Finding Jack

This novel is wonderful, absolutely wonderful. It’s warm and heartfelt and I’ve not come across as imperfect a romantic hero as Jack in a long time. He’s so flawed, and messy and tormented and difficult. He’s also a tease, and hardworking, and funny and gorgeous. He’s a returned soldier, an alcoholic, riddled with survivor guilt, and anger and all the demons. And yet….

Gennie has survived the death of alcoholic husband, is raising her young daughter and trying to keep it all together. She’s defensive, but not closed off. The absolute last thing she needs is Jack. And yet….

Sophie Due has lots to say in this romantic novel – about war and the damage it does to both civilians and soldiers, about young adult refugees, love, and marriage, and relationship breakdowns. But also about family, and community and how healing comes in unexpected ways. There's a lot going on, and well drawn support characters, plenty of action, good communication and an HEA.

If you want to read a romance that’s tender, and awkward, but also very very real, this is a cracker! Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC.

“Finding Jack”, by Sofia Due (The Book Guild), is a lovely story about how two people damaged by life reconnect in an unusual setting and have a second chance at love after a brief yet magic encounter years ago before.
Serendipity and fate intervene in Jack’s and Gennie unlikely reuniting and rekindling a past chemistry and attraction.
I liked that both leads, despite being hardened by cruel life’s circumstances, maintain a soft core and an open outlook. Their first meeting at Hope House is full of awkwardness and so fun do watch.
Jack is a vulnerable, wounded soul with a heart of gold. Some things about his scars (internal and external) are obvious but there’s a lot left for us, readers, to guess and find. I liked that the author puts the emphasis on suggesting and showing more than telling.
He’s carries a lot pain and hurt and does some mad and funny things, and I also liked this dimension about his character. We would expect a tortured, grumpy, moody hero but his self-deprecating humor and a bit of a playful nature impede it.
The relationship with the little dog, Roxy, is sweet.
Gennie is a great heroine, unassuming, low profile and also having been through a lot.
Among the secondary characters there are also great personalities, including the younger people.
I loved the genuine touches of the characters’ reactions, feelings, emotions and how the relationships felt so fluid, organic and natural.
It was really pleasurable to watch these interactions and the slow romance rekindle – one of my favorite dimensions of the book.
The backstory for both Jack and Gennie is important to the plot, and explains a lot who they are now. This is not just a romance but a story about grief, loss and the eroding, destructive power of addiction,
I felt that by the second half the story became less about the romance and more about the things happening around the leads’ lives: the Hope House project, Hamid’s and the refugees drama, even Claire’s life.
I was expecting that given Gennie’s backstory and worries, and Mikkel’s dramatic role in it, she would address Jack’s mental health issues in a more substantive way.

An ex soldier caught in a roadside bomb, who struggles daily with the effects of this and the loss of his friends? This is Jack's story, but it's identical to what happened to my partner when he was serving in the military the only differences being he was in Germany and suffered complex spinal injuries.

I've never read a book by Due before and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to thanks to Rachel's Random Resources.

The characters are relatable and broken but as they say 'broken crayons still colour' and everyone deserves the chance to be happy.

Finding Jack is a beautifully written contemporary romance that will tug at your heartstrings and play with your emotions. I'm a sucker for a second chance romance and kept everything crossed that there was going to be a HEA.

Definitely a storyline and characters to become emotionally invested in, even if it was a bit close to home in places.

What a great journey this book was.
Not in the pack-your-bag-we're-off-on-an-adventure sense, but in the unpredictable, pushing the reader to grow along with the characters. I am all for this second type of travels, myself.

We meet Gennie, recently widowed, single mom of Alice, picking up the pieces of her life and trying to make sense of it. She's not your typical, relatable main character (not to me, in any case) that you'd normally expect - she's flawed, oddly self-centered despite working a selfless job at a home for foster children. She's private, introverted and at times judgmental. I found it especially difficult to bond with her in the beginning, but I still wanted to be there for her. Who knows how you will react when your life is turned upside down?

I loved that she takes time for herself too, Gennie goes to an art center to paint! Where she meets Jack, the butt of the village gossip and her employer's son. Incidentally, Jack is also her what-if, the road-not-taken romantically from her past.
Like her, Jack is a flawed, baggage-filled character, the kind of person your mom would advise you to stay away from in real life. If Gennie hadn't known him from before their paths separated, I would have honestly rooted for them to stay apart.

Finding Jack is about how Gennie starts to heal from her wounds by having Jack in her life once again. Their reconnection is labored, gradual and intense. I loved that they don't dive blind into their newfound relationship, instead slowly making space for them in their lives and in their individual healing processes.

By Finding Jack, Gennie not only finds also herself, but higher purpose, because, while this book is tagged as Romance and Women's Fiction, some of the other underlying topics are more serious and enrich the story in the most wonderful, heart warming way.

Easiest five-star rating this year.
Great thanks to The Book Guild and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book devouring it in one weekend, I will be on the lookout for more by Sofia that’s for sure! Thoroughly recommend

"Finding Jack" by Sofia Due is an engaging and emotionally charged contemporary romance. Due's storytelling is poignant, weaving a tale of love and second chances. The characters are relatable, and their journey of self-discovery and healing is beautifully portrayed. The novel captures the essence of connection, hope, and the power of the human heart. This is a heartwarming and captivating read for fans of love stories with depth.

This was a very easy read which I enjoyed. The story follows Gennie a widow who has come to work for a children's charity in the country with her daughter Alice. It’s here that she meets a face from her past , who is Jack a soldier that has served in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are various storylines going on through the book. There’s alcoholism,bereavement, friendship, refugees to name a few. All this happens during the COVID pandemic which is mentioned but not delved into too much. It is also a love story between Jack and Gennie and whether they will get together or not. It is a warm witty book with much to like and there are some beautiful descriptions of the surroundings and the farmhouse. There’s plenty of action in places to add to the drama. It is predictable in places but that’s not a bad thing.

I really enjoyed Finding Jack and, as always, it is much harder to put this into words than if I had not been so keen. The main characters, Gennie and Jack, are such a pleasure to read – they both have troubled pasts, and a lot of adjusting to do, but cannot help but be drawn to each other.
Gennie and her daughter have moved back to Cornwall following the death of her husband. She has taken up a residential post on a farm, working for a charity set up by Marion to help disadvantaged young people. Marion’s son Jack, newly returned from Africa, is also working on the farm. A former soldier, injured in an explosion that killed his best friend, Jack is fighting his demons, but has not lost his humanity. He wants to be there for his daughter, and works hard to make the charity a success.
Gennie and Jack met briefly many years ago and had left a lasting impression on each other. They are very different people now, scarred by what they have been through, but the attraction is still there. Their relationship is portrayed in a realistic fashion, as they work through the obstacles that stand in their way. Finding Jack is a wonderful heartwarming story despite dealing with some very serious issues – the destructive power of addiction, human trafficking and slavery, grief, PTSD – but there is a lot of humour to balance it out. Highlights for me were the Cornish setting, the art classes and the cute dog that steals the show. This is the first book I have read by Sofia Due, but it won’t be the last. Thanks to The Book Guild and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.

Finding Jack by Sofia Due was such an enjoyable book to read. Moving back to Cornwall, Gennie is hoping to leave the past behind her and make a fresh start for her and her daughter. But will this be the right move for Gennie?

When I requested this book from Netgalley I knew nothing about it, but I loved the cover. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. Recommended.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my digital copy to read and review.

Phenomenal word building and exceptionally beauty writing had me in tears. Plus, I thought the timeline of their relationship was written quite well. Highly going to be recommending this.

This was a pretty easy read. Overall it was a good book, but I’m not sure that it would be one I would have naturally gravitated towards in the bookstore.

Finding Jack is a life inspiring and motivating read that I easily fell into. It's about second chances and falling in love despite all the baggage and scars. Jack is a heroic character who I fell in love with although he has a lot of demons and a hard exterior under the surface hr is a great guy.

This book made me laugh and cry. It's laugh out loud funny in places and heart wrenchingly sad in others. It's a modern day love story with characters that are flawed and just trying to get through the day like the rest of us. Sofia Due's characters are well drawn and the story beautifully constructed. The main characters are engaging and the supporting characters , especially the children, are delightful. The story covers some hard hitting topics, alcoholism, bereavement, PTSD , but it's tempered with hope of better things to come. There's also Cornwall a character in it's own right with the light , the beaches and the locals all adding colour to the narrative. I loved this book and highly recommend it.

This is the first book, I have read by Sofia Due and after reading this, I am now going back to to read her first book Ed & Lily, this is such a beautiful story, so well told, Sofia has a definite skill for storytelling. I knew from the first couple of chapters I was going to really enjoy this, I really didn’t want to put it down and just wanted to keep reading.

Sofia has written such wonderful characters, that you can’t help but feel for, be connected to and that is part of why you are so addicted , because I just had to know that Gennie would be happy, that she would get what she needed and deserved. But not just Gennie and of course Jack, but supporting characters such as Hamid and his story.

This was really emotional to read, it has some very serious and important issues such as alcoholism, asylum, the things we will do to be safe, and the author deals with these with great care and sensitivity. I really enjoyed this book and after I have read Ed & Lily, I will be eagerly awaiting I Sofia’s future books.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.