BEA'S BOOK NOOK "I can't imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once." C. S. Lewis “If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.” ― Oscar Wilde

Friday, July 25, 2014

Bea Reviews Safe & Sound by T.S. Krupa

Publisher: Advantage Media Group 
Format Read: ebook
Source: the author in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: January 1, 2014
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

When Jill met Jay Greenfield she knew she had found her forever love. She was a kindergarten teacher, he was a high-powered attorney and their lives were perfect. But when a tragic accident takes Jay’s life, this young bride is left to pick up the pieces.

Jill finds herself a young widow facing multiple decisions she thought she had a lifetime to decide. With support from her childhood best friends, Lanie and Stella, Jill attempts to piece her life back together. With nightmares plaguing her dreams and the struggles of constant grief over Jay’s passing, Stella and Lanie keep near constant vigilance over her.

In the process of settling the estate, Jill learns that her husband was not quite the man she thought he was. She finds herself transported to the small beach town of Oak Island, North Carolina. But the fairy tale ending she envisioned no longer exists. She must face the reality that Jay is gone as she finds herself having a chance at love one more time.

Safe and Sound follows a yearlong journey of love, loss, friendship, and conquering the unexpected.

Bea's Thoughts:

Oy, after I was well into this book and enjoying myself, I discovered the book has one of my triggers - breast cancer, any cancer really. I don't do cancer books. Fortunately for me, the characters who died of breast cancer died before the book started and it wasn't about them but their children, who were pivotal to the book. I almost put it down but decided to keep going.

Despite the cancer ambush, I enjoyed "Safe & Sound". It's a wrenching story that manages, for the most part, not to manipulate your emotions. Krupa shows us the devastation that can occur when there's an unexpected death in the family. Jay was young and healthy when he died suddenly and Jill falls apart. She can't cope and her two closest friends put their lives on hold for close to a year to babysit her and help her cope. I did find it unrealistic how much time Stella and Lanie were able to take off from work and the story line with Jay's friend Harry was obvious and unnecessary, in my opinion. But I felt for Jill and seeing her slowly come back and recover was like watching a friend find her way back.

Jay kept some significant secrets from Jill during their marriage that Krupa mostly glosses over. They weren't dangerous secrets nor were they horrible but it seemed that Jill should have wrestled more with Jay's actions. They were married for two years, why didn't he tell her? Would he ever have told her or would he have continued to deceive her? Her shock was well-handled but other than some token protests, their effect on her is mostly unacknowledged. Inquiring minds want to know! As Jill heals, she starts to take back running her life and I completely empathized with her as she butted heads with Stella and Lanie. They tended to show their concern by being bossy and controlling and it took time for them to acknowledge that she needed their help less and less.

There were also a lot of proofreading issues, many errors that should have been caught. Nothing that affected the story but a few that took me out of it as I read them multiple times to make sense of them. Stella, Lanie, Jill, and Ross are engaging and funny and people I'd like to know and Krupa captured the small town feel. "Safe & Sound" is a sweet, hopeful story of grief, love, change, and rebirth. 

8 comments:

  1. Ahhh I remember seeing this one and wanting to try it out. That's always hard when one of your triggers pops up like that on you. Glad to see it was a good one even with some issues popping up.

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    1. I think you'd like it. I was drawn in and really enjoyed it.

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    2. Hey Anna! I love how connected this community of bloggers is!!! :) I've actually got you down for an interview on your blog--would you like me to send you a copy? Would be glad to pass it on even if you don't have time for an official review. Let me know!

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  2. I thought it was a little too sad for my taste, but I was glad I did give a try. Overall it was a good story. :)

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    1. Thanks, Victoria! So glad you gave it a try as well. My next novel won't be quite as sad. Should be a fun one! ;)

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  3. Thank for the thoughtful review, Bea! I'm so grateful you took the time to read/review my debut novel. I'm so sorry the cancer plot point blindsided you, but I can't tell you how glad I am that you stuck it out and that you ultimately enjoyed it! :)

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  4. Sounds as though it's a good first effort, with some help needed in future from the proofreader(s) or editor(s). Not sure it's my kind of thing, but a nice read.

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  5. Sounds like there was some realism to the story. My father died at the end of 2010 after a long period of physical decline. My mother didn't discover any untoward secrets about him, but his illness and passing changed my family in ways that might not be immediately obvious to someone just observing us in passing.
    Thanks for visiting us at Animal Anarchy.

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