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  • Love and Other Battles

  • A heartbreaking, redemptive family story for our time
  • By: Tess Woods
  • Narrated by: Wendy Bos
  • Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (54 ratings)

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Love and Other Battles cover art

Love and Other Battles

By: Tess Woods
Narrated by: Wendy Bos
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Publisher's Summary

Three generations of women. Three heartbreaking choices. One unforgettable story.

1969: Free-spirited hippie Jess James has no intention of falling for a soldier ... but perhaps some things are not in our power to stop.

1989: Jess's daughter, Jamie, dreams of a simple life—marriage, children, stability—then she meets a struggling musician and suddenly the future becomes wilder and complex.

2017: When Jamie's daughter, CJ, brings home trouble in the form of the coolest boy at school, the worlds of these three women turn upside down ... and the past returns to haunt them. 

Spanning the trauma of the Vietnam War to the bright lights of Nashville, the epidemic of teenage self-harm to the tragedy of incurable illness, Love and Other Battles is the heart-wrenching story of three generations of Australian women who learn that true love is not always where you seek it.

If you loved The Notebook, this is a novel for you.

©2019 Tess Woods (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic Reviews

"Tess Woods has written a timeless story of love's strength and endurance. A must-read for all fiction lovers." (Cheryl Akle, Director, Better Reading)

"Utterly unputdownable, Love and Other Battles is equal parts heartwarming and heart-wrenching. Featuring stunningly real characters, Tess Woods weaves a bittersweet story of family secrets, epic love and heartache in this absolutely gorgeous new novel." (Nicola Moriarty)

"Tess Woods has done it again with emotionally engaging Aussie fiction. Smiling with tears - five stars." (Renee Conoulty, Hey Said Renee)

What listeners say about Love and Other Battles

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Serious subjects presented sensitively

Interesting story with just enough depth. Narrator was good but not with the American accent!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Easy listen

Really enjoyed, what a story, so many emotions. Easy to listen to. Excited to read more from Tess.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting timelines

Was not expecting the ending , at all.
It certainly crept up on me. I have shed a few tears and I’m now exhausted. This is my first of Tess Woods novels and I will now be checking out her other books

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

loved it

Really enjoyed this. would recommend to anyone for an easy listen with some harsh modern realities.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it

excellent stories and well presented, kept it intersting throughout. great narration too. i enjoyed the Australian references in the book as well. recommended read

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very good read

Turns out it is a very good story once you get past the narrator who is slow and clearly reading the story out. I suggest to speed her up to make it tolerable! 😀

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Not what I was expecting, it was much much better

Holy shit!! I did not see this story coming, it reeled me in & didn’t let me go until the book was finished. I was sick with anxiety as CJ’s story unfolded & realised young people are experiencing teenage years I can’t related to. It was eye opening to say the least. I’m so impressed with the authors work, her knowledge of difficult topics and willingness to address tough things head on, like we have to in life. While this book might be fiction it read like real life. Outside of read me, I’m at a loss to describe this book.

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