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Wynn in Doubt
Wynn Jeffries has wanderlust. Unfortunately, her life stalled somewhere between graduating from college and slinging drinks at the local dive bar. Stuck in a one-room apartment with no career, no boyfriend, no…life, she dreams of something more. Something amazing. Something like Oliver Reeves, her high school crush, who’s back in town and reminding Wynn of the way she used to be.
When a forgotten news clipping falls out of a book belonging to Wynn’s grandmother, a well-kept family secret is finally revealed. Is Wynn’s gypsy spirit the result of an overactive imagination, or did she inherit it from a woman so determined to live a big life, she gave up everything to have it?
Together, Wynn and Oliver attempt to put together the missing pieces of her family’s past and unravel the mystery behind her great-grandmother’s disappearance. But after so much time succumbing to fear and regret, can Wynn ditch her safe, routine life for the chance at an extraordinary future?
When a forgotten news clipping falls out of a book belonging to Wynn’s grandmother, a well-kept family secret is finally revealed. Is Wynn’s gypsy spirit the result of an overactive imagination, or did she inherit it from a woman so determined to live a big life, she gave up everything to have it?
Together, Wynn and Oliver attempt to put together the missing pieces of her family’s past and unravel the mystery behind her great-grandmother’s disappearance. But after so much time succumbing to fear and regret, can Wynn ditch her safe, routine life for the chance at an extraordinary future?
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 5, 2014
360 people are currently reading
2111 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 276 reviews
February 9, 2016
I can't make up my mind what to think of this book. Wynn in Doubt has this fairy tale quality that will rub some readers wrong (read: it is anything but subtle). I like fairy tales as much as the next person, but I couldn't buy how neat Wynn's story was. I usually don't have any problems when it comes to suspending my disbelief, but a famous rock star crush being that perfect was just too much for me. I couldn't see why he wants Wynn, what's so special about her. There wasn't a single woman/girl who talked to Oliver of whom Wynn didn't think something unflattering.
Next, everyone is selfish in this book. I didn't like Wynn's relationship with her sisters. I have a feeling we're supposed to accept it as normal.
However, this book has an interesting story within a story where you follow Wynn's great-grandmother through written entries and some personal testimonies and that part I liked. Wynn finds an old newspaper clipping with her great-grandmother Lola and a bootlegger on it and that triggers all kinds of things in Wynn's own life.
Next, everyone is selfish in this book. I didn't like Wynn's relationship with her sisters. I have a feeling we're supposed to accept it as normal.
However, this book has an interesting story within a story where you follow Wynn's great-grandmother through written entries and some personal testimonies and that part I liked. Wynn finds an old newspaper clipping with her great-grandmother Lola and a bootlegger on it and that triggers all kinds of things in Wynn's own life.
June 1, 2014
5 Adventure Stars
Ever get a case of the BLAHS? You know that feeling of just...just..blah. You're not really bored. Not really depressed. Just blah. Everyone gets that every once in a while. You just need to spice things up. Get out of the rut. Mix it up. Make life say "Whaaaat?"
Wynn has been in living in that Blah Funk for years. She just can't seem to kick start her life. She has been in the same Take Care of Everyone Except Yourself Rut since high school. She had so much potential. Isn't that just the worse word?....Potential. Most of the time it means you haven't reached it. It implies disappointment in what could have been. That's Wynn. She is disappointed in just about everything.
I'm starting to think there isn't a yet, only a never ending string of somedays.
Wynn has been crushing on Oliver since high school. He left to become a rock star. He almost got there. Now Oliver is back in town. To regroup. Start over. He knew Wynn back in high school. He wants to know her better now.
"Where're you taking me?" He smiles, a note of mischief in his eyes. "On an adventure."
But this is not just the story of Wynn and Oliver. Its also the story of Lola, Wynn's great grandmother. Back in the day, she was feeling the blahs too. More than the blahs. She was feeling trapped and she had to make a change. At the expense of everything she held dear or would hold dear. As a result, Lola lost a family she didn't even have yet. Wynn wants answers. Answers for herself, for her grandmother and for Lola.
It seems to me now that hope is a terrible thing. It's the only emotion that pushes you forward and holds you back at the same time.
I think so many of you are going to connect to the characters in this one like I did. It's about family, lost dreams, finding yourself, finding your hope. It will make you want to dig into your family history and find those remarkable men and women who contributed to your family tree.
Deep inside we're all just playing at being adults. Because we'll never be better than the people we were at six or worse than the one we were at sixteen.
Ms Henner knocks this one out of the park. There is lots to love here. Its a romance, a history, an adventure. This a funny, smart, thoughtful book that makes you want to find your family history. Find yourself. Find your adventure. Make life say...Whaaaaaat?
Ever get a case of the BLAHS? You know that feeling of just...just..blah. You're not really bored. Not really depressed. Just blah. Everyone gets that every once in a while. You just need to spice things up. Get out of the rut. Mix it up. Make life say "Whaaaat?"
Wynn has been in living in that Blah Funk for years. She just can't seem to kick start her life. She has been in the same Take Care of Everyone Except Yourself Rut since high school. She had so much potential. Isn't that just the worse word?....Potential. Most of the time it means you haven't reached it. It implies disappointment in what could have been. That's Wynn. She is disappointed in just about everything.
I'm starting to think there isn't a yet, only a never ending string of somedays.
Wynn has been crushing on Oliver since high school. He left to become a rock star. He almost got there. Now Oliver is back in town. To regroup. Start over. He knew Wynn back in high school. He wants to know her better now.
"Where're you taking me?" He smiles, a note of mischief in his eyes. "On an adventure."
But this is not just the story of Wynn and Oliver. Its also the story of Lola, Wynn's great grandmother. Back in the day, she was feeling the blahs too. More than the blahs. She was feeling trapped and she had to make a change. At the expense of everything she held dear or would hold dear. As a result, Lola lost a family she didn't even have yet. Wynn wants answers. Answers for herself, for her grandmother and for Lola.
It seems to me now that hope is a terrible thing. It's the only emotion that pushes you forward and holds you back at the same time.
I think so many of you are going to connect to the characters in this one like I did. It's about family, lost dreams, finding yourself, finding your hope. It will make you want to dig into your family history and find those remarkable men and women who contributed to your family tree.
Deep inside we're all just playing at being adults. Because we'll never be better than the people we were at six or worse than the one we were at sixteen.
Ms Henner knocks this one out of the park. There is lots to love here. Its a romance, a history, an adventure. This a funny, smart, thoughtful book that makes you want to find your family history. Find yourself. Find your adventure. Make life say...Whaaaaaat?
May 7, 2017
I used to be such a good suspender of disbelief. I actually used to pride myself on how much disbelief I could suspend. Alas, I have become cynical in my old age, and while reading this book, I often found myself yelling out things like:
"What?!" "No way!" "Stop!" "Nuh uh!"
There are a lot of these moments, but there are also a lot of laugh out loud lines and emotional passages. By far, the most interesting aspect was the family mystery and the characters in the past.
Definitely above average chick lit, but not sure that I would recommend.
3.5 stars
"What?!" "No way!" "Stop!" "Nuh uh!"
There are a lot of these moments, but there are also a lot of laugh out loud lines and emotional passages. By far, the most interesting aspect was the family mystery and the characters in the past.
Definitely above average chick lit, but not sure that I would recommend.
3.5 stars
May 8, 2014
As a fan of Emily's work, I knew Wynn In Doubt would be good -- I just didn't realize how much I'd fall in love with the book when I started it. See, the characters in this novel are so much more than characters -- they are you and me and everyone who has ever dreamed to say, "what about me?" Because that's the thing, right? In this society, we're so focused on keeping our dreams and passions silent if they seem even a little bit silly or out there or unachievable because as much as we'd like to believe that anything is possible, society often tells us otherwise. I love that Wynn Jeffries is a force to be reckoned with. She dances to the beat of her own drum and she has a long journey of figuring out that being under everyone else's thumb is not where she wants to be.
It's difficult for me to write this review without spoilers because there's SO much I want to talk about. But I do want to mention that an author that can weave a historical tale into her contemporary setting is impressive in my book. Emily was able to maintain two separate stories that mingle together in the most important ways and I find that incredible skillful for an author to do.
This book has so much goodness wrapped inside of it -- it's one that really needs to be experienced by everyone. I cannot recommend this book enough to those of you who want to be reminded what it's like to dream, to be caught up in the "what you're supposed to be doing," instead of the "what do you want to do?" It's about love and all the different variations of it.
If you want a book that will have you thinking and talking about it long after it's done -- please pick up Wynn In Doubt!
It's difficult for me to write this review without spoilers because there's SO much I want to talk about. But I do want to mention that an author that can weave a historical tale into her contemporary setting is impressive in my book. Emily was able to maintain two separate stories that mingle together in the most important ways and I find that incredible skillful for an author to do.
This book has so much goodness wrapped inside of it -- it's one that really needs to be experienced by everyone. I cannot recommend this book enough to those of you who want to be reminded what it's like to dream, to be caught up in the "what you're supposed to be doing," instead of the "what do you want to do?" It's about love and all the different variations of it.
If you want a book that will have you thinking and talking about it long after it's done -- please pick up Wynn In Doubt!
November 5, 2015
Sometimes a book just "speaks" to you. This is that one for me. I have so much to say and yet I can't find the words that would convey what I actually feel. It was a beautifully written story that left me crying.
**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 23, 2015
I was given an arc on exchange for an honest review.
I'm sitting her with tears streaming down my face after finishing Wynn for the third time in a little over a week. I thought that the more I read this story the less it would affect me, but I was so very mistaken. The profound effect Hemmer's words, both Lola and Wynn's stories have had on me I struggle to even put into words. This is in my mind, Hemmer's best work to date, while I adored her previous books, Wynn transported me to a time and place like no other before it, as I sit here writing this I'm sad that the story is over, but so very thankful for the journey.
Wynn is 28 years old, no love life, limited career options, and stuck in a rut. She has taken a backseat in her own life, putting the needs of everyone around her in front of her own and is left feeling trapped in a life of mediocrity, a life so far removed from the life she had planned. The last defining moment in her memory was one stolen kiss with the object of her school girl affections Oliver, the boy who took off to conquer the world. When he returns home, and begins working at the same bar that Wynn does, she realises that may not have been as invisible in high school as she once thought.
"Is that what scares you? Living, but not really being alive."
-Oliver
The discovery of a newspaper clipping of Wynn's estranged great grandmother Lola, stirs up family secrets, and a past that most of Wynn's family would rather left buried. Something in her pushes her to seek out the past, to uncover the truth, in the process to set herself free from the chains that threaten to consume her, along with Oliver, Wynn sets out to find out who Lola Harrison was, and just maybe find out who Wynn Jefferies is as well.
"When you're young you think dreams are limitless, but their not. They age with you."
-Lola
There are aspects of Wynn's journey that resonate so deeply with me, there were moments reading this that brought with it such blinding pain because I got it, the fear, the trepidation of the unknown, but there were moments of pure and unadulterated joy and bliss in watching both Lola and Wynn find little pieces of themselves that they thought were long since dead.
Hemmer's ability to weave two stories together was masterful, at times she quite literally stole my breath. I am in awe of Wynn's journey, of Lola's fight for something more than what she was given, of seeking out the life she had only imagined for herself.
"I don't regret the choices I've made....but knowing Michael, and loving him, was not one of them....He gave me love, unconditional and eternal."
-Lola
Emily Hemmer, this book, your story, has touched my life in ways I can't even begin to express, its essence, it's message is one that will stay with me for a very long time, it has quickly wormed its way into my heart, my soul. Wynn, Oliver, Lola and Michael have taken up residence there and may never leave. Thank you for telling this story, thank you for your words.
I'm sitting her with tears streaming down my face after finishing Wynn for the third time in a little over a week. I thought that the more I read this story the less it would affect me, but I was so very mistaken. The profound effect Hemmer's words, both Lola and Wynn's stories have had on me I struggle to even put into words. This is in my mind, Hemmer's best work to date, while I adored her previous books, Wynn transported me to a time and place like no other before it, as I sit here writing this I'm sad that the story is over, but so very thankful for the journey.
Wynn is 28 years old, no love life, limited career options, and stuck in a rut. She has taken a backseat in her own life, putting the needs of everyone around her in front of her own and is left feeling trapped in a life of mediocrity, a life so far removed from the life she had planned. The last defining moment in her memory was one stolen kiss with the object of her school girl affections Oliver, the boy who took off to conquer the world. When he returns home, and begins working at the same bar that Wynn does, she realises that may not have been as invisible in high school as she once thought.
"Is that what scares you? Living, but not really being alive."
-Oliver
The discovery of a newspaper clipping of Wynn's estranged great grandmother Lola, stirs up family secrets, and a past that most of Wynn's family would rather left buried. Something in her pushes her to seek out the past, to uncover the truth, in the process to set herself free from the chains that threaten to consume her, along with Oliver, Wynn sets out to find out who Lola Harrison was, and just maybe find out who Wynn Jefferies is as well.
"When you're young you think dreams are limitless, but their not. They age with you."
-Lola
There are aspects of Wynn's journey that resonate so deeply with me, there were moments reading this that brought with it such blinding pain because I got it, the fear, the trepidation of the unknown, but there were moments of pure and unadulterated joy and bliss in watching both Lola and Wynn find little pieces of themselves that they thought were long since dead.
Hemmer's ability to weave two stories together was masterful, at times she quite literally stole my breath. I am in awe of Wynn's journey, of Lola's fight for something more than what she was given, of seeking out the life she had only imagined for herself.
"I don't regret the choices I've made....but knowing Michael, and loving him, was not one of them....He gave me love, unconditional and eternal."
-Lola
Emily Hemmer, this book, your story, has touched my life in ways I can't even begin to express, its essence, it's message is one that will stay with me for a very long time, it has quickly wormed its way into my heart, my soul. Wynn, Oliver, Lola and Michael have taken up residence there and may never leave. Thank you for telling this story, thank you for your words.
July 18, 2014
This book that makes me want to go back to every book I've rated 5 stars and lower them. Because Wynn in Doubt far surpasses any book I've ever read. Because this book changed my view on life. I was sucked in just by reading the Forward and, from there, I hung on every word.
So thank you, Emily Hemmer. Thank you for writing such an incredible book and thank you for reminding me that 'life is what we make of it, and our greatest responsibility in not to waste ours'
So thank you, Emily Hemmer. Thank you for writing such an incredible book and thank you for reminding me that 'life is what we make of it, and our greatest responsibility in not to waste ours'
August 31, 2014
by Emily Hemmer
WYNN IN DOUBT
SYNOPSIS
The memory of a stolen kiss ten years ago stirs up an adventure eighty years in the making. Wynn Jeffries has wanderlust. Unfortunately, her life stalled somewhere between graduating college and slinging drinks at the local dive bar. Stuck in a one-room apartment with no career, no boyfriend, no…life, she dreams of something more. Something amazing. Something like Oliver Reeve’s, her high school crush, whose back in town and reminding Wynn of the way she used to want things.
When a forgotten news-clipping about two prohibition moonshiners falls out of a book belonging to Wynn’s grandmother, a well-kept family secret is finally revealed. Is Wynn’s gypsy spirit the result of an overactive imagination or did she inherit it from a woman so determined to live a big life she gave up everything to have it?
The choices we make now shape our future. It’s the fear of making the wrong ones that give us doubt. So the question is: how much are we willing to sacrifice to have the life we want?
MY REVIEW
As I began to read this book I was immediately struck and saddened by the inspiration behind it. In the forward Emily Hemmer recounts the tragic story of her Great Grandmother Lena, who in 1917, decided to divorce her husband. She was just 30 yrs old and a mother to 3 small children. One can only imagine how difficult that must have been, particularly in a time when divorce was such a dirty word. Tragically as a result, Lena was shot dead by her estranged husband and he then turned the gun on himself. Life dealt Lena a cruel hand and her aspirations for a better life for herself and her children were never realised. So many “what if’s” and so many unanswered hypothetical questions led Emily to write this story as a tribute to her Great Grandmothers memory, an alternate ending, perhaps a “what could have been”.
“This is not Lena’s story. It’s Wynn’s story. She’s a young woman looking at her life and asking:Is there more?”
So we meet Wynn Jeffries… an ordinary, sweet, reliable everyday girl trying to find her way through life. While those around her have carved their paths and reached their personal ambitions, Wynn’s life has remained stagnant and upon reflecting on her achievements, or lack of them, she finds herself wishing for more. At the same time, her life is quite suddenly turned upside down when she discovers the boy she’s been in love with for years, the boy who with one kiss sealed her fate, Oliver Reeves, has returned to their home town for some time out of the lime light. She has never been able to move past him and has always envied the fact that he went out achieved his dream of becoming a famous musician.
“I spent ten years thinking of Oliver and his lips. When he left I told myself the next time I saw him I’d be living a fabulous life.”
Unfortunately for Wynn when Oliver walks back into her life nothing much has changed, however circumstances that arise after the passing of her beloved grandmother force her to re-evaluate her goals, and a hunger emerges in her to retrace her family history. It becomes clear to her that her path to self-discovery is intrinsically linked to uncovering the secrets that lie in her family history, and so it’s at that point that Wynn embarks on a journey into the past in the hope that with answers she can begin to build a bridge to her future and her dreams.
“I think a dream is something that makes you reach.” “And what are you trying to wrap your hands around?” “A life. One that scares me a little”
This is a beautifully written story of rekindled love, hope and self-discovery that will pull you into its pages and release you with a renewed sense of perspective and possibly ignite a hunger within you to learn your own history. After all we all have a little bit of Wynn in us. We all ask ourselves that poignant question “Isn't there more?”.
I absolutely fell in love with Wynn & Oliver and while I read this powerful story I shed many a tear thinking of my own grandmother and the difficult life she lived. This book is a treasure that I will pass on to my daughters in the hope they too will search for answers to who they are in the personal life stories of the women who came before them.
5 Shining stars all day long!Thankyou Emily xox
October 8, 2015
One of my favorite things about Wynn in Doubt is how Emily Hemmer forms a connection between the past and present. She chose the 1920s as the historical backdrop and talked about the effects of prohibition. I especially loved reading Wynn's grandmother's diary entries.
The dialogue felt genuine throughout the story, like I was eavesdropping on real conversations taking place.
I really liked the chemistry that was building between Wynn and her high school crush, Oliver. I could really see why she would still have such a crush on him.
What held me back from giving five stars was that the story felt cliché at times, with the whole "follow your dreams" vs. feeling held back theme that was carried throughout. Wynn became overly introspective as a result.
Overall, it was a sweet story and I enjoyed following Wynn on her adventures, hoping she'd get the answers she was looking for so that she could make sense of her life.
As far as movie casting goes...
Wynn: Amber Tamblyn (http://imdb.to/1L2cyhn)
Oliver: Adam Levine (http://imdb.to/1G0mPf2)
Tabby: Margot Robbie (http://imdb.to/1LCple4)
The dialogue felt genuine throughout the story, like I was eavesdropping on real conversations taking place.
I really liked the chemistry that was building between Wynn and her high school crush, Oliver. I could really see why she would still have such a crush on him.
What held me back from giving five stars was that the story felt cliché at times, with the whole "follow your dreams" vs. feeling held back theme that was carried throughout. Wynn became overly introspective as a result.
Overall, it was a sweet story and I enjoyed following Wynn on her adventures, hoping she'd get the answers she was looking for so that she could make sense of her life.
As far as movie casting goes...
Wynn: Amber Tamblyn (http://imdb.to/1L2cyhn)
Oliver: Adam Levine (http://imdb.to/1G0mPf2)
Tabby: Margot Robbie (http://imdb.to/1LCple4)
April 24, 2014
This may be my favorite book of the year. I tend to read more romance than Chick-lit, but I could identify with the female characters. Wynn finally is challenged to put her needs and wants first and researches the history of her great grandmother that disappeared during prohibition. Wynn in Doubt shares the stories of two women's similar personal challenges almost a century apart. If anything read this story to remind yourself that your goals and needs are just as important as the ones you love.
June 26, 2014
Title: Wynn In Doubt
Author: Emily Hemmer
The memory of a stolen kiss ten years ago stirs up an adventure eighty years in the making.
Wynn Jeffries has wanderlust. Unfortunately, her life stalled somewhere between graduating college and slinging drinks at the local dive bar. Stuck in a one-room apartment with no career, no boyfriend, no…life, she dreams of something more. Something amazing. Something like Oliver Reeve’s, her high school crush, whose back in town and reminding Wynn of the way she used to want things.
When a forgotten news-clipping about two prohibition moonshiners falls out of a book belonging to Wynn’s grandmother, a well-kept family secret is finally revealed. Is Wynn’s gypsy spirit the result of an overactive imagination or did she inherit it from a woman so determined to live a big life she gave up everything to have it?
The choices we make now shape our future. It’s the fear of making the wrong ones that give us doubt. So the question is: how much are we willing to sacrifice to have the life we want?
As I tried to record my thoughts on this book I wondered how I was ever going to put them into words... The way this book made me feel the way it made me remember and the way it kind of made me long again for something that I had forgotten about...
Below is my attempt to articulate my thoughts – excuse my ramblings as I know that my thoughts are all over the place…
I totally related to Wynn because one of the driving forces in my younger life was to never disappoint my parents or my grandma. And it wasn't because they ever made me feel like I had or would disappoint them, I simply never wanted to. I would never want my parents to feel like me feeling the way I did was their fault because it wasn't. I realized much later in life that I used the fear of disappointing them to avoid making tough choices. In my 30’s when asked, I would always describe myself as naïve when I was growing up. About 18 years after high school, I reconnected with an old friend and he told me you weren't naïve you were a scaredy-cat. That was such an epiphany to me! It was so true and almost kind of traumatizing when I admitted to myself just how true that statement was.
In the recent past I saw a question posted on Facebook, it asked us what advice you would go back and give our younger self if you could? Today my answer was “don't be afraid to fail”. I emphatically wish that someone could have made me believe that in my younger days. Failing was not the end of the world… and as a parent I will continue to remind my kids of this fact. I am sure that I will also provide them with real life examples of failure and proof that in fact, life does go on.
But I digress… This review should be about Emily's book and I think from my musings above you can see the story led me to a lot of introspection. What woman doesn't want to think that her high school/longtime crash was secretly pining for her too? And to finally connect with that crush and realize that reality is even better than any of your fantasies could have been!
This book touched me in ways I did not expect. It was almost as if Emily read a journal that I was too afraid to ever write. She took those words and expanded into a wonderful story about self-discovery and following a dream. Learning the difference between day-dreaming and dreaming, fantasizing and planning. Living. Finding your happy.
I marveled at Wynn’s strength to continue in her pursuit of answers to find Lola (her great-grandmother) and what happened to her! And cheered for her and Oliver to find their HEA! Because that’s what all hopeful romantics look for, right? And finally I loved the way her family stepped up to support her and her dream because at first I wondered if they would ever be able to think about her needs over their own.
2 passages that really stood out for me:
Oliver to Wynn –
"so I'll ask again. Who do you want to be?"
His lips are close to mine. "I don't know."
"Try,"
"I--" His eyes are so clear. Can he see through me? "--I want to be someone who's not afraid."”
Quote: Wynn - I’ve been stuck. I haven’t moved forward. I’ve been lazy with my dreams and that’s worse than fear because at least if I was afraid it’d mean I was trying to change. But I’m not, and I haven’t been for a long time.
Wow I'm going to have a book hangover after this one!! And I mean that in the BEST possible way! It was truly an honor to receive an ARC of this book from Emily.
Grade A+ I found it breathtaking and for some I hope and think it will be life altering!!
Review by: Jeananna
http://www.thebookreadinggals.com
Author: Emily Hemmer
The memory of a stolen kiss ten years ago stirs up an adventure eighty years in the making.
Wynn Jeffries has wanderlust. Unfortunately, her life stalled somewhere between graduating college and slinging drinks at the local dive bar. Stuck in a one-room apartment with no career, no boyfriend, no…life, she dreams of something more. Something amazing. Something like Oliver Reeve’s, her high school crush, whose back in town and reminding Wynn of the way she used to want things.
When a forgotten news-clipping about two prohibition moonshiners falls out of a book belonging to Wynn’s grandmother, a well-kept family secret is finally revealed. Is Wynn’s gypsy spirit the result of an overactive imagination or did she inherit it from a woman so determined to live a big life she gave up everything to have it?
The choices we make now shape our future. It’s the fear of making the wrong ones that give us doubt. So the question is: how much are we willing to sacrifice to have the life we want?
As I tried to record my thoughts on this book I wondered how I was ever going to put them into words... The way this book made me feel the way it made me remember and the way it kind of made me long again for something that I had forgotten about...
Below is my attempt to articulate my thoughts – excuse my ramblings as I know that my thoughts are all over the place…
I totally related to Wynn because one of the driving forces in my younger life was to never disappoint my parents or my grandma. And it wasn't because they ever made me feel like I had or would disappoint them, I simply never wanted to. I would never want my parents to feel like me feeling the way I did was their fault because it wasn't. I realized much later in life that I used the fear of disappointing them to avoid making tough choices. In my 30’s when asked, I would always describe myself as naïve when I was growing up. About 18 years after high school, I reconnected with an old friend and he told me you weren't naïve you were a scaredy-cat. That was such an epiphany to me! It was so true and almost kind of traumatizing when I admitted to myself just how true that statement was.
In the recent past I saw a question posted on Facebook, it asked us what advice you would go back and give our younger self if you could? Today my answer was “don't be afraid to fail”. I emphatically wish that someone could have made me believe that in my younger days. Failing was not the end of the world… and as a parent I will continue to remind my kids of this fact. I am sure that I will also provide them with real life examples of failure and proof that in fact, life does go on.
But I digress… This review should be about Emily's book and I think from my musings above you can see the story led me to a lot of introspection. What woman doesn't want to think that her high school/longtime crash was secretly pining for her too? And to finally connect with that crush and realize that reality is even better than any of your fantasies could have been!
This book touched me in ways I did not expect. It was almost as if Emily read a journal that I was too afraid to ever write. She took those words and expanded into a wonderful story about self-discovery and following a dream. Learning the difference between day-dreaming and dreaming, fantasizing and planning. Living. Finding your happy.
I marveled at Wynn’s strength to continue in her pursuit of answers to find Lola (her great-grandmother) and what happened to her! And cheered for her and Oliver to find their HEA! Because that’s what all hopeful romantics look for, right? And finally I loved the way her family stepped up to support her and her dream because at first I wondered if they would ever be able to think about her needs over their own.
2 passages that really stood out for me:
Oliver to Wynn –
"so I'll ask again. Who do you want to be?"
His lips are close to mine. "I don't know."
"Try,"
"I--" His eyes are so clear. Can he see through me? "--I want to be someone who's not afraid."”
Quote: Wynn - I’ve been stuck. I haven’t moved forward. I’ve been lazy with my dreams and that’s worse than fear because at least if I was afraid it’d mean I was trying to change. But I’m not, and I haven’t been for a long time.
Wow I'm going to have a book hangover after this one!! And I mean that in the BEST possible way! It was truly an honor to receive an ARC of this book from Emily.
Grade A+ I found it breathtaking and for some I hope and think it will be life altering!!
Review by: Jeananna
http://www.thebookreadinggals.com
May 7, 2014
I received an ARC of Wynn in Doubt in exchange for an honest review.
I never could have imagined the affect this story would have on me. Even putting it into words now is difficult. I'm sure that not everyone will have the same reaction that I did, but I really felt as though the story spoke to me on a personal level.
Wynn Jeffries' life hasn't exactly gone that way she'd imagined. The girl "most likely to succeed" wasn't exactly a success story. She hadn't done any of the things she wanted. She was living alone in a tiny apartment, wearing second hand clothes and working in the local bar. Not exactly a dream come true.
But then she discovers a newspaper article among her grandmother's things. A newspaper article with a picture of Wynn's great-grandmother, a woman whom she was told had died when her grandmother was just a little girl. But from the date on the article, and the info it contains, it looks more like her great grandmother abandoned her family. But why? And why does Wynn feel such a strong pull to uncover the entire story?
And then there is Oliver Reeves, the boy who kissed her once and has been haunting her dreams ever since. Oliver, who followed his dreams to become a musician. On the same day she finds the article, Oliver walks back into her life and he pushes her to uncover her family history.
What will she discover about her family history and about herself?
So why did this story invade my heart and soul? Well, there are several similarities between Wynn and myself. We are both the middle child of three girls. Wynn was always there for her family. She put her life on hold to be there for them. In a way, I've done the same. My two sisters both went off after high school to do their thing and I stayed close to home. I didn't go to college. I got a job. I stayed. And when my Mom got sick, I was here. I was the one that everyone called when they needed something. I have traveled some and I did get married, but part of me feels like I haven't lived. And reading Wynn in Doubt really brought it all home for me. But, I think it's a sign.
When my husband and I got married....nearly 10 years ago now, we talked about moving. And within the last year, we have said we'll move across the country in 2015. Next year! I have been a bit of a nervous wreck because I've never taken such a big step and it scares me like you wouldn't believe. So I feel like Wynn spoke to me. I feel like this was a sign telling me to take that step.
I won't say that I'm not still scared about what the future holds, but how can I not go for it?
Emily said this book is about dreams, but I think it's so much more than that. It's about life and what happens when you aren't really sure what your dreams are or where your life is supposed to go. It's about falling into place, a complacent life where people look at you one way but you really think you were meant to be someone else. Wynn in Doubt made me take a look at my own life and wonder.
I never could have imagined the affect this story would have on me. Even putting it into words now is difficult. I'm sure that not everyone will have the same reaction that I did, but I really felt as though the story spoke to me on a personal level.
Wynn Jeffries' life hasn't exactly gone that way she'd imagined. The girl "most likely to succeed" wasn't exactly a success story. She hadn't done any of the things she wanted. She was living alone in a tiny apartment, wearing second hand clothes and working in the local bar. Not exactly a dream come true.
But then she discovers a newspaper article among her grandmother's things. A newspaper article with a picture of Wynn's great-grandmother, a woman whom she was told had died when her grandmother was just a little girl. But from the date on the article, and the info it contains, it looks more like her great grandmother abandoned her family. But why? And why does Wynn feel such a strong pull to uncover the entire story?
And then there is Oliver Reeves, the boy who kissed her once and has been haunting her dreams ever since. Oliver, who followed his dreams to become a musician. On the same day she finds the article, Oliver walks back into her life and he pushes her to uncover her family history.
What will she discover about her family history and about herself?
So why did this story invade my heart and soul? Well, there are several similarities between Wynn and myself. We are both the middle child of three girls. Wynn was always there for her family. She put her life on hold to be there for them. In a way, I've done the same. My two sisters both went off after high school to do their thing and I stayed close to home. I didn't go to college. I got a job. I stayed. And when my Mom got sick, I was here. I was the one that everyone called when they needed something. I have traveled some and I did get married, but part of me feels like I haven't lived. And reading Wynn in Doubt really brought it all home for me. But, I think it's a sign.
When my husband and I got married....nearly 10 years ago now, we talked about moving. And within the last year, we have said we'll move across the country in 2015. Next year! I have been a bit of a nervous wreck because I've never taken such a big step and it scares me like you wouldn't believe. So I feel like Wynn spoke to me. I feel like this was a sign telling me to take that step.
I won't say that I'm not still scared about what the future holds, but how can I not go for it?
Emily said this book is about dreams, but I think it's so much more than that. It's about life and what happens when you aren't really sure what your dreams are or where your life is supposed to go. It's about falling into place, a complacent life where people look at you one way but you really think you were meant to be someone else. Wynn in Doubt made me take a look at my own life and wonder.
July 8, 2014
So many thoughts and feelings are pouring through me as I read the last words of Wynn in Doubt. Most of those thoughts swirl and take shape into the words: Hope, Fear, Love, Loss, Doubt, Family, Obligation, Freedom, Adventure. All of these things were so clear and developed into an artful masterpiece that is Ms. Hemmer’s novel. Not only will this novel speak to you, it will resonate with your soul. Every woman everywhere has experienced feeling as though life was passing them by. That they hadn’t found what they were meant to find. This story deals with that conundrum. It’s something we all face at different times in our lives. Sometimes it’s when you’ve just graduated high-school and have to set out onto the world. Sometimes it occurs when you marry the love of your life, or have a baby, lose a loved one. At each pivotal moment in time in our lives most people take a step back, look at their lives and evaluate what they’ve made of it. Maybe they’re happy with the results, maybe they aren’t. More often than not there’s always a need for more. The grass may be greener on the other side. It might be, it might not. The story of Wynn in Doubt perfectly expresses that point in your life and does so in an incredibly well-written, beautiful novel that I know I will recommend for years to come. I don’t know one person that couldn’t identify with this character. Thank you, Ms. Hemmer for sharing your beautiful tale with us and offering every woman an alternate way to view their own lives objectively through your words. Namaste.
January 15, 2016
Chick-Lit Really?
This book was not for me. I have no understanding or compassion for people who whine through life, and that describes Wynn to a T. The other main character, Wynn's great grandmother, who we read about through a diary and letters, is no more likeable.
But my bigger problem is the theme of this book. "I can only be happy if I'm doing what I want to do." Wynn actually berates her grandmother for having a "small life" loving and caring for her family. Then decides her great-grandmother, who abandoned her child, is the courageous one?
Honestly, I just don't get it. If your husband is so bad that you have to leave him, how can you leave your little girl with him? I'm sorry, I am usually able to generate at least some compassion for characters, but not this time.
The other thing that bothered me about this book is that everything worked out too perfectly. The boy that Wynn crushed on all through high school becomes a world-famous rock star, just to give it all up and come back home because he regrets never pursuing her.
(Her locker was right next to his girlfriend, and he spent four years there french-kissing said girlfriend. Now he has regrets? Just not believeable.)
I know this is supposed to be women's fiction, but with Wynn's blase personality and the simplistic writing, I assumed it was YA until the bad words starting popping up. There is one intimate scene.
ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was not for me. I have no understanding or compassion for people who whine through life, and that describes Wynn to a T. The other main character, Wynn's great grandmother, who we read about through a diary and letters, is no more likeable.
But my bigger problem is the theme of this book. "I can only be happy if I'm doing what I want to do." Wynn actually berates her grandmother for having a "small life" loving and caring for her family. Then decides her great-grandmother, who abandoned her child, is the courageous one?
Honestly, I just don't get it. If your husband is so bad that you have to leave him, how can you leave your little girl with him? I'm sorry, I am usually able to generate at least some compassion for characters, but not this time.
The other thing that bothered me about this book is that everything worked out too perfectly. The boy that Wynn crushed on all through high school becomes a world-famous rock star, just to give it all up and come back home because he regrets never pursuing her.
(Her locker was right next to his girlfriend, and he spent four years there french-kissing said girlfriend. Now he has regrets? Just not believeable.)
I know this is supposed to be women's fiction, but with Wynn's blase personality and the simplistic writing, I assumed it was YA until the bad words starting popping up. There is one intimate scene.
ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 21, 2016
A little extra i have wanted to experience the "El Camino de Santiago " after seeing that great movie "the way" this book confirmed it. Especially since I visited Ireland first country outside of my sheltered life in the US. So can you pick up & actually live your life instead of existing?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2015
A special thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Emily Hemmer delivers a poignant novel WYNN IN DOUBT, inspired by Lena, and the women in her own family who inherited her legacy. It is all about Go. Dream as Big as You Can. Have the Life You Want. Do Not Settle for Less! An emotional journey of self-discovery with wit, mystery, and intrigue.
WYNN IN DOUBT grabs you at “hello”, the preface, by the author. Emily’s great-great-grandmother’s name was Lena Buchanan. She inspired the book; however, unfortunately her life did not have a happy ending. It was cut short by a brutal tragedy. She was a wife, mother, sister, and daughter—a kind lovely woman, thirty years old. You see, in 1917, a woman—a mother of three small children--dared to step out and filed for a divorce. The courage it took for her to leave the life she had, public scrutiny, financial hardship—a life altering decision, in a time when women did not stand up for themselves. She never got the chance.
Her husband, thought differently, and ended both their lives.
This is powerful stuff. Even though as the author points out, this is not Lena’s story; however, what if? What if she had moved, made new friends, got to explore her hopes and dreams, or possibly true love.
Hemmer explores a different ending. She gives her a story. One that allowed her to be brave in a different more accepting time. Five generations of women. It is Wynn’s story. She is asking if there is more? Seek what makes you happy. You only have one life to live. Do not waste it.
Wynn is second guessing her life. She is stuck in a dead end job, and still dreams of the one who got away. Oliver Reeves. Of course there have been others since this time—however, what if? She resents her own life.
She had been offered a teaching position at a small school in Guatemala, run by a non-profit out of Chicago. They called and offered her the job and she said yes. She wanted a reason to leave—to become someone else. Her grandmother thought she was being selfish (boy have I head this line over the years). After a tragedy, she turned the job down due to the family.
Oliver is back in town, and upon the death of her grandmother she uncovers a cardboard box. Secrets. Clippings. Letters. A diary. From past to present starting in 1931 in Kentucky, we learn about Michael Albert Craig and Lola Elizabeth Harrison. From federal agents, bootlegging, a sting operation, a show girl, car theft, and all sorts of activities.
Her great-grandmother, died when Grams was a little girl in the 1920s. But the name in the article? How was it that her great-grandmother was running whiskey in Kentucky when she was supposed to be six feet under in Illinois? What was she looking for? Something more? Fear, doubt, uncertainty…did she feel trapped, so she ran away?
Finding out why Lola left and what happened to her quickly becomes an obsession for Wynn. She feels she cannot move forward in her own life, if she does not uncover the secrets. Gram’s resentments, her family’s expectations, and her own doubts..the things that weigh her down. At times she feels the weight will bury her alive.
Oliver helps her as they begin the journey to find answers of the past. Wynn used to fantasize about a secret family --to come and rescue her from her boring life and take her own a dangerous expedition. Possibly, she had not given her family enough credit. Here is a big one! Was Lola the reason Grams reacted the way she did when she had told her of her plans to leave. Was she worried she would abandon her family as her mother had done? She has to find out where she ran to, how, and why?
Wynn and Oliver attempt to put together the missing pieces of her family’s past and unravel the mystery behind her great-grandmother’s disappearance. At the same time Wynn learns something about herself.
My favorite line from her mother: “Go. Figure out what you’re made on. Then come back to us.”
After this moving preface, the book could have ended here, and I would have felt inspired. I was hooked. I am one of those who truly believe to find your purpose in life, will make you ultimately happy and those around you. You cannot always live by other’s standards, as I have seen my mother, aunts, and grandmothers in the past. I actually found the past history of the great-grandmother more exciting that the present day Wynn.
Wow, a fabulous story —can Wynn give up her safe routine to test her limits and be the woman she has dreamed of? You will laugh and cry as you relive the past. I am always intrigued by strong women of the past and their secrets.
I am not a huge fan of chick-lit or romance fan; however, WYNN IN DOUBT, offers much more, with a spice of historical fiction, contemporary, mystery, adventure and suspense. Inspiring.
Thanks for giving your great-grandmother a new ending- sure she is smiling. Well-done.
JDCMustReadBooks
Emily Hemmer delivers a poignant novel WYNN IN DOUBT, inspired by Lena, and the women in her own family who inherited her legacy. It is all about Go. Dream as Big as You Can. Have the Life You Want. Do Not Settle for Less! An emotional journey of self-discovery with wit, mystery, and intrigue.
WYNN IN DOUBT grabs you at “hello”, the preface, by the author. Emily’s great-great-grandmother’s name was Lena Buchanan. She inspired the book; however, unfortunately her life did not have a happy ending. It was cut short by a brutal tragedy. She was a wife, mother, sister, and daughter—a kind lovely woman, thirty years old. You see, in 1917, a woman—a mother of three small children--dared to step out and filed for a divorce. The courage it took for her to leave the life she had, public scrutiny, financial hardship—a life altering decision, in a time when women did not stand up for themselves. She never got the chance.
Her husband, thought differently, and ended both their lives.
This is powerful stuff. Even though as the author points out, this is not Lena’s story; however, what if? What if she had moved, made new friends, got to explore her hopes and dreams, or possibly true love.
Hemmer explores a different ending. She gives her a story. One that allowed her to be brave in a different more accepting time. Five generations of women. It is Wynn’s story. She is asking if there is more? Seek what makes you happy. You only have one life to live. Do not waste it.
Wynn is second guessing her life. She is stuck in a dead end job, and still dreams of the one who got away. Oliver Reeves. Of course there have been others since this time—however, what if? She resents her own life.
She had been offered a teaching position at a small school in Guatemala, run by a non-profit out of Chicago. They called and offered her the job and she said yes. She wanted a reason to leave—to become someone else. Her grandmother thought she was being selfish (boy have I head this line over the years). After a tragedy, she turned the job down due to the family.
Oliver is back in town, and upon the death of her grandmother she uncovers a cardboard box. Secrets. Clippings. Letters. A diary. From past to present starting in 1931 in Kentucky, we learn about Michael Albert Craig and Lola Elizabeth Harrison. From federal agents, bootlegging, a sting operation, a show girl, car theft, and all sorts of activities.
Her great-grandmother, died when Grams was a little girl in the 1920s. But the name in the article? How was it that her great-grandmother was running whiskey in Kentucky when she was supposed to be six feet under in Illinois? What was she looking for? Something more? Fear, doubt, uncertainty…did she feel trapped, so she ran away?
Finding out why Lola left and what happened to her quickly becomes an obsession for Wynn. She feels she cannot move forward in her own life, if she does not uncover the secrets. Gram’s resentments, her family’s expectations, and her own doubts..the things that weigh her down. At times she feels the weight will bury her alive.
Oliver helps her as they begin the journey to find answers of the past. Wynn used to fantasize about a secret family --to come and rescue her from her boring life and take her own a dangerous expedition. Possibly, she had not given her family enough credit. Here is a big one! Was Lola the reason Grams reacted the way she did when she had told her of her plans to leave. Was she worried she would abandon her family as her mother had done? She has to find out where she ran to, how, and why?
Wynn and Oliver attempt to put together the missing pieces of her family’s past and unravel the mystery behind her great-grandmother’s disappearance. At the same time Wynn learns something about herself.
My favorite line from her mother: “Go. Figure out what you’re made on. Then come back to us.”
After this moving preface, the book could have ended here, and I would have felt inspired. I was hooked. I am one of those who truly believe to find your purpose in life, will make you ultimately happy and those around you. You cannot always live by other’s standards, as I have seen my mother, aunts, and grandmothers in the past. I actually found the past history of the great-grandmother more exciting that the present day Wynn.
Wow, a fabulous story —can Wynn give up her safe routine to test her limits and be the woman she has dreamed of? You will laugh and cry as you relive the past. I am always intrigued by strong women of the past and their secrets.
I am not a huge fan of chick-lit or romance fan; however, WYNN IN DOUBT, offers much more, with a spice of historical fiction, contemporary, mystery, adventure and suspense. Inspiring.
Thanks for giving your great-grandmother a new ending- sure she is smiling. Well-done.
JDCMustReadBooks
July 27, 2016
4/26/14
Full review to come but before that I have to process and put into words how this book made me feel. Until then just know I found it breathtaking and for some I hope and think it will be life altering!!
5/4/14
As I sit here and try to record my thoughts on this book I wonder how I'm ever going to put them into words... The way this book made me feel the way it made me remember and the way it kind of made me long again for something that I had forgotten about...
Below is my attempt to articulate my thoughts – excuse my ramblings as I know that my thoughts are all over the place…
I totally related to Wynn because one of the driving forces in my younger life was to never disappoint my parents or my grandma. And it wasn't because they ever made me feel like I had or would disappoint them, I simply never wanted to. I would never want my parents to feel like me feeling the way I did was their fault because it wasn't. I realized much later in life that I used the fear of disappointing them to avoid making tough choices. In my 30’s when asked, I would always describe myself as naïve when I was growing up. About 18 years after high school, I reconnected with an old friend and he told me you weren't naïve you were a scaredy-cat. That was such an epiphany to me! It was so true and almost kind of traumatizing when I admitted to myself just how true that statement was.
In the recent past I saw a question posted on Facebook, it asked us what advice you would go back and give our younger self if you could? Today my answer was “don't be afraid to fail”. I emphatically wish that someone could have made me believe that in my younger days. Failing was not the end of the world… and as a parent I will continue to remind my kids of this fact. I am sure that I will also provide them with real life examples of failure and proof that in fact, life does go on.
But I digress… This review should be about Emily's book and I think from my musings above you can see the story led me to a lot of introspection. What woman doesn't want to think that her longtime crash was secretly pining for her to? And to finally connect with that crush and realize that reality is even better than any of your fantasies could have been!
This book touched me in ways I did not expect. It was almost as if Emily read a journal that I was too afraid to ever write. She took those words and expanded into a wonderful story about self-discovery and following a dream. Learning the difference between day-dreaming and dreaming, fantasizing and planning. Living. Finding your happy.
I marveled at Wynn’s strength to continue in her pursuit of answers to find Lola (her great-grandmother) and what happened to her! And cheered for her and Oliver to find their HEA! Because that’s what all hopeful romantics look for, right? And finally I loved the way her family stepped up to support her and her dream because at first I wondered if they would ever be able to think about her needs over their own.
2 passages the really stood out for me:
Oliver to Wynn –
"so I'll ask again. Who do you want to be?"
His lips are close to mine. "I don't know."
"Try,"
"I--" His eyes are so clear. Can he see through me? "--I want to be someone who's not afraid."”
Quote: Wynn - I’ve been stuck. I haven’t moved forward. I’ve been lazy with my dreams and that’s worse than fear because at least if I was afraid it’d mean I was trying to change. But I’m not, and I haven’t been for a long time.
Wow I'm going to have a book hangover after this one!! And I mean that in the BEST possible way! It was truly an honor to receive an ARC of this book from Emily.
5+++ stars - I found it breathtaking and for some I hope and think it will be life altering!!
https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/h...
Full review to come but before that I have to process and put into words how this book made me feel. Until then just know I found it breathtaking and for some I hope and think it will be life altering!!
5/4/14
As I sit here and try to record my thoughts on this book I wonder how I'm ever going to put them into words... The way this book made me feel the way it made me remember and the way it kind of made me long again for something that I had forgotten about...
Below is my attempt to articulate my thoughts – excuse my ramblings as I know that my thoughts are all over the place…
I totally related to Wynn because one of the driving forces in my younger life was to never disappoint my parents or my grandma. And it wasn't because they ever made me feel like I had or would disappoint them, I simply never wanted to. I would never want my parents to feel like me feeling the way I did was their fault because it wasn't. I realized much later in life that I used the fear of disappointing them to avoid making tough choices. In my 30’s when asked, I would always describe myself as naïve when I was growing up. About 18 years after high school, I reconnected with an old friend and he told me you weren't naïve you were a scaredy-cat. That was such an epiphany to me! It was so true and almost kind of traumatizing when I admitted to myself just how true that statement was.
In the recent past I saw a question posted on Facebook, it asked us what advice you would go back and give our younger self if you could? Today my answer was “don't be afraid to fail”. I emphatically wish that someone could have made me believe that in my younger days. Failing was not the end of the world… and as a parent I will continue to remind my kids of this fact. I am sure that I will also provide them with real life examples of failure and proof that in fact, life does go on.
But I digress… This review should be about Emily's book and I think from my musings above you can see the story led me to a lot of introspection. What woman doesn't want to think that her longtime crash was secretly pining for her to? And to finally connect with that crush and realize that reality is even better than any of your fantasies could have been!
This book touched me in ways I did not expect. It was almost as if Emily read a journal that I was too afraid to ever write. She took those words and expanded into a wonderful story about self-discovery and following a dream. Learning the difference between day-dreaming and dreaming, fantasizing and planning. Living. Finding your happy.
I marveled at Wynn’s strength to continue in her pursuit of answers to find Lola (her great-grandmother) and what happened to her! And cheered for her and Oliver to find their HEA! Because that’s what all hopeful romantics look for, right? And finally I loved the way her family stepped up to support her and her dream because at first I wondered if they would ever be able to think about her needs over their own.
2 passages the really stood out for me:
Oliver to Wynn –
"so I'll ask again. Who do you want to be?"
His lips are close to mine. "I don't know."
"Try,"
"I--" His eyes are so clear. Can he see through me? "--I want to be someone who's not afraid."”
Quote: Wynn - I’ve been stuck. I haven’t moved forward. I’ve been lazy with my dreams and that’s worse than fear because at least if I was afraid it’d mean I was trying to change. But I’m not, and I haven’t been for a long time.
Wow I'm going to have a book hangover after this one!! And I mean that in the BEST possible way! It was truly an honor to receive an ARC of this book from Emily.
5+++ stars - I found it breathtaking and for some I hope and think it will be life altering!!
https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/h...
October 5, 2015
I first picked up Wynn In Doubt back in 2014, I was instantly transfixed with the story, one of Wynn and her insatiable thirst for more, for adventure, for love, for life, but what truly swept me away was Lola, this incredible woman who lived a life of both sorrow and guilt and also great love and adventure, when Wynn In Doubt was revised and traditionally published I had every intention of writing a new review, but I can’t because I still don’t have the words to do this book JUCTICE. Ms Hemmer hasn’t just crafted a story, it’s more than just a book, Wynn In Doubt is an experience, one that makes you question everything you thought you believed, it makes you reflect, over a year since I first picked up this tale and it still has a profound impact on my life. Read it, Love it, Live it… breath it in and experience the journey.
I'm sitting her with tears streaming down my face after finishing Wynn for the third time in a little over a week. I thought that the more I read this story the less it would affect me, but I was so very mistaken. The profound effect Hemmer's words, both Lola and Wynn's stories have had on me I struggle to even put into words. This is in my mind, Hemmer's best work to date, while I adored her previous books, Wynn transported me to a time and place like no other before it, as I sit here writing this I'm sad that the story is over, but so very thankful for the journey.
Wynn is 28 years old, no love life, limited career options, and stuck in a rut. She has taken a backseat in her own life, putting the needs of everyone around her in front of her own and is left feeling trapped in a life of mediocrity, a life so far removed from the life she had planned. The last defining moment in her memory was one stolen kiss with the object of her school girl affections Oliver, the boy who took off to conquer the world. When he returns home, and begins working at the same bar that Wynn does, she realises that may not have been as invisible in high school as she once thought.
"Is that what scares you? Living, but not really being alive."
-Oliver
The discovery of a newspaper clipping of Wynn's estranged great grandmother Lola, stirs up family secrets, and a past that most of Wynn's family would rather left buried. Something in her pushes her to seek out the past, to uncover the truth, in the process to set herself free from the chains that threaten to consume her, along with Oliver, Wynn sets out to find out who Lola Harrison was, and just maybe find out who Wynn Jefferies is as well.
"When you're young you think dreams are limitless, but their not. They age with you."
-Lola
There are aspects of Wynn's journey that resonate so deeply with me, there were moments reading this that brought with it such blinding pain because I got it, the fear, the trepidation of the unknown, but there were moments of pure and unadulterated joy and bliss in watching both Lola and Wynn find little pieces of themselves that they thought were long since dead.
Hemmer's ability to weave two stories together was masterful, at times she quite literally stole my breath. I am in awe of Wynn's journey, of Lola's fight for something more than what she was given, of seeking out the life she had only imagined for herself.
"I don't regret the choices I've made....but knowing Michael, and loving him, was not one of them....He gave me love, unconditional and eternal."
-Lola
Emily Hemmer, this book, your story, has touched my life in ways I can't even begin to express, its essence, it's message is one that will stay with me for a very long time, it has quickly wormed its way into my heart, my soul. Wynn, Oliver, Lola and Michael have taken up residence there and may never leave. Thank you for telling this story, thank you for your words.
I'm sitting her with tears streaming down my face after finishing Wynn for the third time in a little over a week. I thought that the more I read this story the less it would affect me, but I was so very mistaken. The profound effect Hemmer's words, both Lola and Wynn's stories have had on me I struggle to even put into words. This is in my mind, Hemmer's best work to date, while I adored her previous books, Wynn transported me to a time and place like no other before it, as I sit here writing this I'm sad that the story is over, but so very thankful for the journey.
Wynn is 28 years old, no love life, limited career options, and stuck in a rut. She has taken a backseat in her own life, putting the needs of everyone around her in front of her own and is left feeling trapped in a life of mediocrity, a life so far removed from the life she had planned. The last defining moment in her memory was one stolen kiss with the object of her school girl affections Oliver, the boy who took off to conquer the world. When he returns home, and begins working at the same bar that Wynn does, she realises that may not have been as invisible in high school as she once thought.
"Is that what scares you? Living, but not really being alive."
-Oliver
The discovery of a newspaper clipping of Wynn's estranged great grandmother Lola, stirs up family secrets, and a past that most of Wynn's family would rather left buried. Something in her pushes her to seek out the past, to uncover the truth, in the process to set herself free from the chains that threaten to consume her, along with Oliver, Wynn sets out to find out who Lola Harrison was, and just maybe find out who Wynn Jefferies is as well.
"When you're young you think dreams are limitless, but their not. They age with you."
-Lola
There are aspects of Wynn's journey that resonate so deeply with me, there were moments reading this that brought with it such blinding pain because I got it, the fear, the trepidation of the unknown, but there were moments of pure and unadulterated joy and bliss in watching both Lola and Wynn find little pieces of themselves that they thought were long since dead.
Hemmer's ability to weave two stories together was masterful, at times she quite literally stole my breath. I am in awe of Wynn's journey, of Lola's fight for something more than what she was given, of seeking out the life she had only imagined for herself.
"I don't regret the choices I've made....but knowing Michael, and loving him, was not one of them....He gave me love, unconditional and eternal."
-Lola
Emily Hemmer, this book, your story, has touched my life in ways I can't even begin to express, its essence, it's message is one that will stay with me for a very long time, it has quickly wormed its way into my heart, my soul. Wynn, Oliver, Lola and Michael have taken up residence there and may never leave. Thank you for telling this story, thank you for your words.
December 8, 2014
This book deserves 4.5 stars! I'm not much of a chick lit type of person but I came across this one and was pretty intrigued. And then I read what inspired the author to write the story and I had to continue on. Now, don't get me wrong it was a rocky start for me because i couldn't connect to Wynn much at all. For her to be in her late 20's she behaved like a pre-teen or young teenager and it made me cringe to see how she was going to mess something up. But finally when she began on her adventure with Oliver she seemed to calm down and things developed nicely between the two. I definitely enjoyed being along on the adventure with them and I certainly couldn't wait to find out about Lola and Michael's story. I truly felt like I knew these people as we went along and rooted for them. It was a great book to read because I felt if flowed so well, some things were sad, some things were happy, but that is life and sometimes we have to make choices for ourselves. I'm so glad Wynn made the choice she did even though my heart cracked a little at the time, but all works out in the end. Thank goodness!!! Wonderful book!!
September 17, 2015
"I think what I fear most is the unknown,when what I should be afraid of is the undone."
Wynn in doubt is a beautiful journey,narrated in a very pleasant way where past and present are perfectly intertwined.
I could easily identify with our heroine Wynn,she is stuck in a life she doesn't enjoy,sacrificing her dreams in order to help and to not disappoint her family.
When she finds an old newspaper article she decides to leave on a weekend trip with her high school crush,Oliver,a well known musician back in town to feel again his passion for music.They make a lot of interesting discoveries that help Wynn to forget her fears, and for the first time in her life to stand up to her parents and sisters and live the kind of life she really wants.
This is one of those books that stay with you for a very long time and some more.
"It seems to me now that hope is a terrible thing.It's the only emotion that pushes you forward and holds you back at the same time."
July 25, 2014
I think many women could relate to a time in their life when they are at a crossroads, and aren't sure whether they're ready to jump in and pick their path, so they sit stagnant for a while, which sometimes turns into too long....which is what I felt happened to Wynn. I couldn't help but to cheer for her as she decided to follow her heart and interest, despite her families opposition. I could relate to her curiosity about her ancestors, especially one that had been a carefully preserved secret. Shouldn't we all be so lucky as to have that secret so perfectly unfolded for us! I enjoyed the story and the background from her Great Grandmothers Diary so much, as it really had me empathizing with her and the awful decisions she was forced to make, and ultimately live with. The end of the book had me reeling for a bit, but I ended up liking how it wrapped up. I'm glad Wynn took control of her life and is ready to escape her dreary little life she had settled with and begin living. Great lesson in remembering your dreams, following your heart, and letting go.
September 5, 2016
Initially this cover didn't pique my interest that much. But I am very happy that I read this book! This book grabbed my attention from the first page on. I really loved it. Oliver is just such a great book boyfriend, he supported and opened Wynn's eyes to a new world. If it wasn't for him I KNOW Wynn wouldn't take the step to do something adventurous. I really liked the whole mystery behind Wynn's grandmother, I would love to read a book focusing on her. I loved how Wynn and Oliver went on a small road trip to discover the secrets behind her grandmother's disappearance back in the days. I really need to read more contemporary romance with mystery in it (it was the perfect combination). I felt a connection with Wynn and can definitely identify with her. The writing was great!! I can't wait to read more books by Emily Hemmer!
April 5, 2017
LOVED this book!!!! Really nice story with some good twists and lots of depth. highly recommend!!!
July 24, 2017
Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I'd rate this 3.5 stars if I could. Wynn is a discontented 20-something who has spend her life wishing for things but never following through. Although I felt bad for her, I was also frustrated. She allowed her family members to bully her into putting her dreams aside. But it seems that her family are all homebodies and simply couldn't understand her need to wander and have adventures. So they were really acting out of love and caring, but I was annoyed that Wynn continued to allow them to influence her. When a high-school-crush-turned-rock-star returns to town, he becomes her biggest support, encouraging her to follow the trail of Wynn's long-lost great-grandmother. His character is more appealing, but the instant romance between them didn't seem believable. I know they were vague friends in high school, but having him come back "because of her" stretched my credibility a little too much. I did like their friendly camaraderie, however, and their shared sense of humor. Although I never laughed out loud, their jokes made me smile.
Overall, this is a nice chick-lit read. Even when I didn't care for the characters and their actions, I found them fascinating. And the parallels between the past and the present really made the book come together for me at the end.
I'd rate this 3.5 stars if I could. Wynn is a discontented 20-something who has spend her life wishing for things but never following through. Although I felt bad for her, I was also frustrated. She allowed her family members to bully her into putting her dreams aside. But it seems that her family are all homebodies and simply couldn't understand her need to wander and have adventures. So they were really acting out of love and caring, but I was annoyed that Wynn continued to allow them to influence her. When a high-school-crush-turned-rock-star returns to town, he becomes her biggest support, encouraging her to follow the trail of Wynn's long-lost great-grandmother. His character is more appealing, but the instant romance between them didn't seem believable. I know they were vague friends in high school, but having him come back "because of her" stretched my credibility a little too much. I did like their friendly camaraderie, however, and their shared sense of humor. Although I never laughed out loud, their jokes made me smile.
Overall, this is a nice chick-lit read. Even when I didn't care for the characters and their actions, I found them fascinating. And the parallels between the past and the present really made the book come together for me at the end.
February 23, 2018
When I first started reading this I thought it was mostly about Wynn and her high school crush Oliver, on a journey to find out what happen to her great-grandmother. But what it really is about is Wynn on a journey to find herself. Hearing the story of what happen to her great-grandmother was intriguing. Just added so much to the story and of course made the story. A great read and was hard for me to put it down.
January 10, 2024
I really enjoyed this story of an abused woman leaving her abusive husband and also her only daughter for a better life. I can relate with Lola 100%. I also went through what Lola went through. I love how Lola left something for her daughter, that was so bittersweet. Kind of a sad story but it ended very nicely I thought. Highly recommend, will look for more books by this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2023
really great story
Really great story about family, life and the past intertwining with the future. Loved the characters and even up to the end you were not sure but it came full circle.
Really great story about family, life and the past intertwining with the future. Loved the characters and even up to the end you were not sure but it came full circle.
December 22, 2015
Favorite Quotes:
“As usual, my voice is last. I could claim slow reflexes, but the truth is, putting what other people want before what I want, even unconsciously, has become habit. A therapist told me it was transference. That it’s easier for me to put other people first because there’s no risk involved. No chance of losing out on all those dreams I keep dreaming about. But his appointments coincided with my nephew’s Little League games, so I never learned how to reverse the cycle.”
“So he remembers the kiss. Does he also remember the gangly, dorky, unblossomed girl attached to those lips? No doubt I left him in a state of lustful frenzy tonight with the way I fought to pull open the door marked ‘Push.’”
“It’s so unfair to grow up and still be the same person. We spend years trying to remake ourselves. College, marriage, Roth IRAs, organic produce. Deep inside, we’re all just playing at being adults. Because we’ll never be better than the people we were at six, or worse than the ones we were at sixteen.”
“You can’t trust musicians, you know. They move from town to town, picking up a new girl at every stop. My great-aunt Goldie dated one… a jazz player. Found out he had six children in six different states. She only listened to classical after that.”
“I rub my lips against him so he can feel my smile. It’s one of those things that makes you want to cry for no good reason. A happy thing that makes you sad at the same time.”
“Tears slide down her cheeks, and she wipes them away. It feels wrong to see my mother cry. Parents are meant to be strong, the ones who make everything better. Who makes things better for them after their parents are gone?”
“Poor Stanley. Poor bald, sweaty, manic Stanley. Between Franny’s abrasiveness and Tabby’s low-cut blouse, he’s having a hell of an afternoon.”
My Review:
This book repeatedly squeezed my heart and stole the breath from my lungs. I also felt a strange sting in my eyes and a burn in my throat. Ms. Hemmer did an excellent job of capturing those all too familiar feelings of inadequacy and the wheel spinning of a stagnant life going nowhere, as well as the pervasive sense of dissatisfaction from unfulfilled dreams. Not to mention the guilt of squandered time and missed chances. She essentially wrote 3 stories in one with three different timelines. Each were equally enthralling and exquisitely crafted. Her writing is highly insightful, intelligent, witty, and clever. I loved her characters, even when the grown sisters continued to spat and bicker like the spoiled children they were and continued to be. I wanted more of each of the storylines – but then a good tale always makes me greedy.
“As usual, my voice is last. I could claim slow reflexes, but the truth is, putting what other people want before what I want, even unconsciously, has become habit. A therapist told me it was transference. That it’s easier for me to put other people first because there’s no risk involved. No chance of losing out on all those dreams I keep dreaming about. But his appointments coincided with my nephew’s Little League games, so I never learned how to reverse the cycle.”
“So he remembers the kiss. Does he also remember the gangly, dorky, unblossomed girl attached to those lips? No doubt I left him in a state of lustful frenzy tonight with the way I fought to pull open the door marked ‘Push.’”
“It’s so unfair to grow up and still be the same person. We spend years trying to remake ourselves. College, marriage, Roth IRAs, organic produce. Deep inside, we’re all just playing at being adults. Because we’ll never be better than the people we were at six, or worse than the ones we were at sixteen.”
“You can’t trust musicians, you know. They move from town to town, picking up a new girl at every stop. My great-aunt Goldie dated one… a jazz player. Found out he had six children in six different states. She only listened to classical after that.”
“I rub my lips against him so he can feel my smile. It’s one of those things that makes you want to cry for no good reason. A happy thing that makes you sad at the same time.”
“Tears slide down her cheeks, and she wipes them away. It feels wrong to see my mother cry. Parents are meant to be strong, the ones who make everything better. Who makes things better for them after their parents are gone?”
“Poor Stanley. Poor bald, sweaty, manic Stanley. Between Franny’s abrasiveness and Tabby’s low-cut blouse, he’s having a hell of an afternoon.”
My Review:
This book repeatedly squeezed my heart and stole the breath from my lungs. I also felt a strange sting in my eyes and a burn in my throat. Ms. Hemmer did an excellent job of capturing those all too familiar feelings of inadequacy and the wheel spinning of a stagnant life going nowhere, as well as the pervasive sense of dissatisfaction from unfulfilled dreams. Not to mention the guilt of squandered time and missed chances. She essentially wrote 3 stories in one with three different timelines. Each were equally enthralling and exquisitely crafted. Her writing is highly insightful, intelligent, witty, and clever. I loved her characters, even when the grown sisters continued to spat and bicker like the spoiled children they were and continued to be. I wanted more of each of the storylines – but then a good tale always makes me greedy.
October 5, 2018
Full review: http://swiftcoffee.blog/2018/07/14/wy...
I got this book as part of the Kindle for Samsung Book Deals, and I chose it because I thought this was gonna be a sweet little story, but in the end, I just couldn’t buy it.
I know very well that people can be stuck in life. Trust me, I felt like that before. When you just watch all the world spin around you, everything and everyone going on, and you are still the same, at the very same place. That happens. I don’t think it means that you stopped completely, though. You only slow down sometimes compared to others. The point is, I do get what kind of mental state the author wanted to deliver. What I have a huge disbelief about is if you could really be so much of the same person after ten years. However slow your life passes by, there’s no way you are exactly the way you were at 18 when you reach your 28th birthday..! That’s a whole decade, folks! Come on.
I also understand how someone could be in love with their high school crush for years after they saw them the last time (or think they are in love, anyway). What I find unbelievable is the fact that said high school crush is really the perfect boyfriend Wynn always imagined him to be, and he comes back, and he is her ‘happily ever after’. That just spoiled the whole story for me. If a new guy came into her life, someone who shows her the way to her dreams, a partner, someone who makes her realize how much of an “adventure” life itself is, I would honestly appreciate this story, because the basic plot is interesting. The way it went down in the book, though… it’s like something a dreamy twelve year-old would write.
I found the great-grandmother’s story way more fascinating than Wynn’s. Her journal was the best part of this book. Sadly, I found the closure of the novel incredibly easy. It seemed like the easiest way out of the story with a happy ending. Based on Wynn’s character and her problems I expected an arch of a beautiful character growth, and after finishing the book I feel like I was cheated at that. She hasn’t changed a bit, there was no real development. She simply miraculously got everything she ever dreamed of in the end.
That is not a fairy tale. That’s just a comforting lie.
I got this book as part of the Kindle for Samsung Book Deals, and I chose it because I thought this was gonna be a sweet little story, but in the end, I just couldn’t buy it.
I know very well that people can be stuck in life. Trust me, I felt like that before. When you just watch all the world spin around you, everything and everyone going on, and you are still the same, at the very same place. That happens. I don’t think it means that you stopped completely, though. You only slow down sometimes compared to others. The point is, I do get what kind of mental state the author wanted to deliver. What I have a huge disbelief about is if you could really be so much of the same person after ten years. However slow your life passes by, there’s no way you are exactly the way you were at 18 when you reach your 28th birthday..! That’s a whole decade, folks! Come on.
I also understand how someone could be in love with their high school crush for years after they saw them the last time (or think they are in love, anyway). What I find unbelievable is the fact that said high school crush is really the perfect boyfriend Wynn always imagined him to be, and he comes back, and he is her ‘happily ever after’. That just spoiled the whole story for me. If a new guy came into her life, someone who shows her the way to her dreams, a partner, someone who makes her realize how much of an “adventure” life itself is, I would honestly appreciate this story, because the basic plot is interesting. The way it went down in the book, though… it’s like something a dreamy twelve year-old would write.
I found the great-grandmother’s story way more fascinating than Wynn’s. Her journal was the best part of this book. Sadly, I found the closure of the novel incredibly easy. It seemed like the easiest way out of the story with a happy ending. Based on Wynn’s character and her problems I expected an arch of a beautiful character growth, and after finishing the book I feel like I was cheated at that. She hasn’t changed a bit, there was no real development. She simply miraculously got everything she ever dreamed of in the end.
That is not a fairy tale. That’s just a comforting lie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2015
This is the first book I have read by this author and it definitely won't be the last. Emily Hemmer has just scored herself a fan in me. I absolutely adored this incredible tale. It was kind of two stories in one, both Wynn's and Lola's, her great-grandmother. I love the concept, it was a unique experience.
It's a story of adventure and history, mystery and suspense, romance and dreams. There is so much to take away from a story like this: They whimsy of falling in love and following your heart. The fear of being too scared to take a leap. The depression of feeling trapped in the life you have chosen, or the one that chose you. The paths that cross for a reason. The whole idea that fate really plays a huge part in life. It was a reminder that someone who truly loves you, will see the real you, see through the façade...
"You're not running from anything. You're running towards something."
There is one theme that runs throughout the entire book. Choices. As mentioned in the blurb, "The choices we make now shape our future. It’s the fear of making the wrong ones that give us doubt. So the question is: how much are we willing to sacrifice to have the life we want?" This book has purpose. It's a beautifully written story that I highly recommend. One of the best books I've read this year!
It's a story of adventure and history, mystery and suspense, romance and dreams. There is so much to take away from a story like this: They whimsy of falling in love and following your heart. The fear of being too scared to take a leap. The depression of feeling trapped in the life you have chosen, or the one that chose you. The paths that cross for a reason. The whole idea that fate really plays a huge part in life. It was a reminder that someone who truly loves you, will see the real you, see through the façade...
"You're not running from anything. You're running towards something."
There is one theme that runs throughout the entire book. Choices. As mentioned in the blurb, "The choices we make now shape our future. It’s the fear of making the wrong ones that give us doubt. So the question is: how much are we willing to sacrifice to have the life we want?" This book has purpose. It's a beautifully written story that I highly recommend. One of the best books I've read this year!
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