God I love them!!! I swear there is no other woman/man in the world like Emmet Grayne and Donya Stewart. I was wrestling with writing this review immediately after reading this novel or sitting on it for a day or two. I was completely wrung out, it's like running a marathon; I decided why not get it out of the way!
Instead of a trilogy or two part series, L.D. Davis gave us one really long book from Kindergarten to adulthood. We got to witness every single important event in Emmett, Emmy and Donya's life. I certainly didn't pay much attention to Emmett before and Donya was always in the background. While I know this isn't strange, it makes you stop and say wow! It also made me appreciate the adage of not knowing what's going on behind a smile. There was a masquerade ball worth of masks in this novel.
We didn't go back to Emmy's toddler years, but it still explained and highlighted many ironies and issues from the 'Accidentally on Purpose' series. It also made room for an update on Emmy and Luke, as well as, to catapult us into past events from a totally different angle and POV.
Thankfully, this novel is done in stages, as it separates itself in three fitting parts. There is the younger years, teenage into young adult and the adult years. You are never short of drama and life altering decisions made under duress or anger, but boy was it real, intense and gripping! This is real life, for the most part and I am glad that it chose to highlight a few struggles that every day couples face in relationships, without money and fame.
I loved all the characters, even the ones who screwed up royally. I will admit, that I wasn't the #1 fan of this novel in the beginning, as I resented where we had to begin. By the end though, I appreciated the process and wanted to push my kindle back a few percentages. It wasn't all unicorns and rainbows in the end, but 3/4 of it was fixed and I sort of raised my brow at that. It seems every one gets a happy ending except one and I feel he deserves it too or shake up the others to make it even ground. After all, this novel is laced with mistakes on all character parts, especially the major ones.
Emmet and Donya are quite the couple. I love them individually and I adore them together. Even when I joined the members of their world, thinking this would never work, they surprised me. At one point in time, I had to call my sister who read this novel days before me to ask her if this book really have a happy ending. It was bleak times folks!
Donya is strong, independent, fierce, naive and one of my favorite female characters in a novel. It leaves me wondering where she was all that time in 'Accidentally on Purpose' but maybe that helped me appreciate her character now. I loved her, hated her, cried with her, laugh with her. I surely believed everything she said and felt. The emotions in this book are ridiculously powerful and if you are the sappy type, it's bound to leave you on your knees too.
Even though I love and understand Emmett, I don't think I connected with him like I did Donya. I was even ready to give him up for Jerry until my sister, once again, said wait until the end. Thanks sis :)
He was a constant, loyal, in need of some anger management classes and not afraid to wear his emotions on his sleeve when he mattered. I also thought the man was sexiest when bent over a book!
If you love a roller coaster ride, then this is the story for you. You are never in one place or emotion too long and the shifts are powerful and impacting. You develop your own tether to the characters and their story because they ensure to take you on a journey.
Getting to know Sam and Fred better was lovely and I realize that I actually like Sam. She is the adorable, annoying mother that we love to hate and I never hated her once. She spoke her mind and bantered with Emmy like a devoted and caring mother would. She added humour, truth and clarity to a lot of issues and I admired and respected her opinion.
You can only get bored with this novel if you are not interested in the story line, or like me initially, hoped for some grown up sneaking! Even then, you eventually acclimate to what is offered and appreciate it for the base it provides.
The sex in this novel, was kept to the necessary and everything was given in just the right dosage. We were never overwhelmed with an issue. Honestly, this is a beautifully developed and edited novel. It carries just the same amount of drama as its sister series, but carries it's own identity, maturity, flare and most importantly, characters.
I appreciate this novel by the last page and I am satisfied with the story line, elements, development and ending. If anything I could ask for, is an ending to fit the realistic views this novel stuck to throughout. Every one seemed to have baby fever by the end o.O
L.D. Davis has a way of giving every one redemption and she surely likes all sides of a story, so while I am a little emotionally wrung out from this one, if she ever gets up to writing break away novels in this series, or starting fresh with another character, I am game!
I try, I really do, but it is hard to find things wrong with her wonderful work and execution. She brings you to the cliff and takes you back with time to spare. It was a beautiful tale of love, lost, life and the paths we travel every day to reach our destined end. Some of us will never reach it, but it surely would be nice if we did :)
- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21839026-tethered
No comments:
Post a Comment