Reviews
SAVING NATHANIEL
George
Polley, Author and Reviewer ~ My attention was caught by the novel's first
sentences: "She was wet. She was cold. She was late." With that
opening, my attention was captivated. In my opinion, it is one of the most
powerful, attention-grabbing openings I have ever read in fiction, and I read a
lot of it.
Saving Nathaniel is enchanting and powerful storytelling, with characters that are real people, not clichéd cut-outs. The personal struggles Nathaniel and Megan have are ones that most of us can identify with because most of us have had them at one time or another. I certainly have. But it's the skill of the story telling that kept me engaged, as in one exchange with Nathaniel where Megan "gave him a look so cold it would have made a penguin reach for a muffler." It's the kind of laugh-out-loud remark that makes this story such a richly human one. The author tells the story of Meg and Nathaniel with compassion and skill that draws you in and keeps you there long after you've finished the last page. This is a wonderfully wise book. Hopefully it is the first of many by this fine writer. Five Stars.
Suzannah Burke, Author ~ Once in a while a book comes along that lingers in your memory long after the final chapter is read. "Saving Nathaniel" is such a book.
The author has created characters that live, breath, cry, laugh and love within the pages. Nathaniel is a man drowning in his own grief and guilt at the loss of his wife and child. He is every man who has ever grieved and attempted to hide his pain.
The reader wants to offer him comfort; wants to help him find a measure of peace...The author answers our request by giving us Megan, a wonderfully warm and vital character, she has the innate wisdom of a woman who nurtures, unrestrained in her efforts to jolt this man back into the land of the living. The dialogue between these two is rich with underlying meaning. At times you ache for Nathaniel and then want to shake him. He is flawed and oh so very human.
This is NOT chick-lit, these are not the glamorous, amorous, "Barbie and Ken" lookalikes found in many romance novels. These characters are older, wiser and so human and flawed that they reach inside the reader and ignite that spark of recognition that a truly great book can. The characters become friends to the reader, friends we come to care about and want the best for. That is the measure of a fine author.
Jillian Brookes-Ward has the touch. Saving Nathaniel is a book that makes you smile, and yes...cry a little, mostly though it's a book that you will remember.
Phil Bottomley, Author - Danny Murphy ~ Jillian you have got me into serious trouble with my wife! I told her five hours ago that I was just going to skim through Saving Nathaniel before taking her shopping.
Being a bloke I couldn't possibly get engrossed in a 'woman's' book, could I?
Wrong!
Totally and utterly absorbing, I have read it all and I am still enthralled.
Beautiful story, beautifully written and firmly on my bookshelf. Thank you.
Dawn DeRemer, Author ~ Excellent writing! Generally, I am not fond of long spates of dialogue, but this was different. Two high powered individuals bantering gruffly, each trying to push the envelope and yet mind some semblance of protocol. It was very well done and quite enjoyable in an understated way.
I thought the story was an interesting study on how uptight a person can get, whilst trying to hide from life's turmoil and how personally destructive it can be. Your very apt descriptive writing depicts the slow unraveling of Nat and how underneath it all, he desperately wants to cling to Megan's sense of stability. The story moves at a good clip, but the reader becomes anxious for Nat to address the changes that he must inevitably make in order to take back his life, and not just work through the days like an emotionally lost ghost.
Kudos!
Paul Dayton ~ Author 'Eye of the Idol' ~ After reading many ebooks, I'm always worried as to what surprise I'm going to get. My biggest beef is consistency. Usually, the first few chapters are well edited, but sometimes it goes downhill from there.
Not so with Saving Nathaniel. The quality here is consistently well polished, and yet, the writing immediate and intense. The opening is grabbing, and I was happy to see that this sort of page turning drama is played throughout, right down to the end. It's obvious that the content has been carefully edited, but not to such a degree as to lose its bite. Dialogue is crisp and original, certainly believable and I immediately got into it. Nothing jarred me as unusual or unrealistic, which is good.
Another beef I have is with UK authors making content so country specific others have problems following the quirks and language. Again, though obviously set in the UK, does a great job of making this easily readable to all.
As a guy, I found this moving and there were many times as I read that I thought I could relate to this. The emotional tug is immense and the author conveyed it realistically.
In short, this is five stars from me for a reason - quality entertainment.
Saving Nathaniel is enchanting and powerful storytelling, with characters that are real people, not clichéd cut-outs. The personal struggles Nathaniel and Megan have are ones that most of us can identify with because most of us have had them at one time or another. I certainly have. But it's the skill of the story telling that kept me engaged, as in one exchange with Nathaniel where Megan "gave him a look so cold it would have made a penguin reach for a muffler." It's the kind of laugh-out-loud remark that makes this story such a richly human one. The author tells the story of Meg and Nathaniel with compassion and skill that draws you in and keeps you there long after you've finished the last page. This is a wonderfully wise book. Hopefully it is the first of many by this fine writer. Five Stars.
Suzannah Burke, Author ~ Once in a while a book comes along that lingers in your memory long after the final chapter is read. "Saving Nathaniel" is such a book.
The author has created characters that live, breath, cry, laugh and love within the pages. Nathaniel is a man drowning in his own grief and guilt at the loss of his wife and child. He is every man who has ever grieved and attempted to hide his pain.
The reader wants to offer him comfort; wants to help him find a measure of peace...The author answers our request by giving us Megan, a wonderfully warm and vital character, she has the innate wisdom of a woman who nurtures, unrestrained in her efforts to jolt this man back into the land of the living. The dialogue between these two is rich with underlying meaning. At times you ache for Nathaniel and then want to shake him. He is flawed and oh so very human.
This is NOT chick-lit, these are not the glamorous, amorous, "Barbie and Ken" lookalikes found in many romance novels. These characters are older, wiser and so human and flawed that they reach inside the reader and ignite that spark of recognition that a truly great book can. The characters become friends to the reader, friends we come to care about and want the best for. That is the measure of a fine author.
Jillian Brookes-Ward has the touch. Saving Nathaniel is a book that makes you smile, and yes...cry a little, mostly though it's a book that you will remember.
Phil Bottomley, Author - Danny Murphy ~ Jillian you have got me into serious trouble with my wife! I told her five hours ago that I was just going to skim through Saving Nathaniel before taking her shopping.
Being a bloke I couldn't possibly get engrossed in a 'woman's' book, could I?
Wrong!
Totally and utterly absorbing, I have read it all and I am still enthralled.
Beautiful story, beautifully written and firmly on my bookshelf. Thank you.
Dawn DeRemer, Author ~ Excellent writing! Generally, I am not fond of long spates of dialogue, but this was different. Two high powered individuals bantering gruffly, each trying to push the envelope and yet mind some semblance of protocol. It was very well done and quite enjoyable in an understated way.
I thought the story was an interesting study on how uptight a person can get, whilst trying to hide from life's turmoil and how personally destructive it can be. Your very apt descriptive writing depicts the slow unraveling of Nat and how underneath it all, he desperately wants to cling to Megan's sense of stability. The story moves at a good clip, but the reader becomes anxious for Nat to address the changes that he must inevitably make in order to take back his life, and not just work through the days like an emotionally lost ghost.
Kudos!
Paul Dayton ~ Author 'Eye of the Idol' ~ After reading many ebooks, I'm always worried as to what surprise I'm going to get. My biggest beef is consistency. Usually, the first few chapters are well edited, but sometimes it goes downhill from there.
Not so with Saving Nathaniel. The quality here is consistently well polished, and yet, the writing immediate and intense. The opening is grabbing, and I was happy to see that this sort of page turning drama is played throughout, right down to the end. It's obvious that the content has been carefully edited, but not to such a degree as to lose its bite. Dialogue is crisp and original, certainly believable and I immediately got into it. Nothing jarred me as unusual or unrealistic, which is good.
Another beef I have is with UK authors making content so country specific others have problems following the quirks and language. Again, though obviously set in the UK, does a great job of making this easily readable to all.
As a guy, I found this moving and there were many times as I read that I thought I could relate to this. The emotional tug is immense and the author conveyed it realistically.
In short, this is five stars from me for a reason - quality entertainment.
LINDA LOVES...?
Jessica L DeGarmo, Author ~ How To Meet a Guy at the Supermarket ~ Wonderful work. Very enjoyable, and what an interesting situation Linda finds herself in! I can't wait to read more to see what happens, and since I am now wondering how I would handle her predicament, you have accomplished your goal! No doubt your readers will find themselves pondering such a dilemma!!!
Wakefield Mahon, Author - Emerald Dreams and Too Much Love ~
Jillian Brookes-Ward writes in a simple conversational style that is at once engaging and entertaining. Her characters are complex and beautiful creatures, not simply one-dimensional stereotypes. You will not want to put this book down, once you start.
Elizabeth Lindberg, Author - Out of Sync ~ I've been a fan of Jillian since I read the heartfelt and unforgettable Saving Nathaniel. I was curious whether her magic would extend to Romance, and I'm happy to report that it does. I love the opening with Linda and Adam, and I felt I had a fast-track in getting to know them. I also like that Adam is not introduced as the ideal leading man at all, but a true, complex, and flawed human (aren't we all?) As in Saving Nathaniel, the prose is beautifully polished and the timing is impeccable. LOVE the last sentence..now that IS A HOOK for a romance story. There's a wonderful mix of building intrigue and lighthearted comedy. Linda and her love-life will have a strong company of fans.
Gail Metcalfe, Author ~ New Beginnings ( as Johanna Nield) ~ You write such beautifully realistic characters, and put them through completely believable events in a very natural narrative voice, that I struggle sometimes to remember that I'm reading fiction! This is bound to be another winner, and I can't wait to buy this for my book shelf at home :)
Pat Brien, Author ~ Denied ~ Writing that is as crisp, clear and refreshing as a walk in the country... with a few well placed barbs! (Spoiler?) This has a delightfully light touch, with a superb comic sensibility that always stays grounded in the real. Contrasts are used to good effect, so that when the revelation comes that the main character is married, it hits all the harder and gives sudden weight, a sense of real drama, to the proceedings.
The maturity of the writing style is such that you don't notice it; you just glide down the pages, laughing out loud here and there while feeling a growing sense of intrigue. The narrative takes you along briskly and the characters are well drawn, three dimentional people, who you start to feel that you know. Anyway, read it yourself. SHEER CLASS.
ON THE FLY
Andrew Burans, Author ~ The Reluctant Warrior ~You have written a most interesting, sexy and humourous storyline, I do like the fishing theme and the title of your book "On the Fly" is very clever. Your character development of Brian is excellent as is your use of imagery. The story is well paced and a pleasure to read. Checking the condition of his tackle and handling his rod at frequent intervals brings short-lived relief."
Racy indeed!! :o
D.L Stroupe, Author ~Hehehehe. This is really cute and should be quite a hit with anglers. I don't usually do well with adult material, but at least up through the third chapter, while it got warm, it wasn't excessively detailed and the story is amusing.
Gerald Johnston, Author ~ Dropcloth Angels ~ This is a thoroughly enjoyable read, Jillian. I read the prologue and first three chapters without blinking an eye. You remain one of my favourite writers here, but I now can call you a deviant without feeling guilty for naming you so. This is very inventive. After Brian's tryst with the Lady, I thought he'd be knocking boots with Mary after she'd 'jumped' him. What came next was perfect.
How does it feel to have such a grasp of grammar and punctuation that you receive the following nits from me? None.
WATCH YOUR BACK!
Elizabeth Jasper, Author (Meggie Blackthorne) - While this story follows many of the conventions of the thriller genre, what makes it a little bit special is the insight the author brings to the situation of innocent people thrust without warning into a world of violence and date rape. The victim and her brother are ordinary, decent people, who have had the misfortune to come into contact with a vile serial rapist who is implacable in his self-belief. Why shouldn't he get away with his crimes? These girls are asking for it, aren't they?
It is the way the victim and her brother handle their siuation that brings depth to the narrative, along with the odd touch of dark humour to lighten the mix. As
the story moves along, the brother and sister change and develop as their desire for justice takes them beyond the bounds of what they have always believed to be the right thing to do. Out of their comfort zone, they devise an intricate, satisfying method of exacting revenge.
Highly recommended.
It is the way the victim and her brother handle their siuation that brings depth to the narrative, along with the odd touch of dark humour to lighten the mix. As
the story moves along, the brother and sister change and develop as their desire for justice takes them beyond the bounds of what they have always believed to be the right thing to do. Out of their comfort zone, they devise an intricate, satisfying method of exacting revenge.
Highly recommended.
