I again chose my next book from the “Best Sellers in Kindle eBooks- Top 100 Free.”
The title of the book is The First Time I Said Goodbye by Claire Allan. It was at number #2 on July 19th. It has 147 reviews and with a 4.3 stars average. It’s not the usual type of story I normally read. It starts out with a funeral. A funeral at the start of any book is depressing, to say the least, unless you’re looking at the start of a Marvel’s Avengers story.
Chapter 2
It caught my attention, and I’m definitely invested in it! The main characters, mother and daughter, are headed for a trip to Ireland. I love Ireland. (A good comeback from the funeral.) The trip is the mother’s way of getting on with life after the death of her husband. Annabel, the daughter, appears to be caught up in a relationship she seems to be ambivalent about, but the story is really about her mother and the love of her life, the one that got away.
The book is well-written. The About Author states that Claire Allan is a reporter and columnist, so her writing should be good and it is. It definitely gives a sense of place, especially after they get to Ireland, and it gives hints of a mystery regarding the mother’s reason for the trip. Yes, I am hooked. I will read more!
Now, wait a minute! Where has the book gone? It’s no longer in the Top Free list. I do a search for the title, and see that it’s back on regular price. That brings up the point that the books on the Top Free are not necessarily there by popular demand. One good promo on ENT or BookBub or Amazon’s Marketing Ads can put a book at the top of the list, usually for a day or two.
This does not mean that the book is regularly popular. It means that thousands of readers are downloading anything they can get for free from the promo sites. As soon as the promo is over, the book drops off the list.
The Top 100 Free list changes constantly. The book that is #2 today, can be #40 tomorrow or disappear entirely, as this one did. The Top 100 Paid list is far more stable, and there are many $0.99 through $4.99 offerings. However, you’re more likely to discover something new and unexpected in the free list.
Now, to keep reading.
Final report: Oh, my God! I’m crying! Not a sad-ending cry but a happy-ending cry. This book is definitely worth reading, and this words are coming from a woman who does not do sappy romantic well. In my opinion, and once again- I must emphasize that my opinion may not be anything like yours, this book is definitely worth reading.
Normally, I like my reads spiked with the occasional sex scene. This book has not one of those!
I like my books to be fast-paced, full of action reads. This has none of those things.
I like my books full of vampires, tortured heroes, and sexy rogues. There are none of those hunks in this book.
This novel is a sweet, gentle, nostalgic, bittersweet tale that switches back and forth between the years 1959-1960 and 2010. Yes, the two characters whose story we’re told in flashbacks are in their seventies! However, the story grabbed me and didn’t let me go. I read it in two seatings. And I finished reading with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. If I ever meet the author, I will punch her in the nose for making me cry.
The First Time I Said Goodbye is well-written, definitely above 7th-grade reading level. It gives a good sense of time and place. The characters are interesting and they speak in intelligent dialogue. Finally, I could not let go until I knew what happened! By the way, it’s based on a true story according to the author. I loved it!
