Someone Else's Love Story

My favorite modern Southern author!

Another fun crazy story from Joshilyn Jackson made perfect through her narration! Shandy is another terrific character and strong female protagonist. If you haven't listened to any of Miss Jackson's books I can recommend all of them- I think this one rivals gods in Alabama as my favorite.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

A little bit different...

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. JJ always writes a superb story, develops characters well and her narration is sweet as honey.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Someone Else's Love Story?

Returning home, realizing what home really means and who home really is.

Have you listened to any of Joshilyn Jackson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

All of JJ's performances. This was a little different. In past stories I have enjoyed the perspective and interaction between two or more of her wonderful female characters. I did not feel the protagonist in the story had a strong female relationship thread through the story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely. I would listen to that sweet southern syrup of a voice all day long.

Any additional comments?

Still love JJ, but this was my first JJ story I in which was not 100% engrossed.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

I love Joshilyn Jackson!

Would you consider the audio edition of Someone Else's Love Story to be better than the print version?

Jackson is the perfect narrator for her own books. I always wait until they are available on audio, as torturous as that is, because she does such a great job.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This is a book I'm recommending to everyone!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

I LOVE Joshilyn Jackson

Would you listen to Someone Else's Love Story again? Why?

I love this story, but then again I love everything that Joshilyn Jackson has written. She can pull you into a book like no other author. She is an excellent writer, but she is also an excellent storyteller. I love the fact that she reads her own audio books. I recommend her books to everyone that I know. Can't wait until she comes out with another one.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

perfectly delightful

Joshilyn Jackson quickly became one of my favorite authors after I listened to "A Grown Up Kind of Pretty." She is equally one of my favorite narrators, which is unusual since most authors are hideous narrators. Since finishing all of her novels, I have been impatiently waiting on this release and was so happy to have it on my ipod. I finished it in just a few days. Joshilyn writes in a way that engages me quickly with characters that I feel as though I know personally. I immediately and vehemently did not like Bethany and loved Walcott. The story is highly enjoyable and even had a twist in the end - which I loved. Now, like a toddler who hasn't had her nap, I'm impatiently waiting on my next Joshilyn Jackson book.

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

You'll want to listen twice

Don't give up on this story! It starts slowly and then sucks you in. SELS is full of biblical metaphors and parallels seamlessly sewn into the fabric of this well told, cleverly, imaginative book. But this is not a religious tale. It is a love story with God in the mix. J. Jackson also narrated. Who better to tell the story as it was intended than the author? Before I even finished, I decided I wanted to go back and replay the whole thing to catch hints, clues and nuances I missed the first time around.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Great listen.

I have listened to almost all of Joshilyn Jackson's books and absolutely love them. Growing up in Alabama I was drawn to her titles and was immediately hooked with the first paragraph. The stories are rich with sentiment, humor and reality. I love listening to the author read her own work. I will listen to anything she ever writes.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

The Best I have read/listened to in awhile.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would recommend Someone Else's Love Story. There is never a dull moment. The author reads the text and you feel as though you know Shandy personally. This is a great book if you need to check out of reality for a short time.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Liked this a lot

I loved the characters in this book and the detail with which Joshilyn Jackson describes them. The author's narration was delightful, especially little Natty (sp?). I was looking for a light, entertaining book and was not disappointed.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

A Can of Worms that shouldn't Have been Opened

Sometimes I enjoy Jocelyn Jackson's writing and sometimes I just don't get it. Three fourth's of the way through this book the only one I liked or cared about was the kid. The book starts out with an interesting situation involving the protagonist Shandi and her child, then follows her with additional unusual situations for chic lit.... autism, date rape, genetics.

What started out as interesting just never got there for me. All the irrational acts and irresponsibility of the characters became too many to keep my attention.

I had issues with how the author painted the protagonist. Shandi finds one male character, a brainiac with asperger's, physically attractive. They have little in common but at first glance she is "madly in love" with him. Upon further time spent together she still has nothing in common with him and finds him oddly self absorbed (Imagine). She keeps plowing ahead, to win his affections by changing her clothes and keeping his house. I found it insulting to paint her as an educated single mother then have her act so shallow.

I applaud the author for choosing some out of the box story lines but, geez, follow through with them. It's as if the author picked and chose the parts of her plot that fit into her story and ignored what wasn't easy. Along the same lines - she moves her child to a new home so that he could go to a school that will enhance his gift. Then schooling is never mentioned again. She continues to move him around with no concern for her child's education. It's hard to care about a characters when the author had so little respect for them. I would love to go on about the disturbing retaliation for a "rape", but I can't do it without giving up too much of the story.

Not the best Jocelyn Jackson book, for me...

11 of 14 people found this review helpful