For Ann

by Shawn Sprague

Dan Abbot is struggling through an early midlife crisis. After divorcing his wife of eighteen years, he moves into a one bedroom apartment and begins facing his new He’s a middle-aged single father who’s been stuck in neutral for as long as he can remember. He’s trying to start over with his eleven-year-old son, and a potential relationship with a younger neighbor has him feeling optimistic for the first time in forever…but all that is about to change. He’ll soon be taking a reluctant trip into his past to confront a horrible incident and a long buried secret that could threaten everything he cares about.

368 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2017

About the author

Shawn Sprague lives in upstate New York with his wife and three children and their dog, Sammy. He is the author of The Hills Report, a thriller that beat out three major bestsellers in a blind market survey called The Hills Report Experiment. To read more about The Experiment (or Shawn) you can visit www.shawnsprague.com or visit his Facebook page (search Shawn Sprague Author).

Reviews

[Lavender]

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I won this book via Goodreads Giveaways.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a copy of For Ann in a goodreads giveaway. The opinions in this review are mine and mine alone.

100% truthfully, I struggled getting into this book. The time jumps were not always clear so I'd find myself stopping, re-reading, then starting again. That being said, I stuck with the book, it took me longer than normal to finish it though. Once I made it to 60% of the story, things changed.

The story developed quickly at that point. Yes, there were still time jumps, but they made a little more sense and felt more separated than some of the previous ones. Once I found out what happened when they were kids, I was devastated, but not.

There are so many people in the world who will feel that what Adam did was right given the situation. Some will feel that he was too young to understand what he was doing even though he had the best intentions. There are others who will say the reasons don't make a crime okay no matter how much people may want them to.

There is a story to tell within the pages of For Ann. I only wish the flow was more fluid and that the timeframes were easier to separate for the reader.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read! I loved the character development in this book. I felt like I knew this family and was transported back to the 70’s. I love teen Adam, he was my favorite and very well developed. I can picture him, his clothes, his bike. I love his protective nature and was fine with him doing what he did. I also love mom and little girl Jess. I loved the Ally story line and didn't see that coming. That's perfect. I felt like I was falling in love when they were picking berries and nearly kissing, and felt Dan's awkwardness at the party, etc. I was horrified for Dan when he found out the truth. I really enjoyed the character development, the 70s nostalgia (I could picture a day in their life) , the relationships, and Dan and Jen's clever investigation-that whole part was flawless. I also loved the flashbacks then cut to present day format. That's my favorite literary technique. I truly enjoyed reading it as is, and thought it was excellent!!!!!!!!!!!! High marks!

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

Although the writing style was decent, I couldn't get into this book to save my life. The whole thing reeked of bitterness and negativity, and I found myself dreading picking it up. After about a hundred pages, I decided to stop putting myself through it. It's not that it's poorly written, so I would't try to dissuade others from trying it if they found it interesting, but it was just not something I found enjoyable at all.

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in the Goodreads Giveaway - thank you!
I enjoyed the in-depth details throughout the storyline. There were unexpected turns along the way that made me kept my attention, no dull points at all!
I do prefer when stories don't jump from past to present time, as this one does, but enjoyed the book very much. I look forward to reading more books from Mr. Sprague.
Enjoy!

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through the goodreads giveaways program.
Danny Abbot is a middle aged father, recently separated from his wife. He moves into a small apartment where he meets an intriguing new neighbor moving in next door. He thinks life might be turning around. Then he loses his job, a body is discovered buried at the golf course, and it turns out to be linked to his past.
The story was interesting. There were a few parts that were drawn out more than necessary, some that I didn't see as relevant, and some that I felt were left hanging.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Throughly enjoyed this book