Oh my goodness. This book had me sucked in from the beginning. A well written, heartbreaking book about forgiveness, and finding peace amidst a tragedy that no parent should face. Get the tissues ready!!! This was a great book. I need a day to recover. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Stefani Reads‘OMG… This book has me feeling every kind of emotion… Have a box of tissues ready…Truly beautiful. Netgalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐… Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘It was so compelling… An extremely emotional rollercoaster of a read. I’m sure I felt my heart literally break.’ , Netgalley Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A truly emotional story about love, loss and forgiveness.
Carol Denman divorced her husband over twenty years ago and has never looked back. But on the day before their daughter’s thirtieth birthday, John barges back into Carol’s life with a request that threatens the fragile stability she has built.
John Bowman is sick. Very sick. While he still can, he has some amends to make and some promises to fulfill. But to do that, he not only needs his ex-wife’s agreement…he needs her.
With the past hovering between them like a ghost, Carol and John embark on a decades-overdue road trip. Together they plunge back into a life without water…but which may ultimately set them free.
A Life Without Water can be read as a standalone, but is part of an overarching three book A Life Without Water Series. It is women’s fiction that pulls at your heartstrings from your new favorite author Marci Bolden. If you are seeking a well written, heartbreaking book about forgiveness, and finding peace amidst a tragedy . . . this book is for you!
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This book drew me in very quickly..It deals with a very difficult subject, but I could not stop reading it. You will find love, loss, grief, regret, friendship, forgiveness, joy, hope, tragedy, disease and much more. I highly recommend reading this book..Have some tissues ready.
A Life Without Water by Marci Bolden is the first book in the A Life Without Water trilogy. It is a story of love, loss and forgiveness. Carol Denman divorced her husband, John, over twenty years ago, remarried and never looked back. But on the eve of what would have been their daughter’s 30th birthday, John comes back into her life with a request that threatens the life she has built. Still dealing with the sudden death of her late husband, she soon finds out that John is sick, very sick. While he still can, he wants to make amends, fulfill promises made and make peace within himself before he dies. To do this, he needs Carol’s help. With the past hovering between like a ghost, Carol and John take a road trip that is decades overdue. Carol must confront the past, the pain and the demons she has spent 20 years ignoring. Will she be able to forgive John before it’s too late? Will the healing they both need finally begin?
A Life Without Water is my second book by Marci Bolden and with the rave reviews I’ve seen, I was excited to read it. It is a story that I found hard to relate to, although I have experienced child loss but not in the same circumstances that Carol and John did. Carol and John are both characters that are hard to like at times. However, their grief and pain felt very real and so palpable that it lept off the page. I tried to put myself in their shoes and wondered, would I have reacted and behaved that same way? My favorite part was late in the book when Carol and John stop by her mother-in-law’s house . It was there that I cried, smiled and laughed. The ending was a nice wrap up to the story and leads into the next book. Overall, I did enjoy the story despite being hard to relate to and I look forward to reading the other two books in the trilogy. I recommend A Life Without Water.
A Life Without Water is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook.
Wow! I didn’t want to put it down. The emotional journey this story takes you on is something you don’t often find when reading a book. Ms. Bolden captures you from page one.
What is the worst thing imaginable that can happen to a parent? Can you forgive if others were involved? This book is exceptionally well written with fabulous characterization. I would definitely recommend this book but beware – are involved. Enjoy!
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.
A Life Without Water by Marci Bolden will put you on an emotional rollercoaster from the start. Bolden combines grief, anger, loss, pain, sorrow and joy into this beautifully written heart wrenching story! Caroline and John have faced a tragedy no parent should ever have to face! There are angry and raw feelings that are brought to the surface to deal with! There is so much family drama in this one you better have the tissues close by! You will feel the pain of this family and see how their journey will lead to forgiveness and acceptance!
This is my first book by Marci Bolden but it will not be the last!!! I am looking forward to the next two books in this series!!! I highly recommend this book to everyone….don’t forget to bring the tissues!!!
I like the way the book was written. It did give me a feeling that I shouldn’t live with regret Because of anger
Loved this Emotionally Haunting Story of forgiveness and letting go
A beautiful and haunting story of love, loss and survival. Carol Denman barely survived the death of her young daughter and the destruction of her first marriage. In her second marriage, she shared many wonderful years with Tobias until his untimely death in an accident. She keeps her emotions under control until her ex, John Bowman, arrives at her office. He is sick and doesn’t have much time and asks that she help him complete his quest to honor their daughters’ last wishes. She blames John for their daughter’s death and doesn’t know if she can fulfill his request as well as let him back in to her life. Will her agreement to help him and forgive him grant her the peace she so desperately needs? Have the tissues handy. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)
This story will take hold of your heart and shred it!
It is a journey of two people whose only child has died. It is also a little girl’s voyage to help her parents find closure.
It is a tale of survival, heartache, heartbreak, love, anger, and then acceptance to let go and forgive one another.
It is well written, and at times difficult to read.
Yet, I did not stop until I was finished. Why? Because we all know a Carol and John. We all wish we could change decisions made.
“If you want to fix what you think is broken, the first thing you have to do is acknowledge what broke you in the first place.”
Well done!
recieved a copy from Marci in return for my honest review. This book kind of moved a little slow for me but I did enjoy it I thought it was a book of lost forgiveness everything that we need to learn in our daily lives. I would definitely try reading another one of her books it was very well written as well as a perfect storyline
A Life Without Water is hands down the best book I have read in years. This book pulled me in from the very beginning, took me on an emotional roller coaster and caused me to shed many tears. I fell in love with the characters Carol and John and couldn’t wait to see how their story unfolded. I eagerly read wanting to understand why things are the way they are between them. John is a character I loved to hate but yet rooted for him along the way. Carol is such a strong woman who is also so vulnerable, I wanted to reach out and hug her on multiple occasions.
I have read many books by this author but this book is special in ways I can’t even explain. This book is unlike any other book this author has written.
You will not be disappointed by this book.
Trigger Warning: If you have recently experienced the loss of a loved one, this book could be a trigger for you.
I received an advance copy of this book for my honest review.
What an amazing read. My heart was breaking for Carol and John as they said goodbye to their daughter. Absolutely loved this journey
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I knew this would be a hard and sad one but so glad I read it. I could relate to many of the emotions and feelings although I’ve never lost a child. I had a similar ex that I felt much the same about. A mother that is much like the one that Caroline has.
A very emotional trip down memory lane and you will need tissues, but an excellent t read about forgiveness and healing and moving forward.
This is a story full of life, loss, regrets, grief, pain, hatred, forgiveness and many many “aha” moments. Caroline and John were married. One tragic moment destroyed their lives forever. She left him in the middle of the night and started another life somewhere else. Many years later John finds her. He wants to take their daughter on a vacation he promised her 24 years ago and he wants Caroline to go with him. Will she choose to go on this journey with a man that she has HATED for so many years?
This book was fantastic but not a book I would normally read. Nevertheless, it left me emotionally drained. I ugly cried MANY times! Reading this book was like watching a movie playing in my mind but more real. It was like I was in the RV with them. I felt their anger, laughter, sadness, tears and every other emotion they went through. Believe me when I say that they went through them ALL. Such a sad, BRILLIANT and EMOTIONALLY draining story!
There are two main characters in this book and then two that you meet throughout the story. Carol/Caroline, John, Katie and Tobias. Carol was married to John and they had Katie. She left John and met and married Tobias. The story is mainly about Caroline, John and how the loss they shared. John needs to make amends before he dies. They need to find a way to find closure and peace between them. They started out together as a young couple in love. They need to find a way back to that. Not as a couple but as friends. Caroline was the name John always called her and will forever. Caroline needs to find a way to forgive John and herself for things that happened between them. Things that happened that they could not seem to control.
This book has lots of heartaches in it. It’s actually one that will make you cry from almost the first page to the very end. I don’t mean just crying, I truly mean weeping, ugly, heartbreaking tears. The ugly crying you don’t want anyone seeing you do. I cried so much reading this book that if I had not invested time in it I would not have finished it. I kept having to put it down to get up and move around so I could actually see the words. It’s truly a very sad book. A very well written, very interesting, very good book but it will break your heart into tiny pieces if you have feelings at all.
I liked the story but hated the sadness. I loved the interaction between Caroline and John but hated what happened to them. I liked that she moved on but hated the why of it. I felt so sorry for John yet thought of him as a jerk so many times and blamed him so much until I finally realized that it was not him being so mean and cruel. He had a problem. He needed help. I liked Caroline a lot but also felt she was a bit selfish in places until I saw exactly why she did some of the things she did. Both were human. Humans are capable of failure without being bad people. Both experienced the ultimate pain. The deepest pain a person ever feels. Though Caroline went through it way more than John did. She lost so much and was there for him anyway. Until the end. She sacrificed for him in ways that some would never even think of doing. I’m not sure I would or could ever do what she did. I think she was a very very strong woman who lost so much and loved so deeply.
While this is not a love story it is about love. The love between a man and woman. A woman and a man. Parents and a child. It’s a story of a love so great you never get over it. It stays with you until you take your very last breath. It is a very heartfelt story for sure.
I do not believe the author could have possibly written this without shedding many many tears her own self. It’s a very well written book and makes you feel like you are right there with the characters. I went on a road trip. I saw places that I would never see if I had not of gone. I felt things I have never felt while reading. Deeply and heartbreakingly.
While I truly think this is one of the best books I have read in a long time, I also think or know, it’s one of the saddest that I have ever read. I only recommend this book if you need or want to weep. If you want or need to shed tears this is definitely the book for you. I will say it’s a great story and it’s worth every single tear. I actually loved the story. It was well written, well developed characters and a well developed story. You will either love it or hate it. Maybe like it. But you will without a doubt shed lots of tears while reading it. Every tear I shed, I have to say was worth the ending and what Carol/Caroline went through to the very end.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #PinkSandPress for the ARC of this in exchange for my honest review.
I have to give it 5 stars and I only recommend it if you have lots and lots of tissue and are up for a deep ugly heartfelt cry. It’s good but so sad. Well done Marci Bolden. I look forward to checking out more of your books. I just hope they don’t make me cry quite so much.
This is an excellently written book that deals with the lives of Carol and John who were once married to each other. They go on a road trip together and as a reader I went on an emotionally charged journey. There is so much heart ache and loss that I suggest every reader has a box of tissues next to them as they read this story. Ultimately, it’s a story of reconnecting, acceptance, healing and forgiveness. It’s a tough story to read, it’s one that I wanted to put down and take a break from, but I felt compelled to continue reading. This book is a true work of art.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A deeply emotional journey filled with so much heartbreak, longing, insight and love…. this story is both tragic and hopeful all in the same breath. Pulls at the heartstrings from the very beginning and does not let go.. If you are looking for a good reason to cry your eyes out this the book for you!
This book really packed a punch! It is the (highly) emotional tale of a woman who has lost so much in her life, but without realizing it, is taking steps that will give back to her and put her back on the trail of the living. Carol and John may have divorced over 20 years ago, but the journey they take together to spread their dead daughter’s ashes is rich with love as well as with regrets and hurts.
This was my first book by Marci Bolden and I was unprepared for it. After reading it, as my grandmother would have said, I felt like I’d been dragged through a knothole. The emotion was at a high point all the way through the book.
This was a truly beautiful book that you know is going to make you weep, but you will find impossible to put down. It is well worth the tears!
I was given a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.
Emotionally draining but beautiful story.
Can you walk memory line without broken heart and healing?
I couldn’t..
Enjoy reading just be prepared, this is not easy story and will stay with you forever
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I have to say upfront I was afraid to read this book. I knew it was going to be a heartbreaker and I was not wrong. Tears would literally pour from my eyes. I had to stop reading it several times. But I also had to continue!
This story is every persons nightmare. I was shocked at John. My heart broke for Carol/Caroline. I could not even fathom doing what they had to do. But what an impression on my heart and soul.
The author did an amazing job delving into the human condition and psyche of our reactions to marriage, love, having children, and everything surrounding relationships. I could see so much of my life in this book. Just writing this now is bringing tears to my eyes. But it really made me look at my own relationships too!
While this is a heartbreaking story, it is one that had to be written and one that will be devoured by you. A Life Without Water is deeply insightful, highly emotional, and a must read.
But a word of caution… emotionally you have to be in a good place. There are triggers regarding children in this and sorrow that can swallow you whole.
This is the first time having read this author. Marci Bolden is an amazing talent that will capture your attention and not let go. You may feel a bit worse for the moment but in the end all is well with the world. Great novel!