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The Fable of Us
Her heart can’t be destroyed by the same person twice. At least that’s what Clara Abbot finds herself hoping when she runs into Boone Cavanaugh less than an hour after returning to Charleston.
As kids, Clara and Boone had been each other’s firsts, and no one or nothing could stand in the way of their forever. But all kids have to grow up sometime. The troubled son of the town drunk winding up with the firstborn daughter of the local royalty was a happy ending even the most imaginative of fairy tales couldn’t make believable.
Their fable came to an end as most do: tragically. Boone might have done the leaving, but it was Clara who got away and made a new life for herself in California. But after seven years of dodging her hometown, she’s only back in Charleston for seven days to celebrate her sister’s wedding. She won’t let her overbearing family or her run-in with Boone rattle her—though rattling her is obviously Boone’s primary objective.
Boone is her past and her past is behind her, a mere speck in the rearview. So why does she feel it coming back every time she looks at him? Why does she see it every time he looks back?
Just when Clara’s life can’t possibly get more complicated, the ground shifts, and she discovers just how far her family was willing to go to keep the wrong boy out of her life. Was it really Boone who left her? Or was it Clara who left him?
The truth will be hard to face. Especially when she discovers most of her life has been built on lies.
As kids, Clara and Boone had been each other’s firsts, and no one or nothing could stand in the way of their forever. But all kids have to grow up sometime. The troubled son of the town drunk winding up with the firstborn daughter of the local royalty was a happy ending even the most imaginative of fairy tales couldn’t make believable.
Their fable came to an end as most do: tragically. Boone might have done the leaving, but it was Clara who got away and made a new life for herself in California. But after seven years of dodging her hometown, she’s only back in Charleston for seven days to celebrate her sister’s wedding. She won’t let her overbearing family or her run-in with Boone rattle her—though rattling her is obviously Boone’s primary objective.
Boone is her past and her past is behind her, a mere speck in the rearview. So why does she feel it coming back every time she looks at him? Why does she see it every time he looks back?
Just when Clara’s life can’t possibly get more complicated, the ground shifts, and she discovers just how far her family was willing to go to keep the wrong boy out of her life. Was it really Boone who left her? Or was it Clara who left him?
The truth will be hard to face. Especially when she discovers most of her life has been built on lies.
350 pages, ebook
First published February 2, 2016
80 people are currently reading
4524 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Williams
52 books9,593 followersNicole is a NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author who got her humble start dictating books to her parents at the age of three and her big break nearly three decades later when she signed her first publishing deal. She grew up an avid reader and writer who majored in Economics because a Creative Writing degree was lofty and impractical, not to mention a pipe dream. Irony, you wily fiend.
When she isn’t embroiled in a book, she spends her time playing wife and mom to her two favorite people in the world, and referee to their three rescue pets/wildlings. Nicole lives in the Evergreen State on the quieter side, ideal for an admitted recluse who enjoys the diversity of outdoor endeavors the Great Northwest offers.
Nicole loves hearing from her readers. You can connect with her on:
Facebook: Author Nicole Williams
Instagram: author_nicole_williams
Twitter: nwilliamsbooks
When she isn’t embroiled in a book, she spends her time playing wife and mom to her two favorite people in the world, and referee to their three rescue pets/wildlings. Nicole lives in the Evergreen State on the quieter side, ideal for an admitted recluse who enjoys the diversity of outdoor endeavors the Great Northwest offers.
Nicole loves hearing from her readers. You can connect with her on:
Facebook: Author Nicole Williams
Instagram: author_nicole_williams
Twitter: nwilliamsbooks
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 362 reviews
February 4, 2016
::: FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED ::: 4.5 stars :::
I absolutely loved this book!! It captured my attention from the very first chapter and I couldn't stop reading until I reached the end. The story was full of heart and the beautiful writing captured the intense emotions of a second chance romance flawlessly. I highly recommend this as a top favorite!
The Fable Of Us is about a rich girl, Clara, who went against everything her family wanted and fell in love with Boone, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, when they were just teenagers. She followed her heart and that led her to him, but something (which you find out) tore them tragically apart and she left town. Until one day, seven years later, when she returns home for her sister’s wedding and ends up face-to-face with the one boy she'd never been able to forget. This is where the book begins.
In a desperate attempt to not be left alone with her conceited, judgmental family, she offers him ten thousand dollars to be her plus one for the week and the wedding. Despite all the pain and clouded history between them, he still can’t refuse the only girl he’s ever loved — even if she did break his heart.
And over the week, as they spend time together, they become close again and eventually uncover out the truth behind the horrible event that tore them apart… A secret that calls into question everything that happened. And something that gives them a second chance at love.
Ohhhhhh you guys!! I could feel the emotional turmoil these characters were going through. Even though the whole story is written from her perspective, I found that I connected strongly to both of them. Even from the first moment that they saw each other when she came back to down, all the intense emotions between hit me strong. Tension. Anger. Love. Pain. Longing. Desire. Forgiveness. I felt it all!
Second chance romances have always been one of my most favorite kinds of stories to read because I love the feeling you get of seeing these two people who you know in your heart are meant for each other, but not yet knowing the reason behind why they were torn apart. Then as you read, you uncover their past and the missing pieces come together to complete the picture and pave the foundation for their future. I just love it. And while I have many favorites, I can definitely say that this was one of the best I've read!
The writing is also incredibly strong! As I read, I highlighted quotes non-stop! Such as this one...
Boone was an incredible hero. Kind, protective, not afraid to stand up for his girl no matter who he was facing. Seriously I just wanted to hug him. And he has so many moments in the book that just made me want to cheer him on! I have no doubt that anyone who reads this book will fall in love with him too.
Clara was a really interesting heroine. I really liked her! I could feel her conflict over trying to and wanting to please her family, and yet needing to just stand on her own. Even though there were times that she did make more concessions than I probably wouldn't have (for example, I would have been less forgiving of them than her), I appreciated her desire to be independent and loved watching her and Boone support each other.
Her family was downright awful. The things they said and did to them were just plain ugly! But the way that Clara and Boone stood together in the face of all the hate just made me so proud of them!
Actually, one of the things I loved most about the book was the way Clara and Boone actually talked to each other. Sure, there'd been misunderstandings in their past, but in the present day, it was crystal clear that they'd both matured over their years apart. I really appreciated seeing that clear contrast -- it's really nice to see that kind of character growth. I loved that they were quite communicative and openly discussed their feelings and issues. You could just tell that they were meant to be with each other. It just felt right.
I read this book practically in one sitting. I wasn't even intending to read the book at that particular time. I knew I wanted to read it at some point though so I just wanted to take a peek at the first chapter to see how I felt about it. Well, that chapter hooked me and before I knew it, I was half way through (and of course totally in love with it). By that time, I tried to put the book down for the night but then I just lay awake thinking about it so I had to get back up and keep on reading. I finished at 4AM with my heart filled with happiness. Don't you just love it when a book captures your heart like that?? It's the best feeling!
Here's another example of how much I loved the book. I don't buy paperback books until I know I've loved the story. That makes it so that everything I read is in eBook form, and then all the paperbacks on my shelves are all favorites. Literally making my bookshelves into "favorites shelves". Well... I went and purchase the paperback of this book when I hit 50%. That almost never happens, but I already knew. There was no doubt this was going to be a favorite.
This book was absolutely wonderful. The writing was strong, the story was additive, the emotions were intense, and I fell in love with this couple. If you're looking for a new book to be swept away in, try this!
Rating: 4.5 - 5 stars.
Standalone New Adult Romance.
__________________________
For more of my reviews, book news and updates:
✦ Main blog: Aestas Book Blog
✦ Facebook Blog Page
✦ Twitter
✦ Subscribe by email
“It doesn’t seem to matter how far away I go or how many years go by. I’m starting to accept that there will always be some part of me that is going to hold on to some part of you.”
I absolutely loved this book!! It captured my attention from the very first chapter and I couldn't stop reading until I reached the end. The story was full of heart and the beautiful writing captured the intense emotions of a second chance romance flawlessly. I highly recommend this as a top favorite!
The Fable Of Us is about a rich girl, Clara, who went against everything her family wanted and fell in love with Boone, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, when they were just teenagers. She followed her heart and that led her to him, but something (which you find out) tore them tragically apart and she left town. Until one day, seven years later, when she returns home for her sister’s wedding and ends up face-to-face with the one boy she'd never been able to forget. This is where the book begins.
In a desperate attempt to not be left alone with her conceited, judgmental family, she offers him ten thousand dollars to be her plus one for the week and the wedding. Despite all the pain and clouded history between them, he still can’t refuse the only girl he’s ever loved — even if she did break his heart.
“Are you asking me to show up at your family’s place… [to] pose as your date for the wedding?”
I shook my head. Hard. “As my plus one. That’s all.”
He didn’t miss it either. Something that resembled the stirrings of a smirk worked it’s way into his expression. “As your boyfriend.”
He wasn’t going to make this easy… “As my plus one.”
His smirk became as pronounced as it got. His head tipped just a bit, his eyes flashing, and his mouth turned up in a hint of a smile. “As your lover?”
My fingers curled into my palms. “As. My. Plus. One.”
And over the week, as they spend time together, they become close again and eventually uncover out the truth behind the horrible event that tore them apart… A secret that calls into question everything that happened. And something that gives them a second chance at love.
He smelled like my childhood. Like the best years of my life…
I wanted to bury my face in his shirt and breathe him in until I’d had my fill, but if this next week was ever going to work, I couldn’t let past feelings and history bleeding the picture.
I couldn’t wreck him again — and I couldn’t let him wreck me.
Ohhhhhh you guys!! I could feel the emotional turmoil these characters were going through. Even though the whole story is written from her perspective, I found that I connected strongly to both of them. Even from the first moment that they saw each other when she came back to down, all the intense emotions between hit me strong. Tension. Anger. Love. Pain. Longing. Desire. Forgiveness. I felt it all!
Where had we gone wrong? Where had all of that love gone? I knew about the mistakes we’d made, sure, but how had we let them tear us apart? Why had we let them break us? Fast forward seven years to us living separate lives on opposite sides of the country, and I still felt like every part of me was being pulled in his direction.
Second chance romances have always been one of my most favorite kinds of stories to read because I love the feeling you get of seeing these two people who you know in your heart are meant for each other, but not yet knowing the reason behind why they were torn apart. Then as you read, you uncover their past and the missing pieces come together to complete the picture and pave the foundation for their future. I just love it. And while I have many favorites, I can definitely say that this was one of the best I've read!
The writing is also incredibly strong! As I read, I highlighted quotes non-stop! Such as this one...
“Because I love her. I don’t just stop loving someone because they made a mistake… When you love someone, do it right and love them forever. Don’t leave them wondering the whole time when it’s going to run out or expire.”
Boone was an incredible hero. Kind, protective, not afraid to stand up for his girl no matter who he was facing. Seriously I just wanted to hug him. And he has so many moments in the book that just made me want to cheer him on! I have no doubt that anyone who reads this book will fall in love with him too.
Clara was a really interesting heroine. I really liked her! I could feel her conflict over trying to and wanting to please her family, and yet needing to just stand on her own. Even though there were times that she did make more concessions than I probably wouldn't have (for example, I would have been less forgiving of them than her), I appreciated her desire to be independent and loved watching her and Boone support each other.
Her family was downright awful. The things they said and did to them were just plain ugly! But the way that Clara and Boone stood together in the face of all the hate just made me so proud of them!
Actually, one of the things I loved most about the book was the way Clara and Boone actually talked to each other. Sure, there'd been misunderstandings in their past, but in the present day, it was crystal clear that they'd both matured over their years apart. I really appreciated seeing that clear contrast -- it's really nice to see that kind of character growth. I loved that they were quite communicative and openly discussed their feelings and issues. You could just tell that they were meant to be with each other. It just felt right.
“I’ve only ever had one someone special, and she turned me off to the whole idea of ever having another one.”
I read this book practically in one sitting. I wasn't even intending to read the book at that particular time. I knew I wanted to read it at some point though so I just wanted to take a peek at the first chapter to see how I felt about it. Well, that chapter hooked me and before I knew it, I was half way through (and of course totally in love with it). By that time, I tried to put the book down for the night but then I just lay awake thinking about it so I had to get back up and keep on reading. I finished at 4AM with my heart filled with happiness. Don't you just love it when a book captures your heart like that?? It's the best feeling!
Here's another example of how much I loved the book. I don't buy paperback books until I know I've loved the story. That makes it so that everything I read is in eBook form, and then all the paperbacks on my shelves are all favorites. Literally making my bookshelves into "favorites shelves". Well... I went and purchase the paperback of this book when I hit 50%. That almost never happens, but I already knew. There was no doubt this was going to be a favorite.
This book was absolutely wonderful. The writing was strong, the story was additive, the emotions were intense, and I fell in love with this couple. If you're looking for a new book to be swept away in, try this!
Rating: 4.5 - 5 stars.
Standalone New Adult Romance.
__________________________
For more of my reviews, book news and updates:
✦ Main blog: Aestas Book Blog
✦ Facebook Blog Page
✦ Subscribe by email
February 1, 2016
3.75 STARS
Nicole Williams delivers a second chance romance that at times I found over the top in wedding shenanigans but underneath the outrageous rich verse poor mentality is a wonderful couple and hero. Claire Abbot returns home for her sister’s wedding to her once boyfriend. On a pit stop before reaching the estate, she runs into her former love, not her sister’s fiancé, Ford but her best friend/epic love lost Boone Cavanaugh.
There's hate, sparks and a lot of confusion for the reader as to who wronged who in the past. Claire makes a proposition to Boone one in which he takes her up on.
”All I need from you is for you to pose as my plus one for the week. Nothing more. One week, ten grand. What do you think?”
Claire and Boone attend all the wedding week festivities and at times I found some of the nonsense took away from their story. However, at around sixty percent, Boone takes Claire to his former business, his home and the reader is given insight to the soul of this character. Boone made this story with his depth, pain, lot in life and love for the heroine.
“I’ve only ever had one someone special, Clara, and she turned me off to the whole idea of ever having another.”
Claire's character was on the weak side to me and her black sheep of the family mentality was justified as this group was over the top superficial and cruel at times.
”After convincing myself for all of these years that my family was the enemy, I was starting to wonder if I was just as much their enemy. Was I selfish? Was I self-absorbed?”
Claire and Boone slowly realize that the other is mad about events that they were the only wronged party all those years ago and that blame that they placed on one another was misplaced.
”Our connection had always run deep. Beyond attraction. Beyond friendship. It landed somewhere in the realm of the soul’s bearing.”
My favorite character hands down in this story is Boone. As the story progresses and the author peels a layer at a time away I just felt awful for him and all that he has accomplished only to lose yet again in life. Overall, for a love story this was well done. I just wished the drama/evil rich family and wedding events were toned down a notch or two. However, Boone Cavanaugh was the something so very special found in this book.
”It doesn’t matter how far away I go or how many year go by. I’m starting to accept that there will always be some part of me that is going to hold on to some part of you.”
**ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review**
Nicole Williams delivers a second chance romance that at times I found over the top in wedding shenanigans but underneath the outrageous rich verse poor mentality is a wonderful couple and hero. Claire Abbot returns home for her sister’s wedding to her once boyfriend. On a pit stop before reaching the estate, she runs into her former love, not her sister’s fiancé, Ford but her best friend/epic love lost Boone Cavanaugh.
There's hate, sparks and a lot of confusion for the reader as to who wronged who in the past. Claire makes a proposition to Boone one in which he takes her up on.
”All I need from you is for you to pose as my plus one for the week. Nothing more. One week, ten grand. What do you think?”
Claire and Boone attend all the wedding week festivities and at times I found some of the nonsense took away from their story. However, at around sixty percent, Boone takes Claire to his former business, his home and the reader is given insight to the soul of this character. Boone made this story with his depth, pain, lot in life and love for the heroine.
“I’ve only ever had one someone special, Clara, and she turned me off to the whole idea of ever having another.”
Claire's character was on the weak side to me and her black sheep of the family mentality was justified as this group was over the top superficial and cruel at times.
”After convincing myself for all of these years that my family was the enemy, I was starting to wonder if I was just as much their enemy. Was I selfish? Was I self-absorbed?”
Claire and Boone slowly realize that the other is mad about events that they were the only wronged party all those years ago and that blame that they placed on one another was misplaced.
”Our connection had always run deep. Beyond attraction. Beyond friendship. It landed somewhere in the realm of the soul’s bearing.”
My favorite character hands down in this story is Boone. As the story progresses and the author peels a layer at a time away I just felt awful for him and all that he has accomplished only to lose yet again in life. Overall, for a love story this was well done. I just wished the drama/evil rich family and wedding events were toned down a notch or two. However, Boone Cavanaugh was the something so very special found in this book.
”It doesn’t matter how far away I go or how many year go by. I’m starting to accept that there will always be some part of me that is going to hold on to some part of you.”
**ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review**
January 28, 2016
FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED:
There’s something very special about an author whose every new book makes you feel like a kid on Christmas morning, and Nicole Williams is one of those authors for me. Never one for depicting human nature or matters of the heart in broad strokes, Ms Williams’ stories tend to focus on the small things in life, the everyday and the often unnoticed, weaving them into breathtaking, hopeful, tender romances that never fail to inspire. And with each new book, she leaves us brimming with positivity and faith in mankind, showing us that often the simplest of stories contain the most profound truths. The mere premise of a second chance romance between two teenage sweethearts from opposite sides of the tracks had all the makings of a compelling read in my eyes, but in Nicole Williams’ hands, it was guaranteed to become an epic one.
As the eldest daughter of an affluent Southern family, Clara Abbott was always expected to follow a set script in life. But ever since she was a child, Clara has felt at odds with her highbrow family, rebelling against everything they stood for and everything that was required of her as an Abbott. Seven years after leaving her old life behind and making a new one far enough from the reaches of her overbearing family, Clara is called back to her hometown for the wedding of her younger sister. But with every breath she takes in a city she hoped to never see again, she finds herself drowning in memories she’s desperately tried to erase. And all of a sudden, facing the very object of them all.
Clara might have put a whole country between herself and her memories of Boone Cavanaugh, but one look at the only man she’s ever loved stirs in her all she’s worked hard to forget. Yet when faced with the prospect of facing her family on her own, she puts her heartbreak aside and makes him an offer he is unable to refuse—to pose as her ‘plus one’ for one week.
But Boone is no longer the vulnerable young man Clara left behind, and even at one of the lowest points in his life, he refuses to be her dirty little secret again. He does not hesitate to accept Clara’s offer, but from the moment they walk through the doors of her childhood home, Boone is set on playing the role his seventeen-year-old self never had the courage to own. And rubbing it in her family’s faces any chance he gets. Bringing home a ghost from her past, however, one they had never accepted or welcomed into the family fold, sets off a series of small chain reactions intended to collectively derail Clara from making the same mistakes again.
As the wedding nears and Clara’s family obstinately plots to pull them apart by drawing attention to their very obvious class differences, Clara and Boone remain determined to present a united front against their schemes, this reminding them of another time they depended on each other for strength, and of all the reasons why they once loved one another dearly. But each good memory brings a bad one to the surface too, and soon they are forced to confront a past they both hoped to forget, as well as acknowledge their own roles in the demise of it all.
With a truly thought-provoking perspective on second chances in life, Ms Williams gifts us with a touching tale of a love that survived against all odds and of a family whose actions often hurt the ones they loved the most, whose good intentions often turned into mistakes, but whose ties to one another never wavered. Clara and Boone might have been star-crossed lovers in their youth, but life has taught them never to give up on those who matter the most or throw away a chance to correct the past. And the power of their connection never fails to make our hearts beat a little faster.
I loved every single word of this splendid tale, genuinely connecting and understanding these characters even when their actions would not have been my own, and letting go of them in the end was sweet agony. Nicole Williams’ stories always offer a refreshing change of pace, their slow-building tempo and the empathetic quality to her character development continuing to be the key feature of this author’s extraordinary voice. I always walk away from her stories with a heavy heart, because once you’ve lived in one of her realities, you always want more.
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Buy book: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Paperback
“What had we been thinking as kids pretending we could chase forever? Stupid. That’s what we’d been.”
There’s something very special about an author whose every new book makes you feel like a kid on Christmas morning, and Nicole Williams is one of those authors for me. Never one for depicting human nature or matters of the heart in broad strokes, Ms Williams’ stories tend to focus on the small things in life, the everyday and the often unnoticed, weaving them into breathtaking, hopeful, tender romances that never fail to inspire. And with each new book, she leaves us brimming with positivity and faith in mankind, showing us that often the simplest of stories contain the most profound truths. The mere premise of a second chance romance between two teenage sweethearts from opposite sides of the tracks had all the makings of a compelling read in my eyes, but in Nicole Williams’ hands, it was guaranteed to become an epic one.
“It was only a week. Seven days. I’d endured eighteen years; what was one week?”
As the eldest daughter of an affluent Southern family, Clara Abbott was always expected to follow a set script in life. But ever since she was a child, Clara has felt at odds with her highbrow family, rebelling against everything they stood for and everything that was required of her as an Abbott. Seven years after leaving her old life behind and making a new one far enough from the reaches of her overbearing family, Clara is called back to her hometown for the wedding of her younger sister. But with every breath she takes in a city she hoped to never see again, she finds herself drowning in memories she’s desperately tried to erase. And all of a sudden, facing the very object of them all.
“This woman’s taken enough from me for this lifetime and my next ten. I’m not giving her anything else…”
Clara might have put a whole country between herself and her memories of Boone Cavanaugh, but one look at the only man she’s ever loved stirs in her all she’s worked hard to forget. Yet when faced with the prospect of facing her family on her own, she puts her heartbreak aside and makes him an offer he is unable to refuse—to pose as her ‘plus one’ for one week.
“All I need from you is for you to pose as my plus one for the week. Nothing more. One week, ten grand.”
But Boone is no longer the vulnerable young man Clara left behind, and even at one of the lowest points in his life, he refuses to be her dirty little secret again. He does not hesitate to accept Clara’s offer, but from the moment they walk through the doors of her childhood home, Boone is set on playing the role his seventeen-year-old self never had the courage to own. And rubbing it in her family’s faces any chance he gets. Bringing home a ghost from her past, however, one they had never accepted or welcomed into the family fold, sets off a series of small chain reactions intended to collectively derail Clara from making the same mistakes again.
“It will be okay, Clara. They can’t ruin your life twice.”
“That won’t stop them from trying.”
“Well, I won’t let them ruin my life twice.”
“It won’t stop them from trying.”
As the wedding nears and Clara’s family obstinately plots to pull them apart by drawing attention to their very obvious class differences, Clara and Boone remain determined to present a united front against their schemes, this reminding them of another time they depended on each other for strength, and of all the reasons why they once loved one another dearly. But each good memory brings a bad one to the surface too, and soon they are forced to confront a past they both hoped to forget, as well as acknowledge their own roles in the demise of it all.
“I don’t just stop loving someone because they make a mistake, or the same mistake every other night. When you love someone, do it right and love them forever. Don’t leave them wondering the whole time when it’s going to run out or expire.”
With a truly thought-provoking perspective on second chances in life, Ms Williams gifts us with a touching tale of a love that survived against all odds and of a family whose actions often hurt the ones they loved the most, whose good intentions often turned into mistakes, but whose ties to one another never wavered. Clara and Boone might have been star-crossed lovers in their youth, but life has taught them never to give up on those who matter the most or throw away a chance to correct the past. And the power of their connection never fails to make our hearts beat a little faster.
“I’ve only ever had one someone special, Clara, and she turned me off to the whole idea of ever having another.”
I loved every single word of this splendid tale, genuinely connecting and understanding these characters even when their actions would not have been my own, and letting go of them in the end was sweet agony. Nicole Williams’ stories always offer a refreshing change of pace, their slow-building tempo and the empathetic quality to her character development continuing to be the key feature of this author’s extraordinary voice. I always walk away from her stories with a heavy heart, because once you’ve lived in one of her realities, you always want more.
“It doesn’t seem to matter how far away I go or how many years go by. I’m starting to accept that there will always be some part of me that is going to hold on to some part of you.”
See this review on my blog! | Follow me on Facebook! | Follow me on Twitter!
Buy book: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Paperback
February 10, 2016
***THREE STARS***
I just finished this story and I'm still irritated beyond belief. This story left me feeling conflicted, pissed off and very unsatisfied.
I actually love second chance romance stories. This story started out pretty strong. I loved Clara's stress at returning to her family's home for her sister Charlotte's wedding. This same sister, who after getting caught screwing Clara's boyfriend Ford behind her back, was now marrying him.
Clara is stressed and sick at the whole ordeal of once again facing her evil family, and she struggles not to flee back to her home, instead of finishing her journey back to her family's home. She stops at a bar to get some liquid courage,
and runs into her old beau Boone, who lets her know in no uncertain terms that he hates her guts. The headbutting angstiness was perfection at this point, and I was sucked right in. Even the ridiculous idea of Clara paying off Boone to escort her to this shindig, as Clara's “plus one”. From there, the story just went on down hill. I stuck with it, hoping that it would turn around, but it never did. Clara's family and Ford's scathing treatment of Boone was over the top, and I hated and despised them all. Even Clara's little sister Avalee, who was the only one who didn't treat Boone and Clara with disgusting behavior, but she didn't stand up for them at all either.
This story would have been much shorter if I had written it, because Clara would have never subjected herself to her family's obnoxious and hateful behavior, because she would have never returned to her evil family at all. Instead, she'd just have enjoyed her life in the city she had moved to, and never given any of these assholes another thought. But that's my story, this story was completely opposite of that. Boone and Clara are repeatedly insulted, treated like shit, demeaned and put through humiliating treatment again and again at the hands of Clara's family and Dickhead Ford. Clara's family finds it hilarious that Charlotte makes Clara's bridesmaid dress for the wedding ridiculously ugly and ungodly, three sizes too small, and completely different from all the other bridesmaid's dresses.
Clara looks like a buffoon and every one of their elite friends snicker, point and laugh at her. Hilarious. Not!!!! At this point in the story, Clara should have refused to wear this mess, and instead she should have dumped it into a garbage bin, hopped into a car and headed back to her real home. But that doesn't happen. She wears it, and endures all the snickers and laughing from everyone who sees her in it.
Clara's little sister Charlotte was the most spoiled rotten, immature, hateful, little witch in this story, and it was unbelievable to me that Clara would come back and subject herself to Charlotte's horrific treatment the way she did for so long, or that Clara's family never put a stop to Charlotte's immature, hateful behavior.
And Ford was a total asswipe, treating Boone like shit and tearing him down verbally and emotionally every chance he got. And what he did to Boone with Boone's sister was beyond forgivable. The punch in the face that Ford finally did get did nothing to soothe my hate for him. He deserved more, way more. Maybe several throat punches and a castration.
Then Clara and Boone come to the part of the story where these two discover the real truth of how their relationship had been severed completely by lies and deceptions concocted by both Clara's father and Ford. Still NOTHING happens. They both unrealistically, just magically get over it, without being severely pissed off and perhaps finally cutting out this despicable family from their lives for good.
Even at this point in the story, I could have still been happy, had any of these hateful elitist pricks gotten at least a little of what they deserved. Yeah, I'm vengeful, but they truly had it coming.
But NOTHING happens to them at all. Boone and Clara get back together, and the family finally inexplicably accepts him into their fold. Clara and the evil little sister make up and all is forgiven. No, this wasn't a good ending for me. This wasn't even a good story for me. The only thing I did like about the story was Boone. Boone was sweet and such a good person, and he endured so much, and still turned out to be this amazing man. But he was pretty much tortured through the entire story, ruining what little good this story did offer. I didn't completely hate this story, but I truly didn't fall in love with it either.
January 28, 2016
Wow! Beautiful, magical, emotional ...three words that come to mind when I think of this second chance romance. Nicole Williams has done it again...she has made my heart happy. Full review to come!
February 5, 2016
I'm really disappointed in this book. There were a few reviewers that I follow that raved about this. This book was in need of some serious flashbacks and character development. I kept waiting to read about their steamy forbidden romance as teenagers, but there was nothing. Zero. Zilch. Do me a favor and read Judith McNaught's book Paradise. That book is the pinnacle of gut wrenching romance. Many of the same topics are shared, but that book will leave you staying up all night to finish. This book was forgettable. Absolutely no sex scenes. Don't fall for it.
February 2, 2016
5 stars*****
What an amazing book!
This was a totally random find and first Nicole Williams book I've read, and boy, I am not sorry!
Woman is a genius!
I will certainly read more of her works.
This was emotional, heartbreaking, funny... and simply beautiful.
I think it would make an amazing movie.
I can't think of one single thing I didn't like about this book.
From characters to writing, everything was perfect.
Clara Abbot and Boone Cavanaugh are a couple who will stay with me for a long time.
If you love second chance romance this is a book for you!
I highly recommend this one!
Genre: Romance
Cover: 7/10
Writing: 10/10
Heroine: 9/10
Hero: 9/10
Humour: 7/10
Hotness: 7/10
Romance: 8/10
Extra book Details: Second chance romance
What an amazing book!
This was a totally random find and first Nicole Williams book I've read, and boy, I am not sorry!
Woman is a genius!
I will certainly read more of her works.
This was emotional, heartbreaking, funny... and simply beautiful.
I think it would make an amazing movie.
I can't think of one single thing I didn't like about this book.
From characters to writing, everything was perfect.
Clara Abbot and Boone Cavanaugh are a couple who will stay with me for a long time.
If you love second chance romance this is a book for you!
I highly recommend this one!
Genre: Romance
Cover: 7/10
Writing: 10/10
Heroine: 9/10
Hero: 9/10
Humour: 7/10
Hotness: 7/10
Romance: 8/10
Extra book Details: Second chance romance
November 14, 2020
Nicole Wiliams es de esas autoras que no importan cuando tiempo pase, me sigue entreteniendo con sus novelas, en esta ocasion, The Fable Of Us me sorprendio para bien. Debido a las reseñas regulares que lei, no esperaba que la lectura fuera a ser demasiado memorable, sin embargo, no me parecio mala, es mas, me gusto.
Aun con eso, soy consciente de que no es un romance perfecto o demasiado transcendental, Boone y Clara forman una pareja bonita y tierna, aunque me hubiera gustado que la escritora profundizara mas en ciertos aspectos, de ser asi, tal vez la historia hubiese ganado atractivo.
La pluma de Nicole sigue igual de amena y fluido a como la recordaba, los personajes pese a no ser los mejor dibujados, son coherentes y me causaron simpatia, ademas la escena bonus / epilogo fue muy muy hermosa.
El pero mas grande que le encontre a The Fable Of Us es que no me agrado completamente la manera en la que termino la trama Clara - su familia, en mi opinion, con esa " familia " no hace falta tener enemigos, la unica que se salva es su hermana menor, por el resto, mejor no tenerlos cerca.
En resumen, un libro sencillo y grato que es ideal para cualquier instante, no es de los que te hara suspirar o se quedara en tu memoria durante mucho tiempo, no obstante, te hara pasar unas horas entretenidas y te deja con buenas sensaciones al terminarlo.
3.25 Estrellas!
September 26, 2017
4.5 stars
The Fable of Us demonstrates the very best of what Nicole Williams does with skillful ease. She creates characters you lose yourself in, a story with longing and hope and that feeling of satisfaction at its culmination.
I love a good stand alone, couple that with a story of second chances and it's the perfect 'curl up at the weekend' recipe. The characters of Boone and Clara are a feisty pair, especially Clara. These two have depth and I enjoyed getting under their skin and finding out what made them tick. Clara never looked back when she left for college and never considered returning when she built her life afterwards.
"Why was my body's reaction to coming home the same as if I were being chased by a pack of wolves in waist-deep snow?"
I get Clara's desertion of the Abbott family. Some of them were vile, others like snakes in the grass, with the odd good egg mixed in. More so, she left behind Boone. Their tale is slowly revealed and it was utterly compelling. Once upon a time they were each other's everything, now they circled one another with a wary stance. These two together were a car crash of emotions, good, bad and wonderful sexual tension. Nicole Williams certainly knows how to write a fever of tension in a mere touch. I found myself completely wrapped up in them.
"How could I still feel the things I did for the man beside me after everything? How could my skin touching his make me feel like I'd come home?"
Ultimately this book made me feel. I felt like I was in the background shouting, cheering, oohing, ahhing and tense through the angst. It reminds me of why Nicole Williams is an automatic one click for me and why I re-read some of her books. I would highly recommend this as a great second chances read.
A copy of this book was provided by the author in return for an honest review.
Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.
The Fable of Us demonstrates the very best of what Nicole Williams does with skillful ease. She creates characters you lose yourself in, a story with longing and hope and that feeling of satisfaction at its culmination.
I love a good stand alone, couple that with a story of second chances and it's the perfect 'curl up at the weekend' recipe. The characters of Boone and Clara are a feisty pair, especially Clara. These two have depth and I enjoyed getting under their skin and finding out what made them tick. Clara never looked back when she left for college and never considered returning when she built her life afterwards.
"Why was my body's reaction to coming home the same as if I were being chased by a pack of wolves in waist-deep snow?"
I get Clara's desertion of the Abbott family. Some of them were vile, others like snakes in the grass, with the odd good egg mixed in. More so, she left behind Boone. Their tale is slowly revealed and it was utterly compelling. Once upon a time they were each other's everything, now they circled one another with a wary stance. These two together were a car crash of emotions, good, bad and wonderful sexual tension. Nicole Williams certainly knows how to write a fever of tension in a mere touch. I found myself completely wrapped up in them.
"How could I still feel the things I did for the man beside me after everything? How could my skin touching his make me feel like I'd come home?"
Ultimately this book made me feel. I felt like I was in the background shouting, cheering, oohing, ahhing and tense through the angst. It reminds me of why Nicole Williams is an automatic one click for me and why I re-read some of her books. I would highly recommend this as a great second chances read.
A copy of this book was provided by the author in return for an honest review.
Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.
March 12, 2016
3.5/5 stars
The Fable of Us is a contemporary romance (for me somewhere between New Adult and Adult).
The narrator is Clara/Clara Belle Abbott. She is 25 and originally from Charleston. Her family is mega-rich and extremely snobby. So she moved away and now lives in Santa Barbara.
She has come back for her sister's wedding to Ford McBride. She has not been back to Charleston for years. And she is anxious and sick about the idea of having to see her family again.
Shortly after returning to town she runs into Boone Cavanaugh, someone who was very important to her seven years before. She asks him to do her a favor. And the result is an intriguing premise.
Clara's family is so rich that they are spending 1 million dollars on her sister Charlotte's wedding. Her family is not very nice. Charlotte is spiteful and nasty. Clara's dad is controlling. And Charlotte's groom is the most ugly-hearted character I have read in a long time. He and Charlotte do seem to truly deserve each other.
We find out that something happened to Clara when she was a teenager. This part of the story is a bit mysterious as we don't find out most of this stuff for quite a while.
The story was okay, although it didn't wow me. It was mostly predictable. However, it did hold my interest.
There was something that I found very odd for a contemporary romance (especially one that so many have labelled as a New Adult contemporary romance).
Overall, this story was enjoyable. It wasn't overly emotional. But it was still a good story. However, I really would have liked for one person to get what they deserved
Here is a bonus epilogue:
http://natashaisabookjunkie.com/2016/...
The Fable of Us is a contemporary romance (for me somewhere between New Adult and Adult).
The narrator is Clara/Clara Belle Abbott. She is 25 and originally from Charleston. Her family is mega-rich and extremely snobby. So she moved away and now lives in Santa Barbara.
She has come back for her sister's wedding to Ford McBride. She has not been back to Charleston for years. And she is anxious and sick about the idea of having to see her family again.
Shortly after returning to town she runs into Boone Cavanaugh, someone who was very important to her seven years before. She asks him to do her a favor. And the result is an intriguing premise.
Clara's family is so rich that they are spending 1 million dollars on her sister Charlotte's wedding. Her family is not very nice. Charlotte is spiteful and nasty. Clara's dad is controlling. And Charlotte's groom is the most ugly-hearted character I have read in a long time. He and Charlotte do seem to truly deserve each other.
We find out that something happened to Clara when she was a teenager. This part of the story is a bit mysterious as we don't find out most of this stuff for quite a while.
The story was okay, although it didn't wow me. It was mostly predictable. However, it did hold my interest.
There was something that I found very odd for a contemporary romance (especially one that so many have labelled as a New Adult contemporary romance).
Overall, this story was enjoyable. It wasn't overly emotional. But it was still a good story. However, I really would have liked for one person to get what they deserved
Here is a bonus epilogue:
http://natashaisabookjunkie.com/2016/...
January 2, 2018
Mixed feelings about this book.
I really liked Boones character though, I really enjoyed his moments in this book. I liked his and Clara's relationship but the only thing I didn't really like was Clara's family, they were a bit over the top and the whole bit with the wedding dress really really annoyed me and it was a bit mean.
But other than that this was an okay read for me!
Four stars.
I really liked Boones character though, I really enjoyed his moments in this book. I liked his and Clara's relationship but the only thing I didn't really like was Clara's family, they were a bit over the top and the whole bit with the wedding dress really really annoyed me and it was a bit mean.
But other than that this was an okay read for me!
Four stars.
February 2, 2016
4.5 STARS
When I first learned Nicole Williams was writing a new book I was intrigued, but after learning it was second chance romance set in my favorite U.S. city, it quickly escalated to, “Must have this book now or I could die type of excitement!” I definitely went into this book with above average expectations. Even so, I was not prepared for how much Clara and Boone’s story captured my attention and complete adoration.
“It doesn’t seem to matter how far away I go or how many years go by. I’m starting to accept that there will always be some part of me that is going to hold on to some part of you.”
I often have a love/hate relationship with second chance romance. While I enjoy the trope, I tend to prefer the storylines that focus on present day events rather than the past. There’s nothing more heartbreaking than already knowing a love story has a sad ending and a couple will be torn apart. Thankfully, this story is in the present tense, and the past events are learned slowly throughout the book. It is more of a going forward with life but glancing back at past events. There is never an overwhelming feeling of sadness or that Clara and Boone couldn’t reconcile the events that ultimately tore them apart. It’s more bittersweet with a hope for what can happen now more than a retreading of lost love.
“It’ll always bear the scars, but at least it’s whole again.”
This story is definitely a slower burn. I often wondered if these two were ever going to find forgiveness and move forward even if only as friends. Despite so many intense moments, Boone and Clara have intense chemistry and seamless banter all rolled into one unique relationship. The humor is perfectly balanced with the angst. I would bite my nails one moment only to be giggling the next. Clara’s family is quite interesting, and I found her to be far more forgiving than most people would have been under the circumstances. The way Boone stands up for Clara with her family only solidified my intense love for this couple. It felt as if they could conquer the world together.
“Sometimes the people we’re supposed to love are the hardest ones to.”
If you are looking for a story that will consume your heart and soul, I cannot recommend this book enough. There is a complete ending, but I would be elated if there is more of Boone and Clara in the future.
When I first learned Nicole Williams was writing a new book I was intrigued, but after learning it was second chance romance set in my favorite U.S. city, it quickly escalated to, “Must have this book now or I could die type of excitement!” I definitely went into this book with above average expectations. Even so, I was not prepared for how much Clara and Boone’s story captured my attention and complete adoration.
“It doesn’t seem to matter how far away I go or how many years go by. I’m starting to accept that there will always be some part of me that is going to hold on to some part of you.”
I often have a love/hate relationship with second chance romance. While I enjoy the trope, I tend to prefer the storylines that focus on present day events rather than the past. There’s nothing more heartbreaking than already knowing a love story has a sad ending and a couple will be torn apart. Thankfully, this story is in the present tense, and the past events are learned slowly throughout the book. It is more of a going forward with life but glancing back at past events. There is never an overwhelming feeling of sadness or that Clara and Boone couldn’t reconcile the events that ultimately tore them apart. It’s more bittersweet with a hope for what can happen now more than a retreading of lost love.
“It’ll always bear the scars, but at least it’s whole again.”
This story is definitely a slower burn. I often wondered if these two were ever going to find forgiveness and move forward even if only as friends. Despite so many intense moments, Boone and Clara have intense chemistry and seamless banter all rolled into one unique relationship. The humor is perfectly balanced with the angst. I would bite my nails one moment only to be giggling the next. Clara’s family is quite interesting, and I found her to be far more forgiving than most people would have been under the circumstances. The way Boone stands up for Clara with her family only solidified my intense love for this couple. It felt as if they could conquer the world together.
“Sometimes the people we’re supposed to love are the hardest ones to.”
If you are looking for a story that will consume your heart and soul, I cannot recommend this book enough. There is a complete ending, but I would be elated if there is more of Boone and Clara in the future.
June 26, 2018
If you're looking for a book about a dysfunctional family, search no more. You've found it.
The Abbots are one of the most dysfunctional families I've ever read. Charlotte was just insane, and the fact that their mother actually let her get away with it?
Thankfully, Charlotte was not the main character. Clara was. I do wish she'd make more of a fuss over what's done to her. I don't think I'd even have gone to that wedding, to be honest. Also, the secrets that come out? Oooh, those are dark and twisted. Her relationship with Boone was so angsty and kind of dark, but, then again, their past was pretty heavy.
The Abbots are one of the most dysfunctional families I've ever read. Charlotte was just insane, and the fact that their mother actually let her get away with it?
Thankfully, Charlotte was not the main character. Clara was. I do wish she'd make more of a fuss over what's done to her. I don't think I'd even have gone to that wedding, to be honest. Also, the secrets that come out? Oooh, those are dark and twisted. Her relationship with Boone was so angsty and kind of dark, but, then again, their past was pretty heavy.
February 6, 2016
So disappointing, stressful but boring.
I have so much to say about this one. Premise was fabulous and beginning piqued my interest. Then it all went south....this book was so stressful and boring. Ford and the Abbott family were such bullies and outright cruel. The relationship between Clara and Boone was dull, no spark or chemistry. Maybe they had it 7 years ago but the reader does not even get a picture of that. I'm over the alpha male storyline but give me some emotion, some passion, some connection tion. I was waiting for a flirtatious moment, sexual tension especially since they were sharing a bedroom, any emotional charge. The bickering and code talk was the only hint of emotion but again was tedious and negative, no picture of simmering feelings. There was one scene on a back road that seemed it was going to finally show a real connection but in the end, the author chose again to turn the scene into another act of heinous behavior from Ford. Honestly, I found the words and actions toward Boone to be difficult to read, and yet everyone just accepted it. Clara threw a strawberry during one harsh scene. Really, that was retribution? Then
she worried about ruining her sister's event. Are we to believe all wealthy people are soulless and that shallow... ready to pounce on the poor folks?? All of those unrepentant and hostile actions were overkill....and why again was Boone there? Being a plus one does not mean you have to be integrated into all of the family's activities. There was no joy in this one from about 10% to over 90%. Then it wraps up so quick like the ending in a cheesy romcom.
The reader is given enough insight to the events around Clara and Boone's breakup years ago so the big reveal falls flat.
There are other thing that make no sense... what business did Clara own and why is this a big secret? Is Clara taller than average as stated in the beginning or petite and curvy as stated another chapter or two later. Is Boone muscular and broad or does he have the body of a teen. There were quite a few contradictions... I could not even picture these characters.
This story had the opportunity to be epic but instead such a letdown. I found it very frustrating and can not recommend.
I have so much to say about this one. Premise was fabulous and beginning piqued my interest. Then it all went south....this book was so stressful and boring. Ford and the Abbott family were such bullies and outright cruel. The relationship between Clara and Boone was dull, no spark or chemistry. Maybe they had it 7 years ago but the reader does not even get a picture of that. I'm over the alpha male storyline but give me some emotion, some passion, some connection tion. I was waiting for a flirtatious moment, sexual tension especially since they were sharing a bedroom, any emotional charge. The bickering and code talk was the only hint of emotion but again was tedious and negative, no picture of simmering feelings. There was one scene on a back road that seemed it was going to finally show a real connection but in the end, the author chose again to turn the scene into another act of heinous behavior from Ford. Honestly, I found the words and actions toward Boone to be difficult to read, and yet everyone just accepted it. Clara threw a strawberry during one harsh scene. Really, that was retribution? Then
she worried about ruining her sister's event. Are we to believe all wealthy people are soulless and that shallow... ready to pounce on the poor folks?? All of those unrepentant and hostile actions were overkill....and why again was Boone there? Being a plus one does not mean you have to be integrated into all of the family's activities. There was no joy in this one from about 10% to over 90%. Then it wraps up so quick like the ending in a cheesy romcom.
The reader is given enough insight to the events around Clara and Boone's breakup years ago so the big reveal falls flat.
There are other thing that make no sense... what business did Clara own and why is this a big secret? Is Clara taller than average as stated in the beginning or petite and curvy as stated another chapter or two later. Is Boone muscular and broad or does he have the body of a teen. There were quite a few contradictions... I could not even picture these characters.
This story had the opportunity to be epic but instead such a letdown. I found it very frustrating and can not recommend.
May 4, 2016
~~5 BOONE CAVANAUGH HEARTS~~
Nicole Williams had me hook, line and sinker with her Crash Series. The Fable of Us was phenomenal. I devoured this book in one day. I didn't want Boone and Claire's story to end. Reading their story unfold into this unforgettable love story took my breath away. I love that Claire was a strong character. I didn't care too much for her sister, Charlotte. But every story has to have a villain, right?! Charlotte had the middle sister syndrome, but some of her actions were inexcusable. Especially when it involved Claire.
I LOVE Boone! He was a solid, what-you-see-is-what-you-get, kind of guy. He didn't care what people said or thought about him. He had a big heart and I felt like he was always there for Claire.
I don't know why it took me this long to read this book but I'm so glad I did. This is the kind of book that you'll remember and still think about DAYS after you finish it. Keep on writing these amazing stories that your fans fall in love with Nicole Williams!! You have a one-click reader for life.
July 31, 2016
I listened to the audio version of this story and I think it is a completely different reading experience than looking at words on a page, especially when the narrator is able to inject so much emotion into their voice and of course the southern accents.
Clara and Boone were in love as teenagers but it was the classic ‘wrong side of the tracks’ romance story. She came from a family of wealth and influence. He came from a family with nothing. The one thing they did have in common was how much they loved and cared for each other.
Their relationship ended when they had to deal with something that completely blind sided them and her family jumped at the opportunity to interfere and get rid of Boone from Clara’s life. Needless to say it worked.
Now Clara is returning home for her sister’s wedding, she is marrying Ford, the man Clara was dating until she caught him having sex with her sister. In retrospect she really did dodge a bullet, she can’t imagine being shackled to a man like him as a husband.
After a chance meeting with Boone when she arrives in town to stay with her family, she convinces him to play the part of her boyfriend, her ‘plus one’ for the wedding.
As you can imagine, her family is not very happy about having Boone in their company once again. Secrets that were buried are starting to break through the surface and Clara & Boone realise there was more to their break up than they knew.
I loved this second chance love story.
Clara and Boone were in love as teenagers but it was the classic ‘wrong side of the tracks’ romance story. She came from a family of wealth and influence. He came from a family with nothing. The one thing they did have in common was how much they loved and cared for each other.
Their relationship ended when they had to deal with something that completely blind sided them and her family jumped at the opportunity to interfere and get rid of Boone from Clara’s life. Needless to say it worked.
Now Clara is returning home for her sister’s wedding, she is marrying Ford, the man Clara was dating until she caught him having sex with her sister. In retrospect she really did dodge a bullet, she can’t imagine being shackled to a man like him as a husband.
After a chance meeting with Boone when she arrives in town to stay with her family, she convinces him to play the part of her boyfriend, her ‘plus one’ for the wedding.
As you can imagine, her family is not very happy about having Boone in their company once again. Secrets that were buried are starting to break through the surface and Clara & Boone realise there was more to their break up than they knew.
I loved this second chance love story.
July 20, 2017
Originally posted at Booklovers For Life
Second chance romances are one of my top favorite tropes to read, and the fact that Nicole Williams wrote one in The Fable of Us? I was in total book heaven while reading it! I’ve loved this author since I first read Crash, and with every book she writes, she proves to me why she will always be a favorite author of mine. This newest book of hers only reaffirms my love for her wonderful storytelling. I fell hard for Clara and Boone’s second chance romance – Nicole Williams has written two incredible characters with so much heart and depth, I was rooting for them from the very first page!
Clara Abbot is back in the town she hates to be a part of her sister’s wedding… to Clara’s ex-boyfriend. But a pit stop along the way has Clara bumping into the one and only love of her life, Boone Cavanaugh, who left and hurt her all these years ago. There’s a great deal of resentment between Clara and Boone, but she’s desperate enough to pay him to be her plus-one at the wedding to keep the vultures, AKA her family, away. It’s just one week with the boy she used to love who hates her now, so what could possibly go wrong?
In addition to a second chance romance, The Fable of Us is definitely a love/hate story. We don’t know the exact ins and outs of what happened during their fallout, but Clara and Boone definitely don’t like each other when they reunite. Still, underneath the glares and the angry quips lies a spark, a connection that never truly went away. You can tell that, despite everything that happened between them, all the good and the bad, Clara and Boone are absolutely meant to be. The build-up of their romance, the reconnection, and unraveled truths all lead up to one powerful love story that completely captured my heart.
Clara and most especially Boone were the highlight of this novel. These two independent, strong, stubborn individuals were perfect together back then, and they’re certainly perfect together now. Their romance is sweet, slow, and tender – it’s the kind of love story that makes you clutch at your heart… I loved it!
I may have loved Clara and Boone, but oh man, did I hate Clara’s family. Clara’s sister, the one who’s marrying Clara’s ex, is a total nightmare. She’s jealous and petty, and the rest of the family is almost as bad. They’re a superficial, and at times cruel, group of people who prize wealth and status above anything else. So it’s no wonder Clara dreaded coming back to this place of elitism and snobbery.
Though I wished at times all the wedding drama would turn down a notch, it didn’t detract much from my enjoyment of Clara and Boone’s romance. All their moments together made up for my frustration with the Abbot family. If you’re a fan of second chance romances, you definitely need to pick up The Fable of Us! It’s a gorgeous, romantic read with wonderful writing that I recommend!
Thanks to the author for generously providing me an ARC to review.
Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version.
Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/1lT6Gi5
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/1QDVXTN
Liked this review? Subscribe to Booklovers For Life for more!
Second chance romances are one of my top favorite tropes to read, and the fact that Nicole Williams wrote one in The Fable of Us? I was in total book heaven while reading it! I’ve loved this author since I first read Crash, and with every book she writes, she proves to me why she will always be a favorite author of mine. This newest book of hers only reaffirms my love for her wonderful storytelling. I fell hard for Clara and Boone’s second chance romance – Nicole Williams has written two incredible characters with so much heart and depth, I was rooting for them from the very first page!
Clara Abbot is back in the town she hates to be a part of her sister’s wedding… to Clara’s ex-boyfriend. But a pit stop along the way has Clara bumping into the one and only love of her life, Boone Cavanaugh, who left and hurt her all these years ago. There’s a great deal of resentment between Clara and Boone, but she’s desperate enough to pay him to be her plus-one at the wedding to keep the vultures, AKA her family, away. It’s just one week with the boy she used to love who hates her now, so what could possibly go wrong?
“It doesn’t seem to matter how far away I go or how many years go by. I’m starting to accept that there will always be some part of me that is going to hold on to some part of you.”
In addition to a second chance romance, The Fable of Us is definitely a love/hate story. We don’t know the exact ins and outs of what happened during their fallout, but Clara and Boone definitely don’t like each other when they reunite. Still, underneath the glares and the angry quips lies a spark, a connection that never truly went away. You can tell that, despite everything that happened between them, all the good and the bad, Clara and Boone are absolutely meant to be. The build-up of their romance, the reconnection, and unraveled truths all lead up to one powerful love story that completely captured my heart.
“You’ve always been the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, Clara.” The backs of his fingers ran down the length of my cheek. “That still hasn’t changed.”
Clara and most especially Boone were the highlight of this novel. These two independent, strong, stubborn individuals were perfect together back then, and they’re certainly perfect together now. Their romance is sweet, slow, and tender – it’s the kind of love story that makes you clutch at your heart… I loved it!
I may have loved Clara and Boone, but oh man, did I hate Clara’s family. Clara’s sister, the one who’s marrying Clara’s ex, is a total nightmare. She’s jealous and petty, and the rest of the family is almost as bad. They’re a superficial, and at times cruel, group of people who prize wealth and status above anything else. So it’s no wonder Clara dreaded coming back to this place of elitism and snobbery.
Though I wished at times all the wedding drama would turn down a notch, it didn’t detract much from my enjoyment of Clara and Boone’s romance. All their moments together made up for my frustration with the Abbot family. If you’re a fan of second chance romances, you definitely need to pick up The Fable of Us! It’s a gorgeous, romantic read with wonderful writing that I recommend!
Thanks to the author for generously providing me an ARC to review.
Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version.
Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/1lT6Gi5
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/1QDVXTN
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May 26, 2017
This definitely wasn't a favorite of mine from the author.
I love a second chance romance, but it fell short. I felt as though the characters weren't developed enough and we didn't get any insight into their past at all, besides the bits and pieces of what they were willing to share.
Clara Belle is the oldest daughter of the wealthiest families in Charleston, SC and when she was younger she fell for the "trash" as the rich like to call him. Boone's family lived in a trailer, mother is a drunk, dad walked out, and sister, well she has her own demons..
Everyone was against them, so after two years of dating in their teens they broke each others hearts, hurt each other equally. Clara moved to California, and now is a successful business owner and Boone is unemployeed and taking care of his drunk mother.
Clara is back in town to be a part of her middle sister's wedding, Charlotte who is marrying Clara's ex boyfriend. The boyfriend that was cheating on Clara with Charlotte behind her back. You would think her family would have her back, but no.. unfortunately he is wealthy enough for their standards so he is perfect marriage material for either of their daughters, no matter if he can keep it in their pants. So, guess who she runs into the first 20 minutes in town? Boone! Indeed! She makes him a proposition! A week spent as her plus one at her sisters wedding and she will pay him ten thousand dollars. But a week is a long time when so many family members and people are hiding secrets that have kept them apart and broken them up.
However, me personally I though the reason they broke up was very small and slim, and quite unbelievable. Especially after the bond they supposedly shared. Not of my favorites or greatest second chance at love stories.
I love a second chance romance, but it fell short. I felt as though the characters weren't developed enough and we didn't get any insight into their past at all, besides the bits and pieces of what they were willing to share.
Clara Belle is the oldest daughter of the wealthiest families in Charleston, SC and when she was younger she fell for the "trash" as the rich like to call him. Boone's family lived in a trailer, mother is a drunk, dad walked out, and sister, well she has her own demons..
Everyone was against them, so after two years of dating in their teens they broke each others hearts, hurt each other equally. Clara moved to California, and now is a successful business owner and Boone is unemployeed and taking care of his drunk mother.
Clara is back in town to be a part of her middle sister's wedding, Charlotte who is marrying Clara's ex boyfriend. The boyfriend that was cheating on Clara with Charlotte behind her back. You would think her family would have her back, but no.. unfortunately he is wealthy enough for their standards so he is perfect marriage material for either of their daughters, no matter if he can keep it in their pants. So, guess who she runs into the first 20 minutes in town? Boone! Indeed! She makes him a proposition! A week spent as her plus one at her sisters wedding and she will pay him ten thousand dollars. But a week is a long time when so many family members and people are hiding secrets that have kept them apart and broken them up.
However, me personally I though the reason they broke up was very small and slim, and quite unbelievable. Especially after the bond they supposedly shared. Not of my favorites or greatest second chance at love stories.
February 6, 2016
Here readers will find a second-chance-at-love story. Clara Belle Abbott and Boone Cavanaugh are surprised to be face-to-face again after a 7-year separation. Their relationship was torn apart by lies, secrets and social standing. Clara ran from her past to California and made a new life for herself. Boone remained in Charleston, South Carolina where his life was anything but fulfilled. When her sister’s wedding brings Clara back to South Carolina, old wounds are reopened along more interference from family and friends and a ton of ill-will.
Strong character dynamics, along with witty dialogue, keeps this one far from boring. In the character category, Boone Cavanaugh steals the show. He melts your heart every bit as much as you’ll want to kick him in the shins. You won’t be able to help yourself from feeling his pain and agony. Clara Abbott sometimes made me want to scream. She let herself be used a doormat for her family to wipe their feet on. Otherwise, when she’s not under their influence, she comes across as smart and strong. The Abbott family will have your rolling your eyes and your head spinning. There a few other disgusting and manipulative characters you’ll love to hate, too.
An easy flowing contemporary romance that will tug at your heartstrings.
Strong character dynamics, along with witty dialogue, keeps this one far from boring. In the character category, Boone Cavanaugh steals the show. He melts your heart every bit as much as you’ll want to kick him in the shins. You won’t be able to help yourself from feeling his pain and agony. Clara Abbott sometimes made me want to scream. She let herself be used a doormat for her family to wipe their feet on. Otherwise, when she’s not under their influence, she comes across as smart and strong. The Abbott family will have your rolling your eyes and your head spinning. There a few other disgusting and manipulative characters you’ll love to hate, too.
An easy flowing contemporary romance that will tug at your heartstrings.
February 15, 2016
Clara pays her ex boyfriend that she hasn't seen in 7 years to be her "plus one" for her sisters wedding. Her sisters fiancé is also Clara's ex and he's an absolute ass. Horrible snobby family that treat Boone like shit because he's poor. The relationship between Clara and Boone is dull, no spark or chemistry.
Disappointing.
February 7, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. A super sweet second chance romance....."Southern style". Clara and Boone were high school sweethearts that were torn apart seven years earlier and now unexpectedly brought back together. As the story progresses we slowly find out why things happened and how everything went down seven years ago. I enjoyed the plot and writing style so I will definitely be reading more works by this authors.
March 14, 2016
Too much drama for my taste.
April 6, 2016
A solid 4 star book ruined by the last 25%. I was so annoyed by the characters and their stupid choices in the past!!!
February 9, 2016
2 and a half*
February 18, 2017
3.75 Double Decimals.
"I’d spent my first eighteen years of life inhaling and holding my breath: waiting, enduring, biding . . .
And then I’d gotten out.”
Carla Belle fled Charleston seven years earlier but has returned for the wedding of her sister, Charlotte and ex-boyfriend Ford. Soon enough, she stumbles across Boone - resentful, wholesome, beautiful Boone and the man she left behind who fundamentally triggers a response of empathy and curiosity from the reader.
“Little Sister Abbott Weds Big Sister Abbott’s Old Sweetheart and All-Around Buttplug Rumored to Have Been Fucking Them Both Until Big Sister Found Out and Dreamed About Castrating ButtPlug, But Instead She Flew in To Wish Them Well in Their Forthcoming Nuptials.”
Boone is Charleston's reject. With an alchoholic mother, an absent father and a prostitute for a sister, he found refuge in Clara's love. Yet for all her vices, her family sought out to destroy them both. The beginning kickstarted, and hints at the tumultuous past between the two. The sardonic dialogue, and resentment harboured makes the reader question what the hell is going on, and already I found myself rooting for them.
The Boone. Similar to his voice, he looked different, yet the same. The same dirty blond hair ever in need of a haircut, though now it was just long enough to be pulled back into the messiest ponytail I’d ever seen. The same wide shoulders and imposing frame that had made boys give him a wide berth. That had apparently transferred into manhood, as evidenced by the rest of the patrons staggered everywhere in the bar save beside him. The same way he held himself, like he was always ready for a fight, fists semi-curled, shoulders partially tensed.
The same way his Adam’s apple bobbed before he turned and looked at me . . .
His eyes locked onto me, boring through me in a way that made me wish I’d worn body armor before stepping into this place. Unlike the rest of him, Boone’s eyes had changed. They were still the same chestnut shade, but the lights in them had burned out. That spark of trouble or excitement or whatever emotion he’d ever felt had gone out, leaving something dull and lifeless behind.
Offering him $10K to come as her plus-one to the wedding, Boone accepts. Though the price comes with revelations of the past the two of them never knew existed.
“Look at what I’ve done with my life. Other than age seven years and move into my own place, not a hell of a lot. I’m still sputtering through town in that same relic of a truck. I’m still as single as I have been since the day we broke up and as I will be until the day I die. I’m still getting calls to come rescue my mom, and I’m still an utter failure at saving my sister. Shit, even my business, the one good thing I tried to do with my life since you and me, failed. That’s what I am, Clara, a failure. It might have taken me a while to see it and you might be blind to it, but your dad has always seen it. He wanted better for his daughter than some failure. I would have wanted the exact same for mine had ours been born a daughter.”
Con: The resolution wasn't enough for me nor my unanswered questions. Like disgustingly so. The potential was washed down the drain. The last 10% - piece of sh*t.
"I’d spent my first eighteen years of life inhaling and holding my breath: waiting, enduring, biding . . .
And then I’d gotten out.”
Carla Belle fled Charleston seven years earlier but has returned for the wedding of her sister, Charlotte and ex-boyfriend Ford. Soon enough, she stumbles across Boone - resentful, wholesome, beautiful Boone and the man she left behind who fundamentally triggers a response of empathy and curiosity from the reader.
“Little Sister Abbott Weds Big Sister Abbott’s Old Sweetheart and All-Around Buttplug Rumored to Have Been Fucking Them Both Until Big Sister Found Out and Dreamed About Castrating ButtPlug, But Instead She Flew in To Wish Them Well in Their Forthcoming Nuptials.”
Boone is Charleston's reject. With an alchoholic mother, an absent father and a prostitute for a sister, he found refuge in Clara's love. Yet for all her vices, her family sought out to destroy them both. The beginning kickstarted, and hints at the tumultuous past between the two. The sardonic dialogue, and resentment harboured makes the reader question what the hell is going on, and already I found myself rooting for them.
The Boone. Similar to his voice, he looked different, yet the same. The same dirty blond hair ever in need of a haircut, though now it was just long enough to be pulled back into the messiest ponytail I’d ever seen. The same wide shoulders and imposing frame that had made boys give him a wide berth. That had apparently transferred into manhood, as evidenced by the rest of the patrons staggered everywhere in the bar save beside him. The same way he held himself, like he was always ready for a fight, fists semi-curled, shoulders partially tensed.
The same way his Adam’s apple bobbed before he turned and looked at me . . .
His eyes locked onto me, boring through me in a way that made me wish I’d worn body armor before stepping into this place. Unlike the rest of him, Boone’s eyes had changed. They were still the same chestnut shade, but the lights in them had burned out. That spark of trouble or excitement or whatever emotion he’d ever felt had gone out, leaving something dull and lifeless behind.
Offering him $10K to come as her plus-one to the wedding, Boone accepts. Though the price comes with revelations of the past the two of them never knew existed.
“Look at what I’ve done with my life. Other than age seven years and move into my own place, not a hell of a lot. I’m still sputtering through town in that same relic of a truck. I’m still as single as I have been since the day we broke up and as I will be until the day I die. I’m still getting calls to come rescue my mom, and I’m still an utter failure at saving my sister. Shit, even my business, the one good thing I tried to do with my life since you and me, failed. That’s what I am, Clara, a failure. It might have taken me a while to see it and you might be blind to it, but your dad has always seen it. He wanted better for his daughter than some failure. I would have wanted the exact same for mine had ours been born a daughter.”
Con: The resolution wasn't enough for me nor my unanswered questions. Like disgustingly so. The potential was washed down the drain. The last 10% - piece of sh*t.
January 28, 2016
Review by Lisa Kane
Don't you love a second chance at love? Love recaptured and rediscovered and renewed. Clara Abbott and Boone Cavanaugh may have ended their relationship with shattered hearts, but they may find that hearts keep beating long after we think a romance is dead.
Clara breaks out in a sweat just at the thought of seeing her family again. Her younger sister Charlotte is getting married to Ford McBride, her ex and she can't avoid coming back home for her wedding. But on the cab ride from the airport, she tells the driver to stop at the Hide and Seek Bar. She just needs to get a little liquid courage to face the demons of her past. But she's about to face one demon in person. Sitting at the bar, deep in his thoughts is Boone Cavanaugh. Once he recognizes who just pulled up a stool near him, he makes sure Clara knows he'd rather a rattle snake slivered on by. He has true distain for her family and especially for her. This is just another complication Clara can do without.
"Oh, give it up, Boone. Your same old "The Abbotts Are the Root of All Evil in South Carolina' speech is old. Find some fresh material."
It's obvious these two have some serious unresolved issues. But their battle will have to be fought another day as Clara receives text after annoying text from her family wondering where she and her "plus one" are at. They can't wait to meet him. Unfortunately, there is on plus one and Clara knows her family will be like rapid dogs over this little detail. So she comes up with the idea to pay $10,000 to Boone to fill that part. He just about falls off his stool in shock. But she points out that her offer is generous, she gets her family off her back and he gets some much needed cash.
There is so much unfinished between them. Boone has matured and deep down he has a good heart. It may be a broken one, but the parts that are working are pure gold. Clara has forced memories that she considers best forgotten; she's shoved them down nice and tight so they can't hurt anymore. But pressures build up and eventually feelings and things better left unsaid will bubble to the top.
Clara's family deserves its own paragraph. Except for her little sister, each one of these individuals has played a part in deceiving Clara. She knows part of the lies but when she finds out the exact extent of how her family worked to hurt her all so they could continue to live their high society life, how will she cope?
"You're still you, and he's still him. People don't change, Clara Belle. Not because they don't want to, but because they can't. Boone is who he is, and you are who you are. I would have warned you not to make the same mistake twice if I'd known you were even considering letting Boone Cavanaugh into your life again."
Sometimes bad things happen for no reason. Sometimes bad things happen because good people are at the mercy of those with the power to hurt them without their knowledge. This is a story about a second chance for two people who were robbed years ago and are finally finding out just what went wrong and why.
Life wasn't about learning how to deflect the bad, but learning how to hunker down and weather it until it passed.
Don't you love a second chance at love? Love recaptured and rediscovered and renewed. Clara Abbott and Boone Cavanaugh may have ended their relationship with shattered hearts, but they may find that hearts keep beating long after we think a romance is dead.
Clara breaks out in a sweat just at the thought of seeing her family again. Her younger sister Charlotte is getting married to Ford McBride, her ex and she can't avoid coming back home for her wedding. But on the cab ride from the airport, she tells the driver to stop at the Hide and Seek Bar. She just needs to get a little liquid courage to face the demons of her past. But she's about to face one demon in person. Sitting at the bar, deep in his thoughts is Boone Cavanaugh. Once he recognizes who just pulled up a stool near him, he makes sure Clara knows he'd rather a rattle snake slivered on by. He has true distain for her family and especially for her. This is just another complication Clara can do without.
"Oh, give it up, Boone. Your same old "The Abbotts Are the Root of All Evil in South Carolina' speech is old. Find some fresh material."
It's obvious these two have some serious unresolved issues. But their battle will have to be fought another day as Clara receives text after annoying text from her family wondering where she and her "plus one" are at. They can't wait to meet him. Unfortunately, there is on plus one and Clara knows her family will be like rapid dogs over this little detail. So she comes up with the idea to pay $10,000 to Boone to fill that part. He just about falls off his stool in shock. But she points out that her offer is generous, she gets her family off her back and he gets some much needed cash.
There is so much unfinished between them. Boone has matured and deep down he has a good heart. It may be a broken one, but the parts that are working are pure gold. Clara has forced memories that she considers best forgotten; she's shoved them down nice and tight so they can't hurt anymore. But pressures build up and eventually feelings and things better left unsaid will bubble to the top.
Clara's family deserves its own paragraph. Except for her little sister, each one of these individuals has played a part in deceiving Clara. She knows part of the lies but when she finds out the exact extent of how her family worked to hurt her all so they could continue to live their high society life, how will she cope?
"You're still you, and he's still him. People don't change, Clara Belle. Not because they don't want to, but because they can't. Boone is who he is, and you are who you are. I would have warned you not to make the same mistake twice if I'd known you were even considering letting Boone Cavanaugh into your life again."
Sometimes bad things happen for no reason. Sometimes bad things happen because good people are at the mercy of those with the power to hurt them without their knowledge. This is a story about a second chance for two people who were robbed years ago and are finally finding out just what went wrong and why.
Life wasn't about learning how to deflect the bad, but learning how to hunker down and weather it until it passed.
February 3, 2016
OMG I didn’t realize how much I missed Nicole William’s books until I started reading The Fable of Us. I was hooked from the very first page, until the book was over. I seriously didn’t want it to end.
The Fable of Us is a second chance romance between Boone and Clara, who lost each-other when they were young. Due to a lot of lies, and misunderstandings they both hurt each-other. A surprise meeting, and offer bring them back into each-others’ lives.
Boone is my new favorite bbf of Nicole (Jude is my book husband). I loved him. He was the type of man who was tough, but deep deep down, he was just a guy who lost the love of his life which in turn left him cold and miserable.
The relationship between Boone and Clara was so real. They had such unfinished business so when they connected again there was a lot of anger and resentment. Their feelings were so easy to understand. Usually with a break up in a book someone was at fault in the relationship, in this story, neither person was at fault. So you understood the hurt and pain coming from both Boone and Clara.
I don’t even need to explain how much of an amazing writer Nicole is. She writes with passion behind each word. I easily get caught up in her stories wishing for them to never end. The Fable of Us was amazing. If you love a second chance romance, this one is the one for you. Without a doubt this book was easily a 5 star read.
Nicole, you are such an amazing writer, and you’ll always have a forever fan in me!
<3 Jill Mac
The Fable of Us is a second chance romance between Boone and Clara, who lost each-other when they were young. Due to a lot of lies, and misunderstandings they both hurt each-other. A surprise meeting, and offer bring them back into each-others’ lives.
Boone is my new favorite bbf of Nicole (Jude is my book husband). I loved him. He was the type of man who was tough, but deep deep down, he was just a guy who lost the love of his life which in turn left him cold and miserable.
The relationship between Boone and Clara was so real. They had such unfinished business so when they connected again there was a lot of anger and resentment. Their feelings were so easy to understand. Usually with a break up in a book someone was at fault in the relationship, in this story, neither person was at fault. So you understood the hurt and pain coming from both Boone and Clara.
I don’t even need to explain how much of an amazing writer Nicole is. She writes with passion behind each word. I easily get caught up in her stories wishing for them to never end. The Fable of Us was amazing. If you love a second chance romance, this one is the one for you. Without a doubt this book was easily a 5 star read.
Nicole, you are such an amazing writer, and you’ll always have a forever fan in me!
<3 Jill Mac
February 4, 2016
Nicole's best book!
I have been trying formulate words to review this book for over two weeks, and nothing I say will do it justice.
I was hooked from the start, as I am with every book she writes. But there was something different about this book too. It was a breath of fresh air from what is normally out there. She writes with such style that allows you to feel and see exactly what the characters are feeling and seeing. You are in the book.
Clara and Boone were each other's first loves, but circumstances and lies led to a breakup. They both are forced to face their pasts, even though neither of them wants to. They find themselves there for each other.
A book about how things aren't always what they seem and how family can sometimes hurt you more than you can imagine.
A second chance at a friendship and maybe more. A healing of wounds that they didn't realize were still gapping open. It will make you laugh and make you cry. It will make you look at things in your past and wonder if what you think to be true is.
Just do me a favor and read this.
Thank you again Nicole for writing books that I know I will love. You are so talented.
I have been trying formulate words to review this book for over two weeks, and nothing I say will do it justice.
I was hooked from the start, as I am with every book she writes. But there was something different about this book too. It was a breath of fresh air from what is normally out there. She writes with such style that allows you to feel and see exactly what the characters are feeling and seeing. You are in the book.
Clara and Boone were each other's first loves, but circumstances and lies led to a breakup. They both are forced to face their pasts, even though neither of them wants to. They find themselves there for each other.
A book about how things aren't always what they seem and how family can sometimes hurt you more than you can imagine.
A second chance at a friendship and maybe more. A healing of wounds that they didn't realize were still gapping open. It will make you laugh and make you cry. It will make you look at things in your past and wonder if what you think to be true is.
Just do me a favor and read this.
Thank you again Nicole for writing books that I know I will love. You are so talented.
Read
February 6, 2016
No Rating
Yes, folks you read that right. I'm not rating this book. And that's not because this book's the worst I've read out but I'm not also going to jump out of the screen at you and saying, "Gawd, this was like, the best book, like everrrr"
It's neither of that. This is book goes into the dreaded third category. Yepp, not gonna lie, the sad truth is.
Yasmin. Is. Ambivalent.
*cue the fucking gasps*
[image error]
I'm afraid to say this but this book, will remain unrated by me.
And honestly this is because I was utterly stupid. I have a lot of pet peeves. A lot of them that you can never even begin to enumerate them on a piece of paper because the list would reach the floor. But on the top, (amongst flashbacks) is MISUNDERSTANDING.
I hate those stories. I hate it when there's a couple but a MIS-FUCKING-UNDERSTANDING rips them apart and they despise each other and are too fucking pussy to at least try to confront each other. They're all dumb fucks in my opinion. Regardless whether they felt scared and alone and depressed at that time, I don't like how they let DECADES go by without ever hitting the other person up with a random call or email saying,
"Hey, I know I hate you. A lot but can you please just tell me your side of the story? Please, for the peace of my own goddamn mind?"
But then circumstances always somehow pushes them together and they throw jibes at each and mean sarcastic words that presents them both as utter assholes to be honest.
EVERYONE IN THIS BOOK IS AN UTTER ASSHOLE!!!!
Till that "climatic" scene where,
So yeah, this is exactly what this book was. Angsty. So fucking angsty that I still have a bitter taste in my mouth after full 14-hours after I've finished it (sleeping included). I'm not a big fan of angst either. Especially the misunderstanding kind. Now onto, the brief summary of the story.
Boone and Clara was sweethearts, loved each other but some big fight broke out that left them both equally hurt and shattered. Boone has always been the son of the town's "whore" and has therefore had an unstable life. He's considered trash in the Southern part of the States where the rich look down at the "less fortunate" and are utter shitholes about it. Basically to summarise it, you're given South America at it's ugliest and worst.
Clara Abbott, on the other hand was the town's princess. Not in the "We love you Clara!" kind of way but in the "You're royalty so we can't treat you like anything else other than that." way.
So now, you have a typical star-crossed lovers plot going on but shit hit the fan, shit happened and now you're reading about two adults who're assholes to each other and just assholes. I didn't like either of them a lot if I'm being honest. Clara, maybe a bit. Boone? Not at all.
Every character in this book was an asshole. And the worst-errr kind than what Clara and Boone were to each other. Pretentious, check. Annoying as fuck, check. Utter snobs, check. Fucking demeaning asshole, check. Did I mention annoying as fuck.
This was one of the most heaviest and emotionally draining book and I think I cried 65% of it because I hated everyone and wanted to DNF it so bad. It's emotionally draining after how much you hate every person and every single fucking word that spews out of their mouths.
But also, when the truth came out, wow. Boone, wow. I couldn't have hated you more you asshole. You insecure, untrusting, piece of shit whose been claiming to be a "naïve boy in love" throughout the whole book. I only have two words to say to you.
[image error]
[It felt worth saying twice.]
To Charlotte and her whore husband-to-be, Ford. To Mr. Abbott (but not Mrs. Abbott because in one scene she redeemed herself and I liked her the rest of the story)
Also, by the end of this book, I rather wished that the character didn't end up together. Because the amount of shitty history they had between them. If I were Clara, I'd never forgive Boone for his lack of faith in me. I'd kick his ass to the curb and realise how much better off I actually am without him because it just showed that in the long run, we never would have lasted. And trust me, in my head I don't think they do.
The last 10% were the shittiest though. It's like Nicole Williams ties everything up real fast in a neat little bow and presents it to the readers. It all screams, "Oh look, nobody's evil they're actually all amazing."
FUCK. THAT.
I hated everyone. I wanted them to shoot themselves or crawl under a hole and die.
But the reason I am not giving it a rating is that, I really liked Nicole Williams writing. I only wished this wasn't my first book of hers because not gonna lie, I'm not exactly inclined to read any other book of hers after this read.
Yes, folks you read that right. I'm not rating this book. And that's not because this book's the worst I've read out but I'm not also going to jump out of the screen at you and saying, "Gawd, this was like, the best book, like everrrr"
It's neither of that. This is book goes into the dreaded third category. Yepp, not gonna lie, the sad truth is.
Yasmin. Is. Ambivalent.
*cue the fucking gasps*
[image error]
I'm afraid to say this but this book, will remain unrated by me.
And honestly this is because I was utterly stupid. I have a lot of pet peeves. A lot of them that you can never even begin to enumerate them on a piece of paper because the list would reach the floor. But on the top, (amongst flashbacks) is MISUNDERSTANDING.
I hate those stories. I hate it when there's a couple but a MIS-FUCKING-UNDERSTANDING rips them apart and they despise each other and are too fucking pussy to at least try to confront each other. They're all dumb fucks in my opinion. Regardless whether they felt scared and alone and depressed at that time, I don't like how they let DECADES go by without ever hitting the other person up with a random call or email saying,
"Hey, I know I hate you. A lot but can you please just tell me your side of the story? Please, for the peace of my own goddamn mind?"
But then circumstances always somehow pushes them together and they throw jibes at each and mean sarcastic words that presents them both as utter assholes to be honest.
EVERYONE IN THIS BOOK IS AN UTTER ASSHOLE!!!!
Till that "climatic" scene where,
So yeah, this is exactly what this book was. Angsty. So fucking angsty that I still have a bitter taste in my mouth after full 14-hours after I've finished it (sleeping included). I'm not a big fan of angst either. Especially the misunderstanding kind. Now onto, the brief summary of the story.
Boone and Clara was sweethearts, loved each other but some big fight broke out that left them both equally hurt and shattered. Boone has always been the son of the town's "whore" and has therefore had an unstable life. He's considered trash in the Southern part of the States where the rich look down at the "less fortunate" and are utter shitholes about it. Basically to summarise it, you're given South America at it's ugliest and worst.
Clara Abbott, on the other hand was the town's princess. Not in the "We love you Clara!" kind of way but in the "You're royalty so we can't treat you like anything else other than that." way.
So now, you have a typical star-crossed lovers plot going on but shit hit the fan, shit happened and now you're reading about two adults who're assholes to each other and just assholes. I didn't like either of them a lot if I'm being honest. Clara, maybe a bit. Boone? Not at all.
Every character in this book was an asshole. And the worst-errr kind than what Clara and Boone were to each other. Pretentious, check. Annoying as fuck, check. Utter snobs, check. Fucking demeaning asshole, check. Did I mention annoying as fuck.
This was one of the most heaviest and emotionally draining book and I think I cried 65% of it because I hated everyone and wanted to DNF it so bad. It's emotionally draining after how much you hate every person and every single fucking word that spews out of their mouths.
But also, when the truth came out, wow. Boone, wow. I couldn't have hated you more you asshole. You insecure, untrusting, piece of shit whose been claiming to be a "naïve boy in love" throughout the whole book. I only have two words to say to you.
[image error]
[It felt worth saying twice.]
To Charlotte and her whore husband-to-be, Ford. To Mr. Abbott (but not Mrs. Abbott because in one scene she redeemed herself and I liked her the rest of the story)
Also, by the end of this book, I rather wished that the character didn't end up together. Because the amount of shitty history they had between them. If I were Clara, I'd never forgive Boone for his lack of faith in me. I'd kick his ass to the curb and realise how much better off I actually am without him because it just showed that in the long run, we never would have lasted. And trust me, in my head I don't think they do.
The last 10% were the shittiest though. It's like Nicole Williams ties everything up real fast in a neat little bow and presents it to the readers. It all screams, "Oh look, nobody's evil they're actually all amazing."
FUCK. THAT.
I hated everyone. I wanted them to shoot themselves or crawl under a hole and die.
But the reason I am not giving it a rating is that, I really liked Nicole Williams writing. I only wished this wasn't my first book of hers because not gonna lie, I'm not exactly inclined to read any other book of hers after this read.
February 14, 2016
More Reviews Here: Readers Live A Thousand Lives
This review may be a bit flaily and gushy because I just adored this book. Nicole Williams is one of my favorite authors and I’ve yet to read a book by her I didn’t love, but this one is high up on the list. Jesse and Rowan had to make room in my heart to share with Boone and Clara. I adored The Fable Of Us. I’m a big fan of second chance romances and this one just stole my heart.
I loved both Boone and Clara. They are so different, but they also complement each other so well. Clara is such a strong woman and I loved how successful she was. And Boone just melted my heart. Every one may think he is a screw up, but the fact of the matter is he is better than them all. It hurt my heart to see how everyone treated Boone and Clara. There is mean and then there are the things these people did. I came to love Boone and Clara so much and I was outraged on their behalf and I may have yelled at my book.
The Fable Of Us devastated me in a way only a Nicole Williams book can. My heart was in pain. There were pains in my chest and stomach and reading it hurt my heart in the best way. The book ripped me apart and then put me back together again, then ripped me apart once more and then glued together the seams. But this book taught me that broken things can be stronger, you just have to protect the weak spots.
Nicole has mentioned that this book really goes back to her roots and I completely understand that now. This book reminded me of Crash. And I’m not saying it’s Crash all over again, but it just felt the same. As I was reading I had the same feelings I had while reading Crash. The highs and lows and the emotions running on high. It was a rush and there was push and pull and I drowned in this book.
There is so much more I want to say, but at the same time I need to stop because I feel like everyone should just experience this book for themselves. It’s been a long time since a contemporary romance made me feel the way this book did and I loved this feeling. I really cannot recommend this book enough.
This review may be a bit flaily and gushy because I just adored this book. Nicole Williams is one of my favorite authors and I’ve yet to read a book by her I didn’t love, but this one is high up on the list. Jesse and Rowan had to make room in my heart to share with Boone and Clara. I adored The Fable Of Us. I’m a big fan of second chance romances and this one just stole my heart.
I loved both Boone and Clara. They are so different, but they also complement each other so well. Clara is such a strong woman and I loved how successful she was. And Boone just melted my heart. Every one may think he is a screw up, but the fact of the matter is he is better than them all. It hurt my heart to see how everyone treated Boone and Clara. There is mean and then there are the things these people did. I came to love Boone and Clara so much and I was outraged on their behalf and I may have yelled at my book.
The Fable Of Us devastated me in a way only a Nicole Williams book can. My heart was in pain. There were pains in my chest and stomach and reading it hurt my heart in the best way. The book ripped me apart and then put me back together again, then ripped me apart once more and then glued together the seams. But this book taught me that broken things can be stronger, you just have to protect the weak spots.
Nicole has mentioned that this book really goes back to her roots and I completely understand that now. This book reminded me of Crash. And I’m not saying it’s Crash all over again, but it just felt the same. As I was reading I had the same feelings I had while reading Crash. The highs and lows and the emotions running on high. It was a rush and there was push and pull and I drowned in this book.
There is so much more I want to say, but at the same time I need to stop because I feel like everyone should just experience this book for themselves. It’s been a long time since a contemporary romance made me feel the way this book did and I loved this feeling. I really cannot recommend this book enough.
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