Review: "Sometimes the best way to honor the life of someone you lost was to save another."
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 9, 2014
And Amber Nation does it again! This beautifully written third installment of the Brown County series delivers every aspect we have come to expect from Amber ~ heartache, romance, intrigue, misunderstanding, falling in love and the absolutely necessary happily ever after.I think what I love most about Amber's writing style is that she doesn't seem to be afraid to take chances. She writes about those topics no one wants to think about ~ death, abuse, trauma, deception. But with the way she writes it, its a reminder to all of us that by not thinking about doesn't mean it doesn't exist but there are survivors over and over again who have this amazing power within themselves to overcome.Amber's books always make me cry. "How To Save A Life" was no different. Her words are so powerful, the story so touching, the emotions just pour out of you."You may have to wait awhile for wounds to settle and heal a little, but when the time comes you'll know what to do to make things right with her."Throughout the Brown County series, we have met some wonderful characters. Each book can be read as a standalone, however, it has been better to me to read about all the characters as they progress. In "How To Save A Life," we begin to learn more about Mike Jameson. He has been fairly quiet throughout the series, serving as the drummer to a band of misfits with a local following. Mike is a paramedic and has a heart of gold, wanting to do nothing but help save the lives of others.As we read about the tragedies that have taken place in his life, you see why this has become so important to him. Watching the turmoil within him, the extreme swings from high to low because of his past made me ache to my toes for him. If ever there was a man who deserved forgiveness, deserved his happily ever after, it is Mike."My head was so garbled with so much despair. Who knew that it would take this long for old wounds to heal? Inadequacy in being a man, that's what I felt like. I needed to take a giant step in overcoming my fears about love and about letting someone else in."Sheridan, our beautiful (and in my opinion) heroine has such a capacity for love. She too has escaped a life that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. But even when you would expect her to be broken, beaten, full of despair, she rises above it all with a strength we could all hope to possess.Its obvious that Sheridan is running from something. As her and Mike's friendship strengthens and changes into more, the fear they both have causes so much pain and misunderstanding. They struggle back and forth with the decision to let someone new into their hearts. With each new day comes another revelation and both Mike and Sheridan are forced to decide what their fate together will look like."How To Save A Life" will take you on an emotional rollercoaster to be sure. To be honest, I am not sure I would have had it any other way. I think one of the most powerful points of the book can be summed up with Amber's own words ~"Sometimes the best way to honor the life of someone you lost was to save another."