All Comments on 'Hard Lessons Learned'

I liked it enough, loved the cameos. You've given some less than desirable characters redemptions, but I always thought Rochelle from Yapping Dogs could have matured too. I just mentioned this because of Tammy's brief guest appearance, but you were really rough on her in both your sequel renditions and I didn't care for second herione which was the truer ending.

for another great story, Mr. Bob44.

As always, the cameos enriched the story without overburdening it with extraneous information and background.

Crazy thing. I get a high just seeing your story listed. Always save it for reading last so I can really focus on your characters.

How about a story on the joys of anal in prison as the boy finally grows up.

Thanks.

And only because it was long. Shorter would have bin crap.

Just my opinion.

No rating this time.

Good stuff!

Fantastic as always! Thanks for sharing your stories with us.

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...thanks to JimBob44. An excellent little tale with interesting new characters and as usual, a few old friends dropped by too. 5*

Not your best, but that's just comparing you to you. Love your character development, thanks. Five stars.

Really captures the Cajun dialect....creative plot-line!

Disgusting, unlikable characters doing some really stupid shit.

1 star

Kids shouldn't have kids. What an immature punk and now an 18 year old girl had to deal with a baby. I guess good thing she cheated on the punk and found a sugar daddy - and at 38 to he 18 I do mean daddy.

Just more a-holes being a-holes to other a-holes

And I don’t care that this character was from this story and that one from that one

JimBob always writes an interesting, entertaining stories and this was no exception. I love the dialog and the characters. Nothing over the top, just everyday life in JB country.

If i were todd, i'd get a dna test. Terri is like mom a natural born whore

...from Righting a Wrong (perhaps my favorite JB44 story). I always thought she deserved a 'Happy Ever After'.Did I miss her story anywhere else?

Todd brings to mind a James Lee Burke description of a lowlife who's "mother was probably knocked up by leakage from a colostomy bag". (Jolie Blon's Bounce - Dave Robicheaux Book 12). I can't read those New Iberia stories without superimposing in my mind's eye the JB44 universe of characters.

Always a treat. Thanks

Except the BTB not the cheater and the RACC is not the husband and wife.

She cheats and upgrades to a better husband. The original hubby goes to prison.

That's what he gets for doing the honorable thing and marrying her.

KB

JimBob ...

As near as I can tell, I have read every one of your stories here at least twice (well, except for today's story, but I'm sure I'll re-read it soon enough). I love that you've taken the time to populate your world with so many believable characters, some nice, some not, but all of them ring true. I love that the characters have small problems and big problems, successes as well as tragedies, and that usually the assholes get the punishment that they deserve, even if they don't get it immediately.

Yeah, you probably do need a better copy-checker than Microsoft Word, but your recent work is much better than your early work. You certainly shouldn't listen to anyone who says your stories have too many characters, or jump around too much.

I wish I was better at making time to write encouraging words, but I hope it makes your day a little brighter to know that someone likes your writing enough to read it more than once.

Unfortunately, with the exception of Todd’s mother, there were no redeeming main characters in this story, which makes it hard to give it a good rating. I love JB44’s use of dialect (once I got used to it, that is), but the story line didn’t send me. Todd’s an asshole, the wife is immature and willingly forsakes her vows and Trent goes after married women.

Trent better get another job right after the honeymoon if he has any hope of Terri being faithful to him. Given her love of coffee with special cream it would not be long before she is shocked to find herself impaled on some strange if he leaves her for two weeks on a regular basis. She had told herself this guy was just a good friend to spend time with while Trent was away.

Of course if they last for seven years she will be 25 yo with a very pudgy mom bod after two more kids. Suddenly he will be surprised to find he is in love his next needy child conquest. He had told himself he was just helping out the barely legal, and nearly virginal, damsel in distress. That restless feeling he had developed mysteriously just seemed to melt away when she was around.

Either way I wonder if Gram and Dad will be surprised too?

Life is so full of unpredictable events.

So Susan turned out to be just as stupid as her teen daughter in law. More stupid given her older years and supposed better judgement. Hope they all live happily ever after. But who really gives a fuck? Stupid people live fucked up lives. Adding to the gene pool just makes it all that much more distressing.

Thanks for a swell day.

Not that it means a lot but in my opinion you’re definitely one of the best in this category, upon reflection I think it’s because of the combination of realism & the mindset of your characters, the twist being the understanding of the actions in the plot... I always find your stories refreshing 5* at a minimum... thanks for an excellent read, looking forward to your next posting.

lol too much my life to care for it tbh. and not really sure why he cared, freedom for 200 a month is cheap man take it lol

Excellent as usual thanks for your time and effort

You get on that next story, hear?

If I wanted a tour of poor white trash living I'd call up my MAGA hat wearing relatives in between their monthly arrests for possession of meth, causing a disturbance, or public intoxication.

Your stories are always a little different, but always provide a little lift. They are realistic and somewhat depressing to start, but end up satisfying the hope that things will turn out okay in the end, and all tell us that stupidity will earn its reward. I love the common background.

Thanks for sharing,looking forward to your next story.

I read this piece of shit. Everyone is the story was stupid or an asshole or both.

It is funny how after a while you get used to reading Jimmy's style and it grows on you. I still don't know enough about the "coon-ass" dialog to understand exactly what they're implying, but it goes over good with the lifestyle we are reading about.

Good on yeh, JB!

Smokepole

I have enjoyed all of your stories that I've read so far, both the happy and the tragic parts of them. I'm glad you enjoy writing them.

Good one...thanks for sharing.

To come here and see you have a new story posted.

And I thank you for the explanation of characters at the end of the story. Helps me keep the JB44 "universe" in order. And often has me read an associated story.

Thanks for writing.

happily reading JB's purposely unreadable Cajun dialect stuff. C'mon let's get some hard core Mainers posting!

Can't read it, have to mentally vocalize. I try, but rarely make it past the first page.

Can't read, so won't vote.

Reading this was a chore. Heaping mundane details on the reader does not a good story make.

I'm glad it worked out for Trent and Terri, but it was sad he remained estranged from his two daughters. I doubt they'd be amused to find out that their new stepmother was younger than them!

The only cheating wives stories I like are BTBs, however... this is the second story of yours that the cheated on husband didn't deserve the good woman he had. I'm going to have to revisit my moral absolutism...

So I just have to read along and enjoy me some JiBob. I do see one consistent theme play out with JB and that is some tarrble parenting. Why do most of his characters raise such shitty kids?

Thanks a shitload!!!

Good moral to your story this time - don't get married because you have to, only if you love someone and want to. Better the baby start out in a loving home the way your story went down rather than have a mistake marriage blow-up when he's older and the impact would be greater. There was no way for that marriage to survive from the start. Well told!

Fantastic story and very well written thanks for this

Enjoyed it the second time too

Still the consistently best writer on the site. If I could put as much story into my writing as you do in a few Lit pages, I would be writing for a living and probably doing very well.

As usual, enjoyed it. Still working my way through your catalogue... 5 for this one too.

EastCoaster

This story went down as smooth as Jack's Old#7. I'm gonna check out the stories you reference giving the origins of the characters, might take a while ........

Like others I enjoyed the story again. I reread your stories quite often. Indeed you are one of my favorite authors

Of really any drama or conflict in this.

Always enjoy your stories. Reminds me of some places and people I knew while growing up in Louisiana. Always look for you when looking through the daily listings of new stories.

Great story, JB, one of your best ones, IMO.

Thanks for sharing.

Five stars.

Good characterization and fun read.