Review: 4.5 Beautiful Stars. Loved this book.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 28, 2014
Jointly reviewed for :  [...]Gitte: I’ve got to say I really enjoyed this story; it was an epic journey considering Daniel’s past and with the focus on just two people in such a ‘close space’, well, it was pure brilliance in its simplicity. Because of this singular focus the writing was laid bare and had to be flawless. It was and it showed class and evoked incredible feelings in me. Every step felt real and I love Danielle Taylor’s writing.“My heart hurts…Please don’t break my heart.”The journey we take with Amelia and Daniel was intensely emotional, passionate and so very tragic. It beautiful and unique. For me, this was a journey of two lost souls, complete strangers, which find and inspire what they each need and desire. It’s a true case of finding love under the most surprising circumstance, listening to your instinct and seeing beyond a faade. Finding vindication and justice.I loved Amelia, what a refreshing heroine she was. Intelligent, brave and honourable; she took a chance, she showed compassion and was quite inspirational as a human being. As for Daniel, he was an amazing man. Wronged in the most tragic of ways, having had fifteen years of his life stolen. His past and family lost to him in a brutal manner. The injustice in this story was profound and broke my heart. I fell in love with this extraordinary man.‘All he’d ever wanted was a place where the streets have no name. To call the shots in his own life. To make decisions like he had all the time in the world to make them.’Danielle Taylor wrote such an emotional story, but it had real heat and passion too. Daniel and Amelia’s connection was believable, I felt their friendship, their attraction, the protectiveness each felt for the other.Where the Streets Have No Name was exceedingly beautiful in its simplicity and had none of that unnecessary angst or plethora of drama and miscommunications I so often find in books these days. I didn’t want to put it down as I hoped Daniel would somehow get the justice he so deserved. His story made us cry didn’t it, Jenny?!Jenny: Gitte, who knew taking a random book read pick from our Kindles would have us uncovering a real gem and a truly memorable read. I adored this book from start to finish. It wasn’t overly angsty, was beautifully told and was exactly what I needed at the time.‘Beautiful’ is the word that springs to mind when I think about this book. Be it the beauty in the setting, the beauty of the characters right through to the exquisite beauty and emotion of Danielle Taylor’s storytelling. And yes G, there were certainly some tears shed along with a lot of clutching of the heart‘…….but he’d take a lifetime of kisses over just the memory of a kiss.’Amelia was such a unique, honest, sincere and sharp character, full of compassion who never once stood in judgement of Daniel, preferring instead to trust the man presented in front of her.Daniel. So broken, so lost so in need of someone to believe in him. This man bore scars and a guilt that were not his to bear. Ostracised and suffering tragedy that was not his to bear, this man owned my heart.“You make me feel like I’m important…….like I matter.”Danielle Taylor certainly brought us a thought provoking story about a chance meeting between two people unsure of themselves, each other and the direction of their lives. She showed us that by taking a chance on someone, to believe in that person is the greatest gift we can give. Just beautiful.