A Song for Josh (Book One of the Drifter Series)

At twelve years old Jessie Wheeler loses her beloved father: the man who taught her to play guitar, and that music heals all wounds.   Jessie’s mom seems to forget that she exists, but her new stepfather doesn’t.  At the age of fourteen, Jessie simply can’t take it anymore, and strikes out on her own. Her life gets even more difficult, and she learns to deal with the emotional turmoil by hiding everything inside, even after she becomes a Oscar winning actress, singer and song writer. When she meets Josh, she feels an instant connection, two souls who are damaged, and who are meant for one another. She sees herself within his eyes, but doesn’t believe they will ever be able to be together, as she is engaged to one of the biggest actors in the business, Charlie Deacon. 

This review is really difficult because Susan Rogers has such a beautiful gift with the written word. The story itself is very vague and two-dimensional, leaving one with wanting to know more about the situations. The back story on the characters isn’t given in any detail, so it leaves one feeling disconnected. Jessie and Josh are very complex, making one want to peel away the layers to find out what exactly makes them tick, but we’re never given the chance. Also, having two characters with the same name (Charles and Charlie), is a bit confusing. Still, the storyline is unique, and has such great potential!  Here’s hoping that Ms. Rogers will “show us” the stories, rather than “tell them” in the future.  If she does that, her talent will be unstoppable!!!

Tonya Smalley