Something Like Spring

Something Like..., Book 4

By: Jay Bell

Narrated by: Kevin R. Free

Length: 17 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's Summary

Nothing in this world is permanent. Friends, lovers, even family can all disappear in the blink of an eye. Without these anchors, it's all too easy to find oneself drifting.

Jason Grant doesn't have much, aside from a beat-up old guitar and knack for getting kicked out of foster homes. His latest placement is set to be just another in a long line of failures. Then he meets Caesar Hubbard, a handsome guy who lives down the hall. For the first time in his life, Jason wants to stay, which means learning to be part of a family, and not letting his feelings - or his actions - ruin his first real chance of falling in love.

Something Like Spring introduces a new character to the Seasons story, one with a troubled past and an equally turbulent future. Jason must traverse a winding road fraught with emotional conflicts and tough decisions - a road that might just lead to a certain couple in Austin.

©2014 Jay Bell (P)2015 Jay Bell

Closure . . .sort of

Just amazing. So with this book we come full circle with Tim and Ben and am introduced to Jason Grant and others who will show up on future books. Jason is a wonderful young man that starts off as a jaded, but remarkably laid back, foster case for Michelle (Jace's sister). They forge a special bond as she seeks a family for him. My only issue with Jason is he just doesn't seem to know his worth and keeps just "putting up" with stuff instead of demanding what he wants. Although primarily about Jason's journey and search for love, we are treated with all our old friends from previous books. Except for Victor, thank god; I'm sorry I'm still really mad at him. But I digress. Not all the old friends are good ones and there is some drama. This book has trademark Jay Bell wonderful writing and storytelling; yes it is possible to love more than one person. But this one is a lot lighter than the previous books. Don't get me wrong, tears do flow, especially in the last 20% of the book; but they are happy tears. I so glad that Kevin R Free continues to narrate this series. He does his usual amazing job. All and all, it is Something Like Wonderful.

After Winter must come Spring...

What did you love best about Something Like Spring?

Ben and Tim! Lol, I loved the plot of the story and that it introduced us to a completely new story in the series as well as expanded on Ben and Tim's story.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Something Like Spring?

Ryan shooting Tim. At first, I felt like it was unnecessary to reintroduce Ryan into the series. But, I understood that he was a catalyst for Jason realizing his feelings for Ben and Tim. I thought that Cesar was going to be the Paramedic that came to the scene to take Tim to the hospital, but that wasn't the case.

What about Kevin R. Free’s performance did you like?

Kevin has been consistent throughout the series.

If you could rename Something Like Spring, what would you call it?

I would've named this book Something Like Home. Yea, I know it's cliche but, Jason was always sort of in search of a family and home and he finally found that towards the end.

Any additional comments?

Throughout Spring, there was a feeling that the characters in this book sort of paralleling the characters of Summer. For instance, Jason was our Ben, Cesar was our Tim, and William was our Jace. I've always been a fan of Tim (he's my favorite character) but I did not like Cesar one bit from the beginning. Vice versa, i wasn't that much of a fan of Jace, but I loved William, especially for Jason. I feel that Jay wanted to give all of the TeamJace fans there Ben/Jace HEA even if it wasn't really them. I really enjoyed this book. It was a great way to end the series, even though I feel that there could be more to explore in Ben and Tim's new family.

I’m speechless

After watching the movie (something like summer) cause my friend thought I would enjoy it, I found myself buying the whole book series. The first three books I fell in love with, but this book here. This book is my favorite so far! The author has me hooked into their lives and with this book having close to the present. I felt even close to the characters as Jason was a whole new character invited in. I saw myself just giving this book five stars, but instead wrote a whole review. This shows me and hopefully others how amazing this book is.

WOW they happy tears are flowing... spoiler below

Wow , I cried at the other books in the series for different reasons in each book. But I really cried at the ending of this book. I was adopted at a early age but when I hear /read/listen to thing about foster kids I always cry. But man I had deep ugly cry over the ending of this book, in a good way of course but man I had no idea this was coming. I almost stopped listening to this book and thought that perhaps the series had finally jumped the shark and not worth listening to any longer. I am glad I gave in and kept going. Jay Bell, man you need to stop I don't think I have more tears left.

Real

I absolutely love reading this series. I love how the characters go together. They always feels real to me, like this could have really happened. He has a way of drawing you I'm with these dept filled characters and taking the reader on the ride of life full of ups and downs. Can't wait to read through the whole series.

Bell is an amazing story teller

In a way I am glad I waited so long to try these books from the continued series. Now I binge listen. I love how Jay connects all the characters in a way that makes me smile. As a 30 something year old women, who read the original something like book 10 years ago. I’m a fan!

Amazing!!!

Made me cry, kept me on the edge of my seat, and was honestly some of the best stuff I’ve listened too!!!

A must read

Any additional comments?

Great book. I did not wanted to end. Love the narrator, does a great job. Plus the story, wow, it just sucks you in.

I’m sure I’m the outlier

I have read many of the “something like” series in the past. The only audio version I had listened to was Winter, the story from Tim’s perspective. It is my favorite of the series, and the last before Bell began seeing how many pages he could churn out. I didn’t love the narrator and I never listened to another of the group. Until now. I would have been fine if I had left it that way.

Free is a competent reader, and I will go with the assumption that someone provided guidance for his vocal choices. All narrators make gaffes, my favorite of Free’s is when he says “self depreciation” instead of “self depreciation”. However, all the things I didn’t like in Something Like Winter, such as Tim’s dopey dumb jock tone and Ben’s soft, girlish voice are on steroids in the this title.

Jason has an even more delicate tone than Ben, William is so soft spoken with a hint of lisp, Kelly is complete stereotype in the same way Alison has been portrayed. Then there’s the incredibly lispy Ryan. Emma, the 14 year old lesbian who sounds like a chain smoking diner waitress, and Tim’s grandmother - so uncomfortable to listen to the embarrassing cartoon accent she’s been given. Marcello has a kind of old queen thing going on that works pretty well, but it’s flat, flat, flat.

Then there’s the story. Initially I really liked the idea of the main story being told from three perspectives, Something Like Summer being the most concise of the three, Autumn’s tragically beautiful ending, and Winter’s fully fleshed out ending that was missing in the first book. Then came this one. It felt long, the main character Jason has a well detailed first section of his last experience in foster care. Bell smartly creates a plot that keeps some surprises throughout the book. Unfortunately the biggest surprise that Bell has created more characters in order to write more interconnected novels.

With this title begins what I saw as a the wringing of every possible penny out of the series. Ben and Tim were 90’s teens, dealing with their feeling in a community that wasn’t open to them, the stakes were high and the mistakes were huge. Ben’s parents seemed unreal, allowing him to be out all night, or having his not so secret boyfriend sleep over. But they served as contrast to Tim’s parents and moved the story along. There was so much ground to cover, these three made sense. This title, in its way does serve to complete the series. But instead of being the end, it’s a launching pad.

At 16 for Jason to have had 24 foster homes seems really unlikely. What kind of attachment issues would that kid have? Perhaps if this had been written with the more sparing hand Bell had for “…Summer” it would have been better. Listening to it, it dragged on far too long, felt longer than reading it.

The connection to Jace/Ben/Tim generally works and is easy enough to believe. Then there’s the setup to the actual love story. This gay youth group seems really odd. Why exactly would someone as prickly as Kelly be willing to attend? The romance between William and Jason is sweet enough, and Kelly makes a good foil - regardless of how soap opera villain he’s written. Caution for some spoiler(ish) stuff ahead. The abrupt shift in the story where William leaves to join the coast guard, in my opinion leaves the story adrift. Suddenly Bell is in a rush to move things along. William practically disappears. Lots of “still no texts from William” or alluding to when he was last there. William is the first of the weather series books and we spend a lot of time with a morose William in that volume, I guess we should be delighted that part of the story was left for his own book. However William’s disappearance is ludicrous after the situation that arises after Ryan returns. Again, spoiler, with a near loss of life, William makes no contact, or even mentions it when he does finally return? That, to me, was an incredible failing on Bell’s part. Then there is the whole Cesar triangle. Bell drew on the worst soap opera method, Cesar getting Jason to use the word boyfriend and in a matter of pages has William return. The whole Cesar situation was ridiculous. Jason is somewhat spineless in that he allows Cesar to manipulate him in a way that Jason hadn’t behaved before. It was even less believable knowing that Jason didn’t even want Cesar.

I did read two more in the series, William’s book, which I did not like, and the finale, Something Like Forever, which is very uneven. I skipped the other three and tried the first collection of short stories but didn’t find them very engaging.

If you loved the first three books in the series, and can stomach the narrator, then read this one for a sense of closure Ben and Tim’s story. It’s the last one I would recommend, if Williams’s story is an indicator of the other season books, no thanks. The last book doesn’t add much to the story, and in fact contains some really unfortunate side plots, along with a ridiculous ending.

prepare to cry!!

this series has brought me to tears before, but this one has made me weep like a baby. I cannot recommend this book enough! please jay bell continue to be amazing!

Great Continuation of the Story

I was a little thrown by the first few chapters, but I was quickly reminded of why I read these books.

Emotional Rollercoaster

This was an amazing addition to the story. Up and down and just when I thought two people should be together I realise they shouldn’t. Beautifully written and narrator is amazing with all characters.

a good story!

the narration was perfect as usual but the story was definitely not as good as the last three books in my opinion! still very much worth listening to though and a great addition to the Something Like series, can't wait for my next credit so I can get the next book! ahah

another wonderful bok, wonderfully read

Would you listen to Something Like Spring again? Why?

yes and already have done, about 5 times

What was one of the most memorable moments of Something Like Spring?

the epilogue, but don't skip to it, it brings together result of the wonderful build up from the previous books

Which scene did you most enjoy?

there is no 'one scene' it is wonderful from start to finish. it somehow intertwines with the past books in fact I went back and re-listened to the first three, and bits slotted in..if you asked me2 months ago if I would buy three books that told the same story I would laugh at you, but I did, and this forth one brings it all together..

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

this is one of those books that is constantly pulling your emotions in every direction and the epilogue had me in tears... whether good tears or not?? I'm not telling

Any additional comments?

all 4 of these books where made extra special due to the very talented Mr Free.. he manages to stick the 'voices to the characters' through all 4 books. I would buy and book narrated by him