Review: Shows Bella Jewel's Diversity as a Writer
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 20, 2014
For Avery, life after Taylah is dark...devastating...depressing. Avery has had to deal with not knowing what happened to her mother for ten years. Throughout those years, she's watched her father close himself off and bury himself in his work, and she's witnessed her brother, Liam, succumb to a lifestyle of drinking, drugs, and women. Neither of the men in Avery's life truly see what she's going through or what she needs because they are so wrapped up in their own pain and misery. The other man in her life, her boyfriend, Jacob, is someone safe; someone who doesn't make her feel; someone she's not in love with; someone she's been told is her future.  But Avery doesn't see a future without her mother in it, so she doesn't know how to move forward. She hides her hurt and her broken soul by teaching ballet. Dancing is her passion, her escape, and her outlet to actually feel something besides the emptiness and void in her heart.That darkness starts to clear, though, when Avery begins a friendship with Nate Alexander - a motocross world champion. He's exactly the man she needs to feel and start living again, but he's not free to be with her. He's married with a beautiful little girl, and even though his marriage is in turmoil and the love he once felt for his wife his no longer there, there's too much to lose for both of them, so only friendship can be offered. But as Avery and Nate continue to spend time together, they find that they give each other what they need most - someone to talk to, to laugh with, and to experience the happy side of life with without the anger or sadness. The more interaction Avery and Nate have, the more lines begin to blur, and choices are made that will alter both of their lives in a multitude of ways.I don't usually read stories where there are cheating spouses because I don't think there is any situation where I would find that act to be okay, so when I got further into Life After Taylah, and I actually started hoping for Avery and Nate to finally give into their feelings for each other, I didn't know what to do with that feeling. I kept yelling at Nate to just leave his wife before he started anything with Avery, but then when Nate explained firsthand why that was not really an option, emotionally, I found myself agreeing with him. I even was cheering Avery on to cheat on Jacob because I detested him, which led me to start mentally berating myself for those thoughts. But that's the thing about Bella Jewel's writing. She has a way of pulling readers into her texts so completely that when her characters explain their situations and their thoughts and feelings about how they are living and why they are taking the risks that they do, it makes more sense than it should. Now, I'll admit, Jacob and Lena are characters that not a single reader will like, but that doesn't matter to me because from my perspective, the story doesn't really have much to do with them. So, while yes, they are stereotyped characters, they are simply there to help Avery and Nate realize what love is supposed to be like and how life is supposed to be lived.Does this story have cheating in it? Yes, it does. But it's not a story about cheating. It's about a family dealing with and trying to moving on from a situation that hasn't been solved; it's about a lonely and heartbroken girl finding comfort and solace in a way she thought she never would; it's about a man whose world unravels and then rebuilds, and it's about the truth finally setting everyone free. It's a story filled with angst, betrayal, and pain. It's a story that many readers will find hard to read, and others will find hard to put down. It's a story that had my emotions all over the place, making me question my beliefs on topics I never doubted before. Life After Taylah shows the torment and anguish people go through after losing someone they love, and it also illustrates the consequences of one's actions when things get taken too far, and there's no going back to how it used to be. Bella Jewel shows her diversity as an author with this book, and I hope to see more like it from her in the future.A complimentary copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.4.5 poison apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)