The History of Us Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway!

Hi everyone! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the THE HISTORY OF US by Jennifer Bardsley Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my review and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: THE HISTORY OF US

Author: Jennifer Bardsley

Pub. Date: July 12, 2022

Publisher: Montlake

Formats: Paperback, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 317

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, TBD, Bookshop.org

From Sweet Bliss author Jennifer Bardsley comes a poignant romance about a small-town crime that throws together ex–high school sweethearts who have never quite gotten over their past.

Andrea Wint’s life in the small town of Port Inez, Washington, is a simple one. She works, enjoys the gorgeous view from her bay window, and visits her dad at the memory-care facility. Her father is in the late stages of Alzheimer’s, but Andrea brings in one coin from his valuable collection every day—little bits of precious metals that seem to bring him back to himself, even if just for a few moments.

So when Andrea’s house is burgled and the coins disappear, she’s bereft.

To track down the culprit, she turns to Dustin Karlsson, who just happens to be her former high school sweetheart. Years ago, they broke each other’s hearts, and some wounds are slow to heal. But Dustin feels indebted to the ailing Tom Wint and wants to help.

What’s more, Dustin has a personal stake in finding the perpetrator. In fact, he suspects the thief could be his own brother-in-law, a gambler and a drunk who skipped town, leaving Dustin’s sister and two young nieces behind.

As Dustin and Andrea travel the Pacific Northwest in an effort to recover the missing coins, old feelings rekindle. Maybe their happily ever after can still be minted.

 

Advanced Praise:

“Jennifer’s story peels back layer after layer until Dustin and Andrea get down to what really matters—what they feel down deep in their hearts. A lovely story of finding love, healing old hurts, and working together toward a lovely future together.” —Carolyn Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Riverbend Reunion

“Equal turns thoughtful and sweet, The History of Us is a darling read. Dustin and Andrea shine as a couple, and Port Inez is the type of small-town that will draw you in like you are a member of the Karlsson family.” —Addie Woolridge, author of The Checklist

“Jennifer Bardsley delivers a beautifully written story of love, family, and second chances. You will experience all the feels as the hero and heroine navigate their way toward happily ever after. The characters were written with such authenticity that you will feel as if you know them personally. I enjoyed the love and devotion both main characters showed for their families. Bardsley skillfully handled the delicate subject of Alzheimer’s disease with grace and care, weaving it into the storyline flawlessly. These two characters truly went on a journey that led them back to each other. —Joy Avery, author of Something So Sweet

“Gripping and emotional, The History of Us is a beautiful story of what it truly means to love someone. Bardsley weaves a captivating tale of the complicated but powerful nature of family bonds, taking readers on a journey through the Pacific Northwest with two broken people looking to recover something lost—and along the way, rediscovering their enduring love for each other.” —Elissa Grossell Dickey, author of The Speed of Light and Iris in the Dark

“Jennifer Bardsley’s love stories are exactly what we need right now—books with hope, family, and characters that feel like home!” —Brooke Burroughs, author of The Marriage Code and The Name Curse

 

Penelope's Review

This is the third book I'm reading by Jennifer Bardsley, after really enjoying Sweet Bliss and Good Catch! I was very excited to pick up The History of Us, and it ended up being a cute and cozy read! We have romance, a bit of mystery, and lots of history in this latest addition to Bardsley's bookshelf!

The story features Andrea Wint, a woman in her mid-thirties living in Port Inez (a ferry ride away from Harper's Landing!) where she can visit her dad, who suffers from Alzheimer's. Andrea is doing the best she can in the wake of her father's diagnosis, and I really did admire her strength and outlook on life throughout this book. I really like how realistic the character was, with Bardsley showing both sides of the coin (haha, punny) in which we get a glimpse into the various emotions Andrea feels including guilt, relief, love, anger, sadness, and so on. Andrea was definitely a relatable character, which I find is thanks to very good writing on behalf of the author. 

Then we have Dustin Karlsson, the boy who broke Andrea's heart 18 years ago... except it turns out she also broke his heart? This ends up being a heartwarming second chance romance - though I did wish for just a little bit more - things seemed to resolve themselves rather quickly, and I was just hoping to get a little more tension, a little more fight and passion. But if that's not what your looking for, and you want a nice, clean sweet romance then this will be absolutely perfect for you! 

In terms of plot itself, we have a crime to solve! Not what I was expecting in a contemporary romance, but it ended up being such a great outline for the story! Andrea's dad was a rare coin collector in his prime, and his love of numismatics remains strong, even after his diagnosis! It's one of the few ways Andrea is able to connect with her dad, so when his entire collection is stolen from her house, she is determined to get back every piece. With the help of Dustin, the two go on a mission to locate their prime suspect - Dustin's scummy brother-in-law. What follows is a fun story, rich in research and history that you have you putting another little notch into your "random things I now know" belt lol!

As always, the writing style here is great! I enjoy the way this author puts pen to paper, and will continue to pick up her books as they come out! I like the characters, and how relatable their struggle are, and the range of emotions they convey. Overall, a good read and looking forward to what comes next from this author!

Rating: 3.5/5 Devils!

About Jennifer Bardsley:

Jennifer Bardsley believes in friendship, true love, and the everlasting power of books. A graduate of Stanford University, she lives in Edmonds, Washington with her husband and two children. Jennifer's "I Brake for Moms" column has appeared in The Everett Herald every week since 2012. She also writes Young Adult Paranormal Romance under the pen name Louise Cypress. When she's not writing books, or camping with her Girl Scout troop, you can find Jennifer walking from her house to the beach every chance she gets.

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Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of THE HISTORY OF US, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

6/1/2022	BookHounds	Interview/IG Post
6/2/2022	Jenguerdy	IG Post
6/3/2022	BETTER_0FF_READ	IG Post/TikTok Post
6/4/2022	pickagoodbook	Guest Post/IG Post

Week Two:

6/5/2022	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt/IG Post
6/6/2022	Lady Hawkeye	Excerpt/IG Post
6/7/2022	SJ_Bookshelf	IG Review
6/8/2022	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt
6/9/2022	Viviana MacKade	Guest Post
6/10/2022	M reads often	IG Review
6/11/2022	@jaimerockstarbooktours	IG Post

Week Three:

6/12/2022	onemused	IG Post
6/13/2022	@kristens.reading.nook	Review/IG Post
6/14/2022	TakeALookAtMyBookshelf	Review/IG Post
6/15/2022	@thechattybookworm	Tik Tok Review/IG Post
6/16/2022	LatestBookCrush	Excerpt/IG Post
6/17/2022	Fire and Ice	Review
6/18/2022	@coffeesipsandreads	IG Review

Week Four:

6/19/2022	Emmiepooh2	Review/IG Post
6/20/2022	beersbooksandboos	Review/IG Post/TikTok Post
6/21/2022	@My.Bookish.Mind	IG Review
6/22/2022	A Court of Coffee and Books	Review/IG Post
6/23/2022	The Momma Spot	Review/IG Post
6/24/2022	More Books Please blog	Review/IG Post
6/25/2022	Two Points of Interest	Review/IG Post

Week Five:

6/26/2022	onemoreexclamation	Review/IG Post
6/27/2022	Lychburg Reasd	Review/IG Post
6/28/2022	Lifestyle of Me	Review/IG Post
6/29/2022	Book Sniffers Anonymous	Excerpt/IG Post
6/30/2022	The Reading Devil	Review/IG Post