Songbird

Bellator Saga #7

by Cecilia London

Christine Sullivan isn’t an easy person to love. She knows how the world sees her – aloof, standoffish, cold…perhaps even bitchy. After a lifetime in politics, including a stint with an expat government in exile, President Sullivan has taken her share of body blows, but now she’s back in Philadelphia…a widow, a recovering Republican, a former public servant seeking a quiet, private existence.

On her to-do list - rebuild her relationship with her estranged daughter and invent the rest of her life. She has her best friend Caroline, her brand spanking new condo, and her ever frustrating Secret Service detail to keep her company. That should be enough for anyone, right?

Until Alexander Guardiola comes along… liberal, emotionally unguarded, younger. A lot younger. Everything Christine isn't. And isn't ready for.

But opposites attract, don't they? And hearts and minds can always be changed…

This is a standalone spinoff in the Bellator Saga series that takes place after the events of Bellator Saga #1-6.

Content Warning: grief, psychological and physical trauma, death

Genres: Romance

243 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 14, 2020

About the author

Cecilia London is the pen name of a native Illinoisan currently living in San Antonio, Texas. She's filled several roles over the course of her adult life - licensed attorney, wrangler of small children, and obsessed baseball fan, among others. An extroverted introvert with a serious social media addiction, she is the author of The Bellator Saga, an epic, genre-crossing romance series. You can catch all of her quirky updates on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or at her website.

Reviews

[✰ Liz ✰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

★4.5★

"I'd go just about anywhere to spend time with you."

Songbird is a spinoff (and the 7th book) in the Bellator Saga. If you haven't had the pleasure of exploring the Bellator Saga, you are truly missing out on a thrilling political romance that will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire read. Although you could read Songbird as a stand-alone, I highly recommend you read the entire series to get the full scope of this series and understand the complexity of the story. Christine Sullivan is no stranger to heartbreak and struggles. She has overcome a great deal of pain and now that she is beginning to start a new chapter of her life she finds herself open to more. With her spunky best friend (and America's Sweetheart) Caroline by her side, Christine decides to open herself up to love. When she meets Alexander Guardiola, she is paralyzed by fear. As a person who has always been in complete control, this young man turns her world upside down.

"Tell me what you want."

Songbird was a perfect homecoming to a cast of characters that I adore. Witnessing the growth and transformation they have made was nothing short of spectacular. Christine has always been a "no-nonsense" character and I thoroughly enjoyed getting a more complex look into her life and the circumstances of which made her the way she is. Alex is a breath of fresh air for her and I couldn't help but swoon over them together. In addition to the strong display of love between friends Christine and Caroline (and of course our favorite Hero JACK), Christine spends time healing and repairing the relationship with her daughter. After everything she has been through, it was truly heartwarming for her to work through the pain of her past and overcome it all. I could not be more satisfied with this remarkable follow up to this series. I only wish I could have more!!!!

"Nothing is forever..."

Overall, contemporary romance fans who enjoy a political theme, complex characters, and a thoroughly developed story arc would enjoy Songbird and The Bellator Saga. Cecilia London is an expert storyteller who crafts her writing with care. I will forever be a die-hard fan of this series and this additional glimpse into the lives of these characters is the perfect treat (especially in these current times). I look forward to more from Cecilia London! When she is writing, my Kindle and I are ready and waiting!

✮ARC graciously provided in exchange for an honest review!

For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:

[Cecilia London]

Eh, it's all right, I guess.

But seriously...Chrissy is my favorite character ever and I hope this book does her a bit of justice. It's probably women's fiction with strong romantic elements but let's be honest...it's mostly just a big excuse for me to write a bunch of scenes with Caroline and Christine as adoring besties.

[S.M. West · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was like going home and visiting old friends. Oh what a reunion! I loved this story and it was over I too quickly. An absolute delight for Christine to get her own HEA!

[Aaly · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review. ***

Oh my… I’d miss these characters and this universe so much.
After all Caroline, Jack, their families and Christine went through, I was glad to see that time a « sense of normalcy » for two of my favorite heroines and besties.
I was so glad that Christine got her story. I missed her sarcastic interactions with Caroline, her BFF’s feminists rants and her family, and Jack…(still have a crush on that one)
Christine is a tough woman, introvert but not afraid to speak her mind, knowing to press where it hurts. A complicated relationship with her daughter and some heavy baggage, a bit lost after the end of her mandate as a president.
I loved this character, she wasn’t trying to please people, they had to accept her like she was.
I guess the author has written the perfect match for her, a man who managed to break her walls, and he wasn’t afraid to be honest and willing to fight for her battles, to push when she needed to but damn if she wasn’t fighting too hard. Most of all, he was accepting her wholeheartedly. Ah Alexander… swoon, swoon, swoon!
Christine could frustrate the hell out of me sometimes, stuck doggedly to her positions. I just wanted to feel like she could breathe again and finally live and not act.
Still, I adored every moment. I read it in one sitting and I was so delighted to discover more about Christine.
Alexander and Christine have such an amazing chemistry, a real connection and a banter I loved, filled with sarcasm, humour and outspokenness.
I just adored them together. Le freaking sigh!
Anyway, seeing again some characters I fell in love with warmed my heart. I was so happy to watch them reunite, to catch a glimpse of their lives after facing such tremendous trials for freedom.
Cecilia London almost made me cry with that story. Songbird was such a beautiful and emotional journey.

[Kay (❦ ᴗ ❦ ✿) BooksandMe]

I'm just a few chapters in. I thought it would be easy. But I was wrong.

Full review coming soon. This is just me being emotional.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Christine… It’s true, she isn’t an easy person to love, but those who know her best, know what’s under that tough exterior. This book almost, almost made me want to start a re-read of the series. I say almost because I don’t think I’m quite ready for that yet. The first books in the Bellator Saga centered around Caroline and Jack and their fight to bring America out from under an evil regime – and their ultimate fight to bring themselves back to each other. Christine played an important part in both fights and her own personal loss was devastating. Songbird is her well-deserved story and just as intense, heart breaking and full of love and hope as I expected. ❤

Songbird also showed a different side of Christine Sullivan. The vulnerable side. The side that very few ever saw and the side that she buried from even those closest to her during her semi-recovery.

Aside from the expected heartbreak, there was a lot to love about Songbird. I forgot how much I loved the witty banter between Caroline, Christine and Jack. There was a lot of love and respect between them, especially Caroline and Christine. Enough that they could yell, scream and be blatantly honest with each other and still not lose that bond. Not that Christine didn’t say a lot of things that she shouldn’t have, but it was part of the wall she had built around herself. A wall that Christine and eventually Alex was determined to break through.

A relationship of any kind with Christine wasn’t easy, but thankfully Alex thought it was worth the fight. I loved him from the beginning, but it didn’t hurt when he got Caroline’s seal of approval – and that he seemed to fit right in with their “family”. Songbird was about more than the budding relationship between Alex and Christine. It was about healing and self-forgiveness. By the end of Songbird, Christine was well on her way to finding a way work on both.

I received Songbird in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Gill Melling · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Songbird we pick up after the Santos regime has been deposed, but this time the story is all about Christine. She lost both her husband and one of her daughters as they all fled to Canada, taking Caroline’s daughters to safety. She is now haunted by that loss, the loss of her relationship with her remaining daughter and she is so lonely. She literally bumps into the most delicious man as she is on her way to meet her daughter and a man that her daughter is trying to set her up with. That man is way too old and nasty but it turns out the delicious man is his son! So we go with Christine as she explores this new relationship, rebuilds her relationship with her daughter and generally finds her new self.
Once again Cecilia’s writing is wonderful, sincere and expressive. You feel for Christine, her guilt and anguish over the death of her husband, her troubled relationships and how she is finally able to let go and move on with a wonderful new man by her side.
Songbird is a great book that I had been looking forward to for a long time and it certainly didn’t disappoint. If you loved the Bellator Saga books, you need to read this too!

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

Plagued by insecurities and consumed by grief after the death of her husband and youngest daughter, former President Christine Sullivan moves out of her comfort zone and asks a younger man that she is attracted to out on a date.

Alexander is 16 years younger than Christine and a good honourable man who is smitten with her. Christine may be a former President who lead her country through some of its darkest hours and a beautiful intelligent woman but she is also a human being with feelings and issues. While the romance is a crucial element of the story, this story isn’t really about Alexander, he is just part of Christine’s life. Songbird is very much about Christine and her journey with grief, dealing with trust issues she has had all her life and being brave enough to overcome her fears so she can love again.

Her struggles crushed my heart and had me breaking down in tears repeatedly. With the help of those who love her, particularly best friend Caroline who has trauma of her own, Christine has to face her fears.

The suffering that Christine has endured is unimaginable but the story is ultimately one of survival and hope. Hope for a better future and for happiness again. Songbird is a truly wonderful story. I’ve read the entire Bellator Saga so Songbird had a big emotional impact on me. If you read Songbird as a stand alone novel, do yourself a favour and go back and read the previous books, you won’t regret it. The Bellator Saga is an epic 5 stars series.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once upon a time a conservative and liberal woman met in Congress and became best friends. The country went to Hell in a hand basket. The besties and their true loves sacrificed life and limb to save the free world, taking on leadership roles neither of them asked for or wanted. This is about what came after. And it is phenomenal.

At first blush, it’s a sexy second chance, contemporary romance featuring a Heroine of a certain age and a Hero fifteen years her junior. Rawr! Cougar alert!!!
But scratch the surface and it’s a rich full story about a brilliant, broken, sometimes brittle woman who had barely been on speaking terms with her own emotions most of her life, trying to reinvent her life. It’s bad enough being thrust into the over 50 dating pool, but as the former President of the United States? It’s almost too much.

But it’s also Dr. Christine Spencer, one of the best characters I have ever met on the pages of a book. She is the embodiment of GenX albeit in Prada heels and St John’s knits. Caroline’s ride or die bestie. And Cecilia London gives us and Christine the HEA she has earned. But to get there we have to sort through all of Christine’s baggage- Love Loss Self doubt Self loathing - which gives us a beautiful mediation on friendship. It’s a story about helping your friends accept themselves the way that you accept them, and finding away to be both a friend and parent to your adult children – especially the adult child who tries to fix you up with her perfectly awful boss – at his retirement party. Of course, hilarity ensues. The bestie banter and Chrissy’s inner monologues on her predicament had me howling. By the way, the cougar bait is the failed fix up’s luscious, activist son, who takes after his mother. Thank the goddess.

I adored this book. It’s quirky and caustic and joyous all at once. Moreover, it was exactly what I needed to lift my spirits in these strange days.

#TopReadof2020

[Becky Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have missed these characters and was very excited for Songbird. This is a follow up on Christine Sullivan, Caroline’s bestie. London’s writing, as always, is skillful and engaging.

Spending some time with Jack and Caroline was wonderful and I hope to hear more from them in the future.

It would be necessary to read the rest of the series to understand all of Songbird and I promise you will enjoy the entire series. The Bellator Saga is mind blowing and one of the best series I have read.

Well done Cecilia London and I can’t wait to see what you do next!

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will admit that this is my first book from this universe although since it was billed as a stand alone I figured I'd give it a shot because I was excited to see a book that featured an older heroine where her ages wasn't the most important thing about her. Having an older heroine who was allowed to be flawed with her personal life and not be a knock against her character was great as was having the love interest also not consider those things immediately upon meeting her. However, at the same time the blurb of the book (recovering republican and young liberal) made me a bit wary. Sadly, the wary part of my brain won out while reading this book. I think this maybe a case of the marketing setting me up to dislike the book. By having the main character billed as recovering republican made it a main aspect of her personality and it simply didn't shine through to me. It felt like I was expected to believe that just because she didn't want an authoritarian or fascist president, that she didn't discount or agree with a majority of the other principles. However, while I really loved the friendship between Christine and Caroline, Christine was often dismissive of Caroline's true not republican viewpoints when they did end up talking politics. At the same time, billing the love interest as liberal because he wasn't interested in money most of all when making decisions but was still allowed to be wooed back to his father's law firm to work on passion projects instead of maybe focusing that money to people that already had knowledge and connections in that area seemed disingenuous.

I recognize that for many these seem like nitpicks or like I was trying to find fault with this book; however, when the marketing and blurb for the book focuses on the politics of the characters as prime parts of the characters, it was difficult for me personally to turn a blind eye to the flaws in how those characters are portrayed from those aspects. Especially when recently there is much discussion about the exact flaws and how to be a better ally/how to interact with politics. If you are already immersed in the universe of this book through the other books I could see how this may not impact you as much or if there was other character development that I missed in those books. I do want to thank the author and A Novel Take PR for the opportunity to read this book as it did pique my interest.

[Di OBRIEN · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good addition to a great series

The Bellator Saga is like no other series of books I have read. It is as contemporary as it gets in light of the times we have been living for the past several years, and I can say Songbird is no exception.

This is Christine's story and her attempt to move on with life and love after the losses she has suffered. It's also about the effects of the past atrocities endured by not only Christine, but also her family and closest friends, Caroline and Jack, who were MCs in the previous books. Songbird shows the difficulties of surviving what happened and learning to live a new kind of normal in a different world.

At times I thought some of the dialogue was a bit stiff and formal (I found myself thinking that people don't really talk to each other like this, do they?), but that was my only negative. This was a good addition to what is IMO a great series. I wasn't sure for a while that this could have a good ending, especially with the unconventional love aspect, but this author came through again with flying colors.

I know this is said to be a standalone, but I think readers might get the feeling they are missing something and could be somewhat lost without knowing the entire story told in the previous books. For those who are looking for something that's not run-of-the-mill and who are open-minded, I'd recommend giving this series a try.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Songbird is the 7th book in Cecilia London's Bellator Saga Series. This is a great series. This book is Christine story. She was pivotal character in the last books and this being her book is perfect.

Christine is one tough character in so many ways. She one to show her strength on the outside but there is so much to her on inside.

After all Christine, Caroline, and Jack have been through you can only hope that all get there chance to find that happiness. When Alexander comes in he will be the one that Christine needs to start again. Although you never forget your first love you never want close the hope for a second chance at love not matter the age you are. Alexander seem to be the one able to show Christine this.

I love this book and this series. I give it five stars!!!

[BeaofGreenGables · Rating 1 out of 5]

Want to know what this author thinks about her readers? She thinks she's smarter than you and that you 'Karens' need a lecture on how to think and what to believe. Sounds just like her close friend Scarlett Parrish. I'm just sayin'.

[Terisoares55 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so happy to finally hear Chrissie’s story and to catch up with Caroline and Jack. Everyone should read the first five books in this saga. Very scary but there is a lesson to be learned in this story.

[Denise Muir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone of the books in this series is fabulous. Always an existing story line. I get very emotional about the caricters.

[Zetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christine Sullivan has been through more than most people go through in a lifetime. Yet she’s still persevering. She likes control. She likes order. She likes it her way and I do really connect to her as well. The one thing I like about this spin off is getting to see where the characters have been and how far they’ve come. It’s a journey for them both.

Alexander. My Alexander. He throws Christine’s world upside down and I love it! They work together so well and I have to admit I smile at how they interact with each other. Age is just a number for me. It really is. Life works in mysterious ways and for Christine I’m glad it worked out this way.

I have loved this universe since I read the Bellator series. Songbird is a spin off and I am so glad that I got a chance to dive into these words again. This universe really captured me and I’m so happy to be in there again. Highly recommend this spinoff but please please if you haven’t, go and read the Bellator series too! So so good!