Those of you who regularly read my reviews know I rarely gush about the books I’ve read. I suspect that’s partly because I read so mush fiction: it takes a lot to come up with a concept or content I find gushable (that’s a word, right?)
No Matter What by Jennifer Carr has got me gushing.
The main character, Jess, has a gift: she can read the emotions of others with remarkable accuracy. It’s never explained if this is a well-honed sense of empathy or whether it’s some kind of supernatural gift, and it doesn’t matter. It’s a fascinating concept, and one I can’t remember reading before (which is always a great start).
It’s not perfect. The cover is underwhelming, I’m not a fan of whine or growl to describe the way characters speak, and there were aspects to the plot which broke all the “rules”. It also involves something close to the “love at first sight” trope, which is not one I usually enjoy.
Having said that (and without wanting to give any spoilers), part of what kept me engaged was the unexpected—the aspects which broke all the rules.
Jess is a fascinating character.
Her “gift” is even more pronounced when she touches people, so she likes to keep physical contact to a minimum. As a result, she’s never had a proper boyfriend … something her roommate, Stacy, wants to change. She’s intelligent—as the story opens, she’s teaching college-level psychology and about to defend her PhD thesis.
The novel is written in first person, mostly from Jess’s point of view.
I think this is a definite strength, although I know some readers struggle with first person. I love it, because it allows the reader to get inside the character’s head. With Jess, this means we get first-hand insight into her gift as she meets and reacts to new people.
This gift and the compelling yet believable way it is portrayed dragged me straight into the plot and didn’t let go. I was totally on board with the instant attraction between Jess and Bryan, even when I realised Jess wasn’t a Christian and the two were therefore unequally yoked.
However, that paved the way for something I’d love to see more of in Christian fiction—a believable come-to-Jesus conversion scene for an adult main character. Yes, I know they’re hard to write, so I do love it when an author achieves the almost-impossible and brings a Christian and a non-Christian together in a way that rings true.
I also loved the fact that Jess was clearly then discipled as a Christian by her pastor’s wife. No, we didn’t see this on the page (this is romantic suspense fiction, not how-to-disciple-a-new-believer nonfiction), but it was clearly part of her character journey.
And at the end, that’s what No Matter What was about. Yes, there are suspense elements and there are some puzzles to solve, but that’s not the core of the story. The core of the story is about character change: how the author shows characters change as they come to know Jesus, with the unwritten implication that He can do the same for us.
Because He loves us. No matter what.
And, despite what some might see as many faults, that’s why I’m left gushing about No Matter What.
Thanks to Jennifer Carr for providing a free ebook for review.
About Jennifer Carr
Having always enjoyed books, writing, and daydreaming, Jennifer wanted to know what it would feel like to combine the three and write a book. Once she started writing, everything changed. Within a matter of months she had multiple projects started and found a love for writing in a way she never knew was possible. Married to her childhood best friend and the mom of a creative daughter, Jennifer enjoys baking, reading romance novels, and living the quiet life on a farm in Alabama.
Find Jennifer Carr online at:
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About No Matter What
When Jess finds herself the recipient of a mysterious box of evidence related to Bryan’s investigation she knows everything she holds dear is about to be threatened. Jess turns to the only person she knows she can trust, but can she trust that her heart won’t become the next casualty?
