There won’t be many official reviews for Every Breath You Take simply because it is a self-published venture and I didn’t send copies out for review (check out my blog or buy a book to see why I did this). Jake Chism at Fiction Addict has been a long-time fan and supporter of my work, so he wanted to review this book. Hey–he bought a copy, too! When was the last time a book reviewer had to buy a book??!!
Here’s his review. I’m sure some of you are still wondering if this book is halfway decent since I published it myself. Based on the kind comments I’m getting from readers, I feel like it deserved to be published. I’m grateful that Jake feels the same way.
Every Breath You Take
Reviewed by Jake Chism (FicitionAddict.com)
Kayla Rowe is getting married. While this is certainly an occasion to celebrate, she is having trouble fully embracing the moment. Her first love, Billy, has suddenly come back into her life and Kayla can’t escape the intense feelings between the two that seemingly never left. What they shared was often unstable and surprising, yet always full of passion and longing, the kind of love Kayla had never felt before. The problem with Billy was that he reminded Kayla too much of what her father must have been like. She lost him when she was only two, but as the big day approaches she wishes more than anything that he could be there to give her away. Being around Billy again has brought out all of those old emotions leaving Kayla more confused than ever.
Thomas Rowe loved to dance with his baby girl. His time with her was short, only two years, but even in heaven he remembers those precious moments. He is overwhelmed when he is suddenly presented with an opportunity he can’t refuse. He can return to earth and dance with his daughter on her wedding day. The only catch? She won’t know it’s him and he must make sure she marries the right man. This is everything Thomas has dreamed of, ever since he first held Kayla in his arms. He only hopes he has enough time…
Travis Thrasher has carved out a nice little niche for himself in recent years as a supernatural thriller writer. With Every Breath You Take he goes back to his roots and gives readers a powerful love story with a supernatural twist that will sit with you long after the final page. This is first and foremost a love story that Thrasher has written to his daughter. Indeed, the relationship between Thomas and Kayla is beautifully crafted and I challenge any father not to shed a tear or two as they think about their own little girl while reading this story.
Thrasher uses his love of music to cleverly carry this narrative. The novel is broken up into six parts, each part bearing the name of an album from Coldplay or The Police. In each part, the chapter names are taken from songs from the corresponding album. In lesser hands this approach might come across as gimmicky, but I found myself constantly scrolling through my iPod to see how each song fit with the story. The characters’ love of music added a whole new depth of emotion to the story, drawing me effortlessly into the pages.
In the end I was knocked off my feet by the unexpected, only to be reeled back in by the powerful message that comes surging through. Every element of this story worked for me, and I’m shocked that a publishing house didn’t pick this up. While Thrasher is more than content with this being a special little project, I can’t help but wonder about the potential of this story if placed in some influential hands. Whether Every Breath You Take eventually takes the publishing world by storm or it always remains a fan collector’s item, I’ll be forever grateful that I took this journey with Kayla, Billy, and Thomas.