Emily Ackerman has traveled the world, her constant compass and companion a book of letters her mother left for her when she died. With no father in the picture, her mom’s advice has been her only true north. But when professional failure leads Emily back to Nantucket to renovate and sell the family cottage she inherited, she wonders if her mom left advice to cover this. . . especially when her … when her grandmother arrives to “supervise.” And especially when her heart becomes entangled with Hollis McGuire, the boy next door-turned-baseball star who’s back on the island after a career-ending injury.As sparks fly between her and Hollis, Emily is drawn to island life, even as she uncovers shocking secrets about the tragic accident that led to her mother’s death. With her world turned upside down, Emily must choose between allowing the voices from her past to guide her future or forging her own path forward.
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If for Any Reason by Courtney Walsh tells the story of both Isabelle and her daughter Emily. Both stories take you on an emotional and sometimes tragic journey, but leave you with a feeling of hope and the possibility of second chances.
I really liked the time-slip aspect of this story. It was a great way to know Isabelle’s story without just telling us about it. I also enjoyed the epistolary parts of this story. They showed Isabelle’s own thoughts and became somewhat of a guide for her daughter, Emily. One of my favorite parts of this story was when one of the character’s showed true and complete forgiveness when he wasn’t asked to ~ if only we could all be like that!
I did have a few issues though. Life can sometimes get hard, especially when we do and say careless things, but that doesn’t give us the right to just run away from our responsibilities. Without going into details, there were things that the characters said and did that were clearly wrong. While they may have felt bad, there was no repentance and the faith message was not clear enough to explain that these actions were sins against God. I really struggled with this.
While I did have a few issues with this book, I do seem to be in the minority. So, if you’re looking for a story with more mature topics and life situations that shows what true forgiveness can look like, this may be the story for you.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
I thoroughly enjoyed If For Any Reason. I am a fan of Courtney Walsh books anyway, and this one is no exception. With a great love story, plus the joy of seeing two relationships restored, this book has all the happy and tender feels. Highly recommended.
This cover gives me beach vacation vibes!!! If For Any Reason is set in charming Nantucket and showcases the quaint summer vacation town to it’s fullest. This story does not shy away from the hard or messy things of life. Courtney Walsh dives head first into the range of emotions that are stirred up when Emily Ackerman returns to Nantucket and the past is unearthed. Emily is a complicated character who is dealing with navigating life since her mother’s death 18 years prior. Her fear of commitment and tainted views on love have formed her opinions and personality in a way that keeps her always moving and afraid to connect and form relationships that are lasting and real. These are also the reasons that I had trouble connecting with her as a character. She rekindles a childhood friendship with her next door neighbor Hollis and his daughter. Hollis is another character with many layers and moods. I wanted to like him, but struggled. I admired him for wanting to deepen his relationship with his estranged daughter over the summer, but some of his actions and the way that he handled things with JoJo made it hard for me to really understand him.
I think one of the things that is great about this book is that it shows that everyone has flaws. People make good and bad decisions and the consequences are sometimes far reaching. As the past is unearthed in this story and answers come to light, these characters have to really dig deep and decide how to deal with their relationships and how to move forward. While I didn’t love a lot of the characters or their decisions in this book, I felt like the author wasn’t afraid to show that life decisions are complicated and not everyone gets it right the first time. However, there was also forgiveness and an acknowledgement of wrongs which allowed these characters to move past some of the hard things.
If you are looking for a contemporary romance with more of a serious tone then you should check this book out.
*I was given a copy of this book by the author/publisher, however I was not required to write an positive review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Courtney Walsh really knocked it out of the park with this one! The story takes place in Nantucket where a young woman goes back for the first time since her mother died there. Her mother wrote letters for Emily for different life lessons. Emily has carried them with her everywhere and they are almost like her bible. All the letters were touching but this one in particular really jumped out at me.
My dear Emily,
People will tell you God will never give you more than you can handle. I disagree. God allows us more than we can handle so we have to rely on him. After all, if we could handle everything life throws at us, why would we need God at all?
WOW! I can’t say enough great things about this book. I wasn’t ready for it to end! Highly recommend!!!
‘So much for believing God was really going to be there for her this time.’
After suffering a huge professional failure and going broke, Emily Ackerman comes back to the little Nantucket island she lived on as a child. Her grandfather has died and left her their cottage and she plans on renovating it and selling it. She discovers that her childhood friend, Hollis McGuire, is staying next door with his family. With his 12 year old daughter. Hollis’s baseball career has ended and he’s trying to connect with his daughter but not being very successful at it.
Soon Emily discovers shocking secrets about her mother’s fatal car accident 18 years ago but nobody will talk to her. Her world has just taken a nose dive and she keeps reading the series of letters her mother wrote to her when she was small. Can she get past all this and build a life for herself and stop running?
Courtney Walsh knows how to engage her readers’ hearts. Always has. I was rooting for Emily all through the book. And Hollis’s daughter Jolie is so precious. And Walsh made me want to visit Nantucket so much! Walsh takes us on a journey of love, heartbreak, faith and new beginnings. Recommended.
*My thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinions here are entirely my own.
“If For Any Reason” by Courtney Walsh was a lovely romance (there is chemistry but it is a “clean” read for that blush easily like I do ), and I only wish I could have read it on the beach in Nantucket, where the story takes place, rather than the snowy Midwest that I call home. The summery beach setting adds a layer of warmth and nostalgia to the story as family bonds are strengthened, truth is revealed, and two hurting people finally find love.
Emily returns to her family’s home to renovate and sell it following her grandfather’s death. Many years earlier, Emily lost her mother tragically and the family abruptly left their beloved Nantucket and never looked back. All this time, Emily has been clinging to a book of letters her mother wrote to her before her death. Now that she’s returned, Emily is reunited with the family next door, including Hollis, and sparks start to fly (by the way, I LOVE the names in this book!). She is confronted with many feelings and people from her past, and finally sets out to uncover the truth about her mother’s death. I appreciate the personal journey Emily takes and adore Hollis and Emily’s love story, as well as the dynamics of Hollis’ family.
The plot of “If For Any Reason” also revolves around a children’s theater program that Emily was always involved in as a child. All of the theater talk made me so happy, as we are a huge theater family. My husband and I both grew up involved in musical theater (our first kiss was a stage kiss!), and now our children share the passion. In fact, our children were in “Alice in Wonderland” a couple of years ago, so I loved that it was chosen as the summer show in the book. For me, this personal connection to theater was so exciting and brought a smile to my face many times.
“If For Any Reason” is a wholesome, captivating, gem of a book, and I really enjoyed it. It was fun to be cheering on Hollis and Emily for most of the book This was my first book by Courtney Walsh and I’m excited to check out her other works.
Oh my!! What can I say other than Well Done, Courtney! Emily and Hollis’ story is one that I did not, could not put down. I could see so much of myself in some of Emily’s struggles. Emily is returning to Nantucket for the first time in 18 yrs, as she sits on the ferry is inundated with memories, worries and fears. This story is her journey to the truth of who she really is and learning that God has never left her despite what she might think or what it feels like. I am trying not to give anything away, because this is a gift that anyone who reads it will enjoy unwrapping for themselves. Courtney’s writing transported me to Nantucket each and every time I opened the book. The running saying my girls had was “Mom’s going to Nantucket to see Emily” I honestly felt as if I was apart of this story from the very beginning. Thank you, Courtney Walsh for such a wonderful story.
Note: I was given an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. These are mine and mine alone. My honest opinion: Go and pick up this book, you won’t be sorry you did.
Courtney Walsh has done it yet again.
If for any reason was this wonderful/sad/tragic/romantic story about Emily Ackerman and Hollis McGuire and their journey through their past and present. The whole concept of Isabella writing Emily these letters throughout Emily’s childhood is beautiful in and of itself.
If I had to pick which handsome man I would want to protect me from harm on the drop of a hat, Hollis. Oh, you want me to take time and ponder on that before answering again? Still Hollis. Hollis, Hollis, Hollis. Even his name is Amazing. Everything about him is amazing! (I think I fell in love with Hollis, just a little. I’ll recover, I think.)
I feel like, while I don’t wholly relate to Emily, we would be the kind of friends who are hardly anything alike, yet still have so much in common. I love the theater, she loves the theater. I love Hollis, she loves Hollis.
Courtney, if Nantucket is everything you say it is in the book, it’s definitely going on my bucket list! You created the image in my mind of a beautiful and kind of secluded town that you have to take a ferry to get to and it has a beach and a theater?! #Heaven
If I could sum up my thoughts of IFAR into three words, I would say BUY THIS BOOK!!! I loved it so much! Definitely a must read, and don’t just stick it on your tbr to sit there for five years! Add it to your MUST-READ-ASAP because you will regret not reading it sooner!
The only issue I had with this book is that it was over too soon!(this book literally has no flaws)
Great job Courtney!
I would give this book a 10 star if it was possible.
This book was wow!!!
That’s one of the beautiful things about Courtney’s books. She has the uncanny ability to capture the human emotion perfectly. It feels like she knows you and is describing exactly how you feel!
If For Any Reason did not disappoint me!!!
I love letters and the book has a lot and that drew me in more. It was more heart touching that they were from a mother to her daughter. And I told myself I was going to do something similar to that when I start having kids.
This books touches spots that everyone have had to deal with at one time; who we are, family issues and a sense of belonging.
I kinda pitied and was angry with Emily at one point but I could so relate with her. My heart went out for her when she thought no one wanted her in their lives which induced her wanderlust spirit and the fact that she wanted to fulfil her mum’s dreams. This book winds around her coming into grasps with a Love that is more than anything and anyone’s and a Love that would never abandon her.
Hollis!!! The awesome baseball player was trying to pick up the shards of his life and figure out a relationship with his daughter. I admired his patience with Emily. I loved that he always told her the truth no mater how she felt. He was a true friend to Em.
I love the chemistry between them! It was electrifying.
I particularly enjoyed reading about the McGuires. They are a delightful family.
Jack! Jack!! Jack!!! I can’t even begin to imagine how he must have felt meeting Em. But I liked that he made an effort. Yeah! I admired the fact that he came back for a second and third chances.
This book will tug at your hearts strings with God’s unconditional love and what happens when we forgive and let go, and live God’s plans for our lives.
I received a copy of the book from publisher through Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.
Courtney Walsh takes readers on a breathtaking journey to the beautiful island of Nantucket in her latest contemporary romance novel, If for Any Reason. After inheriting her late grandfather’s house, Emily Ackerman returns to Nantucket for the first time in eighteen years and reconnects with her childhood friend, now former professional baseball player, Hollis McGuire. Emily’s time on the island unexpectedly leads to answers about her mother’s death years before as she embarks on a journey that will change her life forever.
Courtney Walsh’s passion for theatre definitely shines through in this novel as former Broadway performer Emily Ackerman finds herself in charge of the Nantucket children’s theatre production. Readers who share in the author’s love for theatre will delight in those aspects of the storyline.
One of my favorite parts of If for Any Reason is Emily’s late mother Isabelle’s story. Throughout several chapters of the novel, readers are taken back to the years between 1989 to 2001 to Isabelle’s teenage and younger adult years. The letters that Isabelle wrote to her young daughter are touching and filled with the love and wisdom that only a mother can give. If for Any Reason is highly recommended for readers of contemporary romance, especially readers who have a passion for theatre.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.