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Every Time You Go Away
In New York Times bestselling author Beth Harbison's most emotional novel ever, a fractured family must come together at a beach house haunted by the past.
Willa has never fully recovered from the sudden death of her husband, Ben. She became an absent mother to her young son, Jamie, unable to comfort him while reeling from her own grief.
Now, years after Ben’s death, Willa finally decides to return to the beach house where he passed. It’s time to move on and put the Ocean City, Maryland house on the market.
When Willa arrives, the house is in worse shape than she could have imagined, and the memories of her time with Ben are overwhelming. They met at this house and she sees him around every corner. Literally. Ben’s ghost keeps reappearing, trying to start conversations with Willa. And she can’t help talking back.
To protect her sanity, Willa enlists Jamie, her best friend Kristin, and Kristin’s daughter Kelsey to join her for one last summer at the beach. As they explore their old haunts, buried feelings come to the surface, Jamie and Kelsey rekindle their childhood friendship, and Willa searches for the chance to finally say goodbye to her husband and to reconnect with her son.
Every Time You Go Away is a heartfelt, emotional story about healing a tragic loss, letting go, and coming together as a family.
Willa has never fully recovered from the sudden death of her husband, Ben. She became an absent mother to her young son, Jamie, unable to comfort him while reeling from her own grief.
Now, years after Ben’s death, Willa finally decides to return to the beach house where he passed. It’s time to move on and put the Ocean City, Maryland house on the market.
When Willa arrives, the house is in worse shape than she could have imagined, and the memories of her time with Ben are overwhelming. They met at this house and she sees him around every corner. Literally. Ben’s ghost keeps reappearing, trying to start conversations with Willa. And she can’t help talking back.
To protect her sanity, Willa enlists Jamie, her best friend Kristin, and Kristin’s daughter Kelsey to join her for one last summer at the beach. As they explore their old haunts, buried feelings come to the surface, Jamie and Kelsey rekindle their childhood friendship, and Willa searches for the chance to finally say goodbye to her husband and to reconnect with her son.
Every Time You Go Away is a heartfelt, emotional story about healing a tragic loss, letting go, and coming together as a family.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published July 24, 2018
129 people are currently reading
3008 people want to read
About the author
Beth Harbison
25 books1,701 followersBeth Harbison grew up in Potomac, Maryland, in the shadow of Washington, D.C. Apart from the occasional irritation at being held up in traffic by a presidential motorcade, she has remained fairly uninvolved in the politics that define her home town. Her latest book is CONFESSIONS OF THE OTHER SISTER, William Morrow 10/11/22
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 417 reviews
July 14, 2018
4 emotional stars to Every Time You Go Away! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Every Time You Go Away has been well-loved by several of my reading buddies, and I did not want to miss out on this summer read!
Willa lost her husband, Ben, suddenly, and after, she was not the most available mother to Jamie, her son. The loss shut her down and closed her off to the world, and unfortunately, she has not been able to move through her grief.
Several years later she returns to the beach house where Ben passed away. The house has been abandoned much like most of Willa’s life and relationships. She has decided to put the house on the market, but she is not aware of the condition of the house until she arrives. It looks like an abandoned house in every way.
Not only that, but Willa has to contend with all the memories of her life with Ben that come flooding back when she is confronted with the house. And when she is confronted with Ben’s ghost all over the house. Yes, Ben’s ghost. I know some readers do not prefer paranormal elements, but this was done with a light hand and only added to the sensitivity of the story.
Rather than be alone in the house with her husband’s ghost, and recognizing she needs some help getting everything in order, Willa asks her son, Jamie, her best friend, Kristin, and Kristin’s daughter, Kelsey, to spend the summer with her at the beach house to prepare it for sale. Memories are shared, feelings are brought to the forefront, and the summer becomes an exploration of second chances.
Every Time You Go Away is well-balanced in its emotional take on grief, living life, friendship, reconnection, and healing. I loved it!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for a beautiful physical copy to review. Every Time You Go Away will be published on July 24, 2018.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
Every Time You Go Away has been well-loved by several of my reading buddies, and I did not want to miss out on this summer read!
Willa lost her husband, Ben, suddenly, and after, she was not the most available mother to Jamie, her son. The loss shut her down and closed her off to the world, and unfortunately, she has not been able to move through her grief.
Several years later she returns to the beach house where Ben passed away. The house has been abandoned much like most of Willa’s life and relationships. She has decided to put the house on the market, but she is not aware of the condition of the house until she arrives. It looks like an abandoned house in every way.
Not only that, but Willa has to contend with all the memories of her life with Ben that come flooding back when she is confronted with the house. And when she is confronted with Ben’s ghost all over the house. Yes, Ben’s ghost. I know some readers do not prefer paranormal elements, but this was done with a light hand and only added to the sensitivity of the story.
Rather than be alone in the house with her husband’s ghost, and recognizing she needs some help getting everything in order, Willa asks her son, Jamie, her best friend, Kristin, and Kristin’s daughter, Kelsey, to spend the summer with her at the beach house to prepare it for sale. Memories are shared, feelings are brought to the forefront, and the summer becomes an exploration of second chances.
Every Time You Go Away is well-balanced in its emotional take on grief, living life, friendship, reconnection, and healing. I loved it!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for a beautiful physical copy to review. Every Time You Go Away will be published on July 24, 2018.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
June 27, 2018
Every Time You Go Away seems to have two different book blurbs written for it and two different covers. I'm using the blurb and cover that match the advance copy of the book that I received and I truly hope this is the version that is published as the final copy as the story really did live up to their tag line of "a heartfelt, emotional story about healing a tragic loss, letting go, and coming together as a family".
The majority of the book is told from the prospective of Willa who is still grieving the passing of her husband three years before from a heart attack. Ben had been at the family beach house alone when he passed and in the years since Willa hasn't been able to bring herself to go to the house or to take her son there but now Willa believes it's time to let go and sell the house.
After arriving Willa feels something a bit off and her dog is also reluctant to enter but Willa just chalks it up to nerves. After meeting with a realtor Willa begins the repairs that will need to be made and finally convinces her teenage son, Jamie, to come help. Soon the two are joined by some long time family friends and Willa finds that she is the only one seeing her ex-husband every around the house.
Every Time You Go Away is the third book I've read by Beth Harbison and while each have the contemporary foundation to build upon they each have contained something else a little extra to make them unique. In this one we have the main character communication with her husband's spirit in the home and while some may not be a fan of such a thing in this type of read I rather enjoyed the added twist. The underlying story is still about bringing their family back together after such a huge loss and learning just how to live again themselves and to move on. It's was definitely a touching and emotional read in a beautiful beachy setting so I definitely enjoyed this one rating it in the end at 4.5 stars.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more review please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
The majority of the book is told from the prospective of Willa who is still grieving the passing of her husband three years before from a heart attack. Ben had been at the family beach house alone when he passed and in the years since Willa hasn't been able to bring herself to go to the house or to take her son there but now Willa believes it's time to let go and sell the house.
After arriving Willa feels something a bit off and her dog is also reluctant to enter but Willa just chalks it up to nerves. After meeting with a realtor Willa begins the repairs that will need to be made and finally convinces her teenage son, Jamie, to come help. Soon the two are joined by some long time family friends and Willa finds that she is the only one seeing her ex-husband every around the house.
Every Time You Go Away is the third book I've read by Beth Harbison and while each have the contemporary foundation to build upon they each have contained something else a little extra to make them unique. In this one we have the main character communication with her husband's spirit in the home and while some may not be a fan of such a thing in this type of read I rather enjoyed the added twist. The underlying story is still about bringing their family back together after such a huge loss and learning just how to live again themselves and to move on. It's was definitely a touching and emotional read in a beautiful beachy setting so I definitely enjoyed this one rating it in the end at 4.5 stars.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more review please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
July 23, 2018
Poignant, touching, and sweet!
Every Time You Go Away is a tender, moving novel that takes you on a journey into the life of Willa Bennett as she learns how to cope with unexpectedly losing the love of her life, enduring the heartache involved in acknowledging and accepting the loss, surviving the grief, healing as a family, and learning to live again.
The prose is heartfelt and immersive. The characters are lonely, scarred, and endearing. And the story is an absorbing tale about life, loss, love, grief, familial drama, friendship, relationship dynamics, courage, parenthood, moving on, happiness, and first loves all interwoven with a thread of the paranormal.
Every Time You Go Away is another uplifting, beautiful tale by Harbison that reminds us that love is powerful and everlasting, and that life is precious and should always be lived to the fullest.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
All my reviews can be found on my blog at https://whatsbetterthanbooks.com
Every Time You Go Away is a tender, moving novel that takes you on a journey into the life of Willa Bennett as she learns how to cope with unexpectedly losing the love of her life, enduring the heartache involved in acknowledging and accepting the loss, surviving the grief, healing as a family, and learning to live again.
The prose is heartfelt and immersive. The characters are lonely, scarred, and endearing. And the story is an absorbing tale about life, loss, love, grief, familial drama, friendship, relationship dynamics, courage, parenthood, moving on, happiness, and first loves all interwoven with a thread of the paranormal.
Every Time You Go Away is another uplifting, beautiful tale by Harbison that reminds us that love is powerful and everlasting, and that life is precious and should always be lived to the fullest.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
All my reviews can be found on my blog at https://whatsbetterthanbooks.com
August 6, 2018
A family is torn apart by a sudden death. Ben has passed away at the family’s beach house and Willa is trying to deal with her grief while being a present parent to their son, Jamie. She is failing on both accounts. After a few years, Willa feels she has the strength to go to the beach house and get it ready to sell. To spend time there with her son would be unfathomable. While at the house, she feels Ben’s presence and then a little unstable when she thinks she sees him. She calls her good friend to stay with her and do a ‘reality check’ to make sure she’s not losing it by seeing her late husband. Together they make good progress on the house when by surprise Jamie has ditched his girlfriend and arrives at the house to help. I really felt a healing vibe as Willa and Jamie came together for the same goal. It was heartwarming when Willa begins to heal and accept her new normal with Jamie. I liked the addition of Ben. Dead people coming back isn’t an element that I usually enjoy, but this worked for me.
This is an enjoyable fast paced beach read. Told in alternating chapters between Willa and Jamie kept the flow moving. This is my first novel by Beth Harbison and I will look for more by her.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy.
This is an enjoyable fast paced beach read. Told in alternating chapters between Willa and Jamie kept the flow moving. This is my first novel by Beth Harbison and I will look for more by her.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy.
July 24, 2018
Willa Bennett has been lost ever since her husband, Ben, passes away suddenly from an undetected heart condition while alone at their beach house. Willa used to believe in happily ever afters, but now she is lonely and has lost all hope of ever recovering enough to be the mother her son needs. Three years later, Willa has finally come to the realization that it was time for her to join life again and to reconnect with her son Jamie who is now seventeen years old. Willa decides it would be best to pack up and move into the beach house where her husband passed at least for the summer to fix up the house so she could sell it. There are just too many memories of the life she shared with her husband to want to keep it. The house has been an empty tomb for the past three years and going back there will be hard, but Willa is determined to put the past behind her and to stop being a failure to her son when he so desperately needs her. When Willa starts seeing the ghost of her husband, Ben, at the beach house is she finally able to accept his death and move on from the life she once shared with him?
Every Time You Go Away is a such a heartfelt story about life, love and death that is told in such an honest and realistic way. We have all lost a loved one in some point in our lives and the emotional toll it can take on you is heart wrenching. It is so easy to sympathize with what Willa has gone through with losing a husband at such a young age. We never think that someone so young and vibrant can pass away in an instant, but it happens more often than you think. So I can understand the despair and the total aching loss of losing the one person you love the most. Married couples often talk about what they are going to do when they grow old together, Willa lost all of that when he husband suddenly dies. She is left an emotional wreck that not even medication can pull her out from.
I really felt myself engrossed into the story right from the beginning and really loved the ghost aspect to the storyline. I do believe that loved ones can come to you and speak to you, maybe not to the extent that is in this story, but in a more subtle way. I do believe you need to be open to the possibility of ghosts in order to see and hear them. One of my favorite movies even till this day is Ghost with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze and Everytime You go Away has certain aspects to the love story of this movie which made me really connect with the characters even more. I loved the scenes with Ben as a ghost and felt he really helped Willa comes to terms with his death.
Willa also ropes in her son, Jamie, her best friend Kristin and her daughter Kelsey to come help with the renovation of the beach house and here is when the story really opens up the life and laughter that has been missing for far too long in Willa’s life. You can really see the awakening in Willa and you can’t help but to root for her to finally find a way to accept everything that has happened in her life and to learn to embrace life and live life to the fullest.
Beth Harbison has such a way of pulling you into the story and feeling as if you are on that beach, feeling the breeze from the ocean and the sand through your toes. Harbison’s writing style is lyrical and poetic in its simplicity. She shows us that loss doesn't mean the end of life and that laughter and family and learning to live after a tragic loss all has meaning and a purpose in our lives.
Every Time You Go Away is a such a heartfelt story about life, love and death that is told in such an honest and realistic way. We have all lost a loved one in some point in our lives and the emotional toll it can take on you is heart wrenching. It is so easy to sympathize with what Willa has gone through with losing a husband at such a young age. We never think that someone so young and vibrant can pass away in an instant, but it happens more often than you think. So I can understand the despair and the total aching loss of losing the one person you love the most. Married couples often talk about what they are going to do when they grow old together, Willa lost all of that when he husband suddenly dies. She is left an emotional wreck that not even medication can pull her out from.
I really felt myself engrossed into the story right from the beginning and really loved the ghost aspect to the storyline. I do believe that loved ones can come to you and speak to you, maybe not to the extent that is in this story, but in a more subtle way. I do believe you need to be open to the possibility of ghosts in order to see and hear them. One of my favorite movies even till this day is Ghost with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze and Everytime You go Away has certain aspects to the love story of this movie which made me really connect with the characters even more. I loved the scenes with Ben as a ghost and felt he really helped Willa comes to terms with his death.
Willa also ropes in her son, Jamie, her best friend Kristin and her daughter Kelsey to come help with the renovation of the beach house and here is when the story really opens up the life and laughter that has been missing for far too long in Willa’s life. You can really see the awakening in Willa and you can’t help but to root for her to finally find a way to accept everything that has happened in her life and to learn to embrace life and live life to the fullest.
Beth Harbison has such a way of pulling you into the story and feeling as if you are on that beach, feeling the breeze from the ocean and the sand through your toes. Harbison’s writing style is lyrical and poetic in its simplicity. She shows us that loss doesn't mean the end of life and that laughter and family and learning to live after a tragic loss all has meaning and a purpose in our lives.
July 24, 2018
I was very happy that I chose to read Every Time You Go Away while at the beach since it proved to be just the sort of escape that I was looking for; Beth Harbison has written a sweet and touching yet not overly heavy read (until the last few pages that had me sobbing!) with her newest novel that is just perfect!
Willa Bennett, a young schoolteacher, lost the love of her life three years ago when her husband Ben suddenly died from a rare and unknown heart condition at the young age of 36 while alone at their family beach home in Ocean City, Maryland. They'd been a couple since they were teenage sweethearts and had a young son together, Jamie who is now 17 years old. Since Ben's death, Willa has been buried in her grief and completely unable to move on. In that time she's also not given Jamie the type of support that he's needed to get past the death of his father. She's been wallowing in her despair and both she and Jamie have suffered because of it.
Yet, Willa finally decides that it's time to move on, so she takes the first step by deciding to sell the beach house where Ben died. She hasn't been there since Ben's death, so she heads there with her dog along for the ride to fix the place up but when she gets there, she sees Ben everywhere. And it's not just memories of Ben that keep flashing across her mind although being there brings back many memories of their being together...Willa literally sees Ben. His ghost. While she thinks she's losing her mind, she isn't. He's there to not only let her hear from him again how much he loves her and always will, but to tell her that she has to move on and even find a new love.
While not everyone might not care for a book that has a ghost as a character, I personally loved Ben and thought his and Willa's relationship was just wonderful. It was sweet and touching if anything. Also, Harbison really captured the emotions of the characters in the book in such a real way and a wonderful job writing about moving on after being struck a tragic blow. Even though the book is not a heavy read, when there are moments that Willa is grief-stricken while either talking to Ben about how much she wants him to come back to them or her friend Kristin about Ben, you can just feel the depths of her emotions. As I said the ending left me sobbing, so it is a bit emotional! But I'm also a huge crier when I read too!
Every Time You Go Away is tender, beautifully written, has moments of humor, is full of friendship and love, and will tug at your heartstrings. Harbison has deftly shown in her new novel how sorrow and grief can be turned to hope for a new tomorrow. This is one book that I highly recommend you add to your summer TBR!
**Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.**
Willa Bennett, a young schoolteacher, lost the love of her life three years ago when her husband Ben suddenly died from a rare and unknown heart condition at the young age of 36 while alone at their family beach home in Ocean City, Maryland. They'd been a couple since they were teenage sweethearts and had a young son together, Jamie who is now 17 years old. Since Ben's death, Willa has been buried in her grief and completely unable to move on. In that time she's also not given Jamie the type of support that he's needed to get past the death of his father. She's been wallowing in her despair and both she and Jamie have suffered because of it.
Yet, Willa finally decides that it's time to move on, so she takes the first step by deciding to sell the beach house where Ben died. She hasn't been there since Ben's death, so she heads there with her dog along for the ride to fix the place up but when she gets there, she sees Ben everywhere. And it's not just memories of Ben that keep flashing across her mind although being there brings back many memories of their being together...Willa literally sees Ben. His ghost. While she thinks she's losing her mind, she isn't. He's there to not only let her hear from him again how much he loves her and always will, but to tell her that she has to move on and even find a new love.
While not everyone might not care for a book that has a ghost as a character, I personally loved Ben and thought his and Willa's relationship was just wonderful. It was sweet and touching if anything. Also, Harbison really captured the emotions of the characters in the book in such a real way and a wonderful job writing about moving on after being struck a tragic blow. Even though the book is not a heavy read, when there are moments that Willa is grief-stricken while either talking to Ben about how much she wants him to come back to them or her friend Kristin about Ben, you can just feel the depths of her emotions. As I said the ending left me sobbing, so it is a bit emotional! But I'm also a huge crier when I read too!
Every Time You Go Away is tender, beautifully written, has moments of humor, is full of friendship and love, and will tug at your heartstrings. Harbison has deftly shown in her new novel how sorrow and grief can be turned to hope for a new tomorrow. This is one book that I highly recommend you add to your summer TBR!
**Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.**
August 21, 2018
Every Time You Go Away seems to have two different book blurbs on goodreads. In one the main character is Jane and her husband cheated on her. In the one I read the main character is Willa and her husband had died of a heart attack three years ago. I'm pretty sure that this is the book that will be released on July 24th.
I was sort of expecting this book to be more romantic and light-hearted. I guess this book is Women's Fiction. The narrators are Willa (36 years old, 1st person POV) and her 17 year old son Jamie (3rd person POV).
The story is basically about a woman trying to get over the loss of her husband. There is really no romance, except for a bit of teen romance. And there is a paranormal element that is a key part of this story. But I just didn't really like that part at all. I would have preferred to read about a woman finding love again.
What I did like about this book was the beach house that Willa owned. This was a big part of the story. I also really liked her best friend Kristin and Kristin's daughter Kelsey.
It definitely seemed different to me that her teenage son was one of the narrators. And it was also really unusual to have no romance for the lead character (unless you consider pining over her dead husband romance). Overall, this book was a quick read. And it was somewhat enjoyable. I just needed more.
Thanks to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this book.
I was sort of expecting this book to be more romantic and light-hearted. I guess this book is Women's Fiction. The narrators are Willa (36 years old, 1st person POV) and her 17 year old son Jamie (3rd person POV).
The story is basically about a woman trying to get over the loss of her husband. There is really no romance, except for a bit of teen romance. And there is a paranormal element that is a key part of this story. But I just didn't really like that part at all. I would have preferred to read about a woman finding love again.
What I did like about this book was the beach house that Willa owned. This was a big part of the story. I also really liked her best friend Kristin and Kristin's daughter Kelsey.
It definitely seemed different to me that her teenage son was one of the narrators. And it was also really unusual to have no romance for the lead character (unless you consider pining over her dead husband romance). Overall, this book was a quick read. And it was somewhat enjoyable. I just needed more.
Thanks to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this book.
July 30, 2018
Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways for the ARC.
Just noticed that the Goodreads description of this book has been corrected-yay!
I just read the Goodreads description of the book before I started writing this. Wow, I hope that description is wrong and that the published book comes out as the ARC I read. In the ARC, “Jane” is Willa and Ben was the love of her life and he didn’t cheat on her and they weren’t divorced when he died!
Anyway, I loved the book, loved the characters, got a little weepy at different spots. I know some readers will be put off by Ben, the ghost, but hey, just let your imagination go with it. I reread A Christmas Carol nearly every December so I’m good with ghosts who help you move on in your life!
I would be happy if the author would write a sequel to this book. I would love to know what happens to these characters next.
Just noticed that the Goodreads description of this book has been corrected-yay!
Anyway, I loved the book, loved the characters, got a little weepy at different spots. I know some readers will be put off by Ben, the ghost, but hey, just let your imagination go with it. I reread A Christmas Carol nearly every December so I’m good with ghosts who help you move on in your life!
I would be happy if the author would write a sequel to this book. I would love to know what happens to these characters next.
December 22, 2018
Every Time You Go Away
is a light, fluffy, sweet, and well-written beach read. Although it recycles the oft-repeated trope of "spirit of dead husband returns (in this case, literally – not just via posthumously-discovered letters or anything) and encourages grieving widow to move on", thankfully, neither the book nor the dead husband tried to shove some suddenly-appearing random guy onto Willa as the stand-in metaphor for "moving on".
The book also develops a number of secondary characters – Willa's son Jamie, her best friend Kirstin, and Kirstin's daughter Kelsey; oddly enough, Ben the dead husband is the weakest of the bunch, but I guess he gets a pass, what with being dead and all.
The plot is very simple and straightforward: Willa, with the help of Jamie, Kirstin, and Kelsey, is doing cosmetic renovations on the family beach house in preparation for selling it. As everyone gathers, and Ben's presence reminds her of how laden the place is with happy memories, she and her son become uncertain if they should really sell it in the name of "moving on". Thankfully, Ben does not specifically opine on the matter, leaving it as a re-bonding exercise among the still-living members of the family.
I am definitely not the chick-lit or paranormal romance type, but I entered the Goodreads Giveaway for this book due to the author's predilection for naming her novels after songs – particularly 80's new age! Even still, I certainly enjoyed it, and am sure that aficionados of the genre will absolutely love it!
I received a pre-publication advance uncorrected proof of this book via Goodreads Giveaways and courtesy of St. Martin's Press, in return for my unbiased review.
The book also develops a number of secondary characters – Willa's son Jamie, her best friend Kirstin, and Kirstin's daughter Kelsey; oddly enough, Ben the dead husband is the weakest of the bunch, but I guess he gets a pass, what with being dead and all.
The plot is very simple and straightforward: Willa, with the help of Jamie, Kirstin, and Kelsey, is doing cosmetic renovations on the family beach house in preparation for selling it. As everyone gathers, and Ben's presence reminds her of how laden the place is with happy memories, she and her son become uncertain if they should really sell it in the name of "moving on". Thankfully, Ben does not specifically opine on the matter, leaving it as a re-bonding exercise among the still-living members of the family.
I am definitely not the chick-lit or paranormal romance type, but I entered the Goodreads Giveaway for this book due to the author's predilection for naming her novels after songs – particularly 80's new age! Even still, I certainly enjoyed it, and am sure that aficionados of the genre will absolutely love it!
I received a pre-publication advance uncorrected proof of this book via Goodreads Giveaways and courtesy of St. Martin's Press, in return for my unbiased review.
July 13, 2018
This is a sweet and touching, slightly supernatural love story. Shades of "Ghost"....Filled with witty dialog, great characters and descriptive settings. I could hear the hurdy gurdy sounds of the boardwalk, smell the fried food and salt air. The outcome came as no surprise, but it was a quick and entertaining read. thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.
August 16, 2018
This book is sappy and an easy read, but the best part is all the references to Ocean City, MD - my home away from home. ❤️😎
July 17, 2018
“Every Time You Go Away” by Beth Harbison is an emotional and intense novel. The Genres for this novel are Fiction, Women’s Fiction with a touch of Para-Normal. The timeline of the story is within three years of the present, and goes back to the past when it pertains to the characters or events in the story.
The author honestly describes some of her characters as depressed, lost, overwhelmed and conflicted. Willa, is a young widow with a teenage son Jamie. Their relationship is strained and dysfunctional due to the tragic death of Ben, three years earlier. Ben died in the family summer home which once had wonderful and happy memories. Willa is very lucky to have a loyal and concerned friend Kristin.
Willa is determined with a heavy heart to go to the summer home, and fix it so it can be sold. As soon as she and the family dog arrive, she has a strange feeling that Ben is there. Literally Ben’s ghost seems to be there encouraging her to move on with her life.
Jaime reluctantly goes to help his mother at the summer home, when he senses there is something off with her. Jaime is getting by in school, and doesn’t seem motivated. He ends a relationship with an over-bearing and demanding girlfriend.
Is this a special summer that both Willa and Jaime can overcome their feeling of loss, and become close. Will Willa be able to move on? I would recommend this novel for those readers that enjoy a book that deals with family grief and healing. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.
The author honestly describes some of her characters as depressed, lost, overwhelmed and conflicted. Willa, is a young widow with a teenage son Jamie. Their relationship is strained and dysfunctional due to the tragic death of Ben, three years earlier. Ben died in the family summer home which once had wonderful and happy memories. Willa is very lucky to have a loyal and concerned friend Kristin.
Willa is determined with a heavy heart to go to the summer home, and fix it so it can be sold. As soon as she and the family dog arrive, she has a strange feeling that Ben is there. Literally Ben’s ghost seems to be there encouraging her to move on with her life.
Jaime reluctantly goes to help his mother at the summer home, when he senses there is something off with her. Jaime is getting by in school, and doesn’t seem motivated. He ends a relationship with an over-bearing and demanding girlfriend.
Is this a special summer that both Willa and Jaime can overcome their feeling of loss, and become close. Will Willa be able to move on? I would recommend this novel for those readers that enjoy a book that deals with family grief and healing. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.
May 28, 2018
Quick read. Recommended for anyone who liked “Ghost” with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC free of charge.
July 11, 2018
🏖Beach Read Alert! 🏖
I read this while at the beach with my kiddos and it was the perfect beach read! Its even set at the beach so it was the perfect reading locale. In Beth Harbison's newest, we meet Willa. Willa lost the love of her life suddenly and can't seem to recover. She's been trying to hold it all together at home and for her son Jamie, never going back to their beach house where he passed away. Now the time has come to clean it up and put it on the market, putting the past behind them for good. Until she arrives to the beach house and is overcome with memories and emotions, even being visited by the spirit of her deceased husband Ben. She spends the summer cleaning up the beach house, saying her final goodbyes to Ben, and improving her relationship with her son. With her best friend joining her, as well as her best friends daughter, they enjoy one last summer at the beach. I enjoyed this light, east read. This is a perfect book to curl up on the beach or by the pool with! For me, Every Time You Go Away was ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Thank you @stmartinspress for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review. This book hits shelves July 24th! ☀️
I read this while at the beach with my kiddos and it was the perfect beach read! Its even set at the beach so it was the perfect reading locale. In Beth Harbison's newest, we meet Willa. Willa lost the love of her life suddenly and can't seem to recover. She's been trying to hold it all together at home and for her son Jamie, never going back to their beach house where he passed away. Now the time has come to clean it up and put it on the market, putting the past behind them for good. Until she arrives to the beach house and is overcome with memories and emotions, even being visited by the spirit of her deceased husband Ben. She spends the summer cleaning up the beach house, saying her final goodbyes to Ben, and improving her relationship with her son. With her best friend joining her, as well as her best friends daughter, they enjoy one last summer at the beach. I enjoyed this light, east read. This is a perfect book to curl up on the beach or by the pool with! For me, Every Time You Go Away was ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Thank you @stmartinspress for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review. This book hits shelves July 24th! ☀️
January 20, 2019
I never connected with Willa. I found her internal dialog tiring. The author's descriptions of the setting were enjoyable; I've spent time in Ocean City and she captured the beach vibe. I enjoyed the story from Jamie's point of view more than Willa's.
August 10, 2018
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an ARC copy of this book.
This was a very emotional book. Good from start to the very tearful ending. It pulled at my heartstrings so many times. The struggles of letting go and raising a teen all by yourself when you lose your spouse so unexpectedly. That is what happened to Willa and her son Jamie. Together they will be ok but first Willa has to learn to let go of Ben. After years of grieving she goes to sell their vacation home. It was where they first met and fell in love. His ghost is there and only she can see him. He is able to come back to help her move on. Of course she does not want him to go away again but he can’t stay.
This book has every emotion you can think of. Love, loss, laughter, tears, friendship, motherhood, childhood, saying goodbye. It’s a very emotional book and you will need plenty of Kleenex at some points. It’s well worth the read and will keep you turning the pages. I loved it.
Another 5 star book for me.
This was a very emotional book. Good from start to the very tearful ending. It pulled at my heartstrings so many times. The struggles of letting go and raising a teen all by yourself when you lose your spouse so unexpectedly. That is what happened to Willa and her son Jamie. Together they will be ok but first Willa has to learn to let go of Ben. After years of grieving she goes to sell their vacation home. It was where they first met and fell in love. His ghost is there and only she can see him. He is able to come back to help her move on. Of course she does not want him to go away again but he can’t stay.
This book has every emotion you can think of. Love, loss, laughter, tears, friendship, motherhood, childhood, saying goodbye. It’s a very emotional book and you will need plenty of Kleenex at some points. It’s well worth the read and will keep you turning the pages. I loved it.
Another 5 star book for me.
July 25, 2018
This was a very touching and emotional read. There was quite a bit of supernatural activity that I wasn't expecting, but I actually didn't mind it at all and felt it was very well done. It has been three years since Willa's husband Ben died of a heart attack in their beach house. In those three years she never went back to that beach house but finally decides it is time to go there and get it ready to put on the market. She goes there alone, her seventeen year old son Jamie refusing to go with her, and almost immediately upon arriving feels Ben's presence around her. Many, many things need to be done in the house, repairs, cleaning, and painting that she begins to feel overwhelmed. And she is also a little freaked out about actually seeing Ben's ghost in the house. Eventually her good friend Kristin arrives to help her as well as her son Jamie, and later Kristin's daughter, Kelsey. There are wonderful memories for all of them of summers spent together at that beach house. And even with the her son and friends there to help Willa, she continues to see and have conversations with Ben. The scenes between Willa and her husband Ben's ghost are uplifting and sad at the same time. Why is he there? Is he trying to get her to move on with her life without him? Will she be able to sell that home with all its beautiful memories?
I enjoyed this book very much. It dealt with the unbearable loss of a loved one, coping with the grief, and finding the strength to move on. There were some humorous moments as well that brought some lightness to the story. I thought this was a beautifully written book that I just couldn't put down.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy.
I enjoyed this book very much. It dealt with the unbearable loss of a loved one, coping with the grief, and finding the strength to move on. There were some humorous moments as well that brought some lightness to the story. I thought this was a beautifully written book that I just couldn't put down.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy.
July 30, 2018
3.75 stars.
Three years ago, Willa's husband, Ben, died from a heart attack while at their beach house. Willa has not been back to the beach house, but knows she needs to sell it. So, leaving her teenage son, Jamie, at home, she heads to the beach house. Will she finds what she needs there to heal and move on? Upon first arriving, she feels a presence and knows that somehow Ben is there. Is she crazy, or is she really seeing him? Then Jamie arrives to help her prepare the house to sell. Is he finally able to break free from his awful girlfriend, Roxie? Roxie was so obnoxious, but it took a while for Jamie to see that. Over the summer, Willa finally finds the strength to move on with her life.
The story is told in chapters alternating between Willa and Jamie's point of views. I enjoyed that aspect of it, but sometimes found there was way too much description in some of the chapters.
Ultimately though, I did enjoy the book.
I received a copy of the book from NetGallery in exchange for my honest review.
Three years ago, Willa's husband, Ben, died from a heart attack while at their beach house. Willa has not been back to the beach house, but knows she needs to sell it. So, leaving her teenage son, Jamie, at home, she heads to the beach house. Will she finds what she needs there to heal and move on? Upon first arriving, she feels a presence and knows that somehow Ben is there. Is she crazy, or is she really seeing him? Then Jamie arrives to help her prepare the house to sell. Is he finally able to break free from his awful girlfriend, Roxie? Roxie was so obnoxious, but it took a while for Jamie to see that. Over the summer, Willa finally finds the strength to move on with her life.
The story is told in chapters alternating between Willa and Jamie's point of views. I enjoyed that aspect of it, but sometimes found there was way too much description in some of the chapters.
Ultimately though, I did enjoy the book.
I received a copy of the book from NetGallery in exchange for my honest review.
April 4, 2019
Every Time You Go Away is a story about a broken family that finds healing in the least likely place. It is about loss, love, friendship, and memories and letting go. Willa's and Jamie's stories touched me deeply, and I loved the setting in Ocean City, Maryland, where I used to spend a lot of time when I lived nearby. This is a good book that deserves a read.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own.
July 23, 2018
Willa lost the love of her life too early. Like most that are grieving, grief takes a hold of our hearts, minds, and souls, Beth Harbison writes a great book which takes you through the life of Willa after the loss of her husband, Ben. Their son, Jamie, has lost his dad and somewhat has lost his mother as she deals with the pain. For three years, Willa flounders along with Jamie. Now Willa has to deal with selling their beach house, their annual retreat spot, and also the place where Ben died alone. As Willa deals with preparing the house for sale, Ben makes his presence felt in more ways than one. Kristen, Willa's best friend, and Kelsey, Kristen's daughter, come and join in their last summer. Jamie comes in and helps with preparations and finds himself also after dealing with a girlfriend issue. It was a great book that will have you giggling some, cheering for Willa and Jamie, and just a "feel good" ending. This was the first book I have read by Ms. Harbison and I will be reading more. Thank you to Ms. Harbison, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
July 26, 2018
When Willa's husband been dies she is devastated and feels unable to function without him, even though they have a son Jamie........Jamie feels like he has lost both of his parents, his mother is still there but not functioning! After a few years Willa decides that she wants to clear out the beach house and sell it as there are too many memories there and so she enlists the help of Jamie.... who really doesn't want to do it.... and her best friend Kristin and her daughter Kelsey..... but are there too many ghosts in the house and how will Jamie get on with Kelsey
A good storyline with a lot of emotion and you can't help but feel for Willa with her grief, but as a mother shouldn't she be thinking of Jamie first, but still an enjoyable read
A good storyline with a lot of emotion and you can't help but feel for Willa with her grief, but as a mother shouldn't she be thinking of Jamie first, but still an enjoyable read
July 17, 2018
Willa Bennett lost her husband Ben 3 years ago. He had gone to get their beach cottage ready for the summer and died unexpectedly in his sleep. Willa has just been going thru the motions since. She has decided to return to the beach to get the cottage ready to sell. While there she sees Bens ghost.
Willa and her son Jamie are each grieving in their own way, but they aren’t connecting with each other. This is a story about grief and learning to move on. It has a ghost which is not my favorite genre. The book is fast paced and would be a good read for the beach. Because of the ghost I am giving the book 3 1/2 stars. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.
Willa and her son Jamie are each grieving in their own way, but they aren’t connecting with each other. This is a story about grief and learning to move on. It has a ghost which is not my favorite genre. The book is fast paced and would be a good read for the beach. Because of the ghost I am giving the book 3 1/2 stars. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.
January 20, 2019
Three years ago Willa lost her husband Ben. Since his death, she hasn't been able to return to their beach house in Ocean City, MD. The main reason is because that was where he died. But now, something needs to be done with the house and Willa thinks the best thing to do is sell it. But being at the house has been quite interesting for Willa. She keeps seeing her husband Ben, and then she hears him loud and clear as if he is still there with her. Is she going crazy or is he really there? As she goes about fixing up the house with her best friend and her son, she sees Ben less and less, but her grief seems to be subsiding.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
What drew me to this book initially was the fact that it was based in Maryland. I have lived my whole life here and I love reading books where I can picture myself in the setting. And when it's places your familiar with, it makes it a lot easier to imagine.
I don't know what I would do if I lost my husband unexpectedly. I'm sure the grief would tear me up inside for a very long time. We are a family that enjoys the beach, so I could really connect with this book. We don't have a beach house, but every year we make it a point to get to the beach for a least a week. If my husband were to die at the beach, I'm sure that it would be more difficult to go.
Willa doesn't want to go to the beach house, but she knows something has to be done. The memories of her husband, Ben are too great for her to keep the house, so selling it seems like the best option. Being back in the beach house is bringing up so many memories and making Willa reflect on the past three years and how she has just been going through the motions of life and not really participating in it. Not spending time with her son, Jamie or her best friend Kristin. Having them helping her get the house ready to sell reminds her of all the summers they spent together.
How can Willa sell the house if Ben is still there? If she continues to spend her summers there will she continue to see him? He doesn't know how his appearances work, so how will they know. But Willa knows this summer will change her life in more ways than one.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
What drew me to this book initially was the fact that it was based in Maryland. I have lived my whole life here and I love reading books where I can picture myself in the setting. And when it's places your familiar with, it makes it a lot easier to imagine.
I don't know what I would do if I lost my husband unexpectedly. I'm sure the grief would tear me up inside for a very long time. We are a family that enjoys the beach, so I could really connect with this book. We don't have a beach house, but every year we make it a point to get to the beach for a least a week. If my husband were to die at the beach, I'm sure that it would be more difficult to go.
Willa doesn't want to go to the beach house, but she knows something has to be done. The memories of her husband, Ben are too great for her to keep the house, so selling it seems like the best option. Being back in the beach house is bringing up so many memories and making Willa reflect on the past three years and how she has just been going through the motions of life and not really participating in it. Not spending time with her son, Jamie or her best friend Kristin. Having them helping her get the house ready to sell reminds her of all the summers they spent together.
How can Willa sell the house if Ben is still there? If she continues to spend her summers there will she continue to see him? He doesn't know how his appearances work, so how will they know. But Willa knows this summer will change her life in more ways than one.
July 13, 2018
4.5 Stars for this emotional read. Not sure I’d recommend it as a beach read, cause the ending had me ugly crying!
Emotional, heartfelt and relatable (to a point) read. Willa is still trying to recover from her husband’s death. To the point where her grief is affecting her relationship with their teenage son, Jamie. Fast forward to a visit to their beach house where Ben died...and he comes to visit with her.
I am a sucker for a good romantic, family read every now and then. Add a visit from beyond. This hit the spot! Memories of Ghost but throw in a little teenage drama. Another plus for me was the setting...Ocean City, MD, a place a visited many times. The author describes this beach town to a T.
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
Emotional, heartfelt and relatable (to a point) read. Willa is still trying to recover from her husband’s death. To the point where her grief is affecting her relationship with their teenage son, Jamie. Fast forward to a visit to their beach house where Ben died...and he comes to visit with her.
I am a sucker for a good romantic, family read every now and then. Add a visit from beyond. This hit the spot! Memories of Ghost but throw in a little teenage drama. Another plus for me was the setting...Ocean City, MD, a place a visited many times. The author describes this beach town to a T.
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
June 1, 2018
Don't go by the synopsis in Goodreads. story and character name is all wrong.
Willa has never fully recovered from the sudden death of her husband, Ben. She became an absent mother to her young son, Jamie, unable to comfort him while reeling from her own grief.
Now, years after Ben’s death, Willa finally decides to return to the beach house where he passed. It’s time to move on and put the Ocean City, Maryland house on the market.
While cleaning up and remodeling the ghost of Ben appears. It seems he is there to help her move on.
I really enjoyed this story and the characters. They seemed to have loved each other a lot.
I received this from NetGalley for a review.
Willa has never fully recovered from the sudden death of her husband, Ben. She became an absent mother to her young son, Jamie, unable to comfort him while reeling from her own grief.
Now, years after Ben’s death, Willa finally decides to return to the beach house where he passed. It’s time to move on and put the Ocean City, Maryland house on the market.
While cleaning up and remodeling the ghost of Ben appears. It seems he is there to help her move on.
I really enjoyed this story and the characters. They seemed to have loved each other a lot.
I received this from NetGalley for a review.
June 4, 2018
I was given an advance copy of this book for an honest review. This book is an eerie, haunting, emotional tale about a mom who is widowed and raising her son alone. When Willa arrives at the beach home where her husband died three years ago, her husband's ghost tries to help her to leave the past behind and start living. A gripping emotional novel about life and death, living, grieving,, and moving on. I loved this book.
July 24, 2018
This was a refreshing story about second chances, friendship, reconnecting, living life, and healing after tragedy. Definitely recommend this one for a weekend when you can put your feet up and escape for a little while.
**Received this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**
**Received this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**
June 2, 2018
Enjoyable read. Loved the beach house scenes and beach "talk". It's a "Ghost" movie type book. Sweet and touching. I still am wondering what happened to Roxy?
July 25, 2018
Every Time You Go Away
Beth Harbison
Beth Harbison’s latest, Every Time You Go Away is a love story and a modern day ghost story complete with a haunted house and a friendly spirit, a bit atypical for her usual light women’s fiction but its also very personal and that emotion is evident in every heartrending page. It’s about a family fractured by death, a mother and son who’re struggling to go on living without the man who meant the world to them. The dual POVs Willa’s 1st person and Jamie’s 3rd is the perfect way to tell this tale. Its not all dark but also filled with light, hope and full of this author’s iconic humor and wit that will bring both tears and laughter from her entranced audience. The conversational dialogue and vivid narrative bring to life the seaside backdrops and the wonderful soundtrack, plus the characters all rock especially Willa, Jamie and the ghost, but it’s the comforting outlook on the afterlife and how the haunting by her late husband helps Willa’s healing albeit she’s kicking and screaming the whole way that are the real stand outs. Harbison’s fans plus fans of the genre will devour this in one sitting and I personally hold her responsible for having “Every Time You Go Away by Paul Young on a non-stop loop in my head!
SUMMARY:
In the three years since the untimely and totally unexpected death of her husband Ben, Willa Bennett stopped living too. Oh she gets up every morning and teaches English during the school year, buys groceries etc… but that’s only existing. She should have been being a good mother to their then fourteen-year-old son Jamie who, hello lost his father and then his mother too. Well enough it enough, it’s time for a fresh start and first thing on the agenda is going to their beloved Ocean City MD beach house, the place where Ben died in his sleep. Clean it up, clear it out and sell it. But then she starts getting haunted by her dead husband, or maybe she’s just finally lost it completely.
Meanwhile back home in Potomac Virginia Jamie now seventeen has his own drama-filled life to deal with. Unlike other kids he’s mostly left alone by his mom and it’s his slightly psycho girlfriend who hovers, a girlfriend he’s finally had enough of but trying to dump her is proving to be a bit on the difficult side. As far as his mom goes, he knows she was hit hard when his dad died, they were devoted to each other and as a kid he felt like they had the perfect family, but he kind of lost her too and he’s not sure if he wants her back or if it’s too late to try. What he does know is that he does NOT want to go to the beach house and help her pack up a place that holds so many good memories for him.
Beth Harbison
Beth Harbison’s latest, Every Time You Go Away is a love story and a modern day ghost story complete with a haunted house and a friendly spirit, a bit atypical for her usual light women’s fiction but its also very personal and that emotion is evident in every heartrending page. It’s about a family fractured by death, a mother and son who’re struggling to go on living without the man who meant the world to them. The dual POVs Willa’s 1st person and Jamie’s 3rd is the perfect way to tell this tale. Its not all dark but also filled with light, hope and full of this author’s iconic humor and wit that will bring both tears and laughter from her entranced audience. The conversational dialogue and vivid narrative bring to life the seaside backdrops and the wonderful soundtrack, plus the characters all rock especially Willa, Jamie and the ghost, but it’s the comforting outlook on the afterlife and how the haunting by her late husband helps Willa’s healing albeit she’s kicking and screaming the whole way that are the real stand outs. Harbison’s fans plus fans of the genre will devour this in one sitting and I personally hold her responsible for having “Every Time You Go Away by Paul Young on a non-stop loop in my head!
SUMMARY:
In the three years since the untimely and totally unexpected death of her husband Ben, Willa Bennett stopped living too. Oh she gets up every morning and teaches English during the school year, buys groceries etc… but that’s only existing. She should have been being a good mother to their then fourteen-year-old son Jamie who, hello lost his father and then his mother too. Well enough it enough, it’s time for a fresh start and first thing on the agenda is going to their beloved Ocean City MD beach house, the place where Ben died in his sleep. Clean it up, clear it out and sell it. But then she starts getting haunted by her dead husband, or maybe she’s just finally lost it completely.
Meanwhile back home in Potomac Virginia Jamie now seventeen has his own drama-filled life to deal with. Unlike other kids he’s mostly left alone by his mom and it’s his slightly psycho girlfriend who hovers, a girlfriend he’s finally had enough of but trying to dump her is proving to be a bit on the difficult side. As far as his mom goes, he knows she was hit hard when his dad died, they were devoted to each other and as a kid he felt like they had the perfect family, but he kind of lost her too and he’s not sure if he wants her back or if it’s too late to try. What he does know is that he does NOT want to go to the beach house and help her pack up a place that holds so many good memories for him.
September 13, 2018
This book was a very emotional book and I was expecting emotion but not the drag me down in the pits of despair kind. I was expecting and really wanting a more romantic story where we see a lot of reflection and growth on Willa’s part but this wasn’t that kind of story and that bummed me out. Actually, it was that kind of story but it was a lot more Debbie Downer than I hoped.
So this story is told through Willa and her son Jamie’s POV’s and Willa’s part of the story is told in first person while Jamie’s is in third. That took some getting used to but it did get easier, the more I read so that wasn’t really an issue for me but my romantic heart wanted some kind of romance for Willa but sadly, this is all Women’s Fiction so none of that.
Willa’s husband died and he was the love of her life. Her life is not the same and she’s kind of wandering from day to day with no real idea of what to do now. She’s trying to hold it together for her son Jamie but she’s so consumed with grief that it’s hard for her. She hasn’t returned to the place where he died and doesn’t really want to until the time comes for her to clean that place up and get it sold off so that she can put the past to rest and finally move on toward the future. She enlists her best friend’s help and Jamie and her best friend’s daughter come through to help as well.
This book reminded me of the movie Ghost because Ben shows up to help Willa move on and while I thought it was sweet, the story moved too slow for my liking. I found myself browsing through chapters before digging in to read and normally, I could just jump right in and fall right in but that wasn’t the case with this one. I’m sure that it was probably a mood thing where I wasn’t in the mood for a really heavy, emotional story but I did finish it so that was something. I enjoyed the way that everything came together and I did like the characters and the small romance that we got for Jamie but because the book moved slow and was so heavy, my grade for this one is firmly set in the 3 out of 5 stars camp.
Grade: 3 out of 5
So this story is told through Willa and her son Jamie’s POV’s and Willa’s part of the story is told in first person while Jamie’s is in third. That took some getting used to but it did get easier, the more I read so that wasn’t really an issue for me but my romantic heart wanted some kind of romance for Willa but sadly, this is all Women’s Fiction so none of that.
Willa’s husband died and he was the love of her life. Her life is not the same and she’s kind of wandering from day to day with no real idea of what to do now. She’s trying to hold it together for her son Jamie but she’s so consumed with grief that it’s hard for her. She hasn’t returned to the place where he died and doesn’t really want to until the time comes for her to clean that place up and get it sold off so that she can put the past to rest and finally move on toward the future. She enlists her best friend’s help and Jamie and her best friend’s daughter come through to help as well.
This book reminded me of the movie Ghost because Ben shows up to help Willa move on and while I thought it was sweet, the story moved too slow for my liking. I found myself browsing through chapters before digging in to read and normally, I could just jump right in and fall right in but that wasn’t the case with this one. I’m sure that it was probably a mood thing where I wasn’t in the mood for a really heavy, emotional story but I did finish it so that was something. I enjoyed the way that everything came together and I did like the characters and the small romance that we got for Jamie but because the book moved slow and was so heavy, my grade for this one is firmly set in the 3 out of 5 stars camp.
Grade: 3 out of 5
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