Review: Heart-wrenching, emotional. Loved!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 11, 2014
(quote) My world revolved around that heart. He carries it now, but I’ve carried that heart too. I was once responsible for seeing that it was kept safe. Just in a different way.Two years after the murder of her husband, Sadie Parker is still deeply grieving his loss. He was her best friend, her first love, her whole world. Trying to help her grieve, her family encourages Sadie to contact the recipients of Jake’s organs. She is has withdrawn from everyone around her, and agrees only to appease her family. When she meets the man who received her husband’s heart, the shell she’s built around herself begins to crack as her curiosity about the man grows.Zander has withdrawn in his own way. Having changed his entire lifestyle after his heart transplant, he lives separate from his family, isolated in his beach house. But in each other, they find something that makes sense.Zander intrigued me from the moment he entered the story. He seems to be feeling a guilt/remorse about receiving the second chance at life but the reason behind that emotion is not clear. His actions towards Sadie, while hiding certain aspects of the transplant and his past, all point towards a man unsure of how to help Sadie heal while not letting her go.The emotional bond between Zander and Sadie forms really quickly. From their initial meeting, both are fighting unfamiliar feelings. For Zander it is the desire to protect Sadie. For Sadie, it is the draw she feels towards Zander despite holding on to Jake. From those first feelings more develop, forcing both to confront things they’d rather leave untouched.(quote) “Whatever this is between us, it’s inescapable. You can deny me if you insist, but that’s one truth that neither one of us can deny.”While the point of view shifts between Sadie and Zander, this is heavily weighted towards Sadie’s journey. The focus remains fully on their relationship and Sadie’s grief throughout. There are scenes with their families, to juxtapose just how different their experiences have been, but the family characters remain outside the meat of the story. The one side character that I loved to pieces was Dawn, the hotel owner Sadie meets when she goes to Tybee. Their conversation over breakfast was a much needed influence and the ripples from that one conversation come back time and again through the rest of the book.This was an emotional read with hope and healing along the way. While it seemed to be a case of insta-love, the journey was far from over when the characters met and what looked like a quick tumble into love turned into a struggle through grief, guilt, and letting go.Thanks to J. L. Mac for providing me with a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.