{"id":49826,"date":"2020-02-11T09:00:29","date_gmt":"2020-02-11T14:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=49826"},"modified":"2025-08-29T03:09:49","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T07:09:49","slug":"blog-tour-with-arc-review-excerpt-the-life-that-mattered-life-series-book-one-by-jewel-e-ann","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=49826","title":{"rendered":"Blog Tour with ARC Review & Excerpt: The Life that Mattered (Life Series, #1) by Jewel E. Ann"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Life that Mattered
\n(Life Series, Book One)<\/b><\/h4>\n

by Jewel E. Ann<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Released – 6 February 2020<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Buy it today!
\nAmazon<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0Amazon Worldwide<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0Paperback<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

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\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

\r\n <\/div><\/div><\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n

Blurb<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Sex isn\u2019t love.
\nLove isn\u2019t sex.
\nAnd friendship is neither.<\/p>\n

The son of a French Olympic skier and a Malaysian fashion designer, Ronin Alexander has lived the life of a nomad, traveling the world to find his next adventure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Life takes a dramatic turn when he meets Evelyn, a beautiful scientist who owns a bath shop in Aspen, Colorado. They defy all the rules of relationships, falling hard and quickly in love.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Their world intertwines with Evelyn\u2019s two best friends, the Governor and his soon-to-be wife. The four become close\u2014very close.<\/span><\/p>\n

When tragedy strikes, things from their pasts are unveiled\u2014unimaginable truths and the grim realization that life will never be the same.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jewel E. Ann steps into another dimension with this mind-bending thriller, a provocative story that pushes boundaries and tests the true meaning of love.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Add The Life That Mattered<\/em> to GOODREADS<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Review<\/strong><\/h4>\n

5 mind-blowing stars!<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is no questioning Jewel E. Ann\u2019s ability to write a spellbinding and unpredictable novel. She makes you think outside the box and knows how to build anticipation. Her words affect you whether you want them to or not. The Life that Mattered<\/i> is a mind-blowing story that consumed me from the first page to the last, and it is just the first half of the story. The prologue itself broke my heart. Then I was healed by the immense love in this book only to be broken again, as I rode this complex and emotional rollercoaster of feels. Now, I am left reeling from the cliffhanger that may just be too much to handle.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t want to go into too much of the story because to experience it fully you have to go in blind but know that the storyline is captivating and characters are amazing. Evelyn, Ronin, Lila, and Graham are multi-dimensional and the relationships between all four of them are unique.<\/p>\n

Evelyn is a breath of fresh air. She has such a fun personality and is so positive. I loved her the moment I met her and she felt real and relatable. Lila and Graham, Evelyn\u2019s best friends who are getting married, have been a solid foundation in Evelyn\u2019s life and they have supported each other through thick and thin. When Ronin enters the picture, they welcome him into their group and they all grow closer. Ronin is such a delight. He is charming and sweet, and I was swooning from the minute he walked into Evelyn\u2019s life. He is just such an amazing man and there was no way I wouldn\u2019t fall for him.<\/p>\n

I adored Evelyn and Ronin together. They share a special connection the moment they meet. They just click and I felt the spark between them. They fall hard and fast. It is a whirlwind romance that changes their lives forever and I believed every second of their love. It is all-consuming and beautiful, and I felt like I could happily drown in it.<\/p>\n

My life was pretty fucking incredible at the moment. I didn\u2019t want to slow down and think. If we didn\u2019t make sense \u2026 then I refused to live my life by any sort of sense or rules.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I loved the way the story unfolded. There are secrets and surprises that will knock you off your feet. Situations that will break you and others that will fill you with so much warmth. I had no idea what to expect from this story and I couldn\u2019t have imagined anything better. The romance, the friendships, the angst, the twists and turns, all are perfectly crafted in the most spectacular way to make you feel everything. And the feels are all over the place! I loved experiencing each and every one of them through the highs and lows and everything in between.<\/p>\n

I was captivated, consumed, and even overwhelmed at times but I wouldn\u2019t change a thing because this book has left me with an epic book hangover that has stuck with me for days. I just can\u2019t get it out of my head and heart.\u00a0The Life that Mattered<\/em> is easily a\u00a0new favorite of 2020 and I am desperate for The Life You Stole<\/em>, book two of the\u00a0Life Series<\/em><\/a>!!<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t looking for anyone the day you walked into that cafe in Vancouver. But since that day <\/i>all I can do is look at you. My mother once said I\u2019d find something \u2026 some-<\/i>one who would make me forget my purpose in life. Break my compass. Jumble my thoughts. And steal my heart\u2026<\/em>I didn\u2019t believe her\u201d…<\/em>
\n\u201cShe was right.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

*ARC generously provided by the\u00a0author and Social Butterfly PR*<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Excerpt<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I wasn\u2019t opposed to the occasional drunken one-night stand, but not with Evelyn. We weren\u2019t drunk, and I wasn\u2019t okay with an arbitrary time in the future that I may or may not see her again.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll walk you to your door,\u201d Evelyn said as she turned off her Jeep.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGod \u2026\u201d I laughed, shaking my head. \u201cThat\u2019s messed up. Now I feel a huge urgency to get my own vehicle. I think I\u2019ll go tomorrow to buy one just so you don\u2019t ever have to walk me to my door again.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She climbed out. \u201cI don\u2019t have to stop at your door. We don\u2019t have to play by the rules of dating. I think we\u2019re past that age. How old are you?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I found her hand and led her to the front door. \u201cThirty-five.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m thirty-four. Have you ever been married?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We stopped at my door and faced each other. \u201cNo. You?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She shook her head. \u201cThe rules don\u2019t apply once you\u2019re past thirty.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe rules?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Evelyn grinned. \u201cThe courting shit. The baseball game.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe baseball game?\u201d My head canted to the side.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. The sexual bases? First base is kissing. Second base is\u2014\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d I fished my keys from my pocket. \u201cI\u2019m familiar with the bases.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I don\u2019t know if you\u2019re a fan of baseball or not, but I am.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I unlocked my door and motioned for her to go inside.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She wet her lips and stepped into my condo without an ounce of hesitation. \u201cYou\u2019re inviting me in. So you <\/span>are<\/span><\/i> a fan of baseball.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not so much. Skiing, football (soccer), rugby, cycling, tennis \u2026 but not baseball. However, something told me Evelyn might make me a baseball fan.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure you\u2019re living here?\u201d She glanced around at the sparse furnishings of my two-bedroom condo.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI never stay in one place long. No need to own much. It\u2019s just that much more to sell or move.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Books.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I owned books and a place to sit and read them. My parents didn\u2019t believe in letting Julien and I watch television while we were growing up. Julien embraced art. I embraced fiction\u2014mysteries and sci-fi.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you consider not long?\u201d She ran her fingers along the back of my leather recliner before dropping her bag to the floor and slipping off her jacket.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThree to five years is a nice stay.\u201d I tossed my coat onto one of two barstools at my kitchen counter.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. So our marriage will be short.\u201d Her teeth trapped her full bottom lip.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cProbably.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019d dated enough women to know there existed a sequence of events that took place way before the M word should ever be discussed. I\u2019d never reached the point of discussing the M word. Not even with my longest relationship, which lasted two years.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Two years and we didn\u2019t talk about marriage.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I was out of my realm of experience with Evelyn. We joked about marriage, but who joked about that? Then there was a baseball discussion happening, and I didn\u2019t even like baseball, but I waited with restless anticipation for Evelyn to make her point. Something told me it could be brilliant.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKenny was a guy I dated my first year in college. He played baseball.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I could not have cared less about this Kenny guy, but he brought her back to the baseball talk, so I folded my arms over my chest, leaned against the counter, and gave her my full attention as she walked in slow circles around my furniture. A predator with calculated moves.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Who was I to judge? I walked into her shop that day and basically said we needed to expedite our dating status\u2014laid out my plans to eat dinner with her, close down bars, and sip hot chocolate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe was a solid hitter. Always got on base, but he never hit a home run. I honestly think he lacked the confidence to go for it. His coaches told him to just get on base, so that\u2019s what he did because that\u2019s what you do when you\u2019re young like that. You spend a lot of time on the bases.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Were we still talking about baseball in the literal sense?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think once you hit your thirties, no one should judge if you just hit it out of the park your first time up to bat.\u201d Her lips twisted as she stopped in front of me. \u201cThe goal is to hit it home. If you can do that, then why the hell not, right?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I thought I understood the metaphor. But if I was wrong, I could get thrown out of the game.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCan I get you a drink?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Evelyn shook her head.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My eyes narrowed, studying her for a few seconds.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFirst base is fine.\u201d She shrugged.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fuck me \u2026\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Life Series<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"\u00a0\u00a0\"\"\u00a0 \"\" \u00a0\"\"<\/p>\n

The Life that Mattered: Roe & Evie: Part One (Duet 1)<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Review<\/a>
\n<\/strong>Buy: Amazon<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

The Life You Stole: Roe & Evie: Part Two (Duet 1)<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Review<\/a>
\nBuy: Amazon<\/a> \u00a0|\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

Pieces of a Life: Colton & Josie: Part\u00a0 One (Duet 2)
\n<\/strong>Review<\/a>
\n<\/strong>Buy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0| \u00a0Apple Books<\/a>\u00a0| \u00a0Nook<\/a><\/p>\n

Memories of a Life: Colton & Josie: Part Two (Duet 2)
\n<\/strong>Review<\/a>
\n<\/strong>Buy: Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

About the Author<\/b><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Jewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense of humor.<\/span><\/p>\n

With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After her best friend of nearly 30 years suggested a few books from the Contemporary Romance genre, Jewel was hooked. Devouring two and three books a week but still craving more, she decided to practice sustainable reading, AKA writing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When she\u2019s not donning her cape and saving the planet one tree at a time, she enjoys yoga with friends, good food with family, rock climbing with her kids, watching How I Met Your Mother reruns, and of course\u2026heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, panty-scorching novels.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stay up to date with Jewel by joining her MAILING LIST<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

FACEBOOK<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0TWITTER<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0INSTAGRAM<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0BOOKBUB<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0AMAZON<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0WEBSITE<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Check out our Jewel E. Ann Author Spotlight<\/a> for more amazing reads!<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Life that Mattered (Life Series, Book One) by Jewel E. Ann   Released – 6 February 2020   Buy it today! Amazon\u00a0 | \u00a0Amazon Worldwide \u00a0| \u00a0Paperback     Blurb Sex isn\u2019t love. Love […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":49281,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":5,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[297,50,49,9,29],"tags":[59,343,579,1101,48],"class_list":["post-49826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-angsty","category-favourite","category-feeeeeeels","category-romance","category-steamy","tag-arc","tag-blog-tour","tag-jewel-e-ann","tag-life-series","tag-review"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/the-Life-That-Mattered.jpg?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-cXE","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=49826"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49826\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/49281"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=49826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=49826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=49826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}