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Stages of Grace
Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance...
When facing death a mourning period is to be expected. But what if it's not a person but a relationship that dies? Grace and her boyfriend Jon have been together for three years. They live together and have shared many beautiful memories. Those memories are what keep Grace from admitting Jon has changed and is no longer the man she fell in love with.
Afraid of being alone and holding on to something that no longer exists Grace is a shadow of her former self. Her daily objective is to hide her pain from the world. Then, an unexpected letter sets off a whirlwind of potential life changes. In life sometimes the hardest thing to do is let go.
When facing death a mourning period is to be expected. But what if it's not a person but a relationship that dies? Grace and her boyfriend Jon have been together for three years. They live together and have shared many beautiful memories. Those memories are what keep Grace from admitting Jon has changed and is no longer the man she fell in love with.
Afraid of being alone and holding on to something that no longer exists Grace is a shadow of her former self. Her daily objective is to hide her pain from the world. Then, an unexpected letter sets off a whirlwind of potential life changes. In life sometimes the hardest thing to do is let go.
236 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 19, 2013
18 people are currently reading
784 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
April 1, 2013
Grace is a beautifully rendered character whose life is changing in increments around her. There's no "flash of lightning" moment, just each stage in a continually evolving life, realistically conveyed through Miss Heywood's sensitive prose. Stages of Grace could've become bogged down in the sadness of a love that breaks down and the loneliness that comes with it but, Grace is not a bitter character, her quiet strength guides her. She's a warm heart in the chilly Ohio landscape, following the possibilities as they are presented to her.
Stages of Grace is an emotionally honest story about a woman who wants what everyone wants: family, love and maybe a little sunshine to go along with it. Her journey is well worth following.
Stages of Grace is an emotionally honest story about a woman who wants what everyone wants: family, love and maybe a little sunshine to go along with it. Her journey is well worth following.
May 26, 2013
I loved this story! I loved the struggle and the monologue. A lot emotion and watching Grace find herself was captivating. She lived with Jon and they had such happy memories and loved each other but life happens And sometimes when things change it changes you. Grace and Jon both changed and when Jon couldn't handle how life had handed him a crappy hand he took it out on Grace. Whether he meant to or not and you could see the hurt and indecision in Grace while coming to terms with the fact that the old Jon no longer existed. After finding her grandmother who is awesome btw and meeting her amazingly hot neighbor Ryan, Grace moves to Florida and starts over and finds exactly what she needed. Carey Heywood did an amazing job!
January 13, 2018
Es tan pero tan malo, que terminé odiando todo lo que tenga que ver con tejer.
May 20, 2013
When Carey Heywood said she was looking for reviewers, I jumped at the chance. I have never read anything by her before but she came highly recommended by a friend. So it was a chance for me to meet a new author and be introduced to her world. I can tell you now, I am so very happy that I did. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have known what a fabulous author she was and what she would bring to my life in the form of Stages of Grace.
This book made such an impact on me for a couple of reasons, one because it's written so beautifully but it also resonates with me on a deeper level because I suffered similarly to Grace. So much so it could have been called "Stages of Keren" instead.
Denial... Anger... Bargaining... Depression... and finally Acceptance.
These stages of grief are more prominently associated with death. But what happens when it's the death of a relationship not an actual person?
At first, Grace and Jon were blissfully happy. She'd been out on a blind date with someone and had seen Jon across the bowling alley - he was gorgeous, kind, funny... all the things you'd want in a boyfriend. They were always stealing kisses and sharing happy moments. That was until they'd been together for 3 years and Jon wasn't the easygoing man she had come to know and love. He became distant and cold, snapping at her for the slightest thing.
They used to have a morning routine of sharing a coffee and then seeing each other off to work, then Jon lost his job. For a short time, he kept up with the routine, seeing Grace off to her job as a doctor's receptionist but then one day he just stopped.
Every little thing Grace did seemed to annoy him. She was permanently walking on eggshells. She got to the point where she would put her clothes for the following morning in the bathroom the night before because getting dressed in their bedroom had Jon shouting at her for making too much noise.
This resonated within me because I once had a partner who was much the same, only he hit me too. Fortunately for Grace, Jon never physically hurt her, but the mental abuse was just as bad as physical abuse.
Grace would go to work, and that would be the only reprieve she got because she worked with her friend Nikita. But when she got home on a night, she never knew what she'd be walking into.
There were no more tender moments or romantic gestures. Jon would wait until Grace went to bed and then he'd have the cheek to take her car out (because he now couldn't afford the upkeep of his own car) and he'd stay out until all hours doing lord only knows what. If Grace had asked him what he was up to, he would have gone ballistic. So she never asked.
Grace was an orphan, her parents having died recently. Jon had seen her through those times with a tissue for her tears and a shoulder to cry on. So what had happened to the old Jon? Where had the sensitive guy she'd fallen in love with disappeared to? What could she do to bring him back? Was it her fault?
One day, an unexpected letter has Grace shocked. She has a grandmother who is alive and living in Florida. Why hadn't her mother told her this when she was alive? She had always believed her mother when she said that her grandmother was dead. But here, now, she was reading a letter that confirmed this to be a lie.
Upon visiting her grandmother Kate in Florida, Grace has time to reflect on what her life is like. She sees it through fresh eyes. Of course, it helps that her grandmother's next door neighbour Ryan is hot. Not that I condone cheating to any degree, but with what she had suffered, I was silently encouraging her to at least kiss Ryan.
Kate asking her to stay with her in Florida makes Grace reassess her life. Is she happy? Does she love Jon anymore? Is there anything keeping her in Ohio? She could get a job in Florida. She could live with Kate. She could do anything with her life. But could she leave Jon or would she stay and try to make the relationship work?
Well these are questions you must endeavour to find out the answers to for yourself.
This book is an emotionally fraught journey for sure. The first stage, Denial, I was right there with her. I kept leaving the partner that beat me but I kept returning. He had a way of emotionally blackmailing me into staying, promising he'd never hit me again. I kept believing he could change. Lesson to be learned from that? A leopard never changes it's spots.
The next stage, Anger. I could feel this emotion probably just as strongly as Grace. How could Jon turn from someone so loving to someone who shouted and screamed at her for the slightest of things? She felt the anger rising inside her because all the times she thought she was in the wrong, she wasn't. There was nothing wrong with the way Grace acted. It was Jon who was in the wrong and how dare he assume to take it out on her.
Then there was Bargaining. Well, Carey Heywood knows how to play with my emotions and she had me here too.
I was all too quickly thrown into Depression and so I totally felt Grace's plight. I was hurt that he mentally and physically bullied me into staying by his side. Calling me whenever he was on a break at work. Not letting me have a job because he was jealous that I might find someone else. Well in the end, I did find a job and I did find someone else. Someone like Ryan. Someone who treated me as an equal. As a person to loved, desired, cherished. not beaten and destroyed. It was in this stage that I must admit, I cheated. Looking back on it, it wasn't the right thing to do... BUT... he had beaten all the love out of me and I craved someone to put the pieces of me back together.
Lastly, we have Acceptance. For Grace, it was acceptance that it was time to make a change in her life. She had to stand up and be counted as an equal. She had to accept that it wasn't her fault that Jon had taken his problems out on her. He tried making her think that it was her fault for rubbing it in that she had a job and he only got "an allowance" like a child. Well she finally succeeded in standing up and making herself heard.
Acceptance for me was realising that it was not okay for [bleep] to beat me or mentally abuse me. I finally took that step to leave him, permanently!
So I felt Grace's every moment, cowering in case anything she did set Jon off. But I also felt every moment when her smile started to shine through. The moments she felt happiness being with her grandmother or being around Ryan.
Even if you've never been through a similar situation, I truly believe that you will have a hard job keeping yourself from empathising with Grace. She is such a beautiful character, both inside and out. She craves the love she used to have, but with the finality of the death of her relationship, a butterfly emerges from the cocoon. A stronger woman who can finally get what she wants from her life.
The writing style of Carey Heywood sucked me in. She pulled at my heartstrings at every turn. A tumultuous journey from beginning to end, Stages of Grace shoots right toward the top of my Best Books of 2013 list.
I am now looking to get all of the books Carey has written and I believe she is writing a sequel to SoG, I truly hope she does.
There aren't enough words to describe this story without totally ruining your own first-hand experience of it. All I can tell you is that you won't be sorry you bought this book and spent a wonderful few hours lost within the pages. I smiled when Grace smiled, a laughed when she laughed, and I even cried a couple of times. People who know me know that I can't resist a book that makes me feel this much emotion.
If my review gets even just one person to read this book, then I will have done my job.
If you are in a similar situation to Grace, it may even help you take stock of your own life and get out before getting too hurt.
Thank you Carey for providing the e-copy of SoG for review. Thank you for hitting every emotion on the head. But thank you most of all for creating Ryan for me to swoon over.
Ryan... how I long for a second book... maybe from his POV?... A girl can dream!
This book made such an impact on me for a couple of reasons, one because it's written so beautifully but it also resonates with me on a deeper level because I suffered similarly to Grace. So much so it could have been called "Stages of Keren" instead.
Denial... Anger... Bargaining... Depression... and finally Acceptance.
These stages of grief are more prominently associated with death. But what happens when it's the death of a relationship not an actual person?
At first, Grace and Jon were blissfully happy. She'd been out on a blind date with someone and had seen Jon across the bowling alley - he was gorgeous, kind, funny... all the things you'd want in a boyfriend. They were always stealing kisses and sharing happy moments. That was until they'd been together for 3 years and Jon wasn't the easygoing man she had come to know and love. He became distant and cold, snapping at her for the slightest thing.
They used to have a morning routine of sharing a coffee and then seeing each other off to work, then Jon lost his job. For a short time, he kept up with the routine, seeing Grace off to her job as a doctor's receptionist but then one day he just stopped.
Every little thing Grace did seemed to annoy him. She was permanently walking on eggshells. She got to the point where she would put her clothes for the following morning in the bathroom the night before because getting dressed in their bedroom had Jon shouting at her for making too much noise.
This resonated within me because I once had a partner who was much the same, only he hit me too. Fortunately for Grace, Jon never physically hurt her, but the mental abuse was just as bad as physical abuse.
Grace would go to work, and that would be the only reprieve she got because she worked with her friend Nikita. But when she got home on a night, she never knew what she'd be walking into.
There were no more tender moments or romantic gestures. Jon would wait until Grace went to bed and then he'd have the cheek to take her car out (because he now couldn't afford the upkeep of his own car) and he'd stay out until all hours doing lord only knows what. If Grace had asked him what he was up to, he would have gone ballistic. So she never asked.
Grace was an orphan, her parents having died recently. Jon had seen her through those times with a tissue for her tears and a shoulder to cry on. So what had happened to the old Jon? Where had the sensitive guy she'd fallen in love with disappeared to? What could she do to bring him back? Was it her fault?
One day, an unexpected letter has Grace shocked. She has a grandmother who is alive and living in Florida. Why hadn't her mother told her this when she was alive? She had always believed her mother when she said that her grandmother was dead. But here, now, she was reading a letter that confirmed this to be a lie.
Upon visiting her grandmother Kate in Florida, Grace has time to reflect on what her life is like. She sees it through fresh eyes. Of course, it helps that her grandmother's next door neighbour Ryan is hot. Not that I condone cheating to any degree, but with what she had suffered, I was silently encouraging her to at least kiss Ryan.
Kate asking her to stay with her in Florida makes Grace reassess her life. Is she happy? Does she love Jon anymore? Is there anything keeping her in Ohio? She could get a job in Florida. She could live with Kate. She could do anything with her life. But could she leave Jon or would she stay and try to make the relationship work?
Well these are questions you must endeavour to find out the answers to for yourself.
This book is an emotionally fraught journey for sure. The first stage, Denial, I was right there with her. I kept leaving the partner that beat me but I kept returning. He had a way of emotionally blackmailing me into staying, promising he'd never hit me again. I kept believing he could change. Lesson to be learned from that? A leopard never changes it's spots.
The next stage, Anger. I could feel this emotion probably just as strongly as Grace. How could Jon turn from someone so loving to someone who shouted and screamed at her for the slightest of things? She felt the anger rising inside her because all the times she thought she was in the wrong, she wasn't. There was nothing wrong with the way Grace acted. It was Jon who was in the wrong and how dare he assume to take it out on her.
Then there was Bargaining. Well, Carey Heywood knows how to play with my emotions and she had me here too.
I was all too quickly thrown into Depression and so I totally felt Grace's plight. I was hurt that he mentally and physically bullied me into staying by his side. Calling me whenever he was on a break at work. Not letting me have a job because he was jealous that I might find someone else. Well in the end, I did find a job and I did find someone else. Someone like Ryan. Someone who treated me as an equal. As a person to loved, desired, cherished. not beaten and destroyed. It was in this stage that I must admit, I cheated. Looking back on it, it wasn't the right thing to do... BUT... he had beaten all the love out of me and I craved someone to put the pieces of me back together.
Lastly, we have Acceptance. For Grace, it was acceptance that it was time to make a change in her life. She had to stand up and be counted as an equal. She had to accept that it wasn't her fault that Jon had taken his problems out on her. He tried making her think that it was her fault for rubbing it in that she had a job and he only got "an allowance" like a child. Well she finally succeeded in standing up and making herself heard.
Acceptance for me was realising that it was not okay for [bleep] to beat me or mentally abuse me. I finally took that step to leave him, permanently!
So I felt Grace's every moment, cowering in case anything she did set Jon off. But I also felt every moment when her smile started to shine through. The moments she felt happiness being with her grandmother or being around Ryan.
Even if you've never been through a similar situation, I truly believe that you will have a hard job keeping yourself from empathising with Grace. She is such a beautiful character, both inside and out. She craves the love she used to have, but with the finality of the death of her relationship, a butterfly emerges from the cocoon. A stronger woman who can finally get what she wants from her life.
The writing style of Carey Heywood sucked me in. She pulled at my heartstrings at every turn. A tumultuous journey from beginning to end, Stages of Grace shoots right toward the top of my Best Books of 2013 list.
I am now looking to get all of the books Carey has written and I believe she is writing a sequel to SoG, I truly hope she does.
There aren't enough words to describe this story without totally ruining your own first-hand experience of it. All I can tell you is that you won't be sorry you bought this book and spent a wonderful few hours lost within the pages. I smiled when Grace smiled, a laughed when she laughed, and I even cried a couple of times. People who know me know that I can't resist a book that makes me feel this much emotion.
If my review gets even just one person to read this book, then I will have done my job.
If you are in a similar situation to Grace, it may even help you take stock of your own life and get out before getting too hurt.
Thank you Carey for providing the e-copy of SoG for review. Thank you for hitting every emotion on the head. But thank you most of all for creating Ryan for me to swoon over.
Ryan... how I long for a second book... maybe from his POV?... A girl can dream!
June 19, 2013
LINK TO REVIEW: http://storiesandswag.blogspot.com/20...
In college, I minored in Psychology and when I saw in the synopsis where this story tied in to The Five Stages of Grief, I was intrigued. Carey Heywood brings a new twist to the rise and fall of a relationship.
Stages of Grace introduces you to Grace, a twenty-something who is stuck in a relationship rut with her long-term boyfriend, Jon.
The story is told through her point of view and is mostly done through Grace’s inner monologue. I typically prefer books to have a fairly equal balance between dialogue and narration (or what I call “showing and telling”). To my surprise, I found Grace’s narration enjoyable. Heywood won me over by incorporating thorough imagery and detail, with a moderate amount of dialogue, amongst characters that are either easy to fall in love with or very easy to hate. When all of the elements combine in Stages of Grace, the final product is a heartwarming story about building relationships and finding closure.
Grace and Jon’s relationship starts just like any other. They are absolutely smitten with one another. Through flashbacks in Grace’s narration, the author highlights the happier moments between the couple.
Locked in the gaze of the bluest eyes I had ever seen, Jon leaned in to kiss me. I had felt lit from within, as though every nerve ending on my body was emitting heat.
These tender moments are a stark contrast from Grace’s relationship in present day.
I used to live for the weekend, for curling up with a good book or taking a day trip somewhere fun. Nowadays, weekends seem like staring contests until Jon finds some reason to scream at me.
“Don’t worry Grace. You have nothing I want to see.”
The author takes you on Grace’s journey through the Five Stages of Grief (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance) as she tries to cope with her failing relationship.
Now all I feel is as though I am walking a tightrope suspended over a deep canyon with no hope of making it across.
As Grace progresses through each stage, her character adapts and changes. She forms new friendships, embraces new experiences, and is given the opportunity at a fresh start, all while trying to mend the broken parts of her life. The transformation Grace’s character undergoes within these pages makes her relatable and likable.
With each paragraph, I could see Grace’s confidence grow, as she was one step closer to finding her place and purpose in life. I never stopped rooting for her to reach the final stage of Acceptance.
Overall, I found Stages of Grace to be a delightful journey through the ups, down, and sometimes new beginnings of a relationship. The story is a quick read that’s easy to follow and you can’t help but fall in love with the characters. I recommend adding this book to your TBR list as well as becoming a fan of Carey Heywood’s on Facebook and Goodreads to keep up with what she is publishing next.
In college, I minored in Psychology and when I saw in the synopsis where this story tied in to The Five Stages of Grief, I was intrigued. Carey Heywood brings a new twist to the rise and fall of a relationship.
Stages of Grace introduces you to Grace, a twenty-something who is stuck in a relationship rut with her long-term boyfriend, Jon.
The story is told through her point of view and is mostly done through Grace’s inner monologue. I typically prefer books to have a fairly equal balance between dialogue and narration (or what I call “showing and telling”). To my surprise, I found Grace’s narration enjoyable. Heywood won me over by incorporating thorough imagery and detail, with a moderate amount of dialogue, amongst characters that are either easy to fall in love with or very easy to hate. When all of the elements combine in Stages of Grace, the final product is a heartwarming story about building relationships and finding closure.
Grace and Jon’s relationship starts just like any other. They are absolutely smitten with one another. Through flashbacks in Grace’s narration, the author highlights the happier moments between the couple.
Locked in the gaze of the bluest eyes I had ever seen, Jon leaned in to kiss me. I had felt lit from within, as though every nerve ending on my body was emitting heat.
These tender moments are a stark contrast from Grace’s relationship in present day.
I used to live for the weekend, for curling up with a good book or taking a day trip somewhere fun. Nowadays, weekends seem like staring contests until Jon finds some reason to scream at me.
“Don’t worry Grace. You have nothing I want to see.”
The author takes you on Grace’s journey through the Five Stages of Grief (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance) as she tries to cope with her failing relationship.
Now all I feel is as though I am walking a tightrope suspended over a deep canyon with no hope of making it across.
As Grace progresses through each stage, her character adapts and changes. She forms new friendships, embraces new experiences, and is given the opportunity at a fresh start, all while trying to mend the broken parts of her life. The transformation Grace’s character undergoes within these pages makes her relatable and likable.
With each paragraph, I could see Grace’s confidence grow, as she was one step closer to finding her place and purpose in life. I never stopped rooting for her to reach the final stage of Acceptance.
Overall, I found Stages of Grace to be a delightful journey through the ups, down, and sometimes new beginnings of a relationship. The story is a quick read that’s easy to follow and you can’t help but fall in love with the characters. I recommend adding this book to your TBR list as well as becoming a fan of Carey Heywood’s on Facebook and Goodreads to keep up with what she is publishing next.
May 6, 2013
I have read one other book by this author and I liked that one so I was really looking forward to reading this one! I was really looking forward to seeing where it went and to connect with the characters! This book really was amazing! I wasn't really sure what to expect when I started reading as the synopsis is pretty vague but after reading the book you realise how well it actually suits the book! Stages of Grace is a wonderful book about a range of emotions and about finding love again! I found it strange as the book just continued and it didn't have any chapters in it! This is the first book that I have ever read like this and I do have to say that I loved it! l also loved how the author did split the book up! The plot was amazing! I was intrigued by it from the first page! I do think that it started a bit slow but it soon picked up and I couldn't read it fast enough! It was completely different to what I was expecting as I sort of had my own idea of what to expect but the author completely surprised me! I thought that I knew where the book was going to go when I first started reading and I actually didn't think that I was going to enjoy it but the author soon completely changed my mind as the book developed into something that I didn't think it would! The characters were amazing! Grace was the main character and I loved her! I felt so sorry for her at the start of this book as she was stuck in a relationship that she didn't want to be in but she didn't have anywhere else to go so she tried to act happy when inside she was crumbling! I think that she was brave and I loved that I connected with her the whole way through the book! I kept hoping that she would just leave her relationship but I can understand why she didn't! Ryan was the love interest of Grace and he was so cute! I loved his relationship development with Grace and also how gentle and loving he was towards her! I adored Grace and Ryan as a couple! I loved how their relationship developed and the pace that it developed at! I can definitely say that they are my favourite couple from any of Carey's books! I can completely understand why this book is a standalone but I would love another book to Grace and Ryan's story! The cover is also stunning! It is beautiful and it really suits the book! Big thank you to Carey for an ARC of Stages of Grace and also for mentioning me in the Acknowledgements and also to Supagurl Tours for having me on the Blog Tour!
April 19, 2013
(This review can also be found on my blog The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl).
When I first heard about Stages of Grace by Carey Heywood, I was definitely intrigued especially when the blurb mentioned something about a letter setting everything off. I had to kill my curiosity, so I decided to join the blog tour for this book. I'm super happy I had the chance to read this book.
Grace's relationship with her boyfriend of 4 years is ending. Grace knows this but doesn't want to admit it. She doesn't know how to live without her boyfriend, Jon. When Jon starts taking her for granted and talking down to her, she knows something's got to give. When she receives a letter in the mail, it changes Grace's life immensely. Will she be able to find love and happiness again?
I love the title for this book. I love how the book's chapters really are written in stages of Grace's life. Stages of Grace is an excellent title and is very straight forward.
I love the cover of this book. I love how softly the cover is done if that makes sense. The colors also work very well together. I know I've said in the past that I'm not really a fan of putting just faces on covers, but it works with this cover. I think anything else being on the cover would've been overkill.
I enjoyed the setting and world building. I'm sure many of us can relate to Grace's world and what all she went through. Everything felt so real!
The pacing in Stages of Grace, for the most part, was spot on. There were a few paragraphs where I felt the pacing slow down a bit, but within the next paragraph, it had picked up again. I stayed up late most nights reading this!!
I loved loved loved the characters!! I love how vulnerable Grace was to begin with. It was also a believable vulnerability that is absent from many books. I also loved how Grace started standing up for herself. I though Jon was so mean to Grace! He's a well written character when it comes to the inattentive and mean boyfriend. Many times I wanted Grace to just tell him how it is and kick him to the curb. Oh how I loved Kate!! I found myself wishing that I knew someone like her. She was so sweet and loving. I was sad when I finished the book because I couldn't read about Kate. I felt like she had touched my life too. (It's a wee bit silly, I know). Ryan sounded pretty hunky! I loved his personality and the way he treated Kate. I'm a stickler for men who are nice to the elderly. I also enjoyed the way he treated Grace by not pushing her.
The dialogue between characters was very enjoyable to read. I especially enjoyed the dialogue between Kate and Grace. I also enjoyed the dialogue between Jon and Grace. I didn't like the way he treated her, but I just thought that the author did an excellent job of catching an argument between a boyfriend that jut doesn't care anymore and a girlfriend who wants to make things right. As for the language, there are a few swear words in this book.
I must comment that the sex scenes were done tastefully. I was worried that they were going to become too graphic for my liking, but Miss Heywood didn't let me down. There was no graphic, lewd sex at all.
The only thing I didn't like too much about this book was the fact that sometimes I felt like I was being fed pointless information. For example, I thought there was too much about knitting in Stages of Grace. Saying that, it was just a minor flaw and possibly just a personal preference.
Overall, Stages of Grace by Carey Heywood is a very enjoyable read. It's one of those books that you can just pick up and read no matter what you are doing.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 17+ due to adult themes and language.
When I first heard about Stages of Grace by Carey Heywood, I was definitely intrigued especially when the blurb mentioned something about a letter setting everything off. I had to kill my curiosity, so I decided to join the blog tour for this book. I'm super happy I had the chance to read this book.
Grace's relationship with her boyfriend of 4 years is ending. Grace knows this but doesn't want to admit it. She doesn't know how to live without her boyfriend, Jon. When Jon starts taking her for granted and talking down to her, she knows something's got to give. When she receives a letter in the mail, it changes Grace's life immensely. Will she be able to find love and happiness again?
I love the title for this book. I love how the book's chapters really are written in stages of Grace's life. Stages of Grace is an excellent title and is very straight forward.
I love the cover of this book. I love how softly the cover is done if that makes sense. The colors also work very well together. I know I've said in the past that I'm not really a fan of putting just faces on covers, but it works with this cover. I think anything else being on the cover would've been overkill.
I enjoyed the setting and world building. I'm sure many of us can relate to Grace's world and what all she went through. Everything felt so real!
The pacing in Stages of Grace, for the most part, was spot on. There were a few paragraphs where I felt the pacing slow down a bit, but within the next paragraph, it had picked up again. I stayed up late most nights reading this!!
I loved loved loved the characters!! I love how vulnerable Grace was to begin with. It was also a believable vulnerability that is absent from many books. I also loved how Grace started standing up for herself. I though Jon was so mean to Grace! He's a well written character when it comes to the inattentive and mean boyfriend. Many times I wanted Grace to just tell him how it is and kick him to the curb. Oh how I loved Kate!! I found myself wishing that I knew someone like her. She was so sweet and loving. I was sad when I finished the book because I couldn't read about Kate. I felt like she had touched my life too. (It's a wee bit silly, I know). Ryan sounded pretty hunky! I loved his personality and the way he treated Kate. I'm a stickler for men who are nice to the elderly. I also enjoyed the way he treated Grace by not pushing her.
The dialogue between characters was very enjoyable to read. I especially enjoyed the dialogue between Kate and Grace. I also enjoyed the dialogue between Jon and Grace. I didn't like the way he treated her, but I just thought that the author did an excellent job of catching an argument between a boyfriend that jut doesn't care anymore and a girlfriend who wants to make things right. As for the language, there are a few swear words in this book.
I must comment that the sex scenes were done tastefully. I was worried that they were going to become too graphic for my liking, but Miss Heywood didn't let me down. There was no graphic, lewd sex at all.
The only thing I didn't like too much about this book was the fact that sometimes I felt like I was being fed pointless information. For example, I thought there was too much about knitting in Stages of Grace. Saying that, it was just a minor flaw and possibly just a personal preference.
Overall, Stages of Grace by Carey Heywood is a very enjoyable read. It's one of those books that you can just pick up and read no matter what you are doing.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 17+ due to adult themes and language.
June 10, 2013
This was a story of a woman who was in a 3 year loving relationship until things go sour. Grace still being in love with Jon thinks it’s a phase that will pass one day. Watching Grace put up with the way Jon treats her and how she let him walk all over her, had me climbing the walls of frustration. During the stage of Denial I understood her hopes were for things to get better, I was just hoping she would have grown a backbone and voiced her feelings instead of going through each day walking on eggshells. Finally when Anger kicked in, she does something about it and I did a big ‘phew…finally’.
When she receives a letter from an unexpected person and decides to take a chance on them, things seem to turn Grace’s life around a little. This is when Bargaining comes into play. Her new found family member offers her an opportunity which leaves Grace conflicted because she’s hoping she and Jon can find their love for each other again. Shortly after returning to Cleveland she makes her choice and that’s when Depression hits her. Depression is an unkind emotion that leaves you constantly unsure of things, sad and questioning yourself over and over until finally Acceptance takes place. And what a relief of an emotion that is.
My life is so different now. My path to where I am today was not easy, but sitting here, next to the man I love, the man who has become my partner and who challenges me to go after what I want in life, I know I’m where I’m supposed to be.
“Is this real?” I tease.
He leans down, kisses my forehead, and says, “Yes Grace, very real.”
Through this book you watch Grace adjust, process and grow as she goes through the stages of Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. I truly appreciate when an author takes their time and uses their skill of being descriptive to give the reader a clear image of what’s going on, I just felt this story was a little too descriptive for me with the sentence structure being mundane. Since I am a reader who requires much dialogue, the long moments of narrating made the reading slow for me but this is a story that can honestly hit home to most people. Overall, it’s a special story which readers can relate to, including myself.
When she receives a letter from an unexpected person and decides to take a chance on them, things seem to turn Grace’s life around a little. This is when Bargaining comes into play. Her new found family member offers her an opportunity which leaves Grace conflicted because she’s hoping she and Jon can find their love for each other again. Shortly after returning to Cleveland she makes her choice and that’s when Depression hits her. Depression is an unkind emotion that leaves you constantly unsure of things, sad and questioning yourself over and over until finally Acceptance takes place. And what a relief of an emotion that is.
My life is so different now. My path to where I am today was not easy, but sitting here, next to the man I love, the man who has become my partner and who challenges me to go after what I want in life, I know I’m where I’m supposed to be.
“Is this real?” I tease.
He leans down, kisses my forehead, and says, “Yes Grace, very real.”
Through this book you watch Grace adjust, process and grow as she goes through the stages of Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. I truly appreciate when an author takes their time and uses their skill of being descriptive to give the reader a clear image of what’s going on, I just felt this story was a little too descriptive for me with the sentence structure being mundane. Since I am a reader who requires much dialogue, the long moments of narrating made the reading slow for me but this is a story that can honestly hit home to most people. Overall, it’s a special story which readers can relate to, including myself.
May 9, 2013
*I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review*
Once in a while you read a book and when you finish it you wonder what have I just read? Not that it's a complete absurd story, it's just the opposite. It's nice and mellow. There are some sad parts, but there also fun and happy parts. A nearly perfect balance between everything. No extreme highs or lows.
Stages Of Grace is a couple of months taken out of a woman's life. She could have been anybody, at any point in her life, so wet get Grace. She is living together with her boyfriend Jon, but she's not sure she still loves him and wonders if he feels the same about her. First she is in denial and still hoping everything can get back to the way it used to be. After denial comes anger, she's sick and tired of it all etc. During the whole story Grace has to go through the stages of grieve, to mourn her relationship and to be able to be happy again.
I do like that idea. Indeed when a relationship ends you can be in denial, then you often get mad, depressed, acceptance and eventually moving on. No matter what you loose, a relative, a friend, a pet or even a relationship, these are the stages we go through and Carey Heywood did an excellent job of describing everything. Some stages were more subtle played out than others, but I really liked it.
Now this all happens when Grace receives a letter, that makes her put everything in action and she has a decision to make. Will she stay with Jon? Or will she let him go? Will she keep fighting for them? Or will she choose her own happiness?...
This is a book you're either going to love or hate. It's not filled with extreme conflicts. It's rather a peek in someone else life, see what's on the other side of the picket fence or what happens behind closed doors. Excellent if you want to escape your own life for a while.
For more reviews and other book news you can always visit my blog :)
Once in a while you read a book and when you finish it you wonder what have I just read? Not that it's a complete absurd story, it's just the opposite. It's nice and mellow. There are some sad parts, but there also fun and happy parts. A nearly perfect balance between everything. No extreme highs or lows.
Stages Of Grace is a couple of months taken out of a woman's life. She could have been anybody, at any point in her life, so wet get Grace. She is living together with her boyfriend Jon, but she's not sure she still loves him and wonders if he feels the same about her. First she is in denial and still hoping everything can get back to the way it used to be. After denial comes anger, she's sick and tired of it all etc. During the whole story Grace has to go through the stages of grieve, to mourn her relationship and to be able to be happy again.
I do like that idea. Indeed when a relationship ends you can be in denial, then you often get mad, depressed, acceptance and eventually moving on. No matter what you loose, a relative, a friend, a pet or even a relationship, these are the stages we go through and Carey Heywood did an excellent job of describing everything. Some stages were more subtle played out than others, but I really liked it.
Now this all happens when Grace receives a letter, that makes her put everything in action and she has a decision to make. Will she stay with Jon? Or will she let him go? Will she keep fighting for them? Or will she choose her own happiness?...
This is a book you're either going to love or hate. It's not filled with extreme conflicts. It's rather a peek in someone else life, see what's on the other side of the picket fence or what happens behind closed doors. Excellent if you want to escape your own life for a while.
For more reviews and other book news you can always visit my blog :)
April 25, 2013
Facing up to to being in a tough life situation takes courage. And acting on it to make a big change in your life takes even more. Carey Heywood's Stages of Grace will take you through a journey that starts off with the main character, Grace, in one of those tough situations. I thought the concept of the book was unique and compelling as soon as I heard about it: a contemporary romance in which Grace journeys through the five classic stages of mourning as her relationship with her long-term boyfriend, Jon, begins to wilt and die.
My thoughts as I read: I was honestly tormented as I watched Grace struggle with her denial over this fact - yep, I wanted to yank her out of his controlling grasp, take her on a long walk, and tell her that Jon was no good for her and that she deserved better (and I wanted to punch Jon in the face, REALLY). But as she was truly in denial at that point, I doubt she would have listened to me. And THAT, I think, is the beauty of Carey's writing - she makes her characters so real by infusing them with details, emotions, and thoughts so that you feel like you know them, can relate to them, and as though you can feel for them. And as Grace progressed through the rest of her journey, I was very much ready to root for her and wish for her a happy ending. I won't include any spoilers as to what happens, but suffice it to say that I am totally on Team Ryan (adorable Kiwi, he is) and not because there was any sort of love triangle - anyone who knows me knows that I do NOT do well with love triangles. ;) I give this book a 4.5 stars!
I was provided an ARC as part of the Stages of Grace blog tour in exchange for an honest review.
My thoughts as I read: I was honestly tormented as I watched Grace struggle with her denial over this fact - yep, I wanted to yank her out of his controlling grasp, take her on a long walk, and tell her that Jon was no good for her and that she deserved better (and I wanted to punch Jon in the face, REALLY). But as she was truly in denial at that point, I doubt she would have listened to me. And THAT, I think, is the beauty of Carey's writing - she makes her characters so real by infusing them with details, emotions, and thoughts so that you feel like you know them, can relate to them, and as though you can feel for them. And as Grace progressed through the rest of her journey, I was very much ready to root for her and wish for her a happy ending. I won't include any spoilers as to what happens, but suffice it to say that I am totally on Team Ryan (adorable Kiwi, he is) and not because there was any sort of love triangle - anyone who knows me knows that I do NOT do well with love triangles. ;) I give this book a 4.5 stars!
I was provided an ARC as part of the Stages of Grace blog tour in exchange for an honest review.
April 30, 2013
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I didn't really know what to expect from Heywood since I had never read anything by her in the past, but Stages of Grace stole my heart from the beginning. Heywood did a fantastic job making Grace a relatable character. I absolutely love the snarky voice inside her head, sense of humor, and the amount of courage she has to take life by the horns. She became continent in a life that wasn't what she wanted, instead of taking the easy route she made a tough decision and followed through. She had doubts along the way, but stuck with her choice ending up all the happier for it.
As likable as Grace was, Jon was the opposite. I loathed Jon from the start; his character is very easily the villain in this tale. He has every quality as a high school bully. Again, his character is fully developed and is consistent throughout the story. I won't say anymore about him as I hate spoilers, but if I could I would go on and on!
The other characters are written just as well, Ryan is total book boyfriend material. (Be still my beating heart, seriously!) Kate is a hoot of an old lady and everything anyone would hope to be when they "grow up." Again, no spoilers so I'm just going to reiterate how wonderfully complex these characters are, not only the main characters, but even the supporting characters are exactly what they need to be.
Stages of Grace is an emotional roller coaster that will have you riding right along with Grace as she traverses this thing called life. It will make you mad, sad, happy, sad, mad, then happy again... this is real life personified. Six stars for Stages of Grace!!
Review by Mommy's a Book (W)hore.
As likable as Grace was, Jon was the opposite. I loathed Jon from the start; his character is very easily the villain in this tale. He has every quality as a high school bully. Again, his character is fully developed and is consistent throughout the story. I won't say anymore about him as I hate spoilers, but if I could I would go on and on!
The other characters are written just as well, Ryan is total book boyfriend material. (Be still my beating heart, seriously!) Kate is a hoot of an old lady and everything anyone would hope to be when they "grow up." Again, no spoilers so I'm just going to reiterate how wonderfully complex these characters are, not only the main characters, but even the supporting characters are exactly what they need to be.
Stages of Grace is an emotional roller coaster that will have you riding right along with Grace as she traverses this thing called life. It will make you mad, sad, happy, sad, mad, then happy again... this is real life personified. Six stars for Stages of Grace!!
Review by Mommy's a Book (W)hore.
April 27, 2013
On my blog
Stages of grace catched my eye with a beautiful cover. It gives me kind of calm feeling and I felt it while reading the book, in spite of all the emotions that were going through me. It was the weirdest feeling ever.
Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance are stages after loss of someone important. Grace is going though them, but she's missing feelings she had rather than a person. She's ending a long-time relationship that was happy at the beginning but then got toxic.
I didn't only like Grace. I felt her. I felt like going through all of the stages with her, sharing all of the emotions. She and her psychology are pictured perfectly, but the rest of characters sometimes felt... Flat.
There are no big surprises in Stages of grace, no big plot twists, but a lot of emotions. I would recommend it to every contemporary-lover, even one like me - who doesn't enjoy romances really. This one is different.
I think a lot of people, me too, can relate to what Grace has gone through.
And everyone likes to read about things that happened to them too.
Stages of grace catched my eye with a beautiful cover. It gives me kind of calm feeling and I felt it while reading the book, in spite of all the emotions that were going through me. It was the weirdest feeling ever.
Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance are stages after loss of someone important. Grace is going though them, but she's missing feelings she had rather than a person. She's ending a long-time relationship that was happy at the beginning but then got toxic.
I didn't only like Grace. I felt her. I felt like going through all of the stages with her, sharing all of the emotions. She and her psychology are pictured perfectly, but the rest of characters sometimes felt... Flat.
There are no big surprises in Stages of grace, no big plot twists, but a lot of emotions. I would recommend it to every contemporary-lover, even one like me - who doesn't enjoy romances really. This one is different.
I think a lot of people, me too, can relate to what Grace has gone through.
And everyone likes to read about things that happened to them too.
April 24, 2013
From page 3 I was hooked. The depiction of the characters are amazing. There is not a part of you that can not feel part of the scenes, emotions. Beautifully written and supplying of emotions. I went from pissed off to "You Go Girl," to excited/ fearful to happiness. As an avid reader and Author myself, I am impressed with this author. Her writing style is fluid, captivating and wanting for more. Grace is just that...Grace. She is normal like any other girl and the plot is so real to so many. I felt an immediate attachment to the book and I encourage all to read and see for yourself. What I liked most about this book is the mere fact that it was reality based. I read this book in a day and into the morning, it was that good, I couldn't put it down. The simplicity of Stages of Grace was fantastic. So many lessons in this book, AH HA moments. Fantastic read and I will hurry to read more by this author. Don't miss this one, it's one I could read over and over again!
May 19, 2013
I will admit the first chapter was really hard for me to get through and I put it down a few times because I kept getting frustrated with Grace (the main character) because she was letting her boyfriend (Jon) walk all over her and treat her horribly. And I don’t like DoorMats.. I like my women to have a backbone. But then we got to the next chapter, I couldn’t put it down. Grace started standing up for herself and putting Jon in his place for being so rude to her.
Watching their relationship change and develop was really heart tugging for me. I’ve been in a relationship that became loveless like that so I just had to read where it was going. Were Jon & Grace going to be able to find what they’d lost? (I’m not telling you, you’ll have to read to find out)
Grace gets a letter from an unexpected person and this brings on HUGE Changes in her life..
Parts made me laugh, parts made my tear up, parts made me want to scream, but all in all.. Loved it.
Watching their relationship change and develop was really heart tugging for me. I’ve been in a relationship that became loveless like that so I just had to read where it was going. Were Jon & Grace going to be able to find what they’d lost? (I’m not telling you, you’ll have to read to find out)
Grace gets a letter from an unexpected person and this brings on HUGE Changes in her life..
Parts made me laugh, parts made my tear up, parts made me want to scream, but all in all.. Loved it.
April 17, 2013
I was given a preview copy of this book and Loved it! Grace is a wonderful heroine who does what we most of us do. We want to make the people we love happy and when they hurt we want to do what we can to make them feel better. When Grace's boyfriend, Jon, loses his job she supports him, but when the support and love is not returned Grace starts to question whether she should stay with him. When the opportunity presents itself for Grace to get away and spend time away from Jon she has the chance to explore the possibility of being happy with and for herself. I loved going through these five stages of Grace's emotions. I was surprised and nervous of possibilities and happy with her choices to make herself happy.
February 12, 2013
I loved this book, having got a preview copy from Carey (as a fan not a reviewer) I delved in last night and finished it this evening...Of all three of Careys books I think Grace is my favourite heroine, she could so easily be a victim and yet she just gets on with it, even though life has thrown her a large share of lemons she continues to make Lemonade! The story is a beautiful tale of relationships, from crumbling ones to newly forged fledgling ones, written beautifully so that you really feel the warmth and in fact the cold of them. I recommend this book to any steadfast Chicklit fans!!
April 22, 2013
Stages of Grace was an awesome, heartwarming story that I could not get enough of. Grace was a character that most of us could relate to. The story follows Grace though some huge life changing events. As her relationship in trouble she is faced with some decisions that most of us have faced. I like the fact that this story was down to earth and realistic. This is the type of book that once you start reading it you can't stop. I give this book a 5 star rating all the way.
April 30, 2013
Loved this book! This book hit home for me~
The first relationship of Grace & Jon to Grace & Ryan, she made a good decision in the end & I'm so glad she had her grandma & her grandma has Grace. I love Ryan, he's such a sweet gentleman. Loss, Love & so much Heart in these characters!
Great easy read with an awesome ending-
So glad I picked this one up so worth it!
The first relationship of Grace & Jon to Grace & Ryan, she made a good decision in the end & I'm so glad she had her grandma & her grandma has Grace. I love Ryan, he's such a sweet gentleman. Loss, Love & so much Heart in these characters!
Great easy read with an awesome ending-
So glad I picked this one up so worth it!
April 24, 2013
This was a good book that has the potential to be great. It needs an editor, not from grammatical errors but because things are sometimes repeated. It doesn't have a lot of dialogue between characters but you still get a feel for each person. It is a lovely story, heartbreaking and heartwarming. It's different from the normal "love story" and for that it was refreshing.
February 11, 2013
I am so excited to share Grace's story with you all. I hope you love reading it as much as I loved writing it. I will keep you posted as to the release date.
:)
Carey
:)
Carey
May 4, 2013
I was honestly surprised on how much I enjoyed this book. She covered the all the different stages you go through and then Grace coming back on top. This book is a must read for sure.
June 28, 2013
It was alright but I found it extremely boring for some reason. I also don't think things were finished with Jon, she should have been able to find better closure with him before being with Ryan.
April 29, 2022
Det er en velskrevet, letlæselig, sød og medrivende feelgood-romance, som fangede mig fra starten af. Den handler om kærlighed, parforhold og om at have modet til at give slip og springe ud i noget nyt.
Bogen er inddelt i fem dele, sorgens fem faser – benægtelse, vrede, forhandling, depression og accept. Normalt taler man om sorg i forbindelse med et dødsfald og ikke tab af et forhold, men jeg synes, at det fungerer okay. Man følger hovedpersonen Grace med hendes komplicerede tanker og følelser igennem de forskellige faser, og det virker realistisk. Jeg har elsket at følge Grace i hendes udvikling fra den triste og kuede kvinde til den glade og frie kvinde, som hun ender med at blive.
Karaktererne er langt hen ad vejen virkelighedstro og er nemme at holde af, undtagen Jon som jeg hurtigt kom til at hade. Jeg synes, at Ryan er lidt for perfekt til at virke realistisk. Den ældre dame Kate spiller en stor birolle i serien, og hende er jeg fan af. Hun bærer på stor sorg og skyld, men hun kæmper videre og er der for Grace, da hun har brug for det.
Hvis du er til contemporary romance, kan jeg anbefale denne bog.
Bogen er inddelt i fem dele, sorgens fem faser – benægtelse, vrede, forhandling, depression og accept. Normalt taler man om sorg i forbindelse med et dødsfald og ikke tab af et forhold, men jeg synes, at det fungerer okay. Man følger hovedpersonen Grace med hendes komplicerede tanker og følelser igennem de forskellige faser, og det virker realistisk. Jeg har elsket at følge Grace i hendes udvikling fra den triste og kuede kvinde til den glade og frie kvinde, som hun ender med at blive.
Karaktererne er langt hen ad vejen virkelighedstro og er nemme at holde af, undtagen Jon som jeg hurtigt kom til at hade. Jeg synes, at Ryan er lidt for perfekt til at virke realistisk. Den ældre dame Kate spiller en stor birolle i serien, og hende er jeg fan af. Hun bærer på stor sorg og skyld, men hun kæmper videre og er der for Grace, da hun har brug for det.
Hvis du er til contemporary romance, kan jeg anbefale denne bog.
September 17, 2017
Me moría por leer un libro de Carey Heywood ya que desde hacía un tiempo la estaba siguiendo en instagram y me daba mucha curiosidad, y la verdad es que no me ha defraudado. Probablemente este libro tenga más verdades que cualquier libro que haya leído desde hace mucho tiempo. Lloré muchísimo al principio porque relataba la vida misma y eso hacía que mi corazón se rompiera. Ya más tarde todo se fue romantizando y acabó siendo un libro de amor corriente, pero el principio fue wow, me ha parecido un libro genial! Y no dudaré en leer más de esta autora.
August 23, 2024
I loved this book, having got a preview copy from Carey (as a fan not a reviewer) I delved in last night and finished it this evening...Of all three of Careys books I think Grace is my favourite heroine, she could so easily be a victim and yet she just gets on with it, even though life has thrown her a large share of lemons she continues to make Lemonade! The story is a beautiful tale of relationships, from crumbling ones to newly forged fledgling ones, written beautifully so that you really feel the warmth and in fact the cold of them. I recommend this book to any steadfast Chicklit fans!!
October 11, 2023
Not what I expected
The first couple of chapters hooked me but the rest of the book left me deflated. The book centers on Grace and her declining relationship with her partner, Jon. She then meets her grandmother and the book does a 180. I felt like her relationship with Jon was not resolved and needed to be explored more. The whole knitting thing also did not make sense to me:
The first couple of chapters hooked me but the rest of the book left me deflated. The book centers on Grace and her declining relationship with her partner, Jon. She then meets her grandmother and the book does a 180. I felt like her relationship with Jon was not resolved and needed to be explored more. The whole knitting thing also did not make sense to me:
May 2, 2013
♥ Find my reviews here: Literary Meanderings
- - -
Synopsis from Goodreads: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance...
When facing death a mourning period is to be expected. But what if it's not a person but a relationship that dies? Grace and her boyfriend Jon have been together for three years. They live together and have shared many beautiful memories. Those memories are what keep Grace from admitting Jon has changed and is no longer the man she fell in love with.
Afraid of being alone and holding on to something that no longer exists Grace is a shadow of her former self. Her daily objective is to hide her pain from the world. Then, an unexpected letter sets off a whirlwind of potential life changes. In life sometimes the hardest thing to do is let go.
- - -
Stages of Grace caught my attention because it seemed to be about an abusive relationship. As a former victim of domestic abuse, I like to read books featuring this topic because I can relate to them. I like to see how different authors portray the experience and how their characters make their way out of it, if at all.
This book ended up being a bit different than I expected. Grace's boyfriend, Jon, isn't physically abusive; he's verbally and emotionally abusive. Still abusive, but in a different way. Not only that, but he walks all over Grace. She has to do everything he wants and sit back and watch while he goes out all night without explanation. He runs hot and cold, but mostly cold, distant, and downright mean. Sometimes Grace will see a glimpse of the old Jon, and she clings to it for dear life.
Just when you think Grace is going to be the doormat of all doormats, she surprises you. She stands up for herself pretty quickly in the book, and I was impressed with this. Taking into account the fact that we enter the story right when things are at the peak of ugliness, you have to remember Grace has already dealt with these things for months. It was smart of the author not to dilly-dally around with starting from the beginning. It would've made for a drawn-out picture of what was going on.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
The letter. The mysterious letter Grace receives in the mail. Turns out it's from her grandmother; a grandmother she's never met. A grandmother she was told died. Turns out, her mother lied about it. Now that her mother is dead, her grandmother has come forward and wants her to come down to Florida to stay with her for a bit, to get to know her a bit.
Surprisingly, Grace doesn't struggle with the decision much at all. The ever-widening chasm between she and Jon is making her feel a sort of numbness, and she needs the change of scenery; needs the time apart.
So off she goes.
This is where yet another surprise came in. A lot of the book was spent completely away from Jon, with him being merely an afterthought most of the time. I like that Carey Heywood did this. I like that she introduced Ryan, a new love interest. Because Grace has already fallen out of love with Jon. Their relationship has long since been over, whether she wanted to admit it to herself or not. It's not like she is using Ryan as a rebound, because there isn't a relationship to rebound from anymore. Jon and Grace merely live together, barely more than roommates.
“Why are you still with him?”While falling in love with Ryan—slowly, realistically—and getting to know her grandmother, Grace does a lot of self-reflecting. I felt really close to Grace during this time and I think the author did a really great job of making her seem real. I felt everything she felt like it was me going through it. When Grace finally comes to the realization that she, by holding out hope of Jon changing back to his old self, is fighting a losing battle—that she is working alone to save a relationship that she doesn't even want anymore, she acts quickly. I like that. Grace turns out to be quite the woman of action.
“I forgot how to be without him.”
Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance
The author uses these as an outline of sorts. We clearly see Grace go through each of these, but in a very smooth, realistic manner. The stages of mourning can indeed apply to a relationship. Heywood wove them into her story quite superbly. I was impressed with her descriptive, emotional writing.
All in all, I very much enjoyed this book. There are no huge plot twists or surprises. It's just a clear-cut portrayal of the grey area in a declining relationship. This is something a person can go through without even realizing it. Maybe someone in Grace's situation will read this and take something important from it. :)
This book is very emotional and moving. The characters are raw and real; extremely relatable. I think Carey Heywood is a fantastic author and I definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy New Adult fiction.
- - -
Book source: From the author for review purposes
Publisher: Self-published
July 14, 2014
"My eyes flick up to his. There he is, sitting on my bed, flirting with me. I have no idea what to do or say. His gaze is too much for me. I look down and nervously worry at one of my fingernails. What's wrong with me? Why can’t I function around him?"
This passage pretty much fits with the entire book. The character never knows what to say or doesn't behave her age. If she had been 13, her reactions would be authentic, but according to the book she is 25. On Heywood's novel "A Bridge of Her Own", I read in a review ""I couldnt finish it!! I didn't get past the first couple of chapters... I couldn't keep reading about such a weak, spineless 'heroine'..." This covers my feelings about "Stages of Grace" pretty good, except I gave up after reading 60-70%.
In the beginning of the book, the boyfriend of the main character, Grace, is totally out of line and verbally abusive which has been going on for an entire year, and she doesn't talk back to him at all... not at word. Then one day she (finally) gets mad and she tells him all of the things she hasn't dared to before and all of the sudden the roles are all changed - now she is mad and he's all nice... unfortunately this seemed very unreliable. It is clear that Heywood wants the reader to feel sorry for Grace, but I really don't. If someone treats you bad, it is partly your own fault if you let them keep on treating you like dirt. Also: No, I don't feel sorry for her because she falls out of love with her boyfriend and is - for no particular reason - too afraid of leaving him. She is not a victim, she is actually very unfair for not telling him.
She meets a guy she finds interesting, and I get that. What I don't get is why it has to say a 1000 times that she is either "giggling" or "blushing". Again: she is not 13! And neither am I so it would have been nice if Heywood could have been a little more creative and indicated the characters fling in more varied ways than just "giggling" and "red in the face".
But, I must say... It might be me. Maybe I'm just too different from the author. There's probably tons of people who are as passive as the main character and feels sorry for her no matter what she does so for others, her behavior may be totally authentic, and they might enjoy reading this book."My eyes flick up to his. There he is, sitting on my bed, flirting with me. I have no idea what to do or say. His gaze is too much for me. I look down and nervously worry at one of my fingernails. What's wrong with me? Why can’t I function around him?"
This passage pretty much fits with the entire book. The character never knows what to say or doesn't behave her age. If she had been 13, her reactions would be authentic, but according to the book she is 25. On Heywood's novel "A Bridge of Her Own", I read in a review ""I couldnt finish it!! I didn't get past the first couple of chapters... I couldn't keep reading about such a weak, spineless 'heroine'..." This covers my feelings about "Stages of Grace" pretty good, except I finished it.
This passage pretty much fits with the entire book. The character never knows what to say or doesn't behave her age. If she had been 13, her reactions would be authentic, but according to the book she is 25. On Heywood's novel "A Bridge of Her Own", I read in a review ""I couldnt finish it!! I didn't get past the first couple of chapters... I couldn't keep reading about such a weak, spineless 'heroine'..." This covers my feelings about "Stages of Grace" pretty good, except I gave up after reading 60-70%.
In the beginning of the book, the boyfriend of the main character, Grace, is totally out of line and verbally abusive which has been going on for an entire year, and she doesn't talk back to him at all... not at word. Then one day she (finally) gets mad and she tells him all of the things she hasn't dared to before and all of the sudden the roles are all changed - now she is mad and he's all nice... unfortunately this seemed very unreliable. It is clear that Heywood wants the reader to feel sorry for Grace, but I really don't. If someone treats you bad, it is partly your own fault if you let them keep on treating you like dirt. Also: No, I don't feel sorry for her because she falls out of love with her boyfriend and is - for no particular reason - too afraid of leaving him. She is not a victim, she is actually very unfair for not telling him.
She meets a guy she finds interesting, and I get that. What I don't get is why it has to say a 1000 times that she is either "giggling" or "blushing". Again: she is not 13! And neither am I so it would have been nice if Heywood could have been a little more creative and indicated the characters fling in more varied ways than just "giggling" and "red in the face".
But, I must say... It might be me. Maybe I'm just too different from the author. There's probably tons of people who are as passive as the main character and feels sorry for her no matter what she does so for others, her behavior may be totally authentic, and they might enjoy reading this book."My eyes flick up to his. There he is, sitting on my bed, flirting with me. I have no idea what to do or say. His gaze is too much for me. I look down and nervously worry at one of my fingernails. What's wrong with me? Why can’t I function around him?"
This passage pretty much fits with the entire book. The character never knows what to say or doesn't behave her age. If she had been 13, her reactions would be authentic, but according to the book she is 25. On Heywood's novel "A Bridge of Her Own", I read in a review ""I couldnt finish it!! I didn't get past the first couple of chapters... I couldn't keep reading about such a weak, spineless 'heroine'..." This covers my feelings about "Stages of Grace" pretty good, except I finished it.
June 6, 2013
Stages of Grace is a story that follows the main character, Grace, through the five stages of grief as she goes through the process of deciding whether or not to end her three year relationship with her boyfriend Jon.
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance
These stages are central to the entire story. At first I had a hard time connecting with Grace. As we being learning about what has transpired in her relationship with Jon over the last year I found myself thinking that she was a bit weak and unable to stand up for herself. I took a little break from reading the story to sit back and put myself in her shoes and I realized that if I were in the same situation I most likely would have had the same reactions.
Grace and Jon were madly in love for two years and had a fantastic relationship. Jon was easy going and loving in the beginning but over the last year his personality has done a complete 180. All Grace wants is it get the old Jon back and to be happy again but is that even possible? Does the Jon she first met still exist?
As each stage passes Grace becomes a stronger character. Her life really begins in change when she receives a letter that takes her from Ohio to Florida. What happens in Florida and the people she meets are the catalyst to the final stages of grief. We meet a few fantastic characters about half way through the book that speed up the final stages.
I definitely enjoyed reading this book. Even though it was a light read I did find myself feeling the same emotions as Grace but it wasn’t a gut wrenching roller coaster ride which was a great change. We got partial glimpses into the relationship between Grace and Jon when everything was amazing. These glimpses gave me the ability to connect with Grace during the first couple of stages as I felt anger for the loss of what use to be.
I felt that there was a lot of development during the first two stages but as the story continued I found the story to be a bit underdeveloped. After I took my reflection time in the beginning I was extremely connected to the story but as Grace was entering Bargaining and Depression I felt myself drifting. During the Acceptance stage I was able to reconnect with Grace and thoroughly enjoyed her relationships with the new characters. Overall I thought it was an enjoyable read and I was delighted that even though it was about the ending of a relationship it was still lighthearted.
3.5 Stars
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance
These stages are central to the entire story. At first I had a hard time connecting with Grace. As we being learning about what has transpired in her relationship with Jon over the last year I found myself thinking that she was a bit weak and unable to stand up for herself. I took a little break from reading the story to sit back and put myself in her shoes and I realized that if I were in the same situation I most likely would have had the same reactions.
Grace and Jon were madly in love for two years and had a fantastic relationship. Jon was easy going and loving in the beginning but over the last year his personality has done a complete 180. All Grace wants is it get the old Jon back and to be happy again but is that even possible? Does the Jon she first met still exist?
As each stage passes Grace becomes a stronger character. Her life really begins in change when she receives a letter that takes her from Ohio to Florida. What happens in Florida and the people she meets are the catalyst to the final stages of grief. We meet a few fantastic characters about half way through the book that speed up the final stages.
I definitely enjoyed reading this book. Even though it was a light read I did find myself feeling the same emotions as Grace but it wasn’t a gut wrenching roller coaster ride which was a great change. We got partial glimpses into the relationship between Grace and Jon when everything was amazing. These glimpses gave me the ability to connect with Grace during the first couple of stages as I felt anger for the loss of what use to be.
I felt that there was a lot of development during the first two stages but as the story continued I found the story to be a bit underdeveloped. After I took my reflection time in the beginning I was extremely connected to the story but as Grace was entering Bargaining and Depression I felt myself drifting. During the Acceptance stage I was able to reconnect with Grace and thoroughly enjoyed her relationships with the new characters. Overall I thought it was an enjoyable read and I was delighted that even though it was about the ending of a relationship it was still lighthearted.
3.5 Stars
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