Sweet Memory

The Painted Daisies, Book 1

By: LJ Evans

Narrated by: Neill Thorne, Michelle H. Lee

Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

“You make me forget to be anxious. You make me feel like I’m enough.”

“You’re not just enough. You’re everything.”

Nineteen-year-old never-been-kissed keyboardist Paisley Kim has gotten good at hiding things, including the panic attacks she experiences before she steps on stage with her high-profile band, The Painted Daisies.

To her bandmates, she’s still the baby, the one who needs protecting. But to troubled bad boy Jonas Riccoli, she’s the hope for a future he never thought possible, and he’s much more than a boy she befriends at the studio. But their long-awaited reunion and the ensuing sparks are destroyed when Paisley’s sister is found murdered.

When signs point to Jonas’s past catching up with him, the heartbroken Paisley can’t forgive him, leaving her no choice but to walk away from her first love.

But he’s not giving up without a second chance. So when Paisley braves her fears to bait a killer, Jonas is at her side. He’ll keep her safe even if it means his own destruction.

©2023 LJ Evans (P)2023 Podium Audio

Outstanding!

What a tremendous way to start a new series! Sweet Memory, book one in The Painted Daisies series, is everything I had hoped it would be, but so much more. Ms. Evans has not only given us the incredible and endearing love story of Paisley and Jonas; she has also crafted a masterful mystery with an impressive list of suspects we are only beginning to learn about. The suspense of this book was captivating!

One of my favorite things about all of Ms. Evans's books is the way in which she crafts her characters, and how she allows us to get to know them, to like and then love them, as she builds their stories. In Sweet Memory, she gives us Paisley, "Little Bit", the youngest of The Painted Daisies all-female rock band, and Jonas, a young up-and-coming music producer with a troubled past. Their love story is sweet, and then sad, and then overwhelmingly beautiful, as they lift the other up with acceptance, encouragement, and unconditional love. As much as I am so in love with both of them, I am also so invested in almost every other character in this book. (Even some who I did not like at some point in the book). Each of the Daisies will find their way into your heart, and I look forward to learning more about each one of them in their own upcoming stories.

The audio performance of Neill Thorne and Michelle H. Lee was exceptional! I love the author’s choice of using ownvoices narrator for each of the Daisies. Michelle H. Lee did a wonderful job narrating Paisley Kim.

I highly recommend Sweet Memory! It's a beautiful love story, and a fantastic mystery, I'll not soon forget!

Sensational!

An absolute ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star page turner! Sweet Memories managed to surpass my expectations AND be nothing at all like I expected. A sob inducing plot twist that was so completely unexpected it left me momentarily stunned. This book pushed and pulled at my heart and my emotions the entire read. It is angsty and MESMERIZING! The push and pull, back and forth is indescribable. This story brings adrenaline rushes together with an emotionally intense situation. The chemistry between Paisley & Jones is off the charts. I. Loved. Every. Minute. Of. This. Book.

Michelle H. Lee & Neill Thorne do an amazing job portraying the characters, bringing them to life and humanizing them with their emotions, attitude and personality.

Long and predictable

This book was entirely too long too predictable and not a great story. I feel like I wasted a credit and won’t continue on with the rest of the series.