Review: An emotional, heart-warming story
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 4, 2013
I sit here after finishing Lovely with puffy eyes and my cheeks wet from the multiple ugly cries caused by this emotional book. I can honestly say that I have never emotionally connected to a book the way I connected to this one. I found myself emotionally connected to a character the way I connected to Cara. My childhood growing up had similar occurances and it left me broken. People who should have protected me stood by and let me get hurt, and did nothing to even try to help. Like Cara I walked around mearly getting by, hiding myself from everyone, not thinking I deserved to be loved or that anyone would want to be with me. Who wants to be with a broken damaged person? Turns out some one, my someone was willing to piece me back together, piece by piece, and loved me with every crack and every flaw. I just want to say thank you Beth for writing this amazing book, that shows that even broken, damaged person deserves to be pieced back together and loved.Ok, on with the review.Ash Taylor is that man you know the one who is too good looking and charismatic for his own good. He could have any girl he wanted and he did... until he laid his eyes on Cara Hayward. From that moment on she was constantly on his mind, he needed to get to know her, and would do anything to do so.  Cara Hayward, is the quite, poetry loving, librarian, who hides behind a big fake pair of glasses. She is convinced that no one could love her, not when they find out her secret.Cara had one of the worst childhoods I could ever imagine. He mother is an alcoholic who liked to make her feel like she didn't matter, and did everything she could to make her feel inferior. Her mother had the opportunity to protect her but chose not to she seen it happening and just walked away.  The only bright spot she had in her life was her father, but he was not around much do to work, and he was unfortunately taken from her. She was left to pick up the pieces of her life, but decided to hide behind those huge glasses. Ash had everything going for him, every thing he did he excelled at, especially baseball. His life shattered when his father passed away. Instead moving out, getting an apartment and having the full college experience he opted to stay home, because he felt like he was the glue that kept his mom, younger sister Delilah, and his brother Colt together.After attempt after he broke Cara down, until she agreed to go out with him. The way their relationship blossomed was so heart-warming. We got to watch Ash heal Cara piece by piece. He was her rock, but she would end up being his as well. Cara changed Ash, made him realize before he wasn't living he was drowning, until she pulled him out of the darkness. When tragedy struck Ash, it was Cara who cared for him and his family when they needed some one the most. Two broken hearts and lost souls healed each other.All is not sunshine and roses. A blast from Ash's past comes back to create havoc, causing Ash to fight for his heart, for the person who makes him whole and who makes him alive. Will Ash win her back? Will these kindred souls reconnect and move forward in life? You will have to read Lovely to find that out.This amazingly well-written book, pulls at your heartstrings. It will pull emotions out of you that you may not know were there. The characters were so well developed it was hard not to feel every emotion that they were feeling. A good book to me is one that evokes emotions and this book did just that. The epilogue had me sobbing, it wrapped the love story of Ash and Cara into one perfect little package topping it off with a bow. If you want to read a book that pulls at your soul then Lovely is the book for you.Tabby from Tabby's Tantalizing Reviews