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kne's review against another edition
4.0
Part of me hates to start a new Kristan Higgins book because I know that means I'll soon finish it. Her characters always feel like people I know, particularly the residents of Manningsport, here in their fifth outing. I enjoyed finally getting a look at Jess and Connor's story, and the peek into Connor's kitchen and burgeoning brewery was mouthwatering. Higgins also deals with some much more serious issues than she has in previous Blue Heron books - alcoholic parents, fetal alcohol syndrome, teenage promiscuity, reputation, coworkers from hell, etc. Jess and Connor struggle with some serious issues, which is part of why I always recommend Higgins to women who say they don't like romance novels, bandying about words like "trashy" and "fake." (In addition to Jess's family issues, the addition of coworker Marcy was something I think a lot of readers can relate to - personally, I wanted to strangle the woman!) Higgins's themes, characterization, dialogue, and the rest stand head and shoulders above the rest of the genre, in my opinion. Sure things all work out in the end (no spoiler here - it is a romance novel after all), but it's a struggle to get there, and it often looks dire.
I hope Higgins isn't done with Manningsport. She's always been pretty GLBT friendly in her books, so perhaps Rafe could be next - which would also mean more mouthwatering food descriptions with another chef taking center stage. Or maybe she'll go with the younger crowd and write about Ned. The possibilities are there, and I am looking forward to reading her 16th book - especially if food and wine are involved!
The fine print: received ARC from NetGalley.
I hope Higgins isn't done with Manningsport. She's always been pretty GLBT friendly in her books, so perhaps Rafe could be next - which would also mean more mouthwatering food descriptions with another chef taking center stage. Or maybe she'll go with the younger crowd and write about Ned. The possibilities are there, and I am looking forward to reading her 16th book - especially if food and wine are involved!
The fine print: received ARC from NetGalley.
mamamelreads's review against another edition
4.0
2019 Audio Update ... This was a great conclusion to my favorite Kristan Higgins series. It has been a few years since I have read these books, though, and I have to admit that my reading tastes have changed since I first read this story, so I don't think I felt the same level of enjoyment that I felt the first time I read it. That also may be because I wasn't a huge fan of the audio version. I think these books work better when I can imagine it in my head as I read the book myself. Amy Rubinate does an okay job at narrating, but just okay. I'm going to keep my original four star rating, but this time around I probably would have given it three stars. I wasn't a huge fan of Jessica. Yeah, I understand all of her reasons for keeping Connor at arms length, but after a bit her hesitance to commit to anything was irritating. Frankly, I couldn't understand why Connor stuck around and waited for her to get her act together. He has the patience of Job, and I doubt that many men in real life would put up with Jessica's issues for ten plus years. I'm happy for everyone's HEA, but this wasn't my favorite book of the bunch. (But I did love Connor as the hero in this one. He's a sweetheart.)
I absolutely love Kristan Higgins's Blue Heron series. It is, by far, my favorite contemporary romance series. Her books are character driven and delightful with fun characters, cute situations, and heart warming stories of family love and romance that always fill me with a bit of joy after finishing each book. This fifth book in the series is no different. Anything for You is Connor's story. After his twin sister, Colleen, got her HEA in an earlier book, now Connor is ready for his own. Unfortunately, Connor has fallen in love with a girl who is carrying A LOT of baggage. A lot. Jessica is strong. Super strong. She has spent almost her entire life taking care of a younger brother with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and two parents who were in constant stages of drunken stupor. She grew up incredibly poor and did just about everything to reinforce the stereotype that she was "trailer trash." Through it all Connor has loved her. To be honest, I am not exactly sure why this is. Jessica could be super mean to Connor. She was mean to him as a youth and she was mean to him as an adult. But both Jessica and Connor could see something in one another that seemed to tie the two of them together. This really is a story of Jessica learning to trust ... trust herself, trust Connor, trust her father, and trust her younger brother. It's quite a journey with more than enough stalls and stops in the process.
This was probably my least favorite of the Blue Heron stories that I have read, but I still loved it a lot. Connor was AMAZING. Absolutely amazing. I don't think there are many men on the planet who could put up with all of the stuff Connor had to put up with. He was patient and kind and willing to do, as the title says, anything for Jessica. Jessica was a good character, but I'll admit that she drove me to distraction with her constant freak outs. This goes on for over TEN YEARS. Ten! Get a grip, lady! She needed some serious counseling or something to deal with all her issues. Still, despite my irritation with her as a character, it was wonderful to see her growth throughout the novel. She was not content to be the mess of a girl she was in high school. She chose to work hard and overcome her circumstances. She had tons of talent and lots to offer her community. Although I didn't like her much when compared with other heroines of these stories, I still thought she was a great character for this story.
I still absolutely adore the setting of this series. I wish I lived in a community like the one found here. The atmosphere is wonderful, and the people in the community are wonderful as well. I would say that this provides at least two of the star ratings for each of these stories. Another great addition to this series. I hope there are most stories in store because there are still some people in this group of friends and family that could provide some great potential stories and give me another reason to immerse myself in this wonderful series again. Four stars!
I absolutely love Kristan Higgins's Blue Heron series. It is, by far, my favorite contemporary romance series. Her books are character driven and delightful with fun characters, cute situations, and heart warming stories of family love and romance that always fill me with a bit of joy after finishing each book. This fifth book in the series is no different. Anything for You is Connor's story. After his twin sister, Colleen, got her HEA in an earlier book, now Connor is ready for his own. Unfortunately, Connor has fallen in love with a girl who is carrying A LOT of baggage. A lot. Jessica is strong. Super strong. She has spent almost her entire life taking care of a younger brother with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and two parents who were in constant stages of drunken stupor. She grew up incredibly poor and did just about everything to reinforce the stereotype that she was "trailer trash." Through it all Connor has loved her. To be honest, I am not exactly sure why this is. Jessica could be super mean to Connor. She was mean to him as a youth and she was mean to him as an adult. But both Jessica and Connor could see something in one another that seemed to tie the two of them together. This really is a story of Jessica learning to trust ... trust herself, trust Connor, trust her father, and trust her younger brother. It's quite a journey with more than enough stalls and stops in the process.
This was probably my least favorite of the Blue Heron stories that I have read, but I still loved it a lot. Connor was AMAZING. Absolutely amazing. I don't think there are many men on the planet who could put up with all of the stuff Connor had to put up with. He was patient and kind and willing to do, as the title says, anything for Jessica. Jessica was a good character, but I'll admit that she drove me to distraction with her constant freak outs. This goes on for over TEN YEARS. Ten! Get a grip, lady! She needed some serious counseling or something to deal with all her issues. Still, despite my irritation with her as a character, it was wonderful to see her growth throughout the novel. She was not content to be the mess of a girl she was in high school. She chose to work hard and overcome her circumstances. She had tons of talent and lots to offer her community. Although I didn't like her much when compared with other heroines of these stories, I still thought she was a great character for this story.
I still absolutely adore the setting of this series. I wish I lived in a community like the one found here. The atmosphere is wonderful, and the people in the community are wonderful as well. I would say that this provides at least two of the star ratings for each of these stories. Another great addition to this series. I hope there are most stories in store because there are still some people in this group of friends and family that could provide some great potential stories and give me another reason to immerse myself in this wonderful series again. Four stars!
gonewiththeword's review against another edition
5.0
And thus, one of my favorite Contemporary Romance series comes to an end. *queue the tears*
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Read my full review on Gone with the Words
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Read my full review on Gone with the Words
diamond93's review against another edition
4.0
Connor O'Rourke ist seit fast 20 Jahren in Jessica Dunn verliebt. Und obwohl sie seit Jahren eine On-Off-Beziehung haben, möchte er mehr. Schade nur, dass Jessica das nicht genauso sieht und ihm eine Abfuhr erteilt, nachdem er seinen Mut zusammen gefasst und um ihre Hand angehalten hat. Seine Zwillingsschwester Colleen, die sich in sein Liebesleben einmischen möchte, kommt da gerade recht und soll für Connor die perfekte Frau finden, was Jessica mehr zu schaffen macht, als sie zugibt...
Ich habe den Abschluss der "Blue Heron"-Reihe herbei gesehnt, obwohl es mich doch traurig macht, dass eine so großartige Reihe mit wunderbaren und witzigen Charakteren nun zu Ende geht. Auch der fünfte und letzte Teil dieser Reihe hat mich begeistert und zum Lachen und Weinen gebracht.
Connor und Jessica, die beiden Hauptcharaktere in diesem Buch, kannte man schon aus den vorherigen Bänden und ich habe mich wirklich sehr auf ihre Geschichte gefreut, auch wenn mir Jessica immer ein wenig unsympathisch war. Auch in diesem Teil gab es Momente, wo ich ihre Handlungen nicht nachvollziehen konnte, aber je mehr man über ihre schwierige Vergangenheit erfahren hat, desto mehr konnte ich ihr Verhalten und ihre Zurückhaltung verstehen. Seit sie klein ist, kümmert sie sich um ihren Bruder, der unter fetalem Alkoholsyndrom leidet und um ihre Eltern, die beide Alkoholiker sind. Sie musste viel aufgeben und stellt seitdem das Leben ihres Bruders über ihr eigenes.
Während ich mit Jessica manchmal so meine Probleme hatte, bin ich absolut hin und weg von Connor. Er ist ein fantasticher Charakter, in den man sich einfach nur verlieben muss. Ein toller Bruder, ein fürsorglicher Freund und ein hoffnungsloser Romantiker, der sich nichts sehnlicher wünscht, als endlich mit der Frau zusammen zu sein, die er liebt.
Wie üblich hat Kristan Higgins einen wahnsinnig tollen Schreibstil, der die Seiten nur so dahin fliegen lässt. Mit viel Humor und Gefühl schafft sie es immer wieder, mich zu begeistern und ihren Charakteren das gewisse etwas zu verleihen. Außerdem fand ich es toll, alle Charaktere aus den vorherigen Büchern noch einmal zu treffen, zu erfahren, was aus ihnen geworden ist und wie es mit ihrer Geschichte weiter ging. Kristan Higgins hat wirklich ein Händchen dafür, ihre Charaktere einzigartig und sympathisch erscheinen zu lassen.
FAZIT:
Ein wunderbarer Abschluss, einer großartigen Reihe mit viel Gefühl und Charme. Wie immer begeistert mich Kristan Higgins mit ihren Charakteren und ihrem Humor. Ich kann diese Reihe wirklich nur weiter empfehlen und hoffe, schon sehr bald ein weiteres Buch von Kristan Higgins lesen zu können.
Ich habe den Abschluss der "Blue Heron"-Reihe herbei gesehnt, obwohl es mich doch traurig macht, dass eine so großartige Reihe mit wunderbaren und witzigen Charakteren nun zu Ende geht. Auch der fünfte und letzte Teil dieser Reihe hat mich begeistert und zum Lachen und Weinen gebracht.
Connor und Jessica, die beiden Hauptcharaktere in diesem Buch, kannte man schon aus den vorherigen Bänden und ich habe mich wirklich sehr auf ihre Geschichte gefreut, auch wenn mir Jessica immer ein wenig unsympathisch war. Auch in diesem Teil gab es Momente, wo ich ihre Handlungen nicht nachvollziehen konnte, aber je mehr man über ihre schwierige Vergangenheit erfahren hat, desto mehr konnte ich ihr Verhalten und ihre Zurückhaltung verstehen. Seit sie klein ist, kümmert sie sich um ihren Bruder, der unter fetalem Alkoholsyndrom leidet und um ihre Eltern, die beide Alkoholiker sind. Sie musste viel aufgeben und stellt seitdem das Leben ihres Bruders über ihr eigenes.
Während ich mit Jessica manchmal so meine Probleme hatte, bin ich absolut hin und weg von Connor. Er ist ein fantasticher Charakter, in den man sich einfach nur verlieben muss. Ein toller Bruder, ein fürsorglicher Freund und ein hoffnungsloser Romantiker, der sich nichts sehnlicher wünscht, als endlich mit der Frau zusammen zu sein, die er liebt.
Wie üblich hat Kristan Higgins einen wahnsinnig tollen Schreibstil, der die Seiten nur so dahin fliegen lässt. Mit viel Humor und Gefühl schafft sie es immer wieder, mich zu begeistern und ihren Charakteren das gewisse etwas zu verleihen. Außerdem fand ich es toll, alle Charaktere aus den vorherigen Büchern noch einmal zu treffen, zu erfahren, was aus ihnen geworden ist und wie es mit ihrer Geschichte weiter ging. Kristan Higgins hat wirklich ein Händchen dafür, ihre Charaktere einzigartig und sympathisch erscheinen zu lassen.
FAZIT:
Ein wunderbarer Abschluss, einer großartigen Reihe mit viel Gefühl und Charme. Wie immer begeistert mich Kristan Higgins mit ihren Charakteren und ihrem Humor. Ich kann diese Reihe wirklich nur weiter empfehlen und hoffe, schon sehr bald ein weiteres Buch von Kristan Higgins lesen zu können.
therphil's review against another edition
5.0
definitely the best in the series, imho. Kristan Higgins has created a wonderful world peopled with "regular" folks with "regular" challenges, some more serious than others, but all very realistic. KH excels at "normal" and "regular" dialogue, with pops of sarcasm and snark ... she is a treasure.
tiredcat51's review against another edition
4.0
To read my complete review go to: https://onebooktwo.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/anything-for-you-by-kristan-higgins/
When I sit down to read a Kristan Higgins book, there are two things that I need to consider: time and my heart. When I open one of her books, I am making a commitment. Once I begin the story, I will not stop reading until I run out of pages. I have made some poor life choices in the past by thinking I could read a few chapters and go to bed. Usually that ends with me being unproductive the next day due to a book hangover. I will also forget to eat if I am in the middle of one of her stories. It’s probably a good thing I don’t have children because I would probably forget to feed them too.
The second thing I need to consider is my heart. Do I have room to add 2 or 3 additional characters into my heart? Many people think that reading a romance story is only about the happy ending. If that were the case, I would only read the first and last chapters of every book. A Kristan Higgins book is about the journey of two partially damaged people and the hard but sometimes very humorous road they take to their happy ending. (When you think about it, aren’t we all a little partially damaged?)
The thing that blew me away in Anything For You was the character development. She painted images of the them so crisply that I felt like they had been beamed into my living room. Kristan unfolded Jessica’s story in a beautiful way by showing her flaws but then giving us the inner workings and the reasons behind the decisions that caused so many to judge her. Growing up, I am sure that we all knew a Jessica or were a Jessica. We judge females through “slut shaming” every day. This book was a powerful commentary on how we should never judge until we have walked a mile in that person’s shoes. It also showed how that condemnation by a community or by one’s peers can leave a mark on a person’s soul forever.
Okay… I may have gotten a little deep, but don’t worry. Kristan still included all the hilarious dialogue and crazy situations that causes her readers to wait breathlessly until her next release. I am not sure if this is our last visit to Manningsports. I hope not because I am planning to relocate there in the Spring, but I am having a hard time locating it on the map.
Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I sit down to read a Kristan Higgins book, there are two things that I need to consider: time and my heart. When I open one of her books, I am making a commitment. Once I begin the story, I will not stop reading until I run out of pages. I have made some poor life choices in the past by thinking I could read a few chapters and go to bed. Usually that ends with me being unproductive the next day due to a book hangover. I will also forget to eat if I am in the middle of one of her stories. It’s probably a good thing I don’t have children because I would probably forget to feed them too.
The second thing I need to consider is my heart. Do I have room to add 2 or 3 additional characters into my heart? Many people think that reading a romance story is only about the happy ending. If that were the case, I would only read the first and last chapters of every book. A Kristan Higgins book is about the journey of two partially damaged people and the hard but sometimes very humorous road they take to their happy ending. (When you think about it, aren’t we all a little partially damaged?)
The thing that blew me away in Anything For You was the character development. She painted images of the them so crisply that I felt like they had been beamed into my living room. Kristan unfolded Jessica’s story in a beautiful way by showing her flaws but then giving us the inner workings and the reasons behind the decisions that caused so many to judge her. Growing up, I am sure that we all knew a Jessica or were a Jessica. We judge females through “slut shaming” every day. This book was a powerful commentary on how we should never judge until we have walked a mile in that person’s shoes. It also showed how that condemnation by a community or by one’s peers can leave a mark on a person’s soul forever.
Okay… I may have gotten a little deep, but don’t worry. Kristan still included all the hilarious dialogue and crazy situations that causes her readers to wait breathlessly until her next release. I am not sure if this is our last visit to Manningsports. I hope not because I am planning to relocate there in the Spring, but I am having a hard time locating it on the map.
Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
mmqin's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
grimmloki's review against another edition
4.0
To read my complete review go to: https://onebooktwo.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/anything-for-you-by-kristan-higgins/
When I sit down to read a Kristan Higgins book, there are two things that I need to consider: time and my heart. When I open one of her books, I am making a commitment. Once I begin the story, I will not stop reading until I run out of pages. I have made some poor life choices in the past by thinking I could read a few chapters and go to bed. Usually that ends with me being unproductive the next day due to a book hangover. I will also forget to eat if I am in the middle of one of her stories. It’s probably a good thing I don’t have children because I would probably forget to feed them too.
The second thing I need to consider is my heart. Do I have room to add 2 or 3 additional characters into my heart? Many people think that reading a romance story is only about the happy ending. If that were the case, I would only read the first and last chapters of every book. A Kristan Higgins book is about the journey of two partially damaged people and the hard but sometimes very humorous road they take to their happy ending. (When you think about it, aren’t we all a little partially damaged?)
The thing that blew me away in Anything For You was the character development. She painted images of the them so crisply that I felt like they had been beamed into my living room. Kristan unfolded Jessica’s story in a beautiful way by showing her flaws but then giving us the inner workings and the reasons behind the decisions that caused so many to judge her. Growing up, I am sure that we all knew a Jessica or were a Jessica. We judge females through “slut shaming” every day. This book was a powerful commentary on how we should never judge until we have walked a mile in that person’s shoes. It also showed how that condemnation by a community or by one’s peers can leave a mark on a person’s soul forever.
Okay… I may have gotten a little deep, but don’t worry. Kristan still included all the hilarious dialogue and crazy situations that causes her readers to wait breathlessly until her next release. I am not sure if this is our last visit to Manningsports. I hope not because I am planning to relocate there in the Spring, but I am having a hard time locating it on the map.
Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I sit down to read a Kristan Higgins book, there are two things that I need to consider: time and my heart. When I open one of her books, I am making a commitment. Once I begin the story, I will not stop reading until I run out of pages. I have made some poor life choices in the past by thinking I could read a few chapters and go to bed. Usually that ends with me being unproductive the next day due to a book hangover. I will also forget to eat if I am in the middle of one of her stories. It’s probably a good thing I don’t have children because I would probably forget to feed them too.
The second thing I need to consider is my heart. Do I have room to add 2 or 3 additional characters into my heart? Many people think that reading a romance story is only about the happy ending. If that were the case, I would only read the first and last chapters of every book. A Kristan Higgins book is about the journey of two partially damaged people and the hard but sometimes very humorous road they take to their happy ending. (When you think about it, aren’t we all a little partially damaged?)
The thing that blew me away in Anything For You was the character development. She painted images of the them so crisply that I felt like they had been beamed into my living room. Kristan unfolded Jessica’s story in a beautiful way by showing her flaws but then giving us the inner workings and the reasons behind the decisions that caused so many to judge her. Growing up, I am sure that we all knew a Jessica or were a Jessica. We judge females through “slut shaming” every day. This book was a powerful commentary on how we should never judge until we have walked a mile in that person’s shoes. It also showed how that condemnation by a community or by one’s peers can leave a mark on a person’s soul forever.
Okay… I may have gotten a little deep, but don’t worry. Kristan still included all the hilarious dialogue and crazy situations that causes her readers to wait breathlessly until her next release. I am not sure if this is our last visit to Manningsports. I hope not because I am planning to relocate there in the Spring, but I am having a hard time locating it on the map.
Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
sanaalakhani's review against another edition
5.0
AHAHJTWDHTW I JUST LOVE THESE FAMILIES AND COUPLES SO MUCH UGH I NEED MOOOORE
mees_grows's review against another edition
2.0
What is it with these female lead characters being so self deprecating? Jessica is a super strong woman in all areas of her life except her love life and there suddenly she doesn't deserve love. It is also super frustrating that she continued to treat her brother as though he can't do anything for himself. People with FAS are quite capable of learning skills and tasks often and this was so frustrating.