A gripping novel about the kind of love that never lets go, and the heart’s capacity to remember, from the New York Times bestselling author of Blackberry Winter and The Violets of MarchEnjoying a romantic candlelit dinner with her fiancé, Ryan, at one of Seattle’s chicest restaurants, Kailey Crain can’t believe her good fortune: She has a great job as a journalist and is now engaged to a guy who … journalist and is now engaged to a guy who is perfect in nearly every way. As she and Ryan leave the restaurant, Kailey spies a thin, bearded homeless man on the sidewalk. She approaches him to offer up her bag of leftovers, and is stunned when their eyes meet, then stricken to her very core: The man is the love of her life, Cade McAllister.
When Kailey met Cade ten years ago, their attraction was immediate and intense—everything connected and felt right. But it all ended suddenly, leaving Kailey devastated. Now the poor soul on the street is a faded version of her former beloved: His weathered and weary face is as handsome as Kailey remembers, but his mind has suffered in the intervening years. Over the next few weeks, Kailey helps Cade begin to piece his life together, something she initially keeps from Ryan. As she revisits her long-ago relationship, Kailey realizes that she must decide exactly what—and whom—she wants.
Alternating between the past and the present, Always is a beautifully unfolding exploration of a woman faced with an impossible choice, a woman who discovers what she’s willing to save and what she will sacrifice for true love.
Praise for Always
“[Sarah] Jio’s novel is a fantastic read that explores the world of lost love in a poignant and beautiful way, while still being light and easy to digest. The protagonist is one whom readers can relate to. . . . Jio’s tale also beautifully blends stories from both the past and the present. . . . It’s a great read and comes with high recommendations.”—RT Book Reviews
“Jio’s newest novel explores intersections of past and present and the complexities of love. . . . [Kailey] must confront her own past as she tries to figure out what she really wants. . . . Fans of Jio’s work will still find her signature emotional depth.”—Publishers Weekly
“A heartwarming story of personal growth and the power of nostalgia . . . Fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Emily Giffin should enjoy this warm and compassionate novel.”—Booklist
“Perfect for fireside reading.”—PopSugar
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I bought this book as a gift for myself on Mother’s Day and it turned out to be one of those gifts that I savored for days. The first thing that interested me was the premise: a woman recognizes a homeless man as someone she once loved and lost. He, however, doesn’t necessarily remember her. The chapters alternate between present day where she’s engaged to marry someone else and the past which reveals the romance with the homeless man. What happened to cause this once-successful businessman to end up living on the streets? That mystery kept me anxiously turning the pages. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy women’s fiction interwoven with suspense.
I’m always game for a tearjerker. Always definitely checked off all the boxes.
In Always, Kailey is out on a dinner date with her fiance. The man she’s about to marry comes from a wealthy family and her dreams are all coming true. After the dinner, she spies a homeless man on a nearby bench and walks over to give him her leftovers. To her shock, it’s the man she loved dearly who vanished without a trace many years ago.
Now that she’s found Cade, she is determined to unravel why he left her and where he’s been. He walked away from a thriving business, their lives together, and an active social life. As she spends more time with him, she finds herself torn between the man she once loved and the man who helped her get over her broken heart.
There are some takeaways from Always that rang true with me. Not every homeless person is there because of an addiction. The in-depth look at homelessness never overpowered the book, but it did offer some details that not everyone knows or thinks about. The bottom line, however, was who Kailey would pick and why. I can’t imagine being in her shoes, and I honestly couldn’t guess who’d win her heart until the very moment she made the decision.
Kailey Crane has everything she could possibly want in life, she has a job she thoroughly enjoys, a beautiful home to come home to every night, and a handsome fiance waiting for her with open arms. But all of her good fortune hasn’t came so easily, and ten years ago she pictured her future a little differently, and with another man. When Cade disappeared from her life she was left broken and alone, and struggled to pick up the pieces, but with time and some healing she found a new life path to follow. But the minute she starts to feel like everything is falling into place, her life takes an unexpected turn, one she never saw coming…a turn that has her looking into a very familiar pair of eyes and seeing the promise of a future she thought she lost ten years ago.
Once again I am reveling in the effects from an exceptional literary escape provided by Ms. Jio, her stories are nothing short of amazing!! Each time I settle down to read one I am left moved beyond words and completely in awe of her talents. Kailey and Cade’s story was inspiring, heart warming, deeply moving, and I am quite certain it will be lingering with me for a long while. I highly recommend this one, definitely one of the best reads I have discovered so far this year!! It is one of those reads that will seep into the recesses of your heart, churn your emotions, and leave you contemplating what if?
I picked up this book because I thoroughly enjoyed All the Flowers in Paris by this author. I am glad I did as this is another great story. Kailey is engaged to be married when she discovers her former fiancé, who disappeared several years ago, is living on the streets of Seattle. He has a brain injury which has impacted his memory. The story is unique and well written with well developed characters.
This is the story about the rare kind of love, the one you never let go of once you find it. The one that takes your heart and captures it. The one that comes along in life only once, and that you’ll never forget should it leave you. Always, by Sarah Jio, is such a beautifully written love story and a book that you can’t put down.
Kailey Crain has it all: a great journalist job, a beautiful home, and she’s engaged to a fantastic guy, Ryan Winston. She and Ryan are having a lovely candlelit dinner in one of Seattle’s finer restaurants. As they are leaving the restaurant and Ryan is getting the car, she sees a bearded homeless man on the sidewalk and walks up to him. She immediately recognizes him as she gives him her leftovers behind the long shaggy hair and beard. It’s his eyes she recognizes. He is unable to talk and understand. How can this be? How in the world did Cade McAllister, THEE love of her life, the CEO of Element Records, who disappeared from her life so many years ago have this happen to him?
When they met years ago, everything felt right. Their attraction was immediate and intense, and Cade felt like home; he was home to her. He was on the top of his game. His love for music led him to owning his own music business with his childhood and best friend, James. The business made millions, but then he and James didn’t see eye-to-eye on business dealings. Cade started drinking and not showing up for work, but then something happened, and Kailey is determined to find out what that is.
When Ryan leaves town on business, she makes it her mission to find Cade and help him. When she finally does, she gets him to the hospital, and through a battery of tests, she finds out that he suffered a traumatic brain injury. She gets him the medical help he needs with living arrangements at a facility. She begins piecing his life together after he disappeared from her so suddenly. She was hurt so bad and never got over it, but now Ryan is the perfect guy for her, so she thinks. She’s confused. She wants to tell Ryan everything, but doesn’t.
As she figures out what happened to Cade, she needs to decide who and what she wants. The story alternates from the past and the present, giving the reader all the background of a beautiful and rare love she and Cade once had. I read this book in two days. It’s just one of those rare love stories everyone wishes they had in their life. Make sure you pick up this book, and be prepared to have a full day to yourself. You won’t want to put it down or the story to end.
An amazing story of the heart and power of love. I fell in love with this story! A must read for those who still have hope for love in this bitter world.
I like stories that not only bring the characters to life but do the same for the location and situations. Sarah Jio does exactly that in always. A compelling, charming love story is filled with the sights and sounds of Seattle and the plight of the homeless, a sorrowful situation in any city. I love Kaileys compassion, her depth of yearning for the love that completes her. And I enjoyed the complexity of Cade, not just a pretty face and body.
A great love story
I LOVED this book! It is the sweetest love story. It has a lot of action packed times in between, but makes you smile along the way. It made me really think about how we treat people and made me want to be a better person. It’s just wonderful.
Excellent story line that brings the homeless/mental health connection into reality through a strong set of characters. The drama and romance were enjoyable.
Nice warm hearted story
I love all of her books!
I always read what this author has written. Some are better than others, but I’m never disappointed. A good summer read.
I loved this book. I loved the flashbacks to Seattle in the 90s. I couldn’t put it down.
Sort of like a Hallmark movie, but everything isn’t all wonderful and happily ever after for everyone. I enjoyed it because I couldn’t be sure how it would end, and I haven’t stopped wondering what I would do if I were in this same situation. It also paints a pretty good picture of homelessness. It was a page turner and a pretty quick read.
I like Sarah Jio books anyway, so I thought I would enjoy this one too.
A story of lost love and second chances, of what happens when the past collides with the seemingly perfect present. It is an intriguing storyline, one that managed to tug on my heartstrings, but the way things played out, and then were resolved left me thinking WTF.
A well-intentioned but thin portrayal of love.
I loved it and couldn’t put it down. Speaks to me of destiny.
Very interesting characters. Good story line
I liked this book reasonably well. I liked the characters and the story was good. It was, however, somewhat predictable and I was able to correctly guess the ending not very far into the book.
entertaining, good heroine