Anything for You

By: Kristan Higgins

Narrated by: Amy Rubinate

Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's Summary

Before you get down on bended knee...you should be pretty darn sure the answer will be yes.

For 10 years, Connor O'Rourke has been waiting for Jessica Dunn to take their on-again, off-again relationship public, and he thinks the time has come. His restaurant is thriving, she's got her dream job at Blue Heron Vineyard - it's the perfect time to get married. When he pops the question, however, her answer is a fond but firm no. If it ain't broke, why fix it?

Jess has her hands full with her younger brother, who's now living with her full time, and a great career after years of waitressing. What she and Connor have is perfect: friends with an excellent benefits package. Besides, with her difficult past (and reputation), she's positive married life isn't for her. But this time Connor says it's all or nothing. If she doesn't want to marry him, he'll find someone who does. Easier said than done, given that he's never loved anyone but her. And maybe Jessica isn't quite as sure as she thinks.

©2016 Kristan Higgins (P)2016 Recorded Books

So Glad I found Kristan Higgins

I loved this book and all of Ms. Higgins' books on Audible. Please keep them coming, I have become addicted to Amy Rubinate and Xe Sands narrating abilities. They make the books come alive and very believable.

Worth the wait

Kristan Higgins has written the perfect follow up for her series based in Manningsport, New York. In this edition, Connor O'Rourke has been in an on again/off again secret relationship with Jessica Dunn. He has been in love with her since they were in grade school and her brother's dog attacked him and his sister Colleen.

The book opens with Connor proposing to Jessica and her turning him down. Then the reader is taken on an emotional journey through the last twenty years of their lives together and apart. Jessica is solely responsible for her younger brother with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Davey, since the day he was born, as both of their parents are practicing alcoholics.

This is a great series and I have loved each and every story. In Anything for You, the characters from all of the other books make cameo appearances so the reader catches up with their lives (Jack and Emmaline are still my favorites).

Amy Rubinate is a great narrator and one of my favorites.

Unfortunately, 'A Reader Beware' for me

I love Kristan Higgins and pretty much have given 4-star reviews for all the books in the Blue Heron series. Ms. Higgins is one of my go-to authors when I am feeling nostalgic and need a light "listen." I have had "Anything For You" in my Wish List but have avoided getting it because I was wary of the not so flattering reviews about this book and didn't really want to dislike Connor nor Jessica - characters that were introduced in some earlier books. The writing as always is solid, hence my 3 star review.

Amy Rubinate's narration raised my overall rating to a 3. It was the 2-star plot that spanned 20 years of "push and pull" on Jessica's part that disappointed me. I seem to remember Jessica to be a strong character in one of the earlieer books. Unfortunately, in her own book she seemed to have become indecisive, while Connor letting Jessica do this to him for 20 years did not endear him to me either. The HEA wrapped the story up nicely (hence the 2 star) but I disliked Jessica for almost 75% of the book, I couldn't fully enjoy it.

Pleasantly Surprised!

First book from Kristan Higgins for me and I loved it! Great story. I just downloaded another book by Higgins. I think I found another great author!

Finally--Connor's book!

CONNOR'S BOOK!!!

I have been waiting (not-so-patiently) for Connor's book ever since his twin Colleen's book (Waiting On You) came out ages ago. (To be honest, I think I've been waiting for it since he first graced the pages of the first Blue Heron series book--but my need became more urgent while reading Colleen's book.) Ms. Higgins is a cruel, cruel writer--teasing us (and Colleen) with a possible relationship drama in Connor's life but denying us the details.

And then making us wait through TWO OTHER BOOKS.

Which naturally were awesome, because they're Kristan Higgins books, but still. I needed me some Connor O'Rourke!

And I finally got him--yay! Anything for You was soooo worth the wait, thank goodness!

Poor Connor definitely had to work for his HEA, which it turns out he'd been trying to do since sixth grade, when he first fell for Jessica Dunn. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't at all a "meet cute"--it was more a "meet pretty horrific"--and its repercussions were going to haunt him literally for years to come.

The book starts with his proposal to Jessica, whom he's been secretly dating for quite some time. She turns him down, rather blase about it, and I spent the next 2/3 or so of the book mentally glaring at her every time she showed up. How could she be so cruel? It's Connor O'Rourke. (Have I mentioned I love him? Yes? I'll just continue on then, shall I?) Ms. Higgins takes us on a tour of their relationship up to that point, starting with that first early meeting and then bringing us back up to the present day. We gradually come to see why Jessica's turned him down so definitely (though neither Connor nor I was very accepting of it still) and the story continues on from there. Somehow Connor just got even better as the story went on, and eventually I stopped glaring at Jessica quite so much.

By the end, I wasn't even looking askance at her.

Ms. Higgins eventually gives them their HEA, and it's glorious. There was so much that the two of them had to work though--both individually and together--and she did a stellar job giving us a great story and dealing with some pretty heavy issues: the long-term repercussions of alcoholism and fetal alcohol syndrome, forgiving family members that have done the unforgivable, the way your teenaged past never seems to truly go away when you live in a small town, and more. Once again this book put me in the middle of the book lover's favorite dilemma: wanting to keep reading the book you're loving so much because you love it so much, yet wanting time to slow down as you do so because you just don't want it to come to an end.

Ever. (Happy sigh!)

The audio version was well done--the same narrator has read other books in the series, and she does a nice job.

If you've read the other series books, everyone is back for this one--Colleen, as Connor's twin and business partner, has a major role and goes through a major life-changing event during the course of the novel. It's like visiting once again with old friends. (If you haven't read the rest, it should work fine as a standalone, but why? Why haven't you read the rest???) I'm really going to miss Manningsport, since this is apparently the last book in the series (Sob! Though surely Ned Vanderbeek and Sarah Cooper have story-worthy drama, Ms. Higgins? Seeing as how her brother's the police chief and all?) though I'm sure whatever she writes from here on in will be awesome too.

Even though, you know, Connor won't be in it.

In the meantime, I think I'll re-read Colleen's book, which will be all the more entertaining because now I KNOW what's going on with Connor behind the scenes.

But Colleen still won't. :D

Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A

Unique.

Excellent story as always from Kristan Higgins. Her writing is fresh, funny and delightful every read and reread. This story's construction is unique. Loved it.

Narrator sounds like a robot

This narrator is hard to listen to because she sounds like the computer voice that tells you to “Press 0 for Customer Service.” It ruins the story, couldn’t get past the first few pages.

Boring

Have you listened to any of Amy Rubinate’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Amy's performance was great as usual. No complaints there.

Any additional comments?

I like Kristan Higgins and I loved the Best Man book from this series but I could barely make it through this book. I skipped many of the chapters just to get through it. I like Connor but couldn't stand Jessica and their relationship.

Very romantic and sweet book!

This book was excellent! The characters love story seemed realistic and the love that Jessica has for her brother is so true! Great feel good book!

Love Endures All

What did you love best about Anything for You?

I admired Jessica's commitment to her younger brother, her strength, her determination to better her life situation. Jessica's love for Conner and his for her.

What other book might you compare Anything for You to and why?

I cannot think of another book I can recall reading/listening that I can compare this book with.

Have you listened to any of Amy Rubinate’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, I have listened to other books in the Blue Heron series and this narration by Amy Rubinate is as good as the others. I like Amy's even tone when narrating. I find her voice understandable and soothing to listen to.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Love is Worth the Wait