Guest Review by adt216

Hey everyone, We have another Guest Review.  Our reader,adt216 has written up a great review for the story The Long Way Home.

So sit back and lets see what adt216 has to say about this amazing story.

The Long Way Home is like the best of old movies. When I read it, the scenes play out in my head in black and white. I have never wanted to read a Jasper/Alice story until now. It is a story about the best kind of love - falling in love with the soul and essence of who a person is.

The story is about Private First Class Jasper Whitlock, who is stationed in London in 1944, during World War II. His friend and fellow soldier, Bella Swan, passes him the name of her childhood best friend, Alice Brandon, so that they could develop a correspondence. Jasper writes to the unknown woman and they develop a correspondence. During the course of this correspondence, they share stories of their childhoods, their fears and their hopes; their letters show their true personalities, where they came from, their humor, their insecurities, and finally their feelings for the other. What they each thought was a casual exchange of letters becomes a love that drives Jasper to survive during the worst of circumstances.

There are so many wonderful things to say about this story and First Blush's writing. The most obvious to the reader is that the author has truly researched her time period. She is meticulous and history is woven into every chapter effortlessly and seemlessly that the story feels "old" in the very best way. But more than just the setting, the author has done an amazing job of making the sensibilities of the characters match the time period. Jasper is young and boyish, bu he possesses heart, drive, passion and earnestness that heros of yesteryear have and none of the cynicism of our time. We watch as he is captured by the enemy and will do anything in his power to survive and make it back to Alice. But he strives to do it with his honor and principles intact.

And while Jasper's portion of the story is more dramatic, there is something about Alice and her life that makes me love her more. She possesses none of the cliches that we have come to associate with fanfic "Alice." She is small and feisty, but not a "pixie." She is loving and cares for her friends, but not manipulative or controlling. And there is also the Alice that is soft and easily hurt by the mean spiritedness and judgments of others. Alice is a woman that refuses to settle for the life others think she should lead. She is the precursor for the modern feminist. The woman who leads a quiet rebellion against society's rules. And you will love her for it.

The writing is flawless and descriptive. The dialogue is natural and authentic. Each character is drawn so well, the reader knows them and feels them when they experience the best and worst of their story. Even the secondary characters are written well. And after you are done falling in love with Jasper and ALice, go back and read First Blush's first story, The Last Breath. It is not a prequel but more of a companion to this story and features Edward and Bella.

So everyone make sure you check out this story.  And let the reader know what you think.  So what are you still doing here... head over to ff.net and read.