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The Encore
When Jane married her college sweetheart and the love of her life, she never dreamed she would lose him to leukemia before either of them reached forty. A year later, she’s struggling to move on and create a new life for herself, a second act that she never expected to have to follow the first. Picking up the pieces is hard enough—it’s even harder when those closest to her don’t understand or support the way she’s trying to put them back together again.
But while the curtain may have come down on the life she originally had planned, life itself certainly isn’t finished with her yet.
And neither, as it turns out, is her heart.
But while the curtain may have come down on the life she originally had planned, life itself certainly isn’t finished with her yet.
And neither, as it turns out, is her heart.
- GenresRomanceContemporary
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 15, 2016
About the author
Christine S. Feldman
24 books58 followersChristine S. Feldman writes both novels and feature-length screenplays, and she has placed in screenwriting competitions on both coasts. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her ballroom-dancing husband and their beagle.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 9, 2016
The Encore was simply AMAZING! It's definitely my new favorite by this author. I had so many feels with it and the ending was just perfect as I had hoped.
This book was a rather emotional read and I gotta admit that I teared up a couple of times. This was not a bad thing at all because it made the book all the more intense and unqiue to me.
Jane was a character I liked right from the start. She was just so lovely to read about and I liked her even more once she met Cullen. Cullen on the other hand was a rather brusque person but the more his and Jane's paths crossed, the more I started to like him also. I especially loved it when Jane wanted to try and make him smile since he doesn't do it very often. Their banter was so entertaining!
As Jane's feelings for Cullen started the grow, she started feeling more confused about him. She wondered if it was too soon after her husband had died and her sister in law certainly didn't make things easier on her with that. I'm glad eventually Jane realized she doesn't have to live for anyone else or how anyone else would expect her to have to live after losing her husband.
The author's writing was wonderful, as it always is and I loved the way this book gripped me. And like I said, the ending was perfect. I had secretly hope it would end like that, to be honest. And can I just say how totally cute Jane's dog Otto was? He stole my heart!
This book was a rather emotional read and I gotta admit that I teared up a couple of times. This was not a bad thing at all because it made the book all the more intense and unqiue to me.
Jane was a character I liked right from the start. She was just so lovely to read about and I liked her even more once she met Cullen. Cullen on the other hand was a rather brusque person but the more his and Jane's paths crossed, the more I started to like him also. I especially loved it when Jane wanted to try and make him smile since he doesn't do it very often. Their banter was so entertaining!
As Jane's feelings for Cullen started the grow, she started feeling more confused about him. She wondered if it was too soon after her husband had died and her sister in law certainly didn't make things easier on her with that. I'm glad eventually Jane realized she doesn't have to live for anyone else or how anyone else would expect her to have to live after losing her husband.
The author's writing was wonderful, as it always is and I loved the way this book gripped me. And like I said, the ending was perfect. I had secretly hope it would end like that, to be honest. And can I just say how totally cute Jane's dog Otto was? He stole my heart!
September 4, 2016
Finding love after lost is never easy, especially when when you expected that you had a happily ever after in front of you when you married the love of your life. Unfortunately, Jane is having a hard time despite the fact that her sister-in-law is trying to help her move on in life. What do you do, however, when your idea of moving on and the idea of someone who is trying to help you, don't match?
A interesting story with some humorous lines and a very grouchy neighbor who just happens to work with her sister-in-law.
A interesting story with some humorous lines and a very grouchy neighbor who just happens to work with her sister-in-law.
July 27, 2016
The Encore
Jane is quirky and she has a very dry sense of humour. She recently lost her husband to Cancer and is trying to make a fresh start for herself, a new life in a new house and in a new place. But Jane is lonely and so alone after Noel's passing, working from home, and simply, existing. She adopts an old dog from a shelter and tries to befriend her new neighbour, trying to reconnect and make a new life for herself. It turns out the neighbour is a doctor who works at the hospital with her sister-in-law and he's grumpy and unfriendly.
Jane, always up for a challenge and a good joke, decides that she will get to know Dr. Cullen, maybe even get him to smile a little, despite his attempts to avoid her at all costs. But her new dog keeps escaping and ending up at his house, forcing the neighbours together repeatedly...
Little did Jane know that, in adopting the little dog, she would make another connection, a deep and meaningful friendship with the former owner, a little old lady in a nursing home.
I laughed and I cried reading this. Christine Feldman is an amazing, gifted author. Her writing style is mature and the words flow with such ease in reading. The description allows the reader to visualize everything without getting bored. She has the ability to give you goose bumps, or to set your nerves on edge, to cringe at a particularly tense moment in the story, to weep at the sad parts, or to sigh at a touching one...The balance between narration and description is perfect. This story would make a great movie. Once I started reading, I found it impossible to tear myself away from this wonderful story.
This is not a light read, nor is it chick-lit. This is a dramatic story of a woman who makes a new life for herself after her husband passes, and it would be a shame not to read it. It's also a clean romance. This book is extremely well written. It will leave you thinking, long after it is over.
I give it an enthusiastic two thumbs up and a 5 star rating. Highly recommended reading!
Jane is quirky and she has a very dry sense of humour. She recently lost her husband to Cancer and is trying to make a fresh start for herself, a new life in a new house and in a new place. But Jane is lonely and so alone after Noel's passing, working from home, and simply, existing. She adopts an old dog from a shelter and tries to befriend her new neighbour, trying to reconnect and make a new life for herself. It turns out the neighbour is a doctor who works at the hospital with her sister-in-law and he's grumpy and unfriendly.
Jane, always up for a challenge and a good joke, decides that she will get to know Dr. Cullen, maybe even get him to smile a little, despite his attempts to avoid her at all costs. But her new dog keeps escaping and ending up at his house, forcing the neighbours together repeatedly...
Little did Jane know that, in adopting the little dog, she would make another connection, a deep and meaningful friendship with the former owner, a little old lady in a nursing home.
I laughed and I cried reading this. Christine Feldman is an amazing, gifted author. Her writing style is mature and the words flow with such ease in reading. The description allows the reader to visualize everything without getting bored. She has the ability to give you goose bumps, or to set your nerves on edge, to cringe at a particularly tense moment in the story, to weep at the sad parts, or to sigh at a touching one...The balance between narration and description is perfect. This story would make a great movie. Once I started reading, I found it impossible to tear myself away from this wonderful story.
This is not a light read, nor is it chick-lit. This is a dramatic story of a woman who makes a new life for herself after her husband passes, and it would be a shame not to read it. It's also a clean romance. This book is extremely well written. It will leave you thinking, long after it is over.
I give it an enthusiastic two thumbs up and a 5 star rating. Highly recommended reading!
June 18, 2016
My new favorite book by Christine is The Encore. Simply put this book is wonderful, sweet, emotional, and AMAZING! My feelings while read were all over the place and I loved it.
The Encore is emotional. There is sadness at loss, reconnecting with family, working through guilt, and learning to live again. I could feel Jane’s feelings change as the story progressed. I felt like she wanted to make everyone happy and what she really needed to do is learn how to make herself happy. She needed to learn how to be herself again and not part of a couple.
Cullen, who is so interesting to me, was perfect to come into her life. He was a mystery for her to solve and knew that she needed to have some pushes towards happiness. I am still interested in his history as he seemed to not want to share much of that but I suppose some things a reader gets to imagine herself.
Christine S. Feldman is a wonderful author. With each book I read of hers I think this is the one… the one I will never forget. Of course, I don’t forget them but the next comes out and I think it again. The words she uses, the stories she tells, the characters we meet are all the ones we want to know and we won’t forget.
Definitely pick up your copy of The Encore.
The Encore is emotional. There is sadness at loss, reconnecting with family, working through guilt, and learning to live again. I could feel Jane’s feelings change as the story progressed. I felt like she wanted to make everyone happy and what she really needed to do is learn how to make herself happy. She needed to learn how to be herself again and not part of a couple.
Cullen, who is so interesting to me, was perfect to come into her life. He was a mystery for her to solve and knew that she needed to have some pushes towards happiness. I am still interested in his history as he seemed to not want to share much of that but I suppose some things a reader gets to imagine herself.
Christine S. Feldman is a wonderful author. With each book I read of hers I think this is the one… the one I will never forget. Of course, I don’t forget them but the next comes out and I think it again. The words she uses, the stories she tells, the characters we meet are all the ones we want to know and we won’t forget.
Definitely pick up your copy of The Encore.
March 14, 2017
In ENCORE, we meet Jane, who has had her share of hardships and heartache. She’s trying to start over, trying to find herself again. Along Jane’s journey, we meet a few other delightful characters. All playing a big role in Jane’s life.
In one word, I would say this book is incredible. It’s full of emotion – romance, humor, fear, hope, faith… I was hooked from page one. I quickly fell in love with the characters, anxious to see what was next. I felt myself experiencing the same emotions as Jane, which made the character and story that much more realistic.
This isn’t the first book of Christine’s I have read, and it certainly won’t be the last. (She’s always had a fan in me!) The writing is error-free, the story flows, and the characters are relatable. You will hate when you turn that last page.
Hands down, 5 stars for ENCORE.
In one word, I would say this book is incredible. It’s full of emotion – romance, humor, fear, hope, faith… I was hooked from page one. I quickly fell in love with the characters, anxious to see what was next. I felt myself experiencing the same emotions as Jane, which made the character and story that much more realistic.
This isn’t the first book of Christine’s I have read, and it certainly won’t be the last. (She’s always had a fan in me!) The writing is error-free, the story flows, and the characters are relatable. You will hate when you turn that last page.
Hands down, 5 stars for ENCORE.
June 15, 2016
***Review can also be found at Jackie's Book World. :)***
Rating: 3.5/5
The Encore is the story of new beginnings and a new a chance at love.
From the very beginning we get to meet Jane, a recent widow who has moved to a new house after her husband passed away from leukemia. She has been struggling to move on and create a life for herself, but luckily she has her husband's family keeping her company. It is then that a new opportunity at a hospital resurfaces and she has is able to spend more time with her sister-in-law. Yet, after a rather awkward encounter with her neighbor Jane is surprised to see him again at the hospital working as a doctor. Though their first interaction was not the best, it's their encounters at the hospital that keeps pulling them together. Jane then slowly realizes how comfortable she is around Cullen, and she questions whether that's a good thing to move on so fast or if she is just relying on him as a friend. As the two start to grow closer, it becomes evident that Jane's feelings for Cullen are confusing her from making the right decision for herself, and she has to ultimately decide what to do next.
I really enjoyed the overall idea of the book, the characters were great with very distinct personalities that kept me reading. But needless to say, the book felt underdeveloped and unfinished for me. We get a great deal of substance at the beginning, that I kept wondering when things were going to change, and when they did changed the story ended as well. There wasn't much chemistry between the characters and their relationship felt a bit rushed for me personally. On the other hand, Jane is a strong character who has lost her husband, and that has been tough on her. Her relationship with her dog, Otto, is funny and it brought lightness to the story. Cullen is quiet and reserved character that has his own background story too, that I wished the author could have developed a little bit more. Aside from all of that, we do get a happy ending, which I liked. :)
***A copy of this book was provided the author in exchange for an honest review.***
Rating: 3.5/5
The Encore is the story of new beginnings and a new a chance at love.
From the very beginning we get to meet Jane, a recent widow who has moved to a new house after her husband passed away from leukemia. She has been struggling to move on and create a life for herself, but luckily she has her husband's family keeping her company. It is then that a new opportunity at a hospital resurfaces and she has is able to spend more time with her sister-in-law. Yet, after a rather awkward encounter with her neighbor Jane is surprised to see him again at the hospital working as a doctor. Though their first interaction was not the best, it's their encounters at the hospital that keeps pulling them together. Jane then slowly realizes how comfortable she is around Cullen, and she questions whether that's a good thing to move on so fast or if she is just relying on him as a friend. As the two start to grow closer, it becomes evident that Jane's feelings for Cullen are confusing her from making the right decision for herself, and she has to ultimately decide what to do next.
I really enjoyed the overall idea of the book, the characters were great with very distinct personalities that kept me reading. But needless to say, the book felt underdeveloped and unfinished for me. We get a great deal of substance at the beginning, that I kept wondering when things were going to change, and when they did changed the story ended as well. There wasn't much chemistry between the characters and their relationship felt a bit rushed for me personally. On the other hand, Jane is a strong character who has lost her husband, and that has been tough on her. Her relationship with her dog, Otto, is funny and it brought lightness to the story. Cullen is quiet and reserved character that has his own background story too, that I wished the author could have developed a little bit more. Aside from all of that, we do get a happy ending, which I liked. :)
***A copy of this book was provided the author in exchange for an honest review.***
September 14, 2016
Life doesn’t always turn out the way we planned it. Jane married her college sweetheart but lost him to cancer before either of them turned 40. Struggling to overcome her grief, Jane relocates to where her sister in law lives. As Jane begins to put her life together, those that love her aren’t always happy with her decisions. Will Jane move past her grief? Can she find a balance between her wants and her family’s wants?
Jane was an interesting character to me. At first I thought she was a doormat. She pretty much did what her sister in law wanted her to do. Gradually as the book progresses, Jane learns to stand up for herself and what she needs.
Cullen, her cranky neighbor was an enigma. I honestly wanted more information about him than what the author reveals because it is so obvious that he had been hurt before. For much of the book he spends his time pushing Jane away, who was just trying to be his friend. By the end of the book, Cullen helps Jane live her life as she wants to not as her family wants her to live it.
Being single, I can’t really imagine loosing a spouse. Feldman does an excellent job of showing how Jane and her husband’s family deal with the tragedy. Much of it is poignant and sad but there is just enough humor in this book to keep it from being too dark.
Overall, this was a very satisfying read. Feldman deals with the tough subjects of grief and moving on with the right mix of seriousness and humor. This is a great read for anyone who enjoys women’s fiction.
* Copy provided by the author.
Review also on https://www.facebook.com/SoManyReads/
Jane was an interesting character to me. At first I thought she was a doormat. She pretty much did what her sister in law wanted her to do. Gradually as the book progresses, Jane learns to stand up for herself and what she needs.
Cullen, her cranky neighbor was an enigma. I honestly wanted more information about him than what the author reveals because it is so obvious that he had been hurt before. For much of the book he spends his time pushing Jane away, who was just trying to be his friend. By the end of the book, Cullen helps Jane live her life as she wants to not as her family wants her to live it.
Being single, I can’t really imagine loosing a spouse. Feldman does an excellent job of showing how Jane and her husband’s family deal with the tragedy. Much of it is poignant and sad but there is just enough humor in this book to keep it from being too dark.
Overall, this was a very satisfying read. Feldman deals with the tough subjects of grief and moving on with the right mix of seriousness and humor. This is a great read for anyone who enjoys women’s fiction.
* Copy provided by the author.
Review also on https://www.facebook.com/SoManyReads/
June 19, 2016
This book hit on several things I have experienced in my own life. It is hard to move on after the loss of a spouse. I felt the author nailed the different sources of conflict that arise in the process.
Want to read
May 20, 2016 Here is a link to an excerpt from the book on the authors website:
http://christinesfeldman.com/books/th...
http://christinesfeldman.com/books/th...
September 28, 2018
Charming and well written. Mature characters. Believable plot. Poignant subject handled with just enough dry humor to avoid being depressing.
Feldman is not big on the physical description of her characters which admittedly takes some getting used to but the spare writing style is very refreshing and in no way detracts from the story. I would also have liked to know a little more about Cullen's backstory.
Feldman is fast becoming a favorite. Her Heavenly Bites novellas are worth checking out as well.
Feldman is not big on the physical description of her characters which admittedly takes some getting used to but the spare writing style is very refreshing and in no way detracts from the story. I would also have liked to know a little more about Cullen's backstory.
Feldman is fast becoming a favorite. Her Heavenly Bites novellas are worth checking out as well.
January 23, 2024
All about LIFE
A very well written story of LIFE after the loss of a loved one. When is it time to let go and get on with your life? When does family stop dictating their way of getting on and let you decide what your own needs are. It is a very good story of following through all the memories that you want to hold on to and those you need to put aside in order to start over with another. Pick yourself up and start making NEW EXPERIENCES!
A very well written story of LIFE after the loss of a loved one. When is it time to let go and get on with your life? When does family stop dictating their way of getting on and let you decide what your own needs are. It is a very good story of following through all the memories that you want to hold on to and those you need to put aside in order to start over with another. Pick yourself up and start making NEW EXPERIENCES!
December 21, 2019
I love the way Christine Feldman writes. This is my second book from her, and her heroines so far always have a great sense of humour, really challenging the hero. In this case, Jane has lost her husband Noel to cancer a year ago and is trying to get her life back on track. She has just moved into a new home and her new neighbour is doc Cullen, who keeps very much to himself, at work and in private.
What follows is a very slow burn between Jane and the doc, but the emphasis in the story is on how Jane deals with her sorrow. There are several flash-backs of her life with Noel. If you are interested in this kind of thing, then I suppose it is a five star novel. For me there was a bit too much sorrow and pain. I am more into a truly feel-good story, so I am giving this four stars. Completely clean, just kisses.
What follows is a very slow burn between Jane and the doc, but the emphasis in the story is on how Jane deals with her sorrow. There are several flash-backs of her life with Noel. If you are interested in this kind of thing, then I suppose it is a five star novel. For me there was a bit too much sorrow and pain. I am more into a truly feel-good story, so I am giving this four stars. Completely clean, just kisses.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews