Climbing Stories

another 3.5 stars

"...my eighteen year old son asked me if he could read. But when we got to the “hot” parts, he asked me if I would cut them out. He asked me for a version “just for him.”
Tammy Falkner

Well, I'm not sure I know which version I read, but semi-dirty, smexi-talk was exhibited, a little, by the hero, Logan. (Again) still, I couldn't reconcile Neo-alpha-like Logan, the I-get-down-with-the-low-down Logan, with the Logan who is deaf and didn't talk for eight years. When his words come out...the most we get is that they're "soft" & "quiet-like", so please anyone, feel my frustration when he is speaking his mind in longer than two sentences and I am absent descriptions of "raspy" "rough" "uneven pitches and tones" like he's trying his voice out or needs to repeat himself. That would have been more plausible.

The more Jordan entrenches himself in Emily's life(meeting her family),the bolder he is portrayed. Only one time do we get someone reacting ignorantly towards Jordan, which is by shouting words at him like he is dumb, but this is not provoked by any embarrassing speech performance, just by the knowledge that his is deaf. I guess I would have liked a more realistic characterization of this aspect. Just one of my pet peeves when it comes to connecting with characters.

Anyway, in this sequel, Emily has faced her greatest fear and starts to try new things like enrolling in Julliard and learning sign.

It's relieves some of the implausibility when she and Jordan have moments of communication in sign. And even though I liked Emily a little more in this one, her character never outshines Jordan's. It almost gets outdone by the side stories of Jordan's brothers, Matt and Paul, threatening to steal a little of the main couple's thunder. The heart-tickling "family" love is ever present coupled with a bit of tease to get you interested in reading future stories.

In all, Jordan and Emily stay together by the sweetness that is Emily and the sheer strength of determination that is Jordan. The biggest conflict between them is Emily's rich autocratic father who makes some underhanded moves to undercut Jordan. Jordan's reaction to this is at times impressive, but at the same time not as poignant as it was probably written to be. Emily and her father come to a turning point in their relationship, something of which happens belatedly and awkwardly.

Sooo, this sequel may not have been as lame as most I've read in the NA world, but it wasn't a sparkling surprise either. I'll just say that I didn't mind reading it one bit, at all.