Our Finest Hour ending, discussed. [SPOILERS AHEAD]

Dear Reader,

You may wonder why I ended Aubrey's journey in such a way. If that's not you, if you're like HEY I GET IT, skip to the end of this letter for a fun surprise. If you want explanation and backstory, please continue reading.

In short, I am Aubrey. The story of Aubrey and Jane is fictional, but I based it on my own relationship with my mother and the feelings that went alongside it.

When I wrote Our Finest Hour in 2016, I hadn't had contact with my mom in years. I had two young children by then, and I wrote this book, and I thought to myself, If I saw my mom out somewhere in the world, and she was happy, would I confront her? I answered myself with a 'no'. There was a part of me, just like there was in Aubrey, that would rather not disrupt my mom's peace just to have my say. Maybe it was because I was a new mother myself, and the oxytocin was flowing. Or maybe I knew there are some steps you take you cannot reverse. If Aubrey had confronted her mother, Jane, in the church parking lot, what would happen after? The story would've become about Aubrey and her mother navigating a new journey, and less about Aubrey's personal growth as she falls in love with Isaac. I decided I wanted Our Finest Hour to focus on Aubrey and Isaac, and so I chose to have Aubrey let go of the pain she clung to so desperately.

A few years after this book's publication, my mom reached out to me. We've begun tentatively building a relationship. I can say with utmost honesty, getting to know her now and all that it entails is more painful than not knowing her. In hindsight, perhaps I was saving Aubrey. I could borrow from my experience the past few years and write an entire book based solely on the reunion of Aubrey and Jane. As of right now, I don’t have plans to do that, but Jane is a tertiary character in an upcoming novel that is to-be-announced. And yes, readers will learn why she left.

Now, to address my choice to have this be a closed-door romance. When I wrote this novel, I wasn't at a place in my writing journey where I felt comfortable penning on-page intimacy. I have developed personally and professionally, and I now open the door during intimate scenes. I consider the characters, and what they would want. I write from my heart, and my aim is for the scene to feel realistic and genuine for those specific characters. All that to say, I have written an additional scene with on-page intimacy that takes place the night Aubrey and Isaac have their one-night stand. It is from Isaac’s point of view, because I honestly don’t believe Aubrey would love people being privy to her innermost thoughts in that circumstance. Being back in Isaac’s head and heart was incredible, especially during this moment in time for them (they have no clue what's to come!). Isaac is his tender, kind self, but with an edge that didn’t make it into the novel. I hope you enjoy the scene.

Thanks for reading!

Xoxo,

Jen

Click here to read the bonus scene.