Bear With Me
by Jessica Redland
Synopsis
Jemma has the job of her dreams as curator for the children’s section of a museum in London. She spends each day surrounded by the one thing she’s absolutely passionate about: teddy bears. When boyfriend, Scott, shows a genuine interest in her passion instead of laughing at her for “playing with teddies all day”, she knows he’s a keeper.
Returning home to the North Yorkshire seaside town of Whitsborough Bay to celebrate her birthday, Jemma thinks she’s heading for her happy-ever-after when Scott unexpectedly proposes. So, a few days later, why isn’t he retuning her calls or responding to her texts?
Julie has always been a wonderful single mother to Jemma and her little brother, Sean. As owner of specialist teddy bear shop, Bear With Me, and the creative genius behind the successful range of Ju-Sea Bears, she inspires Jemma with her ability to balance a demanding career with home life. So why is the shop now in disarray and why is Sean so upset?
Sam thought he had his future all worked out. With a promising neurology career, a home, and a devoted fiancée, life was looking good. But now he’s all alone in a strange city, far from everyone and everything he cares about, struggling to rebuild the tatters of his life. Did he do the right thing by running away? What does the future hold and is he strong enough to face it?
Sometimes love finds us when we least expect it. But sometimes love leaves us, just as unexpectedly. When you’ve loved and lost, can you bear to let love in again?
Bear With Me, as all will be revealed …
Christie’s Review
5+++++ STARS
An All-Time Favorite Read
A Top Read of 2018 & Women’s Fiction
Oh my goodness, Jessica Redland has captured my heart and soul with this emotional and beautiful novel!!!
Bear With Me is one of those very rare novels that I have to really think about long and hard before writing a review. Honestly, I have written several versions before settling on this one. I want to get everything right so that other readers will see how very special this book really is!!!!
The book is told from two POVs…Jemma and Sam. It seems as if it is fate has brought these two together after each has suffered devastating pain, although for very different reasons. However, this shared pain has brought them together as friends and maybe, just maybe something more.
I thought the way Redland developed this story from the beginning until the very end was brilliant, even the title was brilliant. Readers will understand that once they begin reading it. Both of their stories are told parallel to one another.
Jemma and Sam are characters that will stay in my mind and my heart for a long time. I can’t imagine the depth of pain each of them endured. However, I could also see the strength in each of them as well. I’m so glad that Redland developed their stories both independently to show readers how the two came into each other’s lives. It was a slow romance which was completely realistic, with some steps forward and some steps back. She also threw a twist in near the end that packed quite the emotional punch.
The author created a story that was emotional and was one that held me captive until I finished the very last word, and I’m still thinking about the storyline and the characters. It was also a book that hit very close to home for me. My beloved grandmother suffered from the same disease as Jemma’s mother. Thank you, Jessica Redland, for shedding more light on Parkinson’s, not only from the perspective of those suffering from it but also from those who are the caretakers.
I highly, highly recommend this read. I have been a fan of Redland’s for a while, but in my opinion, this is her best book by far. It is about loss and second chances…family, friends, and love! Bear With Me will make you cry, make you laugh, and finally bring a smile to your face, and a warm feeling in your heart!!!!
Purchase Link – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bear-Me-youve-loved-again-ebook/dp/B07116632Y
Author Bio
Jessica had never considered writing as a career until a former manager kept telling her that her business reports read more like stories and she should write a book. She loved writing but had no plot ideas. Then something happened to her that prompted the premise for her debut novel, Searching for Steven. She put fingers to keyboard and soon realised she had a trilogy and a novella!
She lives on the stunning North Yorkshire Coast – the inspiration for the settings in her books – with her husband, daughter, cat, Sprocker Spaniel, and an ever-growing collection of collectible teddy bears. Although if the dog has her way, the collection will be reduced to a pile of stuffing and chewed limbs!
Jessica tries to balance her time – usually unsuccessfully – between being an HR tutor and writing.
Social Media Links –
Twitter: @JessicaRedland
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessicaRedlandWriter/
Website and blog: www.jessicaredland.com
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. The first book in the series tied for First Place in the Suspense Novel category of the 2017 IDA Contest sponsored by Oklahoma Romance Writers of America. Her books are similar to those written by cozy authors Jessica Beck and Joanne Fluke. She worked for many years as a paralegal at a law firm in Denver, Colorado and has been a columnist and regular contributor to The National Paralegal Reporter magazine. She believes that it’s never too late to try something new. She loves to host dinner clubs, entertain friends, ride bicycles, hike in the mountains, and read cozy murder mysteries.
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