Louder Than Love by Jessica Topper
“You've
got this...this love-no, it's louder than love. It's passion and beauty built
up inside you that deserves to burst out.”
Widow with child and a washed up, recovering addict rock star of the 80’s
is the heart of Louder Than Love. Set with New York as the pulse, this book has
won me over heart and soul. Or heart and metal as the case may be.
There is just so much to say and I want to do it justice in highlighting
every phase of this book and yet give nothing away. There are many lives lived
within the pages of this book and what comes together in the end is nothing
short of a passion for life that is Louder Than Love!
Tree, or Katrina, is a grieving widow just trying to make a life. It’s
been three years since the death of her husband and the pain is still fresh.
The reader is taken through the tragedy of the loss told through Katrina’s
memories. It really is painful to process. As a wife and mother you can empathize
with her. I was in tears and was only 10% into the book. That really says a lot
about this author. How do you go on after the love of your life dies and he only
experienced the first year of your child’s life? How do you keep his memory
alive for your child so that they know what a wonderful and loving person he
was? How do you do this and still move on with your life?
Abbey, Katrina’s daughter, has a serious addiction to a cat named Maxwell MacGillikitty a PBS cartoon character. The
theme song of this show is catchy and Abbey does her best to sing loud and
proud in her four year old voice. Katrina stumbles across a CD of the song
along with other songs performed by the artist and sets about finding and
enlisting him to play at her library as part of a childrens program. Little did
she know the artist performing on the cd was a washed up recovering addict with
a litany of unresolved problems.
I know what you are thinking….. As a
mom I thought it too. Are you really going to bring this mess into your life
especially with a young daughter? But what happens next is so real, so real
life, so therapeutic for both these people. One of the things I love best about
this writer is that there is no “insta” anything but attraction. Everything
else plays out like it should. One day at a time. Katrina puts her child’s
needs first, her desires second and along the way discovers how to rebuild her
life.
Adrian "Digger" Graves, was a 80’s rock star
living the life of 80’s excess. Burned out and trying for anonymity he
reluctantly responds to an invitation to play acoustic guitar under his real
name. A sound track he originally made for his now grown and estranged daughter
has garnered some attention from a librarian. Originally from the UK Adrian’s
funny and sexy British slang and accent made me grin. But his back story that
is revealed throughout Louder Than Love gives you an insight into the 80’s
world of rocker excess and the money making executives that would do anything
to keep the cash cow moving. Living a life after the thrill is gone is a lot harder.
Regret, embarrassment, threat of poverty, wasted opportunity and alienation of friends
and family. It’s a heavy story and one told by the art tattooed on Adrian’s body.
Louder Than Love is a story of two people, three really
as Abbey is very much a main character as well. And I gotta say she is written
so real. Not as a fluffy side note. This is an amazing story and I loved being
along for the ride. It’s not sex with a side story either so if you are looking
for this to be in the realm of “new adult angst” you are not gonna get it here.
These are older more mature people reflecting on, moving on and rebuilding their
lives. Having said that when there is sex….. It’s gooooood! (winky face)
5 Tear-filled, Metal head, heartwarming stars!
T~
*Given via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
– Coming September 17, 2013
From the cover…….
In this powerful debut novel, a young librarian grieves
the loss of her husband...and discovers a love that defies classification.
It's been over three years since a train accident made a widow of Katrina Lewis, sending her and her young daughter Abbey back to the suburban town of her youth...the only place that still makes sense. Lauder Lake is the perfect place to hide and heal.
Recluse rocker Adrian "Digger" Graves survived the implosion of his music career, but his muse has long lain dormant. Until Kat hires him to play at her library—not on the basis of his hard rock credentials but rather, because of the obscure kids' TV jingle he wrote years ago. In a case of mistaken identity, Adrian stumbles into the lives of Kat and her comically lovable daughter.
Using tattoos as a timeline, Adrian unfurls his life for Kat. But as the courtship intensifies, it's unclear whose past looms larger: the widow's or the rocker's. Will their demons ever rest, or will they break these soul mates apart?
It's been over three years since a train accident made a widow of Katrina Lewis, sending her and her young daughter Abbey back to the suburban town of her youth...the only place that still makes sense. Lauder Lake is the perfect place to hide and heal.
Recluse rocker Adrian "Digger" Graves survived the implosion of his music career, but his muse has long lain dormant. Until Kat hires him to play at her library—not on the basis of his hard rock credentials but rather, because of the obscure kids' TV jingle he wrote years ago. In a case of mistaken identity, Adrian stumbles into the lives of Kat and her comically lovable daughter.
Using tattoos as a timeline, Adrian unfurls his life for Kat. But as the courtship intensifies, it's unclear whose past looms larger: the widow's or the rocker's. Will their demons ever rest, or will they break these soul mates apart?
Louder Than Love Excerpt!
Click HERE
Orders your copy by clicking below
Jessica Topper is an ex-librarian turned rock n’ roll number cruncher.
She can trace her love for the written word back to age three, when she memorized Maurice Sendak’s Chicken Soup with Rice
in its entirety.After her daughter was born in 2001, Jessica left the
Manhattan library world and began working for her husband’s music
management company. He offered her a part-time bookkeeping job so she
could “stay home for the baby’s first year” and pursue her dream of
writing.The baby is now eleven years old, and Jessica has been working
her “full-time, sold-her-soul-for-rock-n-roll job” as Office Manager for
veteran jam band moe.
in their Buffalo, NY headquarters. She may have traded in books for
bookkeeping, but the printed word is never far from her mind, or her
heart.LOUDER THAN LOVE, her debut women’s fiction effort, is set to
release September 17, 2013 through Berkley/Intermix (Penguin).
Jessica is a member of the Western New York Romance Writers and a PAN member of the Romance Writers of America.
Jessica is a member of the Western New York Romance Writers and a PAN member of the Romance Writers of America.
Information about the author as well as some art work was taken from her website.
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