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248th out of 437 books
—
2,342 voters
The Reason is You
by
Sharla Lovelace (Goodreads Author)
Dani Shane just wants her daughter to have what she never did—a normal life.But “normal” leaves the equation when sixteen year old Riley is found talking to Dani’s only friend, Alex--who’s been dead for forty years.
In the small river town of Bethany, Dani never fit in.Being different pushed her to the fringes of society, and even leaving town for two decades didn’t stop th...more
In the small river town of Bethany, Dani never fit in.Being different pushed her to the fringes of society, and even leaving town for two decades didn’t stop th...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
April 3rd 2012
by Berkley Trade
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149th out of 167 books
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93 voters
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Single mom Dani returns to her hometown of Bethany, Texas after losing her corporate job in Dallas, a fact her sixteen year old daughter Riley isn't too thrilled with. Dani moves in with her father and takes a job at the local bait store. If that doesn't sound dismal enough, Dani's past comes back to haunt her. Literally. Dani sees ghosts. She talks to them too. And they talk back.
Growing up, Dani was an outsider. Now, at 40, she's still an outsider. Her best friend, Alex, is a ghost who's been...more
Growing up, Dani was an outsider. Now, at 40, she's still an outsider. Her best friend, Alex, is a ghost who's been...more
Wow! I have never read a book like it! I had to finish right away!!!!
I have never read this author before. She was giving away copies of this book for honest reviews and the blurb sounded interesting to me so i signed up to get one. It came in the mail a couple days ago and I immediately started reading. I only made it to page 86 the first night. Got a late start so that's pretty good for me in a couple hours of reading time. I was drawn in pretty quickly. I don't even know where to start. This was a such a different book for me. Book starts out with Dani moving...more
I read the first chapter of THE REASON IS YOU on Sharla's website and rushed right over to buy the book. I was not disappointed! I was rooting for Dani Shane from the first line to the bittersweet end. The writing is fresh, funny and perfectly captures everything from Dani's relationship with her teenage daughter to the small town snarkiness of people who can't get past their high school glory days. The two heroes (oh, yes! There are two!) are both swoon-worthy and I found myself as torn between...more
Wow , this book was amazing. I have to admit I was a little wary as whether I would actually enjoy it or not as I picked it up because , shall I admit ...... I loved the cover. It wasn't until I read the first chapter and was introduced to them that I started to enjoy the story. The Reason is You follows the life of single mother Dani and her teenage daughter Riley, Dani has lost her job and now with nowhere else to go lugs Riley and herself back to her hometown of Bethany. Dani left Bethany as...more
You can find this entire review and an interview with the author at Forever Book Lover
I loved the blurb, I think that is what caught my interest, but it was the writer's style and storytelling that kept my attention all the way through until the last page. And even then, I said I wanted more!! At first I didn't understand the cover, but after reading the book, it is just perfect!! I am not going to give it away, you must read the book!!
It started out a bit slow, but I now understand that the au...more
I loved the blurb, I think that is what caught my interest, but it was the writer's style and storytelling that kept my attention all the way through until the last page. And even then, I said I wanted more!! At first I didn't understand the cover, but after reading the book, it is just perfect!! I am not going to give it away, you must read the book!!
It started out a bit slow, but I now understand that the au...more
This book is seriously amazing. I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it as I didn't expect it to be like books I normally read. It was much closer to what I'm used to reading than I thought. Description abounds in this book, and I loved every word of it. There were several laugh-out-loud funny parts and several crying-like-a-baby parts. It was complete perfection. Dani and Riley are a HILARIOUS duo. They both have great senses of humor that come across vividly in the story.
I read a revi...more
I read a revi...more
Dani Shane has been laid off from her job in Dallas. With no other options left to her, she moves with her sixteen year old daughter, Riley, back to her father’s house in the small town of Bethany. Dani is less than thrilled about the move, especially when her oldest friend suddenly appears at her car while she’s unpacking.
Alex looks exactly the same, with his dashing good looks and black clothes, and Dani is shocked to see him. Particularly when (view spoiler)...more
Alex looks exactly the same, with his dashing good looks and black clothes, and Dani is shocked to see him. Particularly when (view spoiler)...more
THE REASON IS YOU, by Sharla Lovelace, is a lovely romance book with a small paranormal twist. Dani is a single mother who is forced to move back to her childhood home with her sixteen year old daughter after being laid off from her job. She falls back into the small-town gossip train with snippy straw dogs, and her past in speaking with ghosts comes back to literally haunt her (but in this case it's her hunky best friend Alex).
I absolutely adored this book. The writing was well done and the sto...more
I absolutely adored this book. The writing was well done and the sto...more
When life takes an unwelcome turn Dani Shane finds herself returning to her hometown with her daughter, Riley. Unfortunately for them Dani's childhood wasn't the best due to her unusual ability to see and talk to the dead, and when she finds her daughter talking to her dead (and sexy) best friend she has new worries to contend with. As if that wasn't enough, there's also Dani's new boss...
This is a well constructed story that will keep you reading until the very last page! The plot is excellent...more
This is a well constructed story that will keep you reading until the very last page! The plot is excellent...more
Not a lot of books make me cry. They almost do but not quite real tears. This one did it twice. I set it down crying, but it ended beautifully. It's about a ghost, a woman and her daughter, a very nice real life man, some nice and some not so nice side characters, and about love. There is a bit of the reincarnation theme in some of it and the idea that dead people don't all cross over right away. All of that is tied up in love too.
I should explain why I read this book in the first place. I was a...more
I should explain why I read this book in the first place. I was a...more
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First Line: "Starting over sucks, but at forty it sucks the life out of you. This
thought squeezed my brain on the six- hour drive to Bethany
from Dallas. I second- guessed my decision for the ninety- ninth
time, eyeing every exit ramp as a potential escape hatch."
Where to start.....
Well I will say one thing. This book was heartbreaking for me. My boyfriend thinks I'm crazy because I cried at multiple times throughout the novel and he kept wondering if it might be that time of the month. He couldn'...more
thought squeezed my brain on the six- hour drive to Bethany
from Dallas. I second- guessed my decision for the ninety- ninth
time, eyeing every exit ramp as a potential escape hatch."
Where to start.....
Well I will say one thing. This book was heartbreaking for me. My boyfriend thinks I'm crazy because I cried at multiple times throughout the novel and he kept wondering if it might be that time of the month. He couldn'...more
This book started out a bit slow, but once it got going, about 75 pages it, it was really good. Dani has just moved herself and her 16-year-old daughter back to her hometown--a place that she never wanted to return to her. Dani sees ghosts--always has, and this has caused her a great deal of trouble since, as a child, it looked like she was just talking to herself. The local children made fun of her in school, and remained just as closed minded and cruel upon Dani's return as an adult. Add to th...more
This book is a stand alone, not part of any series (that I know of). I will be honest and say that I signed up for this book tour and review because after reading the first chapter, I was excited and hooked. Add in the paranormal romance genre and I was soooo there. Now after reading the book, I feel exhausted, simply wasted emotionally. This book ran the gamut of emotions and took me on a roller coaster of highs and lows, moving from one extreme to another.
This is the story of 40 year old Danie...more
This is the story of 40 year old Danie...more
I received this book free through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was intrigued by the premise- Dani has to return to her small-town roots with her daughter after having been gone for two decades, but nothing much has changed. The girls she knew in high school are still catty, the boys have grown into older but still lecherous creeps, and Dani can still see dead people. The talk of Dani being the town freak is still floating around, and her only friends are
...more
I recieved this for free through first reads. I have never read any of her books before. I am going to look for more of her books because I loved this book sooooo much!! And the cover....wow its gorgeous!
I LOVE her writing style! I also loved that she didnt rush into the story or go to slow. It was the perfect pace. I really just dont know what to say besides that it was a really good book and that i loved it. And I will admit that this book did make me cry...haha (thank god I was alone). And n...more
I LOVE her writing style! I also loved that she didnt rush into the story or go to slow. It was the perfect pace. I really just dont know what to say besides that it was a really good book and that i loved it. And I will admit that this book did make me cry...haha (thank god I was alone). And n...more
This was a bit different than the books I normally read but I really liked it. Turns out that the single mom and her daughter can see ghosts. The author does not overwhelm you with them seeing a bunch of them so that is nice. The ones they do see, fit nicely into the story. This is just part of the story but it works.
I like that there is romance and some life lessons in this book. You read about bullying and the effects it has.
The romance is spot on and I was gunning for them to work it out. She...more
I like that there is romance and some life lessons in this book. You read about bullying and the effects it has.
The romance is spot on and I was gunning for them to work it out. She...more
I received a free copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program.
What a fascinating twist on paranormal romance! Suspenseful and full of genuine emotion but light and approachable enough that it was easy and enjoyable to read. The heat level was very low, but I didn't miss it too much. The conflicts with the small town bullies who never moved away and never managed to get a life will appeal to anyone who grew up in that sort of narrow-minded atmosphere. I really like this author's s...more
What a fascinating twist on paranormal romance! Suspenseful and full of genuine emotion but light and approachable enough that it was easy and enjoyable to read. The heat level was very low, but I didn't miss it too much. The conflicts with the small town bullies who never moved away and never managed to get a life will appeal to anyone who grew up in that sort of narrow-minded atmosphere. I really like this author's s...more
The Reason Is You by Sharla Lovelace is a wonderfully entertaining novel by a new author. Dani Shane is forced to return to the town where she grew up and never fit in. She encounters old ghosts, a new love, and must deal with her teenage daughter who is suffering with the same affliction that made Dani an outcast. Her daughter can see and talk to ghosts. As Dani struggles to hold her head up in a town where she is an object of scorn, she unravels the truth about her mom, and finally discovers s...more
Recommended Read! This review is also posted on my blog, the TBR MOUNTAIN RANGE. Come for a visit :)
Having the ability to write this good should be illegal, or revered somehow. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen next in THE REASON IS YOU, author Sharla Lovelace made sure I knew that she was the one in control of my emotions!
I received THE REASON IS YOU for free through Goodreads First Reads. Had I known this book would be this good, I would have read it a long time ago. I shoul...more
Having the ability to write this good should be illegal, or revered somehow. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen next in THE REASON IS YOU, author Sharla Lovelace made sure I knew that she was the one in control of my emotions!
I received THE REASON IS YOU for free through Goodreads First Reads. Had I known this book would be this good, I would have read it a long time ago. I shoul...more
I probably shouldn't be writing this right now. I'm all choked up, as I have been for the last hour finishing this book, and I really should just walk away from it for a minute instead of writing this and full out sobbing. But I just need to write it right now while my feelings about it are right on the surface. My god, it's beautiful. It's heartbreakingly beautiful in every sense of the phrase. Its a beautiful story full of depth and love and I'm sitting here completely broken from it because i...more
This book is a goodreads give away book for me. It is a well written book. From the very start, I was hooked. Dani and her daughter Riley return to Bethany, to Dani's father's house, move in with him because, being let go from her job, Dani and Riley have no other choice, if they are to survive. Dani really wants Riley to have a better life than she did, but things don't work out quite that way. Once home, Dni begins spedning time with Alex, her friend from years before. There is only one proble...more
I have to start by saying that Sharla Lovelace is going on my auto-buy list. Wow! I loved this book. THE REASON IS YOU is an impressive debut novel about love and loss, family bonds and family secrets, redemption and starting over. Oh, yeah, and also ghosts!
The last place Dani Shane wanted to end up was back in her hometown of Bethany. But that’s exactly what happened when she lost her job at a Dallas design firm. She and her teenage daughter, Riley, had little choice but to move to the sleepy r...more
The last place Dani Shane wanted to end up was back in her hometown of Bethany. But that’s exactly what happened when she lost her job at a Dallas design firm. She and her teenage daughter, Riley, had little choice but to move to the sleepy r...more
I won this book on Goodreads, and it was definitely not a typical romance/love story. I normally don't read romance novels, but this book just drew me in. The main character could talk to ghosts, and so that interfered with her love life. I enjoyed the way that the author portrayed the ghosts and how she introduced the new characters and such. She kept me on my toes while reading and I never knew what would happen next. I really enjoyed this book and I'm glad that I won it on goodreads.
I absolutely LOVED this book!!! It’s a story about family, friends, love, secrets, starting over and…….about being born with a gift that allows you to see and talk to dead people!!! This book took me on a whirlwind of emotions with unforgettable characters. I couldn’t put it down. Sharla Lovelace is a very talented author with a unique writing style. I can’t wait to read more from this promising new author. **This is a book I will definitely read again.
This book took me on a whirl wind of emotions. At first I wasn't sure about it based on the book jacket. But once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. The jacket didn't do it justice! This book will keep you hoping and praying and feeling. It pulled at my heart strings.
Dani was tormented her entire childhood because she could talk to ghosts. Now she has been forced to move back to the small town that drove her away for decades. Now she has found out that her daughter can talk to them to...more
Dani was tormented her entire childhood because she could talk to ghosts. Now she has been forced to move back to the small town that drove her away for decades. Now she has found out that her daughter can talk to them to...more
Lovelace is now on my 'buy every book she writes' list.
Do you remember the movie, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir?
Picture that, in modern day, in the South, with a sassy quirky voice.
Oh, and a second love interest - a living one.
Unforgettable characters that ring true-as-life.
A plot and voice that scoops you up, and doesn't let you stop until you're crying at the end.
Lovelace is an amazing storyteller.
Do yourself a favor, and read this!
Do you remember the movie, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir?
Picture that, in modern day, in the South, with a sassy quirky voice.
Oh, and a second love interest - a living one.
Unforgettable characters that ring true-as-life.
A plot and voice that scoops you up, and doesn't let you stop until you're crying at the end.
Lovelace is an amazing storyteller.
Do yourself a favor, and read this!
This is the perfect beach read. A+ escapism from the stress of everyday life! I loved the characters, especially the sassy teenage daughter. Dani, the heroine, made me smile constantly. Even though she's an outcast in her home town, she never sees herself as a victim. I fell for her from the first line: "Starting over sucks, but at forty it sucks the life out of you." Add two gorgeous guys and a heartbreaking twist, and it's hard to put this novel down!
I want to say thank you for this first-reads giveaway. I am torn between giving this 3 and 4 stars. I would only give it 3 because it is more sexy than I like my books (so I ended up skimming those parts) but the rest of it was very good. Definately an adult book though!!! It flowed well and was easy to understand but still had some good depth to it. I am still a little torn by the turn at the ending but all in all it was a very good read.
I loved this book. I never thought I would be saying that about a love story involving ghosts, but there you have it. My first introduction to Sharla Lovelace was her novella, Just One Day, and it totally surprised me how much I enjoyed that story. Even so, I did not expect "The Reason is You" to grab me the way it did. I highly recommend it!
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Sharla Lovelace is the National Bestselling Author of THE REASON IS YOU, JUST ONE DAY, and BEFORE AND EVER SINCE. Being a Texas girl through and through, she's proud to say she lives in Southeast Texas with her family, an old lady dog, and an aviary full of cockatiels.
Sharla is available by Skype for book club meetings and chats, and loves connecting with her readers! See her website www.sharlalo...more
More about Sharla Lovelace...
Sharla is available by Skype for book club meetings and chats, and loves connecting with her readers! See her website www.sharlalo...more
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