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Author: Brent Jones

Publication Date: August 21, 2017

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/ Drama

5/5 Stars!

Tear Jerker!

Engrossing and heartbreaking from the beginning, Fender draws the reader in as Brennan Glover tries to deal with his grief over losing his wife and young daughter in a car accident.

After a less than stellar childhood and the subsequent suicide of a good friend and band-mate, I don’t feel Brennan was ever whole, and definitely not healed. Losing his family is such a tragic way just intensified Brennan’s pain… and guilt.

Brennan’s bond with Fender has been like a lifeline to him since the day he found the abandoned pup during a storm. At his lowest moments, it’s Fender… or thoughts of Fender which bring Brennan back from the brink. Still not sure how I feel about the conversation with Fender. Pretend? Supernatural? Brennan’s own psyche trying to give him resolution? I don’t know, but those scenes just ripped my heart from my chest and dribbled it around the room.

I enjoyed the scenes with Rocco and Franky also. Average friends will try to find words of comfort during the bad times… or at least get you drunk, but these two—with all their own drama and quirks—were exceptional. Road trips usually take time to plan and organize, but Rocco and Franky put their lives on hold with little notice to help Brennan find a way to heal.

The best scenes were when they were all confrontational. The jokes and sarcasm disappeared and true, raw feelings showed through. Their friendship was important to Brennan, yet he still took it for granted for most of the story, his pain, unanswered questions… and guilt always at the forefront of his mind.

Which is why I’m not sure if I even like Brennan.

I don’t agree with Rosie’s HORRID parents that Brennan was beneath their daughter, but I also don’t feel he rose fully to the challenge of family man, always caught up in the torment and indecision of his own mind. His passive aggressive nature was his biggest problem and flaw.

The bombshells Mrs. Posada and later, Rocco drop definitely change my opinion of Brennan… and Rosie. I must admit though, other than when Brennan and Rosie first met, I didn’t think too much of Rosie anyway.

The trip home is emotional. Disclosures and admissions still weigh heavily on everyone’s mind, especially Brennan’s. And then there’s Fender bringing closure, of a sort, at his own expense.

Fender is a well-written story with complex characters (except for the HORRID Hutchins) I believe will appeal to most readers, regardless of preferred genre. Just keep the tissues close by!

Enjoy!

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Blurb:

 

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.

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Purchase Fender

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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.

Author Links:

 

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