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Infinity + One
When two unlikely allies become two unwitting outlaws, will two unforgettable lovers defy unbeatable odds?
Bonnie Rae Shelby is a superstar. She’s rich. She’s beautiful. She’s impossibly famous. And Bonnie Rae Shelby wants to die.
Finn Clyde is a nobody. He’s broken. He’s brilliant. He’s impossibly cynical. And all he wants is a chance at life.
One girl. One boy. An act of compassion. A bizarre set of circumstances. And a choice – turn your head and walk away, or reach out your hand and risk it all?
With that choice, the clock starts ticking on a man with a past and a girl who can’t face the future, counting down the seconds in an adventure riddled with heartbreak and humor, misunderstanding and revelation. With the world against them, two very different people take a journey that will not only change their lives, but may cost them their lives as well.
Infinity + One is a tale of shooting stars and fame and fortune, of gilded cages and iron bars, of finding a friend behind a stranger’s face, and discovering love in the oddest of places.
Bonnie Rae Shelby is a superstar. She’s rich. She’s beautiful. She’s impossibly famous. And Bonnie Rae Shelby wants to die.
Finn Clyde is a nobody. He’s broken. He’s brilliant. He’s impossibly cynical. And all he wants is a chance at life.
One girl. One boy. An act of compassion. A bizarre set of circumstances. And a choice – turn your head and walk away, or reach out your hand and risk it all?
With that choice, the clock starts ticking on a man with a past and a girl who can’t face the future, counting down the seconds in an adventure riddled with heartbreak and humor, misunderstanding and revelation. With the world against them, two very different people take a journey that will not only change their lives, but may cost them their lives as well.
Infinity + One is a tale of shooting stars and fame and fortune, of gilded cages and iron bars, of finding a friend behind a stranger’s face, and discovering love in the oddest of places.
327 pages, Paperback
First published June 8, 2014
About the author
Amy Harmon
27 books17k followersAmy Harmon is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times Bestselling author. Amy knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, and she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story. Her books are now being published in two dozen languages, truly a dream come true for a little country girl.
Amy Harmon has written eighteen novels including the USA Today Bestsellers, Making Faces and Running Barefoot, as well as The Law of Moses, Infinity + One and the New York Times Bestseller, A Different Blue. Her fantasy novel, The Bird and the Sword, was a Goodreads Book of the Year finalist. Her newest release, What the Wind Knows, is an Amazon charts and Wall Street Journal bestseller. For updates on upcoming book releases, author posts and more, join Amy at www.authoramyharmon.com.
Amy Harmon has written eighteen novels including the USA Today Bestsellers, Making Faces and Running Barefoot, as well as The Law of Moses, Infinity + One and the New York Times Bestseller, A Different Blue. Her fantasy novel, The Bird and the Sword, was a Goodreads Book of the Year finalist. Her newest release, What the Wind Knows, is an Amazon charts and Wall Street Journal bestseller. For updates on upcoming book releases, author posts and more, join Amy at www.authoramyharmon.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,578 reviews
June 13, 2014
I was very nervous about reviewing this book even before I started it. If any of you read my reviews, and remember my review of “Making Faces” last year, I proclaimed it my favorite book of all time, and I called it perfect. So how could another book possibly top perfect? It didn’t. It didn’t have to. Just like I learned what the meaning of Infinity + One is, I can invent my own term: Perfect + One.
There is no author alive today that can have the effect on me that Amy Harmon’s writing does. Many authors can make you feel. But Ms. Harmon puts you inside of her characters and experience the world from their point of view. It’s like magic. These people are real. There’s no way they can’t be. They exist, and I love them and I feel like I’ve known them all my life. And I miss them. I still miss Fern, Ambrose and Bailey from “Making Faces” and I think I always will. But that’s the beauty of an amazing story – the words live forever, the characters live forever, and the author lives forever.
I’ve been to the place Bonnie Rae went to, because I’ve been there myself, and it was like she could read what was going through my mind when I climbed my own bridge. Clyde? Not so much. I haven’t lived his life – but now I feel like I have. And I am so thankful I have never experienced the kind of pain he has.
Personally, I loved all the references to Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. They were awful people and they did awful things, but they did one thing right – they loved each other and they loved each other fiercely. Just as our Bonnie and Clyde do. I always feel the instalove of soul mates in were creature books, and that belongs nowhere else. Never in a “real life” book. But it happens here and now I believe.
There is a feeling of dread that increases as you go through the book. Bonnie and Clyde may have loved each other fiercely, but they also died together. And it did feel like this was where this book was heading. No matter what they did, there were forces (the media, the police, even family) that insisted on telling their version of the truth. But in Amy Harmon’s books, miracles happen. Not supernatural. Just real, everyday miracles that once in a blue moon, we all get.
I’ve never cast a book before, but I have to here. Bonnie was Taylor Swift. And she called Clyde “Thor”, so Chris Hemsworth popped into my head and that’s who they were.
There is one more thing I want to say. I always silently mock people who say they laughed and they cried, and they went through a box of tissues. I say this because most books are fluff and they really don’t strike me as anything to get emotional at. And unless it’s a kid or a dog, I do not cry when someone dies. And nothing else is worth crying for. But I do admit that an extraordinary ending can bring tears of happiness to my eyes. In “Making Faces”, it was the very last two lines (much like the last two lines in “Sea of Tranquility”, another masterpiece. Here it was a paragraph near the end, about a dream told by a man thought to be crazy. The chills hit me, then I felt that warm feeling in my chest. And I cried, quite a bit actually, because it’s the dream we all want to experience. And then I knew that everyone…and I do mean everyone got there HEA. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you read it. I dare you not to feel the same.
So, there are two things I’m certain of: Amy Harmon is hands down my favorite author. And when all of us go to our room in the Grand Hotel, people will still be talking about this great lady’s books.
There is no author alive today that can have the effect on me that Amy Harmon’s writing does. Many authors can make you feel. But Ms. Harmon puts you inside of her characters and experience the world from their point of view. It’s like magic. These people are real. There’s no way they can’t be. They exist, and I love them and I feel like I’ve known them all my life. And I miss them. I still miss Fern, Ambrose and Bailey from “Making Faces” and I think I always will. But that’s the beauty of an amazing story – the words live forever, the characters live forever, and the author lives forever.
I’ve been to the place Bonnie Rae went to, because I’ve been there myself, and it was like she could read what was going through my mind when I climbed my own bridge. Clyde? Not so much. I haven’t lived his life – but now I feel like I have. And I am so thankful I have never experienced the kind of pain he has.
Personally, I loved all the references to Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. They were awful people and they did awful things, but they did one thing right – they loved each other and they loved each other fiercely. Just as our Bonnie and Clyde do. I always feel the instalove of soul mates in were creature books, and that belongs nowhere else. Never in a “real life” book. But it happens here and now I believe.
There is a feeling of dread that increases as you go through the book. Bonnie and Clyde may have loved each other fiercely, but they also died together. And it did feel like this was where this book was heading. No matter what they did, there were forces (the media, the police, even family) that insisted on telling their version of the truth. But in Amy Harmon’s books, miracles happen. Not supernatural. Just real, everyday miracles that once in a blue moon, we all get.
I’ve never cast a book before, but I have to here. Bonnie was Taylor Swift. And she called Clyde “Thor”, so Chris Hemsworth popped into my head and that’s who they were.
There is one more thing I want to say. I always silently mock people who say they laughed and they cried, and they went through a box of tissues. I say this because most books are fluff and they really don’t strike me as anything to get emotional at. And unless it’s a kid or a dog, I do not cry when someone dies. And nothing else is worth crying for. But I do admit that an extraordinary ending can bring tears of happiness to my eyes. In “Making Faces”, it was the very last two lines (much like the last two lines in “Sea of Tranquility”, another masterpiece. Here it was a paragraph near the end, about a dream told by a man thought to be crazy. The chills hit me, then I felt that warm feeling in my chest. And I cried, quite a bit actually, because it’s the dream we all want to experience. And then I knew that everyone…and I do mean everyone got there HEA. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you read it. I dare you not to feel the same.
So, there are two things I’m certain of: Amy Harmon is hands down my favorite author. And when all of us go to our room in the Grand Hotel, people will still be talking about this great lady’s books.
June 18, 2017
I did not like, Bonnie Rae, the female protagonist.
Perhaps I would have loved this story had Bonnie not been so annoying and selfish. Perhaps I wouldn't have skimmed the last 50% had the references to the original Bonnie and Clyde not gotten progressively more contrived.
As it is, I couldn't comprehend why Bonnie chose that particular course of action when she simply could have taken a leave of absence from being a superstar. Furthermore, she had countless opportunities to call the news stations, the police, or even her lawyers, especially with everyone thinking she'd been abducted by, Infinity 'Finn' Clyde, the male protagonist.
But of course she didn't, otherwise the story would have ended at chapter 3. Instead, we got childish banter and ridiculous plot twists that depicted Bonnie as this saintly flower child who gave money away and loved everyone. I. was. bored.
I love Ms Harmon and think she's gifted at weaving heartrending stories but, Infinity + One was sophomoric and depressing. Shame, really.
June 4, 2014
**5 'I BELIEVE IN BONNIE & CLYDE' stars**
Why the fascination with the original and now the new Bonnie & Clyde? A simple answer, "Because they loved each other." It's true, we all love a good romance and even more so when the couple has everything going against them and they have to persevere through obstacles to be together.
Each time you pick up an Amy Harmon book you find there is something different, so different as to be incomparable to her previous books. Infinity + One is a fun adventure between two unlikely characters who will have you rooting for them. Simply put by Clyde, "It was worth it, Bonnie. Every second. It was worth it."
+ ONE
Release date: 6/8/2014
Pre-order | order: http://amzn.to/1oBdZbj
Standalone
**Thank you, Amy Harmon, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.**
"We're Bonnie and Clyde! Wanted and unwanted. Caged and cornered. We're lost and we're alone. We're a big, tangled mess. We're a shot in the dark. We're two people who have nowhere else, no one else, and yet, suddendly that feels like enough for me..."Infinity + One is a love story designed by divine intervention. A tale that involves, "kidnapping, extortion, theft, grand theft, assualt, and attempted murder." Or does it...are the news reports telling half truths as they chase Bonnie and Clyde across the country?! Just like the original Bonnie & Clyde their story seems timeless.
Why the fascination with the original and now the new Bonnie & Clyde? A simple answer, "Because they loved each other." It's true, we all love a good romance and even more so when the couple has everything going against them and they have to persevere through obstacles to be together.
Each time you pick up an Amy Harmon book you find there is something different, so different as to be incomparable to her previous books. Infinity + One is a fun adventure between two unlikely characters who will have you rooting for them. Simply put by Clyde, "It was worth it, Bonnie. Every second. It was worth it."
+ ONERelease date: 6/8/2014
Pre-order | order: http://amzn.to/1oBdZbj
Standalone
**Thank you, Amy Harmon, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.**
June 10, 2014
I know many of my Goodreads friends are going to be like…
I’m sorry this book was so slow and dare I say, boring. It dragged and the hillbilly country music princess (Bonnie) and the ex-con, mathematician (Clyde) didn’t wow me. Believe me, I wanted there to be fireworks a reason to keep turning the pages besides who the author is and what the ending could bring.
The constant comparison to the infamous Bonnie and Clyde sadly got on my nerves by the halfway mark. Bonnie’s lack of rectifying the situation with a phone call by clearing up the hunt for her and putting Finn’s reputation at risk for the majority of the book didn’t sit well with me. Her panicking that he would ditch her and she took off without him at one point also didn’t wow me and her failure to show in the last part of the story infuriated me and the Bear situation...
I did however like the message at 99% but not enough to raise my rating. Overall, Making Faces was the best book I read last year and for many this book seems to have hit that same high mark just not for me.
I’m sorry this book was so slow and dare I say, boring. It dragged and the hillbilly country music princess (Bonnie) and the ex-con, mathematician (Clyde) didn’t wow me. Believe me, I wanted there to be fireworks a reason to keep turning the pages besides who the author is and what the ending could bring.
The constant comparison to the infamous Bonnie and Clyde sadly got on my nerves by the halfway mark. Bonnie’s lack of rectifying the situation with a phone call by clearing up the hunt for her and putting Finn’s reputation at risk for the majority of the book didn’t sit well with me. Her panicking that he would ditch her and she took off without him at one point also didn’t wow me and her failure to show in the last part of the story infuriated me and the Bear situation...
I did however like the message at 99% but not enough to raise my rating. Overall, Making Faces was the best book I read last year and for many this book seems to have hit that same high mark just not for me.
June 12, 2014
3.5 stars!
Bonnie Rae Shellby and Infinity James Clyde don’t meet under the best of circumstances. Together, they end up on a crazy journey.
Finn is a genius when it comes to numbers. Math is his specialty. He’s great with numbers, but things in his life haven't been easy. He's dealing with a past that he’s not proud of, but he’s spent the last few years trying to get to a good place in his life.
Bonnie is a sucessful musican. She sings country music. Music isn’t just a job to her. It’s her life, her passion. But she’s lost her way lately, and just needs a break from life. A break from it all.
Finn and Bonnie make quite the odd pair. From the outside, it would appear the two have zero in common, but there are more simularties than you would ever guess. Both were halves of a whole. Both are missing their other half. Maybe being brought togeher on this crazy journey was fate. Bonnie and Clyde… on the adventure of their lives.
Overall, Infinity + One was a journey about two very different people overcoming the obstacles stacked against them, believing in each other and finding love. There were parts of this story I really enjoyed, but overall I never felt that click. That something that grabs me and makes me love a book. One of my biggest issues is that it was a little too slow paced for me. I never felt that connection to either of the main characters. I was never engrossed in the story and some of the things towards the end were a little out there for me. It also really bothered me
What I will say about this book is Amy Harmon can write. Her words are always beautiful and lyrical. Although this missed the mark for me, Making Faces and A Different Blue were both amazing 5 star reads. I’m looking forward to reading anything she writes in the future.
This story seemed to be well loved by many, and others also had the same issues as me. I always like to say, just becuase this didn’t exactly work for me doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. If you love Amy Harmon’s writing, you might enjoy it. Just don’t go in with the expectations of another Making Faces, becuase its a toatlly different reading experience.
��It was worth it, Bonnie. Every second. It was worth it.”
“Bonnie and Clyde. Lets just hope this little adventure has a better ending than theirs did.”
Bonnie Rae Shellby and Infinity James Clyde don’t meet under the best of circumstances. Together, they end up on a crazy journey.
Finn is a genius when it comes to numbers. Math is his specialty. He’s great with numbers, but things in his life haven't been easy. He's dealing with a past that he’s not proud of, but he’s spent the last few years trying to get to a good place in his life.
“I believe in numbers. The ones you can see and the ones you can’t. The real and imaginary, the rational and irrational, and every point on the lines that go on forever. Numbers have never let me down. They don’t waffle. They don’t lie. They don’t pretend to be what they’re not. They’re timeless.”
Bonnie is a sucessful musican. She sings country music. Music isn’t just a job to her. It’s her life, her passion. But she’s lost her way lately, and just needs a break from life. A break from it all.
“I believe in music. I guess music is for me what numbers are for you. There’s power in music. There’s healing in it. God is there in it too, if you let him be. Growing up, in Grassley, everybody was so poor, Jesus was the only thing we had left… so I believed in him too. And God and music, once they are truly yours, are the two things people can’t take away from you.”
Finn and Bonnie make quite the odd pair. From the outside, it would appear the two have zero in common, but there are more simularties than you would ever guess. Both were halves of a whole. Both are missing their other half. Maybe being brought togeher on this crazy journey was fate. Bonnie and Clyde… on the adventure of their lives.
“We’re Bonnie and Clyde! Wanted and unwanted. Caged and cornered. We’re lost and we’re alone. We’re a big, tangled mess. We’re a shot in the dark. We’re two people who have nowhere else, no one else, and yet, suddenly that feels like enough for me!”What happens when the adventure turns out to be more than either of them bargined for? A cross country trip turns into a crazy and intense journey.
Overall, Infinity + One was a journey about two very different people overcoming the obstacles stacked against them, believing in each other and finding love. There were parts of this story I really enjoyed, but overall I never felt that click. That something that grabs me and makes me love a book. One of my biggest issues is that it was a little too slow paced for me. I never felt that connection to either of the main characters. I was never engrossed in the story and some of the things towards the end were a little out there for me. It also really bothered me
What I will say about this book is Amy Harmon can write. Her words are always beautiful and lyrical. Although this missed the mark for me, Making Faces and A Different Blue were both amazing 5 star reads. I’m looking forward to reading anything she writes in the future.
This story seemed to be well loved by many, and others also had the same issues as me. I always like to say, just becuase this didn’t exactly work for me doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. If you love Amy Harmon’s writing, you might enjoy it. Just don’t go in with the expectations of another Making Faces, becuase its a toatlly different reading experience.
“Infinity + one does equal two, see? Me and you.”
��It was worth it, Bonnie. Every second. It was worth it.”
June 11, 2014
Bonnie Rae Shelby is a superstar. She’s rich. She’s beautiful. She’s impossibly famous. And Bonnie Rae Shelby wants to die.
Finn Clyde is a nobody. He’s broken. He’s brilliant. He’s impossibly cynical. And all he wants is a chance at life.
One girl. One boy. An act of compassion. A bizarre set of circumstances. And a choice – turn your head and walk away, or reach out your hand and risk it all?
When Finn saves Bonnie one night, he has no idea who she is. He just sees girl standing on the edge of a bridge and it’s a situation he can’t turn away from. So he makes a choice. But now she is faced with a choice of her own… to go back to her old life or take a chance and follow her heart.
Clyde’s eyes met mine. “You comin’?”
Finn wasn’t looking for any trouble. He’d had more than his share already and the last thing he needed was more but he still couldn’t resist helping the girl he talked down from the bridge. But unfortunately, being an international celebrity came with attention — whether that attention was wanted or not — and while Bonnie was trying to escape her troubles, they still followed her wherever she went.
“I just need time –”
“Time for what?”
“Time heals all wounds, right?”
“What wounds, Bonnie?”
“You want to hear the poor pop star complain, Clyde?”
“Yeah, I do.”
So one of them was running away from life and the other was trying to find it and these two strangers ended up on an impromptu road trip together. I loved that they were strangers because we got to learn about each of them as they were learning about each other. The little reveals and pieces of their past that we’d learn along the way all helped put together the pieces of the puzzle.
“The girl was trouble, but she was also IN trouble, and Finn knew he couldn’t walk away. Maybe it was Bonnie’s penchant for disaster. She’d apparently used up every bit of luck she was ever going to get in this life on the lottery of superstardom, because she was an accident waiting to happen. Everywhere they turned, everything she touched seemed to go south in a hurry. And yet here he was, beside her, trying to figure out what to do, what was best for her, and whether or not she’d be the death of him… or worse.”
I’ll let Finn describe Bonnie for you — “She was the most peculiar girl he’d ever met. Sad, sassy, temperamental, introspective, funny… and all of that in the space of ten minutes.” This girl just didn’t hold back. She was tired of her life being dictated and in her own words, her “give a damn” was busted.
Now, in Bonnie’s word, Finn was “big, bad, long-haired, and tattooed” but he was also incredibly smart. He was a brilliant natural mathematician — numbers and advanced theories came naturally to him and he saw the world from a different perspective than so many others.
The story was told in dual POV and I found it so interesting to see the contrast between how they both initially perceived each other and what they were each really thinking and feeling on the inside. And it was also wonderful to see how those perspectives evolved and changed as they began to know each other more.
“It wasn’t a soft kiss or a sweet kiss. It was a “you-scared-me-and-messed-with-me-and-I’m-mad-and-relieved-and-frustrated-as-hell” kind of kiss.”
This story had a little bit of everything. It’s slowly paced and overall had almost a quiet vibe with an undercurrent of something a lot stronger. It contrasted the thrill of adventure with the beauty of falling in love and wove it into a modern-day story of Bonnie and Clyde (but with a happier ending).
“We’re Bonnie and Clyde! Wanted and unwanted. Caged and cornered. We’re lost and we’re alone. We’re a big tangled mess. We’re a shot in the dark. We’re two people who have nowhere else, no one else, and yet, suddenly that feels like enough.”
Overall, I didn’t find it quite as emotionally intense as I was expecting and there was one element which I don’t want to refer to in detail (a bit of a sub-plot/theme) that didn’t quite sit right with me. But I did feel strongly invested in these characters’ journey and really enjoyed how unique and unpredictable this storyline was. It was genuinely unlike any other I’ve read and it kept surprising me with the turns it took.
Amy Harmon is truly such a gifted story teller and I love her writing style. Her books take you on journeys through the lives of her characters and show you snapshots, special moments, and memories that all come together to tell a beautiful, lasting story. I can’t wait for her next book!
Rating: 4 stars. Standalone.
“There was a point, a place in time, where all roads but one are blind. And there is only one way you can go, one direction. For me, for Bonnie Rae Shelby, Finn Clyde was that road, and I wouldn’t give him up.”
****************************
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August 4, 2016
The events of our journey seemed unavoidable and pre-destined, almost as if Finn and I were being pulled against our wills toward an inevitable conclusion.When it comes to Amy Harmon, I have huge expectations. Simply put, I adore her storytelling. She always offers unique and fresh characters. In a book world inundated with the same story lines told over and over again. I can always count of Amy to step out of the box, deliver something new, teach me a lesson or two, and make me want to be a better person.
"Rich, poor, sick, healthy—we’re all just drowning in dreams and hoping someone else will make them come true.”Bonnie and Finn are an unlikely pair who seem destined to cross paths - a hillbilly country star and ex-con with a passion for numbers. They are struggling to find a way out of their current situations and end up embarking on a journey to find a better life.
“We really aren’t anything like Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow.”Bonnie is consumed with grief, and it has left her exhausted. Everyone wants something from her, especially her controlling grandmother. All Bonnie wants is to escape.
“I’ve decided that the media doesn’t care, Bonnie Rae. They want us to be . . . and so that’s the story they’ll tell.”
Finn has had a rough few years. All he wants is to move forward and let go of the past. He is finally free and a new, better life within reach.
Bonnie and Finn find each other when they least expect it, but needed someone the most. Will they be each others saving grace or ruin?
“We’re Bonnie and Clyde! Wanted and unwanted. Caged and cornered. We’re lost and we’re alone. We’re a big, tangled mess. We’re a shot in the dark. We’re two people who have nowhere else, no one else, and yet, suddenly that feels like enough for me! I’m sorry if it’s not enough for you.”Infinity + One is a slower paced story, it's complex and well written. It will not be for everyone. I personally enjoyed it, even though my eyes may have crossed a few times with the math lessons. It's a story of hope, love, second chances and faith. At 99% I had chills. <33
"Infinity plus one does equal two, see? Me and you.”
December 14, 2017
Infinity + One NEEDS to be a movie! It's the modern day tale of Bonnie & Clyde (minus the crime spree). With mishaps at every turn, the author still manages to infuse every adventure with hope and joy, and you can't help but root for the underdogs.
The only thing I knew about this book before reading it was that it was written by Amy Harmon, my recently favorite author. I'm so glad that I didn't read any reviews so that none of the details of this unbelievably cool story were spoiled. And I will not spoil anything for you here. You're welcome.
Amy Harmon, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...
(1) You use your words like an artist uses her brush;
(2) You expertly include small details that paint the most vivid pictures;
(3) Each of your books is like a block of stone in which a masterpiece is eventually revealed;
(4) You let details unfold unhurriedly;
(5) You develop a love story without unnecessary, sexually explicit details; and
(6) You draw the reader in from the first page and leave us wanting more.
FAVORITE QUOTES:
The only thing I knew about this book before reading it was that it was written by Amy Harmon, my recently favorite author. I'm so glad that I didn't read any reviews so that none of the details of this unbelievably cool story were spoiled. And I will not spoil anything for you here. You're welcome.
Amy Harmon, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...
(1) You use your words like an artist uses her brush;
(2) You expertly include small details that paint the most vivid pictures;
(3) Each of your books is like a block of stone in which a masterpiece is eventually revealed;
(4) You let details unfold unhurriedly;
(5) You develop a love story without unnecessary, sexually explicit details; and
(6) You draw the reader in from the first page and leave us wanting more.
FAVORITE QUOTES:
"I believe in music. I guess music is for me what numbers are for you. There's power in music. There's healing in it. God is there in it, too, if you let Him be." (Bonnie)
Shayna Harris was juggling a lot of crap. And shit is incredibly difficult to juggle. No matter how hard you try, it still falls apart and slips through your fingers and, even when you're managing to keep it aloft, it still stinks.
She was convinced that behind everyone in need was an opportunity to make the world a better place. It was like she knew she had only a little while to leave her mark and that's the way she decided to leave it. It wasn't a bad way to be.
"I've done right by you, Bonnie. I have. I've taken care of you and I've watched out for you. And I can feel good about that. I haven't taken anything from you that I didn't earn or that wasn't fair. But I haven't earned this, Bonnie. I haven't earned you. And if I take you, all that stuff people are saying will be true." (Finn)
June 12, 2014
All I can say is, FINALLY, I finished this book!!!
This story was so BORING!! It was hard to really get into.
I never connected with either character.
Bonnie was mostly annoying, but there were brief moments I liked her.
Clyde/Finn, could have been swoonworthy, but never reached his potential.
All I got out of reading this book were a lot of late night naps.
This is me, the first night reading the book.
And the second night, I sat on my couch again and tried to read this book, and THREE times I fell asleep!!!!
ONE
TWO
THREE
I was determined to finish and not DNF, so I started to SKIM!
If I didn't I'd be taking a lot more late night naps.
Even tonight, while skimming, I dozed off one more time.
The story wasn't horrible, it just never got going for me.
It dragged on and on.
I loved "A Different Blue" and I'm planning on reading "Making Faces" this weekend.
I have a feeling this will go down as my least favorite Amy Harmon book.
This story was so BORING!! It was hard to really get into.
I never connected with either character.
Bonnie was mostly annoying, but there were brief moments I liked her.
Clyde/Finn, could have been swoonworthy, but never reached his potential.
All I got out of reading this book were a lot of late night naps.
This is me, the first night reading the book.
And the second night, I sat on my couch again and tried to read this book, and THREE times I fell asleep!!!!
ONE
TWO
THREE
I was determined to finish and not DNF, so I started to SKIM!
If I didn't I'd be taking a lot more late night naps.
Even tonight, while skimming, I dozed off one more time.
The story wasn't horrible, it just never got going for me.
It dragged on and on.
I loved "A Different Blue" and I'm planning on reading "Making Faces" this weekend.
I have a feeling this will go down as my least favorite Amy Harmon book.
June 14, 2014
4 Bonnie and Clyde Stars!
What does an outlaw and a country star have in common? A ruraunway
Both tired of their lives they decide to chase happiness together and be free for th first time. Like the real Bonnie and Clyde. And for the first time in their lives something finally feels right and feelings start to grow.
But that's the thing about real life. It always come back to bite you. So when the press, the world and their own ghosts start to get in the middle, how long can can they resist?
After all, does opposites really attract or repel?
Rating: 4 Stars
Storyline: As always, Amy Harmon delivers a refreshing and beautiful story with original and slightly broken characters. An amazing story with clever references to the real Bonnie and Clyde. Why not five? Probably its my fault because I started reading this with high expectations after loving "Making Faces"... And this one, just could not bring the same amazement.
Writing Style: Dual POV. Amazing and addictive writing.
Character Development: I liked both of them. Yeah, Bonnie annoyed me several times but I liked her anywaay Finn was also pretty good and them together as a couple was something amazing to see.
Steam: Meh. Some heat.
HEA:
What does an outlaw and a country star have in common? A ruraunway
Both tired of their lives they decide to chase happiness together and be free for th first time. Like the real Bonnie and Clyde. And for the first time in their lives something finally feels right and feelings start to grow.
But that's the thing about real life. It always come back to bite you. So when the press, the world and their own ghosts start to get in the middle, how long can can they resist?
After all, does opposites really attract or repel?
Rating: 4 Stars
Storyline: As always, Amy Harmon delivers a refreshing and beautiful story with original and slightly broken characters. An amazing story with clever references to the real Bonnie and Clyde. Why not five? Probably its my fault because I started reading this with high expectations after loving "Making Faces"... And this one, just could not bring the same amazement.
Writing Style: Dual POV. Amazing and addictive writing.
Character Development: I liked both of them. Yeah, Bonnie annoyed me several times but I liked her anywaay Finn was also pretty good and them together as a couple was something amazing to see.
Steam: Meh. Some heat.
HEA:
September 23, 2015
************RE-READ IN JANUARY 2015************
“I'm a felon. You're a superstar. Enough said.”
One ex-con thor-like mathmatical-genius
+
One tormented famous-rich hillbilly-singer
= One awesome love story.
“We're Bonnie and Clyde! Wanted and unwanted. Caged and cornered. We're lost and we're alone. We're a big, tangled mess. We're a shot in the dark. We're two people who have nowhere else, no one else.”
I really don't want to tell you anymore, it's a firsthand thing.
So, you need to read this.
NEED to.
I freakin' loved it.
6 STARS.
End review.
......................
......................
June 13, 2014
"What's Infinity plus one?"
"It's not Infinity after all. It's not even two. It's one, Bonnie Rae. Didn't you tell me? You and me? We're two halves of a whole."
Infinity + One was a sweet, smile-into-your-pillow kind of story. It's the perfect book to escape into after a tough or dark read.
____________________________________________
When two unlikely allies become two unwitting outlaws, will two unforgettable lovers defy unbeatable odds?
Bonnie Rae Shelby is a superstar. She’s rich. She’s beautiful. She’s impossibly famous. And Bonnie Rae Shelby wants to die.
Finn Clyde is a nobody. He’s broken. He’s brilliant. He’s impossibly cynical. And all he wants is a chance at life.
One girl. One boy. An act of compassion. A bizarre set of circumstances. And a choice – turn your head and walk away, or reach out your hand and risk it all?
With that choice, the clock starts ticking on a man with a past and a girl who can’t face the future, counting down the seconds in an adventure riddled with heartbreak and humor, misunderstanding and revelation. With the world against them, two very different people take a journey that will not only change their lives, but may cost them their lives as well.
Infinity + One is a tale of shooting stars and fame and fortune, of gilded cages and iron bars, of finding a friend behind a stranger’s face, and discovering love in the oddest of places.
____________________________________________
This is my second book by Amy Harmon. I read Making Faces and absolutely loved it ♥ However, Infinity Plus One fell a little flat to me. This book was like a roller coaster. Started out really promising and only getting better and better... and then you hit the middle and it was like a chore to read through... and then you get to the end and it was great again.
If it was any other author I might have called it quits and sadly mark it down as a DNF, but I knew that there had to be something more. Maybe I just got caught up in all the shining reviews *shrugs*
Despite the okayness of the story, the writing was spectacular. Amy Harmon really knows how to write a book. There were a lot of really nice quotes and her writing allows you to connect with the characters.
____________________________________________
Bonnie Rae Shelby
“You and I both know you aren’t gonna do it. Cut the drama, climb down, and I’ll take you wherever you wanna go.”
His words cemented my resolve. And I saw the moment when he knew it. His mouth moved around in a silent curse and his eyes widened.
I leaned into the fog and let go.
From reading one of Amy Harmon's previous books, I figured that if there was one thing I can count on, it was a lovable heroine. Sadly this wasn't the case. Bonnie was too much of everything. Too vulnerable, too naive, too much in the habit of making insane, careless decisions.
Infinity James Clyde
"One of these days, a girl is going to come along, and you won't even see her comin'. And she'll rock your world." Fisher said this like it was a done deal.
For me, Clyde is what saved the story. He was sweet and so understanding. So understanding. I really don't think I would have been able to survive so long with Bonnie. Clyde was always looking out for Bonnie since he met her one the bridge.
____________________________________________
As for their adventuress... it was cute and definitely entertaining, although not every realistic. Everything that was happening to them was so outrageous.
All in all, it was an enjoyable read. Clyde and the writing makes it worthwhile if this is the type of story you're in the mood for ;)
"They weren't good people," I added, but even I heard the reluctance in my voice.
"No."
"So why the fascination? Why are there movies made about them, museums built for them? Why did this old lady– I read the author's name off the bottom of the booklet– love them so much?"
"You tell me, Bonnie. Why the fascination?"
"Because they loved each other."
Rating clarification: 3 stars for the story
4 stars for the writing & Clyde
3.5 stars overall
Awesome body read with ♡Esra♡ – Jeanne – Erin – Kim B
Thanks, ladies!!
October 29, 2019
What a story!
“His mouth had been several degrees hotter than mine, and the heat was delicious. He had tasted like toothpaste and buttered toast—a combination that shouldn’t have worked but did, like he’d eaten breakfast, brushed his teeth, and then blown my mind, all in the space of ten minutes.”
This was so different than anything I expected from Amy. So many highlighted parts, and feels to go with it. The way Amy words phrases, paragraphs and chapters together blows my mind. I don’t feel I have adequate words to do this story justice. It’s Amy...just Amy.
Hey
Two friends to lovers on the run. Bonnie & Finn Clyde. I fell in love with them so much!
Some people might laugh or roll their eyes and accuse me of tired clichés. But there it was— hot food in an empty stomach, water on a parched throat, that first glimpse of home just around the bend, or that first bite of something you thought you’d never have the courage to try, only to realize it was the best thing you’d ever tasted. That was what Finn’s kiss was like. And in that moment, I realized I was starving and had been for a long time. I was starving. Hungry for companionship, affection, connection. And strangest of all, hungry for Finn Clyde.
“His mouth had been several degrees hotter than mine, and the heat was delicious. He had tasted like toothpaste and buttered toast—a combination that shouldn’t have worked but did, like he’d eaten breakfast, brushed his teeth, and then blown my mind, all in the space of ten minutes.”
This was so different than anything I expected from Amy. So many highlighted parts, and feels to go with it. The way Amy words phrases, paragraphs and chapters together blows my mind. I don’t feel I have adequate words to do this story justice. It’s Amy...just Amy.
Hey
Two friends to lovers on the run. Bonnie & Finn Clyde. I fell in love with them so much!
Some people might laugh or roll their eyes and accuse me of tired clichés. But there it was— hot food in an empty stomach, water on a parched throat, that first glimpse of home just around the bend, or that first bite of something you thought you’d never have the courage to try, only to realize it was the best thing you’d ever tasted. That was what Finn’s kiss was like. And in that moment, I realized I was starving and had been for a long time. I was starving. Hungry for companionship, affection, connection. And strangest of all, hungry for Finn Clyde.
July 16, 2014
First of all, I want to say that last year I’ve read A Different Blue and I loved it, so I was excited to start Infinity + One because I trusted this author. Well, I did not like this at all. Giving just one star to this book might seem a bit harsh, but then I thought: I liked absolutely nothing about this book. Nothing! The writing style is good, I have to be fair, but that’s about the only thing. I usually DNF books I don’t like, so I have no idea why I tortured myself. I can’t remember the last time I struggled to finish a book.
Where to begin? Well, from the start I was annoyed with MC – Bonnie (that should have been a sign). We meet her as she wants to jump off the bridge and Finn saves her. So, at first she’s suicidal, but then later on she’s not. Is she bipolar? (No, seriously is she? It looks like she is, and her Granma tells Finn that she takes medicine, but – in the end, it’s left vague.)
Moreover, this book has no plot! Bonnie and Finn meet, she’s a country pop star, he’s an ex-convict and they go on a road trip together (It sounds more exciting than it really is.) So, basically they’re just driving around country, helping poor people on the way. Nothing happens! Oh, yes and they fall in love too, which by the way, I did not see. No sparks, no chemistry, but hey - their love is so profound they express it in glances. We can not understand that, they feel on a deeper level.
I feel the setting of the book was more suited for 1980s than for today, the whole idea just seems like something already seen. Also, the narrating, it’s told from Bonnie’s first person POV and Finn’s third person POV. It was confusing, sometimes I had to go back a bit to see who’s narrating. I would have preferred the whole book in 1st person OR in 3rd person narrative, but that’s just me.
Furthermore, Bonnie and Clyde OVERDOSE! Okay, I understand the infamous couple were inspiration for the novel, but was it necessary to mention them in every other chapter..
So, the characters annoyed me, didn’t make me care for them at all, the whole Southern folk / Jesus vibe didn’t appeal to me. I’ve got nothing against people who are religious , but I don’t like that preaching tone in the novels (It’s one of the reasons I gave up on Paulo Coelho.)
Overall impression – this book just felt flat to me! This is one of those emotionally manipulative books, where nothing really happens, but the characters grow and mature, so once you reach the ending you’ve experienced this emotional epiphany. Well, I felt nothing!
I was so bored and I can’t remember the last time it took me so long to finish a book.
May 31, 2014
Last Spring I stumbled upon a book called A Different Blue by Amy Harmon. I was blown away with it. The writing, the story, the characters, the feelings...it was book perfection. Then, Making Faces came out and again I was totally blown away! It was my favorite book of last year and I couldn't shut up about it. So when I heard that Amy Harmon was again writing another book, I was beyond excited. And Amy Harmon did not disappoint with Infity + One! Books like hers are the reason that I love reading. Her writing is flawless. I become totally enamored by her characters and lost in the story, with real life fading away. I devoured this book. I don't want to give away any of the story because I want everyone to be able to experience this journey on their own and do it spoiler free. But I will say this...READ THIS BOOK! I laughed, I cried, and I fell in love again with Amy's storytelling!
May 3, 2015
Weightless and endless. Timeless and restless. Hopelessly breathless.
This is how Amy Harmon makes me feel every time I read one of her books. There is something so uniquely thoughtful and thought provoking about her work. Yes this story is different from her others. And that's not a bad thing. I enjoy not quite knowing what awaits me between the virtual covers of an Amy Harmon book.
Infinty +One had me contemplating. It was very melancholy. I thought about my own existence and the frailty of it all. I thought about the many variables that have brought me to this current point in life. How much is coincidence. How much carefully crafted destiny. The way she was able to invoke such deep thought within a love story amazes me. But, of course this is so much more than just a love story.
I adored the Bonnie & Clyde dynamic. Our main characters were just as wild, crazy, thought provoking - and in some ways - as tragic as the real life Bonnie and Clyde. Having the real life historical facts woven into the fiction made for a fascinating story.
And finally - I LOVED Finn & the way he viewed the world. His brain is so freakin' sexy. Call me a nerd, but something about a freakishly smart man really turns me on. Of course, his viking good looks I'm sure didn't hurt my opinion any. But most importantly, I loved the way he saw numbers everywhere, and how AH was able to draw the comparable to God in those numbers. Did I mention this book was thought provoking ?
I believe in Bonnie and Clyde
June 8, 2014
Amy Harmon is a phenomenal story teller. With her crisp, clean writing and her eloquent way with words, she illustrates this beautifully layered story of two lost souls, prisoner to their own individual circumstances, caged in very different ways, yet brought together by what can only be described as fate. Bonita Rae Shelby and Infinity James Clyde are each gifted in their own right... Bonnie, a superstar country musician and song writer. Finn, a mathematical genius. Their lives could not be more different, paradoxically they couldn't be more alike. Both mirror images of their deceased identical twins, Bonnie and Finn are two abandon halves of a whole. Brought together by bizarre, unforseen, miraculous circumstances, the two embark on a cross country trip that alters their lives forever.
"The events of our journey seemed unavoidable and pre-destined, almost as if Finn and I were being pulled against our wills toward an inevitable conclusion."
Alternating between Bonnie's first person point of view and third person omniscient point of view, Amy Harmon illustrates an unbelievably complex story of love, adventure and self discovery. Woven through this story are dramatic parallels to the infamous doomed Depression-era outlaws, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. The story is further layered with metaphors of Finn's love of numbers and Bonnie's love of music. As if this story isn't demonstrative enough of the author's writing depth, Bonnie and Finn's epic love story is erected upon a foundation of loss... loss of people, their other halves, loss of freedom, prisoners in their own lives, loss of control. This story is a mosaic... tiny little intricacies, both random and deliberate facets all falling together perfectly to form this luminous work of art.
"We're Bonnie and Clyde! Wanted and unwanted. Caged and cornered. We're lost and alone. We're a big, tangled mess. We're a shot in the dark. We're two people who have nowhere else, no one else, and yet, suddenly that feels like enough for me!"
There's a dark undertone running through Bonnie and Finn's tale. Both struggling to escape their own proverbial cages, Bonnie and Finn's roller coaster ride of a journey parallels the real life story of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Theirs is a tragic intriguing one, and with the infamous bloody deaths of the pair being referenced throughout this book, it feels dark, feels foreboding, feels like these characters are awaiting a grim fate. This story takes the reader on such an amazing ride of joy and hope, fear and despair. I was a ball of nerves expecting the rug to be pulled out from under me at any moment, simultaneously hoping that these two broken souls, fractions of wholes that are no longer, can somehow find their missing half in each other.
This author crafted what can only be described as a masterpiece. Amy Harmon's depth of knowledge of mathematics, of a historically infamous couple, of faith in a higher power, of the law, of the human condition woven together so intricately perfect within these pages is simply awe inspiring. Her knowledge and her extensive research into the unknown combined with her inherent genius writing ability have made for what is, hands down, one of the most phenomenal stories I've ever experienced.
"The events of our journey seemed unavoidable and pre-destined, almost as if Finn and I were being pulled against our wills toward an inevitable conclusion."
Alternating between Bonnie's first person point of view and third person omniscient point of view, Amy Harmon illustrates an unbelievably complex story of love, adventure and self discovery. Woven through this story are dramatic parallels to the infamous doomed Depression-era outlaws, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. The story is further layered with metaphors of Finn's love of numbers and Bonnie's love of music. As if this story isn't demonstrative enough of the author's writing depth, Bonnie and Finn's epic love story is erected upon a foundation of loss... loss of people, their other halves, loss of freedom, prisoners in their own lives, loss of control. This story is a mosaic... tiny little intricacies, both random and deliberate facets all falling together perfectly to form this luminous work of art.
"We're Bonnie and Clyde! Wanted and unwanted. Caged and cornered. We're lost and alone. We're a big, tangled mess. We're a shot in the dark. We're two people who have nowhere else, no one else, and yet, suddenly that feels like enough for me!"
There's a dark undertone running through Bonnie and Finn's tale. Both struggling to escape their own proverbial cages, Bonnie and Finn's roller coaster ride of a journey parallels the real life story of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Theirs is a tragic intriguing one, and with the infamous bloody deaths of the pair being referenced throughout this book, it feels dark, feels foreboding, feels like these characters are awaiting a grim fate. This story takes the reader on such an amazing ride of joy and hope, fear and despair. I was a ball of nerves expecting the rug to be pulled out from under me at any moment, simultaneously hoping that these two broken souls, fractions of wholes that are no longer, can somehow find their missing half in each other.
This author crafted what can only be described as a masterpiece. Amy Harmon's depth of knowledge of mathematics, of a historically infamous couple, of faith in a higher power, of the law, of the human condition woven together so intricately perfect within these pages is simply awe inspiring. Her knowledge and her extensive research into the unknown combined with her inherent genius writing ability have made for what is, hands down, one of the most phenomenal stories I've ever experienced.
November 16, 2016
I struggled with this book. I hate the 3 star review but I just couldn't bring myself to "love" this book. There was too much going on and I just couldn't handle her "wit". Sorry :(
December 24, 2019
Hayatım boyunca tekrar tekrar okuyabileceğim bir kitap daha buldum sonunda! Neredeyse her sayfasını, ana karakterlerin her diyalogunu post-itledim.Bonnie’ye,Finn’e,hayat hikayelerine,ülkenin bir ucundan öteki ucuna giderken yaşadıklarına,oluşturulan yan karakterlerin hikayeye katkısına kısacası kitabın noktasından virgülüne her şeye bayıldım. Ayrıca kitab��n adı o kadar yerinde olmuş ki👌🏻 Tek eleştirim var o da kitapla ilgili değil de düzenlemesiyle ilgili: Akışı kesecek kadar çok yazım yanlışı vardı.Normalde böyle durumlar gözüme çok batmaz,zihnimde tamamlayarak okurum ama hikayenin en kritik yerlerinde böyle hatalar olunca dikkatimi çekti maalesef.Yine de böyle güzel bir kitabı bizimle buluşturduğu için yayın evine teşekkür ediyorum.
Dipnot: Yazarın tükenen Tersyüz kitabını tekrar basarsanız ve kitaplarını çevirmeye devam ederseniz çook mutlu olurum.Teşekkürler 🌸
Dipnot 2: Kitap matematikle ilgili çokça terim içermektedir.Böyle ayrıntılar kitabı daha çok sevmemi sağladı ama belki sizin gözünüzde bir eksi olabilir. Yine de buna takılmayın.Bence romantik bir kitaptan çok daha fazlasıydı.Konusunu sevdiyseniz bir şans vermelisiniz. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dipnot: Yazarın tükenen Tersyüz kitabını tekrar basarsanız ve kitaplarını çevirmeye devam ederseniz çook mutlu olurum.Teşekkürler 🌸
Dipnot 2: Kitap matematikle ilgili çokça terim içermektedir.Böyle ayrıntılar kitabı daha çok sevmemi sağladı ama belki sizin gözünüzde bir eksi olabilir. Yine de buna takılmayın.Bence romantik bir kitaptan çok daha fazlasıydı.Konusunu sevdiyseniz bir şans vermelisiniz. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 19, 2014
A stirring romance. A life-changing adventure. This beautifully woven story is entirely unforgettable, profoundly touching and uniquely Amy Harmon. It’s absolute perfection and an immediate all-time favorite.
Reading an Amy Harmon book is an experience. I get lost in the story. Consumed by the characters. My thoughts adrift in introspection. The beauty of the writing is always so striking. The story is always so affectingly real. Even in this case, where one of the characters is a music superstar, her sentiments are raw and relatable. Somehow, Amy’s stories feel stripped and unencumbered, and as a reader, I experience the heart and emotion at the core of the story. I love the pearls of wisdom she embeds and how they incite me to reflect on my own life and actions. Infinity + One is arguably her best work to date and that’s saying something since I have loved everything I’ve read from her. It has heart and soul, suspense and sexiness, intelligence and wit. It’s two seemingly opposite people adding together perfectly. Two souls who have been broken by tragedy and are looking to find their way in life. It’s one adventure that promises to change everything and it all starts with a star that’s begun to dim…
To the world, Bonnie Rae Shelby was a bright, shining star. A young girl blazing to the pinnacle of fame. But in reality, Bonnie was broken and empty, lost and impossibly sad. Although she loved music, everything around her was nothing but a mirage. Empty of anything real. And she’d had enough. Running from the lights and towards the dark hopelessness she felt inside, she was ready to make it all go away. Until fate intervened, thrusting together a boy with a plan and a girl without hope. Bonnie and Clyde met at the heights of desperation, at a time where they needed something to rouse the insipidity of their lives.
When Finn Clyde came along, Bonnie was forced to make a choice and something about Finn felt right, fated even. Throwing caution to the wind, she takes an uncertain leap into the future with a boy she just met. All she knew is that she had to get away from everything and everyone that caged her in, because the sadness she felt inside had been consuming her for too long.
When Bonnie met Clyde, he had a plan. Clyde had seen some of the worst life had to offer, always falling on the wrong side of things. Attracting trouble and taking the consequences. And Bonnie Rae Shelby was trouble. He knew that immediately. But he also recognized the desperation in her… he had felt it so many times. He still felt it. Still searched for an answer that would change the outcome of his life. Clyde saw the world through a different lens. A fabric of fast-moving numbers and equations. He found solace in the mathematics all around him. He could predict conclusions, control the chaos. Having this girl next to him factored an unpredictability that he found difficult to process.
The more miles they traversed, the more time they spent together, the more they realized just how much they shared in common. They both felt like halves to a whole. They both felt alone. They both needed each other in a way they didn’t realize yet. Seeing how their differences began to converge and fit together was wonderful to observe. Every moment seemed significant as they gradually fell for each other. Depended on each other. Needed each other. Bonnie’s fog began to lift and Finn suddenly saw a girl full of feistiness and courage, life and song. She was courageous and beautiful and she did something unsettling to him inside. Finn felt as if he was permanently marked in a way that was never going to be good… or good enough. He couldn’t figure out why Bonnie didn’t run from him, and perhaps more significantly, why he suddenly couldn’t fathom being away from her.
Bonnie wasn’t good at being alone. She kept searching for something real and Finn Clyde was real, beautiful and brilliant. He was caring and good, but he too, was broken. Bonnie began to believe that they were destined to meet, a duo on the run, like the famous Bonnie and Clyde, but with the possibility of a different ending. A happy one. She needed Finn to believe in her, in them, in himself… but he feared they couldn’t escape the same ill-fated ending, and he feared he would lose her and it would all be on him.
This beautiful, powerful, unforgettable story is one about breaking the cycle of hopelessness. It’s about taking control of your own life and risking it all to find the things that are most worth it in life. It’s love and adventure, risk and reward, courage and freedom. It’s a spellbinding tale that touched my heart profoundly, yet quietly, in the way that Amy Harmon often has through her storytelling. I find that I care deeply for the characters she creates, feeling their emotions as if they were my own, internalizing the stories to a point where they mean so much to me. Infinity + One is breathtaking… undeniably one of my favorite all-times reads. You’ll fall in love with Bonnie and Clyde, rooting for their love as they race towards their happy ever after.
Reading an Amy Harmon book is an experience. I get lost in the story. Consumed by the characters. My thoughts adrift in introspection. The beauty of the writing is always so striking. The story is always so affectingly real. Even in this case, where one of the characters is a music superstar, her sentiments are raw and relatable. Somehow, Amy’s stories feel stripped and unencumbered, and as a reader, I experience the heart and emotion at the core of the story. I love the pearls of wisdom she embeds and how they incite me to reflect on my own life and actions. Infinity + One is arguably her best work to date and that’s saying something since I have loved everything I’ve read from her. It has heart and soul, suspense and sexiness, intelligence and wit. It’s two seemingly opposite people adding together perfectly. Two souls who have been broken by tragedy and are looking to find their way in life. It’s one adventure that promises to change everything and it all starts with a star that’s begun to dim…
“I don’t really want to die… I just don’t want to live very bad… But maybe that will change if I can just get away for a while… figure out who I am and what I want.”
To the world, Bonnie Rae Shelby was a bright, shining star. A young girl blazing to the pinnacle of fame. But in reality, Bonnie was broken and empty, lost and impossibly sad. Although she loved music, everything around her was nothing but a mirage. Empty of anything real. And she’d had enough. Running from the lights and towards the dark hopelessness she felt inside, she was ready to make it all go away. Until fate intervened, thrusting together a boy with a plan and a girl without hope. Bonnie and Clyde met at the heights of desperation, at a time where they needed something to rouse the insipidity of their lives.
“Finn saw something he’s seen on a thousand faces in the last six and a half years. Beat-down, hopeless, finished, blank. It was a look he had battled in his own reflection. It was defeat.”
When Finn Clyde came along, Bonnie was forced to make a choice and something about Finn felt right, fated even. Throwing caution to the wind, she takes an uncertain leap into the future with a boy she just met. All she knew is that she had to get away from everything and everyone that caged her in, because the sadness she felt inside had been consuming her for too long.
“Everybody has the blues. Maybe that’s all they are. But they feel more like grays than blues, and more black than gray sometimes.”
When Bonnie met Clyde, he had a plan. Clyde had seen some of the worst life had to offer, always falling on the wrong side of things. Attracting trouble and taking the consequences. And Bonnie Rae Shelby was trouble. He knew that immediately. But he also recognized the desperation in her… he had felt it so many times. He still felt it. Still searched for an answer that would change the outcome of his life. Clyde saw the world through a different lens. A fabric of fast-moving numbers and equations. He found solace in the mathematics all around him. He could predict conclusions, control the chaos. Having this girl next to him factored an unpredictability that he found difficult to process.
“I believe in numbers. The ones you can see and the ones you can’t. The real and the imaginary, the rational and the irrational, and every point on lines that go on forever. Number have never let me down. They don’t waffle. They don’t lie. They don’t pretend to be what they’re not. They’re timeless.”
The more miles they traversed, the more time they spent together, the more they realized just how much they shared in common. They both felt like halves to a whole. They both felt alone. They both needed each other in a way they didn’t realize yet. Seeing how their differences began to converge and fit together was wonderful to observe. Every moment seemed significant as they gradually fell for each other. Depended on each other. Needed each other. Bonnie’s fog began to lift and Finn suddenly saw a girl full of feistiness and courage, life and song. She was courageous and beautiful and she did something unsettling to him inside. Finn felt as if he was permanently marked in a way that was never going to be good… or good enough. He couldn’t figure out why Bonnie didn’t run from him, and perhaps more significantly, why he suddenly couldn’t fathom being away from her.
“He was usually good at figuring things out, good at unraveling complicated equations and ferreting out solutions to problems most people wouldn’t even attempt. But that was math and Bonnie was a woman, and the functions and formulas that ruled one had no obvious bearing on the other. Here he was, surrounded by a complex, puzzling, and illusive problem, and he wasn’t talking about math. Bonnie should be running from him as far and fast as she could, and for the life of him he couldn’t figure her out.”
Bonnie wasn’t good at being alone. She kept searching for something real and Finn Clyde was real, beautiful and brilliant. He was caring and good, but he too, was broken. Bonnie began to believe that they were destined to meet, a duo on the run, like the famous Bonnie and Clyde, but with the possibility of a different ending. A happy one. She needed Finn to believe in her, in them, in himself… but he feared they couldn’t escape the same ill-fated ending, and he feared he would lose her and it would all be on him.
“We’re Bonnie and Clyde! Wanted and unwanted. Caged and cornered. We’re lost and we’re alone. We’re a big tangled mess. We’re a shot in the dark. We’re two people who have nowhere else, no one else, and yet, suddenly that feels like enough for me!”
This beautiful, powerful, unforgettable story is one about breaking the cycle of hopelessness. It’s about taking control of your own life and risking it all to find the things that are most worth it in life. It’s love and adventure, risk and reward, courage and freedom. It’s a spellbinding tale that touched my heart profoundly, yet quietly, in the way that Amy Harmon often has through her storytelling. I find that I care deeply for the characters she creates, feeling their emotions as if they were my own, internalizing the stories to a point where they mean so much to me. Infinity + One is breathtaking… undeniably one of my favorite all-times reads. You’ll fall in love with Bonnie and Clyde, rooting for their love as they race towards their happy ever after.
“Infinity plus one does equal two… Me and you.”
Want to read
May 26, 2014EXCERPT
Excerpt
He bit back a curse and strode to his truck. Unlocking the door, he tossed his bags in the backseat, climbed in, and slammed the door. He turned the key and backed out resolutely, trying to ignore the fact that she had risen, her hands on her bags, and that her hood had slipped from her head. She didn’t move forward, didn’t call out to him to wait. She just stood there, watching him go. He shifted into drive and made it 100 feet before he let his eyes find her figure in the rear view mirror. “Unbelievable,” Finn ground out, and slammed the wheel with the palm of his hand. He slowed to a stop. “UNBELIEVABLE!” he reprimanded himself even as he engaged the brake, pushed the door open and lurched out of the idling vehicle. Bonnie still stood with her two duffle bags in her hands, her grandma’s stolen purse on her shoulder, but now her lips were slightly parted, clearly stunned that he’d stopped. And she wasn’t the only one. Finn felt like he was split right down the middle. The rational part of his brain, the side that ensured his survival and his sanity, was outraged, demanding that he keep driving, while the side of his brain that was connected to his heart and other parts of his body was breathing a sigh of relief that he hadn’t let her get away. She didn’t move, as if she was sure that the moment she did he would change his mind, climb back in the Blazer, and drive away. So he walked back to her, battling with himself every step of the way. He walked until they were practically toe to toe, her dark eyes wide and lifted to his, his hands shoved into his pockets so he wouldn’t strangle her. But his pockets felt like manacles around his wrists and he yanked them free, fisting them in the front of Bonnie’s puffy pink coat and raising her up on her toes and into him until they weren’t toe to toe any longer but nose to nose. His emotions were a big tangled ball of anger, longing, and injustice all wrapped up in impatient outrage, and Finn couldn’t separate one feeling from another. So he did the only thing he could do. He kissed her. It wasn’t a soft kiss or a sweet kiss. It was a ‘you-scared-me-and-messed-with-me-and-I’m-mad-and-relieved-and-unbelievably-frustrated’ kind of kiss. It was teeth and lips and nipping and bruising, and Finn couldn’t make himself stop, even when Bonnie’s teeth tugged at his lower lip and her hands pulled at his hair. Especially then. And when she wrapped her arms around his neck and stepped up onto his toes so that she could press herself flush against him, he decided revenge really was sweet, and enjoyed the feel of her face against his, the wet heat of her mouth making him forget he was standing in the middle of a Motel 6 parking lot with his ride rumbling behind him, the driver side door still hanging wide open. The rational part of his brain was stunned into peaceful silence…for all of ten seconds.
Excerpt
He bit back a curse and strode to his truck. Unlocking the door, he tossed his bags in the backseat, climbed in, and slammed the door. He turned the key and backed out resolutely, trying to ignore the fact that she had risen, her hands on her bags, and that her hood had slipped from her head. She didn’t move forward, didn’t call out to him to wait. She just stood there, watching him go. He shifted into drive and made it 100 feet before he let his eyes find her figure in the rear view mirror. “Unbelievable,” Finn ground out, and slammed the wheel with the palm of his hand. He slowed to a stop. “UNBELIEVABLE!” he reprimanded himself even as he engaged the brake, pushed the door open and lurched out of the idling vehicle. Bonnie still stood with her two duffle bags in her hands, her grandma’s stolen purse on her shoulder, but now her lips were slightly parted, clearly stunned that he’d stopped. And she wasn’t the only one. Finn felt like he was split right down the middle. The rational part of his brain, the side that ensured his survival and his sanity, was outraged, demanding that he keep driving, while the side of his brain that was connected to his heart and other parts of his body was breathing a sigh of relief that he hadn’t let her get away. She didn’t move, as if she was sure that the moment she did he would change his mind, climb back in the Blazer, and drive away. So he walked back to her, battling with himself every step of the way. He walked until they were practically toe to toe, her dark eyes wide and lifted to his, his hands shoved into his pockets so he wouldn’t strangle her. But his pockets felt like manacles around his wrists and he yanked them free, fisting them in the front of Bonnie’s puffy pink coat and raising her up on her toes and into him until they weren’t toe to toe any longer but nose to nose. His emotions were a big tangled ball of anger, longing, and injustice all wrapped up in impatient outrage, and Finn couldn’t separate one feeling from another. So he did the only thing he could do. He kissed her. It wasn’t a soft kiss or a sweet kiss. It was a ‘you-scared-me-and-messed-with-me-and-I’m-mad-and-relieved-and-unbelievably-frustrated’ kind of kiss. It was teeth and lips and nipping and bruising, and Finn couldn’t make himself stop, even when Bonnie’s teeth tugged at his lower lip and her hands pulled at his hair. Especially then. And when she wrapped her arms around his neck and stepped up onto his toes so that she could press herself flush against him, he decided revenge really was sweet, and enjoyed the feel of her face against his, the wet heat of her mouth making him forget he was standing in the middle of a Motel 6 parking lot with his ride rumbling behind him, the driver side door still hanging wide open. The rational part of his brain was stunned into peaceful silence…for all of ten seconds.
February 8, 2016
Signore e signori, Amy Harmon è una garanzia, inutile girarci intorno. Le sue storie sono profonde, toccanti, piene di sentimento. Anche in questo caso l'autrice è riuscita a creare un piccolo capolavoro, fatto di dolore, rabbia, perdita... I personaggi di Infinito+1 hanno alle spalle vite difficili, vite disastrate dalle quali i due giovani cercano a modo loro di fuggire. Bonnie Rae Shelby è una cantante country di successo, la sua vita è scandita da tour e concerti e tutto è organizzato nei minimi dettagli da sua nonna, nonché sua manager. Infinity (Finn) Clyde è un ex detenuto finito ingiustamente dietro le sbarre; porta con sé, sulla sua pelle, i marchi dei giorni trascorsi in galera e se ne vergogna profondamente. Le circostanze in cui le loro vite si incontrano sono surreali, e l'elemento "destino" gioca un ruolo chiave non solo in questa occasione, ma per tutta la durata della storia. Bonnie e Clyde iniziano così un viaggio particolare, un viaggio che li porterà a visitare la East Cost a bordo di una vecchia Blazer arancione, un viaggio che li aiuterà ad affrontare i demoni del passato. Entrambi hanno perso due fratelli gemelli, le loro metà e da quel giorno si sentono incompleti (come dargli torto?). Tra loro si crea un rapporto particolare, intenso, pervaso di emozioni distruttive e al contempo costruttive. La loro storia sembra rimarcare le orme di quella di due criminali famosissismi che portavano i loro stessi nomi, ma i nostri Bonnie e Clyde sono due persone completamente diverse, sono due ragazzi alla disperata ricerca di se stessi, alla ricerca di quella pace che per troppo tempo è stata loro negata. Gli elementi chiave del romanzo a mio avviso sono due: Dio e la matematica. Dalle parole dell'autrice si percepisce chiaramente la sua fede incrollabile; Dio viene spesso menzionato, sia direttamente che indirettamente, e tutto il romanzo è basato proprio su questo. La matematica è l'altra grande colonna portante, e devo fare i miei complimenti all'autrice per essere riuscita ad inserire un argomento così ostico all'interno di un romanzo adattandolo alle circostanze e ai sentimenti dei protagonisti. Parlare di equazioni, teoremi, radici quadrate, numeri primi ecc... in un contesto totalmente diverso dal loro utilizzo quotidiano è stata una scelta che ho trovato super azzeccata, e ha contribuito a rendere la trama ancora più avvincente e affascinante.
Nei libri della Harmon riesco sempre a trovare la luce in fondo al tunnel. Inizialmente sembra non esserci via di uscita, ma poi ad un certo punto si inizia a vedere un piccolo spiraglio nel buio, e credetemi quel piccolo barlume luce salverà sia i personaggi che il lettore. È impossibile rimanere indifferenti di fronte ad una scrittura così impeccabile, pulita, straordinariamente poetica e delicata. Consiglio vivamente la lettura di questo libro ai sognatori, a tutti coloro che nel petto hanno un cuore che palpita e pretende emozioni.
Nei libri della Harmon riesco sempre a trovare la luce in fondo al tunnel. Inizialmente sembra non esserci via di uscita, ma poi ad un certo punto si inizia a vedere un piccolo spiraglio nel buio, e credetemi quel piccolo barlume luce salverà sia i personaggi che il lettore. È impossibile rimanere indifferenti di fronte ad una scrittura così impeccabile, pulita, straordinariamente poetica e delicata. Consiglio vivamente la lettura di questo libro ai sognatori, a tutti coloro che nel petto hanno un cuore che palpita e pretende emozioni.
March 14, 2016
La mia recensione sul blog http://www.leggereromanticamente.com/...
Anche stavolta Amy Harmon ha dato vita ad una storia che ha tutte le carte in regola per rubarvi il cuore! Questa autrice ha uno stile impeccabile, possiede la capacità di trasformare situazioni che a primo impatto potrebbero essere davvero poco credibili in qualcosa di reale e concreto.
I protagonisti di questo romanzo sono il classico esempio di coppia improbabile: Bonnie è una musicista famosa che a 21 anni è all'apice del suo successo, mentre Clyde è un ex detenuto dal passato complicato. Lei è bella e ricca ma totalmente svuotata dentro, non riesce infatti a superare la recente scomparsa della persona a lei più cara, cosa che l'ha lasciata spezzata a metà. Questo vuoto incolmabile, il suo isolamento e il disperato bisogno di libertà dalla gabbia dorata in cui la tiene prigioniera la sua nota nonnina, condurranno Bonnie a commettere una sciocchezza. Fortunatamente, Clayde incrocerà la sua strada proprio nel momento giusto, oltre ad aiutarla accetterà di portarla con sé in un viaggio on the road verso Las Vegas.
Finn Clyde ha 24 anni, un passato complicato alle spalle con un vissuto da carcerato, oltre ad essere un genio nella matematica che non crede assolutamente nel caso.
Bonnie e Clyde sono due giovani sconosciuti che si trovano legati dal destino e da diverse coincidenze, due anime che hanno dovuto affrontare il dolore e la perdita prima del tempo, sentendosi persi ed incompleti.
La storia è raccontata alternando il punto di vista di Bonnie e la terza persona, anche se avrei preferito leggere il POV di Clyde la storia rende benissimo anche così.
Inoltre, ho apprezzato moltissimo i diversi riferimenti ai noti amanti-fuorilegge “Bonnie & Clyde”, una chicca davvero azzeccata!
“Infinito + 1” è un romanzo toccante, dolce e molto romantico che consiglio assolutamente! L'ho letteralmente divorato in pochissime ore, staccarsi è stato davvero difficile. Amy Harmon mi aveva già conquistata con “Sei il mio sole anche di notte” e con questo nuovo new adult è riuscita a fare il bis!
Anche stavolta Amy Harmon ha dato vita ad una storia che ha tutte le carte in regola per rubarvi il cuore! Questa autrice ha uno stile impeccabile, possiede la capacità di trasformare situazioni che a primo impatto potrebbero essere davvero poco credibili in qualcosa di reale e concreto.
I protagonisti di questo romanzo sono il classico esempio di coppia improbabile: Bonnie è una musicista famosa che a 21 anni è all'apice del suo successo, mentre Clyde è un ex detenuto dal passato complicato. Lei è bella e ricca ma totalmente svuotata dentro, non riesce infatti a superare la recente scomparsa della persona a lei più cara, cosa che l'ha lasciata spezzata a metà. Questo vuoto incolmabile, il suo isolamento e il disperato bisogno di libertà dalla gabbia dorata in cui la tiene prigioniera la sua nota nonnina, condurranno Bonnie a commettere una sciocchezza. Fortunatamente, Clayde incrocerà la sua strada proprio nel momento giusto, oltre ad aiutarla accetterà di portarla con sé in un viaggio on the road verso Las Vegas.
Finn Clyde ha 24 anni, un passato complicato alle spalle con un vissuto da carcerato, oltre ad essere un genio nella matematica che non crede assolutamente nel caso.
Bonnie e Clyde sono due giovani sconosciuti che si trovano legati dal destino e da diverse coincidenze, due anime che hanno dovuto affrontare il dolore e la perdita prima del tempo, sentendosi persi ed incompleti.
La storia è raccontata alternando il punto di vista di Bonnie e la terza persona, anche se avrei preferito leggere il POV di Clyde la storia rende benissimo anche così.
Inoltre, ho apprezzato moltissimo i diversi riferimenti ai noti amanti-fuorilegge “Bonnie & Clyde”, una chicca davvero azzeccata!
“Infinito + 1” è un romanzo toccante, dolce e molto romantico che consiglio assolutamente! L'ho letteralmente divorato in pochissime ore, staccarsi è stato davvero difficile. Amy Harmon mi aveva già conquistata con “Sei il mio sole anche di notte” e con questo nuovo new adult è riuscita a fare il bis!
July 11, 2015
4.5 "Two Halves of a Whole" Stars for the story and 5+ Stars for Tavia Gilbert's fantastic narration! If you're looking for a highly creative romance, with an incredibly well done narration, then look no further, Infinity + One should be your next listen! Wow, can Ms. Harmon write! Crafting a story with numerous parallels and one unifying theme of taking control over one's life as a precursor to finding true happiness, Infinity + One is a very special story that will leave you deep in thought and warm of heart. Amy Harmon has definitely won a spot on my must read/listen to authors with this life defining, love on the run hit; and Tavia Gilbert, once again has proven why she is one of my auto-buy narrators.
Bonnie Rae Shelby is a country music sensation. On the outside, she has everything anyone could possibly desire: money, beauty, and fame. What no one knows is the incredible price she has had to pay to get to where she is. Nearly every single one of her decisions, from her next concert to the food she is allowed to eat, is controlled by her star crazed grandmother. Having risen from poverty and utter obscurity, her grandmother is determined to do whatever it takes to ensure that Bonnie stays in line: singing and producing the money necessary to maintain their family's now accustomed standard of living.
Finn Clyde has equally had his life determined by his family, but to a polar opposite result. Although he is a mathematical genius, he has not had the good fortune to benefit from his gifts. Finally determined to start anew, and straighten out his life once and for all, Finn determines its time to move across the country where he hopes to find a new job in Las Vegas. On his way out of town, however, the man, who is looking forward to starting a new life, meets the girl who is intent on ending hers.
They form an unlikely alliance, as Bonnie joins Finn on his cross-country journey, that turns into an epic friendship and ultimately to love. But can two such mismatched souls ever come together to form one complete whole? Moreover, as the excursion across the country begins to bear a stark resemblance to another "Bonnie and Clyde" journey, the couple will soon find that it is not just their hearts--but also public opinion--that will shape their futures.
This one-of-a-kind story is further complemented by Tavia Gilbert's expert performance. Having previously listened to numerous titles by Ms. Gilbert, I knew she would render a good performance. Ms. Gilbert, however, not only met my expectations, but she exceeded them.
Ms. Gilbert's talent at producing distinguishable voices for the many characters in this book is so great that, at times, I would have sworn that there were multiple narrators. From Finn's Boston accented male voice to Bonnie's country twang, Ms. Gilbert not only ensures that you know who is talking at all times (without needing to rely on dialogue tags), but she also manages to completely capture the essence and personality of each role with just the sound of her voice.
Ms. Gilbert is also an expert at communicating emotion. From the more contemplative scenes to the action-filled suspense ones, one sound of Ms. Gilbert's voice instantly frames the mood of the scene, so that you can just sit back and relax to enjoy this imaginative story.
All in all, Infinity Plus One is truly a unique romance audiobook gem. If you have not yet had the pleasure of experiencing this story, then I highly recommend that you buy the audiobook and let Tavia Gilbert bring it to life for you!
Source: Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
Bonnie Rae Shelby is a country music sensation. On the outside, she has everything anyone could possibly desire: money, beauty, and fame. What no one knows is the incredible price she has had to pay to get to where she is. Nearly every single one of her decisions, from her next concert to the food she is allowed to eat, is controlled by her star crazed grandmother. Having risen from poverty and utter obscurity, her grandmother is determined to do whatever it takes to ensure that Bonnie stays in line: singing and producing the money necessary to maintain their family's now accustomed standard of living.
Finn Clyde has equally had his life determined by his family, but to a polar opposite result. Although he is a mathematical genius, he has not had the good fortune to benefit from his gifts. Finally determined to start anew, and straighten out his life once and for all, Finn determines its time to move across the country where he hopes to find a new job in Las Vegas. On his way out of town, however, the man, who is looking forward to starting a new life, meets the girl who is intent on ending hers.
They form an unlikely alliance, as Bonnie joins Finn on his cross-country journey, that turns into an epic friendship and ultimately to love. But can two such mismatched souls ever come together to form one complete whole? Moreover, as the excursion across the country begins to bear a stark resemblance to another "Bonnie and Clyde" journey, the couple will soon find that it is not just their hearts--but also public opinion--that will shape their futures.
This one-of-a-kind story is further complemented by Tavia Gilbert's expert performance. Having previously listened to numerous titles by Ms. Gilbert, I knew she would render a good performance. Ms. Gilbert, however, not only met my expectations, but she exceeded them.
Ms. Gilbert's talent at producing distinguishable voices for the many characters in this book is so great that, at times, I would have sworn that there were multiple narrators. From Finn's Boston accented male voice to Bonnie's country twang, Ms. Gilbert not only ensures that you know who is talking at all times (without needing to rely on dialogue tags), but she also manages to completely capture the essence and personality of each role with just the sound of her voice.
Ms. Gilbert is also an expert at communicating emotion. From the more contemplative scenes to the action-filled suspense ones, one sound of Ms. Gilbert's voice instantly frames the mood of the scene, so that you can just sit back and relax to enjoy this imaginative story.
All in all, Infinity Plus One is truly a unique romance audiobook gem. If you have not yet had the pleasure of experiencing this story, then I highly recommend that you buy the audiobook and let Tavia Gilbert bring it to life for you!
Source: Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
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June 1, 2014
05/05/2014 --
Overall Rating = 4 Stars
Book Cover / Book Blurb / Book Title = 2 / 4 / 9 = 5 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 4 Stars
Character Development = 3.5 Stars
Story Appreciation = 4 Stars
Ending = 4 Stars
Worth the Chili = 5 Stars -- [$3.99 on Amazon]
Smexy [HEAT] Rating = Mild
350 pages
I've had a love affair with Amy Harmon since I read one of her books last year. It continues and deepens. She writes with such a depth of emotion. She creates these really simple characters who are so so complex - make sense?
A few things I really enjoyed about this book:
1 -- The story concept. You might think it not original -- but it is VERY original the way Amy Harmon does it. We've all read or seen those stories about the characters meeting somehow, strangers, and traveling across the country together. But, we haven't experienced the twists and turns Amy gives us. It was fun at times, sad at times and there was a touch of suspense too. To top it off, I loved the characters.
2 -- The characters; Infinity and Bonnie Rae. They were great. I seriously liked them both. These two are just very nice people in a shit situation.
The blurb for this story says that Bonnie Rae wants to die. She doesn't really. She wants the pain and the chaos to stop and she doesn't see any other way to stop it than to stop being. Enter Finn. He is a Hero after my heart. I BELIEVE in second chances. Finn encapsulates this. He is a good person who has made some mediocre to very poor choices and has paid the price. In SPADES. Enter Bonnie Rae. Get the gist? They save each other.
Bonnie Rae puts me in mind of Taylor Swift. Finn is just Finn. I think he could be any one of a hundred really good people working on a second chance. I hope they get there.
3 -- I like the way life plays out in this one. Life ... it's never easy. Anyone who thinks it is, hasn't "walked in the shoes of that person." It has peaks and valleys -- some peak's are longer than the valley, but it can change on a dime. Like a really scary roller coaster that you can't get off of. This story is very real. It makes you think. I like that in a book.
Now, a few things I noted that could have been better:
1 -- The transitions within the story were a bit clunky at times. It didn't detract really, but had me stop and re-read a paragraph a time or two.
2 -- The cover guitar is a bit folksy for the story. I like the guitar, but I didn't think it fit well.
3 -- There were elements of the story that I didn't think were detailed enough -- fleshed out enough. I'm not going to say what these were, even with a spoiler because I know you'll peek, they just happened and we are to believe it. I did, but it would have been nice to have had a bit more story for these elements to make my buy-in a bit stronger.
Overall a very nice read. I love this author. I think she has such a depth of emotion in her story telling. I sometimes think this scares her and she holds back on us a bit. One day ... one day Amy Harmon will cut loose and give us the raw, gritty emotional read she is so ready to write. This one, hmm... it is quite that, but it is VERY good. YOU will love Infinity. Bonnie Rae will sing in your heart. What more could you ask for?
Happy Reading this one!!
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review!
Overall Rating = 4 Stars
Book Cover / Book Blurb / Book Title = 2 / 4 / 9 = 5 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 4 Stars
Character Development = 3.5 Stars
Story Appreciation = 4 Stars
Ending = 4 Stars
Worth the Chili = 5 Stars -- [$3.99 on Amazon]
Smexy [HEAT] Rating = Mild
350 pages
I've had a love affair with Amy Harmon since I read one of her books last year. It continues and deepens. She writes with such a depth of emotion. She creates these really simple characters who are so so complex - make sense?
A few things I really enjoyed about this book:
1 -- The story concept. You might think it not original -- but it is VERY original the way Amy Harmon does it. We've all read or seen those stories about the characters meeting somehow, strangers, and traveling across the country together. But, we haven't experienced the twists and turns Amy gives us. It was fun at times, sad at times and there was a touch of suspense too. To top it off, I loved the characters.
2 -- The characters; Infinity and Bonnie Rae. They were great. I seriously liked them both. These two are just very nice people in a shit situation.
The blurb for this story says that Bonnie Rae wants to die. She doesn't really. She wants the pain and the chaos to stop and she doesn't see any other way to stop it than to stop being. Enter Finn. He is a Hero after my heart. I BELIEVE in second chances. Finn encapsulates this. He is a good person who has made some mediocre to very poor choices and has paid the price. In SPADES. Enter Bonnie Rae. Get the gist? They save each other.
Bonnie Rae puts me in mind of Taylor Swift. Finn is just Finn. I think he could be any one of a hundred really good people working on a second chance. I hope they get there.
3 -- I like the way life plays out in this one. Life ... it's never easy. Anyone who thinks it is, hasn't "walked in the shoes of that person." It has peaks and valleys -- some peak's are longer than the valley, but it can change on a dime. Like a really scary roller coaster that you can't get off of. This story is very real. It makes you think. I like that in a book.
Now, a few things I noted that could have been better:
1 -- The transitions within the story were a bit clunky at times. It didn't detract really, but had me stop and re-read a paragraph a time or two.
2 -- The cover guitar is a bit folksy for the story. I like the guitar, but I didn't think it fit well.
3 -- There were elements of the story that I didn't think were detailed enough -- fleshed out enough. I'm not going to say what these were, even with a spoiler because I know you'll peek, they just happened and we are to believe it. I did, but it would have been nice to have had a bit more story for these elements to make my buy-in a bit stronger.
Overall a very nice read. I love this author. I think she has such a depth of emotion in her story telling. I sometimes think this scares her and she holds back on us a bit. One day ... one day Amy Harmon will cut loose and give us the raw, gritty emotional read she is so ready to write. This one, hmm... it is quite that, but it is VERY good. YOU will love Infinity. Bonnie Rae will sing in your heart. What more could you ask for?
Happy Reading this one!!
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review!
June 13, 2014
Full review can be found at Romantic Reading Escapes
Infinity + One is a slight departure from Amy Harmon’s last two releases, Making Faces and A Different Blue, however it isn’t a true departure from her previous work. This book is filled with undertones and themes that are filled with beauty and hope wherein lies hopelessness. As always with this author, the writing is fluid and flawless. I was immediately invested in the story at the prologue, and the characters along with the writing took me exactly where I believe the author wanted to take me.
Amy Harmon took a risk with writing faith and scripture into this compelling work of fiction, and it works. Spirituality is an underlying theme in the novel and works because it is who the author is and who Bonnie Rae Shelby is. Scripture is the premise for much of Bonnie Rae’s character and actions as she and Finn meet and help strangers along their journey. Faith and Christianity had a special place in the story line as Bonnie Rae is from Tennessee, the middle of the Bible belt, and her heritage lies in Appalachia, a poverty-stricken part of Tennessee in which the only thing the people of Appalachia have is their faith and devotion. Living in East Tennessee for all but five years of my life, I am very familiar with that area nestled in the Smoky Mountains, and Amy Harmon captured the area perfectly through Bonnie’s background and family.
The entire story is fate driven with destiny leading their odyssey, meeting and helping strangers along the way. The media, along with Bonnie’s grandmother, played an intricate role in their cross-country adventure, placing roadblocks at every turn with false information and adding more risk with each newscast. Reading this story was like watching a movie play out in my mind, one that I would love to see on the big screen, and that is a rarity I find in books. I can’t possibly end this review without mentioning the book trailer, which is one of the most beautiful book trailers I’ve seen. The song is from a very pertinent scene in the book and is so fitting to Bonnie and Finn.
Told in both first person (Bonnie’s pov) and third person for Finn’s thoughts and feelings, it was extremely easy for me to connect with the characters, and the prose is fitting to the characters and perfect. I laughed through several parts of the story and at Bonnie’s antics. By the time I neared the end, I was near tears wondering what was left for Bonnie and Finn, and the epilogue….perfection in bringing essence to their odyssey. Amy Harmon has managed to tell me a story of two wayfaring strangers who meet and fall in love against all odds. I’ve mentioned before in my review of Running Barefoot and A Different Blue that Amy Harmon’s writing is like that of a parable, and that holds true in Infinity + One. If you want a beautiful story that is steeped in romance, action, and heartrending beauty that will change you for the better, I strongly recommend this book.
Infinity + One is a slight departure from Amy Harmon’s last two releases, Making Faces and A Different Blue, however it isn’t a true departure from her previous work. This book is filled with undertones and themes that are filled with beauty and hope wherein lies hopelessness. As always with this author, the writing is fluid and flawless. I was immediately invested in the story at the prologue, and the characters along with the writing took me exactly where I believe the author wanted to take me.
Amy Harmon took a risk with writing faith and scripture into this compelling work of fiction, and it works. Spirituality is an underlying theme in the novel and works because it is who the author is and who Bonnie Rae Shelby is. Scripture is the premise for much of Bonnie Rae’s character and actions as she and Finn meet and help strangers along their journey. Faith and Christianity had a special place in the story line as Bonnie Rae is from Tennessee, the middle of the Bible belt, and her heritage lies in Appalachia, a poverty-stricken part of Tennessee in which the only thing the people of Appalachia have is their faith and devotion. Living in East Tennessee for all but five years of my life, I am very familiar with that area nestled in the Smoky Mountains, and Amy Harmon captured the area perfectly through Bonnie’s background and family.
The entire story is fate driven with destiny leading their odyssey, meeting and helping strangers along the way. The media, along with Bonnie’s grandmother, played an intricate role in their cross-country adventure, placing roadblocks at every turn with false information and adding more risk with each newscast. Reading this story was like watching a movie play out in my mind, one that I would love to see on the big screen, and that is a rarity I find in books. I can’t possibly end this review without mentioning the book trailer, which is one of the most beautiful book trailers I’ve seen. The song is from a very pertinent scene in the book and is so fitting to Bonnie and Finn.
Told in both first person (Bonnie’s pov) and third person for Finn’s thoughts and feelings, it was extremely easy for me to connect with the characters, and the prose is fitting to the characters and perfect. I laughed through several parts of the story and at Bonnie’s antics. By the time I neared the end, I was near tears wondering what was left for Bonnie and Finn, and the epilogue….perfection in bringing essence to their odyssey. Amy Harmon has managed to tell me a story of two wayfaring strangers who meet and fall in love against all odds. I’ve mentioned before in my review of Running Barefoot and A Different Blue that Amy Harmon’s writing is like that of a parable, and that holds true in Infinity + One. If you want a beautiful story that is steeped in romance, action, and heartrending beauty that will change you for the better, I strongly recommend this book.
February 21, 2016
La Harmon è una delle mie autrice preferite. È decisamente confermato.
Questo libro mi ha dato il colpo di grazia, mi ha fatto capitolare, perché leggendo la trama mi sono ritrovata a storcere il naso. Ci sono due caratteristiche che difficilmente riescono a prendermi al 100% in una lettura e sono, i viaggi on the road e le star dello spettacolo. Ogni libro, che è mi capitato sottomano, che riportava uno di questi particolari è stato, per me, una tremenda delusione. E poi arriva la Harmon… che me li propone tutte e due insieme!
Paura. Purissima.
Ma la Harmon è di tutta un’altra pasta, è di un altro Pianeta proprio! Mi sono vergognata per aver anche solo pensato che potesse deludermi. Lei non cade mai nei cliché del genere, lei non è mai superficiale ne banale. Lei scrive con cognizione di causa, sempre.
Così, la classica storia d’amore tra una star della musica e un ex detenuto si trasforma in poesia dall’inizio alla fine. Ho amato tutto. Le canzoni di Bonnie, i discorsi matematici di Finn, la saggezza che traspare dalle pagine, la profondità con cui l’autrice si permette di esplorare tutti i recessi dell’animo umano, la facilità con cui racchiude, spesso in una sola parola, il significato di un gesto, una riflessione, un semplice bacio.
Alla Harmon non serve essere esplicita, avventata, volgare per attirare la mia attenzione e farmi capitolare, le basta descrivermi un sorriso, una carezza o una canzone cantata alle stelle e due innamorati, in fuga, che si abbracciano su una vecchia coperta nel bel mezzo di un giardinetto pubblico, per farmi capire in pieno ciò che vuole trasmettere.
Una storia dolcissima di un amore straordinario, giovane ma brillante, la storia di due menti completamente differenti che però, una volta entrate in rotta di collisione non riusciranno più a lasciarsi. Una storia di dolore, perdita, solitudine e rinascita, la storia di un destino al quale non si può resistere, di scelte che fanno crescere, di nuove possibilità per riprendere in mano le redini della propria esistenza.
Un romanzo che è anche una pacata denuncia sulla facilità che la mente umana ha di giudicare e generalizzare, che siano gabbie di una prigione o gabbie d’orate, svolgono tutte la stessa funzione: non rendono mai liberi.
E poi… non so voi, ma io ho adorato i riferimenti (per altro, molto dettagliati e ben utilizzati al fine della trama) su Bonnie e Clyde!
E il titolo? Stratosfericamente perfetto!
Lettura consigliata! XD
Questo libro mi ha dato il colpo di grazia, mi ha fatto capitolare, perché leggendo la trama mi sono ritrovata a storcere il naso. Ci sono due caratteristiche che difficilmente riescono a prendermi al 100% in una lettura e sono, i viaggi on the road e le star dello spettacolo. Ogni libro, che è mi capitato sottomano, che riportava uno di questi particolari è stato, per me, una tremenda delusione. E poi arriva la Harmon… che me li propone tutte e due insieme!
Paura. Purissima.
Ma la Harmon è di tutta un’altra pasta, è di un altro Pianeta proprio! Mi sono vergognata per aver anche solo pensato che potesse deludermi. Lei non cade mai nei cliché del genere, lei non è mai superficiale ne banale. Lei scrive con cognizione di causa, sempre.
Così, la classica storia d’amore tra una star della musica e un ex detenuto si trasforma in poesia dall’inizio alla fine. Ho amato tutto. Le canzoni di Bonnie, i discorsi matematici di Finn, la saggezza che traspare dalle pagine, la profondità con cui l’autrice si permette di esplorare tutti i recessi dell’animo umano, la facilità con cui racchiude, spesso in una sola parola, il significato di un gesto, una riflessione, un semplice bacio.
Alla Harmon non serve essere esplicita, avventata, volgare per attirare la mia attenzione e farmi capitolare, le basta descrivermi un sorriso, una carezza o una canzone cantata alle stelle e due innamorati, in fuga, che si abbracciano su una vecchia coperta nel bel mezzo di un giardinetto pubblico, per farmi capire in pieno ciò che vuole trasmettere.
Una storia dolcissima di un amore straordinario, giovane ma brillante, la storia di due menti completamente differenti che però, una volta entrate in rotta di collisione non riusciranno più a lasciarsi. Una storia di dolore, perdita, solitudine e rinascita, la storia di un destino al quale non si può resistere, di scelte che fanno crescere, di nuove possibilità per riprendere in mano le redini della propria esistenza.
Un romanzo che è anche una pacata denuncia sulla facilità che la mente umana ha di giudicare e generalizzare, che siano gabbie di una prigione o gabbie d’orate, svolgono tutte la stessa funzione: non rendono mai liberi.
E poi… non so voi, ma io ho adorato i riferimenti (per altro, molto dettagliati e ben utilizzati al fine della trama) su Bonnie e Clyde!
E il titolo? Stratosfericamente perfetto!
Lettura consigliata! XD
February 17, 2023
Sigh....... I love Harmon's books:} I am reading them very slowly and hoping they last long. I am so sad when they end. I'm just going to have to buy them all and reread them when no other books will satisfy me. These are true life emotional roller coaster books, that pull me in, whirl me around and dump me out in a happy daze when done. This one was so well done. I loved Finn and Bonnie, their love story was so much fun to read. The author knows how to write an amazing moving story that uplifts and shakes you. Loved this one.
Sex: There is a couple passionate kisses, make-out scene that fades out and a sex scene after marriage that fades out, but gives you some detail before it fades out. More sensual then erotic. Amy knows how to write a kiss.
Language: There is a handful of swear words scattered throughout. They are appropriate and expected from Finn and his life style but never excessive and over used.
Violence: There is shooting, fighting and even a little torture. They are all short brief story's to the point with little detail. There is a description of a strip search that makes me never want to go to jail.
Re-read -2-23. Gosh I love her books. There is just nothing like a Harmon Romance.PG 13
Sex: There is a couple passionate kisses, make-out scene that fades out and a sex scene after marriage that fades out, but gives you some detail before it fades out. More sensual then erotic. Amy knows how to write a kiss.
Language: There is a handful of swear words scattered throughout. They are appropriate and expected from Finn and his life style but never excessive and over used.
Violence: There is shooting, fighting and even a little torture. They are all short brief story's to the point with little detail. There is a description of a strip search that makes me never want to go to jail.
Re-read -2-23. Gosh I love her books. There is just nothing like a Harmon Romance.PG 13
May 25, 2021
Bu kitabı bikaç kez daha okur kahrolurum. Nerde var bu Infinity Clyde abi bulun hemen:(
September 30, 2019
Sevdiğimi söyleyemem.
Kadın karakter inanılmaz bencil, şımarık, yazarın bazı şeyleri anlatmak için kıza söylettiği şeyler onu çok iticileştiriyor.
Erkek karakter ve kadın karakterin aralarda geçmişlerini okuyoruz, o kısımlar güzeldi. Kadın karakterle o kısımlarda bir bağ kurmayı başarabiliyoruz en azından.
Kitabın konusuna gelince... Sahi, konusu neydi? :) Ana hatlara gelecek olursak... Bir dakika, ana hattı var mı ki? Sayfa sayısı peki? Eee o da şişirilmiş sanki, anlatacağını kısaca anlatacakken uzatmış da uzatmış. Herhalde "araştırma" yapmak için ülkeyi baştan başa gezerken gittiği küçük kasabaları anlatmak istemiş yazar, anlamadım.
Çeviriyi de az önce bitirdiğim için yapacağım yorumu, belirlediğim o kadar şeyi, cümleleri bile unuttum. :( Aman ya.
Kadın karakter inanılmaz bencil, şımarık, yazarın bazı şeyleri anlatmak için kıza söylettiği şeyler onu çok iticileştiriyor.
Erkek karakter ve kadın karakterin aralarda geçmişlerini okuyoruz, o kısımlar güzeldi. Kadın karakterle o kısımlarda bir bağ kurmayı başarabiliyoruz en azından.
Kitabın konusuna gelince... Sahi, konusu neydi? :) Ana hatlara gelecek olursak... Bir dakika, ana hattı var mı ki? Sayfa sayısı peki? Eee o da şişirilmiş sanki, anlatacağını kısaca anlatacakken uzatmış da uzatmış. Herhalde "araştırma" yapmak için ülkeyi baştan başa gezerken gittiği küçük kasabaları anlatmak istemiş yazar, anlamadım.
Çeviriyi de az önce bitirdiğim için yapacağım yorumu, belirlediğim o kadar şeyi, cümleleri bile unuttum. :( Aman ya.
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