Kristie J’s review of More Than Words by Mia Sheridan
Contemporary Romance published by Forever 12 Jun 18
I think Mia Sheridan is one of the top romance writers out there. She writes angst like nobody else, and when you read a Mia Sheridan book, you know you are going to be put through the wringer. I tend to really dive into and really “feel” many a book, so when reading one of hers, I often have to take breaks and play games on my IPad or sometimes switch to another book for a while just because the wringer is a bit too tight. And just to make it clear, this is a Very Good Thing in my book. While almost uncomfortable with some of her books, they are most memorable and highest rated. So going in I thought More Than Words would have the same effect on me, and, sure enough, it did.
The story starts out many years ago when a young Jessica and Callen first meet. Jessica is an adventuresome-type girl with all kinds of dreams. She meets Callen in an old boxcar and can tell right away that he hasn’t led a good and happy life. He has outer bruises and sad eyes. Her first words to him are “I’m here to save you.” They continue meeting and their friendship grows deep. Jessica shares all her dreams with Callen and considers him her prince. But then one day he doesn’t show up and she is heartbroken.
The book then moves to the present time. Jessica has met some of her dreams and is an ancient French language linguist living in France and gets a dream job of translating and interpreting an old diary of a young, privileged French girl and companion to Joan of Arc.
She and Callen meet again. Over the years Callen has become a famous composer and Jessica has followed his career. When they finally come face to face again, Callen is not the same sad, lost boy he was when they first met. Instead, he is cold and angry and goes through women like they are nothing. It is very easy to dislike intensely this version of Callen. But Jessica sees past his mask and catches glimpses of the lost boy he used to be and she is hopelessly drawn to this Callen. Callen wants to spend time with Jessica after they meet again. She quiets the turmoil in him and she helps inspire him to write music again – something he hasn’t been able to do for quite some time.
A large part of Jessica does not want to do this. She knows he has the potential to devastate her heart, but she can’t resist him and wants to help the young boy who was such an important part of her childhood.
As Ms. Sheridan is writing the story of Jessica and Callen, she also tells the story of the young woman in the diary and how she is dealing with the danger of war with Joan. It’s an excellent and fascinating addition to the main story.
As I said above, Ms. Sheridan put me through the wringer with this book. Jessica is such a bright and wonderful character, but it’s almost with a sense of doom we can see her headed to heartbreak in her reconnection with Callen. She’s simply amazing.
And Callen. When an author can make a hero so heartbreaking as young Callen was and then so cold and unfeeling as he became and then turn him back into a hero who breaks your heart, when an author makes you feel for these people so deeply, well, for me it sets the book up on the highest shelf with the very best of the best. And that’s what Mia Sheridan has done with More Than Words. This book will make you feel and feel deeply. And some of it might not be such good feelings at the time. But in the end I closed the book knowing once again I’d read something special.
Grade: A
Summary:
The moment she met Callen Hayes, eleven-year-old Jessica Creswell knew he was a broken prince. Her prince. They became each other’s refuge, a safe and magical place far from their troubled lives. Until the day Callen kissed her—Jessica’s first real, dreamy kiss—and then disappeared from her life without a word.
Years later, everyone knows who Callen Hayes is. Famous composer. Infamous bad boy. What no one knows is that Callen’s music is now locked deep inside, trapped behind his own inner demons. It’s only when he withdraws to France to drink his way through the darkness that Callen stumbles into the one person who makes the music return. Jessica. His Jessie. And she still tastes of fresh, sweet innocence . . . even as she sets his blood on fire.
But they don’t belong in each other’s worlds anymore. There are too many mistakes. Too many secrets. Too many lies. All they have is that instinctive longing, that need—and something that looks dangerously like love.
No excerpt available.
