Review: Touching story of true love for the ages
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 2, 2014
Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review.One word: wow.Daniel Daniels is a high school English teacher by day and the front man for Romeo’s Quest, a band whose lyrics are all based on the works of Shakespeare, by night. He’s suffered his share of loss; he witnessed the murder of his mother, watched his father lose to cancer, and can only stand by and watch as his younger brother throws his life away to drugs. So when he meets a Shakespeare-quoting nineteen year old on a train platform, he finally has something to hope for.Ashlyn is grieving the loss of her twin sister Gabby to leukemia. When she is sent away to live with her estranged father in Wisconsin, Ashlyn’s world has fallen completely apart. The only thing she has to look forward to is the treasure box that her sister made for her before her death which includes a bucket list, along with letters to go along after the completion of each item on the list. When Ashlyn shows up at her father’s home to find there is a ready-made family waiting for her, one she never knew about, it seems things can’t get a whole lot worse. But when she finds that she has a lot more in common with her dad’s girlfriend’s kids Ryan and Hailey, and they just might be the key to her survival.Ashlyn meets Daniel at the train platform on her trip to Wisconsin from Chicago and he invites her to see a performance of his band at a local bar. When she goes to see him, the sparks that had started between the two at the platform ignite and immediately the two understand the depth of the attraction between them. But when Ashlyn walks into her English class to start her senior year and meets Mr. Daniels, they know that they cannot pursue what they both know will change their lives forever.This is a little different take on the average student/teacher romance. There really isn’t the taboo that there might be with others. Ashlyn is nineteen, having been held back a year due to sickness, and Daniel is a first year teacher, all of twenty-two. Legally, everything is kosher, but due to the fact that Ashlyn’s father is vice principal, therefore Daniel’s boss, and Ashlyn is still a student, they know they cannot go forward in a relationship…but will they anyway? Loving Mr. Daniels is heart-breaking romance at its finest. At the same time, it is life affirming, proving to us that the idea of soul mates isn’t so far fetched, there is someone out there specifically meant for each of us.The relationship between Daniel and Ashlyn is steamy and exciting, but more importantly the connection is palpable. There are so many things that connect the two of them that it is hard not to use the word serendipity to describe their situation. In any other setting the romance would be a fairytale, but as Daniel & Ashlynn both know, as is the case of the Grimm’s takes on fairytales, they don’t always have happy endings. Their connection definitely has a Shakespearian quality of tragedy to it; trust me, the connection and irony was not lost on me.To say that I loved this book would be an understatement. This was hands down a five star read that I did not want to put down. It was well written and the characters were well developed and I just couldn’t help but root for them. Ms. Cherry also confronts head on romance of a different sort and how its acceptance, or lack of, can destroy a family in the character of Ryan. Ryan has a big secret that he keeps and it ends in tragedy, all due to others inability to understand that we have no control over those we choose to love. Underneath all of those other relationships, the relationships within our families are the foundation that everything else is based on. Without those relationships, we cannot really give ourselves to another, at least not without some sort of sacrifice. This story is one of love, loss, forgiveness, and redemption and it is beautifully told. This is the first book I’ve read by Ms. Cherry and it will certainly not be my last.