Feisty Sophia never shies away from life. Playful, romantic, connected—her marriage was the thing of fairy tales. But when tragedy strikes, Sophia is left to pick up the pieces of her life.After leaving the army, Jackson is ready to start afresh. But when he returns home, his life spirals out of control.As Sophia and Jackson find themselves in each other, they start to see redemption is possible. is possible.
Trying to piece together a new life, they must answer the question: Should they forge a life together and say goodbye to their pasts completely, or should they loyally go their separate ways to avoid heartache?
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Favorite Quotes:
He sighed. When he talked to his mom, he always felt like he was fifteen again. Perhaps that was her goal.
We just had a beautiful moment, I talk about myself being hunky, and all you’re worried about is if I like your Crocs?
The only words that came to her were ones she would later regret. It was a comment Tim would mercilessly tease her for, would always bring up. Later, when they were in a heated argument or she was pissed at him about his socks lying on the bedroom floor, he would turn to her and say the words symbolic of their relationship. As Tim, Stella, and Ricky waited for Sophia to say something romantic, intellectual, or just plain normal, all she managed to say was, ‘Hot damn!’
I’m with you out of love. And maybe a touch of carnal obligation.
‘I’ll sit here on this bench for eternity with you.’ ‘Really?’ ‘Can I get to at least second base while on this bench?’ ‘No.’ ‘Then I retract my statement.’
With a backdrop of noisy, splashing dolphins, Larry and Stella said their own vows. Stella promised to be faithful to Larry despite his love of pleated pants and kale. Larry agreed to love Stella despite her hatred for organization and her love of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
My Review:
Lindsay Detwiler has quickly become one of my favorite authors; her books are like found treasure. I have delighted in reading several of her engaging and refreshingly entertaining stories and have adored her quirky and endearing characters. Her writing is generally well balanced in emotion – heart squeezing, touching, sweet, and humorous. Her style is easy to follow, highly relatable and relevant, while also thoughtfully insightful and stealthily observant. Her clever descriptions involve all senses, pull at the heartstrings, and conjure strong visuals; I smirk, flinch, wince, snicker, and sigh contentedly many times by the time I reach the always satisfying HEA. While I have not yet read all her books, To Say Goodbye was considerably more angsty than the other works of hers that I have read, but as the storyline featured a young widow struggling with grief and consumed with despair, buckets of angst were to be expected. However, there are also heaping helpings of wit, banter, sweetness, and levity to counterbalance. As a bonus, I learned of a treat I aspire to track down and sample – I actually needed to Google Swedish Fish as it sounded like my favorite type of guilty pleasure.
A touching story of grief and the healing power of love. FIVE APPLAUDING STARS!
The subtitle calls this story “A Sweet Romantic Tearjerker,” and it is. I got through it without shedding a tear, but I came darn close. If you enjoy emotionally gripping novels about grief and the healing power of love, don’t miss this one!
Here’s a glimpse of the plot (but no big spoilers–I promise). When Tim, Sophia’s young husband, dies of sudden heart failure, she’s plunged into grief so intense that she yearns to join him in death. Tim was her entire life, and she’s certain she can’t go on living without him. At his burial, Sophia encounters Tim’s best friend, Jackson–a handsome former soldier whose cheating wife has left him for another man and taken his beloved little boy. Sophia and Jackson find comfort in each other as they grieve for Tim, sharing memories of the man they both loved.
Gradually, the tenuous bond created by their grief over Tim’s death grows into something stronger–a mutual attraction they struggle to resist as guilt threatens their growing relationship. How can they betray Tim’s memory by falling in love with each other? It’s unthinkable, surely. Society (and Tim) would never understand.
Most of the book deals with Sophia’s seemingly endless cycle of guilt and grief. Each time she draws closer to Jackson for comfort and love, she pushes him away out of guilt and her precious memories of Tim. I got a bit tired of Tim and all the flashbacks of their perfect life together, and I really felt sorry for Jackson, who showers Sophia with patience and understanding as he fights his nasty ex-wife for joint custody of their son. (I loved Jackson. Do guys like him actually exist?)
Will Sophia eventually accept Tim’s death and find new happiness with Jackson? Will Jackson win his custody battle? I’m not saying. Read this touching story for yourself. Beautifully written with realistic dialogue, descriptive settings and memorable characters (especially Sophia’s friend Stella and a mischievous Mastiff puppy named Henry), this book is definitely a keeper. Kudos also for flawless editing and proofreading, limited use of profanity, and “closed door” sex. Highly recommended.