They
say there are five stages of grief: Denial, anger, Bargaining, Depression, and
Acceptance.
Not
everyone will grieve in this order, nor will everyone go through every stage.
It’s during the stage of denial when Alex Hart meets Andrew Foster. He takes
her one-step closer to acceptance: the stage when new, meaningful relationships
are formed. The stage when the realization occurs that this is now the new
state of normal.
Just when Alex thinks she is on her way to healing, she enters the bargaining phase. That’s the phase where you wonder what you could have done differently. You wonder “what if?” Specifically, what if the ones you loved hadn’t left you?
Just when Alex thinks she is on her way to healing, she enters the bargaining phase. That’s the phase where you wonder what you could have done differently. You wonder “what if?” Specifically, what if the ones you loved hadn’t left you?
Leaving…this
is what makes heading off to war so difficult and frightening for Alex. She
knows all too well what it’s like to be the one on the losing end of life,
which is why she’s made it her personal mission in life to save as many lives
as possible. The extreme high she gets from treating trauma victims turns into
Alex’s own form of therapy, or so she thinks.
When faced with her world being turned upside down, Alex may just find that her true therapy is in the one who has always saved her.
4.5
Stars
I
honestly didn’t know what to expect when I picked up this book. I had heard
that it was different than J.B. McGee’s This series. It most definitely is, and
I must say that different definitely works for J.B. I enjoyed the This series,
but Skipping Stones blew me away!
I
love the lead character, Alex. She is such a strong female character. Even
during her weakest, darkest moments, we see her strength shine through. While
the losses she suffers throughout the story are great, she just kept “pulling
up her big girl panties” and found a way to make it through. My heart ached for
her at times and ran over with joy at others. From ultimate heartbreak and
sorrow to overwhelming joy, you definitely experience all of Alex’s emotions
with her.
What
can I say about drew? I fell in love with him immediately. Sure, physically, he’s
hot, but it was his heart of gold that won me over. The way he lends Alex strength
when she feels like she has none left. The way he just lets her be when he knows
she needs it. He is tender, compassionate, playful, and protective. Everything
we love in a guy, but he’s so much more than just his love for her. He too has
a story that made my heart hurt for him.
This
is a very well rounded book. J.B. does such an awesome job breathing life into
the characters. No matter their role in the story large or small, each and
every character has a distinctiveness about them. It wasn’t just the characters
that made the story, but well, the story itself. I loved how the story spans
years and isn’t just a quick glimpse of a moment of time. She built a life for
Alex, and even Drew. Even though years pass in this book, it isn’t long or
drawn out. The author did a beautiful job moving the story along and giving us
the details we need to connect to it on every level. This is an outstanding
book by an author who, in my opinion, just keeps getting better with each one
she writes. You don’t want to miss is heartwarming story! It’s a definite MUST
READ!!!
He pulls my arm back like a slingshot and as we’re gaining
momentum to release the stone, I hear, “Alex!” being proclaimed through the
entire neighborhood. It causes my already racing heart to speed out of control.
I lose complete concentration, virtually spinning myself around as the stone is
released, plummeting me into his arms, our lips just mere millimeters away from
each other.
We stare into each other’s eyes. Speechless seems to be my
middle name for one reason or another today. I blink. “I...”
“You can’t skip a stone to save your life, can you?” He smirks.
I breathe for what seems like the first time in five minutes and
start to laugh. “No. No, I can’t.”
He brushes a piece of hair out of my eye. “You will. I’ll teach
you.”
“I am not sure I’m teachable. Been trying for years with Papa.”
“Come back to me. I’ll teach you. If it’s the last thing I
do...” His entire face lights up. “I’ll teach you everything I know.”
I feel him, every inch of him. I know there’s more to that
statement. I must admit that I’m curious. “Everything you know, huh?”
“Everything.” He caresses my cheek, just below my eyes. “Come
back to me. I’ll teach you how to deal with those beautiful tears of yours.
I’ll teach you how to breathe again. I’ll teach you everything.” He looks down
to his pile of rocks. “I’ll share those with you. And I’ll teach you how to
skip stones. It’s a promise, and I don’t break promises.”
J.B.
McGee was born and raised in Aiken, South Carolina. After graduating from South
Aiken High School, she toured Europe as a member of the 1999 International
Bands of America Tour, playing the clarinet. While attending Converse College,
an all-girls school in Spartanburg, South Carolina, she visited Charleston
often. It quickly became one of her favorite vacation spots. She met her
husband, Chad, during Christmas break her freshman year, and they married in
2001 and she moved back to her home town.
In 2005, the couple welcomed their first son, Noah. J.B. finished her Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of South Carolina-Aiken in 2006. During her time studying children's literature, a professor had encouraged her to become a writer.
In 2007, she welcomed their second child, Jonah, and she became a stay at home mom/entrepreneur. In 2009, the found out their two children and J.B. have Mitochondrial Disease. In 2011, a diagnosis also was given to Chad. Please take a moment and learn more about Mitochondrial Disease. Awareness is key to this disease that has no cure or treatments.
In 2005, the couple welcomed their first son, Noah. J.B. finished her Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of South Carolina-Aiken in 2006. During her time studying children's literature, a professor had encouraged her to become a writer.
In 2007, she welcomed their second child, Jonah, and she became a stay at home mom/entrepreneur. In 2009, the found out their two children and J.B. have Mitochondrial Disease. In 2011, a diagnosis also was given to Chad. Please take a moment and learn more about Mitochondrial Disease. Awareness is key to this disease that has no cure or treatments.
J.B.
McGee and her family now reside in Buford, Georgia, to be closer to their
children's medical team. After a passion for reading had been re-ignited, J.B.
decided to finally give writing a shot. Broken (This Series), is her first book
and first series.
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