He wants to give me a reason to stay.He wants to be the reason I fight.I always knew this day would come – that it would be my turn.Images of my mother fighting the same disease are forever branded on my heart and soul. Regret and pain her unintentional parting gifts.That will not be me.Instead, I will live my life to the fullest.Oliver Gentry is my childhood best friend and I’ve been in love … childhood best friend and I’ve been in love with him since I can remember. I’ve never been brave enough to confess how I feel. But then in a blink of an eye, my life changes and Oliver becomes everything I didn’t know I needed.
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I found this book from a facebook page saying this book was free at the time. I read the blurb and was interested. I love reading friends to lovers books. But, I must say this isn’t a typical HEA. I won’t spoil it for anyone, but your emotions will be pulled each way til Sunday. The subject matter of Breast Cancer hits home to my family, well cancer itself and went through the emotions all over. I had to step away from this book several times. I recommend this book for inspiration to another to remember to fight and live vicariously if you have the means too.
This book was a roller coaster of emotions. Having Remy deal with her diagnosis after everything she went through with her mom – the feelings and thoughts going through her head were sad and emotional to read, especially if you personally have gone through or know of a family member or friend that has gone through the same thought process. But Remy wasn’t alone – her bright light was her childhood best friend Oliver, who captured her heart with his ability to give her a reason to fight: to embrace each other, love, & make many lasting moments together. Another wonderful, amazing book from this author!
I knew from the beginning that this book would rip my heart to shreds, but I read it anyways and I loved it! A beautiful story about, loss, heartache and pain, love and friendship, and learning to value oneself and “find their reason”.
**“I think one can learn something from a butterfly. That sometimes you may have to go through something dark, something difficult, in order to emerge stronger, more beautiful and whole. I think that they can be a sign of hope and faith-that we can triumph through darkness.”
I absolutely LOVED the story Remys mom told her in the beginning, it was beautiful. Something I needed to hear for sure. About letting go and letting God. My mom says that all the time! I think often times we need that reminder. To stop, and just breathe. Things have a way or working out the way they are supposed to, regardless of what we want, all you need to do is #JustBreathe.
Remys mom loved lists. Something Remy started doing with her. Not really a bucket list, but a list of reasons. Reasons to want to achieve something, reasons to go forward, reasons to live your life to the fullest. One of Remys reasons was going to the beach, she’s never been. I absolutely loved her reaction to seeing the beach and ocean for the first time. It was a very pivotal moment for her in her journey. And I loved that Oliver was the one she experienced it with. I loved seeing their relationship grow and morph into something epic.
***“Oliver?”
“Yeah?”
“Can you give me one of your reasons?”
He’s quiet for a while and I don’t think he’s going to answer. I close my eyes and just about succumb to sleep when I swear I hear him say, “You. You are all my reasons, Remy.”
Truly a beautiful heartbreaking and inspirational story, a definite must read!
~~4 LIFE-AFFIRMING STARS!~~
“Let’s catch that dream. Together.”
This is my first read by Jennifer Miller and oh my poor aching heart did this story pack an emotional wallop!!
THE STORY:
GIVE ME A REASON is the heartbreaking AND beautifully uplifting friends to lovers story, featuring a brave and beautiful young woman, Remy Sinclair, who is still reeling from the tragic death of her mother but has found sweet solace in Oliver Gentry, the childhood best friend who she’s been secretly pining for forever. And, unbeknownst to her, the feeling is mutual! After she receives devastating news that rocks her world, love finally blooms for these two soulmates, but in a cruel twist of fate time may be running out! However, Oliver’s devotion to his “Sunshine” knows no bounds and he vows to give her so many reasons to conquer her worst fears, fulfill her hopes and dreams, and fight for a future brimming with infinite possibilities!!
MY MUSINGS:
Jennifer Miller is an amazing storyteller, and I truly applaud her for telling this powerfully relevant story with such bravery and grace! The manner in which she chronicled Remy and Oliver’s emotionally raw and wondrous journey from tender-hearted friendship to forever love was absolutely breathtaking… but the gutwrenching, true to life obstacles this endearing couple faces along the way was at times almost IMPOSSIBLE to bear! It’s hard to express my feelings about this book. It broke me and healed me and then decimated me again! The way this story unfolded is nothing like I imagined yet despite the tears I shed along the way, it is ultimately EVERYTHING I could have wished for this couple!
But I gotta be honest–a part of me dreaded diving in because I knew deep down that this would not be an easy book to read due to the heavy subject matter. Like so many other families, I have been forever touched by a potentially devastating medical prognosis and it was clear from the onset that this book would strike a VERY personal chord in me. But I donned my big girl undies, grabbed a box of tissues and dove in . And I am ETERNALLY GRATEFUL that I did!
The writing is resplendent…it flows beautifully and is packed with emotion and bittersweet poignancy and is brimming with a plethora of feels. And while there are some maudlin moments, overall I did not find this book to be a downbeat read. On the contrary, the message that this author conveyed throughout is incredibly inspirational, and the story that Remy’s dearly departed mother relays in the beginning about remembering to breathe, living a life filled with purpose and joy, and “calming your fears” so you can pursue your most cherished dreams, sets the stage for her daughter’s journey in powerful and profound ways!
Since this book is told almost entirely in the heroine’s POV, this is very much her story. Remy is a heroine of much courage, resilience and strength, yet she is far from a saint. She is headstrong and stubborn, and at times I wanted to shake some sense into her because she was burying her head in the sand over her predicament. But then I had to ask myself…”If I were in her shoes, paralyzed with fear, terrified of an uncertain future, how would I react?” My verdict? There truly are no easy answers! And toward the end of the story, when Remy finally reaches a pivotal crossroads and crucial decisions must be made that not only affect her life but that of the man she loves, my breath was in my throat, experiencing every moment as if it were my own!
And BE STILL MY BEATING HEART! Oliver, her bff turned one true love, is such a sweet, swoony worthy, adorably sexy hero! I just LOVED HIM TO PIECES!!! He is the heroine’s rock, her strength, her port in the storm of chaos. And the way he loved his Sunshine through the best and worst of times and made it his mission in life to give her all the reasons to fight for the future she wanted—ON HER TERMS–gave me goosebumps!
However, as much as I truly was swept up into this story, I did encounter a couple of stumbling blocks that affected my rating. First, considering all the romantic buildup, I was surprised and a bit frustrated by how long Remy and Oliver were “friend zoned.” They did not share their first kiss until 60 percent and did not become a full fledged couple until nearly the end. Going in, I expected this to be more of a full throttle romance. And to piggyback that, as much as I was captivated by the exotic Hawaiian backdrop, I did feel like too much of the plot focused on their many excursions, to the point at times it felt like a bit of a travelogue! Instead, I would have preferred that they would have acted on their feelings sooner with more “page time” devoted to their blossoming romantic relationship with them facing their struggles together as a committed couple.
But I will say that by the ¾ mark, the romance really picked up steam and the payoff was INCREDIBLY REWARDING! And in hindsight, even though their relationship is more platonic than romantic for a good portion of the book,, ultimately they are the embodiment of a devoted couple that endures and triumphs against all odds…no matter how many horrendous curveballs are thrown their way!
BOTTOM LINE:
GIVE ME A REASON was a heartstirring, unflinching real and hard-hitting romantic tearjerker that resonated deeply. My big takeaway? That life is precious, should be lived in the here and now, and that love and happiness should be measured in moments, not years. Because truly no one knows how much time we have on this beautiful green earth! I am not gonna divulge how this story ultimately ends but I will say that Oliver and Remy’s journey is one that will forever leave a lasting impression on my heart!
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!