Review & Giveaway: The Life Intended by Kristin Harmel (GIVEAWAY CLOSED)

Title: The Life Intended   

Author: Kristin Harmel          

Published: December 2014, Gallery Books  

Format: ARC E-book, 368 pages   

Source: Netgalley via Publicist  

From the author of the international bestseller The Sweetness of Forgetting, named one of the Best Books of Summer 2012 by Marie Claire magazine, comes a captivating novel about the struggle to overcome the past when our memories refuse to be forgotten.

In this richly told story where Sliding Doors meets P.S. I Love You, Kristin Harmel weaves a heart-wrenching tale that asks: what does it take to move forward in life without forgetting the past?

After
her husband’s sudden death over ten years ago, Kate Waithman never
expected to be lucky enough to find another love of her life. But now
she’s planning her second walk down the aisle to a perfectly nice man.
So why isn’t she more excited?

At first, Kate blames her lack of
sleep on stress. But when she starts seeing Patrick, her late husband,
in her dreams, she begins to wonder if she’s really ready to move on. Is
Patrick trying to tell her something? Attempting to navigate between
dreams and reality, Kate must uncover her husband’s hidden message. Her
quest leads her to a sign language class and into the New York City
foster system, where she finds rewards greater than she could have
imagined.

My thoughts: Every once in a while you read a book that just hits you in such a way that you find yourself constantly going back to it long after you’ve finished that last page. Sometimes it’s because you really connect with one of the characters, sometimes it’s because the writing is so beautiful and sometimes it’s just the story moves you. For me, it’s really a combination of all three, but more so, the last one – this story really touched me.

This is a beautiful story about love, loss, grief, and happiness and how sometimes we don’t even know what it is we want until we are given a little push by our subconscious. From page one, I was drawn into this book and had a hard time putting it down. When I wasn’t reading it, I was constantly thinking about the characters and wondering what was going to happen next. I felt like Kate was part of my life – a friend or family member, she felt that real to me.

I loved how the dreams that Kate had about Patrick and the life she was “supposed” to have with him were played out in the book. At first, I was a bit confused by them and not sure what it meant about Kate’s state of mind, but as the book progressed, I began to understand and appreciate them.

It’s hard not to go through a wide range of emotions when reading this book yourself. Tears will be shed, both in grief and in happiness. Also expect anger, excitement, joy and sadness to name a few others. I’m telling you, it’s an emotional roller coaster reading this book and yet I know it will be a book I will read again and again – I loved it that much!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS – (US only)  
 

Thanks to Kristin at Gallery Books, one reader can win two of Kristin Harmel’s books – THE LIFE INTENDED & THE SWEETNESS OF FORGETTING. To enter the giveaway, please fill out the form by January 7th.

FORM CLOSED

This giveaway is open to US residents only and ends January 7th. 
 

Good luck!