Fender By Brent Jones #blogtour #bookreview #contemporaryfiction #drama #giveaway @AuthorBrentJ @Shanannigans81

I am so happy to be part of this blog tour for this great book. Brought to you by R&R Book Tours!!

 

How far must we travel to find our way home?

Nothing could have prepared Brennan Glover for the car crash that claimed the lives of his wife and six-year-old daughter. Stricken with grief, the only things that get him through each day are breaking his sobriety and clinging to Fender—the family dog and the sole survivor of the crash.

Desperate to distance Brennan from tragedy, his two closest friends take him on the cross-country road trip they had always talked about. But what begins as an effort to mend his broken heart ends up unraveling a secret that changes everything he thought he knew about his family. Can a journey of six thousand miles lead Brennan to acceptance and new beginnings?

From finding the good in an often cruel world to learning to say goodbye to those we love most, this sophomore release from author Brent Jones is sure to leave readers longing for home, wherever that may be.

Review

 

Bring your tissues for this one, like, from the very start. It will get you right in the feels, and if not, I will question if you are even human.

Brennan has just lost his wife and daughter in a horrific car crash. Wallowing in his grief along side the only survivor of the accident, Fender, Brennan’s loyal dog. When his friends propose to finally take that long talked about road trip they have been talking about since they were children, he agrees, but only if Fender can come along too.
What follows is a bittersweet and emotional journey that had me reaching for the tissues several times. We get alternating chapters, switching from Brennan’s past (meeting Rosie, getting married, having Abby) I’ll admit, these flashbacks did not endear Brennan’s late wife to me much, and a particular scene in which Rosie tries to get Brennan to get rid of the beloved Fendor cemented this fact. These chapters showed the burgeoning romance of two people meeting and falling in love for the first time and ultimately drifting apart as years passed by and their differing circumstance could no longer be ignored. Adding the fact that Brennan and Rosie were not in a great place in their marriage when she was killed, adds to the sadness of Brennan’s story.

Not being from the U.S myself, I very much enjoyed the descriptions and local history that was woven into their road trip. I could see each of their stops so clearly in my head, it made me wish I was going on a cross country road trip.

I loved Brennan’s friends Rocco and Franky. Franky is that lovable goof that never really grew up. The one who is always up for a good time, who just wants to see strippers and have a cold beer. I adored Franky the most I think. This big goofy guy who simply wanted to have the odd jam session with his mates had me wanting someone just to hug him on more than one occasion.

It’s clear early on that Rocco is holding something back. Now I had all sorts of horrible scenarios running through my head. But when we find out the secret he is keeping, I really felt for him. Grappling with knowledge that could potentially break Brennan further. Rocco is the driving force of this trip and definitely someone I would want in my corner.

One thing to know about these guys is that they each had a tough upbringing, not exactly raised in the best part of town. So seeing each of the friends reach some form of peace and acceptance in their lives by the books end made me very happy. They had clearly drifted and it was nice to see them come back together in support of their friend.

I would have loved to see an epilogue or such to see what happened to Brennan down the line, which is not to say that his story was unsatisfactory, far from it. I was very happy with where Brennan’s story finished. It’s more me having difficulty letting go after reach such a great book.

I literally read this in a single sitting and would highly recommend giving it a go. But remember, bring tissues!

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About the Author

From bad checks to bathroom graffiti, Brent Jones has always been drawn to writing. He won a national creative writing competition at the age of fourteen, although he can’t recall what the story was about. Seventeen years later, he gave up his freelance career as a social media manager to pursue creative writing full-time. Fender and The Fifteenth of June are his first two novels.

Jones writes from his home in Fort Erie, Canada. He’s happily married, a bearded cyclist, a mediocre guitarist, (sometimes) vegetarian, and the proud owner of two dogs with a God complex. Subscribe to his newsletter (AuthorBrentJones.com) or follow him on social media (@AuthorBrentJ) for updates.

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Giveaway

3 digital copies of Fender (Mobi or Epub)

1 Print copy of Fender (Canadian/ U.S. Residents only)

1 Audio copy of Fender

Enter Givaway HERE

 

Fender Blog Tour Schedule

September 25^th

^{Reads & Reels (Featured Promo) http://www.readsandreels.com}

Speedy Reader (Promo) https://speedyreadercom.wordpress.com/

September 26^th

Bookworm Chronicles (Excerpt) https://muretbookworm.wordpress.com/

Rambling Lisa’s Book Reviews https://ramblinglisasbookreviews.com/

September 27^th

Tranquil Dreams (Promo) https://klling.wordpress.com

Kristin’s Novel Café (Excerpt) https://knovelcafe.wordpress.com

September 28^th

Amanda Gernentz Hanson (Excerpt)  https://amandagernentzhanson.com/

Nesie’s Place (Review) https://nesiesplace.wordpress.com

Thoughts All Sorts (Review) https://thoughtsallsorts.wordpress.com

September 29^th

The Bookish Writer (Review) https://errinkrystal.wordpress.com

September 30^th

Didi Oviatt (Review) https://didioviatt.wordpress.com