Review: Jake Understood

Jake Understood by Penelope Ward

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. First off, I am an absolute fan of Penelope Ward's work. The first book I read of her's was the first Jake book (Jake Undone), and it was so addicting that I had to continue reading the rest of her telling of this web of friends. Everyone will love how Penelope will draw you into this world with Jake Green (Hottie-Mc-Hottiness!), and his undying love for Nina Kennedy.

For those that would want to read this book, you can without reading the first book, but I would recommend that you do read Jake Undone first, so that you are not too lost with the retelling of Jake and Nina's love story. Jake Undone was done from Nina's perspective, and now Jake Understood is in Jake's view. Jake is one of those book boyfriends that you will come back and re-read several times and still not be bored with him.

Jake Understood continues from eight years down the road from where Jake Undone left off. Jake and Nina are still deeply in love, married, and living in Boston with their son A.J. In this story, you will get drawn into Jake's rehashing of his story with Nina to their intimate friends, really their BFF's Skyler and Mitch and Jake's sister Allison and her husband Cedric. Jake has had his secrets in the past, and Nina is well aware of his past life, and will accept it, since it is what made Jake who he is. But when the normal routine is broken by Jake (in a good way, but Nina doesn't yet know that) to make sure his time was open to his Nina. Jake organized a party with their friends to celebrate her completion of her Nursing Degree.

Little does he know of what is really an innocent thing, and turn sour when the other person has sensitivities, really more of insecurities, when it comes to matters of the heart and past histories. You see, as you know from Jake Undone, that Jake was married to Ivy as a lovesick teen. Then less than a year into their young love, Ivy became unstable, and diagnosed with schizophrenia, and there were more bad days then good. And Jake was left with the decision that putting her in a group home, where she could be better watched was best.

Jake never foresaw what would happen, when someone, a lovely someone, came into his life; he was devastatingly captivated, no one had done that to Jake, not even Ivy. How could a stranger completely change his worlds axis. Nina walked into the apartment that Jake shared with two others, and she left with his heart, and the complete destruction of his restraint. How could he not love Nina so wholly? A love so utterly profound, the type that was the completion of his soul and the balm to heal his aching heart. Jake can not live without Nina, but he was still married to Ivy to ensure her safety with her medical needs, but his life would not go on without Nina. Together they would heal each other's deep loss of a family member, they would over come deep welled fears, and use each other's strengths to succeed.

With Jake Understood, Jake tells the tale of their love story, only to fall even more, if not completely all over again, with Nina. But his fear of what has happened to his Nina is eating at him. Never has she left him, in the manner that she did. You will ache for poor Jake and his missery to find where his wife is and to what caused her to be so upset. Nina, is having a doozy of a day already, before she even found out that Jake would be delayed from leaving the hospital where Ivy was admitted. To live in her fears, even though they seem unfounded and petty, she is still upset, that Ivy still has such a hold on her husband.

Both will learn many things with this epic retelling of their love story. Watch as Nina works through her insecurities, in regards to Ivy and her hold on her husband. And enjoy, sexy Jake, recounting and interacting on the past, and his undying love for his beloved wife, Nina. There will be moments of laughter, a deep hurting, and several moments of extreme fear, even tears on the readers side. If course, Jake and Nina have their own HEA (happy ever after), but that road is long, windy and wearisome. But you will not be left with a book hangover, just a extremely, large grin and the conclusion to Jake and Nina.

I just have to say, I want a Jake Green! Can I keep him? :)



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