Pulled by A.L. Jackson
Synopsis
Melanie Winters and Daniel Montgomery shared a love most only dream of, a love they believed bonded them together for life.
When their world is shattered by the tragic loss of their daughter, overwhelming grief and misguided guilt distorts the truth, and their relationship ends in uncertainty and unanswered questions.
For nine years, they drift through life, each unable to forget the one who holds the strings to their heart. In an attempt to escape the pain of her past, Melanie finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage, while Daniel loses himself in a career that means nothing without Melanie by his side.
Now, when their lives again intersect, neither can deny the connection they felt so long ago. But will the power that drew them together be enough to heal the wounds from their past, and will they have the courage to overcome the insecurities and fears that threaten to keep them apart?
My Review
The story has some really heartfelt moments, deeply-flawed characters, and a moving story. The author grabbed me early on, hinting at secrets and lies that I was dying to learn. But I feel like I got the answers to all of them too soon. At first, the backstory unfolded at a good pace, and I only learned what I needed to know in order to understand what was happening. But then they all sort of exploded at once. I would have liked them to have been doled out a little slower and maybe not learned the last one until closer to the end.
I think my biggest issue with the story is that it seemed to take forever to get to the climax. I get what the author was trying to do — show us some long-awaited sweet moments between Melanie and Daniel, but I think the story would have been just as good, maybe even better, without so many of them. All of that said, I did really enjoy the story.
Plot
I’m not typically a fan of love-at-first sight, but A.L. Jackson made me believe it with Melanie and Daniel. I pulled for them as circumstances beyond their control pulled them apart for nine years. I was a little bothered by the heavy psychic elements, the way the two could always feel each other. This is more common in paranormal books and felt out of place in a contemporary romance. But I could easily ignore this aspect of the story. Where the plot really shines is the conflict between Melanie and her husband, Nicolas, Danial and Vanessa, the pharmaceutical rep he knocks up, and between a teenage Melanie and her parents shown through flashback.
The ending was a little disappointing. I thought it wrapped up neater than it needed to. It would have felt more authentic with a little more messiness in the mix.
Characters
I felt like I connected with Melanie and Daniel more when they were teens. Once they’d grown, I sort of lost sight of who they are. And maybe that’s because we jump ahead nine years. I was disappointed that we never got to learn more about Nicholas and what drove him to be so controlling, but that wasn’t critical to the story. I was just interested. I like to know what drives the bad guys. There were times Melanie came across as too perfect. Even when she made mistakes, it was always with the best intentions. I found Daniel to be the most interesting character. He screwed up time and again, and yet he never stopped trying. His character development is definitely the most dramatic.
Bottom Line
Pulled is a contemporary romance with an interesting twist. The emotional heartbreak the characters endure doesn’t destroy them, but instead inspires them. I like that they don’t wallow in the time they lost but look forward to embracing their future.
Disclaimer
I was provided a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
About the Book
Title: Pulled
Author: A.L. Jackson
Release Date: June 2, 2014
Pages: 355
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks
Author A.L. Jackson
About the Author
A.L. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Take This Regret and Lost to You, as well as other contemporary romance titles, including If Forever Comes, Pulled and When We Collide, as well as the New Adult Romance Come To Me Quietly due out January 7, 2014.
She first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student. She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.
Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three children. Her favorite pastime is spending time with the ones she loves.
Where to Find A.L. Jackson
Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook
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