What do you think?
Rate this book
The Beautiful Now
Dane James worked my stepfather’s fields. He was the boy next door.
Strong.
Hardworking.
Forbidden.
From the moment we met, we were star-crossed lovers—always wanting, never having. We loved each other for most of our lives, but right from the beginning Destiny had other plans. She knew we would fall in love. She knew we would fall apart. Over and over again, like the curse of a recurring nightmare. Or the hope of a familiar dream.
Our past was tumultuous. Our future was bleak. But the one thing we always had was the beautiful now.
Until that was taken from us, too.
Strong.
Hardworking.
Forbidden.
From the moment we met, we were star-crossed lovers—always wanting, never having. We loved each other for most of our lives, but right from the beginning Destiny had other plans. She knew we would fall in love. She knew we would fall apart. Over and over again, like the curse of a recurring nightmare. Or the hope of a familiar dream.
Our past was tumultuous. Our future was bleak. But the one thing we always had was the beautiful now.
Until that was taken from us, too.
Paperback
First published September 26, 2017
100 people are currently reading
1614 people want to read
About the author
M. Leighton
67 books9,431 followersNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, M. Leighton, is a native of Ohio. She relocated to the warmer climates of the South, where she can be near the water all summer and miss the snow all winter. Possessed of an overactive imagination from early in her childhood, Michelle finally found an acceptable outlet for her fantastical visions: literary fiction. Having written over a dozen novels, these days Michelle enjoys letting her mind wander to more romantic settings with sexy Southern guys, much like the one she married and the ones you'll find in her latest books. When her thoughts aren't roaming in that direction, she'll be riding wild horses, skiing the slopes of Aspen or scuba diving with a hot rock star, all without leaving the cozy comfort of her office.
About Michelle: I love coffee and chocolate, even more so when they are combined. I'm convinced that one day they could be the basis for world peace. I also love the color red and am seriously considering dying my hair.
About Michelle: I love coffee and chocolate, even more so when they are combined. I'm convinced that one day they could be the basis for world peace. I also love the color red and am seriously considering dying my hair.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
Read
December 18, 2018The book is well written and has many emotional moments.
I wasn’t aware of all twist and turns after reading the blurb; and this plot turned out to be not my favorite.
I try to avoid 2nd chance in general, but this one sounded different.
Well, I should have known better.
For the readers, who love 2nd chance with a good HEA, this book will be perfect.
Beautiful storyline with mother and daughter. I loved how they loved each other.
Spoilers and safety:
I wasn’t aware of all twist and turns after reading the blurb; and this plot turned out to be not my favorite.
I try to avoid 2nd chance in general, but this one sounded different.
Well, I should have known better.
For the readers, who love 2nd chance with a good HEA, this book will be perfect.
Beautiful storyline with mother and daughter. I loved how they loved each other.
Spoilers and safety:
September 26, 2017
4 STARS
Oh my heart. My poor little heart. It's absolute putty in the talented hands of M. Leighton. This woman knows how to write a book that tugs at absolutely every heart string. A book that equally breaks your heart and warms it at the same time. The Beautiful Now was a beautiful, gripping, and simply unforgettable second chance romance. It was unique and unlike anything I've read lately, and I loved every emotional page of it.
Sometimes social classes, the ignorance of parents, and the innocence of youth could cost you everything. That was exactly what Brinkley experienced as a teenager. At twelve years old she met a boy on the wrong side of her social class that made her question everything. At fifteen she realized that he meant everything to her but she could never have him. He worked her stepfather's field, and her mother expected her to keep up appearance of a family of their class. But that didn't stop feelings from forming. Nothing like her family, Brinkley fell hard and fast, even though she did everything to avoid the boy that she was continuously warned away from.
At seventeen the love bloomed into a one in a lifetime. The odds were always stacked against them, but no one expected for it all to fall apart in the way that it did.
Now years later, Brinkley is back in a town she hated and couldn't run further away from. Her reasons for coming back are as undeniable as her feelings for the boy that stole her heart all those years ago. She doesn't expect to ever see him again. She doesn't expect to fall for him all over again. And she definitely doesn't expect the road that life has waiting for her.
The story is told in alternating parts of past to present. It's flawlessly woven together to build a gripping and incredibly emotional story. You get to see the young and somewhat innocent Brinkley grow into a strong and incredible woman. Her dedication to those she cares about, her ability to finally stand up for what she believes, all of it shows a woman that had to grow up hard but learned from it.
As for Dane, I have no words. This is not your typical alpha overload hero. He's definitely still an alpha, but in this endearing understated way. He made my swoons have swoons.
This was a slow paced and highly emotional romance that enjoyed from cover to cover. For those craving something a little different but packed full of feelings, this is a book you need to read.
ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review
Find me on:
We didn’t have a future. We couldn’t possibly. We both knew it. But we had the now. The beautiful now. And that was better than nothing.
Oh my heart. My poor little heart. It's absolute putty in the talented hands of M. Leighton. This woman knows how to write a book that tugs at absolutely every heart string. A book that equally breaks your heart and warms it at the same time. The Beautiful Now was a beautiful, gripping, and simply unforgettable second chance romance. It was unique and unlike anything I've read lately, and I loved every emotional page of it.
Sometimes social classes, the ignorance of parents, and the innocence of youth could cost you everything. That was exactly what Brinkley experienced as a teenager. At twelve years old she met a boy on the wrong side of her social class that made her question everything. At fifteen she realized that he meant everything to her but she could never have him. He worked her stepfather's field, and her mother expected her to keep up appearance of a family of their class. But that didn't stop feelings from forming. Nothing like her family, Brinkley fell hard and fast, even though she did everything to avoid the boy that she was continuously warned away from.
At seventeen the love bloomed into a one in a lifetime. The odds were always stacked against them, but no one expected for it all to fall apart in the way that it did.
Now years later, Brinkley is back in a town she hated and couldn't run further away from. Her reasons for coming back are as undeniable as her feelings for the boy that stole her heart all those years ago. She doesn't expect to ever see him again. She doesn't expect to fall for him all over again. And she definitely doesn't expect the road that life has waiting for her.
The story is told in alternating parts of past to present. It's flawlessly woven together to build a gripping and incredibly emotional story. You get to see the young and somewhat innocent Brinkley grow into a strong and incredible woman. Her dedication to those she cares about, her ability to finally stand up for what she believes, all of it shows a woman that had to grow up hard but learned from it.
As for Dane, I have no words. This is not your typical alpha overload hero. He's definitely still an alpha, but in this endearing understated way. He made my swoons have swoons.
This was a slow paced and highly emotional romance that enjoyed from cover to cover. For those craving something a little different but packed full of feelings, this is a book you need to read.
ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review
Find me on:
September 26, 2017
Before I start with my review, I will put something in a spoiler thingy, because I know you guys - after reading that blurb - some of you just HAVE TO know if there will be a HEA ☺☺☺ ....
This is a story that takes us from 1984 all the way to today. Well, no, not today. The today of the book is 2004.☺
And that's where we start ... in 2004. Brinkley is 32 years old and she's driving back to her hometown of Shepherd's Mill, South Carolina with her 14 year old daughter Celina.
Celina is sick and Brinkley wants to move back home to be closer to the new treatment at Duke.
Home never felt like home though. Her mom married this creepy and snobby rich guy Alton when Brinkley was 12.
Suddenly she had to be one of 'them' - the rich people in town. A town where everything is about how much money you have - what car you drive - who your friends are.
But the only real friend Brinkley found in that town was Dane. The one guy she was not allowed to see. The foreman's son working on Alton's huge farm.
He was her everything. He was the one guy who would drive ten thousand miles if she called him in the middle of the night. But they were never allowed to be anything. So they only were friends who met in the fields at night.
The years went by - they never talked much - never at all at school. But they were still everything to each other.
Until they were 17.
But this story doesn't end with them happily ever after-ish leaving this stupid town together like they were always hoping they would ....
What will happen with Brinkley & Dane?
Will there be a HEA?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT! ☺
══════════════════════════
Ugh, Michelle. This was another one of those mega-moving and sad books. About a love story that seems so hopeless before we even start reading!
AND I LOVED IT!
I started reading - or rather - before I even started reading, I already knew I wanted Brinkley and Dane to hurry the F up and get to their Happily Ever After. But after reading the blurb I was so afraid there would be no HEA for them. Grrrrr... I hate that.
But of course I started reading - and I kept on reading. I couldn't stop.
It was all so heartbreakingly sad and beautiful and sweet and frustrating and I just could not stop. But I also didn't want to pick the kindle up again when I came back from doing something else. I was too afraid that it was all too hopeless for our darlings. But of course I kept on reading.
I'm not gonna spoil anything for you.
Just know that I loved it and that it's such a beautiful and heartbreakingly moving love story.
A mix of young adult and new adult and adult and I usually hate going back in time in books! But of course we needed to know what happened to Brinkley and Dane back then.
BEAUTIFUL BOOK! Beautiful characters. A lot of heartache and sadness. Lots of pain and healing and ALL THE FEELS!
But also a lot of hope - especially by this blogger - for a happily ever after ... but will there be one??? It doesn't look very promising ... BUT KEEP ON READING!!! DON'T GIVE UP! ☺
THE BEAUTIFUL NOW was such a heartbreakingly beautiful second-chance love story! Please run to your nearest amazon for some boxes of tissues and for your own Dane! This one is MINE!!!!!
If I had to mention something that I didn't like? Just a little thing - I'll put it in a spoiler thingy:
Oh, another thing... Dane's name. Every time his full name was written in the book (which was a lot!) I kind of turned into a dyslexic person. I don't know what it is about the words DANE JAMES that my brain can't comprehend. I always said James Dean or something else in my head. Very weird! ☺
BUT I STILL LOVED THE BOOK SO MUCH!
♡
♡
♡
♡
August 21, 2020
Sono un po' in difficoltà nella valutazione di questo romanzo della Leighton.
La storia di base è molto bella ed emozionante, una di quelle storie sulle seconde possibilità che tanto ci piace leggere, divisa fra un passato, che va dai dodici ai diciassette anni della protagonista Brinkley, ad oggi, che di anni ne ha trentadue. In questo lasso di tempo tante cose sono cambiate per lei: ha lasciato la cittadina provinciale e bigotta di Sheperd’s Mill come una ladra, senza poter dare spiegazioni a colui che era il suo grande amore,Dane James.
"Non avevamo un futuro. Non potevamo. Lo sapevamo entrambi. Ma avevamo il presente. Il meraviglioso presente. Ed era meglio di nulla."
Vi ritorna quindici anni dopo armata di speranze e un segreto.
"Sono sicura che tireranno le loro conclusioni sul perché Brinkley Sommers è tornata dopo tutto questo tempo[...] Il solo pensiero mi fa venire voglia di lanciare un’occhiata ribelle nella loro direzione, tirare su una mano e salutare facendo finta di non sapere quello che pensano. Come se non li conoscessi. Rido quando vedo che un’espressione sorpresa si manifesta di faccia in faccia. Un tempo mi avrebbe dato noia. Ma non ora. Non sanno che non possono più controllarmi. Non sanno che non vivo e muoio più secondo le loro regole. Non mi conoscono. Non più."
Ecco, alla storia di Brinkley e Dane darei 5 stelle ad occhi chiusi. Romantica, dolce e soprattutto toccante in alcuni frangenti, sia del passato che del presente; ciò che non mi ha convinta, invece, è il contorno, i personaggi secondari e la gestione degli stessi. Alcuni eventi sono stati forzati un po' troppo dall'autrice, forse per arrivare dove lei voleva, ma sono sembrati esagerati.
Probabilmente questo è un mio problema, un mio limite: non amo le forzature, non amo quando in un romanzo trovo tanti eventi drammatici per fare scena, per dare una direzione quasi obbligata ai personaggi e, verso la fine del libro, questa costrizione l'ho notata.
La storia di base è molto bella ed emozionante, una di quelle storie sulle seconde possibilità che tanto ci piace leggere, divisa fra un passato, che va dai dodici ai diciassette anni della protagonista Brinkley, ad oggi, che di anni ne ha trentadue. In questo lasso di tempo tante cose sono cambiate per lei: ha lasciato la cittadina provinciale e bigotta di Sheperd’s Mill come una ladra, senza poter dare spiegazioni a colui che era il suo grande amore,Dane James.
"Non avevamo un futuro. Non potevamo. Lo sapevamo entrambi. Ma avevamo il presente. Il meraviglioso presente. Ed era meglio di nulla."
Vi ritorna quindici anni dopo armata di speranze e un segreto.
"Sono sicura che tireranno le loro conclusioni sul perché Brinkley Sommers è tornata dopo tutto questo tempo[...] Il solo pensiero mi fa venire voglia di lanciare un’occhiata ribelle nella loro direzione, tirare su una mano e salutare facendo finta di non sapere quello che pensano. Come se non li conoscessi. Rido quando vedo che un’espressione sorpresa si manifesta di faccia in faccia. Un tempo mi avrebbe dato noia. Ma non ora. Non sanno che non possono più controllarmi. Non sanno che non vivo e muoio più secondo le loro regole. Non mi conoscono. Non più."
Ecco, alla storia di Brinkley e Dane darei 5 stelle ad occhi chiusi. Romantica, dolce e soprattutto toccante in alcuni frangenti, sia del passato che del presente; ciò che non mi ha convinta, invece, è il contorno, i personaggi secondari e la gestione degli stessi. Alcuni eventi sono stati forzati un po' troppo dall'autrice, forse per arrivare dove lei voleva, ma sono sembrati esagerati.
Probabilmente questo è un mio problema, un mio limite: non amo le forzature, non amo quando in un romanzo trovo tanti eventi drammatici per fare scena, per dare una direzione quasi obbligata ai personaggi e, verso la fine del libro, questa costrizione l'ho notata.
August 1, 2021
È la storia toccante di due ragazzi, amici, che si innamorano follemente, e che si scontrano con la realtà bigotta della cittadina in cui vivono.
L'autrice ci racconta con precisione il loro presente, ma anche il passato, in modo vivido e tramite dei flashback, per meglio comprendere le regioni per cui la loro storia d'amore si è conclusa.
Brinkley sperava davvero che, dopo tutti quegli anni, il divario sociale si sarebbe ridotto, ma scoprire che non è così la disturba e addolora. E si rimprovera. Come ha potuto pensare che tornare nella sua vecchia cittadina fosse una buona idea? C’è un passato troppo ingombrante, troppi drammi, pregiudizi e classismo.
La risposta è Celina.
Ho trovato straziante come la protagonista abbia messo da parte il suo orgoglio, soprattutto di figlia, per amore della sua bambina. Una madre straordinaria, che soffre in silenzio e fa mille rinunce pur di dare gioia alla sua piccola, pur di vedere un sorriso sulle sue labbra.
Ho pianto, tanto. L' autrice è stata capace di spingere al massimo tutte le emozioni che ho provato durante la lettura.
"Prima che arrivasse Celina, Dane era l’amore della mia vita. Dopo aver avuto mia figlia ho capito che non avrei mai amato più di così. Vederli insieme? È come se il cuore straripasse. Non ricordo di essermi mai sentita così piena, così completa".
Il rischio spoiler è troppo alto, dunque non aggiungo altro, se non che si tratta di una storia che va letta e apprezzata, con la consapevolezza però che lacrime e commozione saranno abbondanti.
L'autrice ci racconta con precisione il loro presente, ma anche il passato, in modo vivido e tramite dei flashback, per meglio comprendere le regioni per cui la loro storia d'amore si è conclusa.
Brinkley sperava davvero che, dopo tutti quegli anni, il divario sociale si sarebbe ridotto, ma scoprire che non è così la disturba e addolora. E si rimprovera. Come ha potuto pensare che tornare nella sua vecchia cittadina fosse una buona idea? C’è un passato troppo ingombrante, troppi drammi, pregiudizi e classismo.
La risposta è Celina.
Ho trovato straziante come la protagonista abbia messo da parte il suo orgoglio, soprattutto di figlia, per amore della sua bambina. Una madre straordinaria, che soffre in silenzio e fa mille rinunce pur di dare gioia alla sua piccola, pur di vedere un sorriso sulle sue labbra.
Ho pianto, tanto. L' autrice è stata capace di spingere al massimo tutte le emozioni che ho provato durante la lettura.
"Prima che arrivasse Celina, Dane era l’amore della mia vita. Dopo aver avuto mia figlia ho capito che non avrei mai amato più di così. Vederli insieme? È come se il cuore straripasse. Non ricordo di essermi mai sentita così piena, così completa".
Il rischio spoiler è troppo alto, dunque non aggiungo altro, se non che si tratta di una storia che va letta e apprezzata, con la consapevolezza però che lacrime e commozione saranno abbondanti.
December 19, 2019
Brinkley e Dane si sono conosciuti all'età di dodici anni. Lei è entrata a far parte dell'elite di una una cittadina bigotta e snob,Shepherd'Mill...
Lui lavora nei campi del patrigno di lei ,e' bello, intelligente e viene tenuto a distanza dal branco....
"Sapevo che la gente lo guardava e vedeva il figlio di un povero contadino,uno non importante. Ma in fondo,dove gli occhi non vedevano,c'era molto di più"...
Dane non si è mai lasciato toccare dal giudizio degli altri...
"Soldi,popolarità e il cognome giusto non definiscono chi sei......
E non permettere a nessuno al mondo di dirti qual'e' il tuo valore"....
Il loro amore non sarà semplice. Si allontaneranno a causa della cattiveria altrui dopo quindici anni si ritroveranno ma non sarà facile per nessuno dei due...
Una storia sofferta ,fatta di coraggio e forza di volontà ma soprattutto speranza...
"Ovunque tu sia è lì che c'è il mio cuore"...
"Dobbiamo avere solo abbastanza tenacia da inseguire quello che vogliamo e fare quello che è giusto ,indipendentemente dall'opinione altrui"...
"Dove c'è amore c'è sofferenza
Dove c'è perdono c'è guarigione
Dove c'è amore c'è.....tutto"....
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lui lavora nei campi del patrigno di lei ,e' bello, intelligente e viene tenuto a distanza dal branco....
"Sapevo che la gente lo guardava e vedeva il figlio di un povero contadino,uno non importante. Ma in fondo,dove gli occhi non vedevano,c'era molto di più"...
Dane non si è mai lasciato toccare dal giudizio degli altri...
"Soldi,popolarità e il cognome giusto non definiscono chi sei......
E non permettere a nessuno al mondo di dirti qual'e' il tuo valore"....
Il loro amore non sarà semplice. Si allontaneranno a causa della cattiveria altrui dopo quindici anni si ritroveranno ma non sarà facile per nessuno dei due...
Una storia sofferta ,fatta di coraggio e forza di volontà ma soprattutto speranza...
"Ovunque tu sia è lì che c'è il mio cuore"...
"Dobbiamo avere solo abbastanza tenacia da inseguire quello che vogliamo e fare quello che è giusto ,indipendentemente dall'opinione altrui"...
"Dove c'è amore c'è sofferenza
Dove c'è perdono c'è guarigione
Dove c'è amore c'è.....tutto"....
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
January 24, 2020
Forse avevo aspettative troppo alte, forse leggendo le altre recensioni mi ero immaginata una storia devastante, non lo so ma non mi ha convinta! La trama c’era, così come gli spunti di riflessione, ma io non mi sono sentita per niente coinvolta se non sul finire e solo per Celina. Ho vissuto il tutto come un racconto cronologico di avvenimenti e basta, purtroppo non ho trovato emozione!
December 27, 2020
4.25/5 🌟
Me gustó bastante! Que historia más bonita sobre segundas oportunidades. El amor en general es el punto fuerte de esta historia, es bastante emocional y obviamente una que otra lagrimilla se me salió.
«La vida es lo que hacemos de ella. Solo tenemos que ser lo suficientemente decididos para perseguir lo que queremos y hacer lo correcto, sin importar lo que los demás digan o piensen»
Brinkley llegó al pueblo “Shepherd's Mill” a la edad de doce años, esto porque su madre se casó con un hombre bastante adinerado. Este pueblo estaba muy regido por las clases sociales y lo que más importaban eran las apariencias. Por eso cuando Brinkley y Dane se conocen, desde el principio sabemos que será un amor prohibido e imposible ante los ojos de esta sociedad, ya que él es hijo de un trabajor en el hogar de Brinkley.
“Sabía que la gente lo miraba y solo veía el niño de un trabajador pobre, sin mucha importancia. Pero en el fondo, dónde sus ojos no podían ver, era mucho más. Algo me dijo que lo era todo”
Desde que se conocieron, ellos ya sabían cual sería su destino, que su amor nunca podría ser. Aunque al pasar de los años, sus sentimientos vayan creciendo cada vez más, y sus acercamientos lejos de todos esos ojos que juzgan.
“Era debido a gente como esa que un chico realmente agradable que vivía sobre el granero venía aquí, a una roca en medio de un campo, en medio de la noche, solo para recostarse sobre su espalda y mirar arriba a las estrellas. Y recordar que, en algún otro lugar, tal vez los hombres, las familias y los trabajos no importaban”
Al estar ya en la adolescencia su amor ya había florecido demasiado, a pesar de tener todo en su contra Brinkley y Dane querían luchar con todo eso, pero no esperaron nunca que algo derrumbaría todo su amor y ese futuro que tanto imaginaban.
“Dane y yo éramos trascendentes. Aunque no habláramos ni nos relacionábamos, había algo entre nosotros, algo fuerte y hermoso, que nunca podríamos romper. Y ninguno de los dos lo intentó”
Uff, con este libro lloré en bastantes partes a mares, es que todo lo que tenían que vivir Brinkley y Dane por haberse enamorado y solo por ser de “clases” diferentes. Desde el primer momento que empecé a leer este libro fue un no parar, ya que inicia muchos años después a ese último encuentro que los dos protagonistas tuvieron y esto lo vamos conociendo de a poco ya que algunos capítulos alternan con el pasado. Se nota la evolución que van teniendo los personajes, sobre todo Brinkley, a ella la amé muchísimo. En su versión joven era tan inocente y vivía su vida cómo su madre quería, pero ya adulta se le ve tan fuerte, su amor por aquellos que le importan, en estas páginas se nota todo el crecimiento que tuvo.
Oh, Dane! Que hombre más bonito, desde jóven él ha sido despreocupado, vivía su vida sin importarle las opiniones de los demás y sí, su vida es dura, pero a pesar de eso es muy amable, desde el primer momento estuvo ahí para Brinkley.
“Dane James. Fue mi alivio. Él fue mi exhalación. Él era mi roca”
En conclusión, una historia muy bonita, con el amor de muchas maneras, de segundas oportunidades y sobre todo del perdón. Un libro bastante emocional, que se disfruta de principio a fin y con el romance que te llena el corazón.
“Él me amó de adentro hacia afuera, y yo lo amé de regreso. Sabía que le pertenecía de una manera que nunca le pertenecería a nadie mientras viviera”
Me gustó bastante! Que historia más bonita sobre segundas oportunidades. El amor en general es el punto fuerte de esta historia, es bastante emocional y obviamente una que otra lagrimilla se me salió.
«La vida es lo que hacemos de ella. Solo tenemos que ser lo suficientemente decididos para perseguir lo que queremos y hacer lo correcto, sin importar lo que los demás digan o piensen»
Brinkley llegó al pueblo “Shepherd's Mill” a la edad de doce años, esto porque su madre se casó con un hombre bastante adinerado. Este pueblo estaba muy regido por las clases sociales y lo que más importaban eran las apariencias. Por eso cuando Brinkley y Dane se conocen, desde el principio sabemos que será un amor prohibido e imposible ante los ojos de esta sociedad, ya que él es hijo de un trabajor en el hogar de Brinkley.
“Sabía que la gente lo miraba y solo veía el niño de un trabajador pobre, sin mucha importancia. Pero en el fondo, dónde sus ojos no podían ver, era mucho más. Algo me dijo que lo era todo”
Desde que se conocieron, ellos ya sabían cual sería su destino, que su amor nunca podría ser. Aunque al pasar de los años, sus sentimientos vayan creciendo cada vez más, y sus acercamientos lejos de todos esos ojos que juzgan.
“Era debido a gente como esa que un chico realmente agradable que vivía sobre el granero venía aquí, a una roca en medio de un campo, en medio de la noche, solo para recostarse sobre su espalda y mirar arriba a las estrellas. Y recordar que, en algún otro lugar, tal vez los hombres, las familias y los trabajos no importaban”
Al estar ya en la adolescencia su amor ya había florecido demasiado, a pesar de tener todo en su contra Brinkley y Dane querían luchar con todo eso, pero no esperaron nunca que algo derrumbaría todo su amor y ese futuro que tanto imaginaban.
“Dane y yo éramos trascendentes. Aunque no habláramos ni nos relacionábamos, había algo entre nosotros, algo fuerte y hermoso, que nunca podríamos romper. Y ninguno de los dos lo intentó”
Uff, con este libro lloré en bastantes partes a mares, es que todo lo que tenían que vivir Brinkley y Dane por haberse enamorado y solo por ser de “clases” diferentes. Desde el primer momento que empecé a leer este libro fue un no parar, ya que inicia muchos años después a ese último encuentro que los dos protagonistas tuvieron y esto lo vamos conociendo de a poco ya que algunos capítulos alternan con el pasado. Se nota la evolución que van teniendo los personajes, sobre todo Brinkley, a ella la amé muchísimo. En su versión joven era tan inocente y vivía su vida cómo su madre quería, pero ya adulta se le ve tan fuerte, su amor por aquellos que le importan, en estas páginas se nota todo el crecimiento que tuvo.
Oh, Dane! Que hombre más bonito, desde jóven él ha sido despreocupado, vivía su vida sin importarle las opiniones de los demás y sí, su vida es dura, pero a pesar de eso es muy amable, desde el primer momento estuvo ahí para Brinkley.
“Dane James. Fue mi alivio. Él fue mi exhalación. Él era mi roca”
En conclusión, una historia muy bonita, con el amor de muchas maneras, de segundas oportunidades y sobre todo del perdón. Un libro bastante emocional, que se disfruta de principio a fin y con el romance que te llena el corazón.
“Él me amó de adentro hacia afuera, y yo lo amé de regreso. Sabía que le pertenecía de una manera que nunca le pertenecería a nadie mientras viviera”
December 19, 2019
Dane e Brinkley si conoscono da quando hanno 12 anni, lei vive insieme alla madre e al suo patrigno Alton a Stepherd’s Mill dove se sei povero o un modesto lavoratore vieni emarginato, Dane invece vive insieme a suo padre e lavora nei campi di Alton. Dane è considerato di bassa società quindi viene anche deriso ma lui è bellissimo,forte, determinato e vuole Brinkley, lei invece per via del suo patrigno non è estraniata ,sua mamma e il patrigno non vogliono che frequenti gente povera ma solo ragazzi benestanti. I due appena si incontrano sanno che sono destinati ad amarsi e dapprima lo fanno da lontano fin quando non iniziano a vedersi nel loro posto segreto e finalmente ad amarsi, però la cattiveria umana non ha limiti e li porta a separare....
Bellissimo! Non avrei mai immaginato che avrei provato tutte queste emozioni leggendolo, la trama mi aveva subito colpita però è stato sorprendente. Dane mi è piaciuto dall’inizio, il suo modo di amare Brinkley, su quest’ultima invece avrei da ridire su alcune cose ed alcune scelte io le avrei evitate. Celina meravigliosa 😍 e mi è piaciuta anche la mamma di Brinkley e il suo ammettere i suoi sbagli, perché nella vita si sbaglia si ma l’importante è capirlo ed ammetterlo.
L’epilogo non poteva che essere così!
Consiglio di leggerlo assolutamente per me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Bellissimo! Non avrei mai immaginato che avrei provato tutte queste emozioni leggendolo, la trama mi aveva subito colpita però è stato sorprendente. Dane mi è piaciuto dall’inizio, il suo modo di amare Brinkley, su quest’ultima invece avrei da ridire su alcune cose ed alcune scelte io le avrei evitate. Celina meravigliosa 😍 e mi è piaciuta anche la mamma di Brinkley e il suo ammettere i suoi sbagli, perché nella vita si sbaglia si ma l’importante è capirlo ed ammetterlo.
L’epilogo non poteva che essere così!
Consiglio di leggerlo assolutamente per me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 22, 2017
ALL THE STARS!!!!
Damnit, Michelle. You pulled at this momma's heart strings, big time. How I made it through this book without ruining my kindle from the tears falling, is beyond me. This book is just so much of everything, I have no idea where to start or what to say.
The Beautiful Now is exactly that - Beautiful. It's love story of epic proportions. It's not just about the love between a man and a woman, but a mom and dad and their child. It's about the love we have for another that runs so deep, we'd do anything so that the other person is living a happy life, even it means we have to give up our lives for them. Damnit, I am crying writing this review. This is what book did to me. All the feels.
Michelle's previous book, The Empty Jar, she made my heart ached; with this book, my heart took another beating of epic proportions. And it hurt for some many different aspects in this book. But she also mended it and made my heart sing. I laughed at the silly nuisances between Brinkley and Celina; I cried over the heartache that these two had to endure; I felt hope and love between them all.
I love that Michelle tells this story from Brinkley's POV in both the past and present. It helps show the undying love between Dane and Brinkley; how something that deep can never be severed - no matter the time, no matter the reason. It's soul crushing. Even though they knew everything was against and they could never be, they still chose to try. But fighting the inevitable, hurt them more in the long run.
Dane - wow, that man is something is else. I love that he never cared what anyone else thought. He lived his life the way he wanted and chose not to let anyone's opinion sway him. His strength bled into Brinkley. He was her rock.
As a mother, this book really hit home for me. I pray I never go through anything that Brinkley did with her daughter. But that unconditional love is something as a parent you just can't explain, it is just there from the beginning and only grows stronger with each beat of their little heart. The closeness that Brinkley and Celina share as mother and daughter is raw and honest and it's one I have with my own daughter - I would give anything for her. She's my sunshine, my reason.
This was another emotional read from Michelle. She doesn't hold back on taking you to the heart and soul of a story. She gives you everything that reaches deep within you. I highly recommend this book to everyone. But know that going in, your soul will get blasted and come back feeling refreshed.
Thank you Michelle for writing another epic story about life and love. My heart goes through the ringer with your books, but I am forever grateful to experience everything I do with your books. I felt this book deep in my bones. <3
"We didn't have a future. We couldn't possibly. We both knew it. But we had the now. The beautiful now. And that was better than nothing."
Damnit, Michelle. You pulled at this momma's heart strings, big time. How I made it through this book without ruining my kindle from the tears falling, is beyond me. This book is just so much of everything, I have no idea where to start or what to say.
The Beautiful Now is exactly that - Beautiful. It's love story of epic proportions. It's not just about the love between a man and a woman, but a mom and dad and their child. It's about the love we have for another that runs so deep, we'd do anything so that the other person is living a happy life, even it means we have to give up our lives for them. Damnit, I am crying writing this review. This is what book did to me. All the feels.
Michelle's previous book, The Empty Jar, she made my heart ached; with this book, my heart took another beating of epic proportions. And it hurt for some many different aspects in this book. But she also mended it and made my heart sing. I laughed at the silly nuisances between Brinkley and Celina; I cried over the heartache that these two had to endure; I felt hope and love between them all.
I love that Michelle tells this story from Brinkley's POV in both the past and present. It helps show the undying love between Dane and Brinkley; how something that deep can never be severed - no matter the time, no matter the reason. It's soul crushing. Even though they knew everything was against and they could never be, they still chose to try. But fighting the inevitable, hurt them more in the long run.
Dane - wow, that man is something is else. I love that he never cared what anyone else thought. He lived his life the way he wanted and chose not to let anyone's opinion sway him. His strength bled into Brinkley. He was her rock.
As a mother, this book really hit home for me. I pray I never go through anything that Brinkley did with her daughter. But that unconditional love is something as a parent you just can't explain, it is just there from the beginning and only grows stronger with each beat of their little heart. The closeness that Brinkley and Celina share as mother and daughter is raw and honest and it's one I have with my own daughter - I would give anything for her. She's my sunshine, my reason.
This was another emotional read from Michelle. She doesn't hold back on taking you to the heart and soul of a story. She gives you everything that reaches deep within you. I highly recommend this book to everyone. But know that going in, your soul will get blasted and come back feeling refreshed.
Thank you Michelle for writing another epic story about life and love. My heart goes through the ringer with your books, but I am forever grateful to experience everything I do with your books. I felt this book deep in my bones. <3
"We didn't have a future. We couldn't possibly. We both knew it. But we had the now. The beautiful now. And that was better than nothing."
December 11, 2019
RECENSIONE QUI: https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/...
M. Leighton torna con un nuovo romanzo di amore e amicizia. La storia è raccontata dal punto di vista di Brinkley in prima persona. Per metà libro è un rimbalzare tra il presente e il passato. Nel passato conosciamo due ragazzini coetanei: Brinkley Sommers, figliastra del ricco proprietario terriero e Dane James, figlio del capomastro alle dipendenze del patrigno. La loro intesa è innegabile fin da subito e nasce un qualcosa di profondo, ma che per diversi motivi non può e non deve crescere. Tuttavia, nel corso degli anni, come un elastico, si avvicinano e si allontanano, avanti e indietro. Nel presente c’è una Brinkley commercialista che torna a casa a Sheperd’s Mill e si catapulta nella sua vecchia vita. Lei però è cambiata, eppure riprova le stesse emozioni che aveva chiuso in un cassetto andando via. Come saranno cresciuti i vecchi amici? Si può riprendere da dove si ha lasciato? I segreti verranno svelati? Nel corso delle pagine la Leighton ci descrive, coinvolgendoci con il suo linguaggio fluido, il rapporto tra i due ragazzini che si scontrano con la realtà eppure sono legati a doppio filo. Per Brinkley, Dane rappresenta la sua roccia e le loro piccole abitudini sono importantissime. Tuttavia in ballo c’è qualcosa di più grande di loro e i protagonisti non posso che subirne le conseguenze. La caratterizzazione di Brinkley e Dane è molto più profonda nella parte del libro che ci racconta di loro nel passato e sicuramente molto più coinvolgente e più scorrevole rispetto alle parti che raccontano il loro presente. Senza dubbio crescono man mano che leggiamo la storia, ma sembra quasi che siano più importanti gli eventi che li circondano. La Leighton descrive molto bene le scene nelle quali ambienta la storia: tra tutte, mi è addirittura sembrato di toccare il grano dei campi quando Brinkley ci cammina in mezzo. Ci sono poche scene di sesso: sono romantiche e non molto piccanti...
CONTINUA SUL NOSTRO BLOG. VENITE A TROVARCI
https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/
M. Leighton torna con un nuovo romanzo di amore e amicizia. La storia è raccontata dal punto di vista di Brinkley in prima persona. Per metà libro è un rimbalzare tra il presente e il passato. Nel passato conosciamo due ragazzini coetanei: Brinkley Sommers, figliastra del ricco proprietario terriero e Dane James, figlio del capomastro alle dipendenze del patrigno. La loro intesa è innegabile fin da subito e nasce un qualcosa di profondo, ma che per diversi motivi non può e non deve crescere. Tuttavia, nel corso degli anni, come un elastico, si avvicinano e si allontanano, avanti e indietro. Nel presente c’è una Brinkley commercialista che torna a casa a Sheperd’s Mill e si catapulta nella sua vecchia vita. Lei però è cambiata, eppure riprova le stesse emozioni che aveva chiuso in un cassetto andando via. Come saranno cresciuti i vecchi amici? Si può riprendere da dove si ha lasciato? I segreti verranno svelati? Nel corso delle pagine la Leighton ci descrive, coinvolgendoci con il suo linguaggio fluido, il rapporto tra i due ragazzini che si scontrano con la realtà eppure sono legati a doppio filo. Per Brinkley, Dane rappresenta la sua roccia e le loro piccole abitudini sono importantissime. Tuttavia in ballo c’è qualcosa di più grande di loro e i protagonisti non posso che subirne le conseguenze. La caratterizzazione di Brinkley e Dane è molto più profonda nella parte del libro che ci racconta di loro nel passato e sicuramente molto più coinvolgente e più scorrevole rispetto alle parti che raccontano il loro presente. Senza dubbio crescono man mano che leggiamo la storia, ma sembra quasi che siano più importanti gli eventi che li circondano. La Leighton descrive molto bene le scene nelle quali ambienta la storia: tra tutte, mi è addirittura sembrato di toccare il grano dei campi quando Brinkley ci cammina in mezzo. Ci sono poche scene di sesso: sono romantiche e non molto piccanti...
CONTINUA SUL NOSTRO BLOG. VENITE A TROVARCI
https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/
September 25, 2017
In all honesty, 5 stars are just not enough for this book! It has been quite a while since I have had a chance to read a book by Michelle and now I find myself digging through my kindle to read more of her books. I have always been a huge fan of her work, but when other reviews and a full editing schedule get in the way, you have to pick and choose what you can get read on the side. When I saw the blurb for The Beautiful Now, I just had to read it. Knowing that there were so many other blogs vying for an ARC, I did not hold my breath. When iScream was selected to read and review an ARC, I literally jumped up and down. Then it was fangirl down when Michelle responded to a few comments I made on facecrack regarding her book. Truthfully, this is a very hard review for me to write, not because I didn't like the book, but the exact opposite. I loved it so much, that I am not sure how to write or get what I need to say out. The Beautiful Now is officially the #1 book I have read this year. It is a love story of epic proportions that will stay with the reader long after you have finished it. It is written amazingly well and the roller coaster ride of emotions that I felt was so real. I felt like I was a part of the story. I could picture it all in my head, like a movie. I fell in love with Dane and Brinkley from the very start. Their characters are so true, raw and believable. I felt the hurt and anguish that they did as their story unfolded. The circumstances throughout their relationship pulled at my heartstrings, no...I did not cry like some readers did or do, but I literally ached at times with how Dane and Brinkley cared for one another.
Brinkley spent her first twelve years of her life living with her single mother who worked two jobs and did the best to provide for her daughter. When the opportunity (that is what I like to call it) arose, her mother married a wealthy man and moved them to Shepherd's Mill, South Carolina. They quickly went from being poor to being one of the wealthiest families in their small town. At her mother's insistence, Brinkley befriended the most popular girls in school, something she did not want to do. She is such a simple, yet complex character at times. The one person who seems to understand Brinkley more than anyone else is Dane. His father is employed on the farm that Brinkley's stepfather owns, therefore being his friend is off limits. Something that Brinkley does not adhere to. Dane is everything and more to her and they do their best to keep their friendship hidden, until a wrench is thrown into their plans and Brinkley finds herself leaving home in the middle of the night, not to be heard from for fourteen years. No one but her high society mother and stepfather knows why she left, there was just speculation among the town folk.
"Dane James. He was my relief. He was my exhale. He was my rock." ~ Brinkley
"He felt necessary to my heart, to my head, to my existence, and nothing in the world mattered except him." ~ Brinkley
"I've loved you everyday for the last five years. You've had my heart since you moved here."~ Dane
When Brinkley returns to the one place that she dreads the most, Shepherd's Mill, she has to wonder if things have changed at all or if it is the same little town of socialites that she spent five years of her life in. With her stepfather gone, she can only hope that her mother is no longer the money hungry woman that she had turned into and will accept Brinkley with open arms. Coming home also means coming to terms with the one person who she loved more than anyone else, Dane. Will they be able to find a way to bury the past or will more lies be their undoing?
The Beautiful Now is just like the title says...beautiful. It is so well written and engaging. I did not want Brinkley and Dane's story to end. It pulled at my heart, making it ache at times and they fluttering with happiness at others. I wanted the world for these two characters, they deserved to find the love and happiness that they had as youngsters. I loved the fact that the story is told from Brinkley's POV and we get to watch as her life unfolds from the time she is twelve until the age of thirty-two when she returns home to Shepherd's Mill. Her life has not been easy, but she has done the absolute best that she possibly could do.
Can two characters from similar backgrounds, pushed apart by society and money find their way back to one another after all these years or will the lies be etched so deep that forgiveness is not even possible? Seriously, go and grab this book! Beautifully written and engaging. You will not want to put it down. Leighton is an amazing storyteller that makes the reader feel like they are part of the story. You will not be disappointed!
5+++++ iScream Stars
Brinkley spent her first twelve years of her life living with her single mother who worked two jobs and did the best to provide for her daughter. When the opportunity (that is what I like to call it) arose, her mother married a wealthy man and moved them to Shepherd's Mill, South Carolina. They quickly went from being poor to being one of the wealthiest families in their small town. At her mother's insistence, Brinkley befriended the most popular girls in school, something she did not want to do. She is such a simple, yet complex character at times. The one person who seems to understand Brinkley more than anyone else is Dane. His father is employed on the farm that Brinkley's stepfather owns, therefore being his friend is off limits. Something that Brinkley does not adhere to. Dane is everything and more to her and they do their best to keep their friendship hidden, until a wrench is thrown into their plans and Brinkley finds herself leaving home in the middle of the night, not to be heard from for fourteen years. No one but her high society mother and stepfather knows why she left, there was just speculation among the town folk.
"Dane James. He was my relief. He was my exhale. He was my rock." ~ Brinkley
"He felt necessary to my heart, to my head, to my existence, and nothing in the world mattered except him." ~ Brinkley
"I've loved you everyday for the last five years. You've had my heart since you moved here."~ Dane
When Brinkley returns to the one place that she dreads the most, Shepherd's Mill, she has to wonder if things have changed at all or if it is the same little town of socialites that she spent five years of her life in. With her stepfather gone, she can only hope that her mother is no longer the money hungry woman that she had turned into and will accept Brinkley with open arms. Coming home also means coming to terms with the one person who she loved more than anyone else, Dane. Will they be able to find a way to bury the past or will more lies be their undoing?
The Beautiful Now is just like the title says...beautiful. It is so well written and engaging. I did not want Brinkley and Dane's story to end. It pulled at my heart, making it ache at times and they fluttering with happiness at others. I wanted the world for these two characters, they deserved to find the love and happiness that they had as youngsters. I loved the fact that the story is told from Brinkley's POV and we get to watch as her life unfolds from the time she is twelve until the age of thirty-two when she returns home to Shepherd's Mill. Her life has not been easy, but she has done the absolute best that she possibly could do.
Can two characters from similar backgrounds, pushed apart by society and money find their way back to one another after all these years or will the lies be etched so deep that forgiveness is not even possible? Seriously, go and grab this book! Beautifully written and engaging. You will not want to put it down. Leighton is an amazing storyteller that makes the reader feel like they are part of the story. You will not be disappointed!
5+++++ iScream Stars
December 17, 2019
4.5 stelle
Una città bigotta dove è marcata a livello estremo la divisione tra le classi sociali, i ragazzini crescono con la consapevolezza di questa forte divisione, ma Brinkley e Dane s'innamorano, sanno che non possono stare insieme, ma si sa che l'amore supera ogni divisione, e nel corso della loro adolescenza, più volte s'incontreranno alla loro roccia, per Brinkley lui è la sua boccata d'ossigeno da questa città bigotta, dalla madre ossessionata dalle convenzioni sociali, purtroppo la cattiveria umana li separerà, Brinkley è costretta a prendere una difficile decisione, deve fare una scelta; sarà quella scelta che prima l'allontanerà e poi la vedrà tornare dopo 15 anni. I due si rincontreranno, ci sarà per loro una seconda possibilità? Una storia emozionante che ci viene narrata da Brinkley nel presente con alcuni tuffi nel passato, un'altalena di emozioni, che mi hanno fatto indignare per alcune situazioni, e mi hanno profondamente commossa per altre ❤️.... Non dico di più per non fare spoiler, ma consiglio di leggerlo perché merita...
Una città bigotta dove è marcata a livello estremo la divisione tra le classi sociali, i ragazzini crescono con la consapevolezza di questa forte divisione, ma Brinkley e Dane s'innamorano, sanno che non possono stare insieme, ma si sa che l'amore supera ogni divisione, e nel corso della loro adolescenza, più volte s'incontreranno alla loro roccia, per Brinkley lui è la sua boccata d'ossigeno da questa città bigotta, dalla madre ossessionata dalle convenzioni sociali, purtroppo la cattiveria umana li separerà, Brinkley è costretta a prendere una difficile decisione, deve fare una scelta; sarà quella scelta che prima l'allontanerà e poi la vedrà tornare dopo 15 anni. I due si rincontreranno, ci sarà per loro una seconda possibilità? Una storia emozionante che ci viene narrata da Brinkley nel presente con alcuni tuffi nel passato, un'altalena di emozioni, che mi hanno fatto indignare per alcune situazioni, e mi hanno profondamente commossa per altre ❤️.... Non dico di più per non fare spoiler, ma consiglio di leggerlo perché merita...
October 10, 2017
M. Leighton once again grabs tightly to your heartstrings and doesn’t let go from start to finish. Through the span of more than 20 years, love never dies even when all seems lost. A beautiful and touching second chance romance that has all the feels. Stunning in its delivery.
January 2, 2019
https://romanticcynicblog.wordpress.c...
Beware of Spoilers!
Star Ratings:
Heroine (Brinkley): 12/15/17/32yrs old
Hero (Dane): 12/15/17/32yrs old
Plot: 5/5
Grovel: yes
Cheating: none
HEA: yes with kid
Triggers: child abuse, attempted rape of h by her stepfather
Average score: 5/5
Best Line: “That’s me. Weird but awesome.”
Worst Line: “Until I tell him that I hid his daughter from him for fourteen years.”
Personal Review:
An excellent second chance romance between a loving mother and a steadfast father
Random Ramblings:
•Awesome intro – brilliant relationship between mother and daughter
•Aww he was so sweet to her at their first meeting
•Her stepfather was filthy
•She was wrong for not telling him immediately when she returned to her hometown
•Her mother made me cry in the end but I still don’t know if I would have forgiven her
•Ending had me in tears…epic!
Overall Feeling:
“This is us.
This is what we do.
And as long as I have us, I’ll survive.”
Beware of Spoilers!
Star Ratings:
Heroine (Brinkley): 12/15/17/32yrs old
Hero (Dane): 12/15/17/32yrs old
Plot: 5/5
Grovel: yes
Cheating: none
HEA: yes with kid
Triggers: child abuse, attempted rape of h by her stepfather
Average score: 5/5
Best Line: “That’s me. Weird but awesome.”
Worst Line: “Until I tell him that I hid his daughter from him for fourteen years.”
Personal Review:
An excellent second chance romance between a loving mother and a steadfast father
Random Ramblings:
•Awesome intro – brilliant relationship between mother and daughter
•Aww he was so sweet to her at their first meeting
•Her stepfather was filthy
•She was wrong for not telling him immediately when she returned to her hometown
•Her mother made me cry in the end but I still don’t know if I would have forgiven her
•Ending had me in tears…epic!
Overall Feeling:
“This is us.
This is what we do.
And as long as I have us, I’ll survive.”
January 5, 2020
Bello!!!!!
April 23, 2020
Harmony - per RFS
.
“Può sembrare sciocco ma per qualche motivo quello mi rese felice. Lui mi rese felice per qualche motivo. E mentre ci separavamo sentii, per la prima volta da quando ero arrivata a Sheperd’s Mill, qualcos’altro oltre alla solitudine.” (tratto dal libro)
Brinkley Reene si trasferisce a Sheperd’s, un paesino in centro America, quando ha solo dodici anni, in quanto sua mamma aveva sposato Alton, un uomo ricco ma senza scrupoli che farà soffrire terribilmente la ragazza, cambiando la sua vita.
Dane James, anche lui dodicenne, è il figlio degli agricoltori che curano i campi del signor Alton. Bellissimo e dolce, si accorge subito di Brinkley, ma sa che tra loro non potrà mai esserci nulla, perché provengono da ceti sociali diversi.
“Comincio a camminare ma mi rendo conto presto che sto correndo, corro nei campi di fasci di grano che mi colpiscono le braccia, il petto e le guance. E poi la vedo. Scura e sola sotto la luna. Una roccia. La roccia. La nostra roccia.” (tratto da libro)
Brinkley e Dane cominciano da bambini a capire che il legame che si è creato fra loro non è solo amicizia, ma qualcosa di più profondo e puro. Cercheranno in tutti i modi di stare insieme, ma se in un momento sembrano riuscirci, il loro sogno si infrange quando Brinkley a diciassette anni è costretta dalla mamma e dal patrigno ad andarsene dal paese, senza fare più ritorno. Almeno fino a quando, quindici anni dopo, Brinkley ritorna e deve fare i conti con tutto quello che ha lasciato.
“Il sentiero è parte di noi, del nostro amore, della nostra storia come lo sono in sentimenti. Mi crogiolo in ogni passo che abbiamo fatto per essere qui in questo momento.” (tratto da libro)
Questo libro mi ha davvero travolto come un uragano, ho pianto per pochi libri, e questo è uno di essi. L’ autrice è stata bravissima ad alternarsi tra le scene di loro bambini e adulti. Quando racconta i sentimenti dei protagonisti, quello che provano, le emozioni, la rabbia, l’abbandono, è come se ogni parte di quelle parole ti entrassero dentro e riesci a sentire davvero quei sentimenti. Questa storia ci tiene incollati fino all’ ultima pagina, chissà se per Brinkley e Dane ci sarà il lieto fine….
.
“Può sembrare sciocco ma per qualche motivo quello mi rese felice. Lui mi rese felice per qualche motivo. E mentre ci separavamo sentii, per la prima volta da quando ero arrivata a Sheperd’s Mill, qualcos’altro oltre alla solitudine.” (tratto dal libro)
Brinkley Reene si trasferisce a Sheperd’s, un paesino in centro America, quando ha solo dodici anni, in quanto sua mamma aveva sposato Alton, un uomo ricco ma senza scrupoli che farà soffrire terribilmente la ragazza, cambiando la sua vita.
Dane James, anche lui dodicenne, è il figlio degli agricoltori che curano i campi del signor Alton. Bellissimo e dolce, si accorge subito di Brinkley, ma sa che tra loro non potrà mai esserci nulla, perché provengono da ceti sociali diversi.
“Comincio a camminare ma mi rendo conto presto che sto correndo, corro nei campi di fasci di grano che mi colpiscono le braccia, il petto e le guance. E poi la vedo. Scura e sola sotto la luna. Una roccia. La roccia. La nostra roccia.” (tratto da libro)
Brinkley e Dane cominciano da bambini a capire che il legame che si è creato fra loro non è solo amicizia, ma qualcosa di più profondo e puro. Cercheranno in tutti i modi di stare insieme, ma se in un momento sembrano riuscirci, il loro sogno si infrange quando Brinkley a diciassette anni è costretta dalla mamma e dal patrigno ad andarsene dal paese, senza fare più ritorno. Almeno fino a quando, quindici anni dopo, Brinkley ritorna e deve fare i conti con tutto quello che ha lasciato.
“Il sentiero è parte di noi, del nostro amore, della nostra storia come lo sono in sentimenti. Mi crogiolo in ogni passo che abbiamo fatto per essere qui in questo momento.” (tratto da libro)
Questo libro mi ha davvero travolto come un uragano, ho pianto per pochi libri, e questo è uno di essi. L’ autrice è stata bravissima ad alternarsi tra le scene di loro bambini e adulti. Quando racconta i sentimenti dei protagonisti, quello che provano, le emozioni, la rabbia, l’abbandono, è come se ogni parte di quelle parole ti entrassero dentro e riesci a sentire davvero quei sentimenti. Questa storia ci tiene incollati fino all’ ultima pagina, chissà se per Brinkley e Dane ci sarà il lieto fine….
October 2, 2017
4.5 stars
this was a good one. couldn't put it down. i read right through until 3am when i passed out and my kindle hit my face. totally worth it!
this was a good one. couldn't put it down. i read right through until 3am when i passed out and my kindle hit my face. totally worth it!
January 14, 2020
Questo libro merita 6 stelle ...
Travolgente... straziante... spettacolare.
Travolgente... straziante... spettacolare.
September 25, 2017
Dane and I...we were transcendent. Even though we didn’t speak or associate, there was something between us, something strong and beautiful, that we could never break. And neither of us tried.
***
The beautiful now is such a beautiful story. So beautiful and so heartbreaking. I started Saturday evening and found myself reading all throughout the day on Sunday. Which is something I seldom do. But I couldn't put this book down. It's story whispered to me and clung to me; silently begging me to hear what it had to say.
What I adored most about this story was the flashbacks. Usually not one for a lot of flashbacks, I found I craved them. I needed to know more about Dane and Brinkley. We saw what lead up to Brinkley's leaving and what it meant to come back home after all these years. We saw right into the heart of it. We saw the heartbreak of her saying a goodbye that no one heard. We saw the torment of a young mother's struggle to swallow her pride and say hello after nearly two decades of being gone. We saw a woman face her past while trying to keep the emotions from bubbling over and spilling her secrets to the man she never stopped loving. Guys, we see it all. And it is beautiful, it’s harrowing and it shook me to the core.
***
I follow him just like I always did. I wonder if I always will, if that’s one of the things that hasn’t changed.
***
And as a mom it tore at me from my inside out. I cried. Lord, did I cry. My heart and tears were wrung dry from the emotions of this book. But I couldn’t pull away from it. I had to see this amazing book to the end. I had to know that maybe, just maybe, Brinkley would get a happy ever after after all she has been through.
Once again I am blown away by all things Leighton. Beautiful story, amazing plot, crafted writing...this book was everything. Reading it you see it play out in your mind as a movie and I didn't want to ever see those end credits roll. I just needed it to keep going. And I am hoping and praying we may get more. Please let there be more. 5 Beautiful Stars!
***
The beautiful now is such a beautiful story. So beautiful and so heartbreaking. I started Saturday evening and found myself reading all throughout the day on Sunday. Which is something I seldom do. But I couldn't put this book down. It's story whispered to me and clung to me; silently begging me to hear what it had to say.
What I adored most about this story was the flashbacks. Usually not one for a lot of flashbacks, I found I craved them. I needed to know more about Dane and Brinkley. We saw what lead up to Brinkley's leaving and what it meant to come back home after all these years. We saw right into the heart of it. We saw the heartbreak of her saying a goodbye that no one heard. We saw the torment of a young mother's struggle to swallow her pride and say hello after nearly two decades of being gone. We saw a woman face her past while trying to keep the emotions from bubbling over and spilling her secrets to the man she never stopped loving. Guys, we see it all. And it is beautiful, it’s harrowing and it shook me to the core.
***
I follow him just like I always did. I wonder if I always will, if that’s one of the things that hasn’t changed.
***
And as a mom it tore at me from my inside out. I cried. Lord, did I cry. My heart and tears were wrung dry from the emotions of this book. But I couldn’t pull away from it. I had to see this amazing book to the end. I had to know that maybe, just maybe, Brinkley would get a happy ever after after all she has been through.
Once again I am blown away by all things Leighton. Beautiful story, amazing plot, crafted writing...this book was everything. Reading it you see it play out in your mind as a movie and I didn't want to ever see those end credits roll. I just needed it to keep going. And I am hoping and praying we may get more. Please let there be more. 5 Beautiful Stars!
January 23, 2020
4,5 stars
September 26, 2017
I have mixed feelings for The Beautiful Now. The constant flashbacks were tiring and they were a large part of this book. I wanted more time spent on seeing what was happening in the present rather than reading details about Dane and Brinkley when they were 17 or younger. While I am certain that Dane was always in love with Brinkley, I cannot keep by thinking that he had a (minor) thing for Lauren and he was just trying to cover it up with excuses. Brinkley is a nice character. I wasn't the biggest fan of hers but I sympathized with her. I cannot tell you much because I would spoil a big part of the book, unfortunately. There too many things going on in this book and I cannot say a thing because the blurb doesn't reveal much. I wanted to talk about the reasons I liked Brinkley, but I can't. She is a strong person whose life hasn't been the easiest, but she made it through. Dane was a boy who was never quite accepted by the people of his city simply because he wasn't rich. He loved Brinkley back then and they had a weird relationship back then because Brinkley's stepfather, Alton, was a mean man, to put it mildly. You will understand what I mean once you read the book. He changed over the years and his hatred for Alton was going strong which is no surprise. What surprised me was his reaction to some things from the past. Considering his anger and everything I would have expected a more dramatic reaction with a few bad words in it. I liked his reaction though.He didn't need any more drama in his life and he is a good man. I didn't fall for him like Brinkley did, but I liked him a lot as a character. If the story had fewer flashbacks and more time in the present I would have liked the book a little more. The ending of this book is nice, but a little cliched in my opinion. I am usually a sucker for those things, but I felt like it was a usual and completely expected ending.
September 26, 2017
There’s just something about a love that was fought for…that endured despite distance and time…that consumed two people in life-changing ways that makes it heartbreakingly beautiful and beautifully tragic at the same time.
And, it’s that kind of love story that M. Leighton gives readers in her newest release, The Beautiful Now, and while there’s quite a bit of irony in the title alone due to how long the main characters are apart and what those against them do to prevent them from reveling in their love in the present or even the future, a bond like Brinkley and Dane have had since they were 12 years old, regardless of interference or heartache, is not something that can ever be extinguished, which just goes to show how powerful love can be in even the most extreme situations.
Brinkley and Dane’s epic love story spans over two decades and as Leighton explores both their past and their present, switching between the teens they used to be and the adults they are now, all parts of their story are told…the beautiful now moments, the passionate times together, the lonely and depressed years, and the moments of renewal that seem to be happening as they reconnect and figure out what they still mean to each other.
The story is told solely from Brinkley’s perspective, which means that every flashback as well as every scene written in the present reflects everything that she thought/thinks and everything she felt/feels as she gives readers the necessary insights about how things started between her and Dane, how they eventually fell apart, and how she plans to be in the same town as the love of her life. And as Brinkley takes readers down this road of passion, love, hate, and heartbreak, readers see everything through her eyes, which adds to the intensity of feelings felt and amplifies our disdain for those who hurt her and Dane and all the obstacles that prevented them from remaining together when that’s all they wanted from the very beginning.
M. Leighton is known for telling emotional stories…stories meant to give readers ALL THE FEELS and that is exactly what The Beautiful Now does, and as we witness Brinkley struggle and suffer, our hearts break for her and our impulse is to fast forward to the end of the story so that we can ensure her heart is mended and whole by the time the book concludes, but with the amount of books I’ve read by Leighton and the knowledge that she always puts her readers back together, despite the amount of tears cried or the number of heart fractures that occur, prevents me from taking the easy way out because an amazing book is meant to be experienced as fully as possible…those are the kinds of books that stay with readers and those are the kinds of books that M. Leighton creates.
4.5 Poison Apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)
And, it’s that kind of love story that M. Leighton gives readers in her newest release, The Beautiful Now, and while there’s quite a bit of irony in the title alone due to how long the main characters are apart and what those against them do to prevent them from reveling in their love in the present or even the future, a bond like Brinkley and Dane have had since they were 12 years old, regardless of interference or heartache, is not something that can ever be extinguished, which just goes to show how powerful love can be in even the most extreme situations.
Brinkley and Dane’s epic love story spans over two decades and as Leighton explores both their past and their present, switching between the teens they used to be and the adults they are now, all parts of their story are told…the beautiful now moments, the passionate times together, the lonely and depressed years, and the moments of renewal that seem to be happening as they reconnect and figure out what they still mean to each other.
The story is told solely from Brinkley’s perspective, which means that every flashback as well as every scene written in the present reflects everything that she thought/thinks and everything she felt/feels as she gives readers the necessary insights about how things started between her and Dane, how they eventually fell apart, and how she plans to be in the same town as the love of her life. And as Brinkley takes readers down this road of passion, love, hate, and heartbreak, readers see everything through her eyes, which adds to the intensity of feelings felt and amplifies our disdain for those who hurt her and Dane and all the obstacles that prevented them from remaining together when that’s all they wanted from the very beginning.
M. Leighton is known for telling emotional stories…stories meant to give readers ALL THE FEELS and that is exactly what The Beautiful Now does, and as we witness Brinkley struggle and suffer, our hearts break for her and our impulse is to fast forward to the end of the story so that we can ensure her heart is mended and whole by the time the book concludes, but with the amount of books I’ve read by Leighton and the knowledge that she always puts her readers back together, despite the amount of tears cried or the number of heart fractures that occur, prevents me from taking the easy way out because an amazing book is meant to be experienced as fully as possible…those are the kinds of books that stay with readers and those are the kinds of books that M. Leighton creates.
4.5 Poison Apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)
September 26, 2017
* A review copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review *
~ 5 The One Who Stayed Stars ~
As usual with a M. Leighton book…I am left sitting here trying to think of a way I can write a review that will do this book justice. So I apologize now if this review is short and vague.
The Beautiful Now is an emotional story filled with heartache and angst, but underneath it all there is also a wonderful love story. A story of first loves and never-ending love. This book swept me up and didn’t let go until the very end. I think the only thing I missed in this story was getting Dane’s POV. The story is told solely from Brinkley’s POV. But it didn’t take away from my sheer enjoyment of this book.
“ Where there is hate, there is misery.
Where there is forgiveness, there is healing.”
That saying totally sums up this story in a nutshell. No saying has ever been perfect for a book, like this one is. I can’t explain why because it will give the whole story away, but just know that you will understand it all by the end of the story.
The Beautiful Now is M. Leighton’s latest standalone novel and as with all her books I thoroughly enjoyed every single word in this story. Her writing is always effortless and the pace she took Brinkley and Dane on was perfect. Now I will say this is a journey. This isn’t a sprint, more like a marathon. Just know that at the end you will have such a full feeling and your heart will be put back together.
This story does touch on a sensitive subject, but Ms. Leighton doesn’t take it too far, to where it is uncomfortable to read. She delves into it with just enough finesse that you can’t help but get sucked into Dane and Brinkley’s lives. I felt every emotion they felt….all the highs and the lows. While they were falling in love with each other, I as the reader was falling in love with them.
Now usually in Ms. Leighton’s books I fall hard for the Heroes, but in this book, I truly fell for both Dane and Brinkley. They both stole a piece of my heart and I know they will live in my head for a long time to come. They are such amazing characters…I truly don’t know how Michelle does it….keeps giving us these amazing characters and their emotionally charged stories.
I don’t really know what else I can say in this review, except, READ THIS BOOK!!! It is one you don’t want to miss.
Follow Us at :: Book Bitches Blog | Facebook | Twitter
~ 5 The One Who Stayed Stars ~
As usual with a M. Leighton book…I am left sitting here trying to think of a way I can write a review that will do this book justice. So I apologize now if this review is short and vague.
The Beautiful Now is an emotional story filled with heartache and angst, but underneath it all there is also a wonderful love story. A story of first loves and never-ending love. This book swept me up and didn’t let go until the very end. I think the only thing I missed in this story was getting Dane’s POV. The story is told solely from Brinkley’s POV. But it didn’t take away from my sheer enjoyment of this book.
“ Where there is hate, there is misery.
Where there is forgiveness, there is healing.”
That saying totally sums up this story in a nutshell. No saying has ever been perfect for a book, like this one is. I can’t explain why because it will give the whole story away, but just know that you will understand it all by the end of the story.
The Beautiful Now is M. Leighton’s latest standalone novel and as with all her books I thoroughly enjoyed every single word in this story. Her writing is always effortless and the pace she took Brinkley and Dane on was perfect. Now I will say this is a journey. This isn’t a sprint, more like a marathon. Just know that at the end you will have such a full feeling and your heart will be put back together.
This story does touch on a sensitive subject, but Ms. Leighton doesn’t take it too far, to where it is uncomfortable to read. She delves into it with just enough finesse that you can’t help but get sucked into Dane and Brinkley’s lives. I felt every emotion they felt….all the highs and the lows. While they were falling in love with each other, I as the reader was falling in love with them.
Now usually in Ms. Leighton’s books I fall hard for the Heroes, but in this book, I truly fell for both Dane and Brinkley. They both stole a piece of my heart and I know they will live in my head for a long time to come. They are such amazing characters…I truly don’t know how Michelle does it….keeps giving us these amazing characters and their emotionally charged stories.
I don’t really know what else I can say in this review, except, READ THIS BOOK!!! It is one you don’t want to miss.
Follow Us at :: Book Bitches Blog | Facebook | Twitter
May 9, 2020
3 stelle e mezzo
Peccato per l'eccessivo dramma sul finale, altrimenti questo libro sarebbe stato perfetto!
La cosa che mi ha colpito di più è stata l'abilità dell'autrice nel creare la giusta atmosfera.
Mi sono ritrovata a camminare nelle vie di una cittadina piena di pregiudizi, ho vagato per campi coltivati e sterminati, mi sono fermata insieme ai protagonisti, a vedere le stelle.
Mi è piaciuto molto il rapporto tra Brinkley e Dane. Parte come una cotta adolescenziale dovuta ad un gesto gentile e col tempo si trasforma in qualcosa di molto profondo, che aumenta inarrestabile e che nulla può arrestare, nemmeno le radicate convinzioni.
Non c’è nulla da fare. Quando si parla di amore contrastato, se è scritto come si deve, non riesco a dire di no!
Dane è tanta roba! (Anche se il ragazzo è troppo in tutti i sensi…), ma devo ammettere che anche la controparte femminile non è stata scritta male… mi sono veramente stupita!😲
Ps. I titoli che la Newton sceglie di dare ai libri che porta in Italia sono sempre più imbarazzati!
Lasciateli in originale, please!
Peccato per l'eccessivo dramma sul finale, altrimenti questo libro sarebbe stato perfetto!
La cosa che mi ha colpito di più è stata l'abilità dell'autrice nel creare la giusta atmosfera.
Mi sono ritrovata a camminare nelle vie di una cittadina piena di pregiudizi, ho vagato per campi coltivati e sterminati, mi sono fermata insieme ai protagonisti, a vedere le stelle.
Mi è piaciuto molto il rapporto tra Brinkley e Dane. Parte come una cotta adolescenziale dovuta ad un gesto gentile e col tempo si trasforma in qualcosa di molto profondo, che aumenta inarrestabile e che nulla può arrestare, nemmeno le radicate convinzioni.
Non c’è nulla da fare. Quando si parla di amore contrastato, se è scritto come si deve, non riesco a dire di no!
Dane è tanta roba! (Anche se il ragazzo è troppo in tutti i sensi…), ma devo ammettere che anche la controparte femminile non è stata scritta male… mi sono veramente stupita!😲
Ps. I titoli che la Newton sceglie di dare ai libri che porta in Italia sono sempre più imbarazzati!
Lasciateli in originale, please!
September 26, 2017
Speechless...
I have no words that could do this story justice. This author never ceases to amaze me with her writing.
You'll fall in love with the characters, you'll even hate some of them.
I felt like I was in the story watching it play out.
I have no words that could do this story justice. This author never ceases to amaze me with her writing.
You'll fall in love with the characters, you'll even hate some of them.
I felt like I was in the story watching it play out.
January 11, 2020
La storia è bella, ma è il modo in cui viene raccontata che non mi è andato bene: alternando un capitolo presente e 3 passato si fa in modo che la lettura stenta a decollare, bisogna aspettare il 54% del libro per vedere il protagonista 😕
September 20, 2017
As one of Michelle's biggest fans, I fully expected this book to be great and I was not disappointed. Michelle changed things up a bit with this one and it worked well!!
I was instantly drawn to the story between the two main characters, Brinkley and Dane and disliked Brinkley's mom and stepdad tremendously.
One of the things Michelle is so good at is taking the characters, and the reader, on a roller coaster of emotions and this book delivered that.
My schedule is crazy with work and a teenage daughter who plays sports and yet I finished this book in just over 24 hours because I couldn't put it down. Whenever I had a free moment - in the bank drive thru, at a volleyball game, just before bed - I was with Dane and Brinkley.
Great book and a must read!
I was instantly drawn to the story between the two main characters, Brinkley and Dane and disliked Brinkley's mom and stepdad tremendously.
One of the things Michelle is so good at is taking the characters, and the reader, on a roller coaster of emotions and this book delivered that.
My schedule is crazy with work and a teenage daughter who plays sports and yet I finished this book in just over 24 hours because I couldn't put it down. Whenever I had a free moment - in the bank drive thru, at a volleyball game, just before bed - I was with Dane and Brinkley.
Great book and a must read!
September 26, 2017
5 beautiful stars!!!
Another hit from the pen of M. Leighton, she could write last week’s grocery list and I’d read it!.
I finished The Beautiful Now with tears in my eyes and a warm, fuzzy feeling hugging my heart. I absolutely loved it and ADORE Dane and Brinkley!!! ❤️
Full review on makemydaybooks.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09...
Another hit from the pen of M. Leighton, she could write last week’s grocery list and I’d read it!.
I finished The Beautiful Now with tears in my eyes and a warm, fuzzy feeling hugging my heart. I absolutely loved it and ADORE Dane and Brinkley!!! ❤️
Full review on makemydaybooks.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09...
July 29, 2020
It’s no secret that I am a big fan of M. Leighton. She is one of my go to authors and her books never let me down. So many of her books have spots on my all-time favorite’s shelf. With that being said, The Beautiful Now is one of my favorite Michelle books to date. It’s the perfect blend of heartache and happy. I connected with the characters immediately and loved them so much.
I adored Brinkley. She is so strong and the way she built her life is something to be admired. I also loved that while she was strong she was vulnerable too. Simply put, she was real and I loved her mistakes and flaws and all. Of course, I also loved Dane James. He was such a good guy and it’s a shame so many others couldn’t see that. These two together were so wonderful and they truly broke my heart.
I won’t give anything away, but I want to say I love how this book was written and that we got to see events from different points in time. Michelle does a great job of giving the readers a clear picture of why things had to go the way they went and how something that seemed so good went so wrong. She really shreds your heart to pieces in this one, but then she puts it back together and makes all the pain worth it in the end.
I have so much more I want to say, but I don’t want to spoil anything. All I’ll say is The Beautiful Now is a great read and will both break and mend your heart. M. Leighton delivers an addictive and gut wrenching read with this one.
I adored Brinkley. She is so strong and the way she built her life is something to be admired. I also loved that while she was strong she was vulnerable too. Simply put, she was real and I loved her mistakes and flaws and all. Of course, I also loved Dane James. He was such a good guy and it’s a shame so many others couldn’t see that. These two together were so wonderful and they truly broke my heart.
I won’t give anything away, but I want to say I love how this book was written and that we got to see events from different points in time. Michelle does a great job of giving the readers a clear picture of why things had to go the way they went and how something that seemed so good went so wrong. She really shreds your heart to pieces in this one, but then she puts it back together and makes all the pain worth it in the end.
I have so much more I want to say, but I don’t want to spoil anything. All I’ll say is The Beautiful Now is a great read and will both break and mend your heart. M. Leighton delivers an addictive and gut wrenching read with this one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews