A Billion Reasons Why by Kristin Billerbeck
Feb 1, 2011 by Thomas Nelson
Paperback, 307 Pages
Review Copy
Review
He's a handsome billionaire. She's not impressed.
Katie McKenna has never loved any man but one; billionaire Luc DeForges. He was her first love. But there are a billion reasons why she's engaged instead to Dexter Hastings, a solid and stable man who wants the same things she does; marriage and a family but all of the things that she wants without the deep-seeded pain and fear of being abandoned that Luc brings.
Dexter and she have worked an arrangement that's akin to faith without action, love without deeds -- a dead faith. Going home to New Orleans to sing for her childhood friend's wedding, Katie must search her heart to find out if any of her reasons for being with Dexter are stronger than love. Only when Katie steps fully into faith and jumps off the cliff of life into the arms of Luc does she understand the fullness of God's grace.
Review
Katie McKenna spends her time working with autistic children, romancing a milquetoast suitor and pining over the lost love of her life. She’s settled in this life of mediocre, she’s let go of the dreams of character singing and the world looks well bland, but her world is turned upside down by the unexpected appearance of Luc DeForges, the man who broke her heart years ago and the reason life has lost its color. When Luc blows into town with a business proposition for Katie, he is not well received. Katie has some deep bitter feelings towards him and has a hard time accepting his urging for her to sing at his brother Ryan’s wedding, who is having a 40’s themed shin-dig. Luc knows Katie is the only girl that could sing at the wedding and the only girl he has spent eight years working on himself to feel worthy enough to pursue. Although Katie cant seem to look past the hurt, her ability to hold on to reason gets lost in Luc's gorgeous looks and sensual eyes and finally after some hesitation agrees to go home to New Orleans and sing at Ryan’s wedding. Katie has an alterior motive going home though, she needs to get her grandmothers wedding ring, face her fathers death and see her own mother. Even having a business arrangement with Luc though doesn’t stop the onslaught of memories or desires that she so long ago cared about.
Coming home to New Orleans sets so many things in motion for Katie, her heart is stirred when she slips into 40’s attire and sings in a smoky lounge where her and Luc shared the love of jazz and romance so long ago. Although Katie is determined to keep her feelings at bay with Luc and stay committed to regimented Dexter, her passion for who she really is starts to shine and her love for Luc cannot be contained. As Katie learns that past mistakes and embarrassing circumstances do not define her as a person, growth and personal confidence begin to replace that insecure girl who always second guesses herself.
I so loved reading this book, I found Luc and Katie’s love for the 40’s era and New Orleans bring a smooth romantic feeling to this story, making it a unique gem within all the romantic chick-lit novels out there. While Billerbeck made Dexter a very easy character to ignore and gained no true momentum to be a threat to Luc, there was that underlying tension of who Katie would pick…and defiantly not for the right reasons. This was a good, fast moving enjoyable read. I wouldn’t categorize ABRW as a romantic comedy because I didn’t find the banter funny, I found this to be more of girls world gets thrown upside down into drama, girl faces drama, girl gets the guy, girl lives happily ever after…and lets face it, we all need a good happily ever after book now and then.
Cover Critique
I normally don’t do a cover critique with my reviews ( I leave the critiquing to Jenny at SuperNatural Snark…) but as much as I loved this story, after reading it I really disliked the cover. Go scroll up and take a look….that cover is very pretty, it says modern day suburban couple fall in love, they look so wholesome with their sparkling smiles and brown hair…..
But this cover is all WRONG- The models don’t even come close to capturing the characters of this book. First off Katie’s hair is strawberry blonde not brunette and Luc is missing a very signature piece to his look- the fedora he wears everyday. Sorry but that cover model guy says middle class working hunk, it does not say millionaire quirky guy stuck in the 40’s era. At first I had a hard time picturing Luc, wondering how does a modern day guy wear a fedora and still pull off the hotness factor....well I did a little research and found this picture.....
FEDORAS ROCK!!!
Both Katie and Luc lived in modern day California but were raised and breathed New Orleans, they both worked in modern day settings, yet both lived in a romantic state of the 1940’s. They loved the glamorization of the black and white film and Smoky jazz clubs, so when they go home to Orleans everything becomes intensified. I wish the cover would have featured a Black background with the prominent features of the characters like Katie’s hair color and Lucs hat. Putting together a modern day couple in a era setting could be tough to pull off visually without mistaking the cover for a historical piece, but the feel of that sparkly chick-flick cover doesn’t come close to the setting of Luc and Katie's story. In my head Im picturing a man (Jakes pic) in a white button down shirt with a fedora holding a beautiful curvy 40’s pin-up type red head, wearing a very simple creamy colored dress. I see him looking intensely at her while she is looking towards the ground, in the background I see something like a jazz lounge but with a smoky look, that would have set the tone much better for this story……hmmmm maybe I missed my calling designing covers and the ability to overuse the word smoky.
3/10 Update** So I found a cover that captures exactly what I was describing...just throw a hat on the guy, red hair on the gal and a jazz club or New Orleans in the back...perfect.....
3/10 Update** So I found a cover that captures exactly what I was describing...just throw a hat on the guy, red hair on the gal and a jazz club or New Orleans in the back...perfect.....
Rating
A Billion Reasons Why can be enjoyed by all readers mature teens and adults alike and contains: Romance, 40's era history, New Orleans culture, mild violence, gambling, mild sensuality and family drama.
4/5- Inspirational Romance
Thanks to the B&B Media Group for Review Copy
I'm with you on this one Tina, we all need a good happily ever after every now and then! This sounds like a nice read, something that would be good to just snuggle into without too much seriousness - just enough drama to keep things interesting.
ReplyDeleteDon't you hate when a cover doesn't reflect the book at all? That's a pet peeve of mine! Shouldn't the cover be a visual summary of the book?
@Jenny- YES! Covers should tell a bit of the story...it should entice the reader to look inside and discover what the cover is all about!! Im all about cover love, this cover is cute just not the right one for this story...;/
ReplyDeleteDoooood, I would have never guessed that the story takes place in the 40s with that cover. No way. Even with you telling me, I can't believe it. LOL
ReplyDeleteI freaking love fedoras! Jakey there is totally rocking his.
Wow, T. This book just sounds like so much fun, and I totally need HEA right now. Also, I love NOLA. Thanks for setting us straight on what to expect. I think it would have been better for the story if the cover didn't seem so bland and actually portrayed what the story was about.
O you make it sound so good! Who doesn't love the 40s?
ReplyDeleteOooh, Jake G and his sexy fedora can be my book boyfriend anytime.
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I am big fan of happily ever after love stories. They are the perfect escape.
ReplyDeleteI also get annoyed when the covers don't match the story. Especially when it comes to appearance. I always wonder who in the world approves them.
superb
ReplyDelete