Book Review #lovemetoday #aljackson #valentinepr
Love Me Today is the first novel in A.L. Jackson's new series Time River. This novel uses some of my much beloved and heavy hitting tropes-single dad, nanny, grump/sunshine, small town, and suspense. A.L. Jackson's writing is interesting, conversational and accessible. Beautifully building a community of characters in the small town, the foundation of future novels is elegantly laid. Jackson's main characters are drawn with understanding and interest, they feel well round and rooted in rich pasts and dreams for the future. Jackson builds this romance softly and slowly, keeping the character growth at the center while the plot and suspense aspects drive some of the decision making and introspective moments that give our characters growth.
A.L. Jackson's writing is built with a level of care and understanding around the traumatic elements of this story (murder of a mother and other close relations, and well as parental neglect). Both the hero and heroine are learning to grow outside of their pasts, and learning to understand what they need for their futures, as well as what they are willing to fight for. While this novel has a sort of slow burn romance as the under current, there is also the exploration of parental love for a child that is not your own that blossoms out of this novel and really enriches the story and the characters. Jackson has a lovely handle on the three central characters in this story and how they need to interaction with each other in order to build a true foundation of family. The ultimate heart of this story is choosing to love and knowing that this love will make who venerable and open to heart ache, but the joy and peace that you find in that love is worth anything.
Love Me Today is a wonderful start to this new series and a beautiful place to introduce you to A.L. Jackson's work. I am so excited to continue exploring her backlist and watching this series grow!
Thank you so much to Valentine PR for an eARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own.