Title: Jane’s Melody
Author: Ryan Winfield
Series: Jane’s Melody
Publisher: Atria (Simon & Schuster)
Published: October 7, 2013
Genre: New Adult Contemporary RomanceSynopsis: -New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller–
What boundaries would you cross for true love?
That’s the question a grieving mother must answer when she takes in a young street musician she believes can shed light on her daughter’s death—only to find herself falling for him. A sexy but touching love story that will leave you both tantalized and in tears, Jane’s Melody follows a forty-year-old woman on a romantic journey of rediscovery after years of struggling alone.
Sometimes our greatest gifts come from our greatest pain. And now Jane must decide if it’s too late for her to start over, or if true love really knows no limits.
5 swoonalicious stars I loved this book. It touched my heart and then wrapped it up with a bliss that warmed my whole soul. Yes, it touched me through and through. I started and finished it in one sitting (or very late night 
). It was about hope and the joy of being happy in the wake of sadness. It was a beautiful love story.
Do I need to keep going or is that all you need to know? Well, I think it’s all you need to know but since this is a review let’s talk details. The story begins with grief, and while it was sad, it was our point of entry so I wasn’t emotionally invested yet. But I did understand the grief so I was absolutely propelled to keep turning the pages to see how Jane would continue on. She and Caleb cross paths almost immediately after the funeral and I “got” the chemistry and the draw of Caleb from the first time they laid eyes on each other…and the story just flowed from there.
What else really got me excited right off the bat other than the mysterious guy with haunting eyes? Jane is my age. Go ahead people, do the math…now you know how old I am. When Jane picked up that coin and mentally noted how it was from her birth year, yes the same birth year as me, well, let’s talk about connecting with characters! Yep, I was pretty darn excited.
So the main characters each have their own demons, their own heartache, but together they find a solace that you can’t help but feel too. They are both really strong characters, but at the same time soft as they both have very human hearts that have been broken. They also don’t dance around how they feel and I loved that. There were no games, just honest emotions and I couldn’t get enough.
Talking about the characters leads me right to the romance…let’s get one thing out of the way…I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I was ALL OVER THE FACT THAT THE AUTHOR IS A DUDE. I read like it’s my job. Hell, I wish it was because then I’d be rich, but no, it’s just hobby that I’m passionate about. More specifically I read a lot of New Adult. And when I say a lot, I mean a lot. It’s all written by women. I recently thought: Is this what really goes on in the male POV? Have I lost all track of reality? Probably, I answered myself, but this stuff is so addictive I don’t care. So imagine how excited I was to read a NA book written by an actual guy. Yes, my reader friends, it was just what I needed. Faith restored! Read away!
Ok, back to the actual romance now. Where do I start? The love between Jane and Caleb or the hot chemistry? Let’s just say it was both, and together it was amazing, the kind of amazing where I mentioned in the beginning of this review that it touched my soul. The way Caleb described his love…oh my…if you look up the definition of swoon you will find his photo. It was absolute pure love, nothing else. It was fantastic.
Let’s round out the review with a little bit of constructive 2 cents. Jane’s insecurity was aggravating, but being *cough the same age cough* I could see where she was coming from. I got that and I loved how Caleb made sure she knew it didn’t matter. However, when one person ends the relationship for the sake of the other person it makes me crazy. I am not a fan of those selfless break ups. But boy, did it make me choked up (and kind of mad too!). Did it make me like the book less? No way. It was still fantastic, but I just don’t love when story lines go down that road and I get a little cranky.
The perfect ending was perfect. That is all. Not to say there wasn’t some serious heartache right before for a lot of reasons, but it really was perfect. From the way Jane took Grace’s advice, to how she dealt with her mother (and brother too!), and finally how she knew she felt about Caleb. I loved it!
Would I rec this? YES YES YES YES YES. If you like love stories this is a must. I am lucky enough to have a copy of book 2, Jane’s Harmony, from Atria that I plan to start tonight. Happy reading!
