A Love Letter to Whiskey: Fifth Anniversary Edition

By: Kandi Steiner

Narrated by: Hannah Chiclana, Lauren Sweet, Edward Black

Length: 15 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

An Amazon Top 10 and International Best-Selling Phenomenon....

Celebrate five years of sweet, angsty pain with this special edition of A Love Letter to Whiskey by Kandi Steiner.

This Edition Features:

• A forward from the author
• A Love Letter to Whiskey
• Love, Whiskey (a brand new novella from Jamie's point of view - 50,000 words of new content, including an extended epilogue)
• Bonus content including letters from the author, fun facts and behind the scenes, as well as a note from the audiobook narrator
• Brand new special edition cover

I saw him first.
But it didn’t matter.
Because he saw her.

He was my best friend, and I was his.
We couldn't be together, but we couldn't stand to be apart.

And if you're not truly lovers...but you're so much more than friends...what exactly are you?

©2016, 2021 Kandi Steiner (P)2021 Kandi Steiner

I love Whiskey

Wow, this is my 2nd Kandi Steiner book I have read. The first book I read by her I really enjoyed but this book just gives you the feels down the the bones. It rivals one of my other all time favorites book(s), The Lost Fishman by Jewel E Ann. Both books have this crushing love story that strongly rivals Noah and Ali from The Notebook. I love the characters and I love their growth. I can already see this book becoming a movie in mind and I hope one day it does. Kandi you kill it, thank you so much for bringing your readers this little piece of magic.

BEWARE if you didn’t read the previous edition

I had very high hopes for this book and bought the audiobook and ebook separately (they weren’t available as an add-on where you could switch from listening to reading, so not only was it really expensive, it was also difficult to change modes and I had to pay full price for each). From the blurbs, it sounded like a new release of a book I missed 5 years ago, with added material from the male POV and an expanded ending.

While the first couple of chapters were quite good, after B and Jamie decide to hang out as friends ( he’s dating her best friend), the very next scene is from his POV TWO YEARS LATER. No explanation. No clue about what happened. I thought maybe it was a style choice and the author would go back, but nope. She just cut out all that material, I guess assuming that everyone who’d bought this had already read her first edition and remembered it. Not even a summarized review. And nothing to warn you before you buy it! I definitely WOULD NOT have wasted my money on both electronic and audiobook versions if I’d known original material that is crucial to the plot was cut to make space for new stuff. And I did check the page counts … the “new” book is longer, so I guessed everything was still there. I’m here to tell you it isn’t. I got ahold of a friends old, original version just to look (and make sure I wasn’t crazy), and sure enough right after she decides to accept rides from him, there’s a huge split.

While this book looks amazing and I really want to read and listen to it, I can’t afford to shell out the money for both versions right before Christmas. I strongly suggest that the author makes the anniversary edition all inclusive for new readers. This is the first book I’ve tried to read by her, and I wish I could finish it, but with either version right now I know I’d be missing out.

Otherwise, the writing and performance that I did read/hear are wonderful. But I’ll be asking for a refund, so am not going to finish and won’t know what happens :(

Beautiful love story

One of the best Love stories I have ever read!!! It captured me from the very beginning. My emotions were everywhere with this book and as frustrating as it would get, it was worth it. ❤️

Drama!

This book is a whole story of miscommunication and messiness. And I couldn’t put it down. B made a lot of dumb mistakes but so did Jamie. It was right person wrong time, but also right person but I’m going to make you wait will I make dumb decisions because I know you will wait for me. Even if it hurts both of us. That is what this book is about. It’s all drama and angst, but what a ride Jamie and B takes you on! My only complaint is the constant references to whiskey and addictions in every chapter. I got it the first 5 chapters, and didn't the repetition.

Just absolutely wonderful… breathtaking… && outstanding

I love this book every bit of it…
It kept me on my toes all the chapters of their love story never letting us know how it would play out… so many tears shed
Such a wonderfully written love story

Truly Heart-touching!

A Love Letter to Whiskey: Fifth Anniversary Edition
By Kandi Steiner
Book and Audiobook Review
Audiobook narrated by Lauren Sweet

B and Jamie? Wow! Throughout A Love Letter to Whiskey, you will find many raw emotions surrounding the main characters. What will be the outcome of their powerful connection, as told from both perspectives?

For me, this was both a challenging and enjoyable read. We all have that one person we love passionately. However, we may or may not ever have them, no matter how much we cherish them and how addicted we are to their touch. I think that's what makes this book so compelling and relatable. Despite the gut-wrenching pain of relationships, the reader cannot ignore the poignant moments and intense connection between B and Jamie.

Whether in fiction or in real life, A Love Letter to Whiskey remains an unforgettable reminder of love's power. It made me feel raw, painful, beautiful, agonized, and vulnerable. After reading Kandi Steiner's words, I realized that love and memories always touch us when we least expect them.

I listened to the audiobook while reading the book on my Kindle. I highly recommend this book/audiobook to anyone looking for an emotional journey. It's a story that will stay with you long after you've finished it. The audiobook is beautifully narrated by Lauren Sweet. The characters are well-developed and real, and the themes of family, loyalty, and friendship resonate with me.

I hated how much I loved B and Jaime.

B annoyed me I wanted to come through the book and knock some sense into her. Jaime also same feeling. But this book is ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ IN MY LIFE! If anyone ever reads this I highly recommend listening to it, you will not be disappointed. Honestly now that it’s done I’m a little depressed. Just please do yourself a favor and read/listen to it. The ups and down of their relationship will make you laugh,cry,anger you just like it did me. But in the end it’s so worth it.

Such an emotional rollercoaster

This book had me all in my feels the whole time! B and Jamie are goals!!! It’s horrible that their story had to have so many trials and tribulations but it was worth every single one. The story was enthralling and the performance was absolutely wonderful. This is a book I will definitely listen to again and again and highly recommend

Very consuming!

Loved the plot! Crying at the end! Best story so far this Summer
Highly recommended

I’m now a whiskey girl

To say this book absolutely crushed me is an understatement but it did it in the best way possible. Everything about it was so incredibly perfect, I fell in love with the characters even though they were frustrating and flawed, I cried with them and laughed with them. It’s the best thing I have read/listened to in a long time.

one for the angst lovers

I have been meaning to read this book for a long time and when the audio for the 5th anniversary edition came out with the extra content I had to finally get this book ticked off my TBR.

It's an emotional rollercoaster and one most angst lovers will enjoy reading or listening to! This was my first listen to the narrators used for the book and I really enjoyed their performances portraying B and Jamie.

I think the new epilogue really rounds out the story well and is a worthy addition to the novel. I will be relistening to this one again in the future.

Oh the heartache

ALLTW is one of the reads that completely gutted me the first time I read it and now being able to listen in audio format and also get the added pieces from Jamie’s POV…it was amazing. Like the book I also highly recommend the audible version too!!

Overlong and toxic!

I love angsty books but this?! Ugh! This one left me with a very bad taste!

Not only was it an extremely toxic relationship, there was unnecessary shock drama about B's dad which was completely unrealistic! I also didn’t quite believe the Angel saga. I've never heard about this happening and if it did, I'm sure there would be a furore! Nah! Too far fetched for my liking. In any event, we were left hanging as in so many other situations throughout the book!

I appreciate that the author went to the trouble of writing Jamie's POV and an epilogue, but it was merely a repeat and didn't really add to the story. Less is more. I wish writers would remember this! I much preferred Edward Black's narration and it would simply have been better to incorporate his POV throughout the story.

I know it would have taken extra work, but as it was, I was so bored by the end and frankly didn’t care about either Jamie or B (who was a spoilt and selfish pain in the a**). I just wanted to get to the end of an overlong and repetitive book. Shame!

This read just wasn’t for me!

I didn’t like this story, at all! The only reason it was a DNF for me was because I agreed to listen and review the audio. Steiner is one of my favorite authors but this book killed me and not in a pleasant way.

One of my biggest dislikes within romance books is cheating and that’s basically all this story was. Two selfish people who kept making the exact same mistake over and over again, deceiving and ruining things for everyone in their path. Jamie and Brecks deserved each other because they were both as toxic as they come. I certainly felt bad for B’s back story but other than that, I couldn’t stand either main character.

I wanted the story to redeem itself as the characters grew older... for them to stop self sabotaging. But it never happened. Despite getting older and and hopefully more mature, they stayed immature and selfish. Then the book just ended weirdly with a book written by the heroine. No HEA or even a HFN. The epilogue helped clear up some of the ending but if you don’t read epilogues, you were left hanging!

I didn’t find that I needed Jamie’s POV which was added to this 5th anniversary edition. However, it was insightful.

The narration was okay. I liked the male narrator more than either female.

Incredible

‘ 𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫.’

I read the original A Love Letter to Whiskey years ago, and when I tell you it seared me down to my soul, that’s no joke. That burn that B tells you about? I felt it. Steiner’s writing is evocative, and ALLTW is the masterpiece that gave her this forever fan.
But, as with all addictions, I wanted more. I wanted to know Jamie’s side of the story. It felt as though it were crucial.
With this anniversary edition, my need was dated, and Jamie’s perspective was as incredible and heartfelt as the original.
I adored this, in every single possible way.

The narrators brought these well-loved characters to life, and I forgot that I was listening to a book at all. The emotion that they gave in their performance made me feel as though I was a bystander, listening to someone’s great love story.

Toxic love might be my favourite

When I first read this way back in March 2018, I didn't know how it would stick with me. 4 years and some change later, after listening to the 5th anniversary edition and hearing/reading segments of Jamie's POV, I've increased the rating for this epic, slow burn angst filled masterpiece. If heartbreak and drama, mixed with the signature Steiner magic is your thing, I implore you to read this famous work. You won't regret it. I never did. I volunteered to listen to a complimentary copy of this. All opinions are my own.

Angsty and well written

This is an angsty coming of age novel showcasing the romantic struggles between B and Jamie. While they were absolutely in love with each other, the realization of the depth of their feelings came during the times with the other was involved with others. Fair warning...If you're like me and cheating is a problem, cheating is involved. But the angst, the love, the need for each other rises to the top.

A lot of their behavior is pretty immature but given the age when these two started their journey together, from high school to college and on, this is kind of expected. If you want a great love story where they stay faithful with each other through the years, this isn't it. This is real, authentic, painful and yet, the love does shine through. I have to admit that the angst got overwhelming after what felt like the thousandth crises that tore them apart. However, it was beautifully written and I recognize that just because it isn't my usual jam, it totally drew out all the emotion.

I lived through this story through the audiobook and I did not read the initial story but rather, the 5th anniversary edition was my first foray into this book. First off, I thought the narration was good. Featuring Hannah Chiclana, Lauren Sweet (the original narrator for the story), Edward Black (The additional parts from Jamie's POV), the narration drew me into the story. Also, the addition of Jamie's POV was excellent- it was a bit repetitive but I prefer knowing what each side is thinking so I was happy that the author updated the story to include this perspective. Overall, I was happy to have experienced this book through this great narration.