Julian by Anna Katmore (2013)
-Review Request-
YA Fiction | Fantasy/Paranormal | Romance
Blurb:
“He was never a part of my plan…
Twelve years ago, when my mother chose her violent lover over me, my end of the deal was a room in an orphanage. Thank God, in six weeks, I’ll be eighteen and free!
Except, a certain stupid sweater in my backpack—okay, okay! I didn’t actually pay for it—lands me at court. And, look at that…my mother is back, too.
I want to keel over dead when the judge sentences me to time in France with her. Actually, I take that back, I want her to keel over dead! And then somebody says she has cancer. Wow, I’ve never had a wish fulfilled this fast. But until that happens—or I turn eighteen, whichever comes first—I’m required to work in some unknown family’s vineyards.
Yeah, right…
France, however, holds another surprise for me. Julian.
He doesn’t miss a chance to provoke me, and for some reason he seems to foresee each step of my brilliant escape plan. What the hell—?
But then he makes a tiny mistake. And suddenly, I’m confronted with a secret that makes my blood run cold.”
–Goodreads
pooled ink Review:
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy to review!
I’m so happy this book waltzed into my life! A really beautiful story full of strife, heartbreak, forgiveness, and love. I think I first saw this book on someone’s bookstagram photo and I jotted the title down to look up out of curiosity as the cover had intrigued me, then the next thing I know I’m being offered a copy to read in exchange for a review and oh what a story unfolded!
This book was more than just a romance between a girl and a boy, between a delinquent and an angel, it was a story about the difficult road to forgiveness. Sure Julian is a beautiful alluring addition to Jona’s life and becomes a big part of her self-healing, but a major plot line is actually Jona’s dying mother who’s final wish is to earn her daughter’s forgiveness for the harshness she’s had to endure for the past twelve years in an orphanage. There are some very moving and difficult moments in this book, but each one is written beautifully with so much emotion I couldn’t look away. Jona has learned to toughen up, to feel nothing, to expect nothing, and yet this handsome stranger keeps coaxing smiles from her angry mouth and slowly shows her that life doesn’t have to be the callous solitary journey she’s accepted.
The slow dazzling romance that blooms between Jona and Julian is lovely to read and witness but what really made Julian such a character of warmth is his unyielding care towards Jona’s mother as he tries to reunite mother and daughter despite the scars stacked between them. It was easy to fall in love with Julian, even with as strong a fight as Jona attempted to put up she couldn’t remain cold towards his genuine kindnesses.
And the setting! A small vineyard in the French countryside sounds so lovely! I wish I could see it, visit even. And the family Jona meets there seem like such wonderful people. I really loved how Jona’s journey towards forgiveness and healing wasn’t just some boy whisking her off her feet but a group effort of several people determined to love her and support her as best they could, gently guiding her to realize that despite her past she is no longer alone and never unloved.
This book was simply a lovely read. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for something with plenty of warmth and heart! And worry not, it has a happy ending.
Cheers.
Purchase Here: Julian
Meet Anna Katmore!
Anna Katmore grew up in Vienna – not by free will but because her parents decided to move there when she was only 4 years old. She hated the city, everything about it. So right after graduation, she moved back to the country side where she settled down with a nice husband and an awesome laptop. (The laptop came first!)
She’s been a storyteller all her life. Already in kindergarten, she came up with the most exotic fantasies and tales. Her teacher back then called her a liar. Today, Anna calls it the cornerstone of her writing career.
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