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Long Time Coming
Years and distance kept the memories at bay. But back at home, the past is ready and waiting to haunt her...
Eighteen years have passed since Joy's childhood best friend, Jenny, met her death in a tragic car accident just a few days after their senior prom. A broken Joy left their small Kentucky hometown shortly after - determined never to come back. But when her father's illness forces her to return, she realizes that neither time nor distance have truly healed her troubled soul.
Plagued with nightmares of the accident and crippled by a vague fear whose source she can't identify, Joy realizes that in order to move on she must face the truth behind several disturbing gaps in her memory of that fateful spring. But the only person who can help her is a man she despises - Jenny's erstwhile boyfriend Jeff, now a respected doctor, whose carelessness as a teenager was the cause of Jenny's horrendous death - and Joy's own emotional destruction. Can she ever forgive? She may have no choice but to try. Because both the danger she sensed - and the childhood friendship she treasured - now suddenly seem very much alive...
448 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 2003
2185 people are currently reading
5657 people want to read
About the author
Edie Claire
41 books278 followersNo matter the genre, USA-Today bestselling novelist and playwright Edie Claire strives to infuse all her writing with both warmth and humor. Her family-friendly Leigh Koslow cozy mystery series, a favorite of animal lovers that was originally published in 1999, was reborn in 2012 to become a Kindle Top-10 bestseller. Her romantic novels range from women’s fiction with romantic elements to a blend of romance and mystery, beginning with her traditionally published contemporaries, the award-winning Long Time Coming and Meant To Be, and continuing with her USA-Today bestselling Pacific Horizons series, whose characters follow the migration of the humpback whales to some of the most gorgeous locations on earth. In any Edie Claire work, the reader may be assured that while intrigue may beckon and tensions rise, love and happiness will always triumph in the end!
Edie has worked as a veterinarian, a childbirth educator, and a scientific/technical writer. A mother of three, she lives in Pennsylvania and aspires to become a snowbird.
Edie has worked as a veterinarian, a childbirth educator, and a scientific/technical writer. A mother of three, she lives in Pennsylvania and aspires to become a snowbird.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 892 reviews
July 27, 2016
'Long Time Coming' was another audiobook that had been sitting on my shelf for a long time. Still determined to listen to the Audible books that I have before I buy any new ones, it was finally time to listen to this one.
Telling the story of Joy, a veterinarian who returns to her hometown, after years avoiding it, when her father's health begins to decline. After so many years away, she finds that the death of her childhood best friend, Jenny, still haunts her. This becomes even more apparent when she moves into Jenny's childhood home.
To make matters more complicated, Joy cannot seem to avoid Jenny's high school sweetheart, Jeff. Now the town's doctor, Jeff has become an integral part of her parents lives as her father's health declines. She is certain that Jeff knows more about the accident that killed Jenny than he's letting on, and she is determined to get to the truth.
When weird things start happening in Joy's life, she has to question whether or not Jenny is really gone. Music playing at odd hours, temperature changes in the house, and other unexplained phenomena keep happening around the house. Additionally, Joy's life seems to be in danger.
Overall, this was a nice read with a few unexpected twists toward the end. Although the characters were well into adulthood, the constant focus on their high school years resulted in a story that was chock-full of teenage melodramatics. I also had a hard time with Joy's persistent blame toward Jeff as an adult. It was very childish and unwarranted.
In the end, this ended up being an "okay" read for me. It was nice, but nothing to write home about. Sometimes, there is a reason a book stays on the shelf for a long time.
Telling the story of Joy, a veterinarian who returns to her hometown, after years avoiding it, when her father's health begins to decline. After so many years away, she finds that the death of her childhood best friend, Jenny, still haunts her. This becomes even more apparent when she moves into Jenny's childhood home.
To make matters more complicated, Joy cannot seem to avoid Jenny's high school sweetheart, Jeff. Now the town's doctor, Jeff has become an integral part of her parents lives as her father's health declines. She is certain that Jeff knows more about the accident that killed Jenny than he's letting on, and she is determined to get to the truth.
When weird things start happening in Joy's life, she has to question whether or not Jenny is really gone. Music playing at odd hours, temperature changes in the house, and other unexplained phenomena keep happening around the house. Additionally, Joy's life seems to be in danger.
Overall, this was a nice read with a few unexpected twists toward the end. Although the characters were well into adulthood, the constant focus on their high school years resulted in a story that was chock-full of teenage melodramatics. I also had a hard time with Joy's persistent blame toward Jeff as an adult. It was very childish and unwarranted.
In the end, this ended up being an "okay" read for me. It was nice, but nothing to write home about. Sometimes, there is a reason a book stays on the shelf for a long time.
November 23, 2012
Ho hum... Joy is haunted by her friend's death twenty years earlier and blames Jeff her friend's high school boyfriend . The story drags on as Joy tries to remember her friend and their relationship. You really want to slap Joy and yell get over it already. You want to tell Jeff to run... By the time Joy remember everything you truly don't give a rat's ass. Not worth your time.. good thing it was a free Kindle book or I would demand my money back. yawn...yawn...yawn.
January 10, 2013
Surprisingly, this wasn't terrible. That's saying a lot coming from me. It was, however, monumentally predictable, corny, and pedestrian. I think the thing that bothered me most was that I knew how the entire thing would play out when I'd made it to around 25%. Joy was all, "Why did Jenny's death cause a mental block in my mind? Why can't I remember? Why do I feel so weird around Jeff? Why do I trust him, but not trust him? What happened between them before Jenny died?" And I'm sitting there the whole time going,
Yes, I figured all of that out that quickly. It really wasn't difficult. The only thing I was wrong about was that I mistakenly thought more had gone on between
So yeah. There's no sex, Joy is a bitch (but a perfect friend, and don't you forget it), Jeff is kind of a tool, and the whole story is kind of sleep inducing. But it's not terribly written, so I have to give it points for that, and some parts were OK. Certain romance readers will enjoy it, I'm sure.
Yes, I figured all of that out that quickly. It really wasn't difficult. The only thing I was wrong about was that I mistakenly thought more had gone on between
So yeah. There's no sex, Joy is a bitch (but a perfect friend, and don't you forget it), Jeff is kind of a tool, and the whole story is kind of sleep inducing. But it's not terribly written, so I have to give it points for that, and some parts were OK. Certain romance readers will enjoy it, I'm sure.
December 6, 2012
I liked this book enough to re-read it, it kept me turning pages. But Joy, the main character, seemed to hang on to psychological distress longer than the plot line would support. In addition, Jeff, the love interest, was more patient and understanding than I could believe by the end. Then again, I am a psychologist, so maybe that is more transparent to me than others. In favor of the book, there was a twist at the end that I was not expecting at all, and that was really fun and creative. And having grown up in a small town, I thought she did an amazing job of characterizing the nature of relationships in that environment (even down to her description of Wal-Mart!); I was transported "home" immediately. Same thing with the best-friend relationship, which could have been a page out of my own history. I certainly would read more from this author.
February 27, 2015
I read this book a few years ago when I first got my Kindle. I found it on my "free" books listing. This was an amazing story about love, friendship and forgiveness and most importantly forgiving yourself. A full circle to get back home with love and acceptance at the end of the road. Although it was very emotional, I loved it and the "gift" was so heartwarming! I hope you love this book as much as I did!
November 3, 2019
Eddie Claire is a must read author for me. I have enjoyed the Leigh Koslow series. As I was checking my ebook library the cover caught my eye and I decided to read it. It is listed as a romantic suspense but I feel it is a mystery and the romance is minor to the mystery.
The protagonist has return to her home after being gone for eighteen years. Her best friend Jenny was kill in an auto accident shortly after their senior prom. Joy had been determined not to return, however her Father's health interferes and Joy returns and buys Jenny's childhood home. Jenny's boyfriend is now a doctor and is treating her father. Joy is a veterinarian and plans to open a mobile veterinary business. Joy hits Jeff's dog with her truck and she sets the bone and boards the dogs until he is better. Her own boyfriend is now the Police chief and his ex-wife has mental problems. Joy has several strange experiences and someone is trying to kill her. Joy must find answer before she joins Jenny in death. It is a standalone but I would enjoy more about the characters as they became friends. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.
The protagonist has return to her home after being gone for eighteen years. Her best friend Jenny was kill in an auto accident shortly after their senior prom. Joy had been determined not to return, however her Father's health interferes and Joy returns and buys Jenny's childhood home. Jenny's boyfriend is now a doctor and is treating her father. Joy is a veterinarian and plans to open a mobile veterinary business. Joy hits Jeff's dog with her truck and she sets the bone and boards the dogs until he is better. Her own boyfriend is now the Police chief and his ex-wife has mental problems. Joy has several strange experiences and someone is trying to kill her. Joy must find answer before she joins Jenny in death. It is a standalone but I would enjoy more about the characters as they became friends. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.
October 5, 2019
Before I go into the story of this book, I first want to mention that I don't usually read paranormal fiction or romance, in fact I usually find 'ghost stories' cliche and just very predictable. However, this book was free on my Kindle and I wanted to read something a little different and thought the storyline around the car accident sounded interesting. I did wonder how much I would like the ghostly element but I thought maybe even if I didn't like it, I would love the mystery aspect.
However, I loved this book and I gave it a 5* rating which is a big deal for me. I have decided that maybe I need to step out of my comfort zone a little more and try books that I would ordinarily pass up.
Edie Claire, in this book, has the perfect balance of mystery and a paranormal element, it's not so outrageous that it cheapens the book in any way but it is understated and makes you really gripped to find out what happens.
I am including spoilers in this review, so don't read on if you haven't read it already.
I loved the feel to this story, in that the town where Joy was from was a typically small town place where everyone knows everyone elses business and although all the 'children' have grown up now, they all still seem to go around with the same people and go to all the same places as they did when they were teenagers. This made for quite an eerie feel in that Jenny obviously died when she was a teenager but the spirit of the town was almost exactly the same as that moment. This actually made it make much more sense that her spirit had stayed in her old house. The house was a bone of contention for me though, as it seemed a little too obvious that it was the only place in the whole town that was available for Joy to move in to. This seemed a little forced for me but once the story had moved on, I got over it very quickly.
I personally loved the character of Jeff and was weirdly rooting for the two of them to get together before any of the outcome of Joy's memories became clear. I loved the relationship between the two, helping each other even whilst trying to be mad at each other, was lovely and the way in which Joy looked after the dog was beautiful.
I feel like Joy's feeling of guilt and betrayal were dealt with in a beautiful, understated yet respectful manner and having lost a close friend of mine (albeit not in the same tragic circumstances as Jenny's death) I know the inner struggles loss brings out. It's a very difficult balance of emotions and I feel Edie Claire demonstrated them perfectly and enunciated exactly the feelings and thoughts I was going through at the time. This made this book feel like a form of therapy for me in a way but I was extremely grateful for it.
I would definitely recommend this book to everyone and if you have read it already, please let me know what you think of it!
However, I loved this book and I gave it a 5* rating which is a big deal for me. I have decided that maybe I need to step out of my comfort zone a little more and try books that I would ordinarily pass up.
Edie Claire, in this book, has the perfect balance of mystery and a paranormal element, it's not so outrageous that it cheapens the book in any way but it is understated and makes you really gripped to find out what happens.
I am including spoilers in this review, so don't read on if you haven't read it already.
I loved the feel to this story, in that the town where Joy was from was a typically small town place where everyone knows everyone elses business and although all the 'children' have grown up now, they all still seem to go around with the same people and go to all the same places as they did when they were teenagers. This made for quite an eerie feel in that Jenny obviously died when she was a teenager but the spirit of the town was almost exactly the same as that moment. This actually made it make much more sense that her spirit had stayed in her old house. The house was a bone of contention for me though, as it seemed a little too obvious that it was the only place in the whole town that was available for Joy to move in to. This seemed a little forced for me but once the story had moved on, I got over it very quickly.
I personally loved the character of Jeff and was weirdly rooting for the two of them to get together before any of the outcome of Joy's memories became clear. I loved the relationship between the two, helping each other even whilst trying to be mad at each other, was lovely and the way in which Joy looked after the dog was beautiful.
I feel like Joy's feeling of guilt and betrayal were dealt with in a beautiful, understated yet respectful manner and having lost a close friend of mine (albeit not in the same tragic circumstances as Jenny's death) I know the inner struggles loss brings out. It's a very difficult balance of emotions and I feel Edie Claire demonstrated them perfectly and enunciated exactly the feelings and thoughts I was going through at the time. This made this book feel like a form of therapy for me in a way but I was extremely grateful for it.
I would definitely recommend this book to everyone and if you have read it already, please let me know what you think of it!
October 2, 2013
This book drove me crazy!
I gave it 1 star for compelling me, against my will, to finish it. The 2nd for getting such a strong reaction from me about a character.
Joy: Joy was completely ridiculous. She was in denial about everything -- her past AND her present. If I ever encountered a person like this in real life, I would fight to have them committed. She is supposed to be so smart, but I see absolutely no evidence of that. I can understand blocking out a traumatic experience, but she had enough clues running through her constant internal dialogue that she should have been able to figure out her connection to/ problem with/ angst about Jeff MUCH sooner. As a reader, I knew what happened between them within the first few chapters! It was excruciating to witness her rationalizing everything - the past, her reactions to Jeff, the music, perfume, doors, windows, objects moving -- an indoor tornado for crying out loud! Yes, Joy, I'm sure it is just the wind. Just shut the window and pretend it didn't happen. AGAIN. Really? And at one point, she thinks of herself as this strong type that confronts things head on.... I almost laughed out loud at that. And I'm supposed to buy that she can put together the mystery of her would-be killer in a five minute car ride? Please! If this were a true story about someone like Joy, she would have ended up dead - game over - because nothing else I witnessed makes me believe she is capable of a rational, logical deduction. At least not until 20 years or so later, and the truth has been POUNDED into her head! I don't believe in ghosts, but if I had THAT many encounters, and I still wouldn't even contemplate the possibility of a ghost, someone PLEASE put me out of my misery. OMG - then, in the epilogue, she admits to reconsidering all of her encounters with the ghost. Rationalizing again, are we? Rewriting history... again? Oh yes, I'm sure it was the dog that pushed you into Jeff's arms. I'm sure the brand new lock was stuck. Joy is the psycho of this story; Marissa is quite sane in comparison.
And Jeff. What the hell could he possibly see in her? She has treated him like complete garbage for most of their history together. He thinks she is strong??? She is weak! She refuses to deal with any kind if reality, and is beyond stubborn, sometimes hateful, and totally self absorbed. Gah! When they --finally -- get together (like on the last page) after the ghost literally pushed her into his arms -- I could really only pity the guy. At least he has connections to a good shrink.
No wonder Jenny killed herself.
Ok, rant over.
I gave it 1 star for compelling me, against my will, to finish it. The 2nd for getting such a strong reaction from me about a character.
Joy: Joy was completely ridiculous. She was in denial about everything -- her past AND her present. If I ever encountered a person like this in real life, I would fight to have them committed. She is supposed to be so smart, but I see absolutely no evidence of that. I can understand blocking out a traumatic experience, but she had enough clues running through her constant internal dialogue that she should have been able to figure out her connection to/ problem with/ angst about Jeff MUCH sooner. As a reader, I knew what happened between them within the first few chapters! It was excruciating to witness her rationalizing everything - the past, her reactions to Jeff, the music, perfume, doors, windows, objects moving -- an indoor tornado for crying out loud! Yes, Joy, I'm sure it is just the wind. Just shut the window and pretend it didn't happen. AGAIN. Really? And at one point, she thinks of herself as this strong type that confronts things head on.... I almost laughed out loud at that. And I'm supposed to buy that she can put together the mystery of her would-be killer in a five minute car ride? Please! If this were a true story about someone like Joy, she would have ended up dead - game over - because nothing else I witnessed makes me believe she is capable of a rational, logical deduction. At least not until 20 years or so later, and the truth has been POUNDED into her head! I don't believe in ghosts, but if I had THAT many encounters, and I still wouldn't even contemplate the possibility of a ghost, someone PLEASE put me out of my misery. OMG - then, in the epilogue, she admits to reconsidering all of her encounters with the ghost. Rationalizing again, are we? Rewriting history... again? Oh yes, I'm sure it was the dog that pushed you into Jeff's arms. I'm sure the brand new lock was stuck. Joy is the psycho of this story; Marissa is quite sane in comparison.
And Jeff. What the hell could he possibly see in her? She has treated him like complete garbage for most of their history together. He thinks she is strong??? She is weak! She refuses to deal with any kind if reality, and is beyond stubborn, sometimes hateful, and totally self absorbed. Gah! When they --finally -- get together (like on the last page) after the ghost literally pushed her into his arms -- I could really only pity the guy. At least he has connections to a good shrink.
No wonder Jenny killed herself.
Ok, rant over.
November 16, 2012
This is a hard book to rate, the beginning is excellent, the middle was fine but the quality of writing in the last third was disappointing.
This is romance novel with an unnecessary supernatural component. Joy (an odd name for a woman who has none) returns to her home town and must confront the man she holds responsible for the death for her best friend in high school. She has two men vying for her attention, a dying parent, a jealous ex-wife, someone trying to murder her, she is starting a new business, has revengeful business competition and the ghost of her died friend. This is too much junk to carry an effective storyline. It was free on Kindle so the price was right.
This is romance novel with an unnecessary supernatural component. Joy (an odd name for a woman who has none) returns to her home town and must confront the man she holds responsible for the death for her best friend in high school. She has two men vying for her attention, a dying parent, a jealous ex-wife, someone trying to murder her, she is starting a new business, has revengeful business competition and the ghost of her died friend. This is too much junk to carry an effective storyline. It was free on Kindle so the price was right.
March 6, 2013
I have to be honest, at first I was really interested in this story but then it became an endless cycle of "Joy" being a whiner. Even though I don't normally read stories about paranormal themes, it started out interesting. Then it was just to ridiculous how Joy was just continuing to stay in her home even though all these weird things kept happening. It wasn't like she didn't have nowhere else to go. Jeff, I felt sorry for, he was treated like a leper by Joy. An yet he still feels for her. Why would he? She never gave him hope, shut him down and told him off time and time and he still doesn't give up? This was when I kept waiting for her to snap out of it. The title of the book says it all. it was A Long Time in Coming. For it to be wrapped up when her "ghost friend Jenny" had to step in and basically throw her at him, well I was like "Really, that's how their going to get together?" That left me cold, she couldn't figure it out before then, it was like she had been the one in the car accident and she was brain damaged, that would have explained her stupidity better. I'd like to give it two stars, but since I was suckered into reading the whole stinking story I have to give it three.
November 10, 2015
Not badly written but the heroine was such a hot mess until almost the last page that I wanted to slap her silly numerous times. Absolutely no idea why the hero stuck around past the first time she verbally abused him, much less came back for more hysteria. Thank goodness the heroine was a veterinarian so the book featured a few cute animals, most notably the hero's dog, but there was not enough focus on her profession and too much repetitive angst. Can't really complain because the book was free, but it didn't make me want to seek out the author's other works.
February 4, 2016
This one started off fine, but I got the feeling it would go on to become just a filler-type book that took a long time to read but didn't have much in the way of engaging characters or plot etc. For the first time I took the advice of GR reviews to stop reading a book, as they mostly tended to agree the book got worse as it went on, and dragged like no mans business. Can't be wasting time on it when there are zillion others waiting their turn on my kindle! It was a DNF for me
February 11, 2015
Predicable.
August 16, 2017
One of the reasons I stopped reading these chic lit romance types of books was because a-they're very formulaic. I could've told you the majority of the story after only reading a few pages. And b-the main female character is usually incredibly self absorbed and beyond annoying. This book is not any different.
The thing that saved it is that it's well written. You become invested in most of the characters and slowly fall for the little town they all live in. Joy, the main character, is someone I wanted to give a good smack though. These women who spend three pages telling a man to stay away and then when he does leave they turn around and instantly go after him just to say "Hey, I told you to stay away!" drive me nuts. I get that Joy was conflicted but the mixed messages she was sending the good doctor were ridiculous. Her behaviour in that regard is enough to give women on the whole a bad reputation.
The book was OK, especially considering it was a freebie. I think I'll go back to my regular historical fiction and/or mystery fare though.
The thing that saved it is that it's well written. You become invested in most of the characters and slowly fall for the little town they all live in. Joy, the main character, is someone I wanted to give a good smack though. These women who spend three pages telling a man to stay away and then when he does leave they turn around and instantly go after him just to say "Hey, I told you to stay away!" drive me nuts. I get that Joy was conflicted but the mixed messages she was sending the good doctor were ridiculous. Her behaviour in that regard is enough to give women on the whole a bad reputation.
The book was OK, especially considering it was a freebie. I think I'll go back to my regular historical fiction and/or mystery fare though.
December 5, 2017
The heroine (?) spent the entire book talking about how she never cried in front on anyone and rarely cried at all. Then spent the entire book crying... all the time and mostly on the hero's chest, the person she hated more than anyone.
Also, the attempted murderer was a good twist but then they let him/her move out of town because of a "bad childhood". Really?
Also, the attempted murderer was a good twist but then they let him/her move out of town because of a "bad childhood". Really?
January 31, 2018
I loved this book!! I thought I had the plot all figured out WAY before the end, but then there was a twist right at the very end. Such a good book. I highly recommend it.
August 22, 2022
At its core, this is a book about forgiveness. Both self forgiveness and forgiving the actions of others. The writing was nothing spectacular but certainly enjoyable, descriptive and flowed nicely. I loved the atmosphere presented; the slow drip of not knowing until nearer the end whether this novel actually contained a supernatural component or not.
I feel like younger me would’ve been more excited and engrossed by the vet side of things than current me was, but books involving animals still hold a space in my heart and I love how Bear provided a realistic and fitting bridge between the two love interests. He was a character in his own right and I adored him, so I get why Joy wanted to keep him as long as possible and I also loved the professional side of her arguing against the human, animal loving side that missed connection and comfort.
In fact Joy’s characterisation was handled incredibly well, she was well rounded, whereas other characters were a little flat in areas in my opinion, though that might’ve simply been entwined with the small town backdrop. She was smart and capable, fierce and logical, protective of herself and her space, alongside defending others rights, she was devoted to a friend she felt she’d failed and was stubborn and unyielding in a way my feminst heart applauded.
But simultaneously her resistance to letting people in was portrayed as the flaw it was, whilst her actions and behaviour were looked at through the lens of someone who was constantly aiming to better themselves. Maybe I’ve been reading too many toxic and immaturely handled books as of late, but this book felt very adult in how it handled conflict with communication, introspection and alterations, and I vastly appreciated that.
Likewise, Jenny and Joy’s friendship felt like a real, unbreakable bond. The way she upheld her friend on a pedestal due to her death was perfectly understandable, but so were the parts of her that truly wanted and felt ready to examine the negative parts of that friendship. Given that Jenny was still a child when she died, it’s human that Joy would learn to see her differently through an adult lens whilst still caring greatly for the amazing person Jenny clearly was.
The loss of a sisterly bond taken by grief confounded by now having to grow up without that core relationship present did a lot of damage, on a much lesser level I could relate to that and the authentic way it was all portrayed and handled made for a very emotional and heart wrenching read. Alongside being heartwarming.
Jenny felt so real by the end of this book that my heart broke for her, for her family, for those that knew and loved her, for Jeff, for Joy. There was an emptiness where her presence should have been. I adored watching the characters reminisce and am thrilled that Jenny got to see and know that she was far from forgotten and still dearly, wholeheartedly loved.
Speaking of Jenny, I seriously think (as someone potentially autistic myself and who is friends with more autistic people than not) and truly believe that her tantrums were merely meltdowns. They seemed to come when she was emotionally and psychologically distressed, they resulted in an outburst of pure emotion and later she would feel awful for it and try to make up for any damage done out of absolute guilt and shame.
This is simply my own headcanon, as it is never specified nor denied the reasons for these outbursts other than simply being a core component of Jenny and her behaviour. Given that both Jeff and Joy grew up in a small town and Joy especially kept away from allowing herself to be truly open with others since moving, it makes sense that given the general lack of understanding in society, the mindset of smaller places and medical establishments in particular, and a lack of diagnosed autistic people in their lives, neither character or indeed any of them would jump to such conclusions.
Furthermore, the author herself may well have no knowledge of autism and Jenny’s outbursts could’ve been tallied up to any number of things. Given that Jenny is treated both in memory and within the narrative as a fantastic yet flawed well rounded person both living and as a ghost, it’s certainly not a bad portrayal of autism if it indeed is that.
Her desire to save Joy and the small and larger ways she helped her were emotional to witness, and giving her friend and ex-boyfriend the blessing Joy craved and they deserved -when she was by no means entitled to give them such a thing - brought tears to my eyes.
The house and how it became entwined with Jenny’s soul and spirit was beautifully done and perfectly captured. The last part in particular made me almost tear up with emotion; I was greatly moved and so proud and in awe of Jenny! You go, you magnificent girl you!
As for Jeff (hate the name I must admit) and Jenny, Jeff felt a little too perfect to me at times but I do like how they both challenged one another and brought out the best and worst of each other in healthy ways. After reading several books where forced telepathy took place, witnessing communication was nice and watching both characters learn, grow and apologise when they were wrong was also great to see. I’m always here for communication between characters and never here for excuses made for poor behaviour.
Which brings me to an aspect of this book I didn’t quite enjoy; the relationship between the detective (I’ve already forgotten his and his ex wife’s name and it’s been just over two weeks since I finished this book, opps!). And his wife.
As someone who has witnessed both female and male family members and friends experience domestic violence and abuse, the way his wife (or ex-wife, I really can’t remember,) was handled left a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth. A part of me understands that she was very mentally ill and therefore medication was a great asset to her recovering and becoming a better person and on top of that she was remorseful and truly repentant. Simultaneously this book's core theme centres around forgiveness. So from those perspectives it makes sense that he would forgive her and want to try again. However, given what she put him through and how rarely violence against men, especially where women being the perpetrators is concerned, is taken seriously. It felt somewhat dismissive and as though it almost gave the green light; as though because they both loved each other and she was ill that automatically made it okay. This was a man who worried for countless days, nights and possibly weeks (it’s not really known how much time has passed through the book exactly) over the safety of his friend and the harm his ex wife could cause.
His longtime friend (Jeff) witnessed the abuse and made clear to Joy the way it broke him, and it is clear throughout the narrative and story that it took a tremendous toll on him and his emotional and mental wellbeing and health. I think had the genders been swapped around it would’ve sadly being seen as more fitting for them to go their separate ways, whereas, whilst not outwardly stated that they did indeed get back together to my (admittedly hazy) knowledge, it is acutely hinted in multiple ways that that is the end goal for them both.
And whilst two people can come together after such trauma and work on rebuilding and in turn make it work and make it right, such a thing is rarely portrayed. Therefore it should have been given its own story in order to highlight the complexity, and handle the situation as delicately and authentically as possible.
As it stood, whilst fitting in with the core theme, it sold the all too familiar story of abuse from a woman being merely a side effect of a larger problem and that a happy ending with the - admittedly transformed - abuser could indeed be possible. I can empathise with the poor woman and I’m glad she got the help she deserved but I would have much preferred it had they both gone their separate ways and started again with new people to give them both a fresh start.
In the same vein Tina’s casual sexual harrasment of Jeff was just as off putting if almost more so, though this book did pick her up on some of her behaviour a little at least in the form of Joy being protective of Jeff and distractive of Tina. Not to mention Jeff was visibly uncomfortable and Joy not very impressed. Tina’s motivations were somewhat understandable; she wanted a better life for her family and was willing to go to any drastic and immoral lengths to get it, but if she moved so easily when it all came out why not sell her house first? Unless she was financially off worse after moving and was just desperate to escape any consequences?
All in all, I’ve downloaded another book from this author that I can’t wait to delve into, and many aspects of this novel entertained and moved me.
Jenny, Joy putting the sexist vet in his place, (though I have a nitpick about that too - maybe don’t equate physical size with bad sexual prowess even if the jerk did deserve some comeuppance), her relationship with her parents and the whole Tina situation.
The scene at Jeff’s house where she went to apologise to him gave me the warm fuzzies, and I am an absolute sucker for one character comforting another during a nightmare.
I’d recommend this novel for anyone who wants a read full of suspense, human emotion, warm fuzzies, exploration of grief, romance, a mystery and animals.
I feel like younger me would’ve been more excited and engrossed by the vet side of things than current me was, but books involving animals still hold a space in my heart and I love how Bear provided a realistic and fitting bridge between the two love interests. He was a character in his own right and I adored him, so I get why Joy wanted to keep him as long as possible and I also loved the professional side of her arguing against the human, animal loving side that missed connection and comfort.
In fact Joy’s characterisation was handled incredibly well, she was well rounded, whereas other characters were a little flat in areas in my opinion, though that might’ve simply been entwined with the small town backdrop. She was smart and capable, fierce and logical, protective of herself and her space, alongside defending others rights, she was devoted to a friend she felt she’d failed and was stubborn and unyielding in a way my feminst heart applauded.
But simultaneously her resistance to letting people in was portrayed as the flaw it was, whilst her actions and behaviour were looked at through the lens of someone who was constantly aiming to better themselves. Maybe I’ve been reading too many toxic and immaturely handled books as of late, but this book felt very adult in how it handled conflict with communication, introspection and alterations, and I vastly appreciated that.
Likewise, Jenny and Joy’s friendship felt like a real, unbreakable bond. The way she upheld her friend on a pedestal due to her death was perfectly understandable, but so were the parts of her that truly wanted and felt ready to examine the negative parts of that friendship. Given that Jenny was still a child when she died, it’s human that Joy would learn to see her differently through an adult lens whilst still caring greatly for the amazing person Jenny clearly was.
The loss of a sisterly bond taken by grief confounded by now having to grow up without that core relationship present did a lot of damage, on a much lesser level I could relate to that and the authentic way it was all portrayed and handled made for a very emotional and heart wrenching read. Alongside being heartwarming.
Jenny felt so real by the end of this book that my heart broke for her, for her family, for those that knew and loved her, for Jeff, for Joy. There was an emptiness where her presence should have been. I adored watching the characters reminisce and am thrilled that Jenny got to see and know that she was far from forgotten and still dearly, wholeheartedly loved.
Speaking of Jenny, I seriously think (as someone potentially autistic myself and who is friends with more autistic people than not) and truly believe that her tantrums were merely meltdowns. They seemed to come when she was emotionally and psychologically distressed, they resulted in an outburst of pure emotion and later she would feel awful for it and try to make up for any damage done out of absolute guilt and shame.
This is simply my own headcanon, as it is never specified nor denied the reasons for these outbursts other than simply being a core component of Jenny and her behaviour. Given that both Jeff and Joy grew up in a small town and Joy especially kept away from allowing herself to be truly open with others since moving, it makes sense that given the general lack of understanding in society, the mindset of smaller places and medical establishments in particular, and a lack of diagnosed autistic people in their lives, neither character or indeed any of them would jump to such conclusions.
Furthermore, the author herself may well have no knowledge of autism and Jenny’s outbursts could’ve been tallied up to any number of things. Given that Jenny is treated both in memory and within the narrative as a fantastic yet flawed well rounded person both living and as a ghost, it’s certainly not a bad portrayal of autism if it indeed is that.
Her desire to save Joy and the small and larger ways she helped her were emotional to witness, and giving her friend and ex-boyfriend the blessing Joy craved and they deserved -when she was by no means entitled to give them such a thing - brought tears to my eyes.
The house and how it became entwined with Jenny’s soul and spirit was beautifully done and perfectly captured. The last part in particular made me almost tear up with emotion; I was greatly moved and so proud and in awe of Jenny! You go, you magnificent girl you!
As for Jeff (hate the name I must admit) and Jenny, Jeff felt a little too perfect to me at times but I do like how they both challenged one another and brought out the best and worst of each other in healthy ways. After reading several books where forced telepathy took place, witnessing communication was nice and watching both characters learn, grow and apologise when they were wrong was also great to see. I’m always here for communication between characters and never here for excuses made for poor behaviour.
Which brings me to an aspect of this book I didn’t quite enjoy; the relationship between the detective (I’ve already forgotten his and his ex wife’s name and it’s been just over two weeks since I finished this book, opps!). And his wife.
As someone who has witnessed both female and male family members and friends experience domestic violence and abuse, the way his wife (or ex-wife, I really can’t remember,) was handled left a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth. A part of me understands that she was very mentally ill and therefore medication was a great asset to her recovering and becoming a better person and on top of that she was remorseful and truly repentant. Simultaneously this book's core theme centres around forgiveness. So from those perspectives it makes sense that he would forgive her and want to try again. However, given what she put him through and how rarely violence against men, especially where women being the perpetrators is concerned, is taken seriously. It felt somewhat dismissive and as though it almost gave the green light; as though because they both loved each other and she was ill that automatically made it okay. This was a man who worried for countless days, nights and possibly weeks (it’s not really known how much time has passed through the book exactly) over the safety of his friend and the harm his ex wife could cause.
His longtime friend (Jeff) witnessed the abuse and made clear to Joy the way it broke him, and it is clear throughout the narrative and story that it took a tremendous toll on him and his emotional and mental wellbeing and health. I think had the genders been swapped around it would’ve sadly being seen as more fitting for them to go their separate ways, whereas, whilst not outwardly stated that they did indeed get back together to my (admittedly hazy) knowledge, it is acutely hinted in multiple ways that that is the end goal for them both.
And whilst two people can come together after such trauma and work on rebuilding and in turn make it work and make it right, such a thing is rarely portrayed. Therefore it should have been given its own story in order to highlight the complexity, and handle the situation as delicately and authentically as possible.
As it stood, whilst fitting in with the core theme, it sold the all too familiar story of abuse from a woman being merely a side effect of a larger problem and that a happy ending with the - admittedly transformed - abuser could indeed be possible. I can empathise with the poor woman and I’m glad she got the help she deserved but I would have much preferred it had they both gone their separate ways and started again with new people to give them both a fresh start.
In the same vein Tina’s casual sexual harrasment of Jeff was just as off putting if almost more so, though this book did pick her up on some of her behaviour a little at least in the form of Joy being protective of Jeff and distractive of Tina. Not to mention Jeff was visibly uncomfortable and Joy not very impressed. Tina’s motivations were somewhat understandable; she wanted a better life for her family and was willing to go to any drastic and immoral lengths to get it, but if she moved so easily when it all came out why not sell her house first? Unless she was financially off worse after moving and was just desperate to escape any consequences?
All in all, I’ve downloaded another book from this author that I can’t wait to delve into, and many aspects of this novel entertained and moved me.
Jenny, Joy putting the sexist vet in his place, (though I have a nitpick about that too - maybe don’t equate physical size with bad sexual prowess even if the jerk did deserve some comeuppance), her relationship with her parents and the whole Tina situation.
The scene at Jeff’s house where she went to apologise to him gave me the warm fuzzies, and I am an absolute sucker for one character comforting another during a nightmare.
I’d recommend this novel for anyone who wants a read full of suspense, human emotion, warm fuzzies, exploration of grief, romance, a mystery and animals.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2015
People are products of their environments, taking bits and pieces of the milieu adding color and form to their personalities. This gives credence to the statement “you can never go home again.” This, of course, doesn’t refer in the physical sense but psychological. Times as do people change with the passing of time; moving farther apart.
Joy Hudson fled her hometown of Wharton, Kentucky after graduating high school and the accidental death of her best friend, Jenny Carver, effectively closing this chapter in her life. After attending various colleges, universities, internships and eventually a residency in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania she was a complete veterinarian and ready to take on the world. Circumstances have a way of changing the best laid plans and Joy’s father’s declining health changed situation.
Wharton, Kentucky is a typical small town with a profusion of memorable characters, both human and animal. This, in itself makes for an interesting read and with an undercurrent of lust and potential romance the reader soon feels like they’ve known the people and their pets for years. Joy, a chronic blamer (first Jeff and then herself) is not the least of the memorable character cast.
Memories, prompted by places and sites come rushing back and enter into conflict with people, now older and living their mature lives in their childhood world. Misconceptions, lies and a new mature perception throw Joy into a tail spin, where and how she would land, questionable. Jeff Bradford, Jenny’s boyfriend and the driver when a fatal accident occurred and one of the reasons Joy fled her childhood home becomes the pivot point of her homecoming. Like a curtain surreptitiously opening a tale is revealed that, may not keep you poised on the edge of your seat, is sure to pique and hold the reader’s interest.
This book is more than a contemporary romance but also a study in loss, resilience, spirit and fortune. Many readers can appreciate the fullness of the story and individual personalities that make in memorable. This is a marathon read but well worth the time and effort and (despite the numerous poor reviews) should appeal to many. It is a full and satisfying meal of romance with a supernatural side dish to complete the literary experience.
Joy Hudson fled her hometown of Wharton, Kentucky after graduating high school and the accidental death of her best friend, Jenny Carver, effectively closing this chapter in her life. After attending various colleges, universities, internships and eventually a residency in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania she was a complete veterinarian and ready to take on the world. Circumstances have a way of changing the best laid plans and Joy’s father’s declining health changed situation.
Wharton, Kentucky is a typical small town with a profusion of memorable characters, both human and animal. This, in itself makes for an interesting read and with an undercurrent of lust and potential romance the reader soon feels like they’ve known the people and their pets for years. Joy, a chronic blamer (first Jeff and then herself) is not the least of the memorable character cast.
Memories, prompted by places and sites come rushing back and enter into conflict with people, now older and living their mature lives in their childhood world. Misconceptions, lies and a new mature perception throw Joy into a tail spin, where and how she would land, questionable. Jeff Bradford, Jenny’s boyfriend and the driver when a fatal accident occurred and one of the reasons Joy fled her childhood home becomes the pivot point of her homecoming. Like a curtain surreptitiously opening a tale is revealed that, may not keep you poised on the edge of your seat, is sure to pique and hold the reader’s interest.
This book is more than a contemporary romance but also a study in loss, resilience, spirit and fortune. Many readers can appreciate the fullness of the story and individual personalities that make in memorable. This is a marathon read but well worth the time and effort and (despite the numerous poor reviews) should appeal to many. It is a full and satisfying meal of romance with a supernatural side dish to complete the literary experience.
October 19, 2013
Another book with a paranormal twist which I enjoyed!
''Eighteen years have passed since Joy's childhood best friend, Jenny, met her death in a tragic car accident just a few days after their senior prom. A broken Joy left their small Kentucky hometown shortly after--determined never to come back. But when her father's illness forces her to return, she realizes that neither time nor distance have truly healed her troubled soul.
Plagued with nightmares of the accident and crippled by a vague fear whose source she can't identify, Joy realizes that in order to move on she must face the truth behind several disturbing gaps in her memory of that fateful spring. But the only person who can help her is a man she despises--Jenny's erstwhile boyfriend Jeff, now a respected doctor, whose carelessness as a teenager was the cause of Jenny's horrendous death--and Joy's own emotional destruction. Can she ever forgive? She may have no choice but to try. Because both the danger she sensed--and the childhood friendship she treasured--now suddenly seem very much alive...''
''Eighteen years have passed since Joy's childhood best friend, Jenny, met her death in a tragic car accident just a few days after their senior prom. A broken Joy left their small Kentucky hometown shortly after--determined never to come back. But when her father's illness forces her to return, she realizes that neither time nor distance have truly healed her troubled soul.
Plagued with nightmares of the accident and crippled by a vague fear whose source she can't identify, Joy realizes that in order to move on she must face the truth behind several disturbing gaps in her memory of that fateful spring. But the only person who can help her is a man she despises--Jenny's erstwhile boyfriend Jeff, now a respected doctor, whose carelessness as a teenager was the cause of Jenny's horrendous death--and Joy's own emotional destruction. Can she ever forgive? She may have no choice but to try. Because both the danger she sensed--and the childhood friendship she treasured--now suddenly seem very much alive...''
December 26, 2012
Romantic Suspense, Mystery & Ghosts A very enjoyable novel
Joy has her demons to face. She's been running from them for years now, but when she ends up moving back to her home town and buying the house her dead best friend used to live in her nightmares come flooding back. Strange occurrences start happening in the house, then she comes face to face with the man, Jeff, who killed her best friend. Even though her best friend Jenny died 18 years ago when they were teenagers her memory or lack of continues to haunt her.
Jeff knows what happened all those years ago to cause the accident but he's not talking. Joy needs to bring back her suppressed memories so she can move on with her life. It takes a ghost to push her in the right direction and help her break free from her confusion.
I really enjoyed Long Time Coming. The book is full of suspense and yet it has its humorous moments along with a touch of romance.
Joy has her demons to face. She's been running from them for years now, but when she ends up moving back to her home town and buying the house her dead best friend used to live in her nightmares come flooding back. Strange occurrences start happening in the house, then she comes face to face with the man, Jeff, who killed her best friend. Even though her best friend Jenny died 18 years ago when they were teenagers her memory or lack of continues to haunt her.
Jeff knows what happened all those years ago to cause the accident but he's not talking. Joy needs to bring back her suppressed memories so she can move on with her life. It takes a ghost to push her in the right direction and help her break free from her confusion.
I really enjoyed Long Time Coming. The book is full of suspense and yet it has its humorous moments along with a touch of romance.
January 16, 2013
Let me just say that there are 18 books titled "Long Time Coming". This one was by author Edie Claire. The story involves a young woman named Joy Hudson (a veterinarian who really has not much joy in her) who returns to her home town after 20 years. She had purposely stayed away because of some painful and forgotten memories involving the death of her best friend Jenny Carver when they were 17. She ends up buying her old friend's home, sets up a practice there and starts trying to get her life jump started again. She runs into an old friend and former boyfriend of Jenny's and has a hard time interacting with him because she blames him for her friend's death. The novel is full of love, guilt, friendship, a little romance and even a touch of the paranormal. I got a little tired of Joy's bad attitude and for a smart gal, she was a little dense at times but I did enjoy the book. It is clean and free for now on the Kindle and Nook.
April 23, 2013
Exceptionally well written story, with loveable characters and an easy empathy level.
I have to say that I don't read that much Contemporary Fiction, and never under usual circumstances read anything labelled "Suspense", however it was another free read picked up at Amazon, so I thought I would give it a go as it was stilled tagged as a Romance.
It turned out from page one that it was a real page turner, and I just couldn't put it down. Not to say that you should think that it was alll high drama, there was the ghost element, but at no point did I find it worryingly so.
All in all a 5+ stars for this, and I would actively seek out anything by this author. Best of all people, as at the date of publishing this review it is still free on Amazon, and I'm not sure as it's certainly worthy of paying cold hard cash for.
In case I didn’t mention this was a Free Kindle Download at the time (see my blog www.toodlesbookclub.blogspot.com for daily selections of free downloads).
I have to say that I don't read that much Contemporary Fiction, and never under usual circumstances read anything labelled "Suspense", however it was another free read picked up at Amazon, so I thought I would give it a go as it was stilled tagged as a Romance.
It turned out from page one that it was a real page turner, and I just couldn't put it down. Not to say that you should think that it was alll high drama, there was the ghost element, but at no point did I find it worryingly so.
All in all a 5+ stars for this, and I would actively seek out anything by this author. Best of all people, as at the date of publishing this review it is still free on Amazon, and I'm not sure as it's certainly worthy of paying cold hard cash for.
In case I didn’t mention this was a Free Kindle Download at the time (see my blog www.toodlesbookclub.blogspot.com for daily selections of free downloads).
June 20, 2013
I loved this book! "Long Time Coming" is a book about Joy, a woman who has to return home to help take care of her parents. Going home stirs up memories, feelings, and nightmares she hasn't had in years. She enlists the help Jeff, her former friend and the person she thinks killed her best friend, to figure out why she is having the nightmares again and why she can't remember the time surrounding her best friends death.
I could not put this book down!I enjoyed the characters and found them easy to relate to since I have been through the death of my 16 year old step-brother. I am very glad that this book is not predictable like a lot of books I have read lately! I kept trying to guess what was going to happen, but a lot of times I got it wrong!
I definitely recommend this book and I can't wait to read more from Edie Claire!
I could not put this book down!I enjoyed the characters and found them easy to relate to since I have been through the death of my 16 year old step-brother. I am very glad that this book is not predictable like a lot of books I have read lately! I kept trying to guess what was going to happen, but a lot of times I got it wrong!
I definitely recommend this book and I can't wait to read more from Edie Claire!
October 2, 2014
This book started off with all this suspicion around Joy's best friend -Jenny's death when the actual crime is something else. Labelled a thriller romance, I felt it almost bordered on supernatural that Jenny was somehow trying to get Jeff and Joy together. Each carrying the guilt of Jenny's death, the couple tries to reconnect. The book is well paced and what I liked was the psychology of guilt. So much of it is true. And that's the only reason I liked this book. The lead characters handling their baggage and pasts, struggling still at 35 to get out of the shadows and make that plunge to the present. It clearly resonates. Joy's denial, her blanking out memories, avoiding Wharton, its a wonderful read oh human defense mechanisms. I wished there were more occasions for Joy and Jeff to connect other than the dog Bear. Not as much suspense but a nice rainy day read.
October 2, 2014
A pretty good book for a freebie. I liked the characters and their personalities (mostly), there was definitely a twist, there was angst, plenty of emotions, some suspense, some woo-woo ;), some slower parts, and a good and sweet/happy ending that leaves you with a smile. During the slower parts, I kinda had to make myself get back into the book, but mostly this flowed pretty well and kept me interested. The ending was a definite twist that hits you like...Well, Duh!...but hindsight and all that. I liked the puzzle aspect of reading this though and thought this was definitely a good find for a freebie. My first time reading this author (and I think it was her first book or romance) so I'll be keeping an eye out to see how it goes. Good for the relaxing, passing time kinda book. Enjoy
November 16, 2012
I enjoyed this book. A daughter returns to her hometown to be close to her ailing father. She sets up a vet house call practice and moves into the house of her best childhood friend who died tragically 18 years ago. The plot revolves around her memory loss about the events leading to her friends death, the guilt associated with the events leading up to the accident and her anger at the teenage boy who she believed caused her death. Mix in rediscovered romance, a ghost, small town drama and a big dog and you have the ingredients of this story. The writing is humorous at times to the point of making you laugh out loud but this is a serious exploration of the power of guilt and jealousy.
May 27, 2013
This book was about Joy Hudson returning to the town she grew up in so she could be near her parents. Her father is ill. She gets caught up in trying to come to terms with the death of her high school friend Jenny. Jenny died in an automobile accident (while Jenny's boyfriend Jeff was driving) during their senior year in high school. Joy never came to terms with Jenny's death and blamed Jeff for the 18 years since the accident. Joy is now faced with Jeff and her recurring nightmares from the time of Jenny's accident. This book was somewhat entertaining. I did, however, get a little tired of Joy always trying to keep her feelings intact. From the beginning until the end, I wished she would have gotten herself pulled together and figured things out much sooner.
March 11, 2015
From the first to the last word I was hooked because of the great writing drawing me in and through this ghostly suspense novel.
I don't usually read romances, finding them somewhat sickly and boring, however this story was different, not least due to the wonderful writing and that added intrigue that continually peppered interest.
Good detailed and believable characters and enough twists, turns and mystery to add more to the mix.
It was by chance that I came across this book - so glad I did. A recommended read.
I don't usually read romances, finding them somewhat sickly and boring, however this story was different, not least due to the wonderful writing and that added intrigue that continually peppered interest.
Good detailed and believable characters and enough twists, turns and mystery to add more to the mix.
It was by chance that I came across this book - so glad I did. A recommended read.
January 16, 2013
I had never heard of this author before so I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm not a sappy romance type of book reader so I was hesitant when I began the book. But, I ended up really enjoying it! It's a romance, but it has mystery and in this case, a haunting is involved. Those of you who believe in ghosts and such should really like this story. It kept me guessing and made me want to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next...and a very nice ending.
December 22, 2015
I could not put this book down! It was one of the best books I've read all year. It had a little bit of everything. It was a mystery, a thriller, a romance, and it had a paranormal theme. It also had horses and a big fluffy, huggable dog. I did not suspect the identity of the villain at all. It had many sub-plots going on, and there was never a dull moment in the main character's life, but the story never felt over-extended. This was a really fun read.
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