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Fox River Romance #2
Fierce Grace
Annabelle Dare is in a good place. She landed a sweet job, along side her best friend, teaching at the quaint Fox River Elementary School. She has everything she needs: teaching music to the sometimes beastly children she loves, sharing an apartment with her best friend and their fancy new retro sofa. A simple life she’s convinced is all she needs.
Asher Grace knows who he is and what he has to offer. Nothing. Poor boy from the wrong side of town, steel worker, with too much weight on his shoulders as it is trying to hold his family together. He knows his life is no place for a good girl. It’s why he never gets to know a girl beyond a mutual good time. It’s why he draws a hard line between his family and the rest of the world, doing all he can to protect the ones he loves. It’s most certainly why he avoids too sweet for her own good Annabelle at all costs.
Annabelle falls in love with the way she comes to life with Asher. He awakens a hunger for life and love in her that she didn’t know she possessed. He pulls her up out of the Land of Survival she’d lived in since she was a young girl. Asher must learn his worth beyond his upbringing and his past. Annabelle must learn to stoke the fire of life as it burns within her and learn how close she can get before the flames lick her.
Note: In Fierce Grace you will revisit the town of Fox River, NC and a few of the characters from The Guilt of a Sparrow - but this is a stand alone novel with all new characters introduced as well.
Asher Grace knows who he is and what he has to offer. Nothing. Poor boy from the wrong side of town, steel worker, with too much weight on his shoulders as it is trying to hold his family together. He knows his life is no place for a good girl. It’s why he never gets to know a girl beyond a mutual good time. It’s why he draws a hard line between his family and the rest of the world, doing all he can to protect the ones he loves. It’s most certainly why he avoids too sweet for her own good Annabelle at all costs.
Annabelle falls in love with the way she comes to life with Asher. He awakens a hunger for life and love in her that she didn’t know she possessed. He pulls her up out of the Land of Survival she’d lived in since she was a young girl. Asher must learn his worth beyond his upbringing and his past. Annabelle must learn to stoke the fire of life as it burns within her and learn how close she can get before the flames lick her.
Note: In Fierce Grace you will revisit the town of Fox River, NC and a few of the characters from The Guilt of a Sparrow - but this is a stand alone novel with all new characters introduced as well.
- GenresRomance
188 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 3, 2018
37 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
About the author
Jess B. Moore
8 books145 followersJess B. Moore is a writer of love stories. When she’s not writing, she’s busy mothering her accomplished and headstrong children, reading obscene numbers of books, and knitting scarves she’ll likely never finish.
Jess lives in small town North Carolina with her bluegrass obsessed family. She takes too many pictures of her cats, thinking the Internet loves them as much as she does. She is a firm believer of swapping stories over coffee or wine, and that there should always be dark chocolate involved.
The Fox River Romance novels combine her interests in family, music, and small towns into a thoughtful tales of growing up and falling in love. These books can be read as stand-alone, or as a series starting with The Guilt of a Sparrow.
Follow Jess on social media @authorjessb
Please consider leaving a review to let other readers know what you think!
Jess lives in small town North Carolina with her bluegrass obsessed family. She takes too many pictures of her cats, thinking the Internet loves them as much as she does. She is a firm believer of swapping stories over coffee or wine, and that there should always be dark chocolate involved.
The Fox River Romance novels combine her interests in family, music, and small towns into a thoughtful tales of growing up and falling in love. These books can be read as stand-alone, or as a series starting with The Guilt of a Sparrow.
Follow Jess on social media @authorjessb
Please consider leaving a review to let other readers know what you think!
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 4, 2018
Favorite Quotes:
He was six-two to Kendra’s five-eleven and three-quarters. She didn’t claim six foot when we all knew it was closer to the truth.
I couldn’t recall his ever having said my name. Some combination of sleepiness and the dark of nighttime had me swooning over silly nonsense like the way my name sounded coming off his delectable lips. Modern women did not swoon. The word shouldn’t be in my vocabulary. Yet, there I sat, swooning.
The world blurred past us, but not so fast I couldn’t catch it. In no time I realized I was having fun. Shocking to my system as it was, I realized I enjoyed the ride. I was awake. Alive. When was the last time I was fully awake and alive in my life? I couldn’t remember. For the first time it didn’t seem like a good thing to expend so much time on being safe.
He offered me his hand and a smile… A smile that promised a lack of safety, only fire and a strong risk of getting burned.
Messing up the important things seems to be imprinted in my DNA.
My Review:
Jess B. Moore’s second verse was as good as her first. Fierce Grace features the same small-town southern community as her stunning debut Guilt of a Sparrow, but with a mostly new cast of players. I was fascinated, intrigued, and enamored with all of them. Despite my typical tendency to eschew angsty reads, I don’t seem to mind hers, as Ms. Moore’s artful arrangements of words constitute a unique and special art form that is well tempered with humor and thoughtful insights. The writing was emotive, with captivating characters and intriguing and engaging storylines. My curiosity for one brother remained unquenched and left me with an itch for more. This will require further study and in-depth research of all future offerings from this incredibly talented scribe.
He was six-two to Kendra’s five-eleven and three-quarters. She didn’t claim six foot when we all knew it was closer to the truth.
I couldn’t recall his ever having said my name. Some combination of sleepiness and the dark of nighttime had me swooning over silly nonsense like the way my name sounded coming off his delectable lips. Modern women did not swoon. The word shouldn’t be in my vocabulary. Yet, there I sat, swooning.
The world blurred past us, but not so fast I couldn’t catch it. In no time I realized I was having fun. Shocking to my system as it was, I realized I enjoyed the ride. I was awake. Alive. When was the last time I was fully awake and alive in my life? I couldn’t remember. For the first time it didn’t seem like a good thing to expend so much time on being safe.
He offered me his hand and a smile… A smile that promised a lack of safety, only fire and a strong risk of getting burned.
Messing up the important things seems to be imprinted in my DNA.
My Review:
Jess B. Moore’s second verse was as good as her first. Fierce Grace features the same small-town southern community as her stunning debut Guilt of a Sparrow, but with a mostly new cast of players. I was fascinated, intrigued, and enamored with all of them. Despite my typical tendency to eschew angsty reads, I don’t seem to mind hers, as Ms. Moore’s artful arrangements of words constitute a unique and special art form that is well tempered with humor and thoughtful insights. The writing was emotive, with captivating characters and intriguing and engaging storylines. My curiosity for one brother remained unquenched and left me with an itch for more. This will require further study and in-depth research of all future offerings from this incredibly talented scribe.
November 8, 2018
5☆ A Warm, Compelling and Passionate Read.
This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone perfectly fine.
I adore the cover for Fierce Grace, it's intriguing and really caught my attention.
Fierce Grace is a fabulous story of finding love, finding oneself, friendships, Drama, relationships and overcoming insecurities and fears.
Annabelle works as a school teacher at the local Elementary school with her best friend Kendra.
There is only one thing Annabelle Loves more than music and that is the local ladies Man..... Asher!
Asher is Kendra's Boyfriend, best friend.
But up until now Asher hasn't even acknowledged Annabelle exists..... that is until he gives her a ride home on his motorbike.
What follows next is a passionate and emotional love affair between them as they figure each other out, bundled together with their insecurities, jealousy, steamy hot chemistry, and passion..... but can it last?
Annabelle isn't the most confident or social person. She has alot of insecurities and never feels worthy of Romance or love. She's shy but when she's with Asher he ignites her fire and she radiates.
Asher comes across as a possessive, jealous, ladies man.
But there is clearly signs of vulnerability.
He hasn't had the best upbringing and protects his family and by doing so protects his heart.
Previously he has a reputation for sleeping around, but with Annabelle she brings out this shy, awkward, passionate, protective side who yearns to be loved by her.
Jess has this way of connecting the reader to the characters, I could feel and relate to Annabelle. I felt as if I was living her journey with her. As she grew in confidence. Which I loved.
Fierce Grace is a beautifully compelling, Passionate, tantalising and ultimately very satisfying read.
I loved the writing style, it really caught my attention, it was fluid and captivating I devoured it in one day.
All of the characters are strong, relatable and very likeable i couldn't help routing for them to suceed.
If your looking for a Feel Good Contemporary Romance that's Warm, Compelling, Emotional, Character Driven and Witty, then.....
I..... 100%.... recommend reading this Gorgeous Book.
It was simply a Joy to Read!
Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/1...
This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone perfectly fine.
I adore the cover for Fierce Grace, it's intriguing and really caught my attention.
Fierce Grace is a fabulous story of finding love, finding oneself, friendships, Drama, relationships and overcoming insecurities and fears.
Annabelle works as a school teacher at the local Elementary school with her best friend Kendra.
There is only one thing Annabelle Loves more than music and that is the local ladies Man..... Asher!
Asher is Kendra's Boyfriend, best friend.
But up until now Asher hasn't even acknowledged Annabelle exists..... that is until he gives her a ride home on his motorbike.
What follows next is a passionate and emotional love affair between them as they figure each other out, bundled together with their insecurities, jealousy, steamy hot chemistry, and passion..... but can it last?
Annabelle isn't the most confident or social person. She has alot of insecurities and never feels worthy of Romance or love. She's shy but when she's with Asher he ignites her fire and she radiates.
Asher comes across as a possessive, jealous, ladies man.
But there is clearly signs of vulnerability.
He hasn't had the best upbringing and protects his family and by doing so protects his heart.
Previously he has a reputation for sleeping around, but with Annabelle she brings out this shy, awkward, passionate, protective side who yearns to be loved by her.
Jess has this way of connecting the reader to the characters, I could feel and relate to Annabelle. I felt as if I was living her journey with her. As she grew in confidence. Which I loved.
Fierce Grace is a beautifully compelling, Passionate, tantalising and ultimately very satisfying read.
I loved the writing style, it really caught my attention, it was fluid and captivating I devoured it in one day.
All of the characters are strong, relatable and very likeable i couldn't help routing for them to suceed.
If your looking for a Feel Good Contemporary Romance that's Warm, Compelling, Emotional, Character Driven and Witty, then.....
I..... 100%.... recommend reading this Gorgeous Book.
It was simply a Joy to Read!
Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/1...
November 6, 2018
A beautifully told intimate story about love....
This is the type of story you don’t just read you live! You take every breath and feel every emotion with these characters.... A definite character driven story that will worm its way into your heart...
This is a quiet story about Annabel and Asher... two lost souls trying to find their way, but should it be together or apart? Told completely from Annabelle‘s perspective we really saw her emotional struggles through this relationship... her Hope, her insecurities, and her love... because we didn’t get Asher’s perspective he was a bit of a mystery.... I was never quite sure where he was coming from? I really wanted things to work out for Annabelle, but I wasn’t always convince her best choice was Asher....
This is an exquisitely told romance with some swoon and some sizzle... A bit of a character study... if you’re like me and like to get under the skin and into the mind of your characters you will absolutely love this book!
Recommend to Fans of Romances that take place in charming settings that are filled with wonderful well develops characters💕
This is the type of story you don’t just read you live! You take every breath and feel every emotion with these characters.... A definite character driven story that will worm its way into your heart...
This is a quiet story about Annabel and Asher... two lost souls trying to find their way, but should it be together or apart? Told completely from Annabelle‘s perspective we really saw her emotional struggles through this relationship... her Hope, her insecurities, and her love... because we didn’t get Asher’s perspective he was a bit of a mystery.... I was never quite sure where he was coming from? I really wanted things to work out for Annabelle, but I wasn’t always convince her best choice was Asher....
This is an exquisitely told romance with some swoon and some sizzle... A bit of a character study... if you’re like me and like to get under the skin and into the mind of your characters you will absolutely love this book!
Recommend to Fans of Romances that take place in charming settings that are filled with wonderful well develops characters💕
November 4, 2018
This is the second book by Jess B. Moore set in Fox River, a small town on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains and some of the characters from The Guilt of the Sparrow make cameo appearances but this is a whole new story focusing on a different set of central characters so it is effectively a standalone novel and can be read and enjoyed as such by anyone.
What it does have in common with the first book is that it is a character-driven story that deals with the internal, emotional lives of two people, Annabelle and Asher, who are starting out in a relationship and how they explore and develop that relationship in the midst of pressures from their families and histories. As such, there are no major dramas or huge happenings in the book. It is a story about the small, ordinary lives of real people.
Jess is brilliant at drawing characters and really delving into their psyches and pulling out what makes them tick for us the examine and understand. The people come alive on the page and the reader is able to get right under their skin and explore their thoughts and emotions, live their experiences right along with them. Her writing is very powerful and for people who are interested in the psychology of human behaviour and like this kind of story, this is as intimate as writing gets and it can’t fail to move you.
But…and I hate that there is a but because I wanted to love this book as much as the first one …but I didn’t. There was something blocking me from falling in love with this book and I have thought hard about what it is before sitting down to write the review. I think part of it is that the first book was written from the perspective of both protagonists and this was what made me so involved in their story, as we could see it develop from both sides and it felt extremely intimate. In this book, we only get Annabelle’s perspective. I thought maybe I just didn’t relate to Annabelle as much, and this probably was part of it.; I just didn’t get her, I don’t think. For someone supposedly so independent, she seemed a little weak and needy and I couldn’t quite buy in to the fact that this was all caused by unaccustomed vulnerability due to love. It just didn’t quite ring true. I believe my main problem, though, was that this relationship didn’t feel like a particularly healthy one, especially for Annabelle. Even her friend, Kendra, expresses this concern multiple times, right to the very end of the book, so it was obviously something the writer was conscious of and I am just not a fan of books portraying women willingly staying in unhealthy, unbalanced relationships. I don’t find it appealing or romantic, particularly in a modern, rather than historical, setting.
It may have helped if we could get a better handle on Asher’s perspective, as in the first book with Cotton, but we only get Annabelle’s interpretation of what Asher is thinking, which is inevitably skewed. I am sure the writer had a different take on his feelings which just didn’t translate through into the book for me. I also understand that this is just my interpretation of the book and how I felt about it. The literary canon is littered with books where there are romances between unequal partners that people adore. It just doesn’t suit my tastes in a modern setting, I’m afraid.
There is no doubt that this book is beautifully written and the characters vividly brought to life and their emotions explored. I loved the setting again, and a lot of the subsidiary characters are fascinating and I hope Jess returns to Fox River to explore some of their stories further. I am sure many people will love the central relationship in this book, and maybe read it and find a different perspective on it and reaction to it, this is a very personal response. I also think that I maybe I had too high expectations after my reaction to book one which were possibly never going to be met. You should definitely read this book and be your own judge. The story held me throughout, it just didn’t worm its way into my heart this time.
What it does have in common with the first book is that it is a character-driven story that deals with the internal, emotional lives of two people, Annabelle and Asher, who are starting out in a relationship and how they explore and develop that relationship in the midst of pressures from their families and histories. As such, there are no major dramas or huge happenings in the book. It is a story about the small, ordinary lives of real people.
Jess is brilliant at drawing characters and really delving into their psyches and pulling out what makes them tick for us the examine and understand. The people come alive on the page and the reader is able to get right under their skin and explore their thoughts and emotions, live their experiences right along with them. Her writing is very powerful and for people who are interested in the psychology of human behaviour and like this kind of story, this is as intimate as writing gets and it can’t fail to move you.
But…and I hate that there is a but because I wanted to love this book as much as the first one …but I didn’t. There was something blocking me from falling in love with this book and I have thought hard about what it is before sitting down to write the review. I think part of it is that the first book was written from the perspective of both protagonists and this was what made me so involved in their story, as we could see it develop from both sides and it felt extremely intimate. In this book, we only get Annabelle’s perspective. I thought maybe I just didn’t relate to Annabelle as much, and this probably was part of it.; I just didn’t get her, I don’t think. For someone supposedly so independent, she seemed a little weak and needy and I couldn’t quite buy in to the fact that this was all caused by unaccustomed vulnerability due to love. It just didn’t quite ring true. I believe my main problem, though, was that this relationship didn’t feel like a particularly healthy one, especially for Annabelle. Even her friend, Kendra, expresses this concern multiple times, right to the very end of the book, so it was obviously something the writer was conscious of and I am just not a fan of books portraying women willingly staying in unhealthy, unbalanced relationships. I don’t find it appealing or romantic, particularly in a modern, rather than historical, setting.
It may have helped if we could get a better handle on Asher’s perspective, as in the first book with Cotton, but we only get Annabelle’s interpretation of what Asher is thinking, which is inevitably skewed. I am sure the writer had a different take on his feelings which just didn’t translate through into the book for me. I also understand that this is just my interpretation of the book and how I felt about it. The literary canon is littered with books where there are romances between unequal partners that people adore. It just doesn’t suit my tastes in a modern setting, I’m afraid.
There is no doubt that this book is beautifully written and the characters vividly brought to life and their emotions explored. I loved the setting again, and a lot of the subsidiary characters are fascinating and I hope Jess returns to Fox River to explore some of their stories further. I am sure many people will love the central relationship in this book, and maybe read it and find a different perspective on it and reaction to it, this is a very personal response. I also think that I maybe I had too high expectations after my reaction to book one which were possibly never going to be met. You should definitely read this book and be your own judge. The story held me throughout, it just didn’t worm its way into my heart this time.
November 4, 2018
I was so excited about this book because I loved "The Guilt of a Sparrow" and I knew I would loved this one too. I was right. An engaging storyline full of amazing moments and two main characters that made me love the book so much because of their interactions and their personality.
Jess B. Moore's writing style is fantastic, she can make us connect with the characters by writing in a captivating and intriguing way that makes the storyline emotional, genuine and real.
From Annabelle and Asher to all the secondary characters in this story, they are well developed characters, but there is still room for growth and that made it so exciting to read the next page, and the next page and the page, until I could understand them. Plus, this book had the same feeling as the previous one, that familiar feeling, and the feeling like I was their friends. Which made me connect with the characters and I liked that because I felt closer to them.
I love Annabelle from the start, I felt like I could relate to her in some ways. And I liked Asher too. I think they complemented each other well, and that just made me wonder about their future from chapter to chapter, since I was rooting for them to have happiness in the end.
Overall, this book could be a standalone, but I recommend you guys read the previous book. You will find a small-town community with amazingly well written characters, that make the book felt like reality, plus a well balanced flow and storyline that gave as much importance to the plot as the off scenes, with humor and thoughtful moments.
[I want to thank Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, and Jess for the eCopy of this book and for allowing me to join in the fun and by being a part of the blog tour with my honest review of the book.]
Jess B. Moore's writing style is fantastic, she can make us connect with the characters by writing in a captivating and intriguing way that makes the storyline emotional, genuine and real.
From Annabelle and Asher to all the secondary characters in this story, they are well developed characters, but there is still room for growth and that made it so exciting to read the next page, and the next page and the page, until I could understand them. Plus, this book had the same feeling as the previous one, that familiar feeling, and the feeling like I was their friends. Which made me connect with the characters and I liked that because I felt closer to them.
I love Annabelle from the start, I felt like I could relate to her in some ways. And I liked Asher too. I think they complemented each other well, and that just made me wonder about their future from chapter to chapter, since I was rooting for them to have happiness in the end.
Overall, this book could be a standalone, but I recommend you guys read the previous book. You will find a small-town community with amazingly well written characters, that make the book felt like reality, plus a well balanced flow and storyline that gave as much importance to the plot as the off scenes, with humor and thoughtful moments.
[I want to thank Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, and Jess for the eCopy of this book and for allowing me to join in the fun and by being a part of the blog tour with my honest review of the book.]
November 1, 2018
Fierce Grace (Ardent #2)
By Jess B. Moore
5 stars
Reviewed on behalf of 3 Degrees of Fiction Book Blog
Having read book 1 in this series I was really looking forward to reading the second book and I wasn’t disappointed. I enjoyed re-visiting some of the previous character and also meeting the new ones – Annabelle and Asher.
I really liked both of the characters but I think in particular Asher. There was just something about him that drew me to him straight away. I personally thought they made a perfect couple and I was rooting for them the whole way through. They seemed to have a genuine connection and the way in which the author write about them brought them to life – almost like I was right there with them in the story.
Again as with the first book I found the story to be well written and it had a good pace and flow to it. The characters were well developed and it could be read as a standalone however I would definitely recommend reading book 1 as well.
A fantastic second novel by Jess B. Moore and I look forward to reading more from her again in the future.
By Jess B. Moore
5 stars
Reviewed on behalf of 3 Degrees of Fiction Book Blog
Having read book 1 in this series I was really looking forward to reading the second book and I wasn’t disappointed. I enjoyed re-visiting some of the previous character and also meeting the new ones – Annabelle and Asher.
I really liked both of the characters but I think in particular Asher. There was just something about him that drew me to him straight away. I personally thought they made a perfect couple and I was rooting for them the whole way through. They seemed to have a genuine connection and the way in which the author write about them brought them to life – almost like I was right there with them in the story.
Again as with the first book I found the story to be well written and it had a good pace and flow to it. The characters were well developed and it could be read as a standalone however I would definitely recommend reading book 1 as well.
A fantastic second novel by Jess B. Moore and I look forward to reading more from her again in the future.
November 13, 2018
https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...
I am really glad that I was introduced to this author as the books I have read by her so far I have really, really enjoyed!
I enjoyed the plot with this one and I thought that the characters worked really well within the story and they were very well developed. They are quite different and I enjoyed reading their interaction and seeing their relationship develop as the book progressed and they found out more about themselves.
This is the second book in the series but it is fine to read as a stand alone.
Four stars from me for this one – highly recommended!
I am really glad that I was introduced to this author as the books I have read by her so far I have really, really enjoyed!
I enjoyed the plot with this one and I thought that the characters worked really well within the story and they were very well developed. They are quite different and I enjoyed reading their interaction and seeing their relationship develop as the book progressed and they found out more about themselves.
This is the second book in the series but it is fine to read as a stand alone.
Four stars from me for this one – highly recommended!
April 13, 2019
This was a great second installment in the Fox River Romance series of books by Jess Moore. While reading Guilt of a Sparrow isn't a requirement for enjoying this book, it certainly adds to the story. The book is thoughtfully written and filled with just enough sexual tension to keep you glued to the pages until the end. A sweet story (with an edge) that follows Jess' writing style and concludes with a happy ending. What more could you want in a romance novel?
December 6, 2018
Fierce Grace Indeed!
Fierce Grace is an emotional rollercoaster that you won’t want to get off. The characters are brilliantly written. They’re raw and real, and that’s what makes them so wonderful. They deal with the ups and downs of finding love and learning that family isn’t always picked for you by blood, but that sometimes family is the people who fall into place around you.
Fierce Grace is an emotional rollercoaster that you won’t want to get off. The characters are brilliantly written. They’re raw and real, and that’s what makes them so wonderful. They deal with the ups and downs of finding love and learning that family isn’t always picked for you by blood, but that sometimes family is the people who fall into place around you.
September 8, 2019
Intense chemistry between the protagonist and hero. A beautiful friendship between two women. Lots of emotion and flaws. This was a memorable read.
May 13, 2020
This is Asher and Annabelle’s story. It definitely has some back an forth intensity. Asher took me on a bit of a roller coaster ride of emotions and I wasn’t sure he was always likable. Maybe that is the brilliance of this author, causing that added angst.
Annabelle had this sadness about her and she appears to be trying to find her way. I think the times Asher has a loving gentleness with her is when he redeemed himself.
It is almost unfair that I binge read this series because I liked this book but it wasn’t my favorite. Having said that, you need to read them all. Yes I am a series chick. Yes I also always have favs in them. Eek. Ok Happy Reading Everyone!
Annabelle had this sadness about her and she appears to be trying to find her way. I think the times Asher has a loving gentleness with her is when he redeemed himself.
It is almost unfair that I binge read this series because I liked this book but it wasn’t my favorite. Having said that, you need to read them all. Yes I am a series chick. Yes I also always have favs in them. Eek. Ok Happy Reading Everyone!
May 9, 2022
Severe warning signs of possible abuse
I did enjoy reading this book. I read it in half a day and it kept my interest.
However, the boyfriend in this romance shows extremely worrisome signs of abusive behavior. He never abuses the heroine, but he loses his cool and violently responds by punching walls. Additionally, he is hyper jealous, fights family members and another man she tries to date. He spends weeks hounding her despite her clear refusal to speak to him. The final showdown she runs at him and bodily turns him from attacking her date.
This is not a good sign. It is POSSIBLE that this man will turn away from abuse. But, it's not probable. I would strenuously recommend that he get an appointment with a therapist and take anger management classes. The young woman needs to cut contact for a recommended time while he works to break his pattern of behavior. Nine times out of 10, this behavior will absolutely escalate and end in domestic violence.
Reading this book felt like authorial malpractice. There is no way any young person should believe that the ending is an ok situation. I had wanted a cute, fun read, but I am left in serious worry for someone who thinks this relationship is a healthy model.
It isn't. If the author truly wanted to write about such a haunted young man and a similarly haunted young woman, then she should have depicted two young people putting their lives together after harrowing childhoods. Or she could write a book depicting the real-life consequences of ignoring these signs of violence.
At some points in the story the author seems aware that this man is a serious danger and she tries to imply that his violence is in the past. But, that only makes it worse because it means that she's aware of the problem yet doesn't show any of the necessary hard work that he must put into changing his behavior. Particularly since his behavior gets out of control and doesn't appear to be "in the past" at all.
The setting is lovely and the main characters are well written. But this book has a serious problem, much like her leading man. 🤨
I did enjoy reading this book. I read it in half a day and it kept my interest.
However, the boyfriend in this romance shows extremely worrisome signs of abusive behavior. He never abuses the heroine, but he loses his cool and violently responds by punching walls. Additionally, he is hyper jealous, fights family members and another man she tries to date. He spends weeks hounding her despite her clear refusal to speak to him. The final showdown she runs at him and bodily turns him from attacking her date.
This is not a good sign. It is POSSIBLE that this man will turn away from abuse. But, it's not probable. I would strenuously recommend that he get an appointment with a therapist and take anger management classes. The young woman needs to cut contact for a recommended time while he works to break his pattern of behavior. Nine times out of 10, this behavior will absolutely escalate and end in domestic violence.
Reading this book felt like authorial malpractice. There is no way any young person should believe that the ending is an ok situation. I had wanted a cute, fun read, but I am left in serious worry for someone who thinks this relationship is a healthy model.
It isn't. If the author truly wanted to write about such a haunted young man and a similarly haunted young woman, then she should have depicted two young people putting their lives together after harrowing childhoods. Or she could write a book depicting the real-life consequences of ignoring these signs of violence.
At some points in the story the author seems aware that this man is a serious danger and she tries to imply that his violence is in the past. But, that only makes it worse because it means that she's aware of the problem yet doesn't show any of the necessary hard work that he must put into changing his behavior. Particularly since his behavior gets out of control and doesn't appear to be "in the past" at all.
The setting is lovely and the main characters are well written. But this book has a serious problem, much like her leading man. 🤨
December 3, 2024
I was surprised to read the author's bio at the end of the book and learn she's a full-fledged adult with children. Asher and Annabelle's relationship proceeded as if it were written by a starry-eyed 17yo. The sudden rush of feeling at being pursued by the bad boy is one thing, but his nearly coming to blows when he saw her innocently dancing with someone else? His getting into a fistfight with his brother when he insulted her—then suggesting the brother had a point? And crashing her date, insisting they were still together when they clearly weren't? None of those things are romantic, they are manipulative and emotionally immature.
I did enjoy the descriptions of the bluegrass evenings and the conversations about music and instruments. That saved this from being a one-star review. The book would have been much better if the two of them had actually talked more, got deeper into the trauma they each experienced in their families of origin, and maybe encouraged one another to go to therapy.
I did enjoy the descriptions of the bluegrass evenings and the conversations about music and instruments. That saved this from being a one-star review. The book would have been much better if the two of them had actually talked more, got deeper into the trauma they each experienced in their families of origin, and maybe encouraged one another to go to therapy.
November 18, 2018
The first thing that struck me about this book was of course – the cover! How utterly gorgeous, girly and eye-catching is that!
The next thing was the easy-to-read flow of this narrative – a sign of really good writing when the story just effortlessly moves along.
The chemistry between Annabelle and Asher just jumps off the page and we can easily picture the love affair between them panning out. The insecurities, the jealousies, the chemistry, the passion.
A beautifully written book about finding love and learning to love yourself.
The next thing was the easy-to-read flow of this narrative – a sign of really good writing when the story just effortlessly moves along.
The chemistry between Annabelle and Asher just jumps off the page and we can easily picture the love affair between them panning out. The insecurities, the jealousies, the chemistry, the passion.
A beautifully written book about finding love and learning to love yourself.
December 9, 2018
Sweet romance
Jess B Moore cleverly draws the reader into the story of Annabelle and Asher. The small town with weekly bluegrass jams is a place I’d love to live. Steamy without the X rating, the relationship encounters more realistic hurdles than many modern romances and touches on real issues. The support characters are also well developed. A great read! I am looking forward to the next release by this author.
Jess B Moore cleverly draws the reader into the story of Annabelle and Asher. The small town with weekly bluegrass jams is a place I’d love to live. Steamy without the X rating, the relationship encounters more realistic hurdles than many modern romances and touches on real issues. The support characters are also well developed. A great read! I am looking forward to the next release by this author.
December 10, 2018
As soon as I got this tour in my email inbox I knew I had to read it. Especially after reading and loving The Guilt of a Sparrow (review can be found here). This was a very quick read but oh my it didn’t disappoint.
It was fast and fiery, full of passion and desire. Annabelle was probably the best character for me. She came across as this naïve little school teacher that never wanted to get involved, to this passion filled woman that just blossomed as the book went on. She really came into herself as the book went on, she bloomed and flowered.
Asher at the start was most definitely without a doubt a playboy. Didn’t want to get attached or be attached but he soon opens his mouth and a can of worms is released. He is very fierce and can be quite an angry, jealous person. But he has to keep this under control.
My favourite character had to be Emily. She was like a breath of fresh air and she told it how it was. No beating round the bush with this kid I tell ya! She’s fantastic and makes the book a little comical too.
I was quite sad when the book ended with not being able to find out more about Brandt and what has made him the way he is and why people are best off staying well away from him. I’m hoping Jess will continue this story in more of this series. But just enough of Annabelle and Asher’s story was told and I thought their story ended perfectly.
Bring on the next one! I’ve given this book a steamy 5/5 rating and definitely has to be one of my favourite series of the year.
It was fast and fiery, full of passion and desire. Annabelle was probably the best character for me. She came across as this naïve little school teacher that never wanted to get involved, to this passion filled woman that just blossomed as the book went on. She really came into herself as the book went on, she bloomed and flowered.
Asher at the start was most definitely without a doubt a playboy. Didn’t want to get attached or be attached but he soon opens his mouth and a can of worms is released. He is very fierce and can be quite an angry, jealous person. But he has to keep this under control.
My favourite character had to be Emily. She was like a breath of fresh air and she told it how it was. No beating round the bush with this kid I tell ya! She’s fantastic and makes the book a little comical too.
I was quite sad when the book ended with not being able to find out more about Brandt and what has made him the way he is and why people are best off staying well away from him. I’m hoping Jess will continue this story in more of this series. But just enough of Annabelle and Asher’s story was told and I thought their story ended perfectly.
Bring on the next one! I’ve given this book a steamy 5/5 rating and definitely has to be one of my favourite series of the year.
December 24, 2024
This is the newly revised edition of Fierce Grace!
Only minor changes to the story, and a fresh new cover.
I won't leave a review, since I'm totally biased, but this is what other authors have said:
Fierce Grace is a story both sweet and steamy, I didn't want it to end. A romance novel you won't soon forget. -Aimee Brown, author of The Lucky Dress
Fierce Grace is everything I am coming to expect from Jess B Moore - sweet, romantic yet with a keen observational wit that make her books true, warm and wise. She writes from the heart and I guarantee she will capture yours with her gorgeous characters, adorable settings and eloquent style. - Megan Mayfair, author of The Things We Leave Unsaid
Only minor changes to the story, and a fresh new cover.
I won't leave a review, since I'm totally biased, but this is what other authors have said:
Fierce Grace is a story both sweet and steamy, I didn't want it to end. A romance novel you won't soon forget. -Aimee Brown, author of The Lucky Dress
Fierce Grace is everything I am coming to expect from Jess B Moore - sweet, romantic yet with a keen observational wit that make her books true, warm and wise. She writes from the heart and I guarantee she will capture yours with her gorgeous characters, adorable settings and eloquent style. - Megan Mayfair, author of The Things We Leave Unsaid
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews