Cake Series #7
e-ARC provided by author
Author: J. Bengtsson
I told myself that I was going to read this slowly, savoring it… Yeah, I ended up reading it slowly because I had to stop a few times to deal the perpetual limo in my throat. What a powerful story!
Grace Note (perfect title, btw) is the story of the 7th of the McKallister kids. The baby of the family, Grace doesn’t remember life before the horrific kidnapping of her now world famous rockstar brother when when she was a toddler. She may seem to live an entitled kid’s life, but she has known her share of pain and suffering, as she grew up in the aftermath of the horrible event that forever changed her family and left indelible marks on her soul.
e bMaybe that was the Universe preparing her to meet Rory. A chance encounter when she gets stranded outside one of her brother’s concerts, she is drawn to the sounds of someone playing “drums” on the street. He plays with such confidence, such electricity, such rage that she can’t take her eyes off him. And their eyes meet – and she recognizes something she understands in their depths. Something so powerful that she is convinced that she has to save him.
Rory only knows life on the streets. Abandoned as a child, he’s been in the foster care system. A system that failed him repeatedly. He’s used to being no one. Invisible. Until she SEES him. And his life will never be the same.
It took me a couple of days to write this review because my heart was still on a chokehold. I knew from the beginning that this wasn’t going to be an easy story. We’s had glimpses of Rory in the previous books and I knew my heart would be broken. It was. Into a million pieces and then it was glued together by the love in this story.
The whole Cake series is in its essence a series about family, by blood or found. About people showing up, stepping up, screwing up, but loving fiercely. It’s all here in this book.
I tried to be as vague as possible because Jill takes up back and forth in time so that we can put together their stories. You want to go spoiler-free.
I never thought I’d cry at the mention of a disco ball, but here we are!
LOVED it and I’m not ready to say goodbye to this family…
(Side note: the audiobook will obliterate me…. I just know.)
Possible triggers: kidnapping (historical), child abuse and neglect, homelessness, living in foster care, mental health issues, addiction
