By Jennifer L. Wright

“My mama always told me I would live and die as a nobody. Here at the end… I couldn’t help but wish she’d been right.”

And with that opening line, I was completely hooked.

Beatrice Carraway was born to be a star. But when her father dies and she ages out of the pageant circuit, her dreams of fame are pulled farther and farther from her grasp. While everyone around her struggles through the Great Depression, Bea is determined to see her name in lights, no matter what her spiraling mother, her abusive step-father, her bank account, or anyone else says. 

Enter Jack Turner, the fast-driving, wild and handsome man who promises her the world. Head-over-heels in love, Bea finally has the appreciation and fame she always wanted. But while robbing banks may be lucrative and put her name in the papers, the cost is steep. Will her star burn up and crash to the earth or does she have a chance at something more?

Pros: I listened to this Bonnie and Clyde retelling on Audible, and wow, that narrator was phenomenal! I even took the wrong exit because I was so engrossed in the story! Do yourself a favor and listen to the audiobook! 

Excellent reading/voice acting skills aside, this story was well-written and full of depth. It takes a particular set of skills to write an anti-heroine that you can understand and sympathize with, while still cringing when she makes another bad choice. When the story careened towards its inevitable conclusion, I listened on the edge of my seat (while driving) wondering how this was going to work out. There is a deep redemptive storyline that’s not too heavy-handed and somehow, there’s a happy-ish ending. Great gritty, realistic and complex story!

Cons: For those who read the Love Comes Softly or Amish romance-type books, this novel would not be for you. The heroine is the anti-hero type and makes really poor choices through 98% of the book. I, personally, don’t have a problem with reading that (and have strong opinions on the matter) but if you do, just don’t bother.

My only real quibble is the pacing felt a little off and it seemed to drag in parts, but I wasn’t going to ruin the effect of the excellent narration by speeding up the audio.

Bottom Line: The Christian Bonnie and Clyde retelling you didn’t know you needed to hear!