This “winsome story with charm to burn about second acts and second chances” (Jennifer Weiner, New York Times bestselling author) from the New York Times bestselling author of Good Grief asks us how soon is too soon to fall in love again? Rudy never expected to be a widower at fifty-four-years-old. Now, ten months after the untimely death of his beloved wife, he’s still struggling with how to … wife, he’s still struggling with how to move on from the overwhelming tragedy–but at least his new job is helping.
After being downsized from his finance position, Rudy turned to his first love: the piano. As the piano player at Nordstrom, Rudy finds immense joy in bringing a little music into the world. And it doesn’t hurt that Sasha, the men’s watch clerk who is finally divorcing her no-good husband, finds time to join him at the bench every now and then.
Just when Rudy and Sasha’s relationship begins to deepen, the police reveal a shocking update about Rudy’s wife’s untimely death and now they want a second look at him, too. With Sasha’s husband suddenly reappearing, and Rudy’s daughter confronting her own marital problems, life becomes more complicated than Rudy and Sasha could have ever imagined.
Perfect for fans of Jennifer Weiner and Fredrik Backman, Me for You is “an immensely readable, emotionally honest examination of the aftermath of grief and loss. Lolly Winston masterfully weaves humor with pathos in this story of second chances, all-too-human foibles, unlikely love, and an uplifting message of hope” (Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author).
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Well written story about grief. Handled well.
I was looking forward to reading this book. But, unfortunately, it could not hold my interest. It felt all over the place and I quickly lost focus. There was not much story and it just fell flat. I wish there had been more character development. Even if a story line is not great, if the characters are fleshed out well, I find I may still enjoy the book. Oh well! Sorry it just did not work for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Though not a light read, there are some light moments to make you smile. Glad the story used a mature (54) as protagonist. Rudy is dealing with the sudden death of his beloved wife, Bethany. He is trying to navigate as a widower, and finding it difficult as the Bethany’s first anniversary is coming. Your heart will break for Rudy, but will clearly see how realistic his situation can be. Navigating his mental health, his daughter and dating.
It is a story to tug at your heartstrings. Myheart broke for Rudy, Sasha and his daughter. Mental health and care is a big part of the book. Definitely a more melancholy read.
Thanks to Gallery Press and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
Me For You is a well written, lovely and bittersweet story about two people whose lives are sidelined by unimaginable tragedy, but who meet and come together to survive in spite of their sorrow.
Fifty six year old Rudy wakes up one morning to find that his wife has died in her sleep. He is beside himself with grief and guilt. But life continues and Rudy returns to his job as a piano player in Nordstom, where he and Sasha work part time. Sasha is a Hungarian immigrant who has endured the drowning death of her young daughter Stefi, and her drunken, abusive husband’s abandonment of her for a younger woman. Their friendship is a life raft of sorts for both of them and when Rudy is hospitalized for depression, Sasha’s nightly visits help to cement their attraction.
I absolutely loved this book. It was a wonderful read and I highly recommend it to anyone. Thank you to Netgalley, the author Lolly Winston, and the publisher Touchstone Gallery Books for the delightful experience of reading an ARC of this book. This is my sincere opinion.
A very sweet lovely story. How one man grieving from the sudden death of his wife moved on. Learned to love again. The story tells the reader just how destructive death can be on a person. The help a person can get for dealing with the struggles of missing a person so hard. I loved that this story brought two co-workers together and each was a strength for the other and they were able to make a life together.
Imagine waking up and speaking to your wife as she lay in bed only to discover that she is dead! I could not! That is what drew me in to want to read this book. I thought it was going to have all kinds of drama, but it fell short.
I didn’t find the humor that was spoken of in the summary.
The storylines that had the potential to be exciting were too short! They were over as quickly as they started.
I didn’t find myself falling in love with the main character Rudy because he just fell flat for me and did not touch my heart in any way. And, I was really trying!
Sasha, his coworker was one character that I was finding myself to caring for and her backstory was more interesting than most of the book.
I am beginning to think I may have something against piano music in department stores?? A lot of time was spent there.
Maybe that was where my boredom lied.
Without giving away the ending, I will say that I was very pleased with how the book closed.
This story may appeal to some readers, but it wasn’t to my liking.
My feelings about Me for You are somewhere in the middle. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. The story had potential, and I like the beginning as Rudy tries to deal with his loss, but it changes as the book progresses with the introduction of subplots that don’t all see their way to a satisfactory conclusion. There are some unanswered questions, and the last half of the book was a bit too drawn out for my tastes. For me, this book was certainly worth the read, but it isn’t something I would want to revisit.
I first read Lolly Winston wayyyyy back when. At the time I didn’t write reviews, I only rated books. Both Good Grief andHappiness Sold Separately garnered a “Favorites” from me and I wouldn’t change a thing. I was ecstatic to see she had a new release and am happy to say that I really enjoyed it, it warmed my heart and soul. The story is shared through multiple perspectives but the focus is on Rudy Knowles as he begins the grieving process for the sudden death of his his best friend and wife, Bethany.
Rudy is a lovely and gentle soul. As a part time piano player at a major department store, Rudy shows himself to be a very introspective and intuitive man. And quirky, delightfully so. With his daughter CeCe keeping her eye on him while her world changes, Rudy tries to come to terms with life as a widower. But it’s just not one he embraces “He missed being married. The living with your best friend part of it.” Rudy is the kind of man who is better paired, he simply enjoys couple-dom. And then there is Sasha. We learn about Sasha and the loss she has suffered as she recalls the disintegration of her marriage. She and Rudy have a tentative friendship built on fond regards and the luck of time and place, but I prefer to see it as fate.
Rudy’s grieving process is multifaceted and Lolly Winston shows that while there may be prescriptive efforts, grief is really subjective; experiencing it and managing it alike. Rudy’s is forced to confront an unsettling revelation and he experiences a set-back of sorts, relationships key to him change. For Rudy, Sasha and CeCe, this may be what’s needed to help them move forward, as they help each other heal.
I love the way Lolly Winston wove their stories together. Rudy and CeCe are forever bound together, but Sasha’s history and her influence on Rudy, his on hers, is inspiring. The writing is impeccable brave, thoughtful and at times funny ~ just like life. 5 stars and recommendation!
A story about the vagrancies of grief and healing. Rudy is devastated at the sudden death of his beloved wife and is barely coping with living. His one bright spot is his coworker Sasha. She is also suffering grief from the loss of her daughter several years earlier. They are drawn to each other and find comfort and healing in shared experiences and burdens. Eventually they become more than friends as they learn that with healing comes hope and new beginnings. The author uses great poignancy and compassion to deal with these issues. She has also imbued the story with lots of humorous moments where the characters are allowed to laugh at themselves to provide relief from the gravity of the situation. A well written beautiful book.
This one was just okay. Rudy woke one morning to find his wife, Bree, had died in the night beside him. I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone. The first part of the book tried to make this into a murder mystery but then seemed to just let it dissipate somewhere. Rudy falls into a depression and a year later is working in a department store as a pianist and Sasha works there and they start a romance. Sasha has an abusive ex-husband and there is apparently a story there that falls apart also. Too many subplots and ideas that don’t take off. Overall, though, it is a lovely healing story that shows there is life after grieving.
“Things will never be the same. They’ll get better, they’ll be different, but never be the same.”
This is a journey of sudden loss, grief and climbing back to find a new life and love.
Rudy finds his wife dead in her bed. Why couldn’t he save Bee? How did this happen?
He finds himself slipping into a deep depression. His friend, Sasha is his biggest support.
She knows what Rudy is feeling and makes the time to care.
Will Rudy and Sasha find happiness ?
I felt the emotions of both Rudy and Sasha as I turned the pages of this novel.
Definitely not a light read.
I loved this novel, an immensely readable, emotionally honest examination of the aftermath of grief and loss. Lolly Winston masterfully weaves humor with pathos in this story of second chances, all-too-human foibles, unlikely love, and an uplifting message of hope.