I read this book almost a year ago and I couldn’t really review it because I love the series so much and this story is just as exceptional as the first book in the series. I don’t have adequate words to describe how amazing it is and how wonderful the storyline is. How lovingly and purposefully crafted each and every character is. I gave this review my best shot and I still don’t think it’s good enough, but it’s definitely from the heart.
About the Book
From the author of “Louder Than Love” comes a long-awaited return to Lauder Lake…ten years later
Sometimes getting what you want is the easy part.
Katrina Lewis-Graves isn’t the type of woman to run from problems. But she knows to get out while the getting’s good. Fourteen years ago, she left Manhattan for small town solace after a freak train accident left her widowed with a one-year-old. Seeking sanctuary in her hometown of Lauder Lake, Kat ended up stumbling upon a soul mate of legendary proportions: famed guitarist Adrian “Digger” Graves.
Now she’s fleeing Manhattan once again: this time with her rock star husband and troubled teen daughter in tow. This time, it’s to save Abbey…even if it means dragging her, kicking and screaming.
Across the pond, another woman is taking flight. Adrian’s estranged daughter Natalie has not wanted for much in life back in England. Horses, houses in the country, cars, closets full of couture – all courtesy of, but with no thanks to, Digger Graves’ heavy metal music success. Her parents’ divorce had robbed Adrian of much of his fortune, as well as any meaningful place in his daughter’s life. But as her own marriage and entire privileged pinnacle comes avalanching down, Natalie jumps on a desperate whim at the open invitation her stepmother Kat has made to “come stay anytime you want.”
Lauder Lake may not be what Abbey or Natalie want, but it holds some surprises – and may just be exactly what they both need…
My Review
When I read Louder Than Love almost 13 years ago, the story just stayed with me. These characters crawled in my chest and made their home right inside my heart and I haven’t been able to shake them since, nor would I want to.
Back when I first read Louder Than Love, it was just a standalone story about a washed up British rock star and a widowed librarian with a 4-year-old daughter crossing paths in New York, discovering so much about themselves. Learning how to heal, how to find peace, and how to love again. It is a beautiful story about love, loss, rock ‘n’ roll, and second chances.
Then something wonderful happened, the author expanded this world by making it into a series and gave us more books and more wonderful characters to love. I was over the moon! And now we get a 5th book and I am so excited to tell you all about it. Here we go!
Get What You Need takes place 10-ish years after the events of Louder Than Love. Adrian (British rocker) and Kat (widowed librarian) have been in wedded bliss for years now. Adrian’s rock career has been revitalized. Adrian and Kat have a beautiful son together along with Kat’s daughter and Adrian’s adult daughter from his first marriage. Their family is a beautiful kaleidoscope of hopes, dreams, music, and so much love.
The story follows Abbey’s adjustment to a new school, a slower lifestyle, and the daily desperation she feels being far away from her “boyfriend” and Natalie’s (Adrian’s daughter) healing journey after a failed marriage. We’re gonna need lots of funny movies, chocolate, and salty snacks to even crack the surface of all the feelings that need feeling.
I absolutely loved–and cringed–watching Abbey’s teenage struggles. We’ve all been enchanted by a cute bad boy, but her relationship could be easily summed up in Taylor Swift’s I Knew You Were Trouble. I don’t have a daughter but I could easily empathize with Kat and Adrian’s parenting struggles. Thankfully, Abbey has a lot of people who love and support her.
Natalie has only been mentioned in the books but we finally get to meet her in this story and she’s absolutely lovely. You’d think she was a spoiled princess with her dad being a rock god, but I found her to be sincere and approachable. Natalie has experienced tremendous heartbreak and I just wanted to give her a big hug and tell her everything was going to be okay. I really enjoyed getting to know her and watching her healing journey.
What really tugged at my heartstrings was Kat and Adrian’s son, Blu. He’s a beautiful neurodivergent boy that is the apple of everyone’s eye. Having a son on the autism spectrum myself, I really appreciated the way the author respectfully portrayed the character. The representation was beautifully done. As much as I love Kat and Adrian, I think Blu is my new favorite.
Get What You Need is a beautiful story of family, healing, self discovery, forgiveness, and faith and is a testament to the heart of the book.
The Rolling Stones say it best: “You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes you just might find, you get what you need.”
Purchase Links
About the Author
Jessica Topper has been in love with the beauty of the written word ever since she memorized Maurice Sendak’s Chicken Soup with Rice at the age of three.
After earning a B.A. in English Literature and her Master’s Degree in Library Science, Jessica went on to work as a librarian in New York City before trading in the books for bookkeeping. For seventeen years, she worked in the production office of an international touring rock band.
Jessica broke the rock romance mold with her 2013 debut novel LOUDER THAN LOVE. Her follow-up romantic comedy, DICTATORSHIP OF THE DRESS, was named one of Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of 2015.
She lives in Western New York with her family – including two cats that love to walk across her keyboard. Learn more at jesstopper.com
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