Love Notes (The Austens, #4)

by Staci Hart

Previously titled Living Out Loud.

Bestselling author Staci Hart brings you another installment of the Austen Series, inspired by the works of Jane Austen, with a heartfelt contemporary retelling of Sense and Sensibility.

The second Annie Daschle tumbles into my arms, my whole world changes.

When she asks if we’re hiring at Wasted Words, I can only say yes, even though we aren’t—it’s that early on that I realize I can’t say no to her. Not when she asks me to show her around New York, even though I already know I should stay away. Not when she asks if we’re friends because I want her so much more than that.

But she isn’t mine, and she never can be.

She’s fresh out of high school, never been kissed. She’s my employee, just a kid with a heart condition that’s stopped her from living out loud like she’s always wanted. She’s never dated, never had a boyfriend, never lived, and I can’t be the one to break her heart the first time. I can’t be the one to show her what could be.

But God, how I want to.

Within a few staggering heartbeats, Annie and I are caught in the middle of something we can’t find our way out of, with no clear answers and no rules. And the moment she’s in my arms again, I realize she can’t control her heart. Not the decisions it makes.

Not the moment it stops.

• ASIN: B079GRMLSL
• Publish Date: 30 January 2018 (first published 26 January 2018)
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Staci Hart Novels
• Format: eBook (Kindle)
• Pages: 325
• Language: English

Reviews

[Berls]

I think I love this series because it brings me back to all my favorite Austen characters in such a fun way. I spent so much of this book both engaged with these characters and also remembering favorite moments from Sense and Sensibility. Win, Win!

I feel like this is perhaps harder than some of my favorite Austen books to bring to life, because so much of what happened to the characters has to do with the time they were living in. And yet, Staci Hart found a really great way to give those situations a modern spin. I absolutely loved Annie (modern version of Marianne), her zest for life and being driven by her sensabilities really made her an endearing character... perhaps more so than the original? And it was a treat to get some of the story from Greg's (modern Colonel Brandon) point of view - something that you don't get in the original. I couldn't help but compare him to Alan Rickman's performance though and how do you live up to that? All said, he was a great character who I had no trouble rooting for. Staci Hart captured his sensitive and guarded soul well.

Looking at other reviews I keep noticing people complaining about the "random love triangle" and I'm feel bad for Staci Hart that they giving her a ding on that when that's IN THE ORIGINAL. If she hadn't had the Willoughby character it wouldn't have been Sense and Sensiblity! So not only do I not take away stars for it, but applaud her taking what was a triangle steeped in problems related to their time and modernizing it to make Willoughby an equally problematic character.

My one complaint (that you don't see in other reviews because I think they are not aware of the retelling the way I am...) is that the romance of Eleanor and Edward barely registers. I don't even remember their names in this version. And yeah, I get this is a retelling but honestly the book is Sense and Sensiblity because Marianne and Eleanor are foils of each other. And Marianne's romance is the more dramatic one but Eleanor's romance is a quiet, heartbreaking, beautiful one and I was really sad to not see it beyond a couple mentions in this book.

The narration was absolutely perfect. James Cavenaugh and Carly Robins delivered really solid characters AND complimented each other beautifully. This is my first book wtih both of them together, though I have listened to Carly Robins on her own previously. I think this is my first time - but not last I hope! - with James Cavenaugh. I enjoyed their performance and wouldn't hestiate to listen to either again - solo or paired.

[Rowena]

First book by Staci Hart and it was okay. The writing was a bit extra for my taste and the heroine rode my nerves quite a bit. The hero was great but a little too perfect for me. Hmm. That’s all for now. Full review to come soon.

[Romance Schmomance]

Hart, you write some pretty verses.

Yet another book to fall in love with. All while it chips away at your heart as these two characters, Annie and Greg, figure their stuff out.  I first fell in love with Staci's work when I read A Thousand Letters, a beautiful heartbreaking story. She has the ability to write where you'll know instantly that you'll fall in love with these characters all while getting your heart obliterated. She makes you feel the emotions of each character and to me, that's just amazing. From beginning to end, you're completely in engaged in the story.

Let's start with my dear Annie, so young at just eighteen years old. Being freshly graduated from high school and going through some pretty tragic events in her life, off to New York they went. She has a fresh start all while dealing with her heart condition. Along with that, she's quite naive. I kept finding myself getting so ticked off at her because of the decisions she made, but alas, I must remember that she's still a teenager. With her fresh start, she has an intensive list of firsts that she needs to cross off. And one of those being to get a job. Heading to Wasted Words (seriously the coolest an idea for a bar ... do these places exists? I've yet to see one) she meets Greg, who is so completely enamored with her from the beginning, and it's no surprise when he gives her a job that isn't available. Smooth, Greg, real smooth. At that point, it would seem that it doesn't take so long for Greg to fall in love with Annie.

And we have Greg ... the ULTIMATE book boyfriend who will have you swooning. He manages Wasted Words; it was all just a normal work day for him until Annie came stumbling in. It's evident that he's a genuinely good guy and let me tell you, by the end, you will all be in love with him. After hiring Annie, he's always wanting himself to be around her; to get to know her and just be there with her. The one thing he has trouble getting past is her age. And that reason alone is enough for him to hide how he truly feels, even if it means someone else could step in and make her happy. You silly man.

That was Greg and me—easy and uninhibited, a joining of two streams to make a river.

OK ... the number of times that I wanted to slap some sense into these two got so high, that it was ridiculous! Plus their ability to make up reasons to answer their internal dialogue was a skillset these two are perfect at. All would be well if they were just open with each from the beginning. But as life goes, that would always be TOO easy to do. We mere mortals LOVE to make things difficult for ourselves. Annie loves fairytales and at times, thinks life is just that.

Easy is for fairy tales. Life is too fluid and unpredictable and nothing shor tof complicated.

Greg, Greg, Greg. So much to love this guy, seriously. He's fiercely protective and so damn selfless ... that guy deserves an award! Might I add, he has the patience and willpower of a saint. Something I wish I could talk more about, but you'll just have to read the book. Here's a hint, two words: that motherf**ker. ;-) I admired so much how he's always put Annie before him, it was almost heartbreaking at times, but yet another reason to be swooning over this guy.

I will never know greater fortune than having you for my own. Not as long as I live.

Absolutely loved this book and it is easily placed in my #RSFaves for the year! Like I said in the beginning, Staci Hart writes some very pretty verses! All so very deep and beautiful. Living Out Loud is a must-read, a memorable story to last a lifetime. I've read a few book adaptation of Austen's beloved stories and not many can pull it off as perfectly like Staci can. Keep doing what you're doing with this Austen Series because you are one author that completely nails it right on the head.

**ARC provided for an honest review**

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