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Capturing Jessica
Michael, an up-and-coming hyperrealist sculptor from Atlanta, Georgia, is about to get her big break. An expert at carving the female form, she owes much of her success to her muse, best friend, Jess. Michael has been in love with Jess for years but treasures their friendship too much to risk it for uncertain romance. Jess, a special education teacher, values Michael’s friendship above everything else in her life. Can one passionate kiss change everything she thought she felt about Michael? Can Michael make the choice between a dear, lifelong friendship and capturing Jessica?
224 pages, Paperback
Published December 13, 2016
2 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Jane Hardee
2 books2 followersJane Hardee lives with her partner in Chicago, Illinois. She was born in North Carolina but left the Old South to pursue a career working with children with autism. When she is not teaching, writing, or watching Family Feud, she is probably figuring out a design for her next tattoo. Jane suffers from middle child syndrome and is a very loving aunt to a beautiful niece.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 24, 2018
'Netgalley ARC provided by The Publisher in exchange for an honest review'
For a debut book i absolutely loved and enjoyed it! The storyline was a bit of a tickler sometimes with how i thought the author was going with the story but it worked itself out eventually with all the erotic graphic sex scenes(which was well done)-- awesome chemistry between all the characters and let me just say that the author did create two strong female leads that was surrounded by a very interesting cast of quirky friends with lots of different personalities plus each had their own flaws and issues to deal with. Did enjoy the ending and i would hope others will too because i highly recommend!
For a debut book i absolutely loved and enjoyed it! The storyline was a bit of a tickler sometimes with how i thought the author was going with the story but it worked itself out eventually with all the erotic graphic sex scenes(which was well done)-- awesome chemistry between all the characters and let me just say that the author did create two strong female leads that was surrounded by a very interesting cast of quirky friends with lots of different personalities plus each had their own flaws and issues to deal with. Did enjoy the ending and i would hope others will too because i highly recommend!
December 3, 2016
2 1/2 Stars. This book showed promise, but just did not come together for me. I believe this is Hardee's first book, and she is not a bad writer, I just did not like her choices.
This story is about Michael, an artist, and her best friend Jess. Michael has been deeply in love with Jess for years. She does not believe her feeling are reciprocated and is not willing to risk losing her best friend. Do Michael and Jess stand a chance at love, or are they bound never to be more than friends?
I did like the two main characters Jess and Michael. I thought Hardee did a good job writing likeable characters. My main problem with this book was miscommunication. I very much dislike books that use miscommunication or no communication for conflict in books. Not only was this used, but the whole book was about no communication. It honestly drove me nuts, and I think its the easy way out to cause some angst. I wish Hardee would have taken these two strong characters and given them a decent storyline. I do want to mention, there was a pretty steamy sex scene, which I enjoyed. I just wish the rest of the book was better.
This book did not work for me. But because I saw glimpses I liked in how Hardee writes her characters, I would be willing to give another book of hers a chance, in the future.
An ARC was given to me by Bold Strokes Books, for a honest review.
This story is about Michael, an artist, and her best friend Jess. Michael has been deeply in love with Jess for years. She does not believe her feeling are reciprocated and is not willing to risk losing her best friend. Do Michael and Jess stand a chance at love, or are they bound never to be more than friends?
I did like the two main characters Jess and Michael. I thought Hardee did a good job writing likeable characters. My main problem with this book was miscommunication. I very much dislike books that use miscommunication or no communication for conflict in books. Not only was this used, but the whole book was about no communication. It honestly drove me nuts, and I think its the easy way out to cause some angst. I wish Hardee would have taken these two strong characters and given them a decent storyline. I do want to mention, there was a pretty steamy sex scene, which I enjoyed. I just wish the rest of the book was better.
This book did not work for me. But because I saw glimpses I liked in how Hardee writes her characters, I would be willing to give another book of hers a chance, in the future.
An ARC was given to me by Bold Strokes Books, for a honest review.
November 9, 2016
This debut novel is not badly written per se, but it reads like a "very young" young-adult story, and I found that very frustrating. The plot, as well as the conflict, is completely focused on the "miscommunication" trope between best friends/potential lovers, Michael and Jess. The whole book is built on them not being able to confess their feelings and withholding information from each other. There are no other conflicts in their lives and no interesting secondary characters to grab our attention, either. When they finally, at the very end of the book, resolved all their misunderstandings, I just did not care about them anymore. I was just glad that the book was finally finished.
2 stars
*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*
2 stars
*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*
November 5, 2016
This is the debut novel by Jane Hardee. It is a sweet romance between two best friends who both harbour feelings for each other and are too afraid to confess. The plot is based in a stereotypical butch / femme relationship between Michael, a sculptor, (the book never explains why she has a masculine name) and Jess, a special needs teacher. Despite some stereotypical portrayal of the butch as "muscular, tall and strong" and the femme as "curvy, sweet and caring", their chemistry is one of the strengths of this book. Both characters are multilayered and convey their virtues and limitations in such a strong way that the readers might want to hug them or shake them depending on the occasion. Additionally, the secondary characters support the plot smoothly and add credibility to the story.
On the negative side, I found that sometimes the plot was a bit repetitive on certain descriptions of situations (like the angst of not knowing how the other person felt) or the physical attributes of the main characters. Additionally, I felt that the ending was a bit rushed after all the tension building in the plot.
If you are interested in the "best friends falling in love" theme but in a femme /femme relationship, I also recommend
Just three words by Melissa Braden.
Overall, a good debut novel. I'll definitely read Ms. Hardee's next book.
ARC provided by the publisher and Netgalley.
On the negative side, I found that sometimes the plot was a bit repetitive on certain descriptions of situations (like the angst of not knowing how the other person felt) or the physical attributes of the main characters. Additionally, I felt that the ending was a bit rushed after all the tension building in the plot.
If you are interested in the "best friends falling in love" theme but in a femme /femme relationship, I also recommend
Just three words by Melissa Braden.
Overall, a good debut novel. I'll definitely read Ms. Hardee's next book.
ARC provided by the publisher and Netgalley.
November 26, 2016
Michael has been in love with Jessica most of her life. They have been best friends since school but Michael keeps her feelings hidden from Jessica as she is scared to loose their friendship. Jessica doesn’t know she has a underlying romantic love for Michael until she kisses her and then she can’t get her feelings for Michael out of her head. Both Jessica and Michael are scared to loose each other if they explore their love with one another…
This is Jane Hardee’s debut novel and for a first novel it was written very well. It was written from both Jessica and Michael point of view, which gave more insight into their feelings from both perspectives.
I got frustrated with how long the main protagonists miscommunicated their feelings… I almost shouted at my Kindle more than once “JUST TELL HER HOW YOU FEEL!!!!”… I liked both Michael and Jessica’s personalities and thought the character development was handled well however I think the storyline could have been covered in the first half of the book and the second half could have looked at more of how they both managed forming a romantic relationship after being best friends for most of their lives.
I really enjoyed the moments that the author used memories of Michael and Jessica’s childhood to show how deep and long they love each other. The erotic scenes were written extremely well and depicted not only the sexual connection between them but also a loving and all encompassing connection that was trusting and deeply emotional.
All in all it was a good first novel by Jane Hardee. I’ll definitely be looking out for what comes next.
3.5 Stars.
This is Jane Hardee’s debut novel and for a first novel it was written very well. It was written from both Jessica and Michael point of view, which gave more insight into their feelings from both perspectives.
I got frustrated with how long the main protagonists miscommunicated their feelings… I almost shouted at my Kindle more than once “JUST TELL HER HOW YOU FEEL!!!!”… I liked both Michael and Jessica’s personalities and thought the character development was handled well however I think the storyline could have been covered in the first half of the book and the second half could have looked at more of how they both managed forming a romantic relationship after being best friends for most of their lives.
I really enjoyed the moments that the author used memories of Michael and Jessica’s childhood to show how deep and long they love each other. The erotic scenes were written extremely well and depicted not only the sexual connection between them but also a loving and all encompassing connection that was trusting and deeply emotional.
All in all it was a good first novel by Jane Hardee. I’ll definitely be looking out for what comes next.
3.5 Stars.
November 9, 2016
*The copy provided by NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books Inc. in exchange for an honest review*
This is not necessarily a bad book... I just didn't "feel" it. There wasn't a spark for me, there wasn't those long awaited moments for them to happen - instead, I kind of had a feeling the book was dragging through the pages... Also, I wasn't very fond of the characters - to me, they appeared immature, insecure; it was almost like reading a YA romance with those "first ones".
This is not necessarily a bad book... I just didn't "feel" it. There wasn't a spark for me, there wasn't those long awaited moments for them to happen - instead, I kind of had a feeling the book was dragging through the pages... Also, I wasn't very fond of the characters - to me, they appeared immature, insecure; it was almost like reading a YA romance with those "first ones".
December 3, 2016
Michael and Jess are best friends, have been since they were kids. Michael is reluctant to admit her attraction to Jess for fear of losing their friendship which she values deeply. Jess is tired of dating random strangers. She won't settle for sex without a solid relationship. Michael has always been there for her and she values their time together. She is finding it difficult to ignore her attraction to her BFF convinced that Michael thinks of her only as a friend.
The reader must endure a series of misunderstandings, lack of communication, bad timing and inner turmoil before Jess and Michael finally reach a level of exhaustion where they admit their mutual attraction. These women are clearly adults with interesting careers yet thanks to the emphasis placed on their lack of communication the novel has a YA feel to it. So much attraction and confusion and fear of ruining their “friend zone”. It made for a frustrating read. I wanted to shake the two of them and shout “Tell her how you really feel. TELL HER.”.
Which is too bad because I loved this debut author's writing style. The characters were well drawn and the dialogue is powerful and at times poignant. The scenes when the characters reflect on their early years are easy to visualize as are the settings in the rest of the novel. (The safety officer in me still cringes thinking of a sculptor chipping large chunks of marble in bare feet. shudder) Even the pacing is good. It is unfortunate that the circular arguments both women hide behind make this quick read feel drawn out.
Ms. Hardee has talent. With a more complex plot that doesn't fall into tired trope land she will be an author to watch and I look forward to reading her novels in the future.
2.5 stars
ARC received with thanks from Bold Strokes Books for review
The reader must endure a series of misunderstandings, lack of communication, bad timing and inner turmoil before Jess and Michael finally reach a level of exhaustion where they admit their mutual attraction. These women are clearly adults with interesting careers yet thanks to the emphasis placed on their lack of communication the novel has a YA feel to it. So much attraction and confusion and fear of ruining their “friend zone”. It made for a frustrating read. I wanted to shake the two of them and shout “Tell her how you really feel. TELL HER.”.
Which is too bad because I loved this debut author's writing style. The characters were well drawn and the dialogue is powerful and at times poignant. The scenes when the characters reflect on their early years are easy to visualize as are the settings in the rest of the novel. (The safety officer in me still cringes thinking of a sculptor chipping large chunks of marble in bare feet. shudder) Even the pacing is good. It is unfortunate that the circular arguments both women hide behind make this quick read feel drawn out.
Ms. Hardee has talent. With a more complex plot that doesn't fall into tired trope land she will be an author to watch and I look forward to reading her novels in the future.
2.5 stars
ARC received with thanks from Bold Strokes Books for review
December 12, 2016
Communication is key to any relationship, am I right? Whether you are friends, family or lovers, open dialogue is vital to building and maintaining a healthy, solid foundation. In romance books, a common trope is miscommunication/no communication between the two leading ladies. I think this is a delicate balancing act if you too heavy handed, it just leads to the reader’s frustration and basically a lot of eye rolling. Create angst and tension, but don’t make it so unrealistic that it just becomes ridiculous. So how is Capturing Jessica by Jane Hardee, well, let’s just say lots and lots of eye rolling took place during my read.
Michael is a highly revered sculptor that is on the precipice of really landing major contracts. While her art has become wildly popular, her personal life is has intensified up to almost painful levels. She is desperately in love with her childhood best friend, Jess. Unwilling to chance their friendship, for love, Michael buries her feelings and turns to binge drinking when Jess is approached by any would-be suitors.
Jess, is your girl next door type, a sweet, thoughtful elementary teacher who literally everyone adores. Jess feelings for Michael, come about after a night out celebrating a mutual acquaintances birthday. Her feelings become pronounced and she begins to reach out to Michael in a multitude of ways, showing her interest and affection for the artist. Michael has the incite of a door knob and sees none of this, much to Jess’s dismay.
EYE ROLLS like a mo fo! Frustration, frustration and more frustration. The lack of even basic communication between the characters was astounding. You have two emotionally stunted protagonists, one way more than the other mind you, and it became hard to give a damn whether these two find their way to happy ever after. Basically, Jess needed to give Michael a high five, wish her the best and run for the hills.
Michael is a highly revered sculptor that is on the precipice of really landing major contracts. While her art has become wildly popular, her personal life is has intensified up to almost painful levels. She is desperately in love with her childhood best friend, Jess. Unwilling to chance their friendship, for love, Michael buries her feelings and turns to binge drinking when Jess is approached by any would-be suitors.
Jess, is your girl next door type, a sweet, thoughtful elementary teacher who literally everyone adores. Jess feelings for Michael, come about after a night out celebrating a mutual acquaintances birthday. Her feelings become pronounced and she begins to reach out to Michael in a multitude of ways, showing her interest and affection for the artist. Michael has the incite of a door knob and sees none of this, much to Jess’s dismay.
EYE ROLLS like a mo fo! Frustration, frustration and more frustration. The lack of even basic communication between the characters was astounding. You have two emotionally stunted protagonists, one way more than the other mind you, and it became hard to give a damn whether these two find their way to happy ever after. Basically, Jess needed to give Michael a high five, wish her the best and run for the hills.
November 5, 2016
At first I thought to myself, " There is no way that I am going to like this story." I based this on the fact that there seemed to be far too much angst for my tatse, all within the first few chapters. So why 4 stars...?
Seeing as this is a debut novel for the author I was able to forgive the long bouts of self inflicted heartache on the parts of both Michael ( I don't get the male name) and Jess, especially when the chemistry between them was so palpable.
I think the author did a really good job at creating a believable relationship between the main characters and she did a great job at creating supporting characters that were not just there to fill pages but had realistic roles to play.
Although I started reading with scepticism; by the time I had finished reading I was quite pleased with how everything played out and although I wasn't exactly pleased with the use of the clichéd strong silent butch and the sweet and caring femme, I was still able to enjoy the overall story.
Seeing as this is a debut novel for the author I was able to forgive the long bouts of self inflicted heartache on the parts of both Michael ( I don't get the male name) and Jess, especially when the chemistry between them was so palpable.
I think the author did a really good job at creating a believable relationship between the main characters and she did a great job at creating supporting characters that were not just there to fill pages but had realistic roles to play.
Although I started reading with scepticism; by the time I had finished reading I was quite pleased with how everything played out and although I wasn't exactly pleased with the use of the clichéd strong silent butch and the sweet and caring femme, I was still able to enjoy the overall story.
November 5, 2016
This book had so much unfulfilled potential. It got irritating with all the drawn out misunderstandings. When I was halfway through the book I started skimming large sections that were centred around misunderstandings. It was too much and overshadowed the romance. It would have been nice if the author had explored the romantic relationship between the main characters more; instead it was tacked on as short summary at the end. Also there was a lot of telling but the actions of the characters didn't match up. We're told that Michael and Jessica are the best of best friends, but I didn't see that because for most of the book Michael tried to spend as little time as possible with Jessica and she didn't want to hear about any issues Jess had that might make her uncomfortable or jealous. Michael was really self absorbed and selfish.
December 31, 2016
Debut author, Jane Hardee did a really great job for a first go. I had an issue with the story, but the writing was very solid. The book flowed nicely, and the story kept me interested. I actually enjoy books where friends become lovers, probably more than most readers. This being said, I had already “bought in” before the story even began. Hardee did a fantastic job of writing her characters. I really liked both Michael and Jess. I actually liked the characters and thought the writing was good enough, I will read future books by the author.
My issue with this book was what appears to be everyone’s issue with the book. The entire conflict was the fact that two best friends couldn’t communicate effectively. This is actually a really believable story, for a couple of awkward high school kids. The problem is I am an adult. I expect adult conflicts, even if they are weak. I am willing to buy weak conflicts; I read fiction all the time. I will pretend to think they won’t end up together in the end, but this lack of communication and high school drama drove me crazy. I would like to hope if I were in this situation I would have a grownup conversation with the person I cared about and discuss my feelings. Had that conversation happened earlier in the book, problem solved we could have been planning an adoption by the end of this book. Instead I found myself saying things like “unbelievable” and “coward” quite often.
My issue with this book was what appears to be everyone’s issue with the book. The entire conflict was the fact that two best friends couldn’t communicate effectively. This is actually a really believable story, for a couple of awkward high school kids. The problem is I am an adult. I expect adult conflicts, even if they are weak. I am willing to buy weak conflicts; I read fiction all the time. I will pretend to think they won’t end up together in the end, but this lack of communication and high school drama drove me crazy. I would like to hope if I were in this situation I would have a grownup conversation with the person I cared about and discuss my feelings. Had that conversation happened earlier in the book, problem solved we could have been planning an adoption by the end of this book. Instead I found myself saying things like “unbelievable” and “coward” quite often.
September 7, 2020
I’m rounding up a bit... Overall I enjoyed this book and I liked the main characters. I was a little disappointed in the ending. While the secretly in love with your best friend storyline is not atypical in lesfic, I still tend to enjoy the angst and tension that it brings. There was a lot of tension and miscommunication (and just lack of communication) between the main characters. The last communication issue that happened was probably a little too far for my taste which contributed to me not liking the ending as much as the rest of the book. I liked the secondary characters and I wished we had seen more of them, at the end especially. The book wrapped up super quickly right after the MCs finally communicated - I wish the resolution had been a little more fleshed out, or at least just a longer epilogue with the secondary characters in it too.
December 30, 2016
An honest review thanks to Netgalley. I was conflicted about this book; the characters are great, and the love story is sweet and romantic. The problem that I had was that the characters were in their heads way too much. I found myself skipping a lot of pages because of the constant monologue. This would have been much better with more communication all the way around. This was a good debut novel, though, and the secondary characters brought more life into the book. This is a nice sweet read that you will enjoy.
November 25, 2016
This book felt extremely short or maybe I just read it really quickly but the entire book felt like I was getting tiny snippets of a story and then getting yanked away. There was no build up to learn anything meaningful about the characters so when I read their monologues about how much they cared about each other I kind of found myself asking "why?" Nothing is proven by actions only told to the reader.
I know this is the debut book for the author so I think these issues can be solved because the prose weren't bad, relationships, events and motivations needed to be fleshed out more to create a believable narrative.
I actually didn't dislike the book because I could what it could be if given more time to build the characters and relationships. I liked Michael and Jess, I can see the potential of their relationship and funnily enough one of the only parts I enjoyed about the book was the sex scene. But I felt like the author was writing this almost how a romance film narrative is written, with little being able to be shown because of time constraints. A novel can say so much more, so use your words!
*I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review
I know this is the debut book for the author so I think these issues can be solved because the prose weren't bad, relationships, events and motivations needed to be fleshed out more to create a believable narrative.
I actually didn't dislike the book because I could what it could be if given more time to build the characters and relationships. I liked Michael and Jess, I can see the potential of their relationship and funnily enough one of the only parts I enjoyed about the book was the sex scene. But I felt like the author was writing this almost how a romance film narrative is written, with little being able to be shown because of time constraints. A novel can say so much more, so use your words!
*I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review
December 19, 2016
Angst filled drama
If you love angst and constant will she, won't she drama then this book is for you. There is a ton of internal conflict and most of the book is inside the characters heads. The writing is done well but it moved slow and I found myself skipping paragraphs when they were rehashing again why the couldn't be together. I would like to see more from this author because she can write a story. This one seemed to need more of a story then it had so it didn't keep repeating itself.
If you love angst and constant will she, won't she drama then this book is for you. There is a ton of internal conflict and most of the book is inside the characters heads. The writing is done well but it moved slow and I found myself skipping paragraphs when they were rehashing again why the couldn't be together. I would like to see more from this author because she can write a story. This one seemed to need more of a story then it had so it didn't keep repeating itself.
February 24, 2019
Wow, is the word that doesn't even describe how wonderful and moving this book is. The love and despair can be felt to the bone...and the ending....damn so beautiful.
November 26, 2016
My complaints about this book are pretty similar to the others I see in the more negative reviews here. The two main characters were very flat, not particularly fleshed out (and fairly cliched butch/femme stereotypes) and immature. The miscommunication, which I am usually willing to suspend a bit of disbelief for, was just plain silly with angst overpowering common sense a lot of the time. The characters' friendship needed to be a lot more detailed for me to care about them and it.
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