Still

The Shorts #1

by Nia Forrester

In her life, there have only been three lovers. But Leslie doesn’t lament the meager number, she only truly mourns the second one. In her youthful arrogance, she turned him away, thinking there would be many more chances. Now, she lives two lives—one in the present, and another plagued by bittersweet memories of the past.

But maybe, even now, it might be possible to reconcile the two.

Genres: Romance, Novella, Contemporary, African American Romance, Short Stories, Fiction

25 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 15, 2017

About the author

I live in Philadelphia, PA where by day I work on public policy reform, and by night I read authors who move me, and write woman-centered fiction.

Reviews

[Just A Girl With Spirit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this short by Nia Forrester! This is my first read of hers and I am hooked! I loved that the heroine was in her 50’s at the end. Nothing like a good second chance that literally ends leaving you aching for more❤️

[Annette Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still was depressing as hell. Leslie was a sad woman who made bad choices in men. Starting with her husband. Everly was trash. I honestly don't know how Leslie stayed married to that man for 10 years. But, the Lord gave her the blessing in the form of Fleming after Everly died and Leslie screwed that up because she felt like his country boy ways were beneath her. She told him she didn't want to marry him because, she couldn't have kids but Fleming saw straight through that lie. He finally got fed up with Leslie's bougie ways and married another woman. Good for you Fleming! In the end, Leslie ended up with Anthony who was an exact replica of Everly. This character was very dislikeable. I found it hard to feel sorry for Leslie because, she pushed away the one man who loved her and gave her everything she craved emotionally just to end up with a man who treated her like trash because he was familiar. After 10 years, Leslie reaches out to Fleming who is a widower now. From the way the book ended, you can deduce she and Fleming will start their relationship again. Leslie is the epitome of not knowing what you have until it's gone. Throughout this book, Leslie looks back on her time with Fleming with regret because, she realizes she messed up a good thing. And, essentially, that's what this book was really about. Leslie regretted staying in an unhappy marriage for 10 years and allowing her stuck up ways hinder her from having a good and healthy relationship with Fleming. Still is my first book my Nia Forrester. While the book was well written, I can't honestly say I liked it. I really hope the rest of the books in this series are not like Still.

[BetweentheCoversLiterary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing short!

My heart aches for Leslie because I know there are many women whom can relate to the very feelings she had felt... Yet I love a good second chance not many are afforded one and you’re left yearning for the unattainable.

[Mia Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok

A cute quick read. And I do mean quick, lol. Leslie went with her heart after all those years. Good

[Wee Lassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a depressing story with what a sweet end.

[Rovonne Staten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed!

I liked this short a lot, and I would recommend it to anyone like me: starving for more work from Nia Forrester.

[Karen's Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

What if you had taken a leap of faith and lived in the moment? What if you had not judge a book by its cover and actually read and paid attention to the story? That's the questions Leslie is asking herself as she looks back on her life and choices she's made. This is a short story where Leslie trying answer all of these things. I enjoyed where the story was going but it was just a little too short for me.

[Tajuana · Rating 5 out of 5]

By Nia Forrester
Still
Good Lawd Everly was a stiff! I don't even understand how Leslie stayed married to him for all of that time. Ain't no way. With the way that Everly thought, he needed to be by himself or not date outside of Nuns🤷🏾‍♀️. As I continue to read and listen to Leslie tell her story about her past and current relationship,  all I could think about was "Damn, why is she settling? She's not even satisfied nor happy"
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[grey ☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shut up. I’m SOBBING. 😭😭💛

[Princess Queen H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted soooo much more of this! I'm glad she was able to possibly get her forever again <3

[mey · Rating 4 out of 5]

such a great short read with some good life advice,,, MORE

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Close too home

Wow, I can skip therapy after reading this story. Or maybe go more often and work through regrets. Excellent story; looking forward to more stories of couples that are "middle age".

[Vondetta Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leslie tells her story of her life and her loves. At the ripe old age of 49 she realizes that her second love was really her only love. She realizes that what you had may have been what you were looking for all the time. Great short written by Ms Forrester of reflection and admitting the wrong in some of our choices.

Thank you for a great read Ms. Nia. I hope Leslie and Fleming speak to you some more to tell how things progressed in their togetherness..

[AD · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could relate a bit to Bryn.

On a sidenote, the thing I hate about short stories is that the endings are always so open. The thing I love about short stories is that the endings are always so open.

[Leah Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great lunch time read!

Wasn't sure what I expected from the short, but it was good. It was certainly like a tapas. It was a full course, just small. I like it. I would like to know how things turn out with these characters as well.

[Tamika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

well written, short, but well written. A tell of regrets and second chances for the seasoned woman. I so can relate. I don't have the courage the heroine has however. Well done.

[Lee Holden, E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Great read, excellent short story. Leslie lived an unfulfilled life due to her choices and settling. Hopefully, her reconnection with Fleming will make her happy.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

One good short

Disclaimer: I love Nia Forrester!

I have read all but 1 of her books. I skipped her book of shorts. I just don't like shorts or so I thought. Being able to have my heart invested so quickly in the characters is a sign of exemplary writing. This book is clocked at 22 pages—22 pages. It's like a clown car, packed; but is neither a trick nor an illusion.

This is a well-crafted work about love lost and reflection. Many women will relate to Leslie, the main character. Her doubt, sadness and insecurities resonant. But, somehow even with all the melancholy, Forrester allows us to feel Leslie's joy, hope and the happiness swelling in her heart.

Bottom line, this was one good short story.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love short stories--always have. It's a literary form that is often overlooked by today's readers who usually want series or super-long novels. With Still, the first in the Shorts series by Nia Forrester, we get a slice of life story about a second chance at love. The main character, Leslie, is nearing middle age and realises that her life is not what she'd anticipated. She has only had three lovers in her life--her first husband (Everly, who died in a car crash a little after their 10th anniversary), Fleming (who made every part of her sing, but didn't want the same things she wanted) and Anthony (who is so boring that Leslie feels no spark of passion with him).

What we get is a beautifully written short story that takes us into Leslie's inner world and shows us a thoughtful woman who is worried that she has allowed herself to settle instead of allowing herself to be fulfilled. And in this I think we all can relate. There are times when we make decisions that are based on being practical rather than spontaneous or passionate.

I won't spoil the story for you. I will say that if you have never read short stories before, you are in for a treat. Forrester succeeds quite effortlessly in presenting Leslie's life for us with carefully crafted sentences that pique the reader's interest and are wonderfully descriptive without being overwhelming or overwrought.

I am looking forward to the next instalment of the Shorts. I am hooked!

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even more enjoyable the second time! I'd love more of this story.

['The Book Queen' · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice Short

I'm never really sure what kind of surprise this author will have in store for me. This story was in line with her similar gems. This short story was engaging and thoughtful. A nice sweet, short story...

[Edna Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart beats STILL!!!

Omg! Great read! Definitely want more!! Cant wait. Its not over until its over. I really hope love wins for them.

[Teresa Mcmillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still

This was a nice short story. You learn a lot about these characters in a short amount of time. It makes you want more.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short. Simple. Kind of Sad. Sweet.

Okkkaaayyyy so Leslie should've never married Everly or divorced him one because he stifled her and wanted to control her/ he controlled her.

Anthony...... I don't even know why she's with him like at all.

Now F L E M I N G ! 💕 she should've kept that man the first go round because babyyy I could see that he made her happy and brought the best in her, but she was too in her head to enjoy what he was offering and giving her.

[Naika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leslie finds herself reflecting on where she is now in her life, where she once was, and where she would like to be. For the most part, the tone was somber and regretful, until the ending where we see some positive and hopeful possibilities. It was an interesting short story, but when I downloaded it as a KU read, I was looking for a different kind of romance story. For that, I didn’t enjoy it as much. I’m still interested in the author’s backlist, however.

[Crystal Luckey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was of Leslie and her three loves. She had different experiences with each one and after years of being with the third love, she realized something was missing and missed the love from the second one. This was a great short read about love and the different ways you experience it with different people. This was my first read byt this author, but it will not be my last!!!

[Musings of A Romance Junkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Need More!!!

Because there's...Still...more story to tell.

This is a cautionary tale in more ways than one because Leslie never really lived. She just existed. Once for a sorry-ssa husband and again for a sorry-ssa placeholder.

Then there was the one who got away. Those old-ssa names irked me, but, Savannah, he was a good man. A follow-up, please?

[Tina Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm...

"Still" was not your typical Nia Forrester read, yet just as intriguing. My heart went out to Leslie and Fleming as well. If you're looking for a nice simple read that centers around an older couple, don't delay on clicking this one.
T

[Vernell Renee Howard Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

What a story. This reminds me to take charge of my life and make decisions accordingly. To make decisions that will help me live a happy and prosperous life, because many of us don't get second chances. Life is what you make it. Great short story.

[Tynetta Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story of Love

I truly enjoyed the story. It said it was a short story but I didn't it would that short. That is the reason I could not give a perfect score. I needed a little more.