Grace Note

A Cake Series Novel

De: J. Bengtsson

Narrado por: Andi Arndt, Zachary Webber

I’m the privileged youngest child of the famous McKallister family. He’s a runaway foster kid living rough. We were never meant to meet. This is where our story begins. It’s nowhere near how it ends.

Grace

The beat. The cheers. The thrill of the unknown. I shouldn’t leave the safety of the music arena—my last name is McKallister, after all, and I’m intimately familiar with worst-case scenarios. But I’m drawn by the talent and the turmoil behind the weary eyes of the drummer on the streets. I’ve never seen anyone my age as wild and unrestrained, a lightning bolt of electricity that never hits the same spot on his bucket drums twice. He plays with such confidence, such rage. I have to know who he is and where he learned to bang out drum solos like he owns the night. I want to help him. No, to save him. If only Rory will let me.

Rory

When I play, I’m in my element. I know how to draw a crowd and how to keep them riveted. For a small period of time every day, I’m special. Talented. Going somewhere. Little do they know I’m going back to nothing: no family, no friends, no roof over my head. When the music ends, I fade into the background like the undesirable I am. And then she shows up, so pretty and polished and pure. I don’t expect her to stay and talk. I definitely don’t expect her to sit down on the sidewalk and drum a song onto my thigh. Yet here she is—anyone’s ultimate dream girl—promising to save me. Too bad Grace stumbled upon me a decade too late.

A bonus epilogue was written a month after the audiobook was completed. To read, please go to my website: jbengtssonbooks.com and look under the Grace Note book or audiobook for the free link.

©2023 J. Bengtsson (P)2023 J. Bengtsson

Rise of the Phoenix

I loved the continuation of the McCalister family story! You can’t go wrong with Andi and Jacob narrating!

I absolutely loved this audio! 2023 favorite ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Grace Note is the whipped cream and cherry on top of one of my favorite series. The Cake series starts with a tragic story with the best parts of humor and a happy ending. Grace is the youngest child of the family. This her story of growing up as an easy going, yet determined kid to keep up, in a large family.

The story starts with Grace at a crossroads with a relationship and career. She experiences a situation that pushes her to make an unexpected change. It’s during this time she connects with her lost love, Rory. He is the underdog I wanted to succeed. His story of growing up and survival is a triumph after suffering. Grace and Rory were meant to be together.

While reading I felt sentimental, I cried and laughed out loud. I highlighted so many parts of this story I loved. You could read this as a stand-alone and love it. I recommend you read the rest of the series and meet the rest of the McKallister family.

Please know are difficult subjects of child abuse and homelessness, and the story telling is sensitive in how it is presented. On the opposite side this story is so endearing my heart was bursting.

Narrarators Andi Arndt and Zachary Webber were perfection!

#GraceNote
#McKallisterfamily
#survivingtothriving
#discoball
#thephoenix

Jill + Andi + Zach = Perfection!

At last, Grace Note has arrived!
The highly anticipated story of the youngest McKallister was worth every second of the wait. Jill Bengtsson has once again created magic in the form of a book! Grace and Rory's story is a second chance rockstar romance that takes us on their emotional journey to true and lasting love.

As with the other books in the series, we get to see the aftermath of Jake's kidnapping, told from another of his siblings' perspective. Because of
Grace's experience, she recognized the brokenness in Rory's eyes the first time they laid eyes on each other. Fast forward to years later, she can still sense the damaged little boy inside, and is essential to his healing and redemption.

Grace Note is narrated flawlessly by Andi Arndt and Zachary Webber. Andi, as always, delivers a beautiful masterpiece. When we chatted with Zach at Book Bonanza, he said this was on his personal list of his favorite performances. Knowing the voice actor was moved by the story, can you imagine the lasting impression it will leave on you, the listener? And it absolutely does! Jill plus Andi plus Zach equals perfection!

Grace Note is book seven in the Cake: A Love Story series. The past and present are seamlessly woven together throughout the years, and the way Jill captures such realistic human elements showcase her writing talent. We are hopeful that Michelle & Scott's story will soon be coming our way. We always adore anything that Jill writes!

*Please remember to check your content and trigger warnings.
The Cake series deals with topics that may be sensitive to some readers.

Ending the series on a high note.

I can't sing enough praises for Grace Note. I finished the story days ago and I am still struggling with the review. I can't quite figure out how to express how much I enjoyed the story. How do I say that Grace Note has left a lasting impression? How do I express how Rory's story is inspirational and although a story of fiction, we can all learn from his past?

The story had me feeling so many emotions, good and bad. Grace Note was a rollercoaster of the unexpected. But that final chapter....I think it is my favorite ending of all time. I didn't realize how much I missed all of the McKallister antics until I read Grace Note. Of course, now I am listening to all of the other books. I guess what I want to say is that Grace Note has left a lasting impression on my heart.

My heart beats louder because of Grace and Rory. They are from opposite sides of LA. Grace is the youngest McKallister, writing songs and attending college. Rory is the lost boy, struggling to survive the streets of LA. Grace finds him preforming on his paint buckets near a concert venue. Sparks fly. They just clicked. They are drawn together by an invisible pull.

Grace and Rory's story is not a simple one, but it is a dramatic one. Rory's history is disturbing, gut wrenching. His survival is an inspiration. His determination is to be admired. They are a couple showing that a strong, supportive partner can help heal what is broken. I closed the book knowing that Grace and Rory would always remain in my heart and I am okay with that.

07/11/23 finished off a binge listen of the Cake series with Grace Note. What a wonderful way to finish off the series.

Last Piece of the Cake

They are very few authors out there that can write a series and have the last book be just as good as the first. J. Bengtsson is one of them. Im in awe of how each sibling has such
a different personality. I feel so close to all these characters. and I hope for more books within the Cake world in the future.

LOVE CAKE series but this one traumatized me

I was so excited for Grace Note. I am a HUGE fan of the CAKE series and J Bengsston. I excitedly relistened for the umpteenth time to books 1-6 in anticipation and was left disappointed by Grace Note. I remain a huge fan and don’t dispute the quality of the writing. It’s just that this particular book isn’t for me. Here’s why 1. It’s been days since I finished and I’m still haunted in a negative way. 2. Part of what makes this series and Js writing so impactful is the delicate balance of gut wrenching content with joy and laughter so the harder stuff doesn’t level you. 3. In Grace Note the dose of gut wrenching was way too high and the dose of joy/laughter too low. The hits just kept coming and the child sex abuse was too detailed. Sometimes I felt like I’d been punched in the stomach, and I don’t have personal history of this or know someone close to me who was. Jake’s story of abuse while horrific, includes just enough detail to illustrate what he went through, but not so much that I felt physically ill through multiple descriptions. I needed more McKallister shenanigans and time spent on how they absorbed Rory and showed him their brand of family. There was some of this more heartwarming content, but not enough. I thought long and hard before writing this review because I am such a fan. But if there’s someone out there who might feel traumatized as I still do days after reading this, I want to forewarn them. I am thrilled for J that so many people are leaving such positive reviews. They are well earned. Grace Note just wasn’t for me.

Loved it

Another amazing book! Amazing writing, narration, characters! I didn’t want it to end. Please write more books.

Love this author and narrators

I have lived all her books and this one is no different. Thank you! Can’t wait for the next one

Love

I love this whole series. This book doesn’t disappoint! I just wish this author would come out with more books more often!

All the feels

I was a little nervous about this one because I had a feeling things were going to be rough for Rory living on the streets. And yes, there were parts that were difficult to hear but overall it made the story that much more impactful. I love seeing Grace come into her own as the youngest McKallister and seeing all of the family members and their spouses from the previous books.