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Almost Strangers
- A Decker Family Novel (Somehow Everlasting, Book 1)
- Narrated by: Joe Arden, Stephanie Nemeth-Parker
- Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins
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Almost Strangers
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Summary
USA Today best-selling author Claudia Burgoa pens an emotional, heartbreaking romance duet where soul mates can’t be together and everything around them tears them apart.
I found it (him) at the bookstore.
Love.
He was six-foot-four, lanky, blue-eyed.
Jacob Decker was goofy, handsome, and cheesy.
There’s no better way to describe him.
But what can I expect of an 18-year-old boy who’s lived under a rock all his life?
I’ll let you into a little secret.
I had no idea what to expect.
We were each other’s first everything.
But the fantasy lasted only a semester.
Soon I had to move away.
A few years later, he was a rock star, and I was...
Grasping for a lifeline.
The problem with first loves is that they never leave you.
But they never come back, do they?
Almost Strangers is the first novel in the Somehow Everlasting duet, a Decker Family novel. This book ends on a cliff-hanger that'll change everything....
The Somehow Everlasting Duet is based on Jacob Decker and Pria Walker's story. Part of this duet was released as Uncharted.
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What listeners say about Almost Strangers
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- sweetsavagereads
- 20-02-24
Dual Narration ♥️
While I absolutely loved the performance, and it swept me off my feet at the start of the story, his persistent and sweetness was like a melody to my ears.
Then things went downhill for them and for me, the narration was still amazing and captured every emotion of the characters so beautifully that I experienced second-hand heartache. However, that shift from such a sweet story to the entire world being flipped on its head had me torn on continuing.
I felt close to being pushed past a limit that had me questioning if I could handle anymore, but that being said if you are looking for an emotional gripping story filled with angst, you got it right here.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Cahdii
- 19-02-24
Emotional, ends in a cliffhanger
3.5 stars.
This is the first book in second duet of the Decker Family Series. (the chronological order of the siblings' books is at the end of this review)
There were a few things that kept me from giving this book a solid 4 stars. It started out great. Pria and Jacob met in a college bookshop and have 2 thirds of a semester of love. Then Pria’s family had to move away so they decided to break up, but Jacob said he would wait for her and they would be together again. Then there’s a lot of wrong timing and misinformation leading to bad decisions that keep them apart. Fast forward 10 years, they’re still single and their paths cross again. This is a duet and it ends in a cliffhanger.
I love how their family is different. They have 2 dads. Jacob is a triplet and his brother is bisexual and it’s not a big deal for their extended family. They love them as they are. I love that Jacob actually sounds like a musician. (Sometimes writers give a character a career or a passion, but it doesn’t reflect in their personality.) The way he speaks about Pria when they first get together is very poetic. I love how the triplets are so close and no matter what, they look out for each other.
The narration was really good. This is an emotional book and the narrators really bring out all those emotions in their performance. Funny thing is, I actually like Stephanie Nemeth-Parker’s Jacob voice better than Joe Arden’s Jacob voice when he’s younger. It sounds less deep, more age appropriate.
All that being said, the reason why this book got 3.5 stars is because after they break up, everything moves too fast. I loved the first half of the book. I was so emotionally invested, I was close to tears at one point. Then all of a sudden we started getting random time jumps. We kept meeting them in the middle of big events and just as we were beginning to understand what was going on, we’d time jump again. It made it hard to stay connected and empathize with the characters. There was even a chapter where we’re not told how much time has passed, but something major has happened in Jacob’s life, we’re not given details of how it happened, other people we haven’t met yet are mentioned, and we infer from what is said, who they are, but we never meet them or find out how they became part of Jacob’s story. Then they are not mentioned again. I don’t know if these gaps are going to be filled in the 2nd part of the duet, so I’m going to give it the benefit of the doubt.
*I received a complimentary ALC from Forever and Always PR and this is my honest review.
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Chronological order of the Decker Family series
Unexpected Everlasting Duet – Ainsley’s story
Book 1: Suddenly Broken
Book 2: Suddenly Us
Somehow Everlasting duet – Jacob’s Story
Book 1: Almost Strangers
Book 2: Strangers in Love
Perfect Everlasting Duet – Matthew’s Story
Book 1: Who We Are
Book 2: Who We Love
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nagma (Take A Look At My Bookshelf)
- 22-02-24
Emotional and heartbreaking!
I loved the first part of the Somehow Everlasting Duet so much! This was a phenomenal beginning to Pria and Jacob’s story! These two met on the first day of college and since that moment he knew she was his soulmate.
This was a wild ride and the emotions were heartbreaking, gut wrenchingly devastating. This was the story of two souls fated to be together, but lost in a sea of darkness.
I’m so glad I had the second part of the duet to read right away because I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t!
Joe Arden and Stephanie Nemeth-Parker were phenomenal as Pria and Jacob and I can’t wait to listen to the second book in this duet!
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bette
- 29-10-22
A Captivating & Emotional Romance! Outstanding Story & Listen🎧
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.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- JoJo
- 14-02-24
Jacob & Pria
Note to self. Do not listen to Claudia Burgoa’s books at work. The last 20% of this audiobook was spent trying not to cry but I just couldn’t not keep listening. Jacob and Pria’s beginning was just so sad. My heart is so broken for them. Why do I let Claudia do this to me every single time?? Because the conclusion, the next book, will mend my heart and leave me with a warm fuzzy feeling inside.
The choice of narrators is always so perfect, Stephanie Nemeth Parker is the perfect Pria: Nice, soft and sweet with just a little bit of sadness. Joe Arden’s voice could melt hearts across the globe so voicing Jacob was just the icing on the cake.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Bookandginuk
- 24-02-24
OMG What a cliffhanger
Beautiful dual narration narration of Joe Arden, Stephanie Nemeth-Parker
Its love at first sight when Jacob first meets Pria in a bookstore, The Problem for him is he doesn’t get her number or anyone to contact her but never fear then they keep running into each other around campus.
Both have limited interactions with the opposite sec due to their upbringing, Jacob was home schooled with his siblings and Pria grew up with a very overbearing family due to her sisters illness.
We see them falling in love and discovering the joys of having relationships outside of their family. Both know that their love story cant last as Pria will need to move away with her family so her sister can get medical treatment.
Twists and turn with lots of angst and drama ensue trying to reach out to each other until they both give up.
Suddenly years have past, they are no longer the shy , naive kids that met in colleague , they have grown up holding a lot of resentment towards each other due to misunderstanding be, I am going to be honest and say the miscommunication trope is not a favourite of mine but it was well written just not a favourite.
The book ends on a cliff hanger but fear not the second part of the duet is ready to go
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