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One Simple Refrain
Dr. Jillian Byers only considered two careers: indie rock sensation or physician. Both dreams led her to Los Angeles. She never plotted a course that led back home. With her father's health declining, Jillian picks up her life and returns to Crystal, Maine. At first, it seems time has stood still in her hometown. It doesn't take long for Jillian to realize nothing is quite the way she remembers.
Returning to life in rural Maine never occurred to Marjorie (MJ) Willard. A successful professor, MJ finds herself at a crossroads after a painful divorce. Her mother suggests MJ move back to Crystal with her seven-year-old daughter, Chloe. Needing an escape, MJ agrees. She never dreamed she'd come face to face with her high school crush. Life gets interesting when MJ collides with Jillian Byers at their thirtieth high school reunion.
An unexpected friendship helps Jillian and MJ cope with loss, change, and a few secrets from the past. Finding the way home summons a million questions and some interesting discoveries. There's no greater surprise than falling in love. Sometimes all it takes to make sense of the world is One Simple Refrain.
Returning to life in rural Maine never occurred to Marjorie (MJ) Willard. A successful professor, MJ finds herself at a crossroads after a painful divorce. Her mother suggests MJ move back to Crystal with her seven-year-old daughter, Chloe. Needing an escape, MJ agrees. She never dreamed she'd come face to face with her high school crush. Life gets interesting when MJ collides with Jillian Byers at their thirtieth high school reunion.
An unexpected friendship helps Jillian and MJ cope with loss, change, and a few secrets from the past. Finding the way home summons a million questions and some interesting discoveries. There's no greater surprise than falling in love. Sometimes all it takes to make sense of the world is One Simple Refrain.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 12, 2021
154 people are currently reading
259 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Ann Healy
14 books289 followersNancy Ann Healy is a woman of many talents and interests. She has worked as everything from a bookstore manager to a standup comedian, and she enjoys movies, theater, and karaoke in her free time. Healy is happily married to her wife, Melissa. Together they have a son, Chris, and two dogs, Maggie and Sydney Bristow. The family currently lives in Connecticut, where Healy is completing her studies in social justice through Arizona State University and working on her second novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
September 11, 2021
I’m in the minority here. I slogged through this book from the halfway point. So. Many. Words. So much talk, and much of it presented as pearls of wisdom about life’s meanings. But the only thing profound about this book is its lack of profundity. There’s a sweet love story hidden under the cover of so many words, but it’s often lost under the onslaught of so many bloody words.
I know other people here loved it, and it’s far from the worst book I’ve ever read. It really wasn’t to my taste, though. BTW, the head of an English university is the Vice-Chancellor. The Chancellor is an honorary, titular head. Like the Queen is the honorary, titular head of the country but doesn’t govern it.
I know other people here loved it, and it’s far from the worst book I’ve ever read. It really wasn’t to my taste, though. BTW, the head of an English university is the Vice-Chancellor. The Chancellor is an honorary, titular head. Like the Queen is the honorary, titular head of the country but doesn’t govern it.
September 6, 2021
4.3 stars
Great romantic and emotional story with lovely characters that communicated well with each other. This book was well written, though sometimes too longwinded and a bit repetitive. There were some good philosophical and ethical deliberations in this book. But in my opinion these would have been much better if they would have been shorter and tighter written. Now I sometimes got impatient reading these parts.
Recommend.
Great romantic and emotional story with lovely characters that communicated well with each other. This book was well written, though sometimes too longwinded and a bit repetitive. There were some good philosophical and ethical deliberations in this book. But in my opinion these would have been much better if they would have been shorter and tighter written. Now I sometimes got impatient reading these parts.
Recommend.
July 19, 2022
This is just not for me. I truly struggled to complete the book and had to skip a fair number of pages… There were just too many dialogues, too much talking about the same issues over and over again among all the characters. Enough already. Life is just too short to rehearse it again and again.
September 27, 2021
Awesome Read!
Never has a book caught my attention from the first few words in a chapter. Home. It is so true how we view the word home and what it means. Jillian wondered all this in the first few lines in. She was back to her hometown from California to take care of her dad. MJ and Chloe, her daughter moved in to her hometown with her Mom after her divorce. Both of these women are struggling with life as it is now and wondering about the past. A thirty year class reunion brings Jillian and MJ face to face. Both have different ideas of who the other person was. When Jillian looks at MJ and decides she had enough at the reunion they both leave and head to Jillian’s fathers barn where she has some hidden beer. From there they sit and catch up. Learning that maybe everything they thought they knew about the past including their own family history is not what it seems. This book was so well written and detailed to the point of excitement. It is heartwarming and heartbreaking and you will definitely need a tissue. But it is so worth it. I did not recognize the writer as I saw the book advertised in Kindle, until I got to the end. That was a surprise to me. So it all makes sense.
Never has a book caught my attention from the first few words in a chapter. Home. It is so true how we view the word home and what it means. Jillian wondered all this in the first few lines in. She was back to her hometown from California to take care of her dad. MJ and Chloe, her daughter moved in to her hometown with her Mom after her divorce. Both of these women are struggling with life as it is now and wondering about the past. A thirty year class reunion brings Jillian and MJ face to face. Both have different ideas of who the other person was. When Jillian looks at MJ and decides she had enough at the reunion they both leave and head to Jillian’s fathers barn where she has some hidden beer. From there they sit and catch up. Learning that maybe everything they thought they knew about the past including their own family history is not what it seems. This book was so well written and detailed to the point of excitement. It is heartwarming and heartbreaking and you will definitely need a tissue. But it is so worth it. I did not recognize the writer as I saw the book advertised in Kindle, until I got to the end. That was a surprise to me. So it all makes sense.
November 13, 2021
Very muted book which never really raised the emotional level, felt mundane, inevitable almost. Even the introduction with a child failed, for me, to carry the story forward.
September 14, 2021
This was a lovely premise and story.
The characters, Jillian in particular were quite appealing.
It was a story of two women returning to the town and people they escaped and connecting after knowing eachother only by sight in high school.
Their families are intertwined and secrets and stories emerge as they build a relationship and deal with their attraction.
There were just... so many words ..descriptions of feelings went next level and my scrolling went in to overdrive.
Very cute child alert.
It was.. ok.
The characters, Jillian in particular were quite appealing.
It was a story of two women returning to the town and people they escaped and connecting after knowing eachother only by sight in high school.
Their families are intertwined and secrets and stories emerge as they build a relationship and deal with their attraction.
There were just... so many words ..descriptions of feelings went next level and my scrolling went in to overdrive.
Very cute child alert.
It was.. ok.
January 23, 2022
Plot: The book starts with MJ and Jillian moving home and reluctantly going to a class reunion. They hang out and strike up a friendship. They spend time together and learn about their parent’s pasts as new feeling start to develop.
Jillian’s dad has a health scare which jolts Jillian to act on her feelings. They already spend most of their time together and share responsibilities so there isn’t much of a change.
The sparse plot of this book was bogged down with so much useless exposition on the meaning of life. Even the dialogue was full of preachy life lessons that droned on and on. The exposition wasn’t even coherent it drifted from one topic to the next and then back, trying to make deep meaningful points but really just blathering on while I tried to maintain focus.
Characterization: Jillian takes all responsibility on her shoulders even if it’s unnecessary. She is also playful and has kept a childlike sense of fun.
MJ has repressed herself her whole life. To the point that even she didn’t know she was lying to herself. She doesn’t have much of a personality.
Writing: This was written in third person perspective. The writing in this book was terrible. How could any editor not try to cut some of the babbling fat from this bloated book? Or at least try to keep the babbling on topic? The attempt at humor in this book was also lacking.
Jillian’s dad has a health scare which jolts Jillian to act on her feelings. They already spend most of their time together and share responsibilities so there isn’t much of a change.
The sparse plot of this book was bogged down with so much useless exposition on the meaning of life. Even the dialogue was full of preachy life lessons that droned on and on. The exposition wasn’t even coherent it drifted from one topic to the next and then back, trying to make deep meaningful points but really just blathering on while I tried to maintain focus.
Characterization: Jillian takes all responsibility on her shoulders even if it’s unnecessary. She is also playful and has kept a childlike sense of fun.
MJ has repressed herself her whole life. To the point that even she didn’t know she was lying to herself. She doesn’t have much of a personality.
Writing: This was written in third person perspective. The writing in this book was terrible. How could any editor not try to cut some of the babbling fat from this bloated book? Or at least try to keep the babbling on topic? The attempt at humor in this book was also lacking.
August 21, 2021
This is a perfect example of why Nancy Ann Healy is such a wonderful writer. This book is the embodiment of what I look for in a romance: longing, realistic characters, well developed storyline, a little bit of angst, and realness that is relatable all wrapped up in excellent writing. It is so rare for me to laugh and cry within one story but I did for One Simple Refrain.
Jae's SRC
return to hometown
character is a medical professional
character is a teacher/professor
character is a musician (I'm counting hobby)
book starts with the first day of a new job
friends to lovers romance
body-positive book
Unicorn - character over 40
Jae's SRC
return to hometown
character is a medical professional
character is a teacher/professor
character is a musician (I'm counting hobby)
book starts with the first day of a new job
friends to lovers romance
body-positive book
Unicorn - character over 40
November 22, 2021
Fantastic
Well written and developed characters who have a feeling of authenticity to them and a well crafted story for those characters to come to life in are the strong points of this novel. Highly recommended!
Well written and developed characters who have a feeling of authenticity to them and a well crafted story for those characters to come to life in are the strong points of this novel. Highly recommended!
December 20, 2021
I stopped reading this at 43%.
You see, there was a time I was counselling people about how the mind has two sides:
1) The analytical side. This side of the mind takes things apart and then makes a list of the parts. In astrology that is called the Gemini side or by others, house III.
2) The comprehensive side. Here the analytical mind has to state the found facts and the heart has to state its desires and impulses. Then the comprehensive side has to temper the hearts desire to ensure the life of the person is not threatened by following the impulse; for example look right and left before crossing a street with traffic. The job is not to tell the heart roads cannot be crossed.
A lot of people do exactly that, because they never learned to trust life, they stay where they are. This gets very, very tiresome for the counsellor, because most minds are terribly stubborn and keep creating horrible scenarios and paralyse the person with fear. I on the other side learned to trust my life, as it one way or another always took care of me, even if I sometimes took years to understand, why life had had to kick my butt to get me moving in the right direction. But by the age of forty at the latest I had understood, perhaps because my sun sign is Virgo, the sign associated with the comprehensive mind, or house VI.
Any way, reading about a character who does keep herself time and again from moving forward through fear caused by not trusting life after 48 years of being a doctor, even if everybody else, who is more experienced (because older and having gone through similar problems) tells her to follow her heart, is not even remotely entertaining for me, but rather frustrating.
So, if you are keen on reading about characters making themselves repeatedly unhappy because their comprehensive mind doesn’t work properly, even if there is a happy end (sort of) promised, go right ahead and enjoy this. I certainly can’t.
You see, there was a time I was counselling people about how the mind has two sides:
1) The analytical side. This side of the mind takes things apart and then makes a list of the parts. In astrology that is called the Gemini side or by others, house III.
2) The comprehensive side. Here the analytical mind has to state the found facts and the heart has to state its desires and impulses. Then the comprehensive side has to temper the hearts desire to ensure the life of the person is not threatened by following the impulse; for example look right and left before crossing a street with traffic. The job is not to tell the heart roads cannot be crossed.
A lot of people do exactly that, because they never learned to trust life, they stay where they are. This gets very, very tiresome for the counsellor, because most minds are terribly stubborn and keep creating horrible scenarios and paralyse the person with fear. I on the other side learned to trust my life, as it one way or another always took care of me, even if I sometimes took years to understand, why life had had to kick my butt to get me moving in the right direction. But by the age of forty at the latest I had understood, perhaps because my sun sign is Virgo, the sign associated with the comprehensive mind, or house VI.
Any way, reading about a character who does keep herself time and again from moving forward through fear caused by not trusting life after 48 years of being a doctor, even if everybody else, who is more experienced (because older and having gone through similar problems) tells her to follow her heart, is not even remotely entertaining for me, but rather frustrating.
So, if you are keen on reading about characters making themselves repeatedly unhappy because their comprehensive mind doesn’t work properly, even if there is a happy end (sort of) promised, go right ahead and enjoy this. I certainly can’t.
August 28, 2021
Stories and secrets unfold a life ment to be forever begins.
As is often so true of Nancy Ann Healy books I found Kleenex was in need often. Both happy and sad moments weaved together as a family found home in each other. The many characters are just so rich in love Grandpa who anchored so much love as he aged harshly. Grandma Leona who had the key to so many secrets and love. Chloe who brought laughter and a simple understanding to the truths this 7 years old spoke. MY and Jillian who grew up knowing each other but found love when they returned home to the place they ran from years ago. This story touched me so as life is often about the parts of the story we did not see but touched lives just the same. I loved the way love unfolded for so many in many levels but so deep. Laughter, life, death and all who go on before us fill these pages. I just can't say enough about how deeply I loved these characters. A great story.
As is often so true of Nancy Ann Healy books I found Kleenex was in need often. Both happy and sad moments weaved together as a family found home in each other. The many characters are just so rich in love Grandpa who anchored so much love as he aged harshly. Grandma Leona who had the key to so many secrets and love. Chloe who brought laughter and a simple understanding to the truths this 7 years old spoke. MY and Jillian who grew up knowing each other but found love when they returned home to the place they ran from years ago. This story touched me so as life is often about the parts of the story we did not see but touched lives just the same. I loved the way love unfolded for so many in many levels but so deep. Laughter, life, death and all who go on before us fill these pages. I just can't say enough about how deeply I loved these characters. A great story.
August 17, 2021
Depth
Nancy Ann Healy does an amazing job with depth of characters, conversations and relationships. In all her books you can expect deep conversations and love built to last. She is a wonderful story teller that once you start, you can't put it down. I look forward to more books by Nancy Ann Healy and the connections she brings with her characters. Chloe was adorable and she has innate talent for writing children.
Nancy Ann Healy does an amazing job with depth of characters, conversations and relationships. In all her books you can expect deep conversations and love built to last. She is a wonderful story teller that once you start, you can't put it down. I look forward to more books by Nancy Ann Healy and the connections she brings with her characters. Chloe was adorable and she has innate talent for writing children.
September 9, 2021
Good book
The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because, for me, it’s a little too long. Well written book. Likable characters except for MJ’s ex-husband Jack. I’m a sucker for a HEA. A little sad so be prepared to cry. The back story on the MC’s parents spells out the times they grew up in. If you want a book to catch your interest this is it.
The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because, for me, it’s a little too long. Well written book. Likable characters except for MJ’s ex-husband Jack. I’m a sucker for a HEA. A little sad so be prepared to cry. The back story on the MC’s parents spells out the times they grew up in. If you want a book to catch your interest this is it.
September 16, 2021
3.5 ⭐ I loved the first half of the book. Nice characters, cute humorous exchanges between Jill and MJ. Chloe is adorable. Joe and Leona are perfect supporting characters in the book. The lady half just felt kinda wordy to me. I found myself skipping over some long paragraphs that I wasn't interested in. Overall it's a nice emotional romance.
September 8, 2021
It was was powerful in love, death and family.
I'm definitely not even close to a writer, but I have read all of JA Armstrong aka Nancy Healy books over and over again. She's my favorite writer.
I'm definitely not even close to a writer, but I have read all of JA Armstrong aka Nancy Healy books over and over again. She's my favorite writer.
Read
July 26, 2024DNF 15%
There was something about the writing I couldn't get into. There were lots of scene transitions introducing things that felt jarring for me.
Give it a try yourself! It looks like it has potential!
There was something about the writing I couldn't get into. There were lots of scene transitions introducing things that felt jarring for me.
Give it a try yourself! It looks like it has potential!
August 22, 2021
A great story
This is another great book by Nancy. I love the way the characters are brought to life. There is laughter and sorrow, but it is all brought together brilliantly.
This is another great book by Nancy. I love the way the characters are brought to life. There is laughter and sorrow, but it is all brought together brilliantly.
October 6, 2021
0 horse girl content
April 27, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
November 19, 2024
Started out ok, but digressed into something not so great. It was just… banal.
September 13, 2021
Amazing!
A coming home story about returning to the place you couldn't wait to leave while growing up. Life changes all of us, every day; good or bad, right or wrong, humans are molded by their experiences and interactions with others. I enjoyed watching the changes in the characters in this book. As mature (older) adults, we can look back, reflect, and begin to understand ourselves and others much better, especially when we have new details we didn't have before. In addition, it's a real pleasure to read lesfic about women much closer to my age, with real life experiences, instead of college-age twenty-somethings just beginning to embark on the path of life. I ran thru a gamut of emotions while reading this book. I highly recommend this author be given priority on your must read list!
A coming home story about returning to the place you couldn't wait to leave while growing up. Life changes all of us, every day; good or bad, right or wrong, humans are molded by their experiences and interactions with others. I enjoyed watching the changes in the characters in this book. As mature (older) adults, we can look back, reflect, and begin to understand ourselves and others much better, especially when we have new details we didn't have before. In addition, it's a real pleasure to read lesfic about women much closer to my age, with real life experiences, instead of college-age twenty-somethings just beginning to embark on the path of life. I ran thru a gamut of emotions while reading this book. I highly recommend this author be given priority on your must read list!
February 15, 2022
Heart warming & beautiful
This is a tale of two women, a university professor and a physician, both in their forties, who are forced by family difficulties to return home. Neither is happy about returning to a small town in Maine where their teen years were far less than happy. MJ and her daughter Chloe are suffering from a broken marriage and divorce while Jillian is leaving a big city medical practice to salvage her father’s general medical practice. While the two women hardly knew each other as teens, their families share intimate relations and secrets that inevitably pull them together and complicate a growing affection for each other.
This romantic story is a beautiful saga of family failings, success, psychology, loves, disasters and triumphs. A tremendously satisfying, uplifting read.
This is a tale of two women, a university professor and a physician, both in their forties, who are forced by family difficulties to return home. Neither is happy about returning to a small town in Maine where their teen years were far less than happy. MJ and her daughter Chloe are suffering from a broken marriage and divorce while Jillian is leaving a big city medical practice to salvage her father’s general medical practice. While the two women hardly knew each other as teens, their families share intimate relations and secrets that inevitably pull them together and complicate a growing affection for each other.
This romantic story is a beautiful saga of family failings, success, psychology, loves, disasters and triumphs. A tremendously satisfying, uplifting read.
August 20, 2021
A tender-hearted love story!
I loved that Jillian and MJ's love grew organically from a solid friendship. They weren't forced together and nothing was rushed. They just fit seamlessly, as did little Chloe. This author has an extraordinary ability to include children in such a believable way. She's a master of dialogue. I felt like she was talking to me through her characters. Even the secondary characters of Leona and Joe were fully developed.
The book was full of emotions: grief, loss, secrets unfolding, kindness, joy and so, so much love and laughter. I cannot say enough about this story. Nancy knows how to write about family in her own indomitable way and I just love it. I wish I could give it more than five stars. Brava, Ms. Healy. Brava!!!
I loved that Jillian and MJ's love grew organically from a solid friendship. They weren't forced together and nothing was rushed. They just fit seamlessly, as did little Chloe. This author has an extraordinary ability to include children in such a believable way. She's a master of dialogue. I felt like she was talking to me through her characters. Even the secondary characters of Leona and Joe were fully developed.
The book was full of emotions: grief, loss, secrets unfolding, kindness, joy and so, so much love and laughter. I cannot say enough about this story. Nancy knows how to write about family in her own indomitable way and I just love it. I wish I could give it more than five stars. Brava, Ms. Healy. Brava!!!
June 20, 2022
So many characters to like. Dr. Marjorie Willard, American History Professor, divorced with a 7 year old daughter, Chloe. Her mother encourages her to move back home to settle and regroup. Dr. Jillian Byers, physician, moves back home to be with her father and his declining health. MJ and Jillian know each other from when they went to school together. As they get reacquainted, they help each other deal with their challenges and issues. Chloe is such a wonderful character full of energy, empathy, and a likable personality. The other secondary characters are extremely important to the read as they offer support, insight, and love. There is so much caring in this read which I appreciated very much.
September 23, 2021
wonderful
This is one of the best books I have read in some time. It has wonderful prose, layers of stories intertwined and the emotions that it portrays and brought out in me were though provoking, sad, funny - nearly everyone across the spectrum.
I’ve alway really enjoyed all of Nancy Ann Healy/ JA Armstrong books but I think this is her best yet.
A must read if you want an emotional rollercoaster of a book
This is one of the best books I have read in some time. It has wonderful prose, layers of stories intertwined and the emotions that it portrays and brought out in me were though provoking, sad, funny - nearly everyone across the spectrum.
I’ve alway really enjoyed all of Nancy Ann Healy/ JA Armstrong books but I think this is her best yet.
A must read if you want an emotional rollercoaster of a book
November 1, 2021
long internal monologue
Loved the characters and started strong, but there were endless pages of internal monologue that could have been shortened and enhanced the story
Loved the characters and started strong, but there were endless pages of internal monologue that could have been shortened and enhanced the story
dnf
November 19, 2025dnf at chapter 2
March 10, 2025
The final words alone, in this incredibly personal journey between two pairs of childhood friends, deserve 5 very emotionally-charged STARS. What an unforgettably resonating ending to a remarkable journey towards one true love.
An everlasting one that when you read the entire story, it will stay with you as it has for me. Nancy Ann Healy writes such richly layered stories that touch on every matter of the heart, with all the complexities of human emotions and the beauty and the resilience of the human spirit. I have to say, although I’ve collected Healy’s books throughout the years, I haven’t actually found the right time to read it. Until now. And it had to be this particular one. I understood after I read it. It’s part of my healing journey. Needless to say, reading this story is very timely and hits every part of my soul as it heals.
This story stirred my soul. In some sections of it, it opened me up to melancholy that turned into an emotional catharsis in the end, especially the lyrics of the song at the end. It hit me like a ton of bricks. So visceral were the words uttered and performed flawlessly by my newfound favourite vocal storyteller, Xe Sands, with her richly layered voice, so haunting, deeply stirring, that it took my breath away as the lyrics transformed into an unforgettable melody that played ethereally with lasting reverberations in my soul. I’m still reeling over it. Hit the nail, it did. Its powerful effects broke me into tiny little pieces before putting me back into one piece again. A trauma healing phenomenon. Let’s just say, catharsis is an understatement.
Now that’s how you transform a book that’s filled with aesthetically beautiful lyrical words into an operatic saga with a voice that is rich in emotionally entangled tones weaved melodically into an epic R&B love story! Sand’s multilayered voice effortlessly immerses into the depths of your very soul that its echoes linger on long after she finishes “singing” the saga of two couples in the greatest love of all - one true love that never ends.
In One. Simple. Refrain.
*Disclaimer: This has been my personal experience (POV) in reading and listening to this story.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Healy's style of telling this remarkable story automatically brings to mind, Fannie Flagg’s classic, “Fried Green Tomatoes” which was adapted into an instant classic sleeper hit that endures to this day with a stellar cast that truly brought Flagg’s story and her endearing characters into life. Healy’s story showcases 2 love stories, 2 couples, 2 timelines, 2 generations, and she effortlessly alternates between the past and the present. Although, the past isn't told in the usual flashback narrative. Instead it’s a personal recount by pivotal characters who were intimately involved in it.
All I can say about the love story from the past is this - true love is powerful, it has no boundaries. True love lights a fire that ignites your heart and soul, burning with passion and intensity that endures beyond space and time. True love will always find its way back to its rightful owner. May not be the same way that we expect but it always does. And when it does, we’ll know it. True love, ultimately, is worth the price of loss. As Tennyson famously said, "‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” How triggering and very true. Love and loss are infinitely intertwined. With great love, comes great loss. One cannot exist without the other. That is the crux, the duality, of the human experience.
Finally, it’s only appropriate that I end my review with Jillian’s love song to her one true love, MJ. But, please do not read the lyrics if you want to explore the story first before delving into this poignantly stirring song that has its origins from the other couple from the past... which further endears to the heart the deeper meaning of one simple refrain....
READ this story. LISTEN to this story.
An everlasting one that when you read the entire story, it will stay with you as it has for me. Nancy Ann Healy writes such richly layered stories that touch on every matter of the heart, with all the complexities of human emotions and the beauty and the resilience of the human spirit. I have to say, although I’ve collected Healy’s books throughout the years, I haven’t actually found the right time to read it. Until now. And it had to be this particular one. I understood after I read it. It’s part of my healing journey. Needless to say, reading this story is very timely and hits every part of my soul as it heals.
This story stirred my soul. In some sections of it, it opened me up to melancholy that turned into an emotional catharsis in the end, especially the lyrics of the song at the end. It hit me like a ton of bricks. So visceral were the words uttered and performed flawlessly by my newfound favourite vocal storyteller, Xe Sands, with her richly layered voice, so haunting, deeply stirring, that it took my breath away as the lyrics transformed into an unforgettable melody that played ethereally with lasting reverberations in my soul. I’m still reeling over it. Hit the nail, it did. Its powerful effects broke me into tiny little pieces before putting me back into one piece again. A trauma healing phenomenon. Let’s just say, catharsis is an understatement.
Now that’s how you transform a book that’s filled with aesthetically beautiful lyrical words into an operatic saga with a voice that is rich in emotionally entangled tones weaved melodically into an epic R&B love story! Sand’s multilayered voice effortlessly immerses into the depths of your very soul that its echoes linger on long after she finishes “singing” the saga of two couples in the greatest love of all - one true love that never ends.
In One. Simple. Refrain.
*Disclaimer: This has been my personal experience (POV) in reading and listening to this story.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Healy's style of telling this remarkable story automatically brings to mind, Fannie Flagg’s classic, “Fried Green Tomatoes” which was adapted into an instant classic sleeper hit that endures to this day with a stellar cast that truly brought Flagg’s story and her endearing characters into life. Healy’s story showcases 2 love stories, 2 couples, 2 timelines, 2 generations, and she effortlessly alternates between the past and the present. Although, the past isn't told in the usual flashback narrative. Instead it’s a personal recount by pivotal characters who were intimately involved in it.
All I can say about the love story from the past is this - true love is powerful, it has no boundaries. True love lights a fire that ignites your heart and soul, burning with passion and intensity that endures beyond space and time. True love will always find its way back to its rightful owner. May not be the same way that we expect but it always does. And when it does, we’ll know it. True love, ultimately, is worth the price of loss. As Tennyson famously said, "‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” How triggering and very true. Love and loss are infinitely intertwined. With great love, comes great loss. One cannot exist without the other. That is the crux, the duality, of the human experience.
Finally, it’s only appropriate that I end my review with Jillian’s love song to her one true love, MJ. But, please do not read the lyrics if you want to explore the story first before delving into this poignantly stirring song that has its origins from the other couple from the past... which further endears to the heart the deeper meaning of one simple refrain....
READ this story. LISTEN to this story.
August 31, 2023
This book felt so much longer than its pages. Oh where to begin...let's start with the cover! You would think that the guitar or songs would play a huge part of this story, and you would be mistaken! The One Simple Refrain of the title I was assuming referred to the same...damn...conversation happening page after page after page (the "payoff" to the title comes in the final pages). The writing style made this such a painful task to try to get through reading. You know those "very special moment..." times that would happen in the last 5 or so minutes of every family sitcom from the late 80s (or Brady Bunch even), where the wise father bestows a life lesson full of smarm? That happens literally every three pages in this book. However, instead of teenagers, it's nearly-50 year old women who are the recipients. Over and over and over. I found nothing enjoyable in the story I didn't feel any chemistry between the two leads, the dialogue was all written in such a way where the author knows the "joke" she wants to make but severely bungles the method of getting there, and my GOD the constant life lessons were just too much! Blech, never again!
December 27, 2022
Strong story with likable characters and relationships with depth and complexity
I found this story to be quite engaging early on, with a lovely development of the primary F/F relationship, built around interesting, likable characters. The story includes a collection of relationships between family and friends of multiple generations, connections which are portrayed with emotional depth and complexity, all within a network of deftly interwoven story lines.
Cons: The story began to feel rather long and drawn-out about 60% through. Also, there were some editing errors, including point-of-view switches that weren't well delineated.
I've read several novels by this author (including some written under her pseudonymn, JA Armstrong) and I feel this is the best of hers I've read so far. All in all, I found this to be an engaging, beautifully told and compelling story. 4.5 stars.
I found this story to be quite engaging early on, with a lovely development of the primary F/F relationship, built around interesting, likable characters. The story includes a collection of relationships between family and friends of multiple generations, connections which are portrayed with emotional depth and complexity, all within a network of deftly interwoven story lines.
Cons: The story began to feel rather long and drawn-out about 60% through. Also, there were some editing errors, including point-of-view switches that weren't well delineated.
I've read several novels by this author (including some written under her pseudonymn, JA Armstrong) and I feel this is the best of hers I've read so far. All in all, I found this to be an engaging, beautifully told and compelling story. 4.5 stars.
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