Review: One of my new favorite books of the year
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 14, 2013
I was provided this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.I was hooked on Whatever It Takes by the end of the first chapter, addicted after the second, and by the end of the book I declared this to be one of my favorite reads of 2013.  This book was absolutely amazing.  It is a tale of the perfect couple- Gavin and Emma.  They have what their friends and family consider the perfect marriage.  They balance and complete each other."Gavin was my rock. I was his tranquility."But one bad decision brought their entire lives to a screeching halt and brought with it the possibility of breaking the couple beyond repair.This book was an emotional roller coaster with its tale of marital cheating and its consequences.  Emma is shattered  when Gavin admits to a one night stand with his ex-fiance.  Gavin wants to work to move past his indiscretion and repair their marriage while Emma wants nothing more than to run and escape the pain.These characters are flawlessly written.  You can feel Emma's pain, anger and hurt like their a living viable entities."It was a moonless night, the sky dark and lonely. Exactly how I felt."You hurt and cry for Emma. Her pain grips you.And Gavin...he says it best,"I was an a**hole."Yes Gavin, you were.  His impulsive actions wreak such devastation that makes you want to never forgive him, but he acknowledges his wrongdoing and is willing to pay the penance for it.  The amazing thing about this writing is even though Gavin has done wrong by Emma and you want to hate him.  You can't.  There is such honesty and earnestness in his apology and you see past his transgressions to the pain in his soul and the devastation it will reap if he loses Emma,  the one thing that matters the most to him.This book is also a tale of irony.  Gavin cheats with his ex in order to exact revenge upon her because she had cheated on him while they were together.  Yet Gavin turns around and does the exact same thing to Emma.  It was at this point that I wanted to yell and ask Gavin, "What were you thinking?"I love how the author takes us there.  The reader is simply not a bystander but an active participant in this story.  Every moment of pain, every teardrop that falls and every sweet and tender emotion can be felt.  The story reaches off the page and grips you and doesn't let go- not even for a second.The character development throughout the story is divine.  We see Emma go from a slightly neurotic, insecure young woman to a lioness, demanding to know answers and raging against her pain in order to begin the healing process.  We also witness Gavin change from a suave, smooth talker to a man willing to humble himself in order to save his marriage. Kudos to the author for creating such strong characters that have flaws and make mistakes.Whatever It Takes is an absolutely superb story that at no point lags.  It is an intelligent, thought provoking, emotion gripping, heart wrenching, romantic tale of pain and forgiveness that will leave you breathless.5 out of 5 stars isn't enough.