Cover Image: The Found Jar

The Found Jar

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Member Reviews

This book left me pleasantly surprised. There were a few things that bothered me at first, which I can’t say without spoilers, but they all made sense later and I wound up loving it. For a cheesy romance, the characters felt very real, with real flaws. The side characters were pretty two dimensional, but as they the story was told from the point of view of a very introverted protagonist, it actually kind of made sense that her connection to other characters, even her friends, was a little superficial. The writing did feel a little awkward at times, but again, it made sense later as I learned more about the characters. One of my biggest pet peeves in romances is when the only problem in the relationship could be solved with a little communication, but in this case the lack of communication was a symptom of trauma much bigger than a typical romance’s commitment issues. This is not an insta-love story, and the way the relationship built between the two leads was beautiful. I read this book in a day, and I really, really enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

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What a great idea this book was. The character development, the detail, the scenes, evening was so vivid and well written and a joy to read. My only concern was some of the moral implications involving the characters and their core separation of emotional maturity. I would hands down recommend this author but the book story itself hit a difficult topic to unwrap in just a few hundred pages.

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Emily reluctantly agrees to join her best friends for a three month vacation in a shared house on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Sounds idyllic but Emily finds her accommodations unacceptable. When another cottage is found allowing her privacy and seclusion so she can focus on her writing, she is introduced to Beck, a local who will be cleaning her cottage. Beck is an innocent and at times naïve young woman who suffered a traumatic brain injury in her teens. Emily writes horror novels and battles nightmares and demons from her past. Beck’s kindness and innocence are a balm for Emily’s tortured soul. Will their friendship develop into the relationship you know they deserve?

This story is told from Emily’s point of view and it’s a dark one. She is not a likeable person yet Beck is drawn to her rare moments of kindness only to be crushed when Emily lashes out at her. The angry outbursts followed by apologies and promises to change her ways are hard to watch and your heart goes out to Beck. She has been used and abused by her friends in the community and now gets the same treatment from this older woman yet nothing seems to dent her pure heart.

It was interesting seeing the contrast between these two women as their relationship developed. One with a TBI who deals with her disability and tries to face her challenges with a positive attitude versus the other with so much emotional baggage that she can’t see past her anger and disgust with herself to allow Beck into her life. Sometimes a character is too good at destroying the happiness in others with her irrational behaviour. Yes, both Beck and Emily have suffered traumas in their past but only Beck appears to have learned how to find the small joys in life and make the most of her talents. The few times when it looks like Emily wants to improve her self control and acknowledge her attraction to Beck she slips back into her old patterns, convinced she is not worthy of love. It doesn’t help that her agent and best friend Melanie goes out of her way to convince Emily that Beck isn’t worthy of Emily’s affection.

If you are a fan of loads of angst then this might be the read for you. The beach setting and Beck’s pure heart help to offset the frustration I felt with Emily and her issues. There were times when her outbursts made me want to give up on this read, wondering if Emily was capable of change or even self-care. There are kittens and they soften some of the harsher scenes. This is Morrison’s first venture into contemporary romance and she must have missed the light and fluffy memo. The Found Jar is a romance but a dark one.

ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.

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This wasn't what I expected. I was happy, cried and was angry. I had so many emotions with this read but I absolutely wanted more and more.

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What happens when two people with a difficult past interact and become friends and possibly more than friends? The premise of the story drew me in. Beck Reynolds, has a talent that many do not know about. She is also a wonderful person with an upbeat personality. Emily Harris, is a horror writer with a prickly personality. She knows that she needs to be a better person but she has not had a reason to.

Beck is written in such a way that I felt like I was on an emotional rollercoaster ride with her. I felt more connected to Beck than any of the other characters. Both Emily and Beck are dealing with the aftermath of loss and how they deal with it is what makes the read interesting. Also of interest is how they deal with each other. There is a push/pull between Beck and Emily that is equal and unequal. Emily's friends were hit and miss. A big miss for me was Mel. WOW, what a narcissist. Although she was puzzling, she makes the read engaging.

Scenery description was lovely as was the surrounding area. I would not have minded to read more about the art.

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Honestly the set up to the book is what I have a major problem with, although the chemistry between Beck and Emily is strong, I have a hard time with someone who is admittedly naive paired with brain injuries paired with someone older. Emily is portrayed as an older, wiser woman who is more or less praised for treating beck like she’s a person? Which all of that just doesn’t sit right with me. Honestly just didn’t leave me feeling good. The book itself is well written and I will always appreciate a queer romance. One thing the author did really well was set up the town and the feel of the environment which is hard to do, but that part was done incredibly well. Because of that I would give the author another try.

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This was a pleasant surprise. A very moving book that I will remember. I just wanted to keep on reading and let all the emotions overtake me. So, an excellent book for my last review of 2020 and I wish everybody a Happy New Year with lots of reading pleasure!

Emily is an author who is persuaded by her friends to go on a 3-month holiday with them. Once arrived, her accommodations in the shared house turned out to be unsuitable for living, so Emily decides to rent a small house next door. This suits her fine, as she prefers to be on her own and actually didn’t want to come. In her new accommodations she meets Beck who cleans the house. Emily is not interested in any contact, even though she finds Beck’s baby butch look very cute, but Beck is drawn to Emily and Emily finds out she can’t say no to Beck.

Emily and Beck both had a difficult past, but they deal with their problems in a totally different way. Emily has cut herself of from any feelings, she’s a bitter cynic who believes she’s has nothing to give in a relationship. Beck on the other hand has the most sweet and positive personality. She suffered a traumatic brain injury when she was young, which affected her intellectual capacity. She has trouble learning new things or complex things, but once she knows how to do it she’s fine. Unfortunately, this, combined with her open and curious personality, causes people to take advantage of her or bully her.

The friendship that develops between Emily and Beck is so complex and fragile. So many times, I just wanted to hug Beck, and what does Emily do? She lashes out at Beck instead, in an effort to protect herself. The book is written in the third person, but only from the POV of Emily, so you only get insights in her thought process. Emily knows what a horrible person she is, but she can’t seem to stop herself. This was at times so frustrating to read, but it also made seeing Emily’s personality slowly change all the better. There are some very sad and frustrating moments, but also a lot of hopeful and positive ones as you see how Beck draws Emily out with her optimistic look on the world.

The drama factor is high in this book and could be considered over the top at times, especially the treatment that Beck receives. At some moments I felt that everybody was out to hurt Beck, but if you love drama and angst you’ll probably enjoy this.
Emily’s friends and especially Mel were a bit puzzling to me. They were on a three-month vacation (who can do that btw?), but in the first month Emily hardly saw her friends, which seemed a bit odd to me. Furthermore, I couldn’t really see how Emily and Mel were friends. Even though Emily describes what a good friend Mel could be, I never saw it and I could not really believe it.

This book has the most beautiful and complex characters in Beck and Emily and they made me smile and cry. So, if you’re looking for a book that will make you feel, I can certainly recommend this. This is Morrisons first contemporary romance and was also the first book I read by her and I’m curious to see what she’ll bring in the future.

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The cover and description makes this look like a breezy beach read romance but it is not. This is much darker and features two main characters who are broken, and one who is not very likable. Emily is a horror/romance novelist and takes a summer beach cottage in NC to work on her latest novel. Emily battles inner fears and anxieties that stem from a childhood trauma. She has no family and hasn't been in a relationship in years. She meets Beck who at first seems simple, hard working and kind. Beck suffered a brain injury in her childhood resulting in cognitive issues. She works cleaning homes with her mom and is talented as an artist.

I was uncomfortable at first feeling Beck could be easily taken advantage of by Emily as she has been by others. But she brings out Emily's protective side and is always treated as an adult by her. I love how they find things in common like words and art. Other than in her writing Emily has destructive cycles in her life but Beck helps her move beyond them. As much as the cover didn't fit the book I love the legend of The Found Jar. I don't want to give away spoilers but the author succeeds in moving past the darkness and making me believe the relationship can have a HEA. It is a harder more complex book than I was expecting but worth the reading. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

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I really loved this story- the personal issues both main characters had to deal with on top of the drama developing in mean time and their mutual attraction is a lovely mix for this story.

I feel like this book tells more about personal challenges and issues people deal with. What it takes to over come that and create a happy life.
This is for sure book I will read again some time later, because in the end it makes you feel good.

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I enjoyed this story. it was nice to see neurodivergent representation (post-concussion). It clearly stuck with me, since I read this a month or so ago and I can still remember the characters.

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The found Jar is an emotional rollercoaster of a read, you'll cry, smile, laugh out loud and it may make you angry with how Emily treats Beck as certain points in the story. Both main characters have both been through some form of serous trauma in childhood which would go onto effect them both later as adults.

The story has 2 main characters, Emily Harris who witnessed something as a child who never got over it. It impacts her future relationships not just romantically but friendships too. She prefers to keep herself to herself, likes her alcohol way too much and cant handle it the effects it as.. She tells everyone she is damaged goods and is afraid to let people 'close.

Beck Reynolds also went through some childhood trauma, after a head injury as a young child which effected her intellectually, It left her open to serous bullying from the local boys and trusting people come's easy for her which leaves her open to abuse.

This is the first book I've read by Jaycie Morrison and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had everything in the story to keep me gripped, even if at times it was a little upsetting but it was wrote well and with sensitivity the author as clearly read into childhood trauma and the impacts it as on individuals.

I really recommend this book to anyone... but have the tissues ready... not just for a the sad times, but for the happy times, because the balance between the pair balances out really well.

I was given a Arc copy for a honest review.

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Maybe I missed something by not finishing this book. But I couldn't do it. It really made me feel creepy to read this one. Going into the story, it wasn't what i expected and the dislike I had for some characters and the overwhelming feeling of them taking advantage of others, just felt wrong on so many levels that I couldn't finish it.

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The Found Jar
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such an adorable story of love and emotion! I want so much more of Emily and Beck! I absolutely loved the idea of the found jar. When my wife and I went to Outer Banks, we collected beautiful sea shells from the beach and placed then in a jar and brought them home. So this brought up some beautiful memories of our trip there. This book made me want to pack up and move to The Guest House.

Thank you to BoldStrokeBooks and NetGalley for this copy to read and review. This was just released so grab a copy today!

This book follows the horror romance author Emily and her crazy group of friends as they vacation together to the Outer Banks for 12 weeks. Emily thinks she can get some great writing work done while there. A mishap with the rental leaves Emily having to rent the guest house on the property of where her friends are staying, which she would more prefer anyways. In comes Beck, the daughter who helps clean the houses. She suffered a brain injury when younger and she sees life differently. She’s a beautiful soul with no mean bone in her body. I want to meet Beck and hug her. She is what the world needs! Emily and Beck begin a friendship that deepens as time goes on. Emily was never one for a relationship and chooses to let her anger run her more often than not. I sort of hated Emily most of the time until the end. I didn’t think one person could be so hurtful. Emily and Beck both are dealing with losses. Emily lost her sister and Beck lost her father. They help each other navigate through loss, heartbreak, love, passion, and supporting each other in their life goals. It’s a beautifully written story and I loved it!

#justonemorechapter #outerbanks #thefoundjar #jayciemorrison #netgalley #boldstrokesbooks #lesbianromance #lesbianbooks #booknerd #romancebooks #bookjourney #bookaddict #digitalbook #ebooks #goodreads

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I love story between a horror fiction writer Emily and the housekeeper Beck. Emily is convinced to take a vacation in North Carolina and after a series of twists and turns shins up has a guest house and Rebecca is their housekeeper. Emily has past trauma which causes her to be mean and have bad dreams. Rebecca has had a head injury and is teased and bullied about being retarded. Both women find themselves together and that’s where the plot of the story is. The phone jar is a wonderful book and a wonderful story about two people who found each other and themselves. I highly recommend this book.

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I liked this book, was it the best I have ever read, no, but it was very unique with a great storyline and some great characters. The book was a bit too long for the story that it told, I think the author could have shaved off 50 pages or so.

The two main characters of the book had very similar challenges in a way. One was injured as a young child and she was a little slow to understand things at time, though an amazing artist. The other one had a very traumatic experience when her younger sister was kidnapped and they never found her or her body. This set Emily up for a life of not being able to give her heart to anyone. They would both need to understand the other and figure out how each one was important to the other.

When Emily starts to get too involved she sabotages herself and when Beck is falling for someone she is all in. The issue is that Emily is not someone that Beck can trust or should trust with her emotions, but the heart wants what the heart wants. I think you will enjoy the story and it will get you to thinking about some of your own situations. Enjoy!

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I was given a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Emiily is a guarded, reclusive writer. She is not always a nice person - she is sharp tongued, has a temper and rarely goes outside her comfort zone.

Until her small group of friends pressure her into a group vacation. Once on vacation, Emily meets Beck. An attractive younger woman, who against the odds, intrigues Emily.

Stepping outside her comfort zone, Emily befriends Beck - entering into an odd pattern of supportive behavior and then withdrawing quickly, hurtfully.

Beck breaks through Emily's defenses, bringing out better qualities in the older woman.

The plot follows some heart wrenching scenes of mistrust, betrayal and just bad behavior.

You wonder if Emily can get past herself to find happiness.

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The Found Jar is an engaging book and honestly, it isn't what the blurb said! On one side Emily is a writer, living in New York, who keeps friends and lovers distant. On the other is Beck, who never left her hometown, works with her mother and is an up and coming artist.

Both characters have loss, grief and being victims of bullying in common, but are also completely different. Both Emily and Beck’s journeys are well narrated with plenty of twists every time things are about to get easier between the two.

The pace is slow with flashbacks and nightmares to help the reader understand why Emily and Beck might behave in a certain way. It is good to see how Emily is transformed by her relationship with Beck into a more positive, aware and relaxed person. Great ending as everything falls into place.

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I hesitated to rate this book with 4 or 5 stars and finally decided it deserved the most. First of all, the story described is beautiful, complex and striking, one of those you want to know more, you need to know more and more as you read. And secondly, because the two protagonists are wonderful characters.

Emily, with her anguish, remorse, guilt, that has plagued her since she was a child, it has made me so angry at times with her attitude towards Beck. And Beck, who at first seemed like a troubled girl, but who gradually blossoms in front of Emily and of us, showing herself as such a honest and compassionate person.

Both Emily and Beck have had problems in their childhood, very different, but which have affected them equally emotionally. Emily knows and tells everyone who wants to know that she is damaged and unable to love and be loved, hiding behind the stories she writes, in her cynical and rude attitude.
Beck has internalized a certain intellectual inferiority, fueled by the attitude of the people around her, in the atmosphere of a small coastal town in which she lives. And as soon as Emily and Beck meet, they begin to do a kind of respective healing that they are not aware of at first, despite their many differences, mainly cultural and age.

It has been a story that has moved me, made me think, that has made me angry at times and, despite its complexity and a bit of incongruity, I highly recommend reading it.

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An interesting and unconventional lesbian romance, as one of the main characters is deeply unlikable. Emily is deeply troubled by childhood trauma, she is grumpy, prefers to be alone and has a problematic relationship with alcohol. Her closest friend Mel, is even more unlikeable, a horrid, manipulative abusive woman. It's hard to see why Emily remains in her thrall. On a beach vacation Emily meets Beck a younger woman, who has a brain injury which leaves her vulnerable, trusting and positive. Together they form a friendship that eventually changes Emily although why Beck stays after Emily is so horrid to her several times is beyond me. I was intrigued by how this story would develop and did keep reading and was glad that the ending allowed for some righting of wrongs but not enough to rid my memory of the various red flags there had been along the way. The story is well written, well paced and engaging enough to keep me reading, definitely unconventional though. I really loved the concept of The Found Jar and really want to embrace that in some way.

With thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This wasn’t what I was expecting when I picked up this book based on the blurb, but I’m glad this book was more than the blurb suggested. It’s a book full of unexpected depth and humanity. I can imagine it will probably divide people but I really enjoyed the approach.

Emily is a horror writer. She’s had a difficult past and uses her writing to maintain some control of her life. She keeps her friends, if you can call them that, at arms length, has no close family and believes she isn’t deserving of more.

Beck had a traumatic brain injury in her youth. She’s never left her hometown, still lives with her mother and takes odd jobs here and there. She longs to buy a boat and follow in the footsteps of her father.

I really appreciated how Morrison manages to illustrate that trauma does different things to different people. Both MCs have experienced trauma and loss that has made them who they are and her characterisations almost depict the two opposites of possible reactions, Emily pushes people away through mean words in an effort not to be hurt, Beck tries to bring people closer to her. Having them fall for each other despite the many things they have to work through makes for a really good read.

I don’t have experience of traumatic brain injuries, but I felt like Morrison explored Beck’s injuries in a way that is both understandable to the reader, but that also expresses Beck as a really great character. Her mother’s worries about her and the way Emily refuses to treat her as anything other than an adult works really well. Morrison also manages to express the additional impact Emily’s harsh words would have on Beck without making the reader feel sorry for her.

I am sure that Emily probably won’t be a popular character, but I can completely understand why she is written the way she is. Her journey is one of my favourite parts of the book, and whilst she falters, making for a hard read at times, it’s a worthwhile narrative to explore.

The pacing of the story works really well - the twists are effective and provide empathy for both characters. I found myself not wanting to put the book down as I needed to know how it would turn out. There are also cats - a definite bonus in my book.

This isn’t the easiest book to read, the trauma both have experienced can be a difficult read and there are flashbacks and nightmares on the page. There are times when discussions are downright mean. There are also incidences of discrimination towards Beck, both for her sexuality and her injury.

This is Morrison’s first foray into contemporary romance, and I hope this continues. I’d definitely recommend giving this book a go as it brings a different approach to romance than I’ve personally encountered before in the wlw arena and for that reason alone it’s worthwhile giving it a try.

I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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