Review: The Choice - Jason Mott

In this short story by Jason Mott, author of The Returned, a man is forced to choose between the life he has now, and the one he thought was gone forever…

Peter Galvin was just seventeen when Tracy Whitmore—the love of his life—vanished without a trace. In the years after her death, he had finally moved on, gotten married, started a family. He is content with his life now—happy, even…. Until Tracy suddenly and inexplicably returns.

For weeks, Peter and his wife, Samantha, have been watching mysterious reports of people's loved ones returning from beyond, the world spinning into uncertainty and chaos. But they never imagined it would happen to them. With Tracy's unusual homecoming, Peter and Samantha must decide where they can possibly go from here, and whether their family can survive…

Read more stories of the Returned in The First and The Sparrow. And don't miss Jason Mott's haunting debut novel, The Returned, a story of one family given an extraordinary second chance.

Returned Series:
The First (Short Story)
The Sparrow (Short Story)
The Choice (Short Story)
The Returned

Visit Jason Mott's website for more information

Review:
The Choice is the last of the three short story prequels to Jason Mott's debut novel The Returned, these stories are currently all available for free on Amazon and other ebook stores (I don't know if this will change in the future) and are a nice introduction to the world that the author has created. The novel already has a lot of hype surrounding it and has even been picked up by Brad Pitt's production company to be turned into a TV series so I was very curious to try these prequels.

Peter was seventeen when his first love, Tracy, disappeared. No body was ever found but when she never returned it was assumed that she had died. Years later Peter has moved on with his life, he is married and is happy with his wife and daughter. Then Tracy mysteriously returns and Peter must decide if his future is with his wife Samantha or with Tracy.

I have to admit that I didn't enjoy this story much, more because it hits on some of my personal hot buttons than due to a problem with the actual story but it is impossible for me to say exactly why I didn't like it without giving spoilers. To keep it brief I'll just say that didn't like the way Samantha had been portrayed, it felt like certain actions were just included to justify anything that Peter may or may not choose to do. I also found it extremely creepy that Peter was so obsessed with Tracy when he was almost twice her age and I didn't like the way Tracy's family kept so many secrets from her. This story did still raise some interesting questions though and I don't think everyone will have as much of a problem with it as I did. Like the other prequels this is very short (less than 30 pages) and since it's free I'd say it's definitely worth giving it a try. You're probably better off reading the prequels in order though: The First, The Sparrow and then The Choice. These prequels have definitely whet my appetite and I'm looking forward to reading The Returned.

Source: Free read from Amazon

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Review: The Sparrow - Jason Mott

In this short story by Jason Mott, author of The Returned, one determined couple seeks to reunite a young girl with the father who thought he had lost her forever...

When Heather and Matt Campbell find ten-year-old Tatiana Rusesa on the side of the highway, she is thousands of miles away from her village in Sierra Leone. She hasn't seen her family in almost two decades, not since she and her mother were killed by rebel soldiers. Now Tatiana has inexplicably returned, a lost orphan with no place to call home.

As the world dives deeper into uncertainty and chaos, Heather is determined to save Tatiana and help her find her way back to her family. But how much is she willing to lose to protect a girl she doesn't even know?

Learn how the mysterious reappearances begin in The First, and don't miss Jason Mott's unforgettable debut novel, The Returned, from Harlequin MIRA, a moving tale of a family navigating...

Returned Series:
The First (Short Story)
The Sparrow (Short Story)
The Choice (Short Story)
The Returned

Visit Jason Mott's website for more information

Review:
The Sparrow is the second of three short story prequels to Jason Mott's debut novel The Returned, these stories are currently all available for free on Amazon and other ebook stores (I don't know if this will change in the future) and are a nice introduction to the world that the author has created. The novel already has a lot of hype surrounding it and has even been picked up by Brad Pitt's production company to be turned into a TV series so I was very curious to try these prequels.

When Heather and Matt find a young returned child at the side of the road they have very different ideas about what to do with her. Tatiana has appeared a long way from her home in Sierra Leone and it has been almost 20 years since she died so everything comes as quite a shock for her. Heather is determined to track down Tatiana's family and reunite her with them but it could end up costing her everything.

I think this was probably my favourite of the three prequels, we get to see a lot more about how the general public are reacting to the thousands of people who have started returning from the dead, from joy over finding their loved ones, to anger and disappointment that people they love haven't returned through to fear over the whole phenomenon and what is causing it. Heather and Matt don't have children of their own but Heather has strong maternal instincts towards Tatiana and she becomes like a surrogate mother to her while she searches for her family. Matt is more wary and suspicious, he would rather hand Tatiana over to the authorities and let them deal with her. It was interesting to see the differences in Heather and Matt's reactions but I think the flashbacks to Tatiana's life before she died were the part I enjoyed most. I just wish the story had been longer because I wanted to know more about what happened to her.

Source: Free read from Amazon

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Review: The First - Jason Mott

In Jason Mott's haunting and unforgettable debut novel, The Returned, an impossible miracle is occurring all across the globe. Read how it all begins in this short story, The First.

It's been just over a year since Edmund Blithe died, and just over a month since his fiancée, Emily, stopped wearing her engagement ring. Emily has finally begun to move on… Until Edmund mysteriously and inexplicably returns, sending the world—and Emily—into a tailspin.

Edmund is only just the beginning. Around the world, people's loved ones are returning from beyond, seeking only to reenter the lives they left behind. As the world dives deep into uncertainty, Emily and Edmund are determined to find their way back to one another…even if it means risking everything.

The reappearances continue in The Sparrow, and look for The Returned from Harlequin MIRA, a moving tale of a family given a second chance at life and a world where nothing—not even death—is certain.

Returned Series:
The First (Short Story)
The Sparrow (Short Story)
The Choice (Short Story)
The Returned

Visit Jason Mott's website for more information

Review:
The First is one of three short story prequels to Jason Mott's debut novel The Returned, these stories are currently all available for free on Amazon and other ebook stores (I don't know if this will change in the future) and are a nice introduction to the world that the author has created. The novel already has a lot of hype surrounding it and has even been picked up by Brad Pitt's production company to be turned into a TV series so I was very curious to try these prequels.

In this story Emily has been grieving for her fiancé Edmund ever since he died almost a year ago and she is finally facing up to the fact that it is time for her to move on with her life. Then one day Edmund mysteriously returns from the dead, not as a ghost but as a real living person. For Edmund it seems like no time has passed but for Emily everything is different, she is thrilled by the idea of having him back but terrified in case it isn't real. Can they find their way back to each other and make the most of the second chance they have been given?

This was an interesting taster and a great way to try out the author's writing style and see if you'd like to read The Returned, it even includes a sample chapter from the main novel at the end (I didn't read that myself because I hate starting a book and not being able to immediately read until the end) for anyone who is interested in reading it. Edmund is the first person to return from the grave and as such it causes widespread panic, especially when it becomes clear he isn't the only one. Nobody knows why some people are returning and we don't even start to get answers about that which shouldn't be surprising as I'm sure that's what the book will be about. Even though this is very short (around 25 pages) I liked both Emily and Edmund and I'm hoping we'll get to see more of them in the actual novel even though they aren't the main characters. The concept of people returning is an interesting one and I'm definitely planning on reading The Returned to find out more.

Source: Free read from Amazon

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