Almost Strangers

The beginning of this duet took me a bit to get into but I think I was just resisting the angst I knew was going to come. These Deckers are a gut punch you don't see coming. Jacob and Pria absolutely broke my heart in a way that I thought even the happiest of happily ever afters wouldn't help me get over it. The first part of this duet made me insanely happy that I could dive right in to the conclusion.

After listening to and loving Claudia Burgoa’s “Unexpected Everlasting” Duet, I was looking forward to return to the amazing Decker world she created and to hear Ansley’s brothers’ story. Each duet features a different Decker triplet and stands on its own, but the siblings and their parents appear in each other’s book and while you need not have to have read the other’s books, I think it is best that you do. Not only are they amazing stories, but timelines overlap and knowing the other’s back story is beneficial, beside seeing them again is like seeing an old friend. This book is the start of Jacob and Pria’s story and wow, what a story it is, it is one not to be missed and I can not wait to start the next book in the duet, so happy it is already available. This story had me right from the start, grabbing my attention and captivating it straight to the end. After being homeschooled their entire life, the two Decker brothers were off to college and ready for the entire college experience. I love the camaraderie amongst the triplets and these two together are hilarious without even trying to be with their back-and-forth bickering, also loved how they are missing their sister, the more responsible one of the three. Cipriana “Pria” Walker, a freshman at UW, she is going to make the most of her time in college, for however long that may be. Her parents are always looking for the best places in the country for treatment for her sister, Maeve, who has Cystic Fibrosis. Her demanding overprotective mother asks a lot of her too, including being the caregiver for her sister, who she loves dearly. When Jacob throws the worst pickup lines on her, she just blows him off, but their paths cross again and he is persistent and will not give up on her. It was great to watch these two get to know each other and see it morph into young love, one that was supposed to be everlasting. Except Pria needs to go back home and knowing he is destined to be a big rockstar one day she makes a foolish decision to let him go. He does not except that and it turns out to be disastrous for him and when she realizes she made a mistake, she finds out he was gone and it she was too late. This is a beautifully written and plotted story of first love and heartache, the emotions pour off the pages and straight into your heart and you can feel every single one. Claudia Burgoa, thank you for this exceptional love story and emotional rollercoaster ride. 🎧📚🎧 And for the fabulous narration, Joe Arden and Stephanie Nemeth-Parker do an amazing job bringing these characters to life, and did so with a complete understanding of each of their personas. I loved how they took each role, ran with it and made it their own, sounding natural in that role and believable. Besides nailing it in the lead roles, both were just as fabulous performing the roles of the secondary characters too. You could hear how much heart they put into their work as they capture all the character’s emotions and project them into their performance, making you feel every single one. These superbly talented narrators are entertaining storytellers and versatile voice artists. Thank you for another exceptional listen, it is always a pleasure to listen to your performances.

I absolutely loved Almost Strangers by Claudia Burgoa; the first book in her Somehow Everlasting Duet, it is an incredible love at first opposites attract sight love story. Claudia Burgoa continues to provide readers with incredible love stories filled with amazing characters. She continues to prove that she is an amazing storyteller. I love all the characters in Almost Strangers, they feel like family! Almost Strangers filled me with a rollercoaster of emotions, It was impossible to put it down, and I loved every moment on every page. Who does not love hot sexy men, strong females, loving families, and friends, who always support one another? I really enjoy how the book is told in the first person from the perspective of the main characters. I love getting the insight and feelings from the different characters. I love the lighter moments where I find myself smiling and laughing out loud. My favorite moments are the ones that pull at my heartstrings that cause me to sigh, as I read the heartbreaking moments. Almost Strangers is filled with heartbreaking and heartwarming moments. It is filled with all those things that I have come to love and expect in Claudia Burgoa love story, and she did not disappoint, especially with the poignant and bittersweet moments that filled this page turner. Almost Strangers is a love story between college freshmen at the University of Washington Cipriana “Pria” Walker and Jacob Decker, a band member of Without a Compass. I loved how the book spans years of their relationship, and you could see the growth in Pria, Jacob and his brother Matthew and sister Ainsley. Jacob and Pria meet while standing in line at the bookstore and then again on the first day of class. Jacob and Pria begin a romantic relationship, but it is hindered by Pria’s sister Maeve health. Maeve suffers from Cystic Fibrosis. I love how Pria wanted to give Jacob a unique nickname and Jacob’s nickname for Pria. I love how Jacob shares things with Pria that he has never shared with anyone before, especially when Jacob tells Pria about the identity of his parents. love all the dreams that they share with one another, including the names of their children and their dogs. I love all the things that Jacob does for Pria to let her know that he is always there for her even when he is not physically present. An unanticipated plot twist occurs that causes Pria and Jacob to go their separate ways, even though they each unknowingly reach out to find one another but to no avail. Jacob and Pria have seemed to move on, and each have suffered other losses in their lives. My favorite part is the cliffhanger ending. I love the characters and the family dynamic in Almost Strangers, the characters feel like family and friends. I enjoyed all the interactions between Decker siblings especially their teasing that made me laugh. Who does not love family and friends that always have each other’s backs? I thoroughly enjoyed Almost Strangers, who does not love a love at first sight opposites attract love story? I am not used to reading love stories that do not have a happily ever after, but I am looking forward to reading Strangers in Love, to read the conclusion of Pria and Jacob’s love story. Highly recommend this incredible love story.

Listen, I love a good angsty book as much as the next reader...but yikes!! Jacob and Pria ought to have their pictures next to this word in the dictionary, cuz there's a lot to unravel. They are also the poster children for insta-love, Jacob more so than Pria, and I'm honestly not sure how I feel about it. I get that Jacob is very new to the outside world, being homeschooled all his life, not to mention "protected" from the media for who his parents are. But he definitely comes off a bit stalkerish with Pria. While she, on the other hand, can't decide if she want to be a grown-up and live a bit more independently while at college, or tow every line her very controlling mother writes in the sand. Did I get it, yes. Did I always like it...no. And let me clarify that it wasn't the book or writing I didn't like...I absolutely was captivated by the story. It was the parental units and how they treated their children for years that I take big issues with. Jacob and Pria were just trying to find their way in the whole new world that they are living in. Mistakes were made, communication was lacking but I still felt their connection and their growing love. Then came the cliffhanger...lol. Thank goodness Claudia Burgoa did not torture us by making us wait even a single day for the conclusion to Jacob and Pria's story. Grab both Almost Strangers and Strangers in Love and have yourself a binge reading party!