9 Letters by Blake Austin
Series: No
Genres: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 22, 2016
Format: e-book
Source: Provided by the Author
Find it here: GoodReads | Amazon
Synopsis
Until the letters arrive on Luke's doorstep.
Nine envelopes. Nine messages. Nine chances to find his way back.
Rae Goode is looking for the real thing. After fighting her way out of a string of bad relationships, she's ready for something different--something true. She meets Luke while piecing her life together, and right away she can tell that he's different.
Drawn together by fate and the desire to heal, Rae and Luke discover new ways to mend their broken hearts--one letter at a time.
Discover Blake Austin's debut novel of loss, redemption, and ever-enduring love.
9 Letters was not what I was expecting. From the synopsis I was anticipating a rather typical tale of love, loss, and love found again. And that's not a bad thing. But what I got instead was a deeply moving, thoughtful story of a man dealing with grief, guilt, and life-altering loss. I'm not even sure I would classify 9 Letters as a romance. It's there, but it's not the focus. Instead, this is very much Luke Cawley's story. It's not always easy to read and bear witness to his journey but I'm so glad I did.
9 Letters begins one year after the death of Luke's wife, Emily. The last year hasn't been easy. He's working as a bartender, drinking too much, and isolating himself from family and friends. And then, on the anniversary of Emily's death, a package is left on his doorstep. It contains nine letters from Emily, each one with a message for Luke and a task to complete before opening the next letter. It's just the lifeline Luke needs to find his way back to the land of the living.
I truly felt for Luke as he just tried to make it through another day. There were times when my heart broke for him - when he was missing Emily so much and feeling so alone. There were times when I got frustrated with him for shutting people out and refusing help. And there were times that I cheered him on for every little step forward.
9 Letters is an emotional story that feels so honest and completely real. There are no fireworks here, no over the top dramatics - just a truly moving story of a man trying to find his way again after a devastating loss. Despite the themes of loss and grief, 9 Letters had an overall feeling of healing and hopefulness, and that, even after loss, there is always the possibility of finding happiness and a new beginning.
Discover Blake Austin's debut novel of loss, redemption, and ever-enduring love.
My Thoughts
9 Letters was not what I was expecting. From the synopsis I was anticipating a rather typical tale of love, loss, and love found again. And that's not a bad thing. But what I got instead was a deeply moving, thoughtful story of a man dealing with grief, guilt, and life-altering loss. I'm not even sure I would classify 9 Letters as a romance. It's there, but it's not the focus. Instead, this is very much Luke Cawley's story. It's not always easy to read and bear witness to his journey but I'm so glad I did.
9 Letters begins one year after the death of Luke's wife, Emily. The last year hasn't been easy. He's working as a bartender, drinking too much, and isolating himself from family and friends. And then, on the anniversary of Emily's death, a package is left on his doorstep. It contains nine letters from Emily, each one with a message for Luke and a task to complete before opening the next letter. It's just the lifeline Luke needs to find his way back to the land of the living.
I truly felt for Luke as he just tried to make it through another day. There were times when my heart broke for him - when he was missing Emily so much and feeling so alone. There were times when I got frustrated with him for shutting people out and refusing help. And there were times that I cheered him on for every little step forward.
9 Letters is an emotional story that feels so honest and completely real. There are no fireworks here, no over the top dramatics - just a truly moving story of a man trying to find his way again after a devastating loss. Despite the themes of loss and grief, 9 Letters had an overall feeling of healing and hopefulness, and that, even after loss, there is always the possibility of finding happiness and a new beginning.
4/5 Stars
*Note: I was contacted by the author and provided a copy of this book for review. This does not impact my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
*Note: I was contacted by the author and provided a copy of this book for review. This does not impact my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
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