Splintered Courage

by J.E. Sawyer

Gemma Tate's life changed forever the day she confronted an unlikely stranger. After relocating across the country, three new housemates prove to be essential friends she never knew she needed. She explores her attraction to Weston, a fourth housemate who lives across the hall. As their connection strengthens and grows they stumble down the path of first love. In a steamy new world of firsts, Gemma wonders if she will come out unscathed. When ghosts from their past make an unforeseen visit, their lives take a turn neither of them expected.

Gemma

He found me, then he asked the impossible of me. I never expected my choices to lead me to Weston. Can I trust them to find me when I didn't realize I was lost? I know my life will never be the same.

Garret

I finally found her. She has been kept a secret for 18 years. It's time for her to come home. I asked her to follow, if she refuses she's coming anyway.

Weston

I never knew beauty like her's existed. Like gravity, will we stay in balance when our lives are tossed upside down? Does she really even see me, because I see her.

127 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2018

Reviews

[Zoe Skaggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review. Please note that though this may seem harsh, it’s not intended to be rude.

—————

It begins with 18-year old Gemma Tate, who has been living with her mildly possessive grandmother. But after a chapter or two, her father Garett, whom she’s never met, shows up and asks her to go with him to his home in Texas. This seemed rather unrealistic to me. He told her just once, and Gemma got “a feeling” that he was truly her father right away. I don’t believe that anyone would really do this; they would most likely take the time to get to know them first, or completely reject the offer.

After Garett takes Gemma to Texas, Gemma discovers that she will be living in a house full of boys/men. One of them, Weston, is a rather stereotypical “emerald eyed” guy with muscles who falls in love with Gemma right off the bat. They get together and fall completely, totally in love extremely quickly and they decide that they are each other’s true love.

Problem is, Weston’s got an ex. She’s kind of a jerk, and she’s very set on breaking Gemma and Weston up. She doesn’t succeed, but this is a big part of the plot that, frankly, I found annoying.

Near the end of the book, Gemma is mysteriously kidnapped. It’s later revealed that her kidnapper was a brand new character who had absolutely no introduction or anything, but apparently has something to do with Garett (I think). There was no forewarning that this would happen, so you could qualify it as a major plot twist.

The writing style was not my favorite, though I’m sure it would appeal to some readers. Quite a lot of things about this book could generally be improved by a pass through an editor. It has a decent story basis, but it just wasn’t executed very well.

Rating: 3/5

[Ronald Keeler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Splintered Courage by J. E. Sawyer is billed as a new adult contemporary romance according to a statement on its cover. I could not get into the story at all. I cannot think of an audience that this would appeal to. The writing is mechanically good; there are no embarrassing grammar goofs, typos, or formatting problems. The story is good, but it just never takes off. It is as bland as an everyday conversation between two interested parties because more than those two would not be interested.

The best part of the writing involves description. Sawyer takes time to completely describe characters, houses, clothing, restaurants, and scenes in minute detail. I find this exhausting and uninteresting. It is why I don’t use Instagram; I don’t want to see pictures of what people eat. However, this is only my opinion; I am sure that there are readers who like this kind of writing.

In Chapter One Gemma meets her father, Garret Bradford. This is a huge surprise; it would be so for anyone, but it is casually handled here. Gemma not only accepts it, but packs everything she has in a few duffle bags, leaves her job and a rented apartment, informs no one, and leaves North Carolina on a road trip to live with her new-found father in Texas. A father she hasn’t seen in eighteen years. Right.

When the two arrive in Texas, Gemma gets to see her room in the house where she will stay with Dad. The room has a complete bathroom with tub, shower and double sinks, a kitchen, an entertainment area and a walk-in closet bigger than Gemma’s North Carolina apartment. Other bedrooms in the house are similar; the ones occupied by four males, one to a room plus one room for Dad. All males are extraordinarily handsome except for one semi-nerd. We must keep it real here. One of the unattached males causes instant lustful thoughts on the part of Gemma. This is quite a trick since Gemma has yet to experience her first kiss. Right.

All the males in the house are unattached but there is a vengeful ex-girlfriend stalking Weston, Gemma’s crush. Gemma will have to deal with that person which she surely can do. She is a strong woman. Which makes concerns about her fragility hard to believe. Dad kisses Gemma on the head in a very reassuring way every few pages. In junior high school, we would say Weston and Gemma are constantly making “googly eyes” at each other. This was a time before the word got a capital “G” and modified spelling. Everyone else exchanges knowing glances for the next many chapters. Right.

Then there is a killing, one of the most improbable and understated killings I have seen in any genre. Improbably because given the victim’s background and the perpetrator’s training the killing wouldn’t take place. A trained SEAL (not the animal) might carry it off. Understated because there are no investigations of or consequences for the crime. There is not even body disposal. Everyone agrees to walk away and forget it. Right.

This novel is available through Kindle Unlimited or for USD 2.99. I gave it three Amazon stars because it is OK. I may be unfamiliar with this genre. It is a very fast read with 118 pages divided into 28 chapters. It is not a book I want to say negative things about. If this is typical of the genre, I will be careful to avoid the genre in the future. This novel confused me too much.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Splintered Courage, as of right now, is the standalone novel by J.E. Sawyer. I had a difficult time deciding whether I wanted to rate this book 3 or 4 starts. I don’t like rating books three starts. I just struggled to get into it because of some of my own personal preferences. I liked the flow of the story, but I had a difficult time actually getting into it. I think of the reasons that I struggled with getting into the story was Gemma’s early decision to go halfway across the country to Texas with someone that claims is her father. She just drops everything and goes. She thinks about it for like twenty minutes, tops (I am really guessing here!). Quits her full-time job, gives up her apartment even leaving some of her stuff and just goes with him. Some people probably could do this but to me, it isn’t realistic. Another issue that I had was the relationship between Gemma and Weston. I love romance. I like to read about how the romance is built between the characters. In this story, much of the romance happens behind the scenes. While the two are living together in the same house with the other characters, you see very little actual dialogue between Weston and Gemma. There is an instant attraction (which I don’t mind!) but other than them saying “hello” to each other, talking a little bit, and giving each other looks there isn’t much dialogue between them. Then in a couple of chapters, they kiss. It seemed to me that most of the real dialogue is happening behind the scenes. People that don’t mind the romance happening behind the scenes will probably really like this book. For me though, it just made Gemma and Weston’s relationship feel a little flat to me.

I did like this book though, but not as a romance novel. While it isn’t one of my top ten books, I still found it enjoyable. As I mentioned before this book as of right now is a standalone book, but if there were any other books to come out after this I would be willing to read them. I think I would have to get into the mindset that romance wouldn’t be the sole focus of the book. I really enjoyed the family dynamics between Gemma and her father and the other guys that are in the house. The setting is in a small town is explored, but I thought it was nice. I hope that if other books are added that more of the town is included. There are so many unanswered questions that are left at the end of the book. Very little light has been shed on the other character’s backgrounds, even Garret’s background is mainly left in the dark. At the end of the book, you learn a little, but there is so much more to learn.

*I received a copy of the book for review from the author via Voracious Readers Only*

[Jessica Croft · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’m giving this story 2 stars - “It was okay” - for a number of reasons.

Firstly, the concept was okay and I was hooked by the occasional hint that ‘Dad’ is not all that he seems and that there is more to the plot. This wasn’t addressed until the last 10% of the book, by which time I was skim reading, but I get the impression this will pick up a lot in the sequel.

Things I would address:
1. The story is just unbelievable. A daughter packs up her whole life and moves across the country after reflecting on it during dinner... because a random guy claims to be her dad... which is confirmed by his eye colour.
The house is ridiculous and too perfect. It sounds like My Ideal House that I dreamed up when I was 8. The housemates are too perfect. Their garage is also perfect. They seem to have endless amounts of money. 🤷🏼‍♀️
Everyone instantly loves the “reserved” and “cautious” main character... who falls in love with another character herself in a matter of days. After swearing to keep everyone at arms length because she can’t trust nobody but herself. Cause she’s apparently badass. There was also no back story for why Gemma can manage a gun and kill a man with her hands tied behind her back. Literally. She can also allegedly write computer software... with her background of working as a receptionist? Unlikely.
Also a house full of bachelors who can all cook?! And who are impeccably clean and tidy?! If only.

2. The romance is too insta-romance. I need the slow burn, the long build up, the misunderstood signals and reluctant time spent together that results in real relationship in the end. It was cheesy.

3. On a related note, Gemma and Dad fall into the perfect daddy-daughter relationship after mere days. Nay, hours. Forehead kisses, pet names, lots of cuddles and “I love you” should come after building a relationship over months, at least- right?

4. The lack of plot. The first 10% was fast-paced- Gemma meeting her dad and lots of hints at both MC having some sort of super secret, shady alter-ego. The middle 80% was long and uninteresting descriptions of Gemma’s day-to-day life while she madly falls in love. The last 10% is again interesting. The middle section of the novel is just too picture-perfect. Heroes need to overcome actual obstacles throughout the journey before the climax is reached. There were hints of this- a housemate potentially disliking our MC, an ex-girlfriend- but nothing that was written in as long-term drama.

5. The obvious lack of editor. The free copy I received was riddled with spelling and grammatical errors, incorrect word choice and l-o-n-g sections of dialogue. I’m also not convinced of the tense (present or past?) or the position of the narration. There was lots of telling instead of showing- the MC loves to tell us her opinions about herself. Some technical things need addressing.

Overall, I feel that the premise is there. There were moments of clever dialogue or great metaphors (also some baaaaad ones). The blurb was incredibly promising, however I started skimming around half way through as I was just bored. Sadly I won’t be reading the next instalment.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another first person book that seems to be the beginning of a series as that seems to be where the story is left off at.
The story starts out with our main character Gemma, recently graduating from high school as she meets up with her estranged dad (Garrett) that she hasn’t seen in 18 years. And suddenly, he just walks back into her life and asks/practically begs her to live with him in Texas. She agrees, wanting to closer to her father after being not having him in her life for nearly two decades. She doesn't realize just how much her life is going to change.
From the very beginning, it is obvious to the reader that there is something odd about Garrett but the reader just can't figure it out. Throughout the story line, it becomes obvious just how different Garrett and his friends are.
What intrigues me about this book is that each chapter has been written in first person but with different characters. There are three characters that the author switches back and forth with throughout the entire book; Gemma, Garrett and Weston (a friend of Garrett's). The story isn't fast paced at all and at sometimes can feel like it is moving at a snail's pace but it is very well written. The transitions of the different character's point of view are well-written and works for the type to plot that this book has.
At this time I am unsure if I will continue on with this series. I may re-read it to see if it can grab more of my attention but until then, I am unsure.

[Samantha Wynd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the author through Voracious Readers Only in return for an honest review.
First let me state I enjoyed the story. It was easy to read and pulled at the heart strings without being overly soppy and had enough turns to prevent it becoming predictable including a large plot twist towards the end. However I feel that the lack of background or description about the main players makes real connection with them difficult. I understand that as the first novel in a series some characters may develop further on but I feel it needs addressed earlier to encourage reader's to continue on with the next book

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is written in the first person, which I found a little different. I got used to this and the chapter titles indicated which character was speaking or thinking. There were quite a few typos, wrong words and duplicated words. And the worst expletives were just not required. I enjoyed the general storyline and wanted to keep reading to see what happened next. I would be interested to read the next book in the series to fill in some of the unknown details.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.

[Kate Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok. I understand it is part of a series but it was very short and not that much happened. It didn't make me want to read the rest of the books in the series.
It is a genre of book that I would normally read and I am disappointed.
There were a few spelling issues and incorrect words which again was disappointing.
I didn't really get to know the characters as the book was so short.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of Splintered Courage by J.E. Sawyer through Voracious Readers Only and I enjoyed it. It was a great story, interesting and it tugged at the heart strings.
There were some errors in the writing but it did not stop me from enjoying the book. I will look forward to readings the next one.

[Annaleig8 H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book as a complimentary copy through Voracious Readers. At first I thought the book was quite slow to pick up and I struggled to click with the main character Gemma. As I continued reading, I loved the premise of the book, the book overall was good and I’d happily recommended this to anyone. Can’t wait to read other books from J. E Sawyer.

[Georgie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from voracious readers and I was slow to start it but eventually really enjoyed it. I liked how Gemma's relationships developed especially the one with her dad. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes books about developing romances.

[Nicole Bannister · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Enjoyed everything about this book there was nothing I didn't like about the book.I like the writing style, the setting,the plot, the plot twists and the characters in the book were amazing.I would reread this again.

[Maxine Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was gifted this book from voracious readers and it was a good romance, I liked the fact that given how young our heroine was she didn't just jump straight into bed with Weston. The book left lots of dangling questions so I would be interested in reading the next one.

[Hannah Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got a copy of this book free from voracious readers only,

I was absolutely gripped from the start! I really enjoyed reading this book and getting to know bits about each of the characters! I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next story!

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was okay. I liked the characters and their interactions. The editing needs to be improved. There was missing punctuation, duplicated words, missing words, and incorrect words used.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I struggled at first to get into this one with the unrealistic start and consistent grammatical errors but once I was able to look passed that I enjoyed the story very much.

I was given this book to review by Voracious readers

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in return for an honest review. I loved it. Slow build but not too slow. I can't wait to find out more about what happened to Gemma's mother. Thanks.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is something that I was intrigued by and I wanted to find out more of what was going on but the the flow and rhythm didn't stick with me in any significant way. Everything felt a little rushed and I would of liked it more if the relationships were built over a certain amount of time - not just instant chemistry or instant acceptance on her fathers part. Not to say it was a bad story at all, it just didn't do much for me.
But knowing me, I will probably read the next book because I'm curious as to what will happen.

I revived a complimentary copy from voracious readers.

[Jennifer Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received this book free from the author.*

Garret finally found his daughter and wants to keep her close. Having her in Texas with him and his 'family' is more than he could wish for.

"Well Weston, I guess that answers my question. I believe you found Gemma. Gemma...as in my daughter Gemma...my sweet little girl Gemma."

Gemma lived a life sheltered by her grandmother. Her mom passed away and her dad was never around...until he just shows up one day out of the blue. Once her grandmother passed away she was looking forward to being on her own, but how can she pass up the opportunity to get to know her father, especially when he's so eager to have her in his life.

His 'family' though is four other men who all live in the same house and all work together. You only get little glimpses of their personalities so it's hard to fully know them. Except Weston, that is. He feels pulled toward Gemma the moment she entered the house for the first time.

She feels it too. But she's never been around men and everything is new to her. She has to learn how to trust. So does he.

"The green in his shirt makes his eyes dance like balls of kryptonite. That is probably what they will be too, my kryptonite."

But when a past comes to haunt them true feelings will no longer be denied.

Splintered Courage is a slow-paced story that only gets truly interesting toward the end. Once it does though, it goes too quickly and I didn't want it to end. I'm interested to see where the series goes.

[Whitney Theresa June · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with the story behind the story before I had even cracked the book. The author J.E. Sawyer mentions on the back cover how Splintered Courage was started by her Mother before she passed and how J.E. decided to continue the story. I love everything about that and I was very intrigued to start the book. I would love to know the exact point where her mother left off as I felt there was a fluidity between the writing of these two amazing mother-daughter authors.

When I found myself at the end of the book, I was pleasantly surprised by how it had so quickly captured my heart and how I am really looking forward to the second instalment. This was definitely the read I needed at the moment.

If you love a fast paced novel with the perfect amount of love and family with some extra intrigue on the side, this book is definitely for you!

***Copy received from author in exchange for an honest review***

[Energy Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blurb for this was a bit vague, so I wasn't sure what to expect. But once I started reading, I got right into it. Gemma is young but strong, if not a little mistrusting. Having an important man come into her life after all these years is a surprise she stopped realizing she needed.

So when she gets the opportunity to get to know him, it works out well. Especially because she has eyes for Weston, his roommate. Their relationship started off sweet and evolved rather quickly. Weston is great for Emma.

Sawyer did a great job of laying the framework for all of the characters and the setting. There was a good layer of action added into the mix. Splintered Courage is a quick read, one that will have readers anxious to read on to find out what happens next.

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this novel from Voracious Readers Only.
Splintered Courage is a good romance novel.  I don't usually read romances,  but this one caught my attention and I was glad to read it. I liked reading the different chapters through the different character's view points. I found a few grammatical errors but they don't impact the story. I did find it strange that she just goes with Garrett, without checking to make sure he is her dad.  I will definitely be reading more novels by J. E. Sawyer

[Sonia Sandhu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just finished reading this book in about an hour due to it being a quick read. This is the first book in the series and it didn’t seem to go very far. I liked the characters and the way they were set up in the book. I also liked the interactions between father and daughter. The story I believe was set up good but there was no really hook to keep you interested for the long haul. However I feel there more to come and this book didn’t really scratch the surface of the overall story therefore I will continue to the next book and see where it goes.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked it and will definitely purchase the second one. I really liked the characters.
The only weird thing for me is how quickly Gemma jumped to go live with her dad. That didn’t seem quite believable. Other than that I enjoyed it and can’t wait for the next book to come out to see what happens next as there are a few things left “up in the air”.

[Lauren Dare · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of splintered courage from the author for a review for voracious readers. I found the book to be a quick and easy read. The storyline was good but due to size of novel not a whole lot of time to build on the characters. It was still enjoyable enough and might need to read others in the series to see how it all ends.

[Mandy Grepares · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy from the author via Voracious Readers Only.

I really loved this story! You keep wanting to know more as the story progresses. Gemma and Weston are amazing together. It was first love for both of them and I loved seeing them fall for each other. Highly recommend!

[Kranna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book. It is about family daughter and her father reuniting after many years and then the father having made a family of his own that are not blood related and she falls in love with one of the guys all in all it was a very good book.

[Amanda Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written. Keeps you hooked until the end!

[DLV · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a Complimentary Copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only.
This book has a sweet story!!
The plot has a good pace.
This book is Great book for a trip.