The Life that Mattered
(Life Series, Book One)
by Jewel E. Ann
Released – 6 February 2020
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Blurb
Sex isn’t love.
Love isn’t sex.
And friendship is neither.
The son of a French Olympic skier and a Malaysian fashion designer, Ronin Alexander has lived the life of a nomad, traveling the world to find his next adventure.
Life takes a dramatic turn when he meets Evelyn, a beautiful scientist who owns a bath shop in Aspen, Colorado. They defy all the rules of relationships, falling hard and quickly in love.
Their world intertwines with Evelyn’s two best friends, the Governor and his soon-to-be wife. The four become close—very close.
When tragedy strikes, things from their pasts are unveiled—unimaginable truths and the grim realization that life will never be the same.
Jewel E. Ann steps into another dimension with this mind-bending thriller, a provocative story that pushes boundaries and tests the true meaning of love.
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Review
5 mind-blowing stars!
There is no questioning Jewel E. Ann’s ability to write a spellbinding and unpredictable novel. She makes you think outside the box and knows how to build anticipation. Her words affect you whether you want them to or not. The Life that Mattered is a mind-blowing story that consumed me from the first page to the last, and it is just the first half of the story. The prologue itself broke my heart. Then I was healed by the immense love in this book only to be broken again, as I rode this complex and emotional rollercoaster of feels. Now, I am left reeling from the cliffhanger that may just be too much to handle.
I don’t want to go into too much of the story because to experience it fully you have to go in blind but know that the storyline is captivating and characters are amazing. Evelyn, Ronin, Lila, and Graham are multi-dimensional and the relationships between all four of them are unique.
Evelyn is a breath of fresh air. She has such a fun personality and is so positive. I loved her the moment I met her and she felt real and relatable. Lila and Graham, Evelyn’s best friends who are getting married, have been a solid foundation in Evelyn’s life and they have supported each other through thick and thin. When Ronin enters the picture, they welcome him into their group and they all grow closer. Ronin is such a delight. He is charming and sweet, and I was swooning from the minute he walked into Evelyn’s life. He is just such an amazing man and there was no way I wouldn’t fall for him.
I adored Evelyn and Ronin together. They share a special connection the moment they meet. They just click and I felt the spark between them. They fall hard and fast. It is a whirlwind romance that changes their lives forever and I believed every second of their love. It is all-consuming and beautiful, and I felt like I could happily drown in it.
My life was pretty fucking incredible at the moment. I didn’t want to slow down and think. If we didn’t make sense … then I refused to live my life by any sort of sense or rules.
I loved the way the story unfolded. There are secrets and surprises that will knock you off your feet. Situations that will break you and others that will fill you with so much warmth. I had no idea what to expect from this story and I couldn’t have imagined anything better. The romance, the friendships, the angst, the twists and turns, all are perfectly crafted in the most spectacular way to make you feel everything. And the feels are all over the place! I loved experiencing each and every one of them through the highs and lows and everything in between.
I was captivated, consumed, and even overwhelmed at times but I wouldn’t change a thing because this book has left me with an epic book hangover that has stuck with me for days. I just can’t get it out of my head and heart. The Life that Mattered is easily a new favorite of 2020 and I am desperate for The Life You Stole, book two of the Life Series!!
“I wasn’t looking for anyone the day you walked into that cafe in Vancouver. But since that day all I can do is look at you. My mother once said I’d find something … some-one who would make me forget my purpose in life. Break my compass. Jumble my thoughts. And steal my heart…I didn’t believe her”…
“She was right.”
*ARC generously provided by the author and Social Butterfly PR*
Excerpt
I wasn’t opposed to the occasional drunken one-night stand, but not with Evelyn. We weren’t drunk, and I wasn’t okay with an arbitrary time in the future that I may or may not see her again.
“I’ll walk you to your door,” Evelyn said as she turned off her Jeep.
“God …” I laughed, shaking my head. “That’s messed up. Now I feel a huge urgency to get my own vehicle. I think I’ll go tomorrow to buy one just so you don’t ever have to walk me to my door again.”
She climbed out. “I don’t have to stop at your door. We don’t have to play by the rules of dating. I think we’re past that age. How old are you?”
I found her hand and led her to the front door. “Thirty-five.”
“I’m thirty-four. Have you ever been married?”
We stopped at my door and faced each other. “No. You?”
She shook her head. “The rules don’t apply once you’re past thirty.”
“The rules?”
Evelyn grinned. “The courting shit. The baseball game.”
“The baseball game?” My head canted to the side.
“Yeah. The sexual bases? First base is kissing. Second base is—”
“Yes.” I fished my keys from my pocket. “I’m familiar with the bases.”
“Well, I don’t know if you’re a fan of baseball or not, but I am.”
I unlocked my door and motioned for her to go inside.
She wet her lips and stepped into my condo without an ounce of hesitation. “You’re inviting me in. So you are a fan of baseball.”
Not so much. Skiing, football (soccer), rugby, cycling, tennis … but not baseball. However, something told me Evelyn might make me a baseball fan.
“Are you sure you’re living here?” She glanced around at the sparse furnishings of my two-bedroom condo.
“I never stay in one place long. No need to own much. It’s just that much more to sell or move.”
Books.
I owned books and a place to sit and read them. My parents didn’t believe in letting Julien and I watch television while we were growing up. Julien embraced art. I embraced fiction—mysteries and sci-fi.
“What do you consider not long?” She ran her fingers along the back of my leather recliner before dropping her bag to the floor and slipping off her jacket.
“Three to five years is a nice stay.” I tossed my coat onto one of two barstools at my kitchen counter.
“Okay. So our marriage will be short.” Her teeth trapped her full bottom lip.
“Probably.”
I’d dated enough women to know there existed a sequence of events that took place way before the M word should ever be discussed. I’d never reached the point of discussing the M word. Not even with my longest relationship, which lasted two years.
Two years and we didn’t talk about marriage.
I was out of my realm of experience with Evelyn. We joked about marriage, but who joked about that? Then there was a baseball discussion happening, and I didn’t even like baseball, but I waited with restless anticipation for Evelyn to make her point. Something told me it could be brilliant.
“Kenny was a guy I dated my first year in college. He played baseball.”
I could not have cared less about this Kenny guy, but he brought her back to the baseball talk, so I folded my arms over my chest, leaned against the counter, and gave her my full attention as she walked in slow circles around my furniture. A predator with calculated moves.
Who was I to judge? I walked into her shop that day and basically said we needed to expedite our dating status—laid out my plans to eat dinner with her, close down bars, and sip hot chocolate.
“He was a solid hitter. Always got on base, but he never hit a home run. I honestly think he lacked the confidence to go for it. His coaches told him to just get on base, so that’s what he did because that’s what you do when you’re young like that. You spend a lot of time on the bases.”
Were we still talking about baseball in the literal sense?
“I think once you hit your thirties, no one should judge if you just hit it out of the park your first time up to bat.” Her lips twisted as she stopped in front of me. “The goal is to hit it home. If you can do that, then why the hell not, right?”
I thought I understood the metaphor. But if I was wrong, I could get thrown out of the game.
“Can I get you a drink?”
Evelyn shook her head.
My eyes narrowed, studying her for a few seconds.
“First base is fine.” She shrugged.
Fuck me …
Life Series
The Life that Mattered: Roe & Evie: Part One (Duet 1)
Review
Buy: Amazon | Paperback
The Life You Stole: Roe & Evie: Part Two (Duet 1)
Review
Buy: Amazon | Paperback
Pieces of a Life: Colton & Josie: Part One (Duet 2)
Review
Buy: Amazon | Apple Books | Nook
Memories of a Life: Colton & Josie: Part Two (Duet 2)
Review
Buy: Amazon
About the Author
Jewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense of humor.
With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business.
After her best friend of nearly 30 years suggested a few books from the Contemporary Romance genre, Jewel was hooked. Devouring two and three books a week but still craving more, she decided to practice sustainable reading, AKA writing.
When she’s not donning her cape and saving the planet one tree at a time, she enjoys yoga with friends, good food with family, rock climbing with her kids, watching How I Met Your Mother reruns, and of course…heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, panty-scorching novels.
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