made her an admirable character. While the delivery of Anne's need to constantly challenge a perceived slight was grating at times, it also did a bit to raise sensitivity to those that live with challenges.

Eric's self awareness that his lifestyle could bring unpleasantness to others makes him both reckless and protective as he tries to contain it. The tenderness he shows toward Anne is just as fierce as the warrior in him when she's treated badly making him an interesting character to read.

The annoyance of a few editing issues were not enough to spoil the read and didn't affect the rating. However I couldn't appreciate the transitions to the villain(s) of the piece nor reconcile Eric's ability to be undetected when he should have been and detected when he shouldn't to my satisfaction. And I wanted more of the villain of the piece. Finally, while categorized as adult, the characters and story felt very new adult to this reader.

[Ariel Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for free from the author for my honest review. Overall, I would rate this book 2.5 stars.

This was an okay book. I expected more from it. With him being an assassin on the run, I expected more action which it did not have. It was a little creepy with him in her house and her not knowing it. I was ready to call the police for her! I got confused on a few things in the book. For instance, with her being blind and the book is in his POV, how does he know that his eyes are smoldering?I also was thrown off by the other people's POV and the side storyline. I felt that it took away from the main story of Anne and Eric. I'm shocked by the ending too. Overall, this was an okay read. I was looking for more action from the story and really didn't get it. Not sure if I would read the next one.

[Talltree]

H dies

[Shutupshabby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed as/for Seraphim Book Reviews