Review: 5 Fantastic stars - left me with a book hangover
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 16, 2014
This book consumed me. It left me for days feeling like nothing could compare. I feel like every time I have read one of Kate’s books I have said the same thing, but her writing and stories really resonate with me. They are exciting, emotional, and great escapes that consistently move me to laughter and tears.When the band needs a bass player to fill in for Frog, Henry calls in a favor from the sister he hasn’t seen in years. Grace has been working as a highly sought after model since she was a teenager, rarely going home once she was out the door. Watching them reconnect quickly led me to fall in love with Grace. They quickly had me in tears (and laughing uproariously) as they rebuilt the relationship that had fallen apart when Grace began her modeling career.Grace seemed to have everything in her successful modeling career. But it was also clear she was  not happy: running from something, avoiding phone calls, living with fear. At times I felt like she was the perfect match for Casey, while other times I wished she would just tell him what was going on rather than hurt him further with whatever she was hiding and that secret she was hiding kept me guessing the whole time I was reading. Her independent streak and occasional attitude were traits she developed after leaving home, but that she wore as armor. Watching her break down the walls around her was a treat.“People come and go, Casey. Some crash into your life and leave in the blink of an eye, others stay with you for years, but it doesn’t matter how long you have them for, ... because the way they make you feel stays with you forever, and you've made me feel so much.”Reading Casey’s story, I felt heartbreak after heartbreak for Casey. He never seemed to be able to catch a full break before the next challenge tackled him. As each layer of his past was peeled back, and each new present day challenge popped up, he dug further and further into my heart. His connection to the cases that have been reference in the other books made a lot more sense as I came to realize just how personal those jobs were to Casey.“I promise you, Grace, no matter what happens, you’ll be with me forever, because you’re in my heart, and I won’t let you leave.”This was one of those books where as often as I was hurting for the characters, I found myself grinning in amusement more than I would have anticipated. There are some great instances of sibling rivalry/shenanigans. And Mitsy the dog contributes to a few great comedic moments as well.The whole group we've come to love in this series returns to support, encourage, and razz each other as only they can. As each book has come out, I have fallen further in love with this group of characters. As any great ensemble cast, they have great bonds and history between them, and those bonds only continue to grow stronger as their family expands.Casey and Grace have a great mix of chemistry, independence, and skeletons in their closets to make this story one that will stick with me for some time. As the story unfolded it took me places I was not expecting, which only served to increase my love for it.Like I said when I started writing this review, I almost feel bad for the books I read in the days after finishing Give Me Grace. This was a tough book to follow. I loved Casey and his story, and the way Grace filled up his cracks and fit into his family.I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.