Whiskey & Ribbons in Words Between Worlds

Apr 22, 2018 Katy O. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audiobooks, adult-reads

(AUDIOBOOK) OH MY LORD THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE READ/LISTENED TO ALL YEAR!!! Okay, enough with the shouting, but for real. I listened to this one and it was FABULOUS. Absolutely fabulous. Heartbreaking and hopeful and sweet and spiritual and musical. I'm sure it's just as good on the page, but the narration was fabulous and definitely added to the story for me. ...more

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Apr 12, 2018 Never Without a Book added it

Whiskey & Ribbons was written like a piece of classical music; smooth, rhythmic & beautiful. I completed this read a day ago & I can't get Evi, Eamon, and Dalton out of my head. I didn't want this read to end. This book provided just the right amount enough of grief, love, and family drama. I am still just gushing over this book. A must read ...more

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Apr 16, 2018 Renée | Book Girl Magic rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. “Women, you are sleek and gorgeous. You hold us together, you’re the ribbons. We’re men. Dangerous only if you take us too seriously. We’re the whiskey. To whiskey and ribbons,”
 This book has just locked in a spot as one of my favorite reads so far in 2018. Brilliantly written. I'm truly enjoying books that are written from different characters perspectives. Especially when it's the same event or conversation done multiple times but from each perspective. I loved hearing how each character felt. ...more

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Apr 04, 2018 Megan C. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: best-of-2018, southern-reads

I finished this book a couple of weeks ago and I am still thinking about it. I loved it so much, and for so many different reasons-some personal, some literary-that I’m so afraid I’ll just ramble on and on incoherently and never be able to succinctly express my thoughts. I’m going to try to break it down below...without the incoherent rambling. :)

Plot & Pacing: At the most basic level, this is a story about a woman (and new mother) trying to figure out how to live and love after the death of her I finished this book a couple of weeks ago and I am still thinking about it. I loved it so much, and for so many different reasons-some personal, some literary-that I’m so afraid I’ll just ramble on and on incoherently and never be able to succinctly express my thoughts. I’m going to try to break it down below...without the incoherent rambling. :)

Plot & Pacing: At the most basic level, this is a story about a woman (and new mother) trying to figure out how to live and love after the death of her husband – a police officer who was killed in the line of duty. The story uses multiple POV and pivots around a central moment in time – a snow storm – while weaving in flashbacks to flesh out the characters and backstory. And honestly, at the risk of sounding completely corny and cliché – ya’ll, I mean it, this is going to sound completely corny and cliché — this book is paced like a snow storm. NO SERIOUSLY. It really is! Follow me here: much of the book is in slow motion – there’s a feeling of being suspended in time, curled up and watching the story slowly come together and build, bit by bit. There are also segments of swirling chaos, raw and raging, and then moments of absolute crystalline beauty. It comes together wonderfully.

“I think of our breaking hearts sounding like the snow—so quiet we can barely hear them, but after the right amount of time we can look around and see how everything is changed.“

Characters: These characters. I adored them all! I felt like they were real people. Flawed, funny, imperfect, relatable, completely authentic. I loved them all, but especially Dalton, Eamon, and Evi. I adored those three equally – I can’t pick a favorite.

“Grief made me want to give up. Other people had prayed for me to be strong but that wasn’t the prayer I prayed. The prayer I prayed was Jesus Christ, take it take it take it.”

Writing: This author has a completely singular style. It’s lyrical and descriptive without being a barrier to the movement of the storyline. Cross-Smith has a way of describing things in such a way that I found myself mentally saying, “Yes! Oh my gosh, I never thought of it that way but that’s EXACTLY RIGHT!” She lays grief bare and makes it a tangible thing you can pick up and examine. Reading it during a time of the year when I feel loss very deeply, I used up a whole pack of post-its to record the quotes I related to and wanted to keep close.

“I was glad to be next to him. I was glad to be in his presence. I hoped that by simply being close to him, I could take some of whatever burden he was carrying, hoped he could feel the lifting.”

On top of all of the above, this novel is set in Louisville, Kentucky during a snowstorm. I have to tell you that I read the majority of this book in Kentucky. During a freak spring snow storm. We even had thunder snow….which happened in the book too. I have to confess, I had a little Bastian in The Neverending Story moment – it felt so REAL, as if the story was unfolding at that very moment, just an hour down the road. It was uncanny. And undeniably magical.

I can’t recommend this book highly enough. ...more

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Oct 29, 2018 Buffy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-tbr

If it were possible, I would rate 3.5 stars. Not too bad for a first novel. I think the author has a lot of talent and can definitely tell a story. However, something was holding me back..it could be the story line..or I couldn’t connect with the characters..at least not Evi...not sure..can’t put my finger on it. I was not overwhelmed with joy on this one, but I would read another book by this author, she is super cool!

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Apr 14, 2018 S.M. Boren rated it it was amazing

I purchased this book from Amazon to read. It was book 2 on my list for #totalcoverlover readathon. To be fair the first time I saw this book @whatmeganreads had posted it and it was so pretty I had to buy it! (Only because I believe in giving credit where credit is due.) 🥂 Whiskey and Ribbons by Leesa Cross-Smith. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Evangeline and Eamon have the perfect marriage. She's a ballerina, he's a police officer. There is a baby on the way. Until one day fate had a different decision. Eamon is killed ...more

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Apr 01, 2018 Tonja rated it it was amazing

Wow! What a pleasant surprise. I received this debut book in a book box. I had no expectations and was blown away. It’s a story about love. Love within a family, a marriage and love between friends. I found myself getting to know and understand Evi, Eamon and Dalton intimately. The writing was amazing, I felt their joy, pain and loss. Many sentences were so beautiful I found myself re-reading them. I especially enjoyed the food references used to describe non food objects. “I have a breezy,ruffl ...more

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