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Until Next Time
Piper Downing knows a thing or two about death. She’s spent her entire life working inside her family’s funeral home. Now thirty, Piper copes with her job—and the world—by putting every emotion in a box and burying it. She doesn’t love. Love is selfish.
Macy Quinn Oliver knows a thing or two about death, too. An injury caused him to be honorably discharged as a fighter pilot and now he works as grief counselor at the local VA hospital. He was taught that death isn’t the end, it is simply…until next time. Even after losing his young bride to brain cancer, Quinn loves. Quinn lives. But because of his vow to his late wife, Quinn will never marry.
Together they make the perfect pair: a girl who won’t love and a guy who won’t marry. Can they grow beyond their past for a happy ever after?
Macy Quinn Oliver knows a thing or two about death, too. An injury caused him to be honorably discharged as a fighter pilot and now he works as grief counselor at the local VA hospital. He was taught that death isn’t the end, it is simply…until next time. Even after losing his young bride to brain cancer, Quinn loves. Quinn lives. But because of his vow to his late wife, Quinn will never marry.
Together they make the perfect pair: a girl who won’t love and a guy who won’t marry. Can they grow beyond their past for a happy ever after?
- GenresRomance
304 pages, Paperback
First published August 13, 2013
1 person is currently reading
412 people want to read
About the author
Justine Dell
8 books52 followersJustine lives in the Midwest, happily catering to her family, which consists of a horse-obsessed teenage daughter, and three dogs. She’s never moved from her hometown, but hopes to grow old in a much warmer climate.
During the day she works a normal job with college students who try their best to keep her young. They’ve done a good job thus far. At night, said teenage daughter and her horse require mounds of love and attention. The weekends belong solely to her and her writing. That’s when she morphs into a sticky bug, unable to leave the confines of her computer chair. It’s not a hobby for her; it’s an obsession. One she loves and one she loves to share.
During the day she works a normal job with college students who try their best to keep her young. They’ve done a good job thus far. At night, said teenage daughter and her horse require mounds of love and attention. The weekends belong solely to her and her writing. That’s when she morphs into a sticky bug, unable to leave the confines of her computer chair. It’s not a hobby for her; it’s an obsession. One she loves and one she loves to share.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 31, 2013
Full disclosure first: JD is a friend of mine. I've read all her books, and she reads mine. The one thing we DON'T do is worry about flattering or being nice. We're honest with each other, even when it hurts.
This is NOT going to hurt.
Let's talk about the premise, first. The main character, Piper Downing, is a mortician. The underlying theme of the book is death, dying and how the living deal with it. Piper doesn't. She thinks she does. She has a carefully constructed veneer of acceptance that hides her inner turmoil. Her own fear of the death of those she cares for. It colors every aspect of her life, and prevents her from making normal connections to others.
And here's the thing: a vast majority of people in our world do NOT want to talk about these very issues. They prefer to ignore these facts, along with the decisions, events and processes one must deal with when death does occur. Most people DON'T want to think about what happens to the body of their loved ones, what steps need to be taken or how to accept the loss and find the strength to keep living. Keep loving. Keep moving through life.
This fact alone will make this a difficult book for some to read. Dell does a wonderful job both informing and addressing these issues, primarily through Piper but also through Grandpa Oliver, a wonderful character you will come to love. My only comment on Grandpa is I wish there were more of him in the book!
The level of research that went into Until Next Time is impressive - but you're not overwhelmed or hit over the head with the information. It's tastefully woven into the scenery, helping us understand why Piper is who she is and how she copes, or covers up, her own weakness. Kudo's for a fine job with a heavy subject, as well as pointing fingers and leveling humor at what could be an extremely morbid facet of the book.
And Quinn? Macy Quinn Oliver is a pleasant mix of warmth, swagger and looks. And he's got his own issues. Quinn is fine with death. He sees it as a process that, although painful, balances and allows for the sweeter moments of life to shine through. If only he'd deal with his own denial, because denial it is. I don't want to spoil it for you, but I will say this: Quinn's issue is much more fundamental than Piper's, and buried much deeper.
Piper knows she's not like other people. Quinn thinks he's coped with his issues. They both have to a lot to face until they can find their Happily Ever After. They both will have their beliefs and faith tested and turned upside down, but in the end, their final acceptance is satisfying and rewarding.
This is NOT going to hurt.
Let's talk about the premise, first. The main character, Piper Downing, is a mortician. The underlying theme of the book is death, dying and how the living deal with it. Piper doesn't. She thinks she does. She has a carefully constructed veneer of acceptance that hides her inner turmoil. Her own fear of the death of those she cares for. It colors every aspect of her life, and prevents her from making normal connections to others.
And here's the thing: a vast majority of people in our world do NOT want to talk about these very issues. They prefer to ignore these facts, along with the decisions, events and processes one must deal with when death does occur. Most people DON'T want to think about what happens to the body of their loved ones, what steps need to be taken or how to accept the loss and find the strength to keep living. Keep loving. Keep moving through life.
This fact alone will make this a difficult book for some to read. Dell does a wonderful job both informing and addressing these issues, primarily through Piper but also through Grandpa Oliver, a wonderful character you will come to love. My only comment on Grandpa is I wish there were more of him in the book!
The level of research that went into Until Next Time is impressive - but you're not overwhelmed or hit over the head with the information. It's tastefully woven into the scenery, helping us understand why Piper is who she is and how she copes, or covers up, her own weakness. Kudo's for a fine job with a heavy subject, as well as pointing fingers and leveling humor at what could be an extremely morbid facet of the book.
And Quinn? Macy Quinn Oliver is a pleasant mix of warmth, swagger and looks. And he's got his own issues. Quinn is fine with death. He sees it as a process that, although painful, balances and allows for the sweeter moments of life to shine through. If only he'd deal with his own denial, because denial it is. I don't want to spoil it for you, but I will say this: Quinn's issue is much more fundamental than Piper's, and buried much deeper.
Piper knows she's not like other people. Quinn thinks he's coped with his issues. They both have to a lot to face until they can find their Happily Ever After. They both will have their beliefs and faith tested and turned upside down, but in the end, their final acceptance is satisfying and rewarding.
September 27, 2013
A lovely book from Justine Dell, I'll be honest, what drew me to it was the fact the heroine of the hour is an undertaker! It's not that I'm morbid or anything, but it made it a stand-out for me, it was something different amongst what is often a sea of same old, same old. The premise was good too - a man who refuses to marry, a woman who won't let herself fall in love - the perfect match, right? Well, without giving the game away, the story unwinds at a suitably leisurely pace - it's intense in places, sweet in others and poignant too. These are two damaged souls (Piper particularly) trying to find their way forward in life. There are sex scenes throughout and normally these make me cringe, but Dell writes them beautifully, in fact I'd say they were some of the best scenes in the book - E L James take note! The mark of a good book for me is when I'm thinking about it during the day, wondering how the characters are going to resolve the situation they're in - and I did just that with this one. Unusual, yes, but beautifully unusual.
August 30, 2013
I had the pleasure of reading this book just before it went to print. It has such a wonderful relationship between the main characters. The chemistry, writing, story line, all of it kept me intrigued the whole book. You never really could figure out what was about to happen next. GREAT job Justine Dell, you are one of my favorites!
August 29, 2013
Definitely not my cup of tea. Started off really well, but started taking a nose dive soon after never coming back up. And the ending? Let's just say it was a little to ooey-gooey sweet for me. Basically really cheesy with plenty of eye-rolls thrown in. To each her own.
September 29, 2013
Squished peas! Justine Dell writes a good book.
How does a grief counselor fall in love with an undertaker?
Absolutely, that’s how.
Piper Downing, sole proprietor of Downing & Sons Mortuary, is done dealing with the living. See, this family business has no family. Her parents died years ago leaving her alone. Her first boyfriend died in high school. After spending the past decade embalming people and arranging funerals, Piper knows that love is just plain selfish.
And Piper doesn’t do selfish.
Macy "Quinn" Oliver is a discharged Air Force pilot who works as a grief counselor for the VA. He’s seen his share of bad times. He vowed to never remarry when first love died one month following their wedding. He’ll love, but only temporarily. Twelve years later, he’s still single.
Piper and Quinn meet at Quinn’s grandmother’s wake and are drawn to each other. Piper senses she should keep Quinn at arm’s length, but can’t resist his gentle charm. Piper’s only interested in flings—no strings—and Quinn, terribly attracted to the elegant, aloof Piper, agrees.
Mother of chocolate! Sizzle. That’s what they do.
In bed, and in person—because when these two forces connect it’s a bit of an emotional tornado. Lots of break-up-with-delayed-make-up debris scattered around the countryside.
And, (GOODY!) there’s a convincing love triangle. The Challenger, Gavin—a mortuary supply salesman—makes no effort to hide his interest in Piper. He’s all set to swoop if Quinn messes up. Which, naturally, Quinn does.
I’m a sucker for a first-hand account of two adorable characters, so I love the dual viewpoint. Quinn is delicious. Such a relentless wooing! Piper eventually caves, realizing Quinn has invaded her heart despite her carefully constructed emotional barriers. Everything would be so easy if only she could accept Gavin’s offers, but well, Piper’s starting to feel a mite…selfish.
Justine Dell promised me a Happily Ever After.
Until Next Time delivers.
How does a grief counselor fall in love with an undertaker?
Absolutely, that’s how.
Piper Downing, sole proprietor of Downing & Sons Mortuary, is done dealing with the living. See, this family business has no family. Her parents died years ago leaving her alone. Her first boyfriend died in high school. After spending the past decade embalming people and arranging funerals, Piper knows that love is just plain selfish.
And Piper doesn’t do selfish.
Macy "Quinn" Oliver is a discharged Air Force pilot who works as a grief counselor for the VA. He’s seen his share of bad times. He vowed to never remarry when first love died one month following their wedding. He’ll love, but only temporarily. Twelve years later, he’s still single.
Piper and Quinn meet at Quinn’s grandmother’s wake and are drawn to each other. Piper senses she should keep Quinn at arm’s length, but can’t resist his gentle charm. Piper’s only interested in flings—no strings—and Quinn, terribly attracted to the elegant, aloof Piper, agrees.
Mother of chocolate! Sizzle. That’s what they do.
In bed, and in person—because when these two forces connect it’s a bit of an emotional tornado. Lots of break-up-with-delayed-make-up debris scattered around the countryside.
And, (GOODY!) there’s a convincing love triangle. The Challenger, Gavin—a mortuary supply salesman—makes no effort to hide his interest in Piper. He’s all set to swoop if Quinn messes up. Which, naturally, Quinn does.
I’m a sucker for a first-hand account of two adorable characters, so I love the dual viewpoint. Quinn is delicious. Such a relentless wooing! Piper eventually caves, realizing Quinn has invaded her heart despite her carefully constructed emotional barriers. Everything would be so easy if only she could accept Gavin’s offers, but well, Piper’s starting to feel a mite…selfish.
Justine Dell promised me a Happily Ever After.
Until Next Time delivers.
May 11, 2014
Good book, despite many of the downers. Piper is an undertaker and runs a funeral home. She has gone through many tragedies early in life, including losing her parents and boyfriend at a young age. She doesn't want to fall in love again. Macy Quinn fights his own personal demons, he is an ex-fighter pilot, honorably discharged after an injury. He lost his wife at a young age due to illness and vows never to marry again. But life and fate have other plans for these two. They meet in not so great circumstances, the death of one of Quinn's grandparents. But, his family believe that death is not the end, but just until next time. So, they celebrate the life of the one that has past. And Piper is enveloped into Quinn's family. They are both attracted to one another and soon start to date. But, various circumstances always hold them back from making a final commitment. However, they eventually learn that in order to find true joy and happiness they must leave the past and accept what life is offering them today.
December 7, 2015
This book didn't work for me. There were times throughout that I could easily have topped myself it was that depressing. I often find books I read are emotional and make me cry but they don't make me depressed like this one did. Therefore I wouldn't recommend it.
September 11, 2013
Like the tagline says, "Funeral homes and death, what's not to love?"
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews