Guessing at Normal

A Rockstar Romance

By: Gail Ward Olmsted

Narrated by: Gina Rogers

Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Five-Star Readers’ Favorite and Reader’s Choice - Best Rock-Star Romance

A passionate one-night stand leads to love when motel clerk Jill Griffin meets sexy rocker James Sheridan. Jill joins James and his struggling band on tour and discovers life on the road is a nonstop party despite a grueling concert schedule. The committed relationship Jill craves may be more than James can offer.

The band’s popularity grows, as does the number of eager groupies and meddling journalists. When her poems and journal ramblings become songs on James’ best-selling album, Jill struggles to survive in the glare of the media spotlight.

As her professional success threatens her relationship with James, Jill questions whether she can write love songs without the love of her life.

Life with a rock star is anything but normal!

©2015 Gail W. Olmsted (P)2020 Gail W. Olmsted

Guessing at Normal

At first I was disappointed I didn't listen to this one first but actually I am glad that I listened in reverse. It was like it was supposed to be. Loved both books, the characters and the story. I think you will as well

Loved it!

I was hooked from the beginning and really enjoyed this story. The narration was excellent. This is a new to me author and I will definitely be reading more from her. Loved the playlist!

Rockstar romance

Jill and James have a whirlwind romance as Jill joins the band on the road. this is their story and journey thru life.

Fabulous story!

Wow. What a powerfully emotional journey! Gail Ward Olmsted writes a rockstar romance, but it is much more than just fame and finding your love. This book features James and Jill, the upcoming rockstar and the invisible girl. But she isn't invisible to James. Their instant connection has her quitting her job and going on tour with the front man. And for a while it's paradise. She begins to share her writing with him, creating magical songs, and their love blossoms. But James has a lot of issues. And there is a lot of despair and dissension between them and his band mates. Let alone one of the band is his twin, there is not getting along. How does it all end? Well, it's extremely unpredictable which makes this an even better listen. Olmsted knows how to pull me in and keep me interested, that is for sure. Jill turns out to be quite a woman. Once she begins her true career, she blossoms, and I love she finds some independence. James is hard to love, as his character, while charismatic, is very frustrating. But that is what makes it good . Get ready to feel in this one, you will have all the emotions!

Gina Rogers brings this story to life with a fabulous narration. Her talent gives us all the voices, from James and Jill to a young child and the various band members. Each distinctive, it made the listen flow with ease and was full of the emotion it warranted. She is amazing and gave me hours of enjoyment.

Not what I was expecting..♥️♥️♥️

When I started it I had a different picture of what it was or would be. I figured it would just be a good passing the time book...NOPE!!! It’s not the “typical” groupie/rockstar romp or gushy love story either. It’s very real and the ending let’s just say WOW it got me in the feels!!! The narration was on point!! Thanks for a great book!!

Rockstar Romance.

The narrator did a good job telling this story. I liked this Insta love story. It's told mostly from Jill and how she met and loved James throughout the years. Every once in while James and his brother jump into the story. I enjoyed it.

Bittersweet!

Guessing at Normal was a tough read for me because it took me on breathtaking highs only to drop me to devastating lows. The life of a rock star is not an easy one, especially when the rocker falls prey to the extravagant lifestyle and makes the destructive choices that come with that life. Jill Griffen works at the front desk in a hotel and is just getting by. Her home life is difficult, at best, and she needs every penny she earns. James Sheridan is the lead singer for Nomad and he spots Jill in the hotel. When they run into each other in the parking lot, they have a spontaneous dance. That was the start of what became a tumultuous relationship that was bittersweet. The band is heading out on tour in a couple of days and James doesn't want to let her go, so he asks her to come with him. She has her job and her family, but she can't give this chance. At first, their life on the road is idyllic with high-octane shows each night and passionate nights, but James has too many demons to fight. He's an alcoholic who dabbles in drugs and, as tensions increase, he finds himself using again. The night he can't perform because he's too hungover, the bandmates fight and it's the end of Nomad, but it's not the end of James' music career. He reinvents himself as a solo act, finds more fame than he could have imagined, but with that fame came temptation and he's too weak to resist. I can't stand cheating and I hated what James did to Jill, especially by not being a little more apologetic and not trying to fix it all with sex. They were separated for months at a time, but they always found their way back to each other. Jill was thrilled when she found out she was pregnant, but James reacted with anger. He didn't think it was a good time for a baby and, worst of all, Jill hadn't had a chance to give him the news...it came from a reporter. James comes around and is really excited to be a family, but things never really felt the same. The ending is crushing, but it's the only outcome that makes any sense. Jill's final words are the perfect touch. 
The narration is impeccably done by Gina Rogers. Each character is clearly defined and she gives them a voice that brings them alive!

A sweet, but ultimately tragic, rock star love story

Jill meets James while he’s on tour with his band. They’re not a super famous band yet, and she’s a small town girl with a pretty basic life - but their chemistry makes great things happen. Suddenly, she’s writing songs and he’s singing them with his band, and they’re hits. But cheating and drugs and alcohol are also in their relationship, as James definitely has his demons. Jill is ever determined to stick it out, because she really does love him, but he definitely doesn’t make it easy. Theirs is a tragic kind of love story, really in the end, but it’s got it’s sweet moments that make it worthwhile.

I actually read this a bit out of order, so I (fortunately) knew how this was going to end. And while their technically is an HEA for Jill and James, well, there’s a catch at the end. No spoilers. In a way, it kind of colored my view of their relationship a bit more, knowing where it would go for the next book, but at the same time, this was their origin story, especially for Jill, so it was good to have it in it’s entirety - gave some good perspective for the next book for sure.

Very Unexpected

Gail Ward Olmsted is a new to me author. The story was gripping and not a lighthearted rock star romance.
This follows Jill and James from their first meeting to falling in love to life on the road with a band that is just starting out on the road to stardom. This book has some triggers especially alcohol and drug abuse.
James is a flawed character but loves Jill even though he is not always faithful.
Jill is a strong female character who holds their marriage together despite the hard times.

I thought the narrator did a great job bringing the characters to life.

This book was a gift from the author and this is my honest review.

Engaging and Romantic

This story was great! I loved the story. The rockstar and his girlfriend. I love that they stuck thru their issues and stayed together. I also love that Jill had her own talent with songwriting. Fantastic read