This review for Begin Again is going to be a bit of a mixed bag. This is a debut novel by Kat Jackson, and overall I am impressed by her writing skills.
The story is clear and well-written. The characters are also well-developed and very real, including all the faults and idiosyncrasies we expect to see in real life. This is a character driven story so character development is very important. The tale is written in first person POV through the eyes of the main character Emery. Unlike most romance themed books, she is the only main character. Everyone else, including the possible love interests are secondary characters. This is also a relationship themed tale about past, present and future relationships, and how they can sometimes get all tangled up. Seeing through the eyes of a main character can really impact how we experience the story. Unfortunately, I did not like Emery as a “person”, and so I had a hard time connecting with her. In this case, having another main character might have allowed me another chance to bond with the story. If you like a well-written relationship-themed romance with real and flawed characters, you might like this novel.
I’m giving this a 3.5 star rating, and moving it to 4 stars overall for the writing skills of Ms. Jackson. I will also be looking for future novels from this author.
I received an ARC from Netgalley and Bella Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections 