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Still Life
How do you heal a life you no longer recognize?
Julia is stuck. Frozen by grief after the death of her young husband, the debilitating loss and severe heartache have consumed every aspect of a once beautiful life. And although she knows she must move forward - if not for herself then at least for the sake of her son - she remains broken. That is until her sister Mia calls with a demand masked as a simple invitation. Within days and on a whim, Julia jets off to the historic and romantic city of London and far from the comfort of her home and its familiar pain.
A change of scenery, some time alone, and the attention of a mysterious man push Julia to the limits of her grief and back. And in the end, she is left with little choice but to release the woman she once was, face the grim reality of who she must become, and begin to heal a life she no longer recognizes.
Julia is stuck. Frozen by grief after the death of her young husband, the debilitating loss and severe heartache have consumed every aspect of a once beautiful life. And although she knows she must move forward - if not for herself then at least for the sake of her son - she remains broken. That is until her sister Mia calls with a demand masked as a simple invitation. Within days and on a whim, Julia jets off to the historic and romantic city of London and far from the comfort of her home and its familiar pain.
A change of scenery, some time alone, and the attention of a mysterious man push Julia to the limits of her grief and back. And in the end, she is left with little choice but to release the woman she once was, face the grim reality of who she must become, and begin to heal a life she no longer recognizes.
180 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2010
19 people are currently reading
295 people want to read
About the author
Jodi LaPalm
12 books33 followersCancer survivor. Martini enthusiast. Writer of inspired fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 14, 2011
A weekend read, I just finished it. The author has a talent for in depth description and character development which enables the reader to connect with the characters with ease.
This is one of the few books I have read where I didn't love the main character (Julia). Although she (Julia) is still grieving the loss of her husband, I found that she, as a person, seems to be a tightly wound woman who seems to be irritated by the world around her (I don't think she actually liked her sister who was on the trip with her)
The progression of the love interest is charming, he is a man who bends over backwards to get Julia to soften her edges and open her heart once again. The reason for the low rating was that I didn't like the sharp left turn the story went into towards the end. It seemed as if the author was lost in the growth of the new relationship when she realized she needed to end the story somehow. It just felt that the twist and the ending was somehow hastily thought up and inserted. I was completely thrown by the confusing twist and couldn't regain my deep interest in the story, so it ended on a frustrated note for me.
This is one of the few books I have read where I didn't love the main character (Julia). Although she (Julia) is still grieving the loss of her husband, I found that she, as a person, seems to be a tightly wound woman who seems to be irritated by the world around her (I don't think she actually liked her sister who was on the trip with her)
The progression of the love interest is charming, he is a man who bends over backwards to get Julia to soften her edges and open her heart once again. The reason for the low rating was that I didn't like the sharp left turn the story went into towards the end. It seemed as if the author was lost in the growth of the new relationship when she realized she needed to end the story somehow. It just felt that the twist and the ending was somehow hastily thought up and inserted. I was completely thrown by the confusing twist and couldn't regain my deep interest in the story, so it ended on a frustrated note for me.
June 2, 2010
I won this on Goodreads and I can't wait to receive it in the mail. It sounds like a book I will enjoy very much. Thanks, Goodreads and Jodi!
I loved this book! The story line was interesting and I was drawn in immediately. I enjoyed the way the author separated the chapters by day. I also very much enjoyed the use of words for descriptive purposes. I found myself rereading some phrases because they were so pretty. I also enjoyed the link between Still Life as in finished artist's work and living a still life such as Julia after the death of her husband. Initially, I thought this would be a difficult book to read - depressing possibly, but it wasn't that way at all. It was actually very easy to read and each chapter (or day) left me wondering what would happen next. Towards the end, I was completetly surprised by a twist. At first, it seemed odd and I didn't know how it was going to fit into the story, but it all came together and I was able to understand the importance of it in the end and it was actually needed for Julia, the main character, to move on.
I will recommend this book to all of my current and former book club friends. We would all have a blast sharing in the details and discussing possible scenarios for the future of the characters.
I loved this book! The story line was interesting and I was drawn in immediately. I enjoyed the way the author separated the chapters by day. I also very much enjoyed the use of words for descriptive purposes. I found myself rereading some phrases because they were so pretty. I also enjoyed the link between Still Life as in finished artist's work and living a still life such as Julia after the death of her husband. Initially, I thought this would be a difficult book to read - depressing possibly, but it wasn't that way at all. It was actually very easy to read and each chapter (or day) left me wondering what would happen next. Towards the end, I was completetly surprised by a twist. At first, it seemed odd and I didn't know how it was going to fit into the story, but it all came together and I was able to understand the importance of it in the end and it was actually needed for Julia, the main character, to move on.
I will recommend this book to all of my current and former book club friends. We would all have a blast sharing in the details and discussing possible scenarios for the future of the characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2012
A woman who lost her husband in an accident a year ago has had a terrible time trying to move on with her life. Her sister convinces her to come with her on a trip to London. While in London she meets an artist and feels an attraction to him, something that she thought would never happen again.
I found that the story was moving along just fine and I loved the author's analogies between painting and life however the book had a totally unexpected twist in the plot which just didn't seem to fit well with the rest of the story. I know that it was to add suspense but it just felt out of place. I certainly didn't become attached to the characters enough to make me want to read the next book in the series.
May 2, 2010
This book was wonderful. It's hard to get through the first chapter, because it's depressing--as it's intended to be. You have to get the history of the main character to truly understand how awesome the next events in her life are. It's an original story line that I can see made into a series. You want to know what happens to the main character next, what adventure she might go through next--and has lots of characters with depth that she could even write about. After finishing this book, I imagined it in movie form--it has the potential of coming to life.
June 27, 2012
This is not great literature, but it is a pleasant enough little love story. A young widow travels to London with her sister and meets an attractive artist who reawakens her desire to live life. The writing is kind of stilted, even cheesy, but I have to say early on I developed a plot theory that didn't play out, so I guess there's that.
March 16, 2015
Just ok for me. It seemed to have lost some of its steam toward the end. I had to put it down for awhile and when I got back to it I wasn't enjoying it as much as I had been before. I did finish it however, but can see it sets the reader up for a sequel as it leaves unfinished business.
I will not continue with the series.
I will not continue with the series.
June 30, 2010
This book was about a woman whose has lost her husband in death and how hard it was to restart her life without him. She decided to take a trip to London with her Sister and she met a man who helped her find with in herself how to start her life again.
May 25, 2011
Still Life was a page turner. If you have lost a spouse or someone close to you, the book would be especially meaningful. It was a very touching and romantic book. I am eagerly looking forward to the sequel.
August 19, 2010
Good book for a vacation on the beach. Enjoyable, easy to read and happy ending.
December 1, 2010
Young widow pulls herself from bereavement with a trip to London where she learns life isn't still, and she can feel joy again.
December 21, 2013
I normally do not read romance novels, however this book kept the romance at an appropriate level for me and mixed in some mystery.
January 19, 2013
Loved it once I started reading it on my Nook I couldn't put it down!! Liked it so much I had to get the MUSE!! :)
June 26, 2013
This book was wonderful! I just wished it would have been a little longer. Love this new author though.
May 22, 2015
Very good read.
This was a good read for lite readers wanting something to hold their interest. I enjoyed the characters and overall plot.
This was a good read for lite readers wanting something to hold their interest. I enjoyed the characters and overall plot.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews