What do you think?
Rate this book
Whatever Remains
What do you do when your murder victim is found in your ex-girlfriend’s riding arena? For homicide detective Ben Haley, the answer is take the case. He’s spent the past five years dodging her phone calls and keeping his kid at arm’s length, but when Jade finds a body on her farm, Ben rushes to the scene. Eleven-year-old Heidi Latham, dumped at Jade’s doorstep, is a painful reminder that his girls live in a dangerous world…and that their pull on him is absolute. Ben’s charged with finding Heidi’s killer, and keeping his relationship with Jade a secret.Jade Donovan has spent the past five years teaching lessons and training horses, leaning on the unswerving support of gay best friend, Jeremy, as she raises her daughter, Clara, alone. When she finds Heidi, Ben crashes back into her life, and she’s too rattled to steel herself against his dark, stern magnetism. She needs him, she realizes, to hold at bay the terrifying evil that lurks in the shadows, claiming the lives of little girls. As the dark nights close in around them, they cling to the tatters of their relationship; Ben risks his job, and Jade risks her heart in the search for justice, keeping the daughter they both love safe.
344 pages, Paperback
First published July 17, 2013
13 people are currently reading
886 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
March 12, 2019
★★★★★ 5 stars ★★★★★
PURE BRILLIANCE. One of my top favorites of all times.
I think this gif sums it all up:
Completely blown away.
This is what reading heaven must feel like. This is the reason why I am a reader. This is the reason I will never stop reading.
Lauren Gilley is so talented. I'm in awe of her mastery.
QUICK REVIEW:
Enjoyment: 5/5
Writing style: 5/5
Storyline: 5/5
Hero: 4/5
Heroine: 5/5
Secondary characters: 5/5
Hotness/steam: 3/5
Romance: 4/5
Angst: 4/5
Darkness level: 3/5
Humor: 2/5
Depth of the book: 5/5
POV: dual, third person
Triggers:
PURE BRILLIANCE. One of my top favorites of all times.
I think this gif sums it all up:
Completely blown away.
This is what reading heaven must feel like. This is the reason why I am a reader. This is the reason I will never stop reading.
Lauren Gilley is so talented. I'm in awe of her mastery.
QUICK REVIEW:
Enjoyment: 5/5
Writing style: 5/5
Storyline: 5/5
Hero: 4/5
Heroine: 5/5
Secondary characters: 5/5
Hotness/steam: 3/5
Romance: 4/5
Angst: 4/5
Darkness level: 3/5
Humor: 2/5
Depth of the book: 5/5
POV: dual, third person
Triggers:
December 30, 2017
4 Stars
This was not my favorite LG...but it was still a great read.
Ms. Gilley is truly one of the best authors out there.
Her stellar writing and exemplary character-driven plot lines are amazing and right up my alley (potentially anyone's alley, really).
Even the way she describes scenery, e.g., "watery sunlight painted stripes across her face," just makes you see it in your mind's eye.
TRULY, this is the kind of storytelling and wordsmithing that makes being a reader so enjoyable.
This was not my favorite LG...but it was still a great read.
Ms. Gilley is truly one of the best authors out there.
Her stellar writing and exemplary character-driven plot lines are amazing and right up my alley (potentially anyone's alley, really).
Even the way she describes scenery, e.g., "watery sunlight painted stripes across her face," just makes you see it in your mind's eye.
TRULY, this is the kind of storytelling and wordsmithing that makes being a reader so enjoyable.
October 8, 2015
4 stars. Review posted October 4, 2015
It was deep, hungry; she stood up on her toes and pressed herself to him as his mouth slanted over hers, stroking. She’d had kisses –sloppy molestations from lovers past –and then there was this: his direct, artful attack. It left her wondering if there was such a thing as “the one.” His tongue slid between her lips and it was like drowning. Before Ben, she hadn’t known the risk of a kiss; she hadn’t understood how igniting it could be. It had been a kiss like this that had snared her that first night on her front steps. It had led to Clara; to a shredded heart.
Atmospherically dense. Genuine. Emotionally-charged. Gripping.
When Jade Donovan, who trains horses and gives riding lessons, finds a dead girl in her riding arena of Canterbury farm, Cobb county homicide detective Ben Haley doesn't hesitate at all and rushes to his ex-girlfriend. He's aware of the infringement, of the conflict of interest when he decides to work that case. Ben is not only busy trying to solve the terrible murder, he's also stressed keeping his slowly budding relationship with Jade a secret. He just can't help it. Even though Ben tried hard to keep his little daughter who is a total cutie pie, by the way, at arm's length over the last five years, Jade and Clara are his girls, regardless of their strained and complicated affiliation. He wants to look out for them and realizes that he couldn't stand it if something bad happened to them. It looks like his cold black heart is thawing. Or, maybe it's just time to own up to his mistakes.
“That man,” Shannon said, “is why God invented condoms.” “Mom!” Jade whirled on her mother before she could take hold of her temper;
Well, I'll be damned. I tried to read Lauren Gilley's Price of Angels back in May and had to DNF @70%. Still, when I bought Whatever Remains, I was secretly hoping that I'd be holding something very worthwhile and great in my hands. I can't stress enough how pleasantly surprised I am. Whatever Remains offers a few things I usually enjoy very much, provided it's done well:
- a pretty huge age gap (hero is 46, heroine is 28)
-older mature hero
- second chance romance
- authentic hurt-comfort aspect
- suspense
“God,” she sighed. “Can you not do that?”
“What?”
“Pretend to be this injured guy whose kid I’m keeping from you.” He didn’t respond. “The only thing that ever came between you and your daughter was your own black heart and your string of bimbos.”
“I don’t date bimbos,” he countered, leaning back onto the wall and propping a boot against it.
“No.” She snorted. “You don’t ‘date’ anyone. That would be too chivalrous.”
There was nothing more grounding than the barn. The smells of hay and wood shavings and horse; the soft sounds of shifting hooves and swishing tails, the deep-throated whickers in response to the feed hitting the buckets. Amid the rising pockets of mist, dew on her boots, sunlight the hazy, pale stuff of just-after-dawn, Jade found peace every morning in the steadiness of routine and the brown eyes of their horses.
What I liked most about this story was the authentic feel. The hero is not a shiny billionaire sycophant who resolves every little inconvenience by shoving an excessive amount of money up everyone's asses. Ben, the hero, an unapologetically flawed human being, a very good and extremely dedicated detective and an allegedly "not-so-doting" dad was relatable to me, both mentally and physically. I could understand and grasp his thought process. Ben's actions in general and Jade and Ben's "relationship status" in particular felt real to me. Granted, when you know what happened about six years ago, then you have a hard time liking Ben at first. Tall, Dark and Loathsome suits his personality to a T. There is no need to sugarcoat anything because he was an asshole. Yet the author managed quite skillfully to transform him into Tall, Dark and Likable over the course of time when Ben redeemed himself.
When he did this, when he pretended for a little while that he belonged with them, he laid awake staring at the ceiling afterward. He doubted himself. He drank too much. He missed. The missing was
hell. No one had ever told him that if he let go of his family, he’d miss them. And when he missed, he wondered why the hell he’d let go in the first place. That was worse than keeping his distance; that was the worst thing of all.
In my book, the great thing about Ben is, that he really owned up to the shit he did. He didn't need or want to look for any lame excuses. He knew that he was wrong. He knew that he hurt his two girls and he did man up and he did right by them eventually. This, however, did not happen within a blink of an eye. I really liked how the author told the story, how everything unfolded in front of my eyes. There was no jumping each other's bones up until halfway through the story. And while the few smexy bits were not extremely explicit, they were still hot and well-written.
He rolled again, so he was suspended above her. “It’s after three, and you have to be up in a couple hours,” he reminded. The comment rattled some of her seriousness, as he’d hoped. She lifted arched brows. “Are you trying to beg off on sex?” “Never. Just don’t blame me when you’re tired tomorrow.”
She grinned. “Wouldn’t dream of it."
All the resentment and hurt were palpable and if looks could kill…well, Jeremy, Jade's gay best friend, sure did his best to show Ben his open hostility. This being said, Ben did not let anyone or anything deter him from his chosen path. Because Ben did care very much, after all. It's just a fact that finding a dead girl close to the home of your ex-girlfriend and mother of your daughter can put everything into perspective.One man has to set his priorities straight.
I liked Jade. She's a strong woman, though not afraid to show her vulnerable side. She's the born rider. Her love and dedication for those gorgeous animals was wonderfully portrayed. Unfortunately, she did have one TSTL moment. On the one hand, I did understand her motive for doing it but on the other hand, it was too rash and dumb. One thing was obvious and palpable. Jade and Ben formed a very dynamic couple.
What did not work for me
There are a fuckton of semi-colons in Whatever Remains (and quite a generous amount of colons too). A good reader friend who's working as an editor told me recently that semi-colons and colons seem to be a new trend. It's actually a trend I don't appreciate. I know I'm nit-picking, but semi-colons annoy me greatly. It's distracting because when I get irritated it's harder to focus on the story. What bugged me as well were the twitching smiles, i.e.
She twitched a half-smile.
Ben twitched a smile.
Ben twitched a non-smile.
Trey twitched a grin.
He twitched a humorless smile and…
Jeremy twitched a half-smile.
etc.
42 x twitch, twitched, twitching
The term twitch was used to the point of repetitiveness. When it wasn't a twitching smile, grin or non-smile, then it was a twitching brow, a twitching mouth, cheek or fingers.
And, please, what the heck is a non-smile?
…she said with a sympathetic non-smile.
Either you're smiling or you are not. But a non-smile completely eludes me.
Ben is a smart and good detective, so I was actually a little bit surprised that he didn't get the very broad hint at location #XXXX. Honestly, when it came to the villain, I was already suspicious before but that "tip" sealed the deal for me. In any event, my being aware of who the murderer was did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the story.
“She called you,” Jeremy said in a grave voice. “I was three hundred feet up the drive and I’ve got an elephant gun.” His brows twitched. “But she called you. Figure it out already.”
Bottom line
Whatever Remains is a very well-written and engaging story. Its characters depict authentic struggles. They grow and set the wrong right eventually. Add in some good and tangible chemistry, a beautiful setting that felt all the more atmospheric due to the author's very credible portrayal of the horses, barn and riding skills and I can assure you, I was a bloody happy reader. Whatever Remains left me, except of a few quibbles, wholly satisfied.
Recommended read.
P.S.
Dear Lauren,
I truly hope that you will branch out and write Jeremy's story because I want to see him fall in love with a great man. Maybe you could pair him up with another horse lover?
It was deep, hungry; she stood up on her toes and pressed herself to him as his mouth slanted over hers, stroking. She’d had kisses –sloppy molestations from lovers past –and then there was this: his direct, artful attack. It left her wondering if there was such a thing as “the one.” His tongue slid between her lips and it was like drowning. Before Ben, she hadn’t known the risk of a kiss; she hadn’t understood how igniting it could be. It had been a kiss like this that had snared her that first night on her front steps. It had led to Clara; to a shredded heart.
Atmospherically dense. Genuine. Emotionally-charged. Gripping.
Death walked into that night, dragging through the wood, rending the quiet with its inhuman hot breath: panting, poised and terrible.
When Jade Donovan, who trains horses and gives riding lessons, finds a dead girl in her riding arena of Canterbury farm, Cobb county homicide detective Ben Haley doesn't hesitate at all and rushes to his ex-girlfriend. He's aware of the infringement, of the conflict of interest when he decides to work that case. Ben is not only busy trying to solve the terrible murder, he's also stressed keeping his slowly budding relationship with Jade a secret. He just can't help it. Even though Ben tried hard to keep his little daughter who is a total cutie pie, by the way, at arm's length over the last five years, Jade and Clara are his girls, regardless of their strained and complicated affiliation. He wants to look out for them and realizes that he couldn't stand it if something bad happened to them. It looks like his cold black heart is thawing. Or, maybe it's just time to own up to his mistakes.
“That man,” Shannon said, “is why God invented condoms.” “Mom!” Jade whirled on her mother before she could take hold of her temper;
Well, I'll be damned. I tried to read Lauren Gilley's Price of Angels back in May and had to DNF @70%. Still, when I bought Whatever Remains, I was secretly hoping that I'd be holding something very worthwhile and great in my hands. I can't stress enough how pleasantly surprised I am. Whatever Remains offers a few things I usually enjoy very much, provided it's done well:
- a pretty huge age gap (hero is 46, heroine is 28)
-
- second chance romance
- authentic hurt-comfort aspect
- suspense
“God,” she sighed. “Can you not do that?”
“What?”
“Pretend to be this injured guy whose kid I’m keeping from you.” He didn’t respond. “The only thing that ever came between you and your daughter was your own black heart and your string of bimbos.”
“I don’t date bimbos,” he countered, leaning back onto the wall and propping a boot against it.
“No.” She snorted. “You don’t ‘date’ anyone. That would be too chivalrous.”
There was nothing more grounding than the barn. The smells of hay and wood shavings and horse; the soft sounds of shifting hooves and swishing tails, the deep-throated whickers in response to the feed hitting the buckets. Amid the rising pockets of mist, dew on her boots, sunlight the hazy, pale stuff of just-after-dawn, Jade found peace every morning in the steadiness of routine and the brown eyes of their horses.
What I liked most about this story was the authentic feel. The hero is not a shiny billionaire sycophant who resolves every little inconvenience by shoving an excessive amount of money up everyone's asses. Ben, the hero, an unapologetically flawed human being, a very good and extremely dedicated detective and an allegedly "not-so-doting" dad was relatable to me, both mentally and physically. I could understand and grasp his thought process. Ben's actions in general and Jade and Ben's "relationship status" in particular felt real to me. Granted, when you know what happened about six years ago, then you have a hard time liking Ben at first. Tall, Dark and Loathsome suits his personality to a T. There is no need to sugarcoat anything because he was an asshole. Yet the author managed quite skillfully to transform him into Tall, Dark and Likable over the course of time when Ben redeemed himself.
When he did this, when he pretended for a little while that he belonged with them, he laid awake staring at the ceiling afterward. He doubted himself. He drank too much. He missed. The missing was
hell. No one had ever told him that if he let go of his family, he’d miss them. And when he missed, he wondered why the hell he’d let go in the first place. That was worse than keeping his distance; that was the worst thing of all.
In my book, the great thing about Ben is, that he really owned up to the shit he did. He didn't need or want to look for any lame excuses. He knew that he was wrong. He knew that he hurt his two girls and he did man up and he did right by them eventually. This, however, did not happen within a blink of an eye. I really liked how the author told the story, how everything unfolded in front of my eyes. There was no jumping each other's bones up until halfway through the story. And while the few smexy bits were not extremely explicit, they were still hot and well-written.
He rolled again, so he was suspended above her. “It’s after three, and you have to be up in a couple hours,” he reminded. The comment rattled some of her seriousness, as he’d hoped. She lifted arched brows. “Are you trying to beg off on sex?” “Never. Just don’t blame me when you’re tired tomorrow.”
She grinned. “Wouldn’t dream of it."
All the resentment and hurt were palpable and if looks could kill…well, Jeremy, Jade's gay best friend, sure did his best to show Ben his open hostility. This being said, Ben did not let anyone or anything deter him from his chosen path. Because Ben did care very much, after all. It's just a fact that finding a dead girl close to the home of your ex-girlfriend and mother of your daughter can put everything into perspective.
I liked Jade. She's a strong woman, though not afraid to show her vulnerable side. She's the born rider. Her love and dedication for those gorgeous animals was wonderfully portrayed. Unfortunately, she did have one TSTL moment. On the one hand, I did understand her motive for doing it but on the other hand, it was too rash and dumb. One thing was obvious and palpable. Jade and Ben formed a very dynamic couple.
What did not work for me
There are a fuckton of semi-colons in Whatever Remains (and quite a generous amount of colons too). A good reader friend who's working as an editor told me recently that semi-colons and colons seem to be a new trend. It's actually a trend I don't appreciate. I know I'm nit-picking, but semi-colons annoy me greatly. It's distracting because when I get irritated it's harder to focus on the story. What bugged me as well were the twitching smiles, i.e.
She twitched a half-smile.
Ben twitched a smile.
Ben twitched a non-smile.
Trey twitched a grin.
He twitched a humorless smile and…
Jeremy twitched a half-smile.
etc.
42 x twitch, twitched, twitching
The term twitch was used to the point of repetitiveness. When it wasn't a twitching smile, grin or non-smile, then it was a twitching brow, a twitching mouth, cheek or fingers.
And, please, what the heck is a non-smile?
…she said with a sympathetic non-smile.
Either you're smiling or you are not. But a non-smile completely eludes me.
Ben is a smart and good detective, so I was actually a little bit surprised that he didn't get the very broad hint at location #XXXX. Honestly, when it came to the villain, I was already suspicious before but that "tip" sealed the deal for me. In any event, my being aware of who the murderer was did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the story.
“She called you,” Jeremy said in a grave voice. “I was three hundred feet up the drive and I’ve got an elephant gun.” His brows twitched. “But she called you. Figure it out already.”
Bottom line
Whatever Remains is a very well-written and engaging story. Its characters depict authentic struggles. They grow and set the wrong right eventually. Add in some good and tangible chemistry, a beautiful setting that felt all the more atmospheric due to the author's very credible portrayal of the horses, barn and riding skills and I can assure you, I was a bloody happy reader. Whatever Remains left me, except of a few quibbles, wholly satisfied.
Recommended read.
P.S.
Dear Lauren,
I truly hope that you will branch out and write Jeremy's story because I want to see him fall in love with a great man. Maybe you could pair him up with another horse lover?
September 15, 2021
(2.25 - 2.5)
truly exquisite A+ writing (i’ll def check more of this author’s books), but the doormat heroine & the dick H however, was another story. Jeremy deserves better
ps. PLS DONT HATE ME @MAI. promise i’ll go rn and finish fearless (or try to at least coz have u seen the page count)
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
the plot : Jade (h) and ben (H) were dating and being all lovey dovey until he finds out she was pregnant. then the usual happens, he accused her of trapping him and abandoned them. 5/4 years later a murder happened in Jade’s farm, and ben (he irritates me so much i wont grace him the capital b for his name) was the lead detective for the case. By that point, their kid, Clara was almost 5yo and Jade lived w/ Jeremy (her best friend who left everything and moved in w/ her to help take care of Clara), and her mother
now my problem :
not saying Jade was weak, but she is when it comes to ben. IMO she really shouldve given ben more hell for casting her off when he finds out she was pregnant, abandoning them, being a shit father who’s never around to Clara, an absolute jerk in general, and slept his way around bimbos for years after he finds out she was pregnant (and the heroine knowing).
she took him back (way way way too fucking) easily the second he comes around. its just weird how she was angry at him one sec and the next she accepted him to her bed. she be forgetting every faults he has and be all pathetic lovey dovey shit, the way she kept ignoring Jeremy’s warnings infuriates the hell outta me. for years he never man up and after a murder happened in her area he decided he loved her all along and wants to be a part of her fam?
hell to the fuck no i dont buy his bull
”And you’re here, because…?”
“I called him,” Jade said, before Ben could launch into him. “I was down at the barn and I heard a noise; I got scared and freaked out and called him.”
“Him?” Jeremy said, appalled. “I was right here! Why didn’t you call me?”
“I didn’t want to bother you – ”
“Oh, so now he gets to bother us?”
“Shut your – ” Ben started, and Jade cut him off.
“Remy,” she said, voice tight, “just stop, okay? I don’t have the energy for this.”
she be that one friend that kept going back to her toxic ex no matter how many times her friends (me and my bitches felt Jeremy so bad) warned her
”What do you want me to say? I’m a jerk; you’re a stand-up guy? Is that it”
Jeremy’s smile was humorless. “Why is everything definite with you?”
“I dunno. Why do you have to ask me stupid questions?”
“You,” Jeremy went on, “look at it only one way. You think Jade tried to get pregnant; when you realized that wasn’t true, you couldn’t step back and apologize and get your shit straight about it. You kept treating her like shit. You decided you guys couldn’t work, and you’ve tried as hard as you could to make sure you don’t.”
“I – ”
“Let me finish. You think – thought – Jade was a shallow kid with stars in her eyes. You know that’s not true now, but you won’t let yourself think different. Jade’s young and dumb. But you can’t even begin to figure her out. I’m gay, but you’re standing here wondering why I don’t have a closet full of drag getups instead of guns.”
Ben ground his teeth and said nothing.
“The only cliché in your life, Ben, is you. You’re an asshole cop, right down to the shoes and cheap shirts. When the rest of us don’t file away somewhere in your mental Rolodex, you lose it. I don’t dislike you because I’m Jade’s bitchy friend. I dislike you because you’re too stupid to understand that you’re throwing away what’s left of your life because you’re afraid you might have been wrong all this time about your girls. And when you’re eighty, and Jade’s married and it’s too late, you’ll wish things were different. I just can’t forgive that kind of idiocy,” he said with a stuffy little sniff, and leaned in to lock his elephant gun away again. The safe shut with a solid thud and a click of the pins sliding in place. The clothes rattled back into place on their hangers, shirtsleeves swinging. “Now.” Jeremy pulled the closet doors shut, shooing Ben out of the way. “I’m going back to bed.”
Jeremy, darlin, leave that hoe and be my friend 🥺🥺
i dunno why this bothers me so much. it might be coz of my current shit mood that made me hated this otherwise a great gem of a book but i dunno. he was just such an ass and i thought jade was so dumb coz she kept falling for his trap. reading about them gave me a headache, hence why i dnf this @ 65%
truly exquisite A+ writing (i’ll def check more of this author’s books), but the doormat heroine & the dick H however, was another story. Jeremy deserves better
ps. PLS DONT HATE ME @MAI. promise i’ll go rn and finish fearless (or try to at least coz have u seen the page count)
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
the plot : Jade (h) and ben (H) were dating and being all lovey dovey until he finds out she was pregnant. then the usual happens, he accused her of trapping him and abandoned them. 5/4 years later a murder happened in Jade’s farm, and ben (he irritates me so much i wont grace him the capital b for his name) was the lead detective for the case. By that point, their kid, Clara was almost 5yo and Jade lived w/ Jeremy (her best friend who left everything and moved in w/ her to help take care of Clara), and her mother
now my problem :
not saying Jade was weak, but she is when it comes to ben. IMO she really shouldve given ben more hell for casting her off when he finds out she was pregnant, abandoning them, being a shit father who’s never around to Clara, an absolute jerk in general, and slept his way around bimbos for years after he finds out she was pregnant (and the heroine knowing).
she took him back (way way way too fucking) easily the second he comes around. its just weird how she was angry at him one sec and the next she accepted him to her bed. she be forgetting every faults he has and be all pathetic lovey dovey shit, the way she kept ignoring Jeremy’s warnings infuriates the hell outta me. for years he never man up and after a murder happened in her area he decided he loved her all along and wants to be a part of her fam?
hell to the fuck no i dont buy his bull
”And you’re here, because…?”
“I called him,” Jade said, before Ben could launch into him. “I was down at the barn and I heard a noise; I got scared and freaked out and called him.”
“Him?” Jeremy said, appalled. “I was right here! Why didn’t you call me?”
“I didn’t want to bother you – ”
“Oh, so now he gets to bother us?”
“Shut your – ” Ben started, and Jade cut him off.
“Remy,” she said, voice tight, “just stop, okay? I don’t have the energy for this.”
she be that one friend that kept going back to her toxic ex no matter how many times her friends (me and my bitches felt Jeremy so bad) warned her
”What do you want me to say? I’m a jerk; you’re a stand-up guy? Is that it”
Jeremy’s smile was humorless. “Why is everything definite with you?”
“I dunno. Why do you have to ask me stupid questions?”
“You,” Jeremy went on, “look at it only one way. You think Jade tried to get pregnant; when you realized that wasn’t true, you couldn’t step back and apologize and get your shit straight about it. You kept treating her like shit. You decided you guys couldn’t work, and you’ve tried as hard as you could to make sure you don’t.”
“I – ”
“Let me finish. You think – thought – Jade was a shallow kid with stars in her eyes. You know that’s not true now, but you won’t let yourself think different. Jade’s young and dumb. But you can’t even begin to figure her out. I’m gay, but you’re standing here wondering why I don’t have a closet full of drag getups instead of guns.”
Ben ground his teeth and said nothing.
“The only cliché in your life, Ben, is you. You’re an asshole cop, right down to the shoes and cheap shirts. When the rest of us don’t file away somewhere in your mental Rolodex, you lose it. I don’t dislike you because I’m Jade’s bitchy friend. I dislike you because you’re too stupid to understand that you’re throwing away what’s left of your life because you’re afraid you might have been wrong all this time about your girls. And when you’re eighty, and Jade’s married and it’s too late, you’ll wish things were different. I just can’t forgive that kind of idiocy,” he said with a stuffy little sniff, and leaned in to lock his elephant gun away again. The safe shut with a solid thud and a click of the pins sliding in place. The clothes rattled back into place on their hangers, shirtsleeves swinging. “Now.” Jeremy pulled the closet doors shut, shooing Ben out of the way. “I’m going back to bed.”
Jeremy, darlin, leave that hoe and be my friend 🥺🥺
i dunno why this bothers me so much. it might be coz of my current shit mood that made me hated this otherwise a great gem of a book but i dunno. he was just such an ass and i thought jade was so dumb coz she kept falling for his trap. reading about them gave me a headache, hence why i dnf this @ 65%
May 5, 2016
4.5 STARS.
I really enjoyed this one. Older hero... in his 40s. Still younger than me. Why don't more authors write about older folks. Ya know, once we hit 50, we are not dead below the fecking waist!!
Ben! Wanted to kick you in the ass a few times. Christ almighty. Emotionally detached. Not willing to take the plunge and live his life as he should.
I just felt I was there, living their story. I loved her writing. The characters are not perfect. The secondary characters were great too.
I will definitely be checking out more by this author.
I really enjoyed this one. Older hero... in his 40s. Still younger than me. Why don't more authors write about older folks. Ya know, once we hit 50, we are not dead below the fecking waist!!
What do you do when your murder victim is found in your ex-girlfriend’s riding arena? For homicide detective Ben Haley, the answer is automatic: take the case. He’s spent the past five years dodging her phone calls and keeping his kid at arm’s length, but when Jade finds a body on her farm, Ben rushes to the scene.
Ben! Wanted to kick you in the ass a few times. Christ almighty. Emotionally detached. Not willing to take the plunge and live his life as he should.
“It was hesitant at first, gentle. His fingers held tight at the base of her skull and she could feel the restraint in him, the leashed energy vibrating in the space between their bodies. He needed to shave and the stubble on his chin was prickly against hers. He smelled like he always had – aftershave, Calvin Klein cologne he bought at the grocery store, and something wild and frightening, like smoke; something that was unmistakably Ben to her – and it assaulted her brain, turning keys in padlocks and laying bare her self-control.”
I just felt I was there, living their story. I loved her writing. The characters are not perfect. The secondary characters were great too.
“Ben tasted like wine; felt animal beneath her hands; chased away the shadows until her room was only darkness, only them, nothing wicked.”
“They’d dueled in the lamplight of her kitchen that night, savaging each other with accusations that could never be recalled. Now, he couldn’t remember half of what they’d said, only the colors and lights and seething tide of fear all around them. He could still taste the acrid burn of unfairness.”
I will definitely be checking out more by this author.
She turned to look at him, to trace the familiar hard lines of his face with her eyes. She'd long since stopped hoping for words of commitment; "I'm here" sounded almost as sweet as "I love you."
April 1, 2016
★LITERARY HEAVEN★
Where to even begin ... I am sure you are no stranger to my fangirling over Lauren Gilley's work. Well, get ready 'cause more fangirling is coming right up ...
While reading Lauren's latest WIP 'Tastes Like Candy' and being over the moon about the age difference between the main characters, a fellow reader suggested I pick up 'Whatever Remains'. "Brooding alpha cop, age gap, very sweet but strong heroine ... You're going to love it' she said. LOVE IT?? How about I am now OBSESSED with this book!!! It truly IS everything. I am in LITERARY HEAVEN [if there is such a thing]! I am talking from the very first two paragraphs of the very first chapter ... BOOM!! Head over heels in love!
I often use words as simple as 'magical' to describe Lauren's writing, hoping the description does it justice because, while reading her novels, everything else around me ceases to exist. I feel like I am magically transported to whatever town her next story takes place in and I am along for the ride with some of THE most amazing characters I've ever had a pleasure of 'meeting'.
This particular story though ... I can't even tell you the amount of love I feel for it and I am only 50% in!
The way it's written.
The [very well developed] plot/realistic settings.
The age gap (HELLO!).
One of the most adorable child characters.
The brooding male lead (I mean, WHO can resist one of those???).
And, of course, an amazing female lead.
Yes, I LOVE it so much I had to stop half way through to write this review. Everyone who appreciates quality writing should read this author. EVERYONE!!!
ETA: I am done and there isn't much to add really to what I said above. This book exceeded every expectation and then some. Simply perfect, as one would expect from this SUPER talented author! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!
Where to even begin ... I am sure you are no stranger to my fangirling over Lauren Gilley's work. Well, get ready 'cause more fangirling is coming right up ...
While reading Lauren's latest WIP 'Tastes Like Candy' and being over the moon about the age difference between the main characters, a fellow reader suggested I pick up 'Whatever Remains'. "Brooding alpha cop, age gap, very sweet but strong heroine ... You're going to love it' she said. LOVE IT?? How about I am now OBSESSED with this book!!! It truly IS everything. I am in LITERARY HEAVEN [if there is such a thing]! I am talking from the very first two paragraphs of the very first chapter ... BOOM!! Head over heels in love!
I often use words as simple as 'magical' to describe Lauren's writing, hoping the description does it justice because, while reading her novels, everything else around me ceases to exist. I feel like I am magically transported to whatever town her next story takes place in and I am along for the ride with some of THE most amazing characters I've ever had a pleasure of 'meeting'.
This particular story though ... I can't even tell you the amount of love I feel for it and I am only 50% in!
The way it's written.
The [very well developed] plot/realistic settings.
The age gap (HELLO!).
One of the most adorable child characters.
The brooding male lead (I mean, WHO can resist one of those???).
And, of course, an amazing female lead.
Yes, I LOVE it so much I had to stop half way through to write this review. Everyone who appreciates quality writing should read this author. EVERYONE!!!
ETA: I am done and there isn't much to add really to what I said above. This book exceeded every expectation and then some. Simply perfect, as one would expect from this SUPER talented author! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!
September 12, 2020
Re-read Sept 2020 because sometimes only a LG book will do. And it needs to be said, Ben is even more of an arsehole than he was the first time round, and I still love him just as much. There, I said it, I so can love a total arsehole!
I don't even know what to say, this was just that good. Lauren Gilley has such a way with weaving a story that sucks me in from word one. She's that good that I feel as if I'm there in the thick of the story, experiencing what the characters are experiencing, feeling what they're feeling. She does it to perfection. The plot and characters are so multi layered, and I never know what she's going to throw at me next. That's what I LOVE about her writing.
This was heavy on the suspense but the romance was there, though it really was bloody hard fought for. That made it all the more special when I got to see Ben's tender side. I loved watching and waiting for him to realise he had it all, he just had to reach out and grab hold.
Jade's an exceptional heroine, she's a great mum, an amazing friend, resilient and tenacious - just what Ben needed. She never gave up on him, even though he really pushed her.
Thank god I've got a couple more series of hers to read because this one has left me in one hella book hangover!
One of my best reads of 2017, and the second on that list by LG.
I don't even know what to say, this was just that good. Lauren Gilley has such a way with weaving a story that sucks me in from word one. She's that good that I feel as if I'm there in the thick of the story, experiencing what the characters are experiencing, feeling what they're feeling. She does it to perfection. The plot and characters are so multi layered, and I never know what she's going to throw at me next. That's what I LOVE about her writing.
This was heavy on the suspense but the romance was there, though it really was bloody hard fought for. That made it all the more special when I got to see Ben's tender side. I loved watching and waiting for him to realise he had it all, he just had to reach out and grab hold.
Jade's an exceptional heroine, she's a great mum, an amazing friend, resilient and tenacious - just what Ben needed. She never gave up on him, even though he really pushed her.
Thank god I've got a couple more series of hers to read because this one has left me in one hella book hangover!
One of my best reads of 2017, and the second on that list by LG.
![Profile Image for Michelle [Helen Geek].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1448463806i%2F5557851._CR0%2C13%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
July 26, 2018
11/20/2016 -- a re-read 5 Stars again
++++++++++++++++++++++++
09/27/2015 --
I love Lauren Gilley's books. Why? It's like she's writing just for me.
o I love a story with well developed characters. I like the details that tell me who they are and how they act and think.
o I like a well developed, logical plot. Built with wonderful characters in realistic settings.
o Because I like the details to build my imagination in a story, I like a book with some length. I rarely read a book with fewer than 200 pages. I'm usually disappointed when I do. I like to live with these characters and the story for a bit of time. I hate new starts.
Lauren Gilley gives me all the things I like. She is an Indie author who writes with such polish -- you'll rarely read something that makes no sense or find misspellings. Not sure who does her editing, but they do a very nice job.
This book, this Walker Family series, is one of my favorites. I've plowed through close to a dozen of her books in the last few weeks. If you want to read something by her, this is a nice place to start.
So, what stands out for me with this one?
1 -- For me, it usually is the characters that suck me in first. This is the case here. Ben is a shit. He is a good looking man, but has those hard edges. Nothing smooth about him, but we like him and understand him almost immediately. Jade is a woman who doesn't seem to care about his hard edges. She is trying to raise her daughter and build her business and is working through the diamond edges of Ben to give her daughter a father. She just hopes Ben can be what her daughter needs. Clara is only five but she is starting to feel some of the rejection coming off her father. Little does she know it isn't because he doesn't care, it's because he cares so much. We get all this in a few early chapters. Sucked in.
2 -- I don't read suspense often. I love it, but it usually takes thought and I rarely have two thoughts to give anything else in my life. One thing that is just so easy about Lauren's writing is that she presents a wonderful story easily. No work required by the reader. It is all nicely laid out. The characters are detailed enough so you know clearly, who they are, how they feel and think, and what made them that way. Likewise, the story is that easy too. Not simple, but easy.
3 -- Clara. I love when I get kids or dogs or other animals in a story. Clara is a sweet little girl and adds to the story and the development of both Ben and Jade. Likewise, you also get a working horse training center. If you read LG's bio, you'll see she is a horse lover and has interest in Dressage. You get a bit of that here. My family has been heavily into horses too .. Reining horses and Cutting horses, so the details she gives us in this area are accurate and interesting. Not too much, but enough to add to the story.
4 -- I love that she's an Indie author. Why? Because she doesn't give us any kind of truncated story so she can make the some publishers required page count. I hate that. I read TONS of books and can see that stuff a mile a way. You are clicking along with a story and all of a sudden you jump ahead 4 months or you get a summarized version of something and you feel shortchanged. You won't find that with any Lauren Gilley book I've read. I hope she can stay out of the clutches of a publisher. Maybe that's a dream she has, but I'm not convinced it is a good thing.
5 -- I'd pay $10 for a book she writes. I don't have to, but would. She is that good. This book was about $3. Well worth the money.
6 -- This books stands alone easily. You see a few characters that are in others in this series, but it definitely isn't necessary to read them all, first. I think, if you read this one, you'll want to read more, just like I did. I feel like I've been chomping through her books as fast as I can and hate I'm reaching the end of the back-list :( I like that I don't have to, but made me WANT to.
A few things to note that aren't outstanding:
1 -- The cover doesn't do much for me.
2 -- Some of her transitions between characters and/or settings as the story developed may not be smooth. Not distracting, but noticeable.
3 -- A few minor spelling issues.
I rarely take the time to write a detailed review anymore. I put this stuff together in about 10 minutes, but I don't always have even 10 minutes. I did it this time because I really love this author. She is on my auto-buy list. I'll buy anything she writes at any price. I wanted to tell others about her so they can find the joy of her writing. Hopefully you give her a shot.
Happy Reading!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Overall Rating = 5 Stars [more if I could!]
Book Cover / Book Blurb / Book Title = 2 / 3 / 5 = 3.5 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 10 Stars
Character / Secondary Character Development = 5 / 5 = 5 Stars
“Did I like” Hero / Heroine = 5 / 5 = 5 Stars
Story / Background Story Development = 5 / 5 = 5 Stars
“Did I like the Damned Thing” = 10 Stars
Ending = 5 Stars
Worth the Chili = 5 Stars -- [$2.99 on Amazon]
Smexy [HEAT] Rating = Mild to Steamy
344 pages
First sentence: A night. It felt like the first cool fingers of October; tasted like the last strawberry bite of July; fell somewhere in the middle with a smell like burning leaves.
Last sentence: He stood and put a hand on the top of the door as she complied. "Let's go home."
Quote: He sighed again, guilt twisting in his gut. "Alicia isn't a 'person', baby. You can't put her into the equation of the world. She's and outlier; what she did doesn't even begin to fall into the realm of 'family.'"
++++++++++++++++++++++++
09/27/2015 --
I love Lauren Gilley's books. Why? It's like she's writing just for me.
o I love a story with well developed characters. I like the details that tell me who they are and how they act and think.
o I like a well developed, logical plot. Built with wonderful characters in realistic settings.
o Because I like the details to build my imagination in a story, I like a book with some length. I rarely read a book with fewer than 200 pages. I'm usually disappointed when I do. I like to live with these characters and the story for a bit of time. I hate new starts.
Lauren Gilley gives me all the things I like. She is an Indie author who writes with such polish -- you'll rarely read something that makes no sense or find misspellings. Not sure who does her editing, but they do a very nice job.
This book, this Walker Family series, is one of my favorites. I've plowed through close to a dozen of her books in the last few weeks. If you want to read something by her, this is a nice place to start.
So, what stands out for me with this one?
1 -- For me, it usually is the characters that suck me in first. This is the case here. Ben is a shit. He is a good looking man, but has those hard edges. Nothing smooth about him, but we like him and understand him almost immediately. Jade is a woman who doesn't seem to care about his hard edges. She is trying to raise her daughter and build her business and is working through the diamond edges of Ben to give her daughter a father. She just hopes Ben can be what her daughter needs. Clara is only five but she is starting to feel some of the rejection coming off her father. Little does she know it isn't because he doesn't care, it's because he cares so much. We get all this in a few early chapters. Sucked in.
2 -- I don't read suspense often. I love it, but it usually takes thought and I rarely have two thoughts to give anything else in my life. One thing that is just so easy about Lauren's writing is that she presents a wonderful story easily. No work required by the reader. It is all nicely laid out. The characters are detailed enough so you know clearly, who they are, how they feel and think, and what made them that way. Likewise, the story is that easy too. Not simple, but easy.
3 -- Clara. I love when I get kids or dogs or other animals in a story. Clara is a sweet little girl and adds to the story and the development of both Ben and Jade. Likewise, you also get a working horse training center. If you read LG's bio, you'll see she is a horse lover and has interest in Dressage. You get a bit of that here. My family has been heavily into horses too .. Reining horses and Cutting horses, so the details she gives us in this area are accurate and interesting. Not too much, but enough to add to the story.
4 -- I love that she's an Indie author. Why? Because she doesn't give us any kind of truncated story so she can make the some publishers required page count. I hate that. I read TONS of books and can see that stuff a mile a way. You are clicking along with a story and all of a sudden you jump ahead 4 months or you get a summarized version of something and you feel shortchanged. You won't find that with any Lauren Gilley book I've read. I hope she can stay out of the clutches of a publisher. Maybe that's a dream she has, but I'm not convinced it is a good thing.
5 -- I'd pay $10 for a book she writes. I don't have to, but would. She is that good. This book was about $3. Well worth the money.
6 -- This books stands alone easily. You see a few characters that are in others in this series, but it definitely isn't necessary to read them all, first. I think, if you read this one, you'll want to read more, just like I did. I feel like I've been chomping through her books as fast as I can and hate I'm reaching the end of the back-list :( I like that I don't have to, but made me WANT to.
A few things to note that aren't outstanding:
1 -- The cover doesn't do much for me.
2 -- Some of her transitions between characters and/or settings as the story developed may not be smooth. Not distracting, but noticeable.
3 -- A few minor spelling issues.
I rarely take the time to write a detailed review anymore. I put this stuff together in about 10 minutes, but I don't always have even 10 minutes. I did it this time because I really love this author. She is on my auto-buy list. I'll buy anything she writes at any price. I wanted to tell others about her so they can find the joy of her writing. Hopefully you give her a shot.
Happy Reading!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Overall Rating = 5 Stars [more if I could!]
Book Cover / Book Blurb / Book Title = 2 / 3 / 5 = 3.5 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 10 Stars
Character / Secondary Character Development = 5 / 5 = 5 Stars
“Did I like” Hero / Heroine = 5 / 5 = 5 Stars
Story / Background Story Development = 5 / 5 = 5 Stars
“Did I like the Damned Thing” = 10 Stars
Ending = 5 Stars
Worth the Chili = 5 Stars -- [$2.99 on Amazon]
Smexy [HEAT] Rating = Mild to Steamy
344 pages
First sentence: A night. It felt like the first cool fingers of October; tasted like the last strawberry bite of July; fell somewhere in the middle with a smell like burning leaves.
Last sentence: He stood and put a hand on the top of the door as she complied. "Let's go home."
Quote: He sighed again, guilt twisting in his gut. "Alicia isn't a 'person', baby. You can't put her into the equation of the world. She's and outlier; what she did doesn't even begin to fall into the realm of 'family.'"
May 21, 2016
So I really enjoyed this one and I liked it because it was different. The Hero Ben is a detective and he is so different from your typical Alpha and I kind of hated him in the beginning for what he put the Heroine Jade through.
When something unthinkable happens on Jades land it starts to make Ben understand what is important. We are taken on a journey to figure out the horrible crime and along the way there is a lovely love story of second chances.
I very rarely see my name in a book so I got a little school girl excited about that although I would have liked it to be linked with someone else. :)
When something unthinkable happens on Jades land it starts to make Ben understand what is important. We are taken on a journey to figure out the horrible crime and along the way there is a lovely love story of second chances.
I very rarely see my name in a book so I got a little school girl excited about that although I would have liked it to be linked with someone else. :)
May 23, 2016
Another new author. Another great read!
I don't have time for a proper review but I am here to tell you that Whatever Remains was a wonderful book!!! I loved her writing, the characters, the setting and the kind of angst that an older couple brings to a story.
❤'d Ben
❤'d Jade
❤'d Clara
I look forward to reading more from Lauren Gilley.
December 25, 2017
★ 4,5 stars!!! ★
Eu simplesmente adorei esse livro!
Escrita maravilhosa, com personagens bem construídos e um suspense que não me deixou abandonar a leitura!!
Adoreiiii tudo! <3
Super indico! ❤️❤️
Eu simplesmente adorei esse livro!
Escrita maravilhosa, com personagens bem construídos e um suspense que não me deixou abandonar a leitura!!
Adoreiiii tudo! <3
Super indico! ❤️❤️
December 26, 2017
4.5 Stars
I’m so happy to finally have popped my Lauren Gilley cherry! Whatever Remains was incredible. Talk about a thrilling, intense and emotional story. I was so invested in this story and also with Jade, Ben and Jeremy. Damn how I loved these complicated and well developed characters. Especially Ben was a puzzle I needed to solve and his walls slowly crumbled when his ex Jade and their daughter Clara was thrown into his current murder investigation.
Ben’s self sabotaging was beautifully depicted and his road back to his girls made me emotional numerous times. Jade is a strong and independent woman. Her love for her daughter Clara was her everything and her friend Jeremy was her family.
The murder storyline was intriguing as hell and I had my suspicions but Gilley was clever with her twists and turns along the way which kept me guessing. The ending was perfect.
All I can say is that I’m definitely adding more Gilley book to my TBR list.
4.5 BadAssDirtyCaptivatingStars
I’m so happy to finally have popped my Lauren Gilley cherry! Whatever Remains was incredible. Talk about a thrilling, intense and emotional story. I was so invested in this story and also with Jade, Ben and Jeremy. Damn how I loved these complicated and well developed characters. Especially Ben was a puzzle I needed to solve and his walls slowly crumbled when his ex Jade and their daughter Clara was thrown into his current murder investigation.
Ben’s self sabotaging was beautifully depicted and his road back to his girls made me emotional numerous times. Jade is a strong and independent woman. Her love for her daughter Clara was her everything and her friend Jeremy was her family.
The murder storyline was intriguing as hell and I had my suspicions but Gilley was clever with her twists and turns along the way which kept me guessing. The ending was perfect.
All I can say is that I’m definitely adding more Gilley book to my TBR list.
4.5 BadAssDirtyCaptivatingStars
October 2, 2023
5 "I'm here." Stars
I absolutely loved Whatever Remains by Lauren Gilley. An engaging, brilliantly written murder-mystery, second chance romance story. Every character in the book was so good especially Ben and Jade, hero and heroine.
August 2020 - loved it all over again.
I absolutely loved Whatever Remains by Lauren Gilley. An engaging, brilliantly written murder-mystery, second chance romance story. Every character in the book was so good especially Ben and Jade, hero and heroine.
August 2020 - loved it all over again.
February 3, 2018
I'm rattled to the core.
....this book...
....and it broke the curse of my recent "mediocre" reads.
Look, I love Ms. Gilley. I adore her writing style. She was one of my favorite (new for me) authors last year. I guess she's in my top 3 authors judging by her paperbacks I own. But this book was nothing like the ones I've read by her. I have to give Ms. Gilley major props to be such a versatile author. If it weren't for the horses I would say there are two authors named Lauren Gilley. LOL She's that brilliant.
I'm obvs having a major crush on this author so you should take this review with the grain of salt. Or not.
This book has 3 triggers, IMO. Child's murder, the hero is rejecting the h's love and their child for five years (push&pull) and she always takes him back without any objections. Horrible, right?
The crime contributed to the awesome suspense, mystery and thriller. And mindf*ck. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I'm not sure I'm going to sleep tonight.
Even though the H is a major dick, emotionally detached, I could feel the love he had for his girls. I couldn't hate him. No OW drama whatsoever helped and I loved his fierce protectiveness and his natural alpha instinct. For a detective he came off intelligent, competent and with a full vocabulary w/o grunting syllables.
How did Ms. Gilley worked her magic and not make the h weak and TSTL is beyond me. I loved her. I thought she was brave, strong and caring.
What I loved the most about this book is the characters development, even the support characters are deep. A crime, second chance romance and a page turner for sure.
Babe, no need to bite nails. It was
October 6, 2015
What a wonderful surprise this romantic suspense by a new-to-me author turned out to be! Jam-packed with romantic tension, deception and suspense, included in plot twists that are sure to chill and thrill. There’s a good dose of romance with an older man/younger woman scenario in a second chance at love trope that is beautifully well-written. The author’s on point writing style exposes each character’s emotions and the atmosphere surrounding the story comes alive on each page. This is one of the best romantic suspense tales I've read in a long time.
March 13, 2019
First things first Lauren Gilley's writingis da bomb...
AWESOME
SPLENDID
RHAPSODIC
REVELATORY
She is that amazing!!! I haven't read a book by her that I didn't at least liked...
Everybody should read Lauren's books...
So we have over 40 hero, great heroine, loyal family, sweet kid, some familiar side characters, murder mystery, horses... What is not to like?!
READ THE BOOK!!!
AWESOME
SPLENDID
RHAPSODIC
REVELATORY
She is that amazing!!! I haven't read a book by her that I didn't at least liked...
Everybody should read Lauren's books...
So we have over 40 hero, great heroine, loyal family, sweet kid, some familiar side characters, murder mystery, horses... What is not to like?!
READ THE BOOK!!!
June 8, 2021
4.5 stars! ⭐
“You can’t love anything properly from a distance.”
There is nothing for me to say, other than I loved this book, and I might have found a new book boyfriend. I had high expectations going into this book, and it still managed to blow me away. I've read many romantic suspense novels, but Whatever Remains tops all of them. This was extremely character-driven, and I enjoyed every second of it.
What do you do when your murder victim is found in your ex-girlfriend’s riding arena? For homicide detective Ben Haley, the answer is automatic: take the case. He’s spent the past five years dodging her phone calls and keeping his kid at arm’s length, but when Jade finds a body on her farm, Ben rushes to the scene.
“I was afraid,” she said, “and I wanted to hear your voice.”
I loved how the author portrayed the relationship between the two main characters. It was clear from the start that they were meant to be together. They had an awesome chemistry, and I loved reading their banter. Even though they weren't together, they still harboured feelings for the other person. It was fun watching them deny their feelings for each other, and ultimately accepting the truth that they never stopped loving the other person.
Ben. What can I say about him? He was such a fool. He had everything, his two girls loved him so much still he pushed them away because of his own hang ups. One thing I loved about Ben so much, was even though his job was the most important thing in his life he didn't hesitate even for a fraction of a second before lying to his boss, so he could stay close to his family and protect them. That he could potentially loose the position he had worked so hard to achieve, never crossed his mind.
“She'd put her teeth in his heart, long ago, and he'd left the print there, evidence that he wanted her love. That he returned it.”
It was clear from the start that he never stopped loving Jade and Clara, even though he had a shitty way of showing his love. Simply put, Ben was an asshole and a very flawed human being. But, the author did an incredible job redeeming his character. You can't help but fall in love with him as the story progresses. Also, I've a thing for assholes, so it's kind of obvious I'll fall in love with him.
“God,” she sighed. “Can you not do that?”
“What?”
“Pretend to be this injured guy whose kid I’m keeping from you.” He didn’t respond. “The only thing that ever came between you and your daughter was your own black heart and your string of bimbos.”
“I don’t date bimbos,” he countered, leaning back onto the wall and propping a boot against it.
“No.” She snorted. “You don’t ‘date’ anyone. That would be too chivalrous.”
Jade was a very strong character. She never held back, and she gave as good as she got. I loved how she stood for herself and her daughter in front of Ben. There were a few minor things I didn't like about her, for example between Jeremy, her best friend and Ben, she always chose Ben. Don't get me wrong, I love Ben, but as I've said before Ben was an ass. It was Jeremy who was with Jade when Clara was born, and it was him who left his life in Florida and moved in with her to help to raise Clara. Not Ben. So yes, I felt bad for Jeremy. He was one of the characters I loved deeply, and seeing him being pushed aside didn't help matters.
About the suspense. I was probably in the 40 or 50% mark, when it became obvious to me who the murderer was. Still, when the culprit was revealed I was biting my nails in excitement that my prediction came true.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend this to everyone. There were a few minor things I didn't like, but that's okay. The writing was very powerful. Miss Gilley is a master storyteller, and she has written a very engaging story.
-------
"I know.” Her smile twitched, wry. “It’s taken me a while to figure out that love turns some men into shitheads every so often.” Her green eyes were too knowing. “Ben cares. Ben is freaking the hell out that a dead body turned up at you and Clara’s doorstep. That spells – ”
“Don’t say ‘love.’”
Jess almost smiled. “It’s Ben’s shriveled, mutant, parasitic brand of love. But it’s still love.”
“You can’t love anything properly from a distance.”
There is nothing for me to say, other than I loved this book, and I might have found a new book boyfriend. I had high expectations going into this book, and it still managed to blow me away. I've read many romantic suspense novels, but Whatever Remains tops all of them. This was extremely character-driven, and I enjoyed every second of it.
What do you do when your murder victim is found in your ex-girlfriend’s riding arena? For homicide detective Ben Haley, the answer is automatic: take the case. He’s spent the past five years dodging her phone calls and keeping his kid at arm’s length, but when Jade finds a body on her farm, Ben rushes to the scene.
“I was afraid,” she said, “and I wanted to hear your voice.”
I loved how the author portrayed the relationship between the two main characters. It was clear from the start that they were meant to be together. They had an awesome chemistry, and I loved reading their banter. Even though they weren't together, they still harboured feelings for the other person. It was fun watching them deny their feelings for each other, and ultimately accepting the truth that they never stopped loving the other person.
Ben. What can I say about him? He was such a fool. He had everything, his two girls loved him so much still he pushed them away because of his own hang ups. One thing I loved about Ben so much, was even though his job was the most important thing in his life he didn't hesitate even for a fraction of a second before lying to his boss, so he could stay close to his family and protect them. That he could potentially loose the position he had worked so hard to achieve, never crossed his mind.
“She'd put her teeth in his heart, long ago, and he'd left the print there, evidence that he wanted her love. That he returned it.”
It was clear from the start that he never stopped loving Jade and Clara, even though he had a shitty way of showing his love. Simply put, Ben was an asshole and a very flawed human being. But, the author did an incredible job redeeming his character. You can't help but fall in love with him as the story progresses. Also, I've a thing for assholes, so it's kind of obvious I'll fall in love with him.
“God,” she sighed. “Can you not do that?”
“What?”
“Pretend to be this injured guy whose kid I’m keeping from you.” He didn’t respond. “The only thing that ever came between you and your daughter was your own black heart and your string of bimbos.”
“I don’t date bimbos,” he countered, leaning back onto the wall and propping a boot against it.
“No.” She snorted. “You don’t ‘date’ anyone. That would be too chivalrous.”
Jade was a very strong character. She never held back, and she gave as good as she got. I loved how she stood for herself and her daughter in front of Ben. There were a few minor things I didn't like about her, for example between Jeremy, her best friend and Ben, she always chose Ben. Don't get me wrong, I love Ben, but as I've said before Ben was an ass. It was Jeremy who was with Jade when Clara was born, and it was him who left his life in Florida and moved in with her to help to raise Clara. Not Ben. So yes, I felt bad for Jeremy. He was one of the characters I loved deeply, and seeing him being pushed aside didn't help matters.
About the suspense. I was probably in the 40 or 50% mark, when it became obvious to me who the murderer was. Still, when the culprit was revealed I was biting my nails in excitement that my prediction came true.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend this to everyone. There were a few minor things I didn't like, but that's okay. The writing was very powerful. Miss Gilley is a master storyteller, and she has written a very engaging story.
-------
"I know.” Her smile twitched, wry. “It’s taken me a while to figure out that love turns some men into shitheads every so often.” Her green eyes were too knowing. “Ben cares. Ben is freaking the hell out that a dead body turned up at you and Clara’s doorstep. That spells – ”
“Don’t say ‘love.’”
Jess almost smiled. “It’s Ben’s shriveled, mutant, parasitic brand of love. But it’s still love.”
May 8, 2016
Well, the hero is absolutely asshole! Or dumbass like his mum said.
The heroine is very sweet, she make me frustrated sometimes but honestly how these two will end up together if she is not sweet enough because he just a total asshole, did I need to say it again? An asshole!!!! What can I say, he just like that, sigh.
The daughter? She is very cute and adorable.
“Daddy, you’re here again?” Clara asked, incredulous, as she appeared in the threshold."
He is 46yo while she is 'only' 28, for whatever reasons most the blame on him, good things is he took all that responsibility and in his way try to make it right.
The mistery is good and made me sad for the young victim:((
The heroine is very sweet, she make me frustrated sometimes but honestly how these two will end up together if she is not sweet enough because he just a total asshole, did I need to say it again? An asshole!!!! What can I say, he just like that, sigh.
The daughter? She is very cute and adorable.
“Daddy, you’re here again?” Clara asked, incredulous, as she appeared in the threshold."
He is 46yo while she is 'only' 28, for whatever reasons most the blame on him, good things is he took all that responsibility and in his way try to make it right.
The mistery is good and made me sad for the young victim:((
June 4, 2017
It took me 7 days to get through this book. The story was good (if occasionally overwrought), and I liked the realistic characterization; but the writing style drove me crazy. The overblown prose and run-on sentences became almost too much to force myself through. Things that could easily be stated in a few sentences would be dragged out for several paragraphs full of rambling and abstract minutiae. There were so many commas I couldn't remember where the sentence began, much less follow the train of the character's thought. Every thought or action became a long-winded journey with a thesaurus. This is just not for me.
At six - still a man of routine - he got up and without a minute’s sleep, shaved, washed his hair in the sink, dressed (in a suit this time), had a staring contest with the ham that he won, and headed for the precinct.
The place was busy with with traffic: uniforms moving in and out of the building, patrol cars jockeying, teenage delinquents being turned loose. Ben fielded waves and hellos and a nod or two and skipped the break room – it was overstuffed with unis after coffee – and went straight for his desk in the squad room. It was tidy: his computer and phone - dust free - a small stack of paperwork in his inbox, the corners of the files lined up with the edge of his desk, a brass plaque with his name, and the one personal item he allowed himself. The coffee mug that held his pens was white and sloppy - painted with flowers that looked like fireworks, just big bursts of overlapping colors. It had come from one of those paint-your-own-pottery places, glazed professionally, and on the bottom, handwritten by her mother in a thin line Sharpie, was Clara’s message: Happy Birthday, Daddy! And the date.
Thanks to his solve rate and his captain, Ben had a desk by the window; newborn, wan sunlight was filtering through the blinds now, falling in skinny shafts over his desks and Trey’s because the two were pushed face-to-face together. Trey, he noted, was already there, in last night’s clothes and unlaced sneakers, bags under his eyes. Ben figured he had bags too, but he’d at least pressed ice cubes over his.
Trey’s desk wasn't messy, but by contrast it looked like a landfill. There was too much paper, too many pens,too many Post-It's stuck to the edges of his computer monitor.
And on and on and on, all throughout the book...
At six - still a man of routine - he got up and without a minute’s sleep, shaved, washed his hair in the sink, dressed (in a suit this time), had a staring contest with the ham that he won, and headed for the precinct.
The place was busy with with traffic: uniforms moving in and out of the building, patrol cars jockeying, teenage delinquents being turned loose. Ben fielded waves and hellos and a nod or two and skipped the break room – it was overstuffed with unis after coffee – and went straight for his desk in the squad room. It was tidy: his computer and phone - dust free - a small stack of paperwork in his inbox, the corners of the files lined up with the edge of his desk, a brass plaque with his name, and the one personal item he allowed himself. The coffee mug that held his pens was white and sloppy - painted with flowers that looked like fireworks, just big bursts of overlapping colors. It had come from one of those paint-your-own-pottery places, glazed professionally, and on the bottom, handwritten by her mother in a thin line Sharpie, was Clara’s message: Happy Birthday, Daddy! And the date.
Thanks to his solve rate and his captain, Ben had a desk by the window; newborn, wan sunlight was filtering through the blinds now, falling in skinny shafts over his desks and Trey’s because the two were pushed face-to-face together. Trey, he noted, was already there, in last night’s clothes and unlaced sneakers, bags under his eyes. Ben figured he had bags too, but he’d at least pressed ice cubes over his.
Trey’s desk wasn't messy, but by contrast it looked like a landfill. There was too much paper, too many pens,too many Post-It's stuck to the edges of his computer monitor.
And on and on and on, all throughout the book...
October 1, 2015
Review soon. Thanks to Michelle for the rec. Just what I needed to get me out of my bk slump.
April 19, 2016
Wonderful surprise!
Lauren Gilley is master storyteller!!
December 23, 2017
4 Stars
The story was engaging, not boring but not what I was expected, especially with its stellar rating.
For a suspense/mystery, I'd say the villain wasn't the person I suspected. NOT because I was stupid enough not to see it, but because the subject was pretty obvious from the very start that I disregarded the idea.
Everybody knows that as for most suspense novel, the one who you thought did it, wasn't really the one. Who would've thought that it applies on this book.
So for everyone who's trying to guess who the villain is, look no further. It's right in front of your eyes. No need to guess.
I liked Jade with her strong character that always has a soft spot for Ben even after being continuously ignored.
Ben was a dedicated detective that loves his job. Despite not finding enough time to with his daughter, he did care for them.
“ – but I had to. I had to know I couldn’t let go.”
“And now you know?” she asked.
“I always knew. I just had to make sure.”
“It seemed so impossible, what with everything…but it was true. It was true the whole time.”
That was just lame IMO.
Even if the situation got his priorities straight, I'm not that convinced as I wanted some grovel for Pete's sake. Instead, I got nothing.
Overall, I enjoyed it but I didn't loved it.
The story was engaging, not boring but not what I was expected, especially with its stellar rating.
For a suspense/mystery, I'd say the villain wasn't the person I suspected. NOT because I was stupid enough not to see it, but because the subject was pretty obvious from the very start that I disregarded the idea.
Everybody knows that as for most suspense novel, the one who you thought did it, wasn't really the one. Who would've thought that it applies on this book.
So for everyone who's trying to guess who the villain is, look no further. It's right in front of your eyes. No need to guess.
I liked Jade with her strong character that always has a soft spot for Ben even after being continuously ignored.
Ben was a dedicated detective that loves his job. Despite not finding enough time to with his daughter, he did care for them.
“ – but I had to. I had to know I couldn’t let go.”
“And now you know?” she asked.
“I always knew. I just had to make sure.”
“It seemed so impossible, what with everything…but it was true. It was true the whole time.”
That was just lame IMO.
Even if the situation got his priorities straight, I'm not that convinced as I wanted some grovel for Pete's sake. Instead, I got nothing.
Overall, I enjoyed it but I didn't loved it.
December 2, 2019
This was a fantastic read, the romance aspect that is but the thriller part was a letdown. I kind of suspected who the perpetrator was early on, disappointed that such person was chosen to be the villain.. The murder motif was weak too.
Okay the romance part, absolutely great. We have a freaking strong heroine, Jade. Dumped by the hero[Ben]onced she told him that she was pregnant, she kept on going strong, raising their daughter with the support of her best friend, Jeremy and her mum. Jade wanted a two parents combo for her daughter but Ben was not a willing partner. He was a..... [there are no proper curse words to describe him] majority of the book. He was mostly absent from his daughter's life and when the murder took place in Jade's backyard, he had no choice but to take part in the investigation and gradually became more involved in his two girls. I was really happy that when they were meeting up frequently during the investigation, Ben didn't get hard and Jade didn't get wet. They took their time to trust, to let each other in, to solve the unsolved issues. Btw, the reason why Ben refused to commit to Jade was ridiculous + it happened like a dinosaur era ago. C'mon, you're 46 now and that pathetic thingy happened when you were 22[If I am not mistaken] loose the attitude and move on! When he finally pulled his head out of his butt, he was tolerable.
No OW/OM scenes, Jade was sort of dating but, nothing sexual happened. Nothing on Ben..he was busy being a/an something.
Okay the romance part, absolutely great. We have a freaking strong heroine, Jade. Dumped by the hero[Ben]onced she told him that she was pregnant, she kept on going strong, raising their daughter with the support of her best friend, Jeremy and her mum. Jade wanted a two parents combo for her daughter but Ben was not a willing partner. He was a..... [there are no proper curse words to describe him] majority of the book. He was mostly absent from his daughter's life and when the murder took place in Jade's backyard, he had no choice but to take part in the investigation and gradually became more involved in his two girls. I was really happy that when they were meeting up frequently during the investigation, Ben didn't get hard and Jade didn't get wet. They took their time to trust, to let each other in, to solve the unsolved issues. Btw, the reason why Ben refused to commit to Jade was ridiculous + it happened like a dinosaur era ago. C'mon, you're 46 now and that pathetic thingy happened when you were 22[If I am not mistaken] loose the attitude and move on! When he finally pulled his head out of his butt, he was tolerable.
No OW/OM scenes, Jade was sort of dating but, nothing sexual happened. Nothing on Ben..he was busy being a/an something.
December 25, 2017
5 stars
This was goooooooood! Full of suspense, second chances and angst galore.
This was goooooooood! Full of suspense, second chances and angst galore.
June 14, 2020
Lauren Gilley is an amazing writer, hands down one of the best I've ever read.
This book, however was shit. The writing a solid A+. Though the heroine was the worst I've ever read. If you like your h's extra doormatty than this book is for you.
The here, a 46 yr old man child, is a douche canoe of grade A proportions. I actually like the way he was written. I HATED the way the h responded to him. By the H own admission he was crazy about the h in their 3 month affair but of course was a dick when she said she was pregnant.
5 years later, the H has been screwing his way around sexy blondes, which the h knows about but STILL takes him back the second he comes around. Not to mention the dudes been a complete jerk and absentee father. A murder happens on her farm and boom H is there, realized he loved her all along but didnt think he would have been able to make her happy if theyd stayed together. CUE ridiculous romantic music and theyre back on.
The best friend was amazing, loyal, outspoken though the h LITERALLY CHOOSES the guy who abandoned her and their child over her best friend, who has stuck with her through everything, after a few days of sex with said guy, She literally says in the book, oh, its just you never stick around this long. WHAT DOES THIS TELL YOU? This chick was the absolute worst. A pathetic doormat who chooses a guy thats slept around, abandoned their daughter, treats her friends and family like crap over everyone else.
This book, however was shit. The writing a solid A+. Though the heroine was the worst I've ever read. If you like your h's extra doormatty than this book is for you.
The here, a 46 yr old man child, is a douche canoe of grade A proportions. I actually like the way he was written. I HATED the way the h responded to him. By the H own admission he was crazy about the h in their 3 month affair but of course was a dick when she said she was pregnant.
5 years later, the H has been screwing his way around sexy blondes, which the h knows about but STILL takes him back the second he comes around. Not to mention the dudes been a complete jerk and absentee father. A murder happens on her farm and boom H is there, realized he loved her all along but didnt think he would have been able to make her happy if theyd stayed together. CUE ridiculous romantic music and theyre back on.
The best friend was amazing, loyal, outspoken though the h LITERALLY CHOOSES the guy who abandoned her and their child over her best friend, who has stuck with her through everything, after a few days of sex with said guy, She literally says in the book, oh, its just you never stick around this long. WHAT DOES THIS TELL YOU? This chick was the absolute worst. A pathetic doormat who chooses a guy thats slept around, abandoned their daughter, treats her friends and family like crap over everyone else.
September 12, 2017
Jade Donovan finds a murdered little girl in her riding arena. When the police arrive, she doesn't expect detective Ben Haley to come barreling up her driveway. Ben knows he should excuse himself from the case given his history with Jade, but can't and won't. Evil has come too close to his girls, and he will protect them even if he risks his job, you see Ben is the father of Jade's daughter Clara.
This story is well written with interesting characters. You've got your run of the mill neighbors...a weirdo neighbor, a neighbor who clearly is a roid rager and a downright creepy neighbor.
A well written great page turning suspense that keeps you guessing until the very end.
This story is well written with interesting characters. You've got your run of the mill neighbors...a weirdo neighbor, a neighbor who clearly is a roid rager and a downright creepy neighbor.
A well written great page turning suspense that keeps you guessing until the very end.
June 12, 2016
Pretty good suspense and 2nd chance. I liked it overall - but the reason the H took 4 years to come to his senses was a little lame - after all, he is in his mid-forties - he should've manned up much sooner than be that traumatized over something that happened when he was 18 . So, 3.5 stars
I would've rounded the 3.5 stars but I'm knocking .5 stars for some spelling/grammar errors (at least the spelling errors were consistent:))
I would've rounded the 3.5 stars but I'm knocking .5 stars for some spelling/grammar errors (at least the spelling errors were consistent:))
June 25, 2016
I really enjoyed this one but it took me a bit to get into. Ben was distant and I get why but I had a bit of a hard time connecting with him.
Ok the story. It was very interesting, this couple who share a daughter who aren't together. You can feel the pain on both ends and while Ben isn't a deadbeat he's not father of the year either, but when a murder happens close to jade and Clara he breaks the rules and takes the case. So while we are trying to solve a murder we are solving and figuring out bens issues. Clara is adorable and the story is well done.
4 stars
Ok the story. It was very interesting, this couple who share a daughter who aren't together. You can feel the pain on both ends and while Ben isn't a deadbeat he's not father of the year either, but when a murder happens close to jade and Clara he breaks the rules and takes the case. So while we are trying to solve a murder we are solving and figuring out bens issues. Clara is adorable and the story is well done.
4 stars
October 1, 2020
Re-read - DNF, I'm not sure what I was reading in 2015 but the casual homophobia by one of the main characters was horrible. Full stop.
2015 - 4.5 Stars - Fantastic read.
This author is new for me and I liked that she made sure to give the romance and suspense equal time. She also created "real" characters, flaws and all.
2015 - 4.5 Stars - Fantastic read.
This author is new for me and I liked that she made sure to give the romance and suspense equal time. She also created "real" characters, flaws and all.
January 11, 2021
4.5 stars
Hidden behind a very lazy cover is perhaps the most underrated book I've ever read.
Hidden behind a very lazy cover is perhaps the most underrated book I've ever read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews