Eight Days

Love Always #1.5

by D. Nichole King

Suicide.

That’s what being with Kate Browdy is. She’s sick. And now my father has knocked her out because her immune system can’t deal with this virus. Seven years of fighting leukemia is destroying her.

I can’t deal with this.

I’m not strong like her.

Survival instinct kicks in, so I do what I know—I call Ellie. Numb the pain.

But there shouldn’t even be pain. What is it about this girl?

She’s not good for me, and I’m not good for her. I’m a freaking disaster, and Kate deserves better.

Maybe it’s time to cut my losses.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Novella

93 pages, Paperback

First published December 30, 2014

About the author

I'm pretty sure I drink too much Pepsi. I'm also pretty sure that somedays it's what keeps me sane. Well, Pepsi and writing, that is.

I'm a dreamer, an inspirer. I find beauty in weakness, brokenness, and heartbreak. In life, and joy, and happiness. These moments don't define us, but the choices we make in these moments do.

I write about these moments. About the choices we make and the paths we tread. About the circumstances that make us who we are and the experiences that will lead us to who we will become.

I write about life. Love. Pain. And hope.

"It's not about the ending; it's about the journey."

Reviews

[Sunniva Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

GENIUS TWIST!

So many authors fall into the trap of recreating a successful book from a different point of view. As a reader, that is NOT what I'm looking for when I buy installment number 2. Of any book I've read, this—Eight Days—is the most stellar, most prominent example of the complete opposite. D Nichole King throws us into the midst of the the story from Love Always, Kate, and lets us relive eight scary days from the point of view of Damian, Kate's love interest. And what he went through during these days, the ups and downs, the conflicts, his solutions to them are completely and utterly new!

I'm a writer myself, and I am in awe of how D. did this. It is absolutely genius. As a lover of angsty, passionate New Adult as well, Eight Days is as good as it gets, folks.

This is a real, raw, beautiful story about what happens when a young man—boy, really—has to face the reality of loving someone so intensely, and at the same time know he can lose her at any moment. His mistakes, his anguish. If you have read Love Always, Kate, book 1 in this series, you are familiar with the characters in Eight Days.

Now, I can only say: bring on the last book in the trilogy, Love Always, Damian. I know the author is writing it. I honestly cannot wait to see where his wild ride takes him.

[D. King · Rating 5 out of 5]

A review from the author? Weird, I know. But this isn't technically a review.

No, it's a thank you.

Thank you to all the readers, reviewers, and bloggers who have either left a review for "Love Always, Kate" or messaged me your thoughts. This book, "Eight Days", was spawned by your comments. When I wrote the first book, I had no intentions of writing a novella. But you wanted more of Damian. His POV. Why he fell for Kate.

And so I wrote "Eight Days."

I hope that you enjoy it, and that through it, you are able to connect a little more with Damian Lowell.

Also, look for the continuation of his story in "Love Always, Damian" set to release in 2015.

And thank you all for your continued support. <3

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

To understand the depth of love one must live it. And that’s exactly what happened with this novella. I lived it. Kate and Damian. And now? I get their love. I further understand it. Understand them. That their love didn’t see illness or pain. Their love just is.

“Leukemia is the catalyst that shows the world how wonderful she really is.”

I will admit. I don’t read many novellas. Simply because I want a complete story. Not just part of it. But, Eight Days? It is simply the missing piece I never knew that I needed. Never knew I truly wanted it. Until I finished the last page. I highly recommend that you read Love Always, Kate before picking up Eight Days. This novella gives an insight into eight painful and stressful days that Damian endured as a virus ravages Kate’s already frail body. He battles with staying by her side and running away to Ellie. We all know what happens when he is with Ellie. His broken self looks to her but she can never truly fix his broken pieces. It is more clearer that time with Ellie breaks him even more, and he looks to Kate to mend every single piece. He only finds solace with her. His heart is with Kate. Always. Despite his actions. He is almost afraid to love her, but his love for her is stronger than fear.

“I just know that when I’m with her, it feels like she’s beginning to piece me back together.”

If you thought you understood the love Damian has for Kate, you are sadly mistaken. You watch him struggle with himself, you feel his ups and downs. You endure his pain with him. You simply LIVE his pain. You LIVE his love. He feels a pull towards Ellie, because of his brother. But that’s the thing about love. Love triumphs everything. Especially the love he has for Kate. He loves Kate, with his entire being. He loves Kate with conviction. He loves her with everything. Her illness makes her no less desirable. He sees her heart and he wants nothing more than to be loved by it.

“I know you think you’re broken, but you’re not. You are so fucking far from being broken, baby. So far. Me on the other hand? Well I see you and you make me less broken.”

Eight Days is in no way a retelling of a part of Love Always, Kate. It is simply done in Damian’s POV and adds a refreshing and honest side to their love story. The author never holds back. Damian’s every thought, good, bad, selfish are all out on display. This raw and genuine novella not only added a different view of their story, but it added layers that I never knew existed. Damian’s POV hurts. It’s not rainbows and butterflies. It’s the truth. It further solidified the reasoning of this story of Kate and Damian truly being one of my favorites of all time.

“This girl. This beautiful, sick girl wants me. Me. Messed-up, broken, undeserving me.”

Eight Days truly stole my heart. It beats over this story an entire day later. All I want to do is love Damian harder than I ever did. Because I get it. Were his actions justified? No. But his love for Kate far surpasses anything I’ve ever read. Ever. Their love challenges. Their love overcomes. Now that I’ve pretty much poured my all into this review, and as I wipe the tears away, I have to ask the author...can I have my heart back?

[Andre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leer esto es un acto horriblemente masoquista, el primer libro me mató emocionalmente.
Acá podemos saber lo que pasaba con Damian mientras Kate estaba en coma y realmente no ayuda, esa sensación de amor - odio que me provoca su poca consecuencia emocional, quiere ser mejor para ella pero por otro lado hace lo contrario.

[Cranky - The Book Curmudgeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

!!!3.5 Very Cranky Stars!!!




3.5 stars because I can't say that it wasn't well written, and I'm not going to hold it against the author that I pretty much hated this story. Actually, that is still a testament to her abilities to bring out emotion in the reader, even if it is negative emotion.




Love Always, Kate, the first book in this series, was heartwrenching, but beautiful. In it, I had some issues with Damian Lowell's character, but saw the good in him and his love of Kate. I do not doubt that he loved her as much as he was capable of, and in Love Always, Kate, he did a marvelous job of making her feel not only loved, but a whole person. Battling leukemia since childhood, she had always felt her disease had kept her from fitting in, or being seen as just Kate, not the girl who had cancer. Seeing Damian mostly through Kate's eyes made it easier to accept his darker side.




Eight Days is a look inside Damian's mind and actions during the eight days Kate was in a medically induced coma. I am sure the author's intent was to show the readers just how broken Damian was when he met Kate and how he battled to become a better man for her.



Unfortunately, for me, I just got more disgusted with his actions with each page, and lost the respect I had for him in Love Always, Kate. With her being in a coma throughout the telling of Eight Days, it is easy to forget the good she sees in him. In general I'm all for the bad boy, but to me this was just too much bad and not enough redemption.




Overall, the author's writer's voice is still very coherent, smooth and realistic. And, bottom line, I will read the final book in the trilogy when it is available.




For mature audiences only for sexual situations.

[Laura Thalassa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot get enough of this story and enough about sweet Kate and troubled, tormented Damian. There’s always been something about love in the face of death that moves me, and that’s the kind of story Eight Days is—love dancing on the edge of a knife.

For those of you not in the know, Eight Days is the companion novella to Love Always, Kate. Here we get to live inside Damian Lowell’s mind during the time that Kate was in a coma. And oh Damian, how my heart hurt for you.

One of the things I love most about this story was that Damian’s personality was never blunted. He had destructive tendencies and D. Nichole King didn’t hold back on those less-than-savory sides of him. He’s tortured and more than a little broken and we see that acutely in his thoughts and actions. To me, it made the story more real. His redeeming quality? It’s his overwhelming love and fear of loss that drives him to self-destruction.

Another character we meet in this novel, one I came to cherish, was Elle. I didn’t think I’d like her, given the role she plays, but by the end, my heart went out to her just as much as it did Damian.

Such a fantastic novella! Now Love Always, Damian needs to come out because I need me more of that boy!

[Silvia Ruiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

leer este POV fue Extraño de algo que ya paso
y saber como es el final de Desgarrador , en verdad dan ganas de hacerse bolita otra ves

[BethyMac · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very quick read, read it in one sitting in a little over an hour. I did enjoy reading this and getting to see some of Damian and what he felt and was going through but on the other hand, part of me lost a little love for him seeing what he was doing, I loved him in Love ALways, Kate and my heart broke for him and have been anxiously waiting for his book so at first when I thought this was his, I was a little disappointed to find out it is a portion of LAK where Kate is in the drug induced coma but it's his POV.

It was a really good read but a very quick one, would have loved to seen more. ALso I didn't mind paying $1.99 but do feel after it only taking me 1 hour to read this that $1.99 is a bit too steep, for a book less than 100 pages, should be more like $.99. But still a good read especially if you loved LAK

[Claire Sayan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh god, this story just pulls you in! I can't cope :'( I don't think I can read the next book, not unless Kate is going to come back to life and she and Damien can get married, have 10 kids and live happily every after! Please let that happen, please.....

[Jessica Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh I still hate Damien I did not like him in the first and I don't want to read his book at all. It was a well-written book and it gave is a look at what Damiens was doing and feeling when Kate was in a coma. Spoiler he was up to no good. Kate is amazing.

[Michelle Quintana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Touching

I'm glad that this book is from Damian's pov for the eight days that Katie was in a coma. He's trying to come to terms with why he keeps going back to her, even though he wants to run away. I'm disappointed with his interaction with Ellie but she's his coping mechanism. I just wish Katie and Damian would have had a different ending.

[Melyssa Winchester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Eight Days
Author: D. Nichole King
Series or Standalone: Love Always, Kate Novella (1.5)
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Coming Of Age
Rating: 5 Stars *****

Review:

When I’ve been asked about books that have affected me, ones that have altered the way I read as well as my life in general, there is always one book that comes to mind before any other. And that book is Love Always, Kate, which without, this book would not exist.

I can still to this day even though I can’t bring myself to go back into it, remember the way it made me feel, bring to the surface every single heart wrenching minute of it which made this book a must have for me, even if it did take me far too long to get to sit down and actually read it.

This novella picks up during the eight days that Kate has been placed in a medically induced coma and follows Damian, who despite being rough around the edges during the full length story, I couldn’t help but understand and sympathize with. It follows him as he tries to sort out the myriad of emotions that he feels and tries to come to terms with who he is, why he does the things he does and just what it is that Kate seems to be doing to him that makes him unable to walk away.

Now I can see a lot of people not getting Damian. In fact, I’m pretty sure I know a lot of readers that would hate him, based on some of the decisions he makes in this book and even the ones that he made within the first one. He’s not exactly helping his cause here with some of the things he does, but I didn’t feel that way and here’s why.

I get Damian in a way that most might not because I happen to be best friends with Damian. Or rather, a differently named, slightly older version of him, and when faced with the possibility of losing the person that he seems to love more than he ever thought possible, after already suffering so much other loss and pain separate from it, he’s lost. He doesn’t know which end is up and he has no idea what to do with everything he’s feeling.

Does it make the things he does in this book acceptable or right? No, and I would never say that it was, but people deal with grief, the idea of loss and actually losing someone differently. I can’t judge it because I can easily put myself in his shoes, or even in the shoes of the best friend of mine mentioned above, and I can’t say with any degree of certainty that I myself wouldn’t make mistakes, different ones sure, but ones equally as painful and hard to tolerate.

Damian stole my heart in Love Always, Kate and he held it here because in order to truly grow, one has to make mistakes. You can’t change, become better and grow until you mess up and learn and even though it took him awhile, towards the end of this story, there was growth there. Damian was learning. He was seeing that he didn’t have to be his lost brother, his father, or anyone else other than himself and it for this reader was a beautiful thing.

It was painful being back in these characters lives. There were moments at which I teared up, where my heart just seems to pause as I was reading and ache uncontrollably, but if this book didn’t make me do that, it wouldn’t have been any good. In this case, with these characters, it was worth the hits to my heart to get to experience everything the way that the author brought it to life.

This was the perfect companion piece to the original and I’m glad that the author took a chance and took us into the mind of Damian even though I know for her it must not have been easy.

If you’re looking for a book that will make you feel, I urge you to first pick up and read Love Always, Kate, and if you think you can handle a bit more, read this one. You won’t be disappointed.

D. Nichole King, not only have you outdone yourself with this story, but you’ve also done tremendous justice to both Damian and Kate. Thank you for writing this truly wonderful book.

[Helen (Eleni) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to win an ARC copy of Eight Days and I absolutely loved it! This book is in Damian's POV and it takes place during the eight days that Kate is in an induced coma. You get a look in how he struggles with his feelings for Kate, for Ellie and the promise he made to his brother, the possibility that there is a chance that he might lose Kate and whether he is strong enough to go through something like that again, as well as if he deserves to be with someone like Kate! His actions in the book aren't always right or justifiable, but what I liked about Damian is that he knew when he was being wrong, would admit his mistakes, wasn't trying to make excuses for them, was honest about the fact that he would probably make mistakes again, but was determined to be there for Kate and do the best he can.
Getting to know Damian throughout Love Always, Kate from Kate's POV and seeing how he could be, I've wondered since reading it what Damian's mindset would be during those eight days, so I was very glad when I found out that D. Nichole King would be releasing this novella. It was AMAZING. I highly recommend reading Love Always, Kate before reading Eight Days. Looking forward to reading Love Always, Damian!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won an ARC of this book last night and devoured it in a little under an hour this morning, it's that good. I love that we get to see everything from Damien's point of view and how everything effects him much more than he lets on. Kate is a tangible presence in this book,a warrior who is fighting for her life and loving life along the way. I love how the author didn't try to make her a pity me character, or even like a martyr, she is such a strong character and she is a huge reason Damien tries to become a better man, I love his words to her at the end of the book, I stood up fro my chair and did a little fist pump like "way to go buddy! Now you are on the right track" the readers love for these characters brought about this Novella and the author gave us exactly what we wanted! A heartbreakingly beautiful story about well written, flawed characters well mainly Damien who are just trying to figure out a way to get through each and every day and deal with life changing moments.
I can't wait for the next book which we get a preview of at the end of this book. It will definitely be one of my pre-order or stay up until 11 just so I can one click it as soon as it is available.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This novella and glimpse into Damian's head was very well-written in his POV, but I'm conflicted about what to think because Damian is a complete mess. From Love Always, Kate, I knew he was tackling big personal issues, but wanted to think the best of him, especially in terms of how he was there for Kate during some of the hardest times. It was obvious to me how much he cared for her. I can't say that I liked Damian more because he really can be a complete douchebag, but I also saw how much pain he was in and was earnestly trying to do better when he put his mind to it. Plus, he was never under the false assumption that he was an amazing person who deserved the best of everything. He dealt with so much loss and the feeling of being inferior to his brother, that he was surviving in the only way he knew how, even though it hurt other people, too. However, there is no doubt about how much he respects and adores Kate. I'm really hoping to see some growth in him when I read Love Always, Damian.

[Jacki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through Wicked Reads.

After reading the first book, I was in love with this story. This novella was like a bonus to it. I loved it. For being so short, it had so much emotion in it. It was a quick read for me and I couldn't put it down. Getting to see Damian's perspective was a great add on to the storyline and I really liked it. I would definitely suggesst any reader of this storyline to make sure to read this one. Thanks to the author for adding it.

[Undeniably Addicted to Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eight Days is a novella that takes us on the emotional rollercoaster in Damian during an eight day span of Love Always, Kate. I can only imagine the difficulty in going from Kate's POV to Damian's POV, but King has done a wonderful job, and really made me feel with and for Damian while he battles his demons.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this novella from Damien's POV. I didn't always understand where he was coming from or agree with his choices, but it was interesting and well written. A good inbetweener story for the series.

+I received this a a First Reads Give away+

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

great to read Damien's POV during that eight days. enjoyed this read. can't wait to read more!

[Naiu Herondale · Rating 5 out of 5]

lo peor de leer un pov de algo que ya paso, es saber como termina :(

[LaDonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

ugh! I had typed about a 500 word or so review and it went *poof* before I hit the save button. will try again later when I've calmed down.

[Cindy Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so awesome reading from Damians POV. Totally looking forward to the next book.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

so amazing to be able to read these scenes from Damian's POV. I really enjoyed it. and even though it was short it was perfect for a novella and setting the premise for Love Always, Damian.

[justwant2read · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it was important for us to hear Damian's side of how he felt when Kate was at her sickest. I'm a little disappointed in him though.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked getting more of an insight to Damian, but sometimes he really made me mad.

[Lone Palm]

4.5 Broken Stars

This novella is pure Damian - in all of his misery and yes, his beauty. Do yourself huge favor and read it. You won't be sorry.

[Evelyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aquí no aguante a Damian. Fin.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/29/2022)! 🎁

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella is a peak inside of Damian's head when Kate was rushed to the hospital and his father, her oncologist, ended up putting her into a medically induced coma to fight the virus that attacked her poor body.

The 8 days she's comatose, you see Damian's true colors. He sneaks into a hospital room to have sex with Ellie to try to forget Kate; only he ends up feeling nothing but guilt when he ends up back in her room, repeatedly apologizing to her. The second time he meets Ellie, they end up outside in his car, thinking that he'd feel better farther away from her. None of his tactics work. He should have walked away the day his dad confronted him about his fooling around with Ellie and his "other" girls. Dr. Lowell knows Kate's special, but warning his son away from her backfires work.

A great read!

[Adric Rangel · Rating 3 out of 5]

He de admitir que me gusto mucho el anterior libro, por lo que seguí con este, sin saber lo que realmente leería (aunque ya sabía un poco sobre la manera en que Damian buscaba desahogarse de sus problemas, cosa que me disgustó mucho). Ahora lo único que puedo decir, después de leer "Eight Days" es que si en el anterior me decepcionó Damian, en este, sabiendo más sobre su punto de vista al saber lo que ocurrió cuando Kate estuvo por ocho día en el hospital, ese sentimiento creció.

En pocas palabras, lo odié al principio de la novela. Lo odié al saber lo que había hecho cuando Kate estuvo en el hospital. En serio, estaba con un: "Damian, no puede ser. ¿Hiciste esto? ¡Qué decepción contigo!"... Por ello el motivo de mi valoración.

Es una novela corta, de lectura rápida.