The Unfinished Line

Wow! I mean just, WOW! This book was thoroughly enjoyable from the very beginning. It’s an incredibly sweet, slow, satisfying burn. The plot was solid, the dialogue wonderfully high quality, the flirting delightful! It was humorous, witty, engaging and achingly beautiful. The ending gets rough, but just hold on and keep reading. I promise it’s worth it. See more below. *** Vague SPOILERS hereafter *** The Act 1 ending DESTROYED me! I was so invested in these characters, their relationships and their love, I had an intense autonomic response. As I read the first two pages of the first act my heart raced, dread engulfed me, a terrible sickening heat spread through my chest, it became difficult to breath and I began bawling uncontrollably as I sat in bed next to my sleeping wife. I couldn’t handle it, I began skipping forward, reading only one to two sentences per page, desperate to find it was only a terrible nightmare that Kam was having. My hands shook with every turn of the page and I cried continuously. By the time I discovered that there was an act 2, I was almost inconsolable. After ensuring that this was truly an alternate ending, I decided to go back and do a thorough read of act one, but now I wish I hadn’t. It was so raw, so real, so blindingly heartbreaking. Even now, the next day, my throat is constricted with grief and my tears fall freely as I write this. Act 2 is almost not enough to ease the pain in act 1. Don’t get me wrong, all of my 27 hats off to the…

Jen Lyon’s The Unfinished Line is a poignant and emotionally rich exploration of love, loss, and the quiet battles fought within. Lyon captures the frustration and sadness of watching someone you love spiral inward, unable to truly reach them despite your best efforts. The novel delves into the emotional toll on Dillon, an elite athlete with a relentless desire for perfection. Lyon masterfully captures Dillon’s inner dialogue, revealing her crushing self-doubt, hidden shame, and isolation. The Unfinished Line is a moving, thought-provoking novel that highlights the complexities of mental health, the limits of love, and the silent burdens people carry. Jen Lyon’s portrayal of Dillon’s relationship with Kam, as well as the dynamics with family and friends, makes this a deeply emotional and unforgettable story. It lingered with me and continues to weigh heavily on my heart, reminding me that while love can be powerful, it is not always enough to save someone from themselves. I commend Jen Lyon for writing such a powerful book. Having read it on my Kindle, I am also very much looking forward to the audiobook, narrated by the fantastic Abby Craden. I don’t typically write reviews; however, I felt this book was significant and unique. Very well done!

First of all the cover attracted me right away as did the cycling parts of the story. I read all the reviews and almost didn't buy this book. Have never read this author's work before. All the other reviewers had it right - if you are looking for a light romance with some spicy sex this is so not the book for you. It is a beautiful, complicated, frustratingly sad book that tackles a very serious subject matter. Author somehow manages to give us a beautiful love story between two great characters that spans years. Both characters were very deeply fleshed out. I knew going in that I probably would not like the ending but thankfully there were two different endings which when you read it will make total sense. The second ending is why I gave it 5 stars but I do agree that first ending was probably more accurate. If only everyone out there that battles these same issues would reach out and get help there would be less sadness in the world. I am adult enough to realize that even with help sometimes people don't get a happy ending though. It has been a week since I finished this book and I am still thinking about it so I guess the author accomplished what she may have set out to do which is bring more exposure to mental health awareness. I would normally say buy it you won't be disappointed but do as I did and read other reviews first as it is not a light HEA book. It is a sweet, sometimes happy, sometimes sad, love story that is very real and very nicely done.

This took me on a rollercoaster of emotion. It is worth reading. I wanted more of them at the end. Hope they felt on the red carpet. Hoss they made it through that night. Then to end the book the night of the Oscar’s. Regardless of that, this book is great.

I took a chance, on a break awaiting some other books to drop; I selected this book with no preamble other than it being a lesfic story. I am beyond amazed! The story, the writing, the characters, the dual ending!!! (My heart stopped “before the cut and retake”) Both Kam and Dillon were both just beautiful creatures with some winning points and some losing points in terms of their personalities. Kam was too much of a pushover and Dillon was too hard on herself and shut in. But together they made each other happy and it was a beauty to read. I mostly enjoyed how time passed and it wasn’t some head over heels in love within two weeks and married with kids in six months. I also loved coming across words and phrases id never seen before. But mostly I truly truly just loved the unfolding of their story; even more so the dual ending. While the first ending was gutting it really would have still worked BUT give me my HEA; I didn’t realize how much I needed it. Now I’m excited to jump into the senators wife which has been sitting on my Books to read shelf for so long! Kudos to you Jen Lyon on your talent and vision.