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Jules in His Eyes
After a night at her brother’s fraternity party spins out of control, seventeen-year-old Jules Dempsey flees from Boston to Miami in search of peace and clarity. There, with her aunt’s assistance, she finds the help she needs to move on with her life. Ten years later, Jules is forced to return home after her father requests she leave the life she has painstakingly constructed in Miami to come back to Boston and care for Lovey, her aging grandmother. Jules complies with her father’s wishes, unsure if going back will undo all of the forward progress she has made. Back in New England, ghosts from the past confront Jules at every turn. But Jules discovers that not all of them are unpleasant when she runs into her first love, Eli. The long-buried spark between them reignites immediately, though Jules hesitates to act on her tidal wave of emotions. Once again, the pain of the past threatens to overshadow any future happiness. Is Eli worthy of Jules’s trust? And if so, will Jules find the courage to share her pain?
238 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 3, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 25, 2017
The author via Booktasters provided a copy of the ePub in exchange for an honest review.
Jules in His Eyes by Vivi Simone is a most enjoyable Contemporary Romance. The reader will be immediately drawn into Jules’ world. She is returning to her native Boston after a ten-year absence. Miami offered her a much-needed escape from her hometown—but why. Why did she leave her family? Why is she reluctantly returning? Jules is somehow masking her painful secrets. Her coping skills are questionable at times.
Upon her return, she discovers that her teenage crush works for her successful father. Jules and Eli slowly explore a friendship. He is patient and kind. Eli really sees her but will she let him in. The strength of the story and characters drives this fast-paced read. The primary and secondary characters are exceptionally written. Their strong and distinct voices help reveal the many layers of this page-turner. As secrets are exposed Jules begins to become her authentic self. The author’s carefully crafted descriptions paint her world as well. Jules and Eli’s story does not disappoint. Hope, healing and happiness.
Jules in His Eyes by Vivi Simone is a most enjoyable Contemporary Romance. The reader will be immediately drawn into Jules’ world. She is returning to her native Boston after a ten-year absence. Miami offered her a much-needed escape from her hometown—but why. Why did she leave her family? Why is she reluctantly returning? Jules is somehow masking her painful secrets. Her coping skills are questionable at times.
Upon her return, she discovers that her teenage crush works for her successful father. Jules and Eli slowly explore a friendship. He is patient and kind. Eli really sees her but will she let him in. The strength of the story and characters drives this fast-paced read. The primary and secondary characters are exceptionally written. Their strong and distinct voices help reveal the many layers of this page-turner. As secrets are exposed Jules begins to become her authentic self. The author’s carefully crafted descriptions paint her world as well. Jules and Eli’s story does not disappoint. Hope, healing and happiness.
September 13, 2018
I received this book in exchange for an honest review, from Booktasters.
When I first got this book it didn't grab me. I don't know why, maybe I just wasn't in the right mindset.
Well, I started it again yesterday, 26\8\18 and seriously do not understand why I couldn't finish it.
It really is a great read. It is tragic, romantic, happy, sad and all the emotions in between.
I highly recommend this book. The author really has produced a wonderful read.
This is a story of betrayal in the most horrific sense. But it's also a story of one man's love being strong enough for the both of them.
Jules flees Boston and her family, after one tragic night at her brother's fraternity party. It was to shape her future and vow that she'd never return.
All that was thrown on it's head, when her father told her she had to leave everything she'd built and return home to care for her grandmother.
It wasn't the most ideal situation, and one she definitely wouldn't have undertaken on her own initiative, but she would do anything for her grandmother, even returning to the place where her life was left in tatters.
But maybe there was a light at the end of this very dark and scary tunnel, in the shape of her first love, Eli.
Can he help put Jules back together again? Can he mend the heart that was shattered and broken so violently, all those years ago? But most importantly, can Eli make Jules learn to love him back.
When I first got this book it didn't grab me. I don't know why, maybe I just wasn't in the right mindset.
Well, I started it again yesterday, 26\8\18 and seriously do not understand why I couldn't finish it.
It really is a great read. It is tragic, romantic, happy, sad and all the emotions in between.
I highly recommend this book. The author really has produced a wonderful read.
This is a story of betrayal in the most horrific sense. But it's also a story of one man's love being strong enough for the both of them.
Jules flees Boston and her family, after one tragic night at her brother's fraternity party. It was to shape her future and vow that she'd never return.
All that was thrown on it's head, when her father told her she had to leave everything she'd built and return home to care for her grandmother.
It wasn't the most ideal situation, and one she definitely wouldn't have undertaken on her own initiative, but she would do anything for her grandmother, even returning to the place where her life was left in tatters.
But maybe there was a light at the end of this very dark and scary tunnel, in the shape of her first love, Eli.
Can he help put Jules back together again? Can he mend the heart that was shattered and broken so violently, all those years ago? But most importantly, can Eli make Jules learn to love him back.
July 17, 2017
‘When reading, we don’t fall in love with the characters’ appearance. We fall in love with their words, their thoughts, and their hearts. We fall in love with their souls.’
Anonymous
I saw this quote just after I had finished reading the book and thought it quite described how I felt about the characters in the book. You’re often horrified at terrible, meaningless crimes at the time of their happening but it’s the long road back for victims and their loved ones that is often the real story.
From a feisty grand-mother to a liberal aunt, there is love, friendship, healing, and justice of a kind in ‘Jules in His Eyes’. Even more, the easy flow of the author’s language makes it an engaging read from beginning to end. Highly recommended.
Anonymous
I saw this quote just after I had finished reading the book and thought it quite described how I felt about the characters in the book. You’re often horrified at terrible, meaningless crimes at the time of their happening but it’s the long road back for victims and their loved ones that is often the real story.
From a feisty grand-mother to a liberal aunt, there is love, friendship, healing, and justice of a kind in ‘Jules in His Eyes’. Even more, the easy flow of the author’s language makes it an engaging read from beginning to end. Highly recommended.
March 19, 2018
Deep breath in. Now exhale. Don’t clench your jaws you’ll only make it worse.
When I started this book I was expecting some feel good romance, the kind of romance I could happily sit and eat a box of cookies while reading. I was both pleasantly shocked and surprised. I still ate the cookies don’t get me wrong.
Jules left Boston abruptly to study in Florida living with her Aunt Leslie; her congressman father was also a part time attorney had an office in downtown Boston & had paid an obscene amount if money for her education.
Due to this he had no funds to put his Mother-Lovey in a nursing home, Jules had to come home until such time her presence was no longer required. Jules petite French mother had her own life & couldn’t dedicate all her time to this duty by herself. Jules hated Boston & she hated going downtown. This is apparent throughout the book, anywhere to go is fine, to eat, drink, whatever but not downtown. The reason why comes later.
Eli Jules’ brother Chris’ best friend was the senior litigator at Jules’ Dad’s office, Jules would be there helping out while Lovey was at physical therapy or socialising. Jules & her grandmother got on great, there was no malice or hardship in the fact she had to return to look after her.
The description of this character frankly made me want to eat him. After my cookies obviously. The electricity between these 2 characters makes you think of the person that makes you feel like that. You know; giggly, heart melting, oh my god I can’t believe he knows I exist kind of feeling. Exactly the sort of feelings you used to get when you were a kid lusting after your big brother’s friend. I don’t have a big brother but you get the point.
Eli was shocked ‘Julianna’ had returned no one save for immediate family knew the reason why she left. I’m also not going to give you the reason-You’ll have to read it.
Julianna branded herself Jules after moving to Florida-to forget her past, to establish a new identity, to not be defined & be the product of what happened in her life. No longer Julianna Jules was stronger, but she still needed support & trust. Eli gave her these things. I don’t mind telling you I had to get some water to cool off with the chemistry of these 2.
I liked how this book progressed, the structure of the story, the karmic retribution, the characters were depicted wonderfully. The emotions were raw.
Highly recommend.
When I started this book I was expecting some feel good romance, the kind of romance I could happily sit and eat a box of cookies while reading. I was both pleasantly shocked and surprised. I still ate the cookies don’t get me wrong.
Jules left Boston abruptly to study in Florida living with her Aunt Leslie; her congressman father was also a part time attorney had an office in downtown Boston & had paid an obscene amount if money for her education.
Due to this he had no funds to put his Mother-Lovey in a nursing home, Jules had to come home until such time her presence was no longer required. Jules petite French mother had her own life & couldn’t dedicate all her time to this duty by herself. Jules hated Boston & she hated going downtown. This is apparent throughout the book, anywhere to go is fine, to eat, drink, whatever but not downtown. The reason why comes later.
Eli Jules’ brother Chris’ best friend was the senior litigator at Jules’ Dad’s office, Jules would be there helping out while Lovey was at physical therapy or socialising. Jules & her grandmother got on great, there was no malice or hardship in the fact she had to return to look after her.
The description of this character frankly made me want to eat him. After my cookies obviously. The electricity between these 2 characters makes you think of the person that makes you feel like that. You know; giggly, heart melting, oh my god I can’t believe he knows I exist kind of feeling. Exactly the sort of feelings you used to get when you were a kid lusting after your big brother’s friend. I don’t have a big brother but you get the point.
Eli was shocked ‘Julianna’ had returned no one save for immediate family knew the reason why she left. I’m also not going to give you the reason-You’ll have to read it.
Julianna branded herself Jules after moving to Florida-to forget her past, to establish a new identity, to not be defined & be the product of what happened in her life. No longer Julianna Jules was stronger, but she still needed support & trust. Eli gave her these things. I don’t mind telling you I had to get some water to cool off with the chemistry of these 2.
I liked how this book progressed, the structure of the story, the karmic retribution, the characters were depicted wonderfully. The emotions were raw.
Highly recommend.
May 9, 2018
There are a couple of important things to remember when you write a book: the story should be credible and the characters close to people's hearts.
Many open a book, read the first pages and decide then if they will buy the book or not so the beginning of the book is decisive.
Of course we have many writers, including famous ones that disregarded these rules and still made history.
'Jules in his eyes' caught my eye due to its mixed reviews and I wanted to decide for myself how good the book really is.
It is a story of a young girl, Jules, who finishes university with honors and instead of following her career and moving to New York, has to come back home and take care of her ailing grandmother. There she is confronted with her troubled past which she tried so hard to leave behind but meets her high-school crush and gets a chance to happiness.
This seems like a great plot, right?
Well it is. And once you pass the first 30 pages it is hard to put down.
My only draw back was that for the first couple of chapters the main character and the story line seemed far-fetched.
We see Jules coming back home as a honor student but she smokes pot continuously. She is short tempered to the point of rudeness and has communication issues.
Once we advance into the story it all makes sense but I felt that I wanted to have some hints at the beginning since I was having a hard time liking the character.
It felt like the beginning of the book is a first draft and then the writer really goes into it and does a great job.
In the end I liked the book, it is a romance with drama on the background, a little more than a simple love story.
Many open a book, read the first pages and decide then if they will buy the book or not so the beginning of the book is decisive.
Of course we have many writers, including famous ones that disregarded these rules and still made history.
'Jules in his eyes' caught my eye due to its mixed reviews and I wanted to decide for myself how good the book really is.
It is a story of a young girl, Jules, who finishes university with honors and instead of following her career and moving to New York, has to come back home and take care of her ailing grandmother. There she is confronted with her troubled past which she tried so hard to leave behind but meets her high-school crush and gets a chance to happiness.
This seems like a great plot, right?
Well it is. And once you pass the first 30 pages it is hard to put down.
My only draw back was that for the first couple of chapters the main character and the story line seemed far-fetched.
We see Jules coming back home as a honor student but she smokes pot continuously. She is short tempered to the point of rudeness and has communication issues.
Once we advance into the story it all makes sense but I felt that I wanted to have some hints at the beginning since I was having a hard time liking the character.
It felt like the beginning of the book is a first draft and then the writer really goes into it and does a great job.
In the end I liked the book, it is a romance with drama on the background, a little more than a simple love story.
July 2, 2018
I've read this book in exchange of an honest review.
This is a book of hope, true love and selfsteem and I would have liked it to be a story of forgiveness.
Jules have to left her home in Boston after a very traumatic experience when she was 17, she takes refuge in Miami and there she heals and studies. Ten years later her father requests her to comeback and help with the care of her grandmother who has a special relationship with Jules. With her return, the ghosts of the past return too.
In Boston she is reunited with Eli, the man she has loved since she was a little girl, a gorgeous, honest and patient guy who has loved Jules since almost the same time. This reunion will be very important for the peace and total recovery of Jules if she learns to trust and share her worries with the people who love her.
I liked the story a lot, but I think there were loose ends about the total recovery of Jules. What happened to her addiction and the way she can get a total heal of her soul.
I didn't like the way Eli resolves the situation with Jules ghosts because it looked that it was right that way and it wasn't. That was a human reactions but not a good idea. I would liked that Vivi Simone had explored more of this.
Anyway it is a good story that makes you think about that life goes on, and we most learn not only how to survive but to rebuilt ourselves with strenght and hope.
This is a book of hope, true love and selfsteem and I would have liked it to be a story of forgiveness.
Jules have to left her home in Boston after a very traumatic experience when she was 17, she takes refuge in Miami and there she heals and studies. Ten years later her father requests her to comeback and help with the care of her grandmother who has a special relationship with Jules. With her return, the ghosts of the past return too.
In Boston she is reunited with Eli, the man she has loved since she was a little girl, a gorgeous, honest and patient guy who has loved Jules since almost the same time. This reunion will be very important for the peace and total recovery of Jules if she learns to trust and share her worries with the people who love her.
I liked the story a lot, but I think there were loose ends about the total recovery of Jules. What happened to her addiction and the way she can get a total heal of her soul.
I didn't like the way Eli resolves the situation with Jules ghosts because it looked that it was right that way and it wasn't. That was a human reactions but not a good idea. I would liked that Vivi Simone had explored more of this.
Anyway it is a good story that makes you think about that life goes on, and we most learn not only how to survive but to rebuilt ourselves with strenght and hope.
March 18, 2019
*Thank you to BookTasters and Vivi Simone for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Recommended to everyone who loves a sweet and powerful love story - ⭐3.5⭐
Jules is ready to take the next step in her life, that is going to New York as soon as she graduates and starting working for a friend, but all her plans come to an abrupt halt when her grandfather dies and she has to return home (Boston) to take care of her grandmother.
Here she has to face her past from which she had escaped (by going to Miami) when she was just a teenager and here she gets to meet the adult version of her teenage crush, Ali. However life isn't easy and maybe love can make everything easier but will she let Ali love her and her scarred soul? Go and read Jules in his eyes to find out what happens. 😉
Quote: «You are—literally, figuratively, and metaphorically—the only bright spot I’ve found in Boston.»
***
Jules in his eyes by Vivi Simone is not only about love but also about facing life no matter what happens. It's a sweet novel in which the author deals with different themes but I must say that I couldn't find a way to love the characters. Jules, Ali and the others seemed to me puppets in the great scheme of things and full of cliches.
Nevertheless the narrative was quite enjoyable thanks also to the author's ability to surprise the reader in different and unexpected ways.
Recommended to everyone who loves a sweet and powerful love story - ⭐3.5⭐
Jules is ready to take the next step in her life, that is going to New York as soon as she graduates and starting working for a friend, but all her plans come to an abrupt halt when her grandfather dies and she has to return home (Boston) to take care of her grandmother.
Here she has to face her past from which she had escaped (by going to Miami) when she was just a teenager and here she gets to meet the adult version of her teenage crush, Ali. However life isn't easy and maybe love can make everything easier but will she let Ali love her and her scarred soul? Go and read Jules in his eyes to find out what happens. 😉
Quote: «You are—literally, figuratively, and metaphorically—the only bright spot I’ve found in Boston.»
***
Jules in his eyes by Vivi Simone is not only about love but also about facing life no matter what happens. It's a sweet novel in which the author deals with different themes but I must say that I couldn't find a way to love the characters. Jules, Ali and the others seemed to me puppets in the great scheme of things and full of cliches.
Nevertheless the narrative was quite enjoyable thanks also to the author's ability to surprise the reader in different and unexpected ways.
October 11, 2017
Jules in His Eyes is a mostly well-written love story that kept my interest throughout – mainly with its unpredictability. Faced with the trauma experienced by Jules followed by reuniting with her childhood love, the story flows seamlessly to highlight the influence of strong family bonds and a will to move on. But will it be enough? Although parts of the story were slightly repetitious, Vivi Simone’s foreshadowing of both main characters made for an enjoyable read that isn’t your typical love story.
July 21, 2017
Jules Dempsey returns to Boston, the city where she had to endure the most traumatic experience imaginable, after 10 years, where she finds love, trust and healing in her brother's lifetime friend Eli.
The plot is ok, although it is slow at times and contains too many repetitons, making the book appear longer than necessary. The characters are well described, transmitting their afflictions, but their interactions seem very cliché and cheesy.
The plot is ok, although it is slow at times and contains too many repetitons, making the book appear longer than necessary. The characters are well described, transmitting their afflictions, but their interactions seem very cliché and cheesy.
July 23, 2017
That was so cute. I love how for the most part it's the low mimetic mode of literature and for some parts it's the Irony mode. Jules was a very fascinating character to say the least. It was an amazing story and I enjoyed learning each puzzle piece, page by page or chapter by chapter. Eli is an outstanding person and Chris is a funny guy. Denny... seems like an ... interesting character I suppose.
The story as a whole is quite riveting. Loved reading it. It was amazing.
The story as a whole is quite riveting. Loved reading it. It was amazing.
January 29, 2019
Beautiful story
Ever imagined marrying your childhood sweetheart? Eli and Jules crushed on each other as kids but mileage, tragedy, and time kept them apart. Then, Jules came back to Boston and both their lives changed.
Vivi Simone crafts a love story that weaves tears, smiles, and sex in such a romantic fashion.
Ever imagined marrying your childhood sweetheart? Eli and Jules crushed on each other as kids but mileage, tragedy, and time kept them apart. Then, Jules came back to Boston and both their lives changed.
Vivi Simone crafts a love story that weaves tears, smiles, and sex in such a romantic fashion.
May 31, 2018
I felt like the book was really good in showing the perspective of a girl going through everyday problems. Her character development was really good. Love the twist where she runs into her first love’s “arms”. It was a great romantic novel for anyone that loves romance, I really do recommend it!
November 19, 2018
A great story that makes you want more of Eli and Jules. A perfect blend of emotions and romance. The things Eli does for Jules and his boy next door nature makes you fall in love with him.
May 22, 2019
Sweet story
I really enjoyed the authors book. It was very descriptive causing tears and laughs along the way. Thanks to the author fornshaying such a great story.
I really enjoyed the authors book. It was very descriptive causing tears and laughs along the way. Thanks to the author fornshaying such a great story.
July 2, 2021
Such a great read!
I liked the composition of the story. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes to get lost in a story. I gave it 5 stars because I was entertained & it kept me coming back to read.
I liked the composition of the story. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes to get lost in a story. I gave it 5 stars because I was entertained & it kept me coming back to read.
July 19, 2017
I loved this book! It was a really nice story line, more realistic than most romance books I think. Wouldn't recommend for younger readers ;) but honestly, really good! Only flaw I could think of was that it was sometimes overly descriptive, but other than that I can't find any faults with it!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews