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Don't Call Me Brave
it's terrifying, it hurts, and occasionally it's hilarious.
For Gemma Reece, a sarcoma diagnosis brings her safe and organised life to a halt. Swept up in hospital visits and chemotherapy, and on a painful and emotional rollercoaster, she is also force to confront a tragedy in her past.
But don't call her brave. Oh no.
She is many things, but she is not that.
Terror for his wife, and harbouring a deep phobia of hospitals, her pilot husband Tom is pushed to the brink, and drink. He uses his job to take himself away. But what is he flying from? Will his fear destroy their family, or create a catalyst for change?
With their marriage unravelling just when they need each other the most, can they confront their ghosts?
Can life after cancer really be better than life before?
For Gemma Reece, a sarcoma diagnosis brings her safe and organised life to a halt. Swept up in hospital visits and chemotherapy, and on a painful and emotional rollercoaster, she is also force to confront a tragedy in her past.
But don't call her brave. Oh no.
She is many things, but she is not that.
Terror for his wife, and harbouring a deep phobia of hospitals, her pilot husband Tom is pushed to the brink, and drink. He uses his job to take himself away. But what is he flying from? Will his fear destroy their family, or create a catalyst for change?
With their marriage unravelling just when they need each other the most, can they confront their ghosts?
Can life after cancer really be better than life before?
- GenresThriller
377 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 27, 2018
About the author
Miranda Rijks
45 books1,103 followersMiranda Rijks is the bestselling author of 30 psychological thrillers, with over one MILLION copies sold. She lives in Sussex, England with her Dutch husband and black Labrador.
Her fast-paced, twisty thrillers are inspired by scary things that have happened to her or places she has visited.
Miranda turned to writing after recovering from Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. She's so grateful that she's now a full-time author and living the dream!
Visit www.mirandarijks.com to get her FREE novella, The Cheat, and the chance to name characters in her books.
Her fast-paced, twisty thrillers are inspired by scary things that have happened to her or places she has visited.
Miranda turned to writing after recovering from Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. She's so grateful that she's now a full-time author and living the dream!
Visit www.mirandarijks.com to get her FREE novella, The Cheat, and the chance to name characters in her books.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 16, 2026
Don't Call Me Brave by Miranda Rijks is an exceptionally poignant, raw, and deeply emotional drama that steps away from the author's typical thriller roots to deliver a masterfully realistic portrait of a family in crisis.
The novel details the devastating impact of a sarcoma cancer diagnosis on Gemma Reece, throwing her structured life into a chaotic cycle of gruelling treatments and unresolved past tragedies. Rather than wrapping the struggle in cliché heroism, Rijks explores the messy, brutal truth of illness and the varied ways people cope under extreme pressure. While Gemma fights through her harrowing reality while fiercely rejecting the patronising label of "brave," her husband, Tom, collapses under his own fear and hospital phobia, choosing escape over support. This creates a deeply authentic, painful marital conflict that feels entirely genuine.
Rich in both heartbreak and occasional lightheartedness, the story serves as a beautiful, emotional roller coaster that honours the complexity of human vulnerability. It stands as a brilliant, deeply moving piece of women's fiction, earning 5 emotionally charged stars.
The novel details the devastating impact of a sarcoma cancer diagnosis on Gemma Reece, throwing her structured life into a chaotic cycle of gruelling treatments and unresolved past tragedies. Rather than wrapping the struggle in cliché heroism, Rijks explores the messy, brutal truth of illness and the varied ways people cope under extreme pressure. While Gemma fights through her harrowing reality while fiercely rejecting the patronising label of "brave," her husband, Tom, collapses under his own fear and hospital phobia, choosing escape over support. This creates a deeply authentic, painful marital conflict that feels entirely genuine.
Rich in both heartbreak and occasional lightheartedness, the story serves as a beautiful, emotional roller coaster that honours the complexity of human vulnerability. It stands as a brilliant, deeply moving piece of women's fiction, earning 5 emotionally charged stars.
April 18, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. A story taken from the authors life experiences. Well written and a really interesting journey to follow.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews