The Longing

By: Bridget Essex

Narrated by: Lynn Devereux

Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Sydney is haunted by her past.

Raised by a strict, religious family, she was sent to gay conversion therapy as a teenager when she was caught kissing a girl. Now only 19, she's trying to start over with a new life and a new name, but you can't escape the past....

Caroline is the most stunning woman Sydney has ever seen. Every night, Sydney hears her singing from her apartment window, and every night, Sydney's heart aches with something indescribable. When Caroline offers singing lessons, Sydney jumps at the chance to be in the captivating woman's presence...but her desire for Caroline can't be hidden. And Caroline is over twice her age.

Through Caroline's gentle instruction, Sydney finds her voice again. The broken girl feels like she's starting to mend. But her infatuation with Caroline is reaching a fevered pitch....

Will Sydney lose everything if Caroline finds out the girl is in love with her?

Provocative, passionate and achingly raw, The Longing, the latest romance from best-selling author Bridget Essex, explores the unbreakable human heart in a love story that you'll never forget.

©2017 Bridget Essex, Rose and Star Press (P)2017 Bridget Essex, Rose and Star Press

Excellent Audio!

I enjoyed The Longing. It is a story of raising yourself up, no matter where you start from. A younger woman smitten with an older woman plot. Lynn Devereux did an excellent job with the narration.

Surprisingly different

I love Ms. Essex novels and I’ve read almost all of them. This one is decidedly different from her other novels, but in a good way. It seemed perhaps more personal. Or maybe I’m just grateful it’s not my own story as with my upbringing it very easily could have been.

The Longing review

This was captivating overall. Had a likable main character and interesting plot. Enjoyed the narration.

Embracing her true self

A story that I'm certain will strike a chord with many! As Sydney learns to traverse the world on her own, alone except her dog Max, and afraid she finds strength and beauty in the world around her and within herself. Despite a difficult past and being subjected to being told her attraction to girls was wrong and therefore she was wrong, she finds her voice and strength in Caroline. After embracing her true self, she plans to lead "the gayest, happiest life".

My only criticism is that it took the entire book for the two main characters to finally come together and share their feelings for one another.

The narrator had great balance between the different character voices and had a very soothing cadence. I look forward to hearing more narrated by her.

I received a free audible code through a Facebook group giveaway and am providing my honest review voluntarily.

Tortured but sweet story

Good job on keeping the story hopeful thru all the emotional obstacles. Wish she'd taken us thru a sex scene as I'm so curious how it a actually went down.

best book Bridget Essex has written

such a well thought out book about the queer experience. I love how she included themes of PTSD, self worth, gay rejection and experiences with disapproval and violence, and at the end of it all romance. it reminds us how our society still has long to go and we can't forget that, but there is still hope.

Haunting story

A story of self discovery. Sydney is gay, and has suffered under a religious family who forced her into gay conversion therapy. This caused her PSTD, and denial of her feelings towards other women. This story of discovery and finding courage is timeless and many can relate. Sydney is a loaner living only with her dog until Caroline moves into her complex. Sydney is instantly attracted to her, but she struggles with her past. Sydney slowly comes to realize being gay isn't the worst thing in the world, and that she can be happy. Toward the end of the book Sydney and Caroline finally share their feelings of attraction for each other.

I do wish that Sydney and Caroline had more time together as a couple in the book.

The narrator is new to me, and she did an outstanding job.

Gave me anxiety

i couldn't finish it. Maaybe it has a happy ending or a great moral but It stressed me out too much.

Depends What You’re Looking For

The key tenant for writers is “Show, Don’t Tell”. Getting readers/listeners involved in the characters and story requires some sort of emotional connection; it’s a writers job to provide those connections. The Longing could have been a great book but the exposition-heavy prose allows little room for feeling the effects of the protagonist‘s, and other primary characters, past. The story presents many issues that scream for some dramatic interaction, but there is little of that here: we are told what happenED instead of being allowed into the inner workings of the characters and experiencing events with them.