ClaireI believed I had my future all planned out.College, track, friends, I mean, why wouldn’t I? I was a nineteen-year-old girl in college with a dream of being an Olympian that wasn’t too far within reach as a college top track star.A jeep I could roll the windows down while the radio blasted as I sang off-key.My own dorm that gifted me privacy from my two triplet brothers. I had it all.But …
I had it all.
But just like many, I took it all for granted. That’s until my life turned upside down, and everything changed. I nearly became one more lost soul. Without the love of my family, friends, and a very charming soccer player, I would’ve truly lost myself in the process.
This is my story and how I began to see beyond what’s right in front of me.
Funny, all I had to do was open my eyes.
The only problem is time.
Jake
I lived a life never truly paying attention to the world around me. I had my dad, my grams, and my soccer ball. I was perfectly fine with the way I lived life.
Why grow attached to things that can walk away?
That’s until I saw her.
The girl I never thought I would find–the one who made me see in a different perspective.
Oh, and how beautiful it is.
more
I’m currently in a fog of positive emotions . This debut book by K. Dosal McLendon is such an incredible beautiful and heartbreaking story surrounded by so much love, loss and inspiring feelings at the same time, that it draw you into their world and doesn’t let go for a long time afterwards.
The topic of this book is a terrible stroke of fate, an accident, that change the life of the whole family. But the amazing way this story is written, makes it not only sad and heartbreaking, but also funny, romantic and unbelievable heartwarming
This book is like a drama slow burn, if such a thing exists. You’ll be tortured for a long time. You’ll cry and laugh with the characters, but the beautiful HEA will be your reward afterwards
I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves love stories.
I can’t wait to read her next book.
Fantastic book about Love, Hope and Family
This was a terrific book which I enjoyed from start to finish. I could tell right form the first few pages that I was going to like the story and I wasn’t disappointed. The two main characters characters were fully developed and supporting characters, mostly family members and a few friends fit perfectly into the story and worked well with the subject matter.
The story was original, unpredictable and it was at times heavy subject matter. There were a few times I found myself on the verge of tears and the supporting characters would come in with some comic relief that would have me laughing and dry up my tears.
The story surrounds the heroine, Claire who is a triplet, the other two being brothers Cole and Liam who came out 5 and 10 minutes before her and are both over 6 feet tall while she is 5’6”. So they consider her their baby sister. When things go wrong for Claire, she moves in with her brothers and comes into contact with their best friend Jake, whom she met at the stadium when she went to run with her brothers after their soccer practice.
Claire has walls up and doesn’t want Jake to get past the walls, but he is persistent and she tells him her problems but he doesn’t care and they fall for each other, despite the objections of her brothers. Jake has an inner strength that is pretty awesome in this book and the way he loves Claire is the way every girl wants to be loved. I think that is one of that things that makes this book so great.
They go through some difficulties that are pretty overwhelming and neither of them know how to handle the situation. The emotional journey that the author, K. Dosal McLendon takes us on is sometimes heartbreaking and at other times uplifting. Overall it is a journey that is really worth going on.
There are times in life when when certain people get near the point of losing hope for one reason or another, I know what that feels like because there was a point in my life where I had chronic pain so bad that I had to realize it was never going to get any better and my life was never going to be the same as it was before. Losing hope is a terrible thing and the author deals with that very well in this story.
The next story focuses on Claire’s brother Cole and his childhood sweetheart. I can’t wait to read that one as well and I hope there is more of Claire and Jake in that story, so we can see how they are faring.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book was such a great emotional read that I couldn’t stop reading it until I finished it. It’s a YA quick read but that does not make a difference because the story is so well told that you feel every emotion the characters feel that you fall in love with it. From the beginning it starts out emotional as we are with Claire and she is at yet another doctor’s appointment that she doesn’t get good news yet again and we find out about her condition, what its doing to her, and what her future may hold. Her condition isn’t life or death but it is serious that it could impact her future if things continue to go downhill. She meets Jake and he instantly falls for her but she keeps pushing him away not wanting pity or to drag him down, but Jake is persistent and wants what he wants, which is her. This story was so beautiful, tragic, and all emotions rolled into one. I felt Claire’s pain and strength and I also felt Jake’s need to do everything in his power to make her never feel alone. Claire was admirable in the way she was always trying to be strong yet when she did hit a bit of depression you totally feel it and understand why she would spiral. I loved Jake, he was caring, loving, protective, always there, and his need to show her that he would always be there was so sweet. One thing that I absolutely loved was not only did Jake show Claire she would never be alone no matter what, she also opened his eyes and showed him a way to look at the world differently and not take anything for granted. This does end in a happy ending and I cannot wait to read more about her brothers, but this story reminded me that it’s important to stop the everyday hustle and bustle and smell the roses, appreciate everything you have, and never take any second of any day for granted.
What Do You See? is a contemporary romance novel and the first in the What Do You series. It can be read as a standalone. I actually read book 2, What Do You Regret? prior to reading this one and it was one of my favorite reads this year. So, I bought book 1 right after. I wanted to see Claire and Jake’s story.
The concept in this book is unique. Claire is facing a life in which she has lost her sight following an accident. As the book progresses, so does her disability. She struggles to accept the impending changes and loss of independence. She doesn’t want to burden others and has stopped letting people in. Jake is college athlete and is on the same soccer team as her brothers. He sees Claire and immediately knows he wants to understand her, take care of her, and love her. Throughout the book, Jake fights to get Claire to open up to him.
Readers get an opportunity to read from the perspective of Claire, facing disability, and Jake, loving and caring for a significant other who has a disability. I thought it was really sweet the way Jake takes care of Claire and that Claire eventually decides to let go and take a risk by letting him in.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been reading so many great romances lately, but I wasn’t really feeling the chemistry between Jake and Claire. I’m not opposed to insta-love, so I can’t say for sure that that was the problem. I think there just wasn’t much happening in this book besides for the deterioration of Claire’s condition and Jake trying to help. It was kind of slow for me and although it was a college romance, it reads more like YA.
To conclude, I still liked this book. However, I just didn’t love this book the way I loved Cole and Grace’s story in What Do You Regret?.
So I loved the story. It was very different than a lot of stuff that is out there and very very sweet despite the pain the heroine is facing. There were some editing misses in the book but they were minor and didn’t detract from the story. Overall I really enjoyed it.
Claire is the baby and only girl in a set of triplets. She was in her freshman year of college when her perfect life was derailed. She had to drop out of school, quit her job and move in with her annoying but loving brothers. One day on a run with her brothers she runs into Jake. While he is the most attractive man she has ever met she cops an attitude with him because she doesn’t think she is in a place to start a relationship. Jake is having none of that and he pursues her despite her trying to shy away and her brothers’ balking.
I am in awe of this book. It was nothing like what I expecting but it was so much more and freaking amazing. The emotional roller coaster these two go on is both heartbreaking and uplifting. Jake’s unwavering devotion to Claire, determination to be by her side through it all and his resolute belief that it would get better was awe-inspiring. Ugh, I am tearing up again just thinking about it. And then for Claire to unwittingly save Jake and make him see the world in a whole new way was just another layer of how amazing this book was. I will definitely be adding this book to my bookshelf and will re-read this one many times over. I can’t wait to read the brothers’ books.
If you are looking for the perfect sweet HEA story this just might be it. It was for me anyway. I instantly fell in love with Claire and Jake. From their first meeting (epic fail for Jake) was awesome and I loved their banter throughout the story. This book wasn’t without struggles, I mean who wants a book that’s all rainbows, right? Those struggles weren’t just for the characters though, they challenged me to think about my every day life and what I take for granted. I loved this book so much and can’t wait for book 2!
Fantastic debut novel by K. Dosal McLendon! I so enjoyed this feel good true romance read! Claire was going through so much, then Jake comes into her life! Jake is a one of a kind of a guy for me, he is so there for Claire! This story will pull at your heartstrings to the end! Gotta say Claire is part of a triplet siblings trio, so happy we are getting thier stories, because these boys were so there for each other and their sister!
***Actual Rating: 3/5 Meh Stars***
“I believe our eyes are the entrance of our souls. If you took away my hearing, I may not hear the birds sing, but I could see the beauty of them. I might not be able to hear you speak, but I could see your expressions, which say more than a thousand words.
Now, if you took my voice…I could still write an “I love you.” I could still laugh with my eyes, and speak through my actions instead of my words. But without my sight, who will I be? ”
Ugh. It kills me to say this, but as much as I really, really want to LOVE this book, I just can’t. I may as well find thoroughly liking it hard because of the overall writing style. Not only can’t I resonate with the characters, I also struggle to fully immerse myself in the setting of the story. Don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate where this story is coming from and leading to, I simply think the execution and delivery can be done more smoothly. I guess I’m used to vivid descriptions and straight-forward personality of the characters so when the protagonists are having these inner thoughts out loud, I automatically tune them out and as a consequence, I lose interest in the story eventually.
If you’re looking for a sweet romance and slight coming-of-age read, then I’d still suggest you give this book a try. I mean, there are many positive thoughts on this series, and the main reason I don’t enjoy it as much relies solely on my preference. 🙂
***Thanks to the author for providing me with an e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.***
Every aspect of this book was good. The writing, the characters, the plot, just everything. I loved that this book was not predictable. I honestly had NO idea what the outcome would be, but it was so well written, that it wouldn’t have mattered either way. It had all the feels and I had to swallow on the lump in my throat more times than one. This is such a must have in your list of books to read. Well done to this author.
A touching book that treats love, losses and hope!
*e-book generously gifted by the author in exchange for an honest review*
“I have nothing without you
All my dreams and all the lights mean
Nothing […] if I can’t have you.” Without You – Lana del Rey
I was immensely thrilled when the author offered to send me the book for a review! She was really kind and I appreciate it deeply.
What’s this book about?
Claire lost the future that she had planned out and worked hard for. Now, she suffers from health problems that really ask a lot of her. She meets Jake who has his own issues with his family, yet, they click and Jake becomes a refreshing addition to Claire’s life, much to Claire’s brothers’ dismay (THEY’RE HYSTERICAL THOUGH). Claire’s family and Jake support Claire through her struggles with her new and straining reality.
I’ve read some other reviews of this book and some say this is instant-love and that it turns them off; honestly, I’d usually say that, too, (HAHA), but instant-love is so out of context for what happens in this book. While reading, I had to take a step back and think to myself, you evil witch, do you really want this poor girl to suffer an agonizing relationship just so that you can have more fun reading it? No. She’s got enough to deal with as it is. Therefore, I enjoyed it for what it was. The main couple falls in love pretty quickly because there are bigger and more serious issues at hand. I mean, with Claire’s health situation, you have to be all the way in or out. There’s no in between.
You can see that in how her family treats Claire. She loses everything, her potential future career, education and apartment. Everything changes in her environment and her family members build a strong support system around her. Her brothers Cole and Liam (they are triplets) share a distinctive and strong bond with Claire. They are generous and they protect her. No, really, they are insanely protective of their little sister. LITTLE SISTER. They are triplets. LOL. Jake often jokes that these guys are Claire’s bodyguards and honestly, I’ve never felt more like having siblings than when reading What do you see? The sibling dynamic of this book was incomparable.
Moving on to Jake, the protagonist’s love interest, I have to say that he’s a compassionate and kind-hearted young man (I sound old while writing this). He has his own family drama that I would’ve liked to know more about. It’d be interesting to dive into how exactly everything happened (just more POVs from this cutie haha). There are explanations in this book, however, more info would’ve added even more awesomeness to his character. I understand that this is Claire’s book though and that his backstory isn’t dealt with in the same quantity as Claire’s health issues.
Last but not least, let’s talk about Claire. She’s a fighter. I liked how yes, she was on track to become an Olympian (see what I did there), but, in the end, that doesn’t take up most of the book. Claire’s dreams are shattered, for sure, but her health becomes the number one priority in the book and it starts consuming her entire being which is actually kind of sad if you think about it. She loves her family just as much as they love her and she doesn’t abuse the fact that she’s in the priority lane of everyone’s lives. I never felt like she was enjoying the attention that she got from everyone which speaks to her character a lot. She shows selfless tendencies when Jake and her relationship is at its start and that just makes your heart melt, considering what she’s going through. Her quirky inner monologue drowns out in the last part of the book where she takes a dark turn because the circumstances are simply awful and tragic. One aspect that didn’t sit well with me while reading her POVs was the mentions of how feminine she is and then she’s suddenly not because she grew up with two boys and then she’s such a girly girl again. I simply grew confused at what she actually thought she was.
What I learned from this book is that you better be thankful for all the blessings that you have. Focus on what’s really important in life and most of all, if you have a kick-ass family, show them how much you love and appreciate them.
I loved the twist of this title, Claire and her dream being ripped right out from under her. A tragic accident that causes Claire to nearly lose her ability to see, that is threatening to become permanent.
K. Dosal McLendon introduces us to Claire after the accident, and the affects her vision is having on her life, personally and Professionally with her dream of running track for her College and her Olympic Dream.
Claire literaly bumps into Jake, a team mate of her brothers. Who have warned off any guys showing interest due to their protectiveness of Claire since the accident. Triplets and the bond between them and Coles guilt over the accident, doesnt scare off Jake and the “girl he thought he would never find”.
Jake and Claire discover each other and despite Claire’s attempts to be independent of everyone around her, including Jake, and Jake’s persistence, this love story unfolds quite quickly. When you know you know and Jake Knows. He’s the one who wants to help the girl hes found and fallen for, and Claire soon realises also. But the future of losing her vision is one thing, but losing Jake as well if she doesnt let him in could cost her everything. I absolutely adore when the Male character in books know from the onset how they feel, and Jake does. Jake ticks all the boxes for me, making me wish I was that age again “swoon” AS Claire discovers You dont always see what is in front of you even with vision.
This is such a sad story
“What do you see, Claire?” I turn to his beautiful eyes as they shine down on me. “I see you.”
It was my first time reading this author’s book it was well written emotional and dramatic
It was heartbreaking to read this book, but there were interesting characters
Claire is a runner and her purpose in place she wants to reach far in the future
But one terrible car accident destroys this young girl’s dreams
Every day she is losing her vision she has panic attacks and terrible headaches
A happy girl who often spends time with her overprotective brothers Cole and Liam
is breaking she no longer wants to interact with someone
as well as keeps away from her brothers
Although they don’t let her be alone
One day, when she runs, she meets a boy who changes her life
Jake is the senator’s son and he plays football in college
He’s also the team captain and friend of brothers and teammate
Yes, I see the beauty this world has to offer; all I had to do was see you.”
Oh, Jake, this character was so cute and helpful
I fell in love with this character I can’t even describe that feeling when I read
He loved this girl so much that he did everything for her
Even though the girl pushed him away some moment he didn’t give up
Story told Jake and Claire point of views
The epilogue was cute and emotional brought me to tears
Thank you!
Loved this book. The characters are amazing and the story is unforgettable. This memorable story will stick with me forever and will be one I read over and over again.
One incident changed Claire’s life forever. A curse or a blessing? Only time could tell. A chance meeting with Jake changed her life again, for the better. He gave her hope when she had none left. “I’ll always be your eyes.” – was his promise, but he becomes so much more to her, they become each other’s everything. He won’t let her lose hope and through all of her struggles he’ll be her rock all he hopes for in return is her happiness and her to love him as much as he loves her.
Highly recommend this beautiful romance!
I really enjoyed this story. It doesn’t have any of the typical drama that you find in a New Adult Romance book. It was much more than that. The Story was great and the author really put in her heart and her soul. This story has alot of ups and downs and it has a really great meaning behind it.
The characters are also really good and you like them all from the beginning. Jake and Claire are sooo cute and I honestly fell in love with them both aswell as with Claires brothers Cole and Liam.
The writing also was good for a new author except fir a few things for example that in some chapters you had a little hard time to figure out who‘s POV it is.
All in all the book was great. The Cover is really beautiful and it suits the story.
Can’t wait for Cole’s Story next.
Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC.
This is such a beautiful story. Heartfelt and inspirational read that will surely tug at your heartstrings. Brilliant writing, delightful characters. Claire is a strong heroine. And Jake- I like that he knows what he wants and goes for it wholeheartedly. He’s such an amazing hero!!
This book will completely change how you view and think about things in your life. Going into this book, I had no idea the emotional rollercoaster I was fixing to go on. It will show you just how powerful love is and just how strong a hero and heroine pair can be.
Claire and Jake’s meet-cute was what I would call fate. Just when Claire needs it, Jake comes in and literally hits her upside the head…with a soccer ball. And that’s when the ride begins, much to Claire’s initial dismay. And when Claire finally gives in to her feelings for Jake it makes for one of the sweetest romances ever.
Claire is such a strong heroine. She is battling something that no one should have to battle and you will find your heart breaking for her. I can’t tell you how grateful I was to see her find happiness in Jake.
And y’all don’t get me started on Jake. I just learned about the term Cinnamon Roll Hero and I think that perfectly describes Jake. He’s sweet and gooey on the inside and is always there as a pick me up when Claire’s down. Now don’t get me wrong, he’s facing his own battles but the love and commitment he has to Claire will have anyone swooning.
This is a once in a lifetime kind of love and it’s utterly beautiful. This book shows strength and love on so many levels. It showcases just how much support can impact a person. This is an inspirational romance that will change how you view love. I can’t wait to see what’s next for this series in Cole’s book.
What would you do if the world around you became colorless? What would happen if every day you were absorbed by the black abyss? Life is not certain. Every day can surprise you…What we take for granted may prove to be unattainable. This book reminds us that all small things are of great importance. All we have to do is stop and notice it.. This book is a debut. Maybe the story isn’t fully worked out, but it’s worth reading. The author played on my emotions. Laughter, tears, anger and satisfaction… I felt it all. I love this book. Can’t wait to read book 2
When I received a message from the author asking me if I would like to join her ARC team for her upcoming book, I was excited. She told me it would be the second book in her What Do You series and I hadn’t yet read the first.
So I grabbed a copy of it on Kindle Unlimited and then, honestly, I forgot about it. I know, not my finest moment. BUT, my husband was prepping to come home from deployment, kids were starting school and I had about 20 other books on my reading list that needed done too. So I pushed it off. And kept pushing.
Then I finally dove in. AND I WAS STRICKEN DOWN! This book literally had me floored. Jake and Claire’s story sucked me in, chewed me up and then spit me out. I felt ALL the emotions. I cried, I laughed, I smiled, I cried some more. Seriously, grab a box of tissues y’all, its THAT INTENSE!
I won’t give anything away because I want y’all to experience this book for yourselves, but seriously… if you are looking for a book that will take you on a ride of emotions, filling your heart, then this is the one for you. I can’t even compare it to any other book I’ve had on my list this year and it’s already on my buy list for a paperback because I NEED TO OWN THIS BOOK!
Book Two is in the works and coming soon and I can’t tell you how excited I am to be a part of this amazing author’s ARC team! Head on over to KU and grab a copy of this one to read and be sure to stick around here for my review on Book Two once I get my hands on it!
I have recently shied away from authors that I don’t really know or haven’t read unless they were someone recommended to me by a friend or someone I trust with the taste of books. So I was a little hesitant when K Dosal McLendon contacted me to try her new book. Something in the blurb made me decide to give it a go even if I’m not sure I’ll like it. My decision was proven correct when I was bawling my eyes out throughout the story.
The story tackles a lot of emotional and mental turmoil. Maybe it was my current emotional state but for some reason I was able to feel all the pain that the character was feeling. The emotions were so raw and powerful that I had to stop more times than I can remember just to let it all sink in. Absorb all the emotions and let it pass. It was even a bad idea to read at a public place. I kinda look a little pathetic with all the crying. But I just can’t not read what happens next. Its insta-love is still a little baffling to me as it most often than a hit and miss for me. But the romance was built around so much feelings that I had to overlook that little flaw. Throughout the story, I was battling if I wanted her to surpass that trial triumphantly or have to go thru the pain and learn to live with it. Bottom line, I couldn’t be much happier on how she decided to end things. My heart was properly shattered and the bits and pieces still hurts as I wade thru the plot line. It was so emotional that I can’t stop bawling my eyes out.
The characters are very easy to connect to. You could really feel their pain, anguish and emotional turmoil. I loved how she have her brothers to take care of her. I’ve always loved a good sibling book. I like how they (the hero and heroine) bring out the best in each other and make them see beyond what was in front of them. I love how the characters (all of them) are created. They speak to you as though you are one of them. You can just feel them to your bones.
I’m giving this a perfect 5 stars. It may just have been my emotional and mental state at the time i’m reading it, but it did make me feel raw, unadultered emotions at the time and that’s all that matters to me.