Jane's Melody

A Novel (Atria)

By: Ryan Winfield

Narrated by: Emily Beresford

Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's Summary

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.

©2013 Ryan Winfield (P)2013 Ryan Winfield

Love, Love Love Jane and Caleb

I keep searching, because every once in an author surprises me. Ryan Winfield did just that. and...Janes Melody is such a book. You'll laugh, you'll cry and you will share in the pain, beauty and joy of these two. Ryan does a great job of addressing the angst surrounding older women dating younger men... it seems society may never grow up - or lose it's sexist stance. My only, only critique of this book is the rather hurried ending. They say men can't write romance! Ryan does it better, he writes real life, heartbreak and the courage to overcome these obstacles and his surrounding characters jump off the page... I own the ebook version and now the audible. I can't say enough about the value of having both versions of "treasured" books. Jane's Melody is one of my treasures. The Audible version added dimensions I thought not possible to the original book, which is beautifully written. The narrator starts out somewhat stilted, but soon finds a comfortable rhythm. I was not disappointed and I'll keep this and listen again and again over the years.

What a great love story

Any additional comments?

This was a great love story. It will make you laugh and cry right along with the characters. Ryan Winfield's writing is superb and I can't wait to read more books written by him; and the narrator did a perfect job bringing the characters to life.

AMAZING AND HEART WARMING!!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Most definitely! I would recommend this book to my family, friends, neighbors, and strangers I pass by on the street. There is something for everyone in this book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Jane's Melody?

There were too many to mention. This story addresses so many issues that regular people face every day and is so believable. The story takes hold and its near impossible to break away. Be prepared to laugh, cry, feel anger, and heart break. I can't say enough good about this book.

What does Emily Beresford bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She does great with character voices and emotion. I felt like she transported me through this journey of emotions so well that I could almost visualize the story much like a movie in my minds eye. She is a skilled narrator.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were several moments that moved me throughout the story. It was personal to me relating to the daughter and addiction because I almost lost my own several times due to drug over doses. This story addresses deep personal loss as well as self actualization and ultimately the pursuit of happiness oh and the romance is sweet and emotional too.

Any additional comments?

Ryan Winfield is a gifted writer with the literary skill that allows the reader to escape the bonds of this tortured society and be carried away to another time and place. Its almost like being a voyeur in someone's life. Its like the reader is there watching the events unfold. This book is worth a credit or to just purchase outright. It will be one I listen to over and over (as much as my heart can take it) I just cant say enough good stuff about this book. I have to work in two hours but could not stop listening and felt the need to post a review because I feel it is important to let the world know that this is a book worth listening to.

A whirlwind of emotions!

What did you love best about Jane's Melody?

I loved the happy ending! I felt so bad for Jane & Caleb when they broke up.

What other book might you compare Jane's Melody to and why?

I don't like to compare books to other books as all books are individuals. If I compared this book to so & so & someone didn't like that book, then they wouldn't like this too & that isn't fair as it's a really great book!

What does Emily Beresford bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I love Emily's ability to do so many different voices & she does them so well! It's almost as if she knows the stories by heart or lived them, she is that good! She has a very soothing voice and adds excitement at all the right places. Also, I could never pronounce everything as it was meant to be as a narrator can.

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

A tragic love story.

Any additional comments?

I absolutely love listening to books that Emily Beresford reads. This lady is so good at reading, it's like a second language to her. It is so relaxing & exciting at the same time! The author of Jane's Melody did an awesome job at writing this story. Ryan Winsfield pulled me in from tragedy, to love, to losing love, to death, and then the happy ending I wanted so badly!
Great job!!! 5 stars

EMOTIONAL BUT REWARDING LISTEN

Really enjoyed JANE'S MELODY~a tale of loss, love, and a second chances. Jane and Caleb's journey made me cry and smile. The narration by Emily Berisford was just wonderful. This is my first Ryan Winfield listen but will not be my last. Was very happy to read that the sequel, JANE'S HARMONY, will soon be available as I did not want this story to end....

Audiobook provided for an honest review.

Beautiful Love Story With A Twist

I loved the storyline of this book a long with the narrator's voice. Emily Beresford did a great job of bringing Caleb and Jane's love story to life. This was a hard audiobook to put on pause.

Disappointed

Would you try another book from Ryan Winfield and/or Emily Beresford?

Not from this author.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I actually skipped to the last 20 minutes to find out the ending because I couldn't take listening to all the sex stuff.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No because it would be "R" rated.

Any additional comments?

I think the author had a great story idea but totally ruined it with all of the sex in it. I was going to try his trilogy next but after not being able to listen to this book any more, I don't think I will.

Bogs down and goes nowhere

This one had a lot of positive attributes. The loss of a child has a shattering effect on a parent; I can't imagine the pain involved in losing one of my children. There is also the addiction component which opens up a great many possibilities. Then there was the hook; the older woman younger man relationship which holds a special place for me.
For awhile I was very into this one and was planning on getting the followup. Unfortunately this audio quickly devolved in a series of cliches; it was as if the author hadn't thought past the setup and tried to slog through the midpoint of the work without any real plan. After an hour or two of this I gave up on it and moved on. I have no idea how the story worked out and I had no interest in finding out. The who, when, why, where and how it got to that final climatic scene were bypassed as well. Out of loyalty to a plot with a personal connection I awarded this one three stars; it was a gift. My daughter and I usually pick these selections as a team and I had to do a lot of selling to convince her on this one. It's gonna be awhile before I hear the end of this; snotty brat, I have no idea where she gets it.

I LAUGHED AND I CRIED...

What made the experience of listening to Jane's Melody the most enjoyable?

My most enjoyable experience of listening to Jane's Melody was just listening.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Jane's Melody?

One of the most memorable moments that I loved in Jane's Melody was when Jane realized that she was in love with Caleb and she went after him after he left to tell him that she loved him.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Jane sees Caleb at Melody's grave in the rain and she gives him a special trinket of Melody's.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. I couldn't ... unfortunately.

Loss and Hope

this book was very engaging and I couldn't stop listening to it. The narrator did an excellent job convey the tone and emotion of this book. I will list my issues, but I want to be clear that I really liked the book, the story, the flow and the characters. It was pretty well written but it just felt a little incomplete, that's all.

Jane McKinney decided to piece together the last year of her daughter Melody's life before Melody died. She tried to connect with any of Melody's friends and she ran into a young guitar player who seemed to have a connection to Melody.

Jane invited the young Caleb Cummings to her home in hopes of getting Caleb to tell Jane all he could share about his time with Melody. She offers Caleb a job as her gardener so Caleb could feel like he was earning his keep.

Jane quickly found herself attracted to Caleb, who was 15 years her junior at 25 years old. Plus, with Caleb's connection to Melody, it just didn't seem like a good idea for Jane and Caleb to become involved. But soon, they can't help themselves as their attraction grows everyday.

Two people who had been in a lot of pain, found comfort in each other, and they had to decide if this was something to balm their current hurts or if they had something that was lasting?

I really liked this book but I always felt a little something was missing. First of all, I kept waiting for more information on Melody AND the family. I realize this book was about Jane's journey, but Melody was a huge part of this walk and I would have liked more background information on Melody's illness, Jane's parents and John. There was so much animosity there and it was just glossed over by the author. Also, the perfection of a 25 yr old homeless boy was a tad too unbelievable. Don't get me wrong. I loved Caleb. But he kept the place nice, he cooked, he was sweet and always had the most supportive words...yea, the only thing he was lacking was a halo.

I also wanted a little more with Grace and Bob. Especially since Grace preached the no-secret thing, I just felt that the author should have delved into that friendship a little more.

With all that said, I can't wait to see the next phase of Jane's journey as she starts anew.