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Lily Love
Caroline used to have it she was madly in love with her husband, Peter, and they worshiped their beautiful baby girl. But as Lily grows into a toddler, Caroline notices that her daughter seems to live and act with a disconnect, and soon the perfect future Caroline had envisioned, along with her marriage, begin to crumble. Now she and Peter are no longer lovers, they’re plaintiffs in the throes of divorce while still struggling to care for Lily. After years of blame and overwhelming despair, Caroline’s chance encounter with a stranger at University Hospital opens her eyes to the prospect of accepting new support, new loves, and new dreams.
From the acclaimed author of The Final Piece comes a story of a family broken and unable to cope with a daughter’s disability. And a mother who finds that letting go of the life she imagined may be the only way to get to the life she was meant for.
From the acclaimed author of The Final Piece comes a story of a family broken and unable to cope with a daughter’s disability. And a mother who finds that letting go of the life she imagined may be the only way to get to the life she was meant for.
263 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2014
105 people are currently reading
1675 people want to read
About the author
Maggi Myers
5 books345 followersMaggi was born in West Des Moines, Iowa and raised in Miami, Florida. She has a deep love for The Heartland and really good Cuban food.
Maggi likes to write about characters who've suffered well, lived on despite it, and find beauty beyond the obstacles we all face. When she's not writing, you can find her reading or singing into the end of her hairbrush. She is a steel magnolia and a mischief maker, wrapped up and tied with a sarcasm bow.
Currently she resides in The Quad Cities with her family. For more about Maggi and her current shennanigans your can follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.maggi.myers or on Twitter @Magnolia_B_My
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July 11, 2014DNF at 50%
Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. The book moved as fast as a snail (sort of reminded me of Coming Home) and by 50% the hero and the heroine haven’t really been acquainted yet. Quite frankly, I started getting annoyed at the heroine – I thought her whole outlook on life was morbid. I never understood how Caroline was willing to give others a chance (like Tate and Max) but just gave up on her husband Pete. He may have physically left their house but Caroline left him emotionally a long time ago. Also, I was never really sure exactly who the hero was – there were 3 men that qualified for that spot.
Lastly, and this is MY personal opinion as I’m not a mother in her position but I thought that Caroline’s reactions over Lily’s condition were extreme. Her cynicism and negativity felt appropriate in the beginning, but I needed her to drop the whole “oh, poor me” act. I got to exactly half-way and just can’t take the same complaining about her lot in life so DNF it is.
Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. The book moved as fast as a snail (sort of reminded me of Coming Home) and by 50% the hero and the heroine haven’t really been acquainted yet. Quite frankly, I started getting annoyed at the heroine – I thought her whole outlook on life was morbid. I never understood how Caroline was willing to give others a chance (like Tate and Max) but just gave up on her husband Pete. He may have physically left their house but Caroline left him emotionally a long time ago. Also, I was never really sure exactly who the hero was – there were 3 men that qualified for that spot.
Lastly, and this is MY personal opinion as I’m not a mother in her position but I thought that Caroline’s reactions over Lily’s condition were extreme. Her cynicism and negativity felt appropriate in the beginning, but I needed her to drop the whole “oh, poor me” act. I got to exactly half-way and just can’t take the same complaining about her lot in life so DNF it is.
September 1, 2014
A poignant story about reconciling your expectations, making peace with your past and moving on to the possibilities of your future. Lily Love will grab your heart and never let go.
And don't even get me started on Tate....
And don't even get me started on Tate....
September 8, 2014
This is a book I HAVE to give 5 stars for.
Its true to life, its honest, it got inside both parents minds, mostly the Mother as she spent more time with Lily.
Picture this, Caroline, the Mother of Lily. Married to a husband she not only loves but adores.
As Lily grows a little, Caroline notices some milestones in Lily that is most definitely not there like in other children her age, and as time goes on, we see Lily Love developing not only some "syndromes" that the medics cannot put a name to, but I see her developing a little personality within the pages.
I loved how this author got right inside the Mother's head and heart. Like anyone who has a disabled person and is honest, there are times when you say "Where is my life gone, just where is ME?"
As Lily Love needed her more and more her husband left.
Retrospect is brilliant, as she later learns that she not only gave 100% to Lily, she gave much more and in returned lost her love and support. But she carries on.
Her husband is there to help look after Lily. But its too late for any reconcilliations.
When Caroline meets Tate, unexpected things happen, things come to light.
Things progress.
Lily is always and always will be her first top main concern, she needs her.
I was engrossed in this book as it could relate to anyone undergoing any difficulties getting a "name" for any disibility/function, undergoing tests and things showing zilch. Its frustrating. When you know what is wrong, at least you can move forward and handle things differently, the unknowing is worse than the knowing.
Maggie Myers has written a very thought provoking book. Loved it!
I would like to thank Amazon Publishing for supplying me with a complimentary copy to read and review
Its true to life, its honest, it got inside both parents minds, mostly the Mother as she spent more time with Lily.
Picture this, Caroline, the Mother of Lily. Married to a husband she not only loves but adores.
As Lily grows a little, Caroline notices some milestones in Lily that is most definitely not there like in other children her age, and as time goes on, we see Lily Love developing not only some "syndromes" that the medics cannot put a name to, but I see her developing a little personality within the pages.
I loved how this author got right inside the Mother's head and heart. Like anyone who has a disabled person and is honest, there are times when you say "Where is my life gone, just where is ME?"
As Lily Love needed her more and more her husband left.
Retrospect is brilliant, as she later learns that she not only gave 100% to Lily, she gave much more and in returned lost her love and support. But she carries on.
Her husband is there to help look after Lily. But its too late for any reconcilliations.
When Caroline meets Tate, unexpected things happen, things come to light.
Things progress.
Lily is always and always will be her first top main concern, she needs her.
I was engrossed in this book as it could relate to anyone undergoing any difficulties getting a "name" for any disibility/function, undergoing tests and things showing zilch. Its frustrating. When you know what is wrong, at least you can move forward and handle things differently, the unknowing is worse than the knowing.
Maggie Myers has written a very thought provoking book. Loved it!
I would like to thank Amazon Publishing for supplying me with a complimentary copy to read and review
February 23, 2015
Maggi Myers’ The Final Piece absolutely blew me away when I read it, so I have been very eager to get my hands on this book. While dealing with a very different subject matter, she manages yet again, to convey a huge level of emotion and a very touching story about a woman who is crumbling under the shattered expectations that she had for her life, and the reality of her present.
Caroline and her husband, Peter, were College sweethearts who married and tried for years to have a child. But then their long-awaited daughter, Lily, started demonstrating developmental delays, and their world was shattered when she was diagnosed with disabilities which would change all of their lives forever.
In order to cope, Caroline completely shut down. Disappearing into her grief and withdrawing from everything else in her life so that she can concentrate fully on her daughter, she never allowed anybody to see how broken she truly was.
Years later, and Caroline’s life still revolves around Lily – to the point where her marriage has fallen apart, and she has shut out pretty much everybody in her life. But when she finds herself at rock bottom, she has no choice but to start opening up to others again, and she finally starts to realise the importance of friends and family. And then a random encounter with a handsome stranger – one who is dealing with his own crisis – shows her a different way forward.
This is a really beautiful book. There is a lot of explanation given about Lily’s condition, and the implications that it has on her life, and on Caroline’s life as her carer. And the emotions are high-level as we are given front-row seats to Caroline’s guilt and despair. The way that Myers explains Caroline’s feelings and shows her struggles is amazing, and my heart broke for her, for Lily, and for Peter, at all that they have to face.
But there is also quite a lot of humour sprinkled throughout the story, which I loved. Both the banter with others, and Caroline’s own inner-musings made me laugh, and kept the story from being overly depressing.
Caroline’s sister, Paige, and her friend, Max are both amazing in their support, and then there is the incredible Tate. Wow, what a man. Entering into Caroline’s life at just the right time, I love how open and honest they were with each other and how they were able to lean on each other and be there for each other. The intensity of their situations makes for a very intense romance, but I felt it, and I thought it was really realistically handled and absolutely beautiful.
Maggi Myers has done a great job with this book, tackling a very difficult subject matter with intelligence, wit, and a lot of heart. I thought it was realistic and beautifully told, and I felt the emotion all the way through.
I loved it - 4 stars.
No one tells you how divisive crisis really is. How you’re forced to take on roles that you never intended, thus becoming someone you never wanted to be. I never wanted to be the mother of a child with special needs. I never wanted to be a failure as a wife.
I am both.
Caroline and her husband, Peter, were College sweethearts who married and tried for years to have a child. But then their long-awaited daughter, Lily, started demonstrating developmental delays, and their world was shattered when she was diagnosed with disabilities which would change all of their lives forever.
“The only thing you feel is the force of the blast rattling your body. All that is left is a crater where something stood before and a shockwave that flattens the surrounding area for miles. Every dream I had for my daughter, every plan, every single thing was flattened to the ground, and at the center was the crater where I had been.”
In order to cope, Caroline completely shut down. Disappearing into her grief and withdrawing from everything else in her life so that she can concentrate fully on her daughter, she never allowed anybody to see how broken she truly was.
Years later, and Caroline’s life still revolves around Lily – to the point where her marriage has fallen apart, and she has shut out pretty much everybody in her life. But when she finds herself at rock bottom, she has no choice but to start opening up to others again, and she finally starts to realise the importance of friends and family. And then a random encounter with a handsome stranger – one who is dealing with his own crisis – shows her a different way forward.
“You make the rest of the world disappear.”
This is a really beautiful book. There is a lot of explanation given about Lily’s condition, and the implications that it has on her life, and on Caroline’s life as her carer. And the emotions are high-level as we are given front-row seats to Caroline’s guilt and despair. The way that Myers explains Caroline’s feelings and shows her struggles is amazing, and my heart broke for her, for Lily, and for Peter, at all that they have to face.
But there is also quite a lot of humour sprinkled throughout the story, which I loved. Both the banter with others, and Caroline’s own inner-musings made me laugh, and kept the story from being overly depressing.
Caroline’s sister, Paige, and her friend, Max are both amazing in their support, and then there is the incredible Tate. Wow, what a man. Entering into Caroline’s life at just the right time, I love how open and honest they were with each other and how they were able to lean on each other and be there for each other. The intensity of their situations makes for a very intense romance, but I felt it, and I thought it was really realistically handled and absolutely beautiful.
“You make me want to taste life the way you do. You live with your heart wide-open, and give of yourself, even when no one would blame you if you didn’t. You inspire me to be better. “
Maggi Myers has done a great job with this book, tackling a very difficult subject matter with intelligence, wit, and a lot of heart. I thought it was realistic and beautifully told, and I felt the emotion all the way through.
I loved it - 4 stars.
June 29, 2014
hmmm - I have mixed feelings about this one.
One one level it really hit home, especially the things that happened with regards to Lily and the diagnosis process. I've been there and felt that frustration when no one can give you the answers.
But then there's the romance - I just couldn't get my head around how quickly Caroline changed her outlook. The transition from being a newly separated wife, and a single mother to a disabled child, to declarations of love with a new guy was just a tad too much for me. I felt for Peter, her soon to be ex-husband, I got the impression that Caroline had just shut him out from day one of the disability prognosis and that sounded the death of the marriage.
I was also rooting for Max but he kinda disappeared once Tate got his feet under the table!
The first half of the book was really good but it started to go downhill and I felt the ending was rushed.
3.5 stars
One one level it really hit home, especially the things that happened with regards to Lily and the diagnosis process. I've been there and felt that frustration when no one can give you the answers.
But then there's the romance - I just couldn't get my head around how quickly Caroline changed her outlook. The transition from being a newly separated wife, and a single mother to a disabled child, to declarations of love with a new guy was just a tad too much for me. I felt for Peter, her soon to be ex-husband, I got the impression that Caroline had just shut him out from day one of the disability prognosis and that sounded the death of the marriage.
I was also rooting for Max but he kinda disappeared once Tate got his feet under the table!
The first half of the book was really good but it started to go downhill and I felt the ending was rushed.
3.5 stars
June 14, 2014
I'm hooked when authors can write about heartbreaking topics and insert humor in the middle of it all. Maggi Myers does this throughout the book!
October 1, 2014
Full Review at www.onceuponabookblog.com
***4 Stars***
This story managed to simultaneously break my heart and repair it. The author approached this subject matter beautifully and managed to do justice to a situation that no parent wants to contemplate yet many live every single day.
This story follows Caroline as she wrangles her relationships with the people closest to her and learns slowly, to let herself live just a little. Caroline is the recently separated mother of a little girl named lily. Lily was a very longed for baby for Caroline and her husband Pete but unfortunately no matter how much something is wished for sometimes life just doesn't go to plan. This is a fact that all of the characters in this book have to face in their own way, it is an universal truth, and possibly one of the things that rung so true to me with this story is that life really does just carry on. Whether you've just received terrible news about your child, or separated from your partner, or faced a death of a loved one. Life just continues to march on, at the end of the day you either march on with it or are left to drift about while being swallowed by circumstances that are never ever fair.
I've seen a bit of talk from people reviewing this book that they felt that Caroline's reaction to Lily's issues was an overreaction. That they couldn't understand how 3 years down the track she was still such a wreck about it. However I disagree. I felt like her reaction, and continued reaction is definitely in the realms of normal. There is no guide book on how to deal with situations like what Caroline and Lily face. Unless you're a parent of a child that has ever received news similar you would never ever be able to comprehend what that feeling would be, and even then, every single person is so unique. People grieve differently, and that essentially is what Caroline is doing. Grieving the life she believed her daughter would have. Coming to terms with a new reality. Realizing that this is her life now, that there is no changing it. So to me the portrayal of Caroline was authentic, no matter how uncomfortable it was at times to witness.
We've been conditioned to believe that things always have a way of working themselves out and that happily ever after is within our reach, if we just work hard enough. The truth is that none of us are immune to tragedy. No matter how hard you work, no matter how good you are, life isn't obligated to give you a fairy-tale ending.
I also felt like this book detailed separation and divorce in a very real way. As much as sometimes it's hard to grasp, there doesn't always have to be some huge catastrophic event that breaks a marriage apart. Sometimes people just have so much difficulty with their own stuff that they can't possibly maintain a relationship with another and this essentially is what Caroline and Pete went through. They were seemingly victims of their circumstances. The demise of their marriage a powerful warning of what happens when you stop communicating. You can tell that it was inevitable, but that doesn't make it any easier to digest especially since Pete is not a terrible person,he's just doing his best just as Caroline is doing hers. Seeing all of this just made me want to scream some sense into them, which I think is the point. Once again, reality bites and this is a very realistic depiction of the casualties of life.
I feel like I've made this story sound all doom and gloom! I promise it's not. Yes, it is a heavy read. It had me close to tears more than a few times, sometimes out of frustration, sometimes out of sadness. But it's also a story of living. And very slowly you get to see Caroline develop into more than a distraught mother, when she meets her 'stranger' you suddenly see a flash of possibility, that maybe life can take an unexpected turn for the better once in a while. I LOVED the storyline between Caroline and Tate. I loved that it stayed true to the tone of the book, that it was painted in the realism of life, that he wasn't 'perfect and rich and super happy with model like looks and suddenly all issues were solved.' No, he had his own baggage. He couldn't always be available, he had life to attend to just as she did. Together they helped each other. Life isn't always tidy and perfect and romantic but that doesn't make it any less special, I loved this book... Sometimes we just all need to know that there's hope in even the seemingly worst of times...
***4 Stars***
This story managed to simultaneously break my heart and repair it. The author approached this subject matter beautifully and managed to do justice to a situation that no parent wants to contemplate yet many live every single day.
This story follows Caroline as she wrangles her relationships with the people closest to her and learns slowly, to let herself live just a little. Caroline is the recently separated mother of a little girl named lily. Lily was a very longed for baby for Caroline and her husband Pete but unfortunately no matter how much something is wished for sometimes life just doesn't go to plan. This is a fact that all of the characters in this book have to face in their own way, it is an universal truth, and possibly one of the things that rung so true to me with this story is that life really does just carry on. Whether you've just received terrible news about your child, or separated from your partner, or faced a death of a loved one. Life just continues to march on, at the end of the day you either march on with it or are left to drift about while being swallowed by circumstances that are never ever fair.
I've seen a bit of talk from people reviewing this book that they felt that Caroline's reaction to Lily's issues was an overreaction. That they couldn't understand how 3 years down the track she was still such a wreck about it. However I disagree. I felt like her reaction, and continued reaction is definitely in the realms of normal. There is no guide book on how to deal with situations like what Caroline and Lily face. Unless you're a parent of a child that has ever received news similar you would never ever be able to comprehend what that feeling would be, and even then, every single person is so unique. People grieve differently, and that essentially is what Caroline is doing. Grieving the life she believed her daughter would have. Coming to terms with a new reality. Realizing that this is her life now, that there is no changing it. So to me the portrayal of Caroline was authentic, no matter how uncomfortable it was at times to witness.
We've been conditioned to believe that things always have a way of working themselves out and that happily ever after is within our reach, if we just work hard enough. The truth is that none of us are immune to tragedy. No matter how hard you work, no matter how good you are, life isn't obligated to give you a fairy-tale ending.
I also felt like this book detailed separation and divorce in a very real way. As much as sometimes it's hard to grasp, there doesn't always have to be some huge catastrophic event that breaks a marriage apart. Sometimes people just have so much difficulty with their own stuff that they can't possibly maintain a relationship with another and this essentially is what Caroline and Pete went through. They were seemingly victims of their circumstances. The demise of their marriage a powerful warning of what happens when you stop communicating. You can tell that it was inevitable, but that doesn't make it any easier to digest especially since Pete is not a terrible person,he's just doing his best just as Caroline is doing hers. Seeing all of this just made me want to scream some sense into them, which I think is the point. Once again, reality bites and this is a very realistic depiction of the casualties of life.
I feel like I've made this story sound all doom and gloom! I promise it's not. Yes, it is a heavy read. It had me close to tears more than a few times, sometimes out of frustration, sometimes out of sadness. But it's also a story of living. And very slowly you get to see Caroline develop into more than a distraught mother, when she meets her 'stranger' you suddenly see a flash of possibility, that maybe life can take an unexpected turn for the better once in a while. I LOVED the storyline between Caroline and Tate. I loved that it stayed true to the tone of the book, that it was painted in the realism of life, that he wasn't 'perfect and rich and super happy with model like looks and suddenly all issues were solved.' No, he had his own baggage. He couldn't always be available, he had life to attend to just as she did. Together they helped each other. Life isn't always tidy and perfect and romantic but that doesn't make it any less special, I loved this book... Sometimes we just all need to know that there's hope in even the seemingly worst of times...
August 10, 2016
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1qxhliF
The Dedication at the beginning of this book says it all to me:
“For CJ and Cameron: Every day you teach me, and everyone you meet, that different does not mean less. I love you more than life. Ugga Mugga, always, Mama”
Maggi is a teacher – not the kind in the classroom, but the teacher of life and how to overcome what life has dealt her again and again. Some may be bitter, some may give up, some would not have lived through it at all, BUT NOT MAGGI, she teaches us that whatever obstacle is thrown at you in your life – you can still find your happily ever after, it may not be the one you once dreamed of and thought you would have, but it is your everything now and you would not change a thing if you were given the chance, as this is exactly where you were meant to be. I love any time that I ever get to spend with Maggi, I just want her optimism and overall love-of-life zen to rub off on me. She is a supportive, patient, fun, loving and amazing mama, and I am sure her husband would say that she is his #DreamGirl, she is a supportive friend, and a true inspiration to all. I personally admire her love for life and of others, her strength, and the messages she conveys in her stories to us, all while putting that contagious smile on her “pretty” face. I <3 YOU MAGGI!
What do you do when life takes a turn that you had not expected? How do you deal with the feeling of loss, not of life, but rather the life you thought you would have?
As Maggi is the mother of two special needs children, she certainly pours herself into Lily Love and gives us an inside look into her world with what I am sure are a lot of first-hand experiences. I appreciate the truth in her writing, I felt like I was inside Caroline’s mind, I could feel her heartbreak, anger, confusion, guilt, self-doubt, dedication, nervousness, love, hope and even the weight of the world on her shoulders.
Maggi’s writing is beautiful and every word is perfectly scripted. Caroline’s journey is REAL, it is LIFE, this story is full of a mother’s love, friendship, beauty, witty banter, acceptance, hope, fate, love and second chances and finding the true beauty in life. I can’t wait to see what is next for Maggi, I will be one of the first in line to grab a copy!
“This love story is never going to be “normal,” but I think that’s exactly why it’s got potential. We both know how cruel life can be, and we’re both learning that you can’t let the hard stuff keep you from living.”
So folks, never take the future for granted, make the most of today AND go pick up your copy of this story today!
The Dedication at the beginning of this book says it all to me:
“For CJ and Cameron: Every day you teach me, and everyone you meet, that different does not mean less. I love you more than life. Ugga Mugga, always, Mama”
Maggi is a teacher – not the kind in the classroom, but the teacher of life and how to overcome what life has dealt her again and again. Some may be bitter, some may give up, some would not have lived through it at all, BUT NOT MAGGI, she teaches us that whatever obstacle is thrown at you in your life – you can still find your happily ever after, it may not be the one you once dreamed of and thought you would have, but it is your everything now and you would not change a thing if you were given the chance, as this is exactly where you were meant to be. I love any time that I ever get to spend with Maggi, I just want her optimism and overall love-of-life zen to rub off on me. She is a supportive, patient, fun, loving and amazing mama, and I am sure her husband would say that she is his #DreamGirl, she is a supportive friend, and a true inspiration to all. I personally admire her love for life and of others, her strength, and the messages she conveys in her stories to us, all while putting that contagious smile on her “pretty” face. I <3 YOU MAGGI!
What do you do when life takes a turn that you had not expected? How do you deal with the feeling of loss, not of life, but rather the life you thought you would have?
As Maggi is the mother of two special needs children, she certainly pours herself into Lily Love and gives us an inside look into her world with what I am sure are a lot of first-hand experiences. I appreciate the truth in her writing, I felt like I was inside Caroline’s mind, I could feel her heartbreak, anger, confusion, guilt, self-doubt, dedication, nervousness, love, hope and even the weight of the world on her shoulders.
Maggi’s writing is beautiful and every word is perfectly scripted. Caroline’s journey is REAL, it is LIFE, this story is full of a mother’s love, friendship, beauty, witty banter, acceptance, hope, fate, love and second chances and finding the true beauty in life. I can’t wait to see what is next for Maggi, I will be one of the first in line to grab a copy!
“This love story is never going to be “normal,” but I think that’s exactly why it’s got potential. We both know how cruel life can be, and we’re both learning that you can’t let the hard stuff keep you from living.”
So folks, never take the future for granted, make the most of today AND go pick up your copy of this story today!
June 24, 2014
What if things had been different? What if I'd taken that job, married that boy, or said "no"?
Many of us have pondered the "What If's" in our own lives, and author Maggi Myers courageously dives into another oft not discussed "What If". What if your child and your marriage were diagnosed as "disabled" all at once? What if "for better or for worse" meant "if the kids are healthy and we still like each other"?
Take this journey with protagonist Caroline as she navigates through despair to self-discovery. Life doesn't always turn out the way we hoped. Often, it's downright unfair. The good news, though, is there's always room for love.
Many of us have pondered the "What If's" in our own lives, and author Maggi Myers courageously dives into another oft not discussed "What If". What if your child and your marriage were diagnosed as "disabled" all at once? What if "for better or for worse" meant "if the kids are healthy and we still like each other"?
Take this journey with protagonist Caroline as she navigates through despair to self-discovery. Life doesn't always turn out the way we hoped. Often, it's downright unfair. The good news, though, is there's always room for love.
June 16, 2014
Such a beautiful story. 5 star review coming soon!
Kismet : a power that is believed to control what happens in the future; Fate
No matter how hard you work, no matter how good you are, life isn’t obligated to give you a fairy-tale ending.
Nothing in life is guaranteed. Not even life itself. Things are thrown at us throughout our lives. Some people get the worst of it, some barely touched by it. Some people are able to make it through. Getting bruised and scared along the way, falling down more time than they are up but coming out a completely different person. Then there are those who crumble under the pressure and to protect themselves, they run. You know how that saying goes.. When it rains, it pours.
Caroline married her college sweetheart. They had a great life, a great love and eventually a baby girl they adored more than life itself. As Lily grew, Caroline sees that she is missing a few milestones. When she takes her daughter in for a speech evaluation, her world is turned upside down.
“The day I found out that Lily had a developmental disability, I was completely blindsided.
I shut down and pushed everyone out of my life. I guess my point is, I know how easy it is to disappear inside your grief.”
Divorce : the ending of a marriage by a legal process
: a complete separation between two things
Caroline her dream of having a perfect family is shattered. She is now going through a divorce. Frustrated at the lack of answers in regards to her daughters diagnosis; and exhausted from the struggles and the challenges that go along with caring for her. Caroline can’t help but blame herself.
Acceptance is part of growth, but damn if it doesn’t hurt like hell.
While taking a much needed coffee break, she runs into a gorgeous and stranger and her world is rocked again. Tate *sighs* gets Caroline. He sees her like no one has seen her before. He gets her and it scares the crap out of her. There is something about him and she just can’t walk away from it. She knows if she doesn’t at least try, she will always have the regret.
I couldn’t have said it better myself The world is but a speck of light beneath us on this tightrope. Whether there’s a net to catch me is no longer material. The fall is inevitable, and when it comes, I want to fall feeling just like this.
Tate see’s Caroline and she is a breath of fresh air for him. He can see her pain, he can see the walls she has placed around herself. She is cautious, she is guarded. He also sees how beautiful she is. Although the way they meet is not typical. He knows that he wants to spend more time with her, to get to know her.
“You make the rest of the world disappear.”
Despite the voice in her head, Caroline wants to give it a chance. Tate has opened her eyes to things she thought weren’t possible anymore. She also finds that he has also opened up her heart.
How could he want to start a relationship with a single mother of a special-needs child? This has
disaster” written all over it. So why can’t I stay away?”
Both struggling with their problems, they are able to guide each other, support each other. Tate sees how guarded Caroline is and helps her to open up. You know what they say, honesty is the best policy. Caroline finds herself confiding in him. Her stranger, a man she is falling for, a man who has accepted everything, a man who barely knows her but is able to see her for who she is and how strong she is. A women he can’t seem to stop thinking about.
“I don’t know, and I never will unless you tell me. I asked about Lily because she’s a part of who you are, and I want to know every part of you, Caroline. Not just the parts you want me to see. All of them.”
I loved this book. It was just so real and honest. Being a parent is hard enough but adding a child with disabilities in the mix, I couldn’t imagine. Caroline is vulnerable but so strong at the same time. She is carrying a load of guilt. Her husband bailed on her when things got to rough. Lily is such a beautiful character and although she has her developmental challenges, she will just melt your heart. Then you have Tate. He is a freaking dream come true. How can one NOT fall for him.
It is so hard to put this book into words because this is real, things like this happen every day. Talk about putting a marriage to the test. Caroline falls but continues to get back up. When she meets Tate, he changes her world for the good. We all wish we could go back in time to change that one thing we could do differently. Life isn’t fair but at the same time and for reasons we will never understand our lives on put on a set path. The path that was set for Caroline started out good and turned into chaos with heartache and struggles but it ultimately led her to happiness. A happiness she didn’t really know could exist.
Maggi Myers did a fantastic job capturing the emotions. This story is about strength, acceptance, forgiveness and learning to let go of the “what if’s” and focusing on the now. Realizing that things aren’t as bad as they seem and that it is okay to feel weak, it is okay to ask for help and it is definitely okay to cry and to be angry. It shows you that you need to move on from the past, let it go so that you can enjoy the present and look forward for what lies ahead.
I fear that I haven’t done this review justice. This story is beautiful, powerful and romantic. Despite the not so pretty things that life throws out way, it can also bring people into your lives that make your journey worth every painful moment.
Kismet : a power that is believed to control what happens in the future; Fate
No matter how hard you work, no matter how good you are, life isn’t obligated to give you a fairy-tale ending.
Nothing in life is guaranteed. Not even life itself. Things are thrown at us throughout our lives. Some people get the worst of it, some barely touched by it. Some people are able to make it through. Getting bruised and scared along the way, falling down more time than they are up but coming out a completely different person. Then there are those who crumble under the pressure and to protect themselves, they run. You know how that saying goes.. When it rains, it pours.
Caroline married her college sweetheart. They had a great life, a great love and eventually a baby girl they adored more than life itself. As Lily grew, Caroline sees that she is missing a few milestones. When she takes her daughter in for a speech evaluation, her world is turned upside down.
“The day I found out that Lily had a developmental disability, I was completely blindsided.
I shut down and pushed everyone out of my life. I guess my point is, I know how easy it is to disappear inside your grief.”
Divorce : the ending of a marriage by a legal process
: a complete separation between two things
Caroline her dream of having a perfect family is shattered. She is now going through a divorce. Frustrated at the lack of answers in regards to her daughters diagnosis; and exhausted from the struggles and the challenges that go along with caring for her. Caroline can’t help but blame herself.
Acceptance is part of growth, but damn if it doesn’t hurt like hell.
While taking a much needed coffee break, she runs into a gorgeous and stranger and her world is rocked again. Tate *sighs* gets Caroline. He sees her like no one has seen her before. He gets her and it scares the crap out of her. There is something about him and she just can’t walk away from it. She knows if she doesn’t at least try, she will always have the regret.
I couldn’t have said it better myself The world is but a speck of light beneath us on this tightrope. Whether there’s a net to catch me is no longer material. The fall is inevitable, and when it comes, I want to fall feeling just like this.
Tate see’s Caroline and she is a breath of fresh air for him. He can see her pain, he can see the walls she has placed around herself. She is cautious, she is guarded. He also sees how beautiful she is. Although the way they meet is not typical. He knows that he wants to spend more time with her, to get to know her.
“You make the rest of the world disappear.”
Despite the voice in her head, Caroline wants to give it a chance. Tate has opened her eyes to things she thought weren’t possible anymore. She also finds that he has also opened up her heart.
How could he want to start a relationship with a single mother of a special-needs child? This has
disaster” written all over it. So why can’t I stay away?”
Both struggling with their problems, they are able to guide each other, support each other. Tate sees how guarded Caroline is and helps her to open up. You know what they say, honesty is the best policy. Caroline finds herself confiding in him. Her stranger, a man she is falling for, a man who has accepted everything, a man who barely knows her but is able to see her for who she is and how strong she is. A women he can’t seem to stop thinking about.
“I don’t know, and I never will unless you tell me. I asked about Lily because she’s a part of who you are, and I want to know every part of you, Caroline. Not just the parts you want me to see. All of them.”
I loved this book. It was just so real and honest. Being a parent is hard enough but adding a child with disabilities in the mix, I couldn’t imagine. Caroline is vulnerable but so strong at the same time. She is carrying a load of guilt. Her husband bailed on her when things got to rough. Lily is such a beautiful character and although she has her developmental challenges, she will just melt your heart. Then you have Tate. He is a freaking dream come true. How can one NOT fall for him.
It is so hard to put this book into words because this is real, things like this happen every day. Talk about putting a marriage to the test. Caroline falls but continues to get back up. When she meets Tate, he changes her world for the good. We all wish we could go back in time to change that one thing we could do differently. Life isn’t fair but at the same time and for reasons we will never understand our lives on put on a set path. The path that was set for Caroline started out good and turned into chaos with heartache and struggles but it ultimately led her to happiness. A happiness she didn’t really know could exist.
Maggi Myers did a fantastic job capturing the emotions. This story is about strength, acceptance, forgiveness and learning to let go of the “what if’s” and focusing on the now. Realizing that things aren’t as bad as they seem and that it is okay to feel weak, it is okay to ask for help and it is definitely okay to cry and to be angry. It shows you that you need to move on from the past, let it go so that you can enjoy the present and look forward for what lies ahead.
I fear that I haven’t done this review justice. This story is beautiful, powerful and romantic. Despite the not so pretty things that life throws out way, it can also bring people into your lives that make your journey worth every painful moment.
July 4, 2014
Absolutely stunning story!
Lily Love is one of those stories that I cannot express in words how beautiful a story it truly is. This is one of those books you need to read and experience for yourself. I love the story of self discovery as a woman and knowing our worth. We set the expectations for ourselves so high (unachievable at times) that I think we forget who we are. Lily Love is a story where a mom had these expectations and when one point failed she let her worth become of no value.
Lily Love takes you on a journey of finding your place as a mom, a friend, a wife, an advocate, a lover, a sister and every other hat that we could possibly wear as a woman-- sometimes all at once.
Maggi Myers poured her heart into this story and the words bleed every ounce of that sincerity. Even as I sit here writing this review, i can't help but get tears in my eyes knowing we all have had a struggle or two in all our femininity and making a place for ourselves in a crazy world.
The storyline and characters in this book are so thoughtfully and insightfully presented. There isn't random filler thrown in to "Hollywood-ize" the story. i absolutely love the friendships and connections Caroline, the female m/c has with each of the characters. Each one is important, complex and a much needed layer to Caroline's life. There isn't the need for an inflated fantasy male m/c. Tate and Max, even Peter for that matter, are real. Their appeal is not in any unattainable trait but in their vulnerabilities, in their ability to hurt and to want love and someone to share their dreams with. I was so completely invested and drawn in to how these characters handled their hearts so differently depending on who they were interacting with or what the situation was. Tate- always so strong even though his hurt and defeat ran just as deep as Caroline's. Max- always the nurturer when he himself needed to be nurtured and loved. Peter- in defense mode because his guilt and his love for Caroline were melded together in one emotion.
Caroline- if you're a mother, you will often think you are reading your own autobiography or looking at your reflection in the mirror. I don't think there was a single moment where I couldn't relate to her on some level.
Lily- oh Lily. How she took my heart in her hands and lead me through such a journey of unconditional love tangled with feelings that as a mother you never feel entitled or justified to have but they are just as real and just as important in what makes us a mother.
Like Myers first book The Final Piece, Lily Love pulls emotions that are rooted deep within. He honesty in this story is beyond humbling. I've never had a book that had me crying from the first few pages. I knew Maggi myers would pull at every heartstring possible but I cannot even begin to tell you how many of my multiple personalities came out to play in this book. One minute I was bawling and the next laughing. There were times i wanted to throw my reader and other times I wanted to put on my super mom cape and fly.
What Myers really exhibited in this incredible and poignant story was that we always wear our super hero capes. Even when we feel we are at our lowest. Our cape lets us have those bad days, the doubtful days, the exhausting days, the days when we want to say I give up. Our "I Am A Woman" capes guide us, heal us, allow us to feel, to love. Our capes let us be proud to be a mom. A woman.
Lily Love is one of those stories that I cannot express in words how beautiful a story it truly is. This is one of those books you need to read and experience for yourself. I love the story of self discovery as a woman and knowing our worth. We set the expectations for ourselves so high (unachievable at times) that I think we forget who we are. Lily Love is a story where a mom had these expectations and when one point failed she let her worth become of no value.
Lily Love takes you on a journey of finding your place as a mom, a friend, a wife, an advocate, a lover, a sister and every other hat that we could possibly wear as a woman-- sometimes all at once.
Maggi Myers poured her heart into this story and the words bleed every ounce of that sincerity. Even as I sit here writing this review, i can't help but get tears in my eyes knowing we all have had a struggle or two in all our femininity and making a place for ourselves in a crazy world.
The storyline and characters in this book are so thoughtfully and insightfully presented. There isn't random filler thrown in to "Hollywood-ize" the story. i absolutely love the friendships and connections Caroline, the female m/c has with each of the characters. Each one is important, complex and a much needed layer to Caroline's life. There isn't the need for an inflated fantasy male m/c. Tate and Max, even Peter for that matter, are real. Their appeal is not in any unattainable trait but in their vulnerabilities, in their ability to hurt and to want love and someone to share their dreams with. I was so completely invested and drawn in to how these characters handled their hearts so differently depending on who they were interacting with or what the situation was. Tate- always so strong even though his hurt and defeat ran just as deep as Caroline's. Max- always the nurturer when he himself needed to be nurtured and loved. Peter- in defense mode because his guilt and his love for Caroline were melded together in one emotion.
Caroline- if you're a mother, you will often think you are reading your own autobiography or looking at your reflection in the mirror. I don't think there was a single moment where I couldn't relate to her on some level.
Lily- oh Lily. How she took my heart in her hands and lead me through such a journey of unconditional love tangled with feelings that as a mother you never feel entitled or justified to have but they are just as real and just as important in what makes us a mother.
Like Myers first book The Final Piece, Lily Love pulls emotions that are rooted deep within. He honesty in this story is beyond humbling. I've never had a book that had me crying from the first few pages. I knew Maggi myers would pull at every heartstring possible but I cannot even begin to tell you how many of my multiple personalities came out to play in this book. One minute I was bawling and the next laughing. There were times i wanted to throw my reader and other times I wanted to put on my super mom cape and fly.
What Myers really exhibited in this incredible and poignant story was that we always wear our super hero capes. Even when we feel we are at our lowest. Our cape lets us have those bad days, the doubtful days, the exhausting days, the days when we want to say I give up. Our "I Am A Woman" capes guide us, heal us, allow us to feel, to love. Our capes let us be proud to be a mom. A woman.
June 30, 2014
I knew going in to this book that it would touch me personally, deeply, completely. After reading Maggi Myers first book, The Final Piece I knew that it would evoke all kinds of emotions. What I didn't expect out of Lily Love was the complete connection to Caroline, the overwhelming sense that I was not alone in my personal experiences of having a special needs child. On top of that Lily Love is also the most beautiful story of two souls finding their soulmate, the one true love that understands them, that accepts and loves them for who they are, the one true love that never gives up on you, and encourages you to be yourself and take a chance on true happiness.
Lily Love was poignant, heartfelt, emotional and true to life. It gave you hope and a shining beacon in the darkest times. It brought back so many memories of my own experiences when my son was first tested and diagnosed. It exemplified the notion that 'life is messy, life is unexpected, life is what it is' and you have no choice but to pick up your socks and keep doing the best you can.
These characters were so close to my heart. Caroline was a strong, selfless, newly divorced, mother of a special needs child. Her actions were compassionate and caring, her thoughts were devoted and human. No-one knows how you will act when dealt a card in life until you experience it first hand, and I can say from personal experience that this author nailed it. Caroline's heart was so full of love,wanting to do the best for her child, while grieving for a normal life for her child. I understood that, I got that. The way Caroline's internal dialogue was written was superb, logical, smooth and easy flowing. Her relationship with her sister and her friend Max was a perfect portrayal of true sisterhood and friendship. The relationship with her ex, was realistic and touching. Her relationship with herself was heartbreaking at times but so charming and funny at others.
Tate, 'sweet baby carrots', Tate. Could there be a more supportive, understanding, compassionate, patient, loving man? I think not. Tate was grieving for an entirely different reason to Caroline, struggling to accept what life was dealing out to him. Along came Caroline who gave him a breathe of fresh air in a world that seemed like it was closing in around him.
One chance meeting changed everything for Caroline and Tate and their developing relationship was so captivating, beautiful and intoxicating. We follow Caroline's journey of self acceptance, with Tate championing her at every turn, never letting her give up on herself or on them. This is such an important story to tell and I wish that I had have had these words of wisdom when I was going through those early years of self doubt, feelings of guilt and grief.
This author is on my automatic download list. Her books never fail to elicit all kinds of emotion in me and never fail to leave me with so much more than before I started.
copy kindly provided by Netgalley and the publisher/author
Lily Love was poignant, heartfelt, emotional and true to life. It gave you hope and a shining beacon in the darkest times. It brought back so many memories of my own experiences when my son was first tested and diagnosed. It exemplified the notion that 'life is messy, life is unexpected, life is what it is' and you have no choice but to pick up your socks and keep doing the best you can.
These characters were so close to my heart. Caroline was a strong, selfless, newly divorced, mother of a special needs child. Her actions were compassionate and caring, her thoughts were devoted and human. No-one knows how you will act when dealt a card in life until you experience it first hand, and I can say from personal experience that this author nailed it. Caroline's heart was so full of love,wanting to do the best for her child, while grieving for a normal life for her child. I understood that, I got that. The way Caroline's internal dialogue was written was superb, logical, smooth and easy flowing. Her relationship with her sister and her friend Max was a perfect portrayal of true sisterhood and friendship. The relationship with her ex, was realistic and touching. Her relationship with herself was heartbreaking at times but so charming and funny at others.
Tate, 'sweet baby carrots', Tate. Could there be a more supportive, understanding, compassionate, patient, loving man? I think not. Tate was grieving for an entirely different reason to Caroline, struggling to accept what life was dealing out to him. Along came Caroline who gave him a breathe of fresh air in a world that seemed like it was closing in around him.
One chance meeting changed everything for Caroline and Tate and their developing relationship was so captivating, beautiful and intoxicating. We follow Caroline's journey of self acceptance, with Tate championing her at every turn, never letting her give up on herself or on them. This is such an important story to tell and I wish that I had have had these words of wisdom when I was going through those early years of self doubt, feelings of guilt and grief.
This author is on my automatic download list. Her books never fail to elicit all kinds of emotion in me and never fail to leave me with so much more than before I started.
copy kindly provided by Netgalley and the publisher/author
June 11, 2014
This will be posted on my blog on Monday but I just couldn't wait another minutes.
Guys.
This book.
You have to read it.
Lily Love is so amazing. Ok- let me get my shit together so I can tell you why it's so amazing.
I've had the pleasure of not only meeting Maggi Myers, but actually having a real conversation with her. Now- she's a total delight. But beyond that- she's also one of the strongest women I have ever met. And if you never get a chance to meet her- just meet Caroline- our main character in Lily Love. Seriously, Maggi has poured so much of her real life experience into this book and I think that's why it made me cry all of the tears.
The first few chapter of the book really focus on Caroline and Lily and their relationship. It is equal parts beautiful and heartbreaking. I have two cousins with special needs (one with Down's Syndrome and one with CP) and I can say with conviction that they are the most wondering two people I know. Without a doubt. No one loves more than they do. No one makes me feel better than those two do. BUT- I know what their parents go through. Every. Single. Day. And while Lily's condition is unique to her and different, the sentiment is the same. Being the parent of a special needs child isn't easy. Maggi isn't afraid to be brutally honest in this book when sharing Caroline's feelings as a mother. It's not easy. And yes- it definitely has rewards because there is so much love- but it is a hard road.
And my heart BREAKS for all of them . For the love that couldn't survive between her and Peter, for the pain that they all carry, for Lily, for Caroline. Just breaks. I cried A LOT.
But- eventually there was a break from the constant stream of tears (not a total break- it just wasn't constant) as Caroline meets her beautiful stranger- Tate.
Tate is going through his own brand of heartache (more tears) but together- they find that there is beauty in the broken. Not just beauty but pure love. And it's so beautiful.
This book is about so much more than finding love, or dealing with having a special needs child. It's about loving you and letting people love you. When you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders you want to carry the burden. But you just need to look around and see there are people all around you who want to help. For Caroline- she let herself see this- in her sister, in her best friend Max (who better get a book!!) and of course in Tate. She even found it in Peter, when she finally let herself she that she wasn't an island and she didn't need to live in a world of guilt.
I'm crying just thinking about this story.
Just read this book. Invest in some Kleenex and dive in. You will not regret it.
For those of you with a special needs child- I applaud you. I know it can't be easy but the payoff is a child who loves you more than anyone could imagine possible.
Maggi- I cannot say enough good things about this book. You are amazing. I am in awe of you and I hope that everyone has a chance to read
Guys.
This book.
You have to read it.
Lily Love is so amazing. Ok- let me get my shit together so I can tell you why it's so amazing.
I've had the pleasure of not only meeting Maggi Myers, but actually having a real conversation with her. Now- she's a total delight. But beyond that- she's also one of the strongest women I have ever met. And if you never get a chance to meet her- just meet Caroline- our main character in Lily Love. Seriously, Maggi has poured so much of her real life experience into this book and I think that's why it made me cry all of the tears.
The first few chapter of the book really focus on Caroline and Lily and their relationship. It is equal parts beautiful and heartbreaking. I have two cousins with special needs (one with Down's Syndrome and one with CP) and I can say with conviction that they are the most wondering two people I know. Without a doubt. No one loves more than they do. No one makes me feel better than those two do. BUT- I know what their parents go through. Every. Single. Day. And while Lily's condition is unique to her and different, the sentiment is the same. Being the parent of a special needs child isn't easy. Maggi isn't afraid to be brutally honest in this book when sharing Caroline's feelings as a mother. It's not easy. And yes- it definitely has rewards because there is so much love- but it is a hard road.
And my heart BREAKS for all of them . For the love that couldn't survive between her and Peter, for the pain that they all carry, for Lily, for Caroline. Just breaks. I cried A LOT.
But- eventually there was a break from the constant stream of tears (not a total break- it just wasn't constant) as Caroline meets her beautiful stranger- Tate.
Tate is going through his own brand of heartache (more tears) but together- they find that there is beauty in the broken. Not just beauty but pure love. And it's so beautiful.
This book is about so much more than finding love, or dealing with having a special needs child. It's about loving you and letting people love you. When you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders you want to carry the burden. But you just need to look around and see there are people all around you who want to help. For Caroline- she let herself see this- in her sister, in her best friend Max (who better get a book!!) and of course in Tate. She even found it in Peter, when she finally let herself she that she wasn't an island and she didn't need to live in a world of guilt.
I'm crying just thinking about this story.
Just read this book. Invest in some Kleenex and dive in. You will not regret it.
For those of you with a special needs child- I applaud you. I know it can't be easy but the payoff is a child who loves you more than anyone could imagine possible.
Maggi- I cannot say enough good things about this book. You are amazing. I am in awe of you and I hope that everyone has a chance to read
August 6, 2014
"You make the rest of the world disappear."
After years of fertility treatments and miscarriages, Caroline's wish came true. She has a daughter. But it's not exactly the dream she pictured it to be. Lily her 5-year old daughter suffers from a developmental disability and a seizure disorder. The doctors don't have a clear diagnosis and Lily is a toddler developmentally.
Caroline has given up her career, she in the midst of divorce and all she's left with is guilt. Guilt for wanting a different life for Lily, guilt for thinking she might not have gone through with fertility treatments if she had know the outcome, and guilt for pushing her husband away and trying to shoulder the burden alone. It's totally unexpected when she meets Tate in the cafeteria of the hospital. He's dealing with his own heartbreaking situation, but together they are able to find the peace and love they need to face the difficult times ahead. Tate is perfection!
This book was so touching. I don't have children, but I imagine it would be extremely difficult to watch your child struggle and not be able to fix it. Caroline's emotions in the beginning of the book felt genuine to me, but somewhere along the way the story felt a little bit disjointed. After meeting Tate her whole demeanor changed. Suddenly, she was able to relinquish control and let Lily go off with her dad constantly. And what happened to Max? I had such a crush on him after seeing him with Lily and then he just disappeared. Overall, a great story that left me wanting to read her other books.
4/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
*Complimentary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
After years of fertility treatments and miscarriages, Caroline's wish came true. She has a daughter. But it's not exactly the dream she pictured it to be. Lily her 5-year old daughter suffers from a developmental disability and a seizure disorder. The doctors don't have a clear diagnosis and Lily is a toddler developmentally.
Caroline has given up her career, she in the midst of divorce and all she's left with is guilt. Guilt for wanting a different life for Lily, guilt for thinking she might not have gone through with fertility treatments if she had know the outcome, and guilt for pushing her husband away and trying to shoulder the burden alone. It's totally unexpected when she meets Tate in the cafeteria of the hospital. He's dealing with his own heartbreaking situation, but together they are able to find the peace and love they need to face the difficult times ahead. Tate is perfection!
This book was so touching. I don't have children, but I imagine it would be extremely difficult to watch your child struggle and not be able to fix it. Caroline's emotions in the beginning of the book felt genuine to me, but somewhere along the way the story felt a little bit disjointed. After meeting Tate her whole demeanor changed. Suddenly, she was able to relinquish control and let Lily go off with her dad constantly. And what happened to Max? I had such a crush on him after seeing him with Lily and then he just disappeared. Overall, a great story that left me wanting to read her other books.
4/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
*Complimentary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Want to read
June 19, 2014**ARC courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
June 18, 2014
Heartbreaking isn't really even the word to describe this book it goes way beyond Heartbreaking. Not in a bad way just I have no idea how Maggie wrote such a touching story with such intimate content. She proved to me she knows what she is doing. This was my first read by her and it touched me in ways I didn't know possible!
Lily Love starts off with the story of with Caroline a Wife to her college sweetheart and Mother of a beautiful daughter Lily. As Lily grows Caroline notices that she is not developing like a normal child her age should be. When she takes Lily to the doctor he tells her news that will forever change the course of her life as she knows it. Lily has a disability and Caroline doesn't really know how to put the pieces to the puzzel that is apart, and things begin to blow up! BOOM!
Dealing with Lily's disability causes her marriage to crumble and turn the couple to divorce.
Caroline begins to blame herself for everything especially she blames her self for Lily's disability. Here is when it gets so gut wrenching I had to close my eyes and breath a little!Caroline has the weight of the world on her shoulders especially dealing with Lily and her disability. I am a mother and I have my ups and downs but there is NO AWAY I could even imagine what a parent of a disabled child goes threw I give them so much credit they are serious Angels sent from above! Reading this book made me look at these parents in a whole new light it really was something.
Low and behold while out for a minute Caroline meets Tate Lets just say he is a man you cant even dream up.Tate befriends Caroline and he sees her underneath all the stress and mayhem going on in her life. Tate wants to spend more time with her and I know it is like kabam here is Tate but you really have to read the story to see how Tate understands her and how they have such a strong connection.Caroline is a little on edge because seriously who wants a recently divorced woman with a special needs child? Tate didn't care he wanted her for who she was and the baggage she came with!
This book touched me I really cant even explain the emotions I went thru reading this book
Maggi wrote Lily perfectly Lily was like a little butterfly fluttering her wings for the first time.
That little girl will hold a place in my heart forever and ever she is just perfect in my eyes.
Caroline was a character you see in the supermarket everyday who really just needs a pat on the back and to know everything is OK and happens for a reason and that life does go on.
Than there is Tate,Maggi seriously made Tate my cup of coffee for the morning with some extra sugar he was a wonderful man and I don't know if I can feel for another book boyfriend the way I felt about him he has my unconditional love.
Maggi seriously made this a story you HAVE TO READ!
Please do it is just FANTASTIC!
June 18, 2014
Let me start out by saying that this story was truly phenomenal. Not phenomenal in a way that left you on the edge of your seat, gasping for breath, wondering what would happen next. Not phenomenal in a way that had you swooning and claiming your next book boyfriend. No, this story was phenomenal in a way that touches your soul; in a way that days and months later has you questioning everything and looking within yourself. No drama. No over the top romance. Just life. And you know what? Sometimes life sucks. But on the flip side of that, life can also be kind of beautiful. You just have to look through the rain to see the sparkles of color in the puddles.
The truth is that none of us are immune to tragedy. No matter how hard you work, no matter how good you are, life isn’t obligated to give you a fairy-tale ending.
I knew from reading Maggi’s previous work that this book would be nothing short of amazing. What I didn’t expect, however, was how deeply it affected me. Dealing with a subject of which I have no firsthand knowledge didn’t lessen the impact or gravity of my empathy and ability to understand. Because when an author is a master at their skill, which she is, it doesn’t matter your walk in life; you become part of that world. Maggi is one of those rare authors that doesn't pump out multiple books a year. They are becoming few and far between. What this says to me is that she carefully chooses each word that is put on paper; she puts her everything into her books and it shows. When an author does that, it bleeds through the pages. I was there with Caroline through every struggle, of which there were many, and I was also there for the joys, of which there were equally just as much. You just had to look a little harder to see them. Maggi creates characters that only one who has lived it can. I think this is one of the reasons why they are so relatable. They aren’t just created from thin air; she takes small pieces, molds them together, and asks what if? There’s a raw honesty in her voice and the truth she spills permeates into the pages.
Grief is a battle of endurance, and this kind of pain is as inescapable as Lily’s disability.
It was refreshing to read a character that wasn’t afraid to voice her shortcomings. Though mostly through inner musings, the emotional impact was devastatingly beautiful. Here was a woman struggling with a failed marriage and a child with special needs. Gone was her sense of self and she was merely surviving. Caroline put a face to fears that many parents face but almost never have the courage to voice. It was raw and gritty and left me simultaneously laughing and crying. Maggi doesn’t sugarcoat anything, taking the reader for one heck of a ride. This is not a breezy book and at times it is downright hard to read, but only because you will be faced with some hard truths. This is a thinking book, and in a world of fluff, it was immensely refreshing. When I finished reading, my soul felt lighter and full of hope.
In the stillness there is a quiet melancholy that hangs in the air, and I can’t remember the last time I was happy here.
In the midst of all this heavy stuff, enter the stranger. As her daughter has a seizure disorder, Caroline frequented the hospital. On a particularly low day they run into each other in the cafeteria and share a much needed silent conversation. Though there was romance, it wasn’t on the forefront, and for once I appreciated that. They both had more serious things occurring in their lives yet recognized the spark. There was no whirlwind romance folks; there was a gentle truth. The truth that only someone, though even just meeting you, understands. It was breathtakingly quiet and honest and utterly endearing. It was not overly fictionalized; it was real. Sometimes when we think it’s all over, life turns a new leaf. If we’re lucky, under that leaf is a ray of hope, and boy, did Maggi ever deliver that ray. This book will grip you from the first page through the last and you will find yourself experiencing a myriad of emotions. You will find yourself questioning everything and taking a really hard look at your life as only the best of books can.
In the sanctity of his embrace, I weep for the place in my soul that wanted to be enough for Peter to fight for.
There’s many other aspects of this book that I could discuss, but some things you just need to experience yourself with no expectations. Throughout the layers and layers of depth this book held, it couldn’t have been more perfect if she tried. Maggi delivers a masterpiece and one I highly recommend!
It took one to love me enough to leave so the other could come into my life.
The truth is that none of us are immune to tragedy. No matter how hard you work, no matter how good you are, life isn’t obligated to give you a fairy-tale ending.
I knew from reading Maggi’s previous work that this book would be nothing short of amazing. What I didn’t expect, however, was how deeply it affected me. Dealing with a subject of which I have no firsthand knowledge didn’t lessen the impact or gravity of my empathy and ability to understand. Because when an author is a master at their skill, which she is, it doesn’t matter your walk in life; you become part of that world. Maggi is one of those rare authors that doesn't pump out multiple books a year. They are becoming few and far between. What this says to me is that she carefully chooses each word that is put on paper; she puts her everything into her books and it shows. When an author does that, it bleeds through the pages. I was there with Caroline through every struggle, of which there were many, and I was also there for the joys, of which there were equally just as much. You just had to look a little harder to see them. Maggi creates characters that only one who has lived it can. I think this is one of the reasons why they are so relatable. They aren’t just created from thin air; she takes small pieces, molds them together, and asks what if? There’s a raw honesty in her voice and the truth she spills permeates into the pages.
Grief is a battle of endurance, and this kind of pain is as inescapable as Lily’s disability.
It was refreshing to read a character that wasn’t afraid to voice her shortcomings. Though mostly through inner musings, the emotional impact was devastatingly beautiful. Here was a woman struggling with a failed marriage and a child with special needs. Gone was her sense of self and she was merely surviving. Caroline put a face to fears that many parents face but almost never have the courage to voice. It was raw and gritty and left me simultaneously laughing and crying. Maggi doesn’t sugarcoat anything, taking the reader for one heck of a ride. This is not a breezy book and at times it is downright hard to read, but only because you will be faced with some hard truths. This is a thinking book, and in a world of fluff, it was immensely refreshing. When I finished reading, my soul felt lighter and full of hope.
In the stillness there is a quiet melancholy that hangs in the air, and I can’t remember the last time I was happy here.
In the midst of all this heavy stuff, enter the stranger. As her daughter has a seizure disorder, Caroline frequented the hospital. On a particularly low day they run into each other in the cafeteria and share a much needed silent conversation. Though there was romance, it wasn’t on the forefront, and for once I appreciated that. They both had more serious things occurring in their lives yet recognized the spark. There was no whirlwind romance folks; there was a gentle truth. The truth that only someone, though even just meeting you, understands. It was breathtakingly quiet and honest and utterly endearing. It was not overly fictionalized; it was real. Sometimes when we think it’s all over, life turns a new leaf. If we’re lucky, under that leaf is a ray of hope, and boy, did Maggi ever deliver that ray. This book will grip you from the first page through the last and you will find yourself experiencing a myriad of emotions. You will find yourself questioning everything and taking a really hard look at your life as only the best of books can.
In the sanctity of his embrace, I weep for the place in my soul that wanted to be enough for Peter to fight for.
There’s many other aspects of this book that I could discuss, but some things you just need to experience yourself with no expectations. Throughout the layers and layers of depth this book held, it couldn’t have been more perfect if she tried. Maggi delivers a masterpiece and one I highly recommend!
It took one to love me enough to leave so the other could come into my life.
June 27, 2014
A special thank you to Lake Union/Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Maggi Myers's LILY LOVE, is a poignant story of losing something, in order to realize how mysteriously beautiful life can be!
A powerful novel about the power of love. When you are at the end of your rope, sometimes God brings a ray of hope in our lives, which makes life worth living! A fast-paced, poignant novel of loss, love, hope and self-discovery.
Set in North Carolina, LILY LOVE begins with Caroline, at Duke Hospital, a woman who has desperately waited, her entire life to be a mother. Caroline has a mini stroke while delivering (predclampsia). Now she will be unable to have any more children, and has weakness in one hand/arm due to the stroke.
Later, at eighteen months, she and husband, Peter receive the painful news, their beautiful daughter Lily, has a development disability. After so many years of struggling with infertility, they have finally gotten their happy ending – or have they?
Through countless doctors, tests, demands, struggling, hospitals, and ongoing stress, Peter and Carolina grow further apart—bitter and cynical. As with any disabled child, the mother becomes overwhelmed with the demands, and care to the point of obsession and fear. Somewhere along the line, she and Peter could not make their way back to one another and they get a divorce.
When Caroline is at her lowest, she relies on her friend Max, a guy she meets at the hospital and her funny, bohemian sister, Paige. Caroline cannot even imagine how she will share custody of their daughter, and how her husband will cope and manage with Lily, as sometimes she can be violent and out of control. She begins to wonder if her life will ever be normal again.
Then one day, she meets a guy, a stranger, Tate in the hospital cafeteria and her world changes. This new found time she has alone, her secret moon garden to meditate, and time to write her thoughts for a book she has thought about for years— as Peter shares in the custody and caring for Lily. This time has offers her new strength and courage to face what lies ahead. She is able to balance her life for the first time and finds comfort in the growing relationship with Tate.
A very special and unique novel which dives into the painful struggles and raw emotions of a mother, a marriage, and an adorable special-needs child, melting your heart; yet inspiring and uplifting. I enjoyed the part about starting over, dating, and finding love as a single mom with a special-needs child, as well her journey to self-discovery, as Caroline begins to view her life in a different more positive way.
Myers writes with humor and sensitivity with warm-hearted and realistic characters— fans of Lisa Genova “Love Anthony”, and Jodi Picoult will enjoy LILY LOVE.
I was delighted to learn the author is from South Florida, where I currently reside, and she now resides in Greensboro, NC (as I am a native of the Triad area, with sons in Winston-Salem, NC). Wow, cannot wait to tell all my NC friends about this thought-provoking novel.
Maggi Myers, a talented author and one to follow. Looking forward to her many future bestsellers!
http://judithdcollins.booklikes.com/p...
Maggi Myers's LILY LOVE, is a poignant story of losing something, in order to realize how mysteriously beautiful life can be!
A powerful novel about the power of love. When you are at the end of your rope, sometimes God brings a ray of hope in our lives, which makes life worth living! A fast-paced, poignant novel of loss, love, hope and self-discovery.
Set in North Carolina, LILY LOVE begins with Caroline, at Duke Hospital, a woman who has desperately waited, her entire life to be a mother. Caroline has a mini stroke while delivering (predclampsia). Now she will be unable to have any more children, and has weakness in one hand/arm due to the stroke.
Later, at eighteen months, she and husband, Peter receive the painful news, their beautiful daughter Lily, has a development disability. After so many years of struggling with infertility, they have finally gotten their happy ending – or have they?
“We’ve been conditioned to believe that things always have a way of working themselves out and that happily ever after is within our reach, if we just work hard enough. The truth is that none of us are immune to tragedy. No matter how hard you work, no matter how good you are, life isn’t obligated to give you a fairy-tale ending.”
Through countless doctors, tests, demands, struggling, hospitals, and ongoing stress, Peter and Carolina grow further apart—bitter and cynical. As with any disabled child, the mother becomes overwhelmed with the demands, and care to the point of obsession and fear. Somewhere along the line, she and Peter could not make their way back to one another and they get a divorce.
When Caroline is at her lowest, she relies on her friend Max, a guy she meets at the hospital and her funny, bohemian sister, Paige. Caroline cannot even imagine how she will share custody of their daughter, and how her husband will cope and manage with Lily, as sometimes she can be violent and out of control. She begins to wonder if her life will ever be normal again.
Then one day, she meets a guy, a stranger, Tate in the hospital cafeteria and her world changes. This new found time she has alone, her secret moon garden to meditate, and time to write her thoughts for a book she has thought about for years— as Peter shares in the custody and caring for Lily. This time has offers her new strength and courage to face what lies ahead. She is able to balance her life for the first time and finds comfort in the growing relationship with Tate.
A doctor is describing his special needs child to Caroline: “I used to tell myself that if we could just get through this one rough patch, then everything would be better. I learned quickly that was the fast lane to frustration, because there is no finish line. There will never be a point in his life he will not be dependent on my wife and me in some way. His candid words seep through my skin, into the center of my chest, and take root. He doesn’t regale me with a story of hope and wonderment. His honest is breathtakingly beautiful, in all of its sadness. His acceptance of his son’s condition isn’t decorated with rainbows or unicorns. It is what it is, and that’s okay.”
A very special and unique novel which dives into the painful struggles and raw emotions of a mother, a marriage, and an adorable special-needs child, melting your heart; yet inspiring and uplifting. I enjoyed the part about starting over, dating, and finding love as a single mom with a special-needs child, as well her journey to self-discovery, as Caroline begins to view her life in a different more positive way.
Myers writes with humor and sensitivity with warm-hearted and realistic characters— fans of Lisa Genova “Love Anthony”, and Jodi Picoult will enjoy LILY LOVE.
I was delighted to learn the author is from South Florida, where I currently reside, and she now resides in Greensboro, NC (as I am a native of the Triad area, with sons in Winston-Salem, NC). Wow, cannot wait to tell all my NC friends about this thought-provoking novel.
Maggi Myers, a talented author and one to follow. Looking forward to her many future bestsellers!
http://judithdcollins.booklikes.com/p...
June 17, 2014
MICHELLE'S REVIEW
Guys.
This book.
You have to read it.
Lily Love is so amazing. Ok- let me get my shit together so I can tell you why it's so amazing.
I've had the pleasure of not only meeting Maggi Myers, but actually having a real conversation with her. Now- she's a total delight. But beyond that- she's also one of the strongest women I have ever met. And if you never get a chance to meet her- just meet Caroline- our main character in Lily Love. Seriously, Maggi has poured so much of her real life experience into this book and I think that's why it made me cry all of the tears. Hold...
OK...
The first few chapter of the book really focus on Caroline and Lily and their relationship. It is equal parts beautiful and heartbreaking. I have two cousins with special needs (one with Down's Syndrome and one with CP) and I can say with conviction that they are the most wondering two people I know. Without a doubt. No one loves more than they do. No one makes me feel better than those two do. BUT- I know what their parents go through. Every. Single. Day. And while Lily's condition is unique to her and different, the sentiment is the same. Being the parent of a special needs child isn't easy. Maggi isn't afraid to be brutally honest in this book when sharing Caroline's feelings as a mother. It's not easy. And yes- it definitely has rewards because there is so much love- but it is a hard road.
And my heart BREAKS for all of them . For the love that couldn't survive between her and Peter, for the pain that they all carry, for Lily, for Caroline. Just breaks. I cried A LOT.
But- eventually there was a break from the constant stream of tears (not a total break- it just wasn't constant) as Caroline meets her beautiful stranger- Tate.
Tate is going through his own brand of heartache (more tears) but together- they find that there is beauty in the broken. Not just beauty but pure love. And it's so beautiful.
This book is about so much more than finding love, or dealing with having a special needs child. It's about loving you and letting people love you. When you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders you want to carry the burden. But you just need to look around and see there are people all around you who want to help. For Caroline- she let herself see this- in her sister, in her best friend Max (who better get a book!!) and of course in Tate. She even found it in Peter, when she finally let herself see that she wasn't an island and she didn't need to live in a world of guilt.
I'm crying just thinking about this story.
Just read this book. Invest in some Kleenex and dive in. You will not regret it.
For those of you with a special needs child- I applaud you. I know it can't be easy but the payoff is a child who loves you more than anyone could imagine possible.
Maggi- I cannot say enough good things about this book. You are amazing. I am in awe of you and I hope that everyone has a chance to read this story.
July 5, 2014
Wow. I am speechless after reading this book. I couldn't express it enough how heart warming the story felt. It made my heart swell and cry at the same time. Bittersweet tears. Because I may have preferred another ending to this story, but I accepted the wariness and felt good in it somehow. And in the end I learned to love it as well.
"This love story is never going to be “normal,” but I think that’s exactly why it’s got potential. We both know how cruel life can be, and we’re both learning that you can’t let the hard stuff keep you from living."
This is a story of Caroline, about how a mother struggles life with her child with developmental condition, how she survives her life falling apart, how she picked up the pieces, how she learned to love herself again and how she learned to accept life.
"There’s this image I used to have of family coming together in moments of need, holding on to one another, being strong and resilient for each other. No one tells you how divisive crisis really is. How you’re forced to take on roles that you never intended, thus becoming someone you never wanted to be. I never wanted to be the mother of a child with special needs. I never wanted to be a failure as a wife. I am both."
Though the subject matter is quite heavy, there was a lighthearted feeling all throughout the book. Tate may have been a good influence in that. He is a beautiful character inside out. He brought life to the pain of the story. The readers will definitely fall in love with him and Lily. Oh Lily. She may not normal, but her attitude in acceptance is highly enviable. A child like her can only give the purest of love and acceptance.
"In the depths of my soul, I know that Lily’s disability is not my fault. As a woman, I’m built to grow life in my womb. When I was finally able to conceive without miscarrying, I almost died in childbirth. For the longest time I felt no greater failure than that of my pregnancy. I didn’t know if I’d ever get over it; I’m still learning."
This line from the book hit me right in the core of what I'm struggling with in my personal life. The words really did get to me. These are beautiful words that will pinch at your heart.
Another thing I loved about the book is how the chapter titles were so apt to the situation. See, I have a thing for books that have song title chapters.
This book is highly recommended to those parents with struggles like Caroline. This book will inspire you and move you. This book is truly worth it. After this book, I will definitely read the other books of this author which have been sitting idly on my reader.
"I don’t know what the next few months are going to look like. I’m not going to have a lot of time for much of a life, but the time I do have I’d like to spend with the one person who’s actually made me forget about the fact that mine is falling apart.”
"This love story is never going to be “normal,” but I think that’s exactly why it’s got potential. We both know how cruel life can be, and we’re both learning that you can’t let the hard stuff keep you from living."
This is a story of Caroline, about how a mother struggles life with her child with developmental condition, how she survives her life falling apart, how she picked up the pieces, how she learned to love herself again and how she learned to accept life.
"There’s this image I used to have of family coming together in moments of need, holding on to one another, being strong and resilient for each other. No one tells you how divisive crisis really is. How you’re forced to take on roles that you never intended, thus becoming someone you never wanted to be. I never wanted to be the mother of a child with special needs. I never wanted to be a failure as a wife. I am both."
Though the subject matter is quite heavy, there was a lighthearted feeling all throughout the book. Tate may have been a good influence in that. He is a beautiful character inside out. He brought life to the pain of the story. The readers will definitely fall in love with him and Lily. Oh Lily. She may not normal, but her attitude in acceptance is highly enviable. A child like her can only give the purest of love and acceptance.
"In the depths of my soul, I know that Lily’s disability is not my fault. As a woman, I’m built to grow life in my womb. When I was finally able to conceive without miscarrying, I almost died in childbirth. For the longest time I felt no greater failure than that of my pregnancy. I didn’t know if I’d ever get over it; I’m still learning."
This line from the book hit me right in the core of what I'm struggling with in my personal life. The words really did get to me. These are beautiful words that will pinch at your heart.
Another thing I loved about the book is how the chapter titles were so apt to the situation. See, I have a thing for books that have song title chapters.
This book is highly recommended to those parents with struggles like Caroline. This book will inspire you and move you. This book is truly worth it. After this book, I will definitely read the other books of this author which have been sitting idly on my reader.
"I don’t know what the next few months are going to look like. I’m not going to have a lot of time for much of a life, but the time I do have I’d like to spend with the one person who’s actually made me forget about the fact that mine is falling apart.”
June 17, 2014
Do you ever find a book that makes you just….think? Or maybe it makes you admit things that you’ve always thought but hate to say outloud? Well, for me, Lily Love is just that. I have a daughter, while she doesn’t have a diagnosis, she has many of the classic symptoms of a high functioning Aspie. Now, that being said, I think that ANY parent can relate to Caroline on some level. Whether it be a broken marriage, a child who has an “ism,” or even someone whose life didn’t turn out as planned, Lily Love is just something that I feel all readers need to experience.
Like I said, Lily Love was very personal to me. It literally took me two weeks to finish this book because while I never had to deal with the aspect of a broken marriage, Caroline thought a lot of the things that I have felt, and you know what? She VOCALIZED them. There are very few people who know my true feelings on this matter and well, the fact that someone else felt as I do was reassuring to say the least.
Anyway, moving on….I need to talk about Caroline’s relationship with Max. Now, don’t throw eggs at me yet. Her relationship with Tate is swoontastic, but what really struck me was her friendship with Max. Max is the constant in her life. The one who is always there. The one who loves her unconditionally. As mothers, it’s not often that we even have friends, but to be able to connect with someone like that? Gah. He just makes my heart pitter patter. THAT is the stuff that friendships are made of.
Ok. Enough gushing from me. Obviously I NEED you to read Lily Love. Maggi Myers has a way with words that is just indescribable. She has a way that makes me laugh through my tears and that is something special. She has a way of adding just the right amount of snark and sarcasm into her characters, yet she can make you weep because she has such intimate scenes.
Like I said, Lily Love was very personal to me. It literally took me two weeks to finish this book because while I never had to deal with the aspect of a broken marriage, Caroline thought a lot of the things that I have felt, and you know what? She VOCALIZED them. There are very few people who know my true feelings on this matter and well, the fact that someone else felt as I do was reassuring to say the least.
Anyway, moving on….I need to talk about Caroline’s relationship with Max. Now, don’t throw eggs at me yet. Her relationship with Tate is swoontastic, but what really struck me was her friendship with Max. Max is the constant in her life. The one who is always there. The one who loves her unconditionally. As mothers, it’s not often that we even have friends, but to be able to connect with someone like that? Gah. He just makes my heart pitter patter. THAT is the stuff that friendships are made of.
Ok. Enough gushing from me. Obviously I NEED you to read Lily Love. Maggi Myers has a way with words that is just indescribable. She has a way that makes me laugh through my tears and that is something special. She has a way of adding just the right amount of snark and sarcasm into her characters, yet she can make you weep because she has such intimate scenes.
July 9, 2014
Lily Love by Maggi Myers touched me very deeply on so many levels. This story is about love, loss, struggle, doubt, acceptance, rediscovery of self and moving forward. Caroline, the main character, is facing all of this in a very realistic and brutally honest way. Let's face it, all of us at one time or another have experienced these emotions. Our situations may not be the same, but the feelings evoked are.
I cried ugly tears for Caroline. I can relate to how she is feeling as a woman dealing with uncertainty and what ifs and why me! It's raw and real. We may not want to admit to how we feel, it may portray us as selfish or uncaring, but again, it's the reality of facing life altering paths and the lives we NEVER pictured for ourselves.
I am not the mother of a special needs child, but the candor that this is written in made me appreciate the woman that Caroline is trying to be. Caroline loves her child with every fiber of her being that much is clear, but at the end of the day, she is human. To say that you never experienced the emotional ups and downs in ANY situation, you would be lying! It may not be the "PC" way to deal with things but again, we are human and these less then optimal feelings do happen. It's our way to try to work through them. But again, the love that Caroline has for her daughter is always at the very core.
What I appreciated, is that you saw Caroline grow. She learned from her mistakes and took ownership, accepted the situations but at the same time decided not to be a prisoner to them. She may not have chosen this life, but she does have the power to make the best life that she can for herself and Lily. She pulled her self up, brushed her self off and, eventually, got her groove back!
I highly recommend Lily Love. Bravo Maggi!
I cried ugly tears for Caroline. I can relate to how she is feeling as a woman dealing with uncertainty and what ifs and why me! It's raw and real. We may not want to admit to how we feel, it may portray us as selfish or uncaring, but again, it's the reality of facing life altering paths and the lives we NEVER pictured for ourselves.
I am not the mother of a special needs child, but the candor that this is written in made me appreciate the woman that Caroline is trying to be. Caroline loves her child with every fiber of her being that much is clear, but at the end of the day, she is human. To say that you never experienced the emotional ups and downs in ANY situation, you would be lying! It may not be the "PC" way to deal with things but again, we are human and these less then optimal feelings do happen. It's our way to try to work through them. But again, the love that Caroline has for her daughter is always at the very core.
What I appreciated, is that you saw Caroline grow. She learned from her mistakes and took ownership, accepted the situations but at the same time decided not to be a prisoner to them. She may not have chosen this life, but she does have the power to make the best life that she can for herself and Lily. She pulled her self up, brushed her self off and, eventually, got her groove back!
I highly recommend Lily Love. Bravo Maggi!
August 4, 2014
Liiiiillllllyyyyy Love! Yes, I am singing that while I write. Beautiful on so many levels, Lily Love is a story for the caregivers. That forgotten person that stands strong daily. Suffers in private. Breaking down alone, controlled, and as quick as the tears come they are wiped away. Why? Because there is no crying when you are the one left holding all the pieces together.
We are taught that after the “I do” in order to complete the happily ever after, two become three. What happens with the third takes over everything you ever knew? Demanding time and attention. When Caroline fell in love with Peter she thought it was for better or worse. When worse become a never ending uphill battle it was Caroline left to stand strong, alone.
Reading Lily Love I was able to relate to the struggle even though I am not a parent. Caroline’s story, regardless of the players, sadly has become the norm for many. In a society where everything has become disposable, even relationships, someone is left to pick up the portion left behind. Lily becomes the secondary character, as Caroline finds a way to recycle her past while caring for the one person that holds her love, unconditionally.
Lily Love is an outstanding follow up to Maggi Myer’s first book, The Finial Piece, and a book that demands attention. This book is not only entertaining, it is a beacon of hope for all that have lost their way caring for others. Its ok to feel, its ok to be angry, and its ok live, because unless you are the best you can be you can never be the best for others.
We are taught that after the “I do” in order to complete the happily ever after, two become three. What happens with the third takes over everything you ever knew? Demanding time and attention. When Caroline fell in love with Peter she thought it was for better or worse. When worse become a never ending uphill battle it was Caroline left to stand strong, alone.
Reading Lily Love I was able to relate to the struggle even though I am not a parent. Caroline’s story, regardless of the players, sadly has become the norm for many. In a society where everything has become disposable, even relationships, someone is left to pick up the portion left behind. Lily becomes the secondary character, as Caroline finds a way to recycle her past while caring for the one person that holds her love, unconditionally.
Lily Love is an outstanding follow up to Maggi Myer’s first book, The Finial Piece, and a book that demands attention. This book is not only entertaining, it is a beacon of hope for all that have lost their way caring for others. Its ok to feel, its ok to be angry, and its ok live, because unless you are the best you can be you can never be the best for others.
September 13, 2014
Lily Love is an awesome book. The author drew me into Caroline and Lily's world instantly from the first page. I like Caroline thought that her ex-husband, Peter was going to be a jerk. He turned out to still be a loving husband and father. He was kind to both Caroline and Lily. Which made me like him as well. Plus what I really liked about this book is that the author did not dwell much on the battle between Caroline and Peter for custody of Lily. The author just wrote the story as two parents trying to do the best they can for their child. So any parent who has a sick child could relate to Caroline and Peter.
Lily is such a cutie. I like that her disability was not portrayed as a weakness but as something that made her unique and gave her lots of personality. I would have liked to have seen her featured a little more. The budding romance for Caroline was a nice one. She is human and that human interaction with Tate was nice. There was one point where I was not sure how the story was going to go with Tate as he was wildly professing his love for Caroline and he seemed to come on really strong but it turned out just fine. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Lily is such a cutie. I like that her disability was not portrayed as a weakness but as something that made her unique and gave her lots of personality. I would have liked to have seen her featured a little more. The budding romance for Caroline was a nice one. She is human and that human interaction with Tate was nice. There was one point where I was not sure how the story was going to go with Tate as he was wildly professing his love for Caroline and he seemed to come on really strong but it turned out just fine. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
July 27, 2014
I received this book from good reads first reads. This book was not in my typical genre I usually read, and I loved it. There are not many books out there that I read that I feel something for the characters but this is one that I did. Everything this book had to offer seemed real almost like it was happening to a friend or family member you cared about. It is deffinally sad at times but also very uplifting. It shows the true strength some people need to show day in and day out when life doesn't deal them a fair hand and how its ok to accept help from others to get you through low points in your life. It also shows love can hit you at anytime no matter what situation you are going through. This was another book that I would not have read if it wasnt for good reads and it turned out to be one of my favorites I read this year, I would be very interested in seeing a sequal to this book to see how everyone is doing.
July 21, 2014
I am a first reads winner of "Lily Love"
When I first started this book I was completely in love with it the only reason I gave if four stars instead of 5 is because personally the relationship with Tate was a little weird for me to connect with. she was a little dramatic and felt sorry for herself but with this story she had the right to. This book brought me to tears I really loved it. I wish that she would have talked about Lily even more. I also wish if she was going to welcome a rebound relationship it would have been with Max. Overall I really connected with this book. Children with special needs have always held a special place in my heart, and I really love lily and how she is described. I love how the author described the characters I really felt connected to them. I am really glad I won this book I really enjoyed reading it, and I never felt bored with it.
When I first started this book I was completely in love with it the only reason I gave if four stars instead of 5 is because personally the relationship with Tate was a little weird for me to connect with. she was a little dramatic and felt sorry for herself but with this story she had the right to. This book brought me to tears I really loved it. I wish that she would have talked about Lily even more. I also wish if she was going to welcome a rebound relationship it would have been with Max. Overall I really connected with this book. Children with special needs have always held a special place in my heart, and I really love lily and how she is described. I love how the author described the characters I really felt connected to them. I am really glad I won this book I really enjoyed reading it, and I never felt bored with it.
July 3, 2014
I fell in love with Maggie Myers first book "The Final Piece"!!! Well "Lily Love" Was just AMAZING!!! I am not very good with words, or writing long reviews. I just give my honest opinion. Short and sweet. With that said........ This story was REAL. It was BEAUTIFUL. It was LOVE. It was very INSPIRING. It was full of emotion. I laughed and cried, and laughed and cried some more. Most of all it was STRENGTH and HOPE.
I couldn't put it down as soon as I began reading it. I was drawn in and couldn't stop. I highly recommend everyone read this amazing story! I can't wait for more breathtaking stories from Maggi! <3
I couldn't put it down as soon as I began reading it. I was drawn in and couldn't stop. I highly recommend everyone read this amazing story! I can't wait for more breathtaking stories from Maggi! <3
September 7, 2014
3.5 mixed emotion stars.... the first half was slow, sad, and a bit troubling for me to read. The heroine's emotions were raw, and very real. She pushed everyone away because of her overwhelming need to take care of her disabled daughter, which made her seem bitter and emotionally unstable. Then, the second half she had an awakening when she met Tate. She was no longer self deprecating, she started to realize how beautiful life is and her overall outlook changed.
It's a slow, but well written story with very tangible, emotional characters.
It's a slow, but well written story with very tangible, emotional characters.
July 29, 2014
4 Lily Love stars!!!!!!
Beautifully written and every character in the book, I loved. What bugged me most was how Caroline isn't so strong and seems to always cry in every chapter...? But then again I know nothing about having a child with special needs, but I wish she was just stronger.
Beautifully written and every character in the book, I loved. What bugged me most was how Caroline isn't so strong and seems to always cry in every chapter...? But then again I know nothing about having a child with special needs, but I wish she was just stronger.
August 27, 2014
Loved loved loved it.
A subject that it often overlooked, at how difficult and trying the life of a parent of a child with any disability can be.
Finding love for themselves is the last thing on their minds until THE right person comes along
A subject that it often overlooked, at how difficult and trying the life of a parent of a child with any disability can be.
Finding love for themselves is the last thing on their minds until THE right person comes along
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