Without Her

by Michelle Rene

When I met Sonya Phillips, it was love at first sight. We were, quite literally, the things love stories are written about. The firefighter who falls in love with a nurse and lives happily ever after. Loving Sonya made my world spin. Until the day my world slipped off its axis.

Everyone talks about great love stories and all the beautiful things that go along with them. What they don’t tell you is what happens when the great love story comes to an end. I know what happens. I experienced it first-hand. The overwhelming grief and loneliness is enough to bring a grown man to his knees.

This is my story. A story of great love, crushing loss, and how I found purpose, Without Her .

Genres: Grief

118 pages, Paperback

Published August 23, 2023

About the author

Michelle Rene lives in the land of sunshine, also known as Florida. When not spending time with her family, you can find her writing or cheering on the Florida Gators. Due to her one-click addiction, Michelle spends her downtime reading one of the many books on her Kindle.

Reviews

[Carin van Niekerk · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW
When the genre / tropes included the description “crushing loss”, it really wasn’t lying. This book is not your conventional boy meets girl and everybody lives happily ever after.

Gage is a firefighter who meets Sonya, a nurse and for Gage it is literally love at first sight. They fall in love and have a great life, until the unthinkable happens.

This book broke my heart and I was a crying (the sobbing snotty kind) throughout this book. My heart broke for Gage who has to continue living a life without the woman he loves. You can feel the overwhelming grief through the pages and I wished that I could reach out and just hug him. It is heartbreaking to see how Gage works through his pain and loss and somehow come out stronger and with a renewed sense of purpose on the other end.

This book is so well written and I would definitely recommend it. I would suggest you don’t read this in public and keep all the tissues close by. Also please be aware of the theme of this book which could be triggering.

[Paula Genereau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing book. I couldn't stop reading it. Definitely need more

[DS_Promotions · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michelle hit this right out of the park! Emotional brilliance 🖤
Gage is a firefighter who meets and falls head over heels for Sonya a nurse. They are inseparable until a traumatic event.
This was brilliantly written with so much feeling, it had me hooked from start to finish and tbh I didn’t want it to end.
This is a story of true love, utter devastation and the coping mechanisms needed to find your way when there is no way to see light at the end of the tunnel.
5 heart felt stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Dana McKee NOLA504NERDS · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book by Michelle Rene, and I was thoroughly impressed. This story may be labeled as a romance, but it’s more about loss, coping, and moving forward. Gage, a firefighter, has a beautiful life with his nurse wife Sonya. They fell in love instantly and had a beautiful life together. That is until tragedy strikes, upending Gage’s perfect life. Their story was so very sweet, and the loss is soul crushing. I’m not ashamed to say I shed some tears over this book. Michelle wrote the story beautifully. I could really feel the overwhelming grief, pain, and sorrow. I don’t want to give too much away. You just need to read this and experience it for yourself. Thank you to DS Promotions for gifting me this emotional read in exchange for an honest review.

4 Beautiful Stars!
NOLA504Nerds blog

[Philipa Loxley · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Loss and Living”
The blurb for this book was the deciding factor to make it my CR last week. While it is a short read, it took me just that long to finish it.

I’m not sure why this one is labeled romance. We travel with Gage on his journey to a new life after he loses his loving wife. And that’s about it (hence, the aptly-named title, Without Her). To be fair, we also get a glimpse of his work life, marriage, and the events leading up to his wife’s death.

The plot is not well developed and the narrative can be repetitive. The best part of this book happens to be the most tragic. I was dripping tears! Kudos to Ms. Rene. Solid execution of these scenes!

I wanted to like Without Her but it needs more development.

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gage is a firefighter who fell instantly in love with Sonya a nurse, and they were inseparable and married, until a tragedy strikes. Gage is lost and grieving, and this story is a journey of finding a coping mechanism, finding a purpose in life, and embark on a journey of healing.
This is a well written emotional roller coaster, with loss, overwhelming grief, loneliness, heartbreak, healing, and everlasting love, which leads to a tragic and heartwrenching journey.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.

[Devons book corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This emotional story about Gage and Sonya will take you on a rollercoaster ride while enjoying it. Gage is a firefighter who instantly fell in love with Sonya, who is a nurse. They were inseparable from one another, married, and loving life, until tragedy strikes. Now, Gage is lost and learning how to cope, while grieving. This story is about heartbreak, healing, learning to cope, etc. It's beautifully written and will tug those heart strings.

[Alyvia Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without Her is so beautiful and consuming!! It’s a side of Michelle Rene you haven’t had yet to this degree, but no fear, she still leaves you with the warmth of a love so bright and coveted! Did she lure me in, and then shatter my soul? Yes, yes she did. BUT she also captured the real emotions of those enduring a life-altering event giving you hope and faith that in the end, the sun will still shine.

[Brier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love is precious and when you have it, it's a blessing.

Sadly it doesn't always last.

Gage Dawson met and married the love of his life, Sonya. They had an amazing relationship. Totally relationship goals.

Until it wasn't.

Reading this book made me grateful for the love I have.

I loved reading how Gage grew after his losing Sonya.

[Lori Hammons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sonya and Gage's love is written in the stars. After tragedy strikes, it takes a while for footings to be found, but good overcomes in this amazing story.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely little tale of love and loss

Be ready with the tissues as Gage is going to be heartbroken 🖤

A real lovely emotional read

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story will tear your heart out and slowly rebuild you. Sonya and Gage are true sulfates! The she dies. This is Gage rebuilding his life and finding purpose again. Great read!