Tear jerker, romantic read
922369
The plot line takes one luck woman from rags to riches, alone to a loving family. It flows smoothly through all the stages and was a truly enjoyable read.
4653297
From the very first page of the book, the reader is immersed into the chaotic world of Jessie Kasper. Fair warning, you will need a ton of tissues if you think you can handle reading this book. I cried my eyeballs out! One person can only handle so much pain before they collapse. This story follows a young high school kid named Jessie who suffers more heartache than most.

Jessie's life takes a turn for the worst when his mother, and brother suffer untimely death's due to cancer. Like any one who has lost someone they love, Jessie has no idea what he will do without them. His intense, sophistic fear of his loved ones leaving him to deal with the nature of the world forces him to lash out on his own body, thinking he is sick. Jessie reaches an extreme low in his life, and it's unclear that he will recover. If it were not for his friends, and family, Jessie would surely dwindle to nothingness.

When a girl named Kacey comes to town, she captivates Jessie, and the two fall in love. Their strong, and  promising relationship blossoms, and the pair are inseparable. We find that the characters have a good deal in common, and really seem to get each other. There are so many elements that bring this novel to be on my favorites list. My emotions were stirred by this unbelievably enticing, and addictive book. I'm sure I cried out enough tears to fill a bucket! 5 stars all around!
[...]
691559
This review and more can be found on my blog, The Library Canary: [...]

***I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way changed my opinion of the book. The review below is my open and honest opinion.***

If you don't like books that make you cry or deal with grief, turn back now. This book destroyed me. It ripped my soul to pieces. I have never cried so much reading a book. Tears were streaming down my face during most of this story. The emotions were raw, honest, and heartbreaking. A book has never affected me like this one did. This story will stick with me for a long time.

We follow a young girl, Rowan, whose family has been affected by a truly horrible tragedy. The way that Laura Wiess has written this book, you feel as if you are right there with Rowan. Perhaps even her sister, experiencing the same emotions she is. The book is like a door into this girls heart. I wanted to reach inside so badly and take away just a fraction of the hurt Rowan was feeling. But I couldnt. So instead I cried with her and felt with her. I struggled with the same things Rowan did. Asking why. Suppressing anger. Giving in to the anger. I felt as if I went through the stages of grief with her.

The romance in this book was cute, but didn't overtake the plot. This is something that I really appreciated. Many times I feel like a tragedy happens and then the romantic relationship is what pulls the person out of their grief. I don't think this is realistic and Laura Wiess didn't do it. In fact, she had Rowan pull away, withdraw inwardly before she was able to truly start healing. This is what made the story so realistic and honest. I loved that the romance didn't take over the story and that we got to see Rowan work through her grief on her own.

I loved the family dynamics in this book. Watching the relationships build, crumble, and rebuild. I loved that Rowans mom and grandparents were a major part of her life and were there during this difficult time and I loved how the author showed that everyone grieves differently. It killed me to watch Rowans friendships disappear though. Her best friend was a total bitch and I hated the way she treated Rowan.

Will this book make you smile? Probably not. But it definitely examines a lot of different issues. Guilt. Anger. Grief. Love. Family. Hope. Strength. All of these things are present in this book in the most intense and realistic way. Even though I cried the whole time, I absolutely loved this book. It was beautifully written. I highly recommend this if you're a fan of realistic contemporaries, books about dealing with grief/tragedy, or issue books. Laura Wiess is a force to be reckoned with and I will definitely be checking out her other books. Happy reading all!
3001211
Uhhhh this book has sooo many emotions. Which should be expected if you have read the blurb before hand. Our female lead Hannah has lost her husband to a heart attack. Being a single parent is hard enough but running into the spitting image of your late husband is really hard to see and cope with when you're still grieving. Hannah is having a hard time already and now things are getting even harder when her daughter is even confusing her uncle Wes to her dad and sometimes Hannah does that as well.  Yet as Hannah lets herself get to know Wes (her late husbands twin brother) she realizes all the differences they have and the ones they don't are really good qualities. Plus the more we learn about Wes we realize that maybe he was the right brother all along.

I love the connection that Wes and Hannah have. Wes understands her pain and has felt some of it himself. He is able to speak what Hannah is feeling and able to see through her lies before she can. It was amazing to watch a women so broken, so afraid that life is too short and not forever realize she has a future ahead of her with someone who could be a forever.

I ADORED THIS BOOK. I CONSUMED EVERY PAGE AND COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. I WAS FIERCELY IN LOVE WITH THE CHARACTERS AS INDIVIDUALS AND EVEN MORE TOGETHER. THE EMOTIONS WERE PERFECTLY WRITTEN TO CAPTURE YOUR HEART AND SOUL AND THEN WRITTEN TO FIX THOSE HOLES WITH AN AMAZING MOVING ON LOVE STORY THAT I DID NOT WANT TO END.
875168
well written, hit me really emotional due to real life events, but the book was well worth the read. enjoyed it and recommend it for a love story that is emotionally sweet.
4322563
***I received a free copy in exchange for a book review***

I loved this 59 chapter book. It took me on an emotional rollercoaster with the ups and downs, highs and lows, heartache, devotion, and secrets that happened during Jared and Luke's relationship. It was sweet how the story started off with them as kids; Jared's family had just moved to the neighborhood. By the way Luke was very protective of him, I could sense that he liked Jared in a romantic sense, even though they called themselves "best friends." The setting was through the 1990s.

My favorite lines: 1) "One would think I'd be used to it, but it was disconcerting not knowing who was a friend or foe." 2) "He's not a husband. He's a roommate." 3) "Loving him wasn't difficult. It was trying to create a life together that proved complicated."

It broke my heart that their parents didn't approve. As teenagers, they tried to hide their romance. Out of depression and trying to fit in with the norm, they avoided each other for a while. Luke even decided to date girls from their school, crushing Jared even more. I was disgusted with their parents' behavior, with how they attempted to change their sons.

You can't help who you love. I don't understand why some people think being gay is wrong or shameful. Love isn't wrong. Who cares if  it's between two men, two women instead of a man and a woman. They aren't hurting anyone. They just want to live their lives in peace and have a choice to marry, like straight couples. It boggles my mind that some people are so against it. I hate the way minorities are mistreated in this world...maybe that's why I sympathized so much with this book.

The entire time I read, I thought of Jared as Carrie and Luke as Mr. Big. No matter how many times Luke broke his heart due to his confusion and self-denial, Jared would come back for more once Luke brought on the charm. It was sad when Luke's mom sent him to one of those camps that deprogram gay males. No wonder Luke had issues-he was away for a year, never even got a chance to say goodbye.

I shed a tear of joy when Jared went to college in Seattle where he found Derek with the help of his friends. Finally, he was accepted and treated with respect.

I don't know, I guess this section of the book touched me because I thought of all those bullied kids/teens. Since they have no one to turn to, they commit suicide. I wish they could hold on a little longer because things eventually get better. And this scene was proof of that.

It threw me for a loop who Luke ended up marrying. I thought it was very disrespectful to Jared and his family. I understood how that was the last straw for Jared. I liked that their classmate Phillip was the one who figured out their secret in high school ( he was another gay teen who hid in the closet because of fear). He had talked to Luke, convincing him to spend prom night with Jared. Then Phillip saw Jared on college campus, convincing him to talk to Luke again.

The author had an amazing talent with dialogue. The conversations intertwined with body language helped make all the scenes stand out. I loved all the arguments, self-discoveries, heart to heart talks; the dialogue was very realistic.

My favorite scenes: 1) prom night 2) when Jared tried to stop the wedding 3) the first time Luke gave Jared the nickname "Jed" 4) when Luke bought the train car for the memories 5) when everything came to light between Jared and his sister 6) the ending (I cried during this part; it was very touching).

I RECOMMEND this book to read.
116431
This book was given to me by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.......well all I can say is what an emotional rollercoaster..... this great story has it all great sadness, loss, humour and love. Centred around Aubrey, a sassy, gorgeous school teacher and Noah a sexy firefighter this is a wonderful romantic story with comedy, angst and steamy sex in good measures. Aubrey's father has cancer and is seriously ill ; she has no time for love and romantic commitments but then Noah comes into her life and what seemed so certain becomes much more complicated...the scene is set for laughter, tears and joy. Supported by a wonderful cast of characters; this book captured my attention from the very start; grab a box of tissues and dive in.
4840419
So I read this last night. Stayed up till 1AM to finish it.  Gosh, so many feels about this.

The story follows a couple, Skylar and Mitch, from the time they meet as 10/11 year old children all the way through to adulthood, detailing the final outcome of their relationship.

So much heartbreak and real life happening in this relationship at every age and stage of their relationship.  At times, I smiled with happiness, laughed out loud, cringed with trepidation, gasped in disbelief, cried in sympathy, felt anger, sorrow, humiliation, relief, fear and passion for the trials (and even the decisions) these two go through in their journey.

Wow. What an author. This isn't your typical romance novel.  This is a detailed chronicling of two lives that keep colliding, for better or worse. Two souls who just so happen to love each other, desperately and magnificently and tragically.

I rated this one 5 stars. It was an emotional investment, not a light read, but so worth the time and heartache. Sometimes, I hated the character, even as I loved them, because the author made me emotionally invest in their outcome.  I like it when a book can do that.  And thus one got me invested, without a doubt. I didn't skip a single page, not a single word. It's a beautifully and tragically detailed account of the collision, rebound and final merging of two souls.
115521
This started out as a normal read and ended with me crying tears of sorrow and then tears of joy.  The author is incredibly gifted for bringing the  reader into the emotions of the characters.  This is an awesome story, told in the most engaging way.  Highly recommended.
4326652
Blake, this book totally gutted me but damn if it wasn't the most emotional, heartfelt best read ever!! It was sweet. It was sad, it was heart wrenching but it also gave you hope. Hope for healing after the devastation. The feelings were real, raw and something that would bring any feeling person to their knees.

Luke Crawley is 25 and he lost his wife a year earlier to cancer. Since that time his life has been empty, dark and meaningless. His grief beyond comprehension and the loneliness deafening. Going through the motions of living yet barely getting by. It seems much of his time is filled with a bottle of booze and at times meaningless sex. Searching for a glimmer of the happiness he had had.

On the one year anniversary of his wifes death Blake finds a box with 9 letters in it. Letters from his former wife, Emily. As Emily was dying she had penned these letters to Luke to help him move on after her death. This selfless act shattered my heart into a million pieces. The unconditional love for the man you married and that you think ahead of the pain he will be living with. How does a husband/wife pick up the pieces of their empty life?

You could feel the sadness and also the guilt from Luke as he began to read the letters one letter at a time. Sadness because he missed Emily so much. But also a lot of guilt from what they could have done to maybe avert her death by having health coverage.

Opening and reading the first letter Emily instructed Luke to get a dog. How smart was Emily? To get another living, breathing being in the house with him. A companion and someone to look out for.his first step to thinking beyond himself and his loss. Adopting his new dog wasn't the only thing Luke found at the shelterhe made a new friend Rae! I loved her feistiness and how she pushed Luke. Even when he wasn't sure about it. Duke, his new dog, was kind of like the glue that brought Luke and Rae together. First as an advocate for Duke and later as they seemed to have a friendship thing going on.

As Luke to continue through the letters you could see him begin to heal. Beginning to live and move forward with his life. The friendship between him and Rae growing into a mutual attraction. Would this attraction turn into a budding romance?

Nine Letters is emotionally yet spiritually moving.  It tugs at your heart strings and opens your eyes to what true and unconditional love really is.

If there is any book that you should read this year it's 9 Letters!
3330731
This was a tear jerker

Nothing prepared me for Vipers book. My preconceptions were all wrong to a certain extent.
From the moment the book starts, I couldn't help but love Viper a little bit more. His relationship with Gam was so sweet. She was hilarious, strong and a sweetheart all in one package.
Vipers relationship with Mike was amazing. True buddies. Same with Brody.

I was ecstatic with Brody and Kacies love still very much alive. They both deserved happiness. What I wasn't expecting is to feel such sorrow over the events in this book. I felt so bad for Viper and company. In one word .devastated.

When Viper least expected it, his cement heart was broken piece by piece by the one person he never saw it coming from. I won't reveal any spoilers because the mystery is worth it.
It was a great ride, from emotional to uplifting.

I wish we could get more info on the therapist in books to come. Even maybe her own story.

And Andy, how long until you are happy??

Because I belong here. Because I belong with you. Because as much as you try to fight it, you know you belong with me too  I fell in love with you.

4.5/5 Fangs
3059354
Oh boy - get the tissues out ready when you read this book! It is an emotive, tear jerker and a great read.

Two years ago eighteen year old Audra Madison was the recipient of the heart of seventeen year old Emily Cavanaugh, saving her own life as Emily lost hers. Shes wanted to find out more about the girl who died and enabled her to live so has used the internet to find out more about her. Shes discovered Emilys tumblr photos, her Done-It list, and wants to recreate them. She contacts Jake, the photographer and Emilys grieving brother, asking him to help her do this. He agrees but the two are obviously wary and Jake is moody, inconsistent in his interactions, brooding and also very talented at both photography and playing the piano. He keeps warning Audra not to get close to him as hes sure to hurt her . . .

The story is told from Audras point of view as she explores her own feelings of survivors guilt and her new chance at life. As she strives to discover more about Emily whilst settling into life as a freshman at University with her best friend, Kat, she accidentally also uncovers unexpected information and even more questions. There are other tragic events in the story; it is an emotional roller coaster, an angsty, heart wrenching story with so many twists and turns! I initially thought it was going to be a relatively straight-forward, run-of-the-mill new adult romance but it certainly isnt. There are light hearted moments but it is the emotional turmoil that makes this story stand out from the rest. When I discovered this is a debut novel, I was amazed - this author is definitely one to watch out for in future!

Thanks to the publisher for enabling me to read a copy of this via NetGalley. This is my honest review.
1038871
Fantastic, emotional read about love and forgiveness. There is no such thing as a perfect man, even book boyfriends have their faults and I'm so glad Mia can see the man behind the mistakes. HEA that took a bit of my heart with it and I was sad to see it come to an end, but so happy for them at the same time.
4711296
Such a emotional read I'm sitting here balling my eyes out.. Rose oh Rose I just wanna hug you and tell you You so deserve to be loved your such a strong woman sigh I felt like this was a true story the details and everything she had gone threw made me sick I don't even wish it on my enemy! Okay do I suggest this book absolutely!! Amazing story hits you in the gut and makes you realize what you have in life and you never know what someone is going threw Read this have tissue and hug your loved ones! 5++ stars
595284
This book is a complete tear jerker so make sure that you have a box of tissues by your side as you will need them.

We meet ER Dr Aspen Zimmerman who has never truly got over the death of her fiancee 11 years ago.  Aspen keeps herself busy by working long hours in a busy ER Department and is determined to be the best Dr that the hospital has ever seen.

When Aspen isn't working she is looking out for her elderly neighbour when her son goes to work.  When her elderly neighbour suffers horrifically Aspen is there and determined to look after her most important patient.  It also hasn't escaped Aspen's attention that her elderly neighbours son who lives there is a complete hottie and makes Aspen get butterflies and all the feelings that she never expected to ever feel again but she refuses to fall in love and give her heart away again and face heartbreak all ever again.

Step forward Mr hottie from next door private security officer Anderson Hawkins he too like Aspen has felt heartbreak and loss in his life and never really gave a second thought about coming home to someone every night but in Aspen he sees this and is determined to knock down the walls she built not only around herself but her heart too.

The chemistry between these two is red hot yet there is a sweet romance building up between the two of them.  But will Aspen be the one that manages to break Aspen's walls down?.
1622669
I'd been hearing good things about this book, had just finished the last book in a major series, and needed something light to take me away.

This book was not light. It was beautiful. I felt so bad for Cal and Shelly and fell in love with each of them as Cal tried to win back his wife in just 8 weeks. I loved the dates Cal came up with and kept rooting for Shelly to change her mind as the book went along. The characters (all of them, including the supporting cast) all came to life for me in this book. Each personality shone through from the moment I met them. The book was extremely easy to gobble up as I just HAD to know what would happen. And the ending made me cry.

Overall, if you're looking for a beautiful, sentimental love story, this is the book for you. You will laugh, cry, and fall in love.
4157608
Okay, this book is a tear jerker but so beautiful.  To me it is a story about the ultimate loss, second chances, miracles, a love story so beautiful and acceptance. I cried tears of sadness and tears of joy. Breathtaking. I loved Susan Renee use of musical lyrics in the story. It really enhanced the story in such a touching way. I also LOVED the different ways "seven" is used...very clever. A must read but load up on tissues!