ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
*Goodreads and I had a bit of a disagreement about how to best save this review aka I had to start over from scratch, sorry!*
Purpose, the conclusion to the incredible Pleasure Pain or Purpose series, follows the three best friends first introduced to us in Pleasure as they continue facing life's hurdles. We have seen the girls go through the loss of those closest to them, take grand adventures, experiment with their sexual preferences, and find just who they truly are, never losing sight of the friendship that ties them together.
Pleasure Pain or Purpose has been a unique reading experience from the very start; Biljana, Jasmin, and Vicky's stories are told independently, but intertwine together when the girls spend time together. The bonds of their friendship are strong, built up over years of time and experience. The hardships they face are not unlike those we face in our daily lives, at some point we have lost someone, we have experienced a friend or ourselves going through a debilitating illness, and love has taken our sanity. Jasmin's story line had me laughing constantly and while some of the believability was a bit sketchy, I enjoyed her quirky desperation for romance. Vicky, oh how my heart ached for her. In some ways she is like the mother of the group, though facing trials in her marriage she continued to be so grounded, but her battle with cancer was so hard to watch. I have always liked all three girls, but my emotional connection with Billie was on unsteady ground until Purpose. I was so impressed with her character development and her strength as she finally looked at the world moving on after the death of her husband. As the series comes to an end each character has the closure they deserve and, without giving anything away, I was totally happy with how it all worked out.
I try not to pick favorites in a series, but Purpose is hands down my favorite of Al Daltrey's. I really loved how everything circled back for the women and the amount of time spent with each other as they really faced hurdles together as a team. This story of three best friends has stuck with me, their lives are unforgettable and emotional, and shared with the readers so brilliantly in Al Daltrey's unique prose.