Sunday 21 December 2014

Review: The Life Intended by Kristin Harmel

From the author of the international bestseller The Sweetness of Forgetting, named one of the Best Books of Summer 2012 by Marie Claire magazine, comes a captivating novel about the struggle to overcome the past when our memories refuse to be forgotten.

In this richly told story where Sliding Doors meets P.S. I Love You, Kristin Harmel weaves a heart-wrenching tale that asks: what does it take to move forward in life without forgetting the past?

After her husband's sudden death over ten years ago, Kate Waithman never expected to be lucky enough to find another love of her life. But now she's planning her second walk down the aisle to a perfectly nice man. So why isn't she more excited?

At first, Kate blames her lack of sleep on stress. But when she starts seeing Patrick, her late husband, in her dreams, she begins to wonder if she's really ready to move on. Is Patrick trying to tell her something? Attempting to navigate between dreams and reality, Kate must uncover her husband's hidden message. Her quest leads her to a sign language class and into the New York City foster system, where she finds rewards greater than she could have imagined.


Kindle Edition, 368 pages
Expected publication: December 30th 2014 by Gallery Books 
Genre: Womens Fiction

Kristine's Thoughts:

I received an advanced readers copy from the publishe via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

This book was absolutely stunning. I don't think there was a single emotion that I didn't feel while reading it. The pages were filled with love, loss, guilt, hope and the struggle to move on, told in a beautiful and heart wrenching way.

Kate lost her husband after just a few months of marriage and twelve years later she has agreed to marry her boyfriend of two years. It is after she says yes that she begins to have vivid dreams of her late husband and the family that they never got the chance to have. These dreams lead her to some new challenges and experiences but leave her confused and lost.

Ultimately this book is about figuring out how to move on and discovering how events in life directly impact the path you choose. It is beautifully honest in how it portrays grief. I was with Kate every step of the way and could feel every emotion and struggle she had. The story and writing was so powerful that I felt like I was Kate and I went through a roller coaster of emotions throughout. Even the supporting characters were portrayed in a realistic light from their support to their lack of understanding and their somewhat inappropriate comments at times.

This book is a journey and it doesn't deal with light and fluffy topics. I don't recommend this for people looking for a fun and quick read. If you are a fan of deep and emotional stories that are told honestly and realistically, you will not be disappointed. It is a truly wonderful story.






About the Author
 In addition to writing books (including ITALIAN FOR BEGINNERS and the YA novel AFTER), I've also been a magazine writer for years; my credits include People, Men's Health, Woman's Day, American Baby and dozens more. I also appear regularly on the nationally syndicated TV morning show The Daily Buzz!

I love to travel, cook, correspond with readers and create! :-) I've lived in Paris, New York, LA and a handful of other places, and now I live in Orlando, Fla. (From Goodreads profile)

Connect with Kristin




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