What do you think?
Rate this book
The Day He Went Away
“Life, fate, the universe, they all broke the rules."
I was the luckiest girl in the world.
I had it all.
Everything I never knew I wanted.
Until one day in June, it all came crashing down.
My best friend, my life, my love. All gone.
I live in the Valley of the Sun, but I’m the darkest storm cloud.
"Heal," they all tell me. "Move on."
But how?
One person tries harder than the rest, and I know why.
He was sent to me. Fulfilling a promise he never knew would be this difficult.
He's full of grief too, but he’s not dark like me. He’s bright and warm.
I can feel his sunshine creeping in, chasing away my darkness.
It doesn’t feel right that I should ever be happy again. But the scariest part of all?
It doesn’t feel wrong either.
I was the luckiest girl in the world.
I had it all.
Everything I never knew I wanted.
Until one day in June, it all came crashing down.
My best friend, my life, my love. All gone.
I live in the Valley of the Sun, but I’m the darkest storm cloud.
"Heal," they all tell me. "Move on."
But how?
One person tries harder than the rest, and I know why.
He was sent to me. Fulfilling a promise he never knew would be this difficult.
He's full of grief too, but he’s not dark like me. He’s bright and warm.
I can feel his sunshine creeping in, chasing away my darkness.
It doesn’t feel right that I should ever be happy again. But the scariest part of all?
It doesn’t feel wrong either.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 10, 2016
358 people are currently reading
1345 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Millikin
25 books2,075 followersJennifer Millikin is a two-time recipient of the Readers Favorite award. She writes contemporary fiction with elements of romance, emotion, and hard-learned lessons. Her characters are flawed and authentic, and some parts of her stories are more fact than fiction.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
January 29, 2020
This world is evil, a seductress who entices with promises of true love and then curls her pointed fingernails and stabs the hopeful hearts placed in her wicked palm.
OMG. I'm a mess right now. I started this book as my usual bed-time reading at 12:30 a.m. and ended up devouring the entire story by 5:00 a.m. *sigh* Thankfully today was the last day of our Lunar New Year Holiday so I could
Being someone who's read Jennifer's Good On Paper and Beyond the Pale, I'm no stranger to her writing, to say the least. Both books broke my heart badly but they managed to piece it back by the end of the stories. Therefore, in order to better prepare myself (and reduce the possibility of being defeated by Jen's words),
Guess what happened? Oh wait, you don't have to guess cuz I already told you I'm a mess right in the beginning and even after all these hours (almost a day), my heart's still bleeding. *Apparently, my heart appears to be more fragile than I assume.*
Alright, enough with all those ramblings and grumbles, this book is, undeniably, one of the most heartbreaking stories I've ever read in my entire life. And THAT IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. This poem right here pretty much sums up Ethan and Kate's, the main characters', story:
There is a boy
And he loves a girl
She doesn't love him back
He doesn't care
One day she will love him
Until then, he waits.
And then the rug called life/universe/everything-worth-living-for was swept away for Kate and she's been lost ever since. Then came Nick Hunter, Ethan's best friend in the Army, who promised Ethan that he'd take care of his Katie Girl if something bad happened, and
Truthfully, this book was a tear-jerker. I could barely breathe when getting to some of the most gut-wrenching chapters and later on, I felt as if someone
Much to my satisfaction, how Nick and Kate's lives crossed path wasn't perfect, which I totally appreciated, but to me, what mattered most was how they both found a way to cope with the harsh reality. As an old saying goes, "Everything happens for a reason," and by the end of this book, I firmly believed there's a silver lining behind every dark cloud. So, please always keep in mind that no matter how hard life becomes, you are and will always be strong enough to conquer the aftermath, and you always have the power to reign your own life.
(To be honest, this review isn't what I had in mind when I first finished this book because I definitely didn't get that vision while my soul's wounded...) All in all, please go give this book a try and you can thank me later. Don't forget to get a box of Kleenex, scratch that, you'd better read this somewhere private so you can freely wail all you want...like I did. ;) Ugly cries guaranteed, witty comebacks welcomed, and WHEN you survive all this, you'll feel stronger and more empowered than you've ever felt.
Good luck with Ethan, Nick, and Kate's story! I'll be there whenever you need a shoulder to cry on.
January 28, 2020
I knew fairly early on in this book that I was going to LOVE it. I could feel something special was unfolding; I was unbelievably anxious for what might come. But probably the most important factor was the unexpected surprise of this new-to-me-author's writing. Let me just say, Jennifer Millikin's writing captivated me straight out of the gate. You know that feeling you get, that giddy feeling you kind of sink into when you and an author's writing just gel? That happened fast for me here and I just knew I'd found a gem in this book. I could not read it fast enough.
This book gave me full body chills. Truly, I had goose bumps on several pages. It just reached me, effected me, on such a profound level. The absolute euphoria of falling in love, the blissful joy of discovering happiness with your lifelong best friend, the knowledge that you finally have everything you could ever want, the pieces falling into place, the future set... and then he went away. The storyline this author crafts, these characters that are so distinctly relatable, the raw emotions she illustrates as they endure what transpires... it's nothing short of breathtaking. And I mean that sincerely as my breath was stolen repeatedly.
This story is far more than a romance. It's a story of healing and hope. It's a story of friendship and empathy. It's an absolutely heartrending portrayal of second chances and despair. But perhaps most notably is the author's remarkable depiction of love on these pages juxtaposed with the most harrowing portrait of grief. The grief is profound, palpable, relentless. A story like this will sear you. It's phenomenal what Jennifer Millikin delivers here in this novel, a course of events so achingly authentic and real. I felt everything on these pages, every bit of loss and hope and reluctance and despair. I felt their fear and joy, I felt their frustration and longing. I can't even properly describe my feelings right now other than to say that I'm feeling grateful I discovered this book, overwhelmed with all the emotions these characters drew from me and I'm simply in awe of the storytelling and writing of this author. I can not wait to read her other work because this was phenomenal.
This book gave me full body chills. Truly, I had goose bumps on several pages. It just reached me, effected me, on such a profound level. The absolute euphoria of falling in love, the blissful joy of discovering happiness with your lifelong best friend, the knowledge that you finally have everything you could ever want, the pieces falling into place, the future set... and then he went away. The storyline this author crafts, these characters that are so distinctly relatable, the raw emotions she illustrates as they endure what transpires... it's nothing short of breathtaking. And I mean that sincerely as my breath was stolen repeatedly.
This story is far more than a romance. It's a story of healing and hope. It's a story of friendship and empathy. It's an absolutely heartrending portrayal of second chances and despair. But perhaps most notably is the author's remarkable depiction of love on these pages juxtaposed with the most harrowing portrait of grief. The grief is profound, palpable, relentless. A story like this will sear you. It's phenomenal what Jennifer Millikin delivers here in this novel, a course of events so achingly authentic and real. I felt everything on these pages, every bit of loss and hope and reluctance and despair. I felt their fear and joy, I felt their frustration and longing. I can't even properly describe my feelings right now other than to say that I'm feeling grateful I discovered this book, overwhelmed with all the emotions these characters drew from me and I'm simply in awe of the storytelling and writing of this author. I can not wait to read her other work because this was phenomenal.
October 10, 2016
****ARC provided by NetGalley****
I'm on the fence about this book. There were good things and some stuff I could live without. First, the cover of this book is breathtaking. It's one of the reason I wanted to read it. The plot itself is strong and it works but I'm not thrilled with the execution.
Kate and Ethan have known each other for most of their lives. They're best friends. Ethan has been in love with Kate for the last decade. He has made his feelings for her very clear and has decided to wait for her to come around. Ethan is also In the army. He comes to visit Kate for 9 days during his leave. Kate has recently dreamed about Ethan and can't get him out of her head. Now she's confused and is afraid to get into a relationship because it may ruin there friendship. I don't want to sink to deep into the plot for fear that I'll ruin it for other readers, so I'll leave it there.
I liked how the story played out but didn't care for the dialogue. It was a bit OTT and mushy for my liking. Also came off a bit juvenile for 25 year olds. I found it hard to think of Ethan as a guy. His character was soft. He said things I really couldn't imagine a guy saying. He seemed creepily obsessed with Kate. Kate was annoying and there was way too many unnecessary paragraphs that repeated her feeling for Ethan. As a couple, I didn't like them. It was just a weird dynamic between those two. It almost seemed incestuous because of how long they've known each other and their lack of chemistry. There was no heat or connection.
At first the book was in both Eric and Kate's POV. But when Ethan passes, suddenly its just Kate's POV, that threw me off. Why give a character's POV if you plan to kill him off 30% into the book.
Over all the book was okay, it had a decent plot. I just had a hard time connecting with the characters. Couldn't get into Kate and Nick, too much time was spent on Ethan, only for him to die.
I'm on the fence about this book. There were good things and some stuff I could live without. First, the cover of this book is breathtaking. It's one of the reason I wanted to read it. The plot itself is strong and it works but I'm not thrilled with the execution.
Kate and Ethan have known each other for most of their lives. They're best friends. Ethan has been in love with Kate for the last decade. He has made his feelings for her very clear and has decided to wait for her to come around. Ethan is also In the army. He comes to visit Kate for 9 days during his leave. Kate has recently dreamed about Ethan and can't get him out of her head. Now she's confused and is afraid to get into a relationship because it may ruin there friendship. I don't want to sink to deep into the plot for fear that I'll ruin it for other readers, so I'll leave it there.
I liked how the story played out but didn't care for the dialogue. It was a bit OTT and mushy for my liking. Also came off a bit juvenile for 25 year olds. I found it hard to think of Ethan as a guy. His character was soft. He said things I really couldn't imagine a guy saying. He seemed creepily obsessed with Kate. Kate was annoying and there was way too many unnecessary paragraphs that repeated her feeling for Ethan. As a couple, I didn't like them. It was just a weird dynamic between those two. It almost seemed incestuous because of how long they've known each other and their lack of chemistry. There was no heat or connection.
At first the book was in both Eric and Kate's POV. But when Ethan passes, suddenly its just Kate's POV, that threw me off. Why give a character's POV if you plan to kill him off 30% into the book.
Over all the book was okay, it had a decent plot. I just had a hard time connecting with the characters. Couldn't get into Kate and Nick, too much time was spent on Ethan, only for him to die.
October 10, 2016
The following review was originally posted on my book blog The Book Challengers.
DISCLAIMER: I received an ARC from JNM MLC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The following thoughts are my own and have not been affected in any way by this.
The book will be officially published on 10th of November, 2016. At least according to Netgalley and Millikin's personal web page it will be.
Actual rating 2.5 stars.
What first grabbed my attention about this book, was the gorgeous cover. Then I read the blurb and thought to myself that maybe I'm going to read something similar to The Five Stages of Falling in Love by Rachel Higginson, but unfortunately I was left somewhat disappointed in the story as a whole. I don't doubt that a lot of people are going to love the hell out of this story but regrettably I couldn't get into it. I hoped for more of a romance, but in reality got a story about a woman dealing mainly with her grief.
Grief is a very personal thing and I have no doubt that everyone lives through their grief of a loved one in different ways. Everyone has their own coping mechanisms and Kate's coping mechanism, at least for a while, is alcohol. I'm glad that Nick managed to get Kate out of her destructive ways, but throughout the story I don't think I really believed that Kate was all that much in love with Ethan. He was her best friend for the past 20 years and I have no doubts that she was grieving her best friend, but I didn't really get their romance. And if Ethan really was the love of her life, then Nick felt nothing more than a rebound to me... Maybe it's just me and other readers will head over heels in love with Nick and Kate?
I guess I couldn't really get behind Nick and Kate also because Ethan's still alive for the first third of the book and I, as a reader, actually prefer to read books where the character is interested in only one man during the course of the story. There are differences, of course, if we're talking about a series or a story that spans a longer time period (e.g. Scarlett's love interests/husbands in Gone with the Windnever bothered me), but stories as short (both time and page count wise) as this one need only one love interest for me to really root for a couple, for me to really get a feeling that they are right for one another.
DISCLAIMER: I received an ARC from JNM MLC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The following thoughts are my own and have not been affected in any way by this.
The book will be officially published on 10th of November, 2016. At least according to Netgalley and Millikin's personal web page it will be.
Actual rating 2.5 stars.
What first grabbed my attention about this book, was the gorgeous cover. Then I read the blurb and thought to myself that maybe I'm going to read something similar to The Five Stages of Falling in Love by Rachel Higginson, but unfortunately I was left somewhat disappointed in the story as a whole. I don't doubt that a lot of people are going to love the hell out of this story but regrettably I couldn't get into it. I hoped for more of a romance, but in reality got a story about a woman dealing mainly with her grief.
Grief is a very personal thing and I have no doubt that everyone lives through their grief of a loved one in different ways. Everyone has their own coping mechanisms and Kate's coping mechanism, at least for a while, is alcohol. I'm glad that Nick managed to get Kate out of her destructive ways, but throughout the story I don't think I really believed that Kate was all that much in love with Ethan. He was her best friend for the past 20 years and I have no doubts that she was grieving her best friend, but I didn't really get their romance. And if Ethan really was the love of her life, then Nick felt nothing more than a rebound to me... Maybe it's just me and other readers will head over heels in love with Nick and Kate?
I guess I couldn't really get behind Nick and Kate also because Ethan's still alive for the first third of the book and I, as a reader, actually prefer to read books where the character is interested in only one man during the course of the story. There are differences, of course, if we're talking about a series or a story that spans a longer time period (e.g. Scarlett's love interests/husbands in Gone with the Windnever bothered me), but stories as short (both time and page count wise) as this one need only one love interest for me to really root for a couple, for me to really get a feeling that they are right for one another.
February 15, 2020
Kate and Ethan have been best friends since they were children and even though Ethan has wanted to be much more than friends for years he was willing to wait until she realized the same. That time has finally happened, and they begin planning their life together and the only thing standing in their way is his last mission before he leaves the army.
When tragedy strikes and he doesn’t return Kate is left with not only the pain of losing her best friend and the man she had given her heart to but also regrets that she didn’t realize he was her destiny earlier. She is floundering and unable to see a way out of the darkness that now encompasses her life it is at this time that Nick, Ethan’s best friend that he served with, enters her life.
Nick is determined to honor the promise he made to Ethan and that means helping Kate heal even if she is not ready and doing everything possible to distance herself from those around her. Nick is persistent but will he be able to show her that living a happy life with him would be the best way for both of them to honor Ethan?
This is a heartbreaking story of love, loss of healing. It is about dreams that can’t be realized and overcoming the pain to create new dreams and living the best life you can and the life that those you loved would want you to have.
When tragedy strikes and he doesn’t return Kate is left with not only the pain of losing her best friend and the man she had given her heart to but also regrets that she didn’t realize he was her destiny earlier. She is floundering and unable to see a way out of the darkness that now encompasses her life it is at this time that Nick, Ethan’s best friend that he served with, enters her life.
Nick is determined to honor the promise he made to Ethan and that means helping Kate heal even if she is not ready and doing everything possible to distance herself from those around her. Nick is persistent but will he be able to show her that living a happy life with him would be the best way for both of them to honor Ethan?
This is a heartbreaking story of love, loss of healing. It is about dreams that can’t be realized and overcoming the pain to create new dreams and living the best life you can and the life that those you loved would want you to have.
March 17, 2020
I've read a few of these books where the hero dies and then the heroine falls in love with another hero. It's basically two love stories in one and they tend to be obviously emotional as the heroine tries to recover after the death of her first love. I normally love them but this one fell short for me. I felt like this book made too much of an effort to make me sad and I thought it was overdone. The other aspect is that the heroine was only in a relationship with the hero 1 week before he went off to war and die. They had a lifelong friendship but their romantic relationship was so new that I just couldn't grasp the grief of losing 'the love of my life'. Most of the book is about the heroine's grief and how she deals with it. The second hero is there to support her but they get together right at the end and we really don't get to see much of their relationship either. It felt short on the romance to me and so I just didn't enjoy it much.
February 14, 2020
Remember the book The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros and how that tugged at your heartstrings and had a strong emotional hold on the reader, that is how I found The Day He Went Away by Jennifer Millikin. First off, I do have to say how much I am loving the new cover and have a cover crush on it and reading this story definitely left me with thoughts myself how I would cope if my partner died as like Ethan was to Kate, he is my best friend and though we have only been together the last 8 and 1/2 years, we have known each other for almost 16 years. The Day He Went Away starts with Ethan coming home from his deployment and staying with Kate as they usually do, but this time Kate has something to tell him - something that Ethan has wanted to hear for years. She is head over heels in love with him. Finally, Ethan's dream has come true and they spend a wonderful time together until he heads back to the war. While he is away from Kate the pair Skype until danger strikes and Ethan is killed in action. Of course what follows is Kate's downward spiral as who is she without Ethan - the one person whose been there since they were five years old, the one constant in her life and whom she thought was her forever guy. Enter Nick - this is the part that reminded me of the Last Letter as Nick was Ethan's friend from the military and he told Nick if anything ever happened to him - he had to promise to take care of Kate. What follows in Kate's spiral is losing everything from friends to her job, but the one rock through the whole time has been Nick. Can Kate allow herself the freedom to move on to Nick or is the ghost of Ethan and her memories holding her back from moving forward? The Day He Went Away definitely tugs at your heartstrings and will make you tear as I don't normally cry in books but found myself tearing up as I read the pages, so if you are needing an emotional release - check out today Jennifer Millikin's The Day He Went Away.
Read
November 13, 2018dnf, couldnt connect. sorry.
July 3, 2023
More like The day she went astray....
This is the first book I've ever read by this author. I did it as a buddy with my friend Kristi (shout out). It was so nice having someone to discuss this with as we're reading it. Thus, this review will be a bit longer than my norm since I have so many comments.
The first chapter was a bit slow, but it did start picking up pretty fast after that. The synopsis prepares you for what's going to happen, and yet, you're not really prepared when it happens even though you pretty much know it's coming. My issue with it was how ridiculous and annoying multiple characters were in wanting her to get over it, move on, and her back to her old self; one in particular. I can't say how many times I yelled in my head, "Leave her alone." I can not convey the talent this author possesses and how well she gets the reader to feel the emotions and sympathize with Katie. You feel her pain, and it's like you're inside the book, right there with her. Although I COULD NOT STAND HARPER. I almost stopped reading this book because she's such a horrid character. Seriously, I could have done with a whole lot less of her; and Trent too, both of them were unnecessary.
I would have liked to see more about James journey and how Evie dealt with that, but I understand the focus was on Kate.
In conclusion, this book was well written, had diverse characters, a relatable plot, and the ability to make you feel the characters emotion. All in all, that's a win for me. 3.5 stars 🌟
This is the first book I've ever read by this author. I did it as a buddy with my friend Kristi (shout out). It was so nice having someone to discuss this with as we're reading it. Thus, this review will be a bit longer than my norm since I have so many comments.
The first chapter was a bit slow, but it did start picking up pretty fast after that. The synopsis prepares you for what's going to happen, and yet, you're not really prepared when it happens even though you pretty much know it's coming. My issue with it was how ridiculous and annoying multiple characters were in wanting her to get over it, move on, and her back to her old self; one in particular. I can't say how many times I yelled in my head, "Leave her alone." I can not convey the talent this author possesses and how well she gets the reader to feel the emotions and sympathize with Katie. You feel her pain, and it's like you're inside the book, right there with her. Although I COULD NOT STAND HARPER. I almost stopped reading this book because she's such a horrid character. Seriously, I could have done with a whole lot less of her; and Trent too, both of them were unnecessary.
I would have liked to see more about James journey and how Evie dealt with that, but I understand the focus was on Kate.
In conclusion, this book was well written, had diverse characters, a relatable plot, and the ability to make you feel the characters emotion. All in all, that's a win for me. 3.5 stars 🌟
July 14, 2024
The Day He Went Away - Jennifer Millikin
*Book Rec*
𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒃𝒐𝒚 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝑯𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝑼𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏, 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒔.
I am going to start off by stating this is not a typical romance. There is no spice, but you would never realize it because you're so invested in the journey. This is a LOVE story and story of overcoming grief. It is also a true story based on the authors life. Give or take some details to make it what it is. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it.
𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑬𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒇, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔.
I do not want to go into much detail here because I think going in blind is for the best. Read the premise and go in knowing you're in for a beautiful story that will tug at your heartstrings.
𝑰'𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑵𝒊𝒄𝒌. 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔. 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒃𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅. 𝑬𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒔𝒐 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆. 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓. 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕.
🪖Based on True Events
💔Second Chance at Love
🪖Grief Journey
💔ALL the Feels
*Book Rec*
𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒃𝒐𝒚 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝑯𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝑼𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏, 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒔.
I am going to start off by stating this is not a typical romance. There is no spice, but you would never realize it because you're so invested in the journey. This is a LOVE story and story of overcoming grief. It is also a true story based on the authors life. Give or take some details to make it what it is. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it.
𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑬𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒇, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔.
I do not want to go into much detail here because I think going in blind is for the best. Read the premise and go in knowing you're in for a beautiful story that will tug at your heartstrings.
𝑰'𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑵𝒊𝒄𝒌. 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔. 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒃𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅. 𝑬𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒔𝒐 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆. 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓. 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕.
🪖Based on True Events
💔Second Chance at Love
🪖Grief Journey
💔ALL the Feels
April 14, 2021
Está bien conseguir drama, se entiende al leer la sinopsis, pero parece una historia de amor a tres bandas y el tercero solo está porque el otro murió. Es una historia de todo el sufrimiento que pasa ella cuando su mejor amigo y después novio muere, y su recuperación gracias a otro hombre. Yo no vi romance entre Nick y Kate, parece que él solo es un rebote.
October 7, 2017
I went to a funeral yesterday for a friend's mother. The loss and sorrow was so unbearable that I too became teary-eyed though, I have never known the lost loved one personally. Grief is just overwhelming and I don't want to think how it would feel like if I have to undergo the same experience. I know it's inevitable but I don't think anyone would be prepared for the terrible and excruciating pain.
The Day He Went Away is about the loss of a best friend and a part of your heart. Kate Masters just realized she's in love with her best friend for almost two decades, Army scout Ethan Shepherd. Ethan has been in love with her for the last ten years and Kate kept telling him that she doesn't see him that way. If only she had known that when she finally admits to loving Ethan, their happiness will be short-lived. She would have not wasted those years away to denying him her love. Ethan got killed-in-action on his last deployment before leaving the Army for good and Kate doesn't know how to live without him.
This book just about killed me. The pain, the loss and devastation were just too raw and real. I could feel them right to the marrow. I can feel the void and desolation that Kate felt. I can feel that I can easily be Kate in the same situation. A walking zombie with no desire to continue but to just fade away. With no hope that the terrible loss and the pang of longing will ever subside. As they all say, you will just get used to the pain but you will never forget it. It will forever be a part of you. Grief will eat you alive until you surrender to it and accept it.
There are five stages of grief and until you pass each stage, only then will you be able to find the strength to move on. But let's not forget, that it was never a prerequisite to face the unbearable sorrow alone. The same people who shared our grief could also be our saving grace. These people know exactly how our hearts were broken cause they too are trying to piece back their scattered pieces. This shared grief will feel less deadly than if we bear it alone.
This book has purged all the heartaches and disappointments I felt inside because I cried too hard like someone died. Reading this book is agonizing but it is also hopeful. It shows that our lives should not end or lose its meaning when a loved one died but it should make us meaner to fight our demons. It should propel us to demand more of life and drink it more. Gobble it up like we have never done before. Cry if you must. Wallow if you have to. Deal with grief the way you know how to but always know when you had enough. And when you are done, fight like you never had before.
I give the book five red dresses. Because after all the heart-breaking torment, hope and love, will be your redemption. The same two things that were lost will give you the courage again to face the world and wear red dresses of happiness and purpose.
Life, fate, the universe, they all broke the rules on you. When you do move on, the man will have to be beyond special.
- Jennifer Millikin, The Day He Went Away -
Thank you ebooksforreview.com for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Day He Went Away is about the loss of a best friend and a part of your heart. Kate Masters just realized she's in love with her best friend for almost two decades, Army scout Ethan Shepherd. Ethan has been in love with her for the last ten years and Kate kept telling him that she doesn't see him that way. If only she had known that when she finally admits to loving Ethan, their happiness will be short-lived. She would have not wasted those years away to denying him her love. Ethan got killed-in-action on his last deployment before leaving the Army for good and Kate doesn't know how to live without him.
This book just about killed me. The pain, the loss and devastation were just too raw and real. I could feel them right to the marrow. I can feel the void and desolation that Kate felt. I can feel that I can easily be Kate in the same situation. A walking zombie with no desire to continue but to just fade away. With no hope that the terrible loss and the pang of longing will ever subside. As they all say, you will just get used to the pain but you will never forget it. It will forever be a part of you. Grief will eat you alive until you surrender to it and accept it.
There are five stages of grief and until you pass each stage, only then will you be able to find the strength to move on. But let's not forget, that it was never a prerequisite to face the unbearable sorrow alone. The same people who shared our grief could also be our saving grace. These people know exactly how our hearts were broken cause they too are trying to piece back their scattered pieces. This shared grief will feel less deadly than if we bear it alone.
This book has purged all the heartaches and disappointments I felt inside because I cried too hard like someone died. Reading this book is agonizing but it is also hopeful. It shows that our lives should not end or lose its meaning when a loved one died but it should make us meaner to fight our demons. It should propel us to demand more of life and drink it more. Gobble it up like we have never done before. Cry if you must. Wallow if you have to. Deal with grief the way you know how to but always know when you had enough. And when you are done, fight like you never had before.
I give the book five red dresses. Because after all the heart-breaking torment, hope and love, will be your redemption. The same two things that were lost will give you the courage again to face the world and wear red dresses of happiness and purpose.
Life, fate, the universe, they all broke the rules on you. When you do move on, the man will have to be beyond special.
- Jennifer Millikin, The Day He Went Away -
Thank you ebooksforreview.com for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 19, 2020
Such a heartwarming and very conflicting of emotions read. I can truly understand the overwhelming faction of grief. I've never lost a significant other,manfriend,or lover. I still understand how it's difficult to move on from a love so profound that your world stops and death would be better than torture of pain in the loss. The regrets are the killing point of your soul. The what ifs and should've would've could've moments are all that consumes you. Most people think moving on helps, but moving on doesn't help you heal from that hurt it only distracts you from getting where you need to be to live fully in your truth. Kate's character was real in my reading this story,because it's relatable. Ethan is a man who knows what his sacrifice to the military can become on any notice. He prepared himself and that's what's most important. Nick is what I call a friend in need is a friend indeed. Very beautiful story.
December 7, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. Obviously it was emotional a lot of the time because of dealing with a sudden death of a young man and grief, which is always a personal thing and is one of the rawest emotions to feel. I liked the characters and although I can see how some would interpret Kate and Nick being a rebound I didn't feel that at all. I think their relationship developed in a good way, they both knew and loved Ethan and therefore shared a very important bond which helped them come to terms with what happened and how to recover from it. It was well written and a very moving subject and I'd definitely look out for this author's books in the future.
October 27, 2025
There is a boy And he loves a girl She doesn’t love him back He doesn’t care One day she will love him Until then, he waits.
Have your tissues ready when you read The Day He Went Away by Jennifer Millikin. This is a tragic love story with so much sadness but also a lot of heart. Ethan and Kate have been best friends since they were 5 years old. When they were teenagers Ethan confessed his love for Kate but she didn’t want to ruin their friendship. For 10 years Ethan loved Kate and waited for Kate to realize she loved him too. Finally, the time has come. While on home from deployment Kate confesses her love for Ethan. All is right in the world and for the 10 days home Ethan and Kate are together. Ethan has 10 months left to serve and once he returns home the two can live the life he has dreamt about.
“Have you ever loved someone so much that you knew your soul loved them too? Not just your heart, not just your brain, or your body? Your soul?”
Tragically strikes and Ethan is killed. Kate is beside herself and is the shell of the person she was. This is when she meets Nick, a fellow solider and Ethan’s best friend he met while serving in the marines. Nick is there to help Kate. The two form a friendship and help each other grieve over Ethan.
Kate is so heartbroken and sad. I felt so much pain for Kate and all that she was going through. I can’t even imagine losing a life you thought you would have with someone. The guilt she felt. Nick is amazing and so comforting. I would have liked more of a backstory on his life before Kate. They had each other.
This book is sad yet beautiful. Kate and Ethan while they had a tragic ending, they had a beautiful story. I would love to have had more scenes of Kate and Nick together. The book ended when they finally got together and I felt a little cheated.
This is a sad book. Not a sappy romance at all. There is no spice scenes (not needed) but the book isn’t about that. It’s about over coming tragedy and being able to move on.
I give The Day He Went Away by Jennifer Millikin 4 stars.
Have your tissues ready when you read The Day He Went Away by Jennifer Millikin. This is a tragic love story with so much sadness but also a lot of heart. Ethan and Kate have been best friends since they were 5 years old. When they were teenagers Ethan confessed his love for Kate but she didn’t want to ruin their friendship. For 10 years Ethan loved Kate and waited for Kate to realize she loved him too. Finally, the time has come. While on home from deployment Kate confesses her love for Ethan. All is right in the world and for the 10 days home Ethan and Kate are together. Ethan has 10 months left to serve and once he returns home the two can live the life he has dreamt about.
“Have you ever loved someone so much that you knew your soul loved them too? Not just your heart, not just your brain, or your body? Your soul?”
Tragically strikes and Ethan is killed. Kate is beside herself and is the shell of the person she was. This is when she meets Nick, a fellow solider and Ethan’s best friend he met while serving in the marines. Nick is there to help Kate. The two form a friendship and help each other grieve over Ethan.
Kate is so heartbroken and sad. I felt so much pain for Kate and all that she was going through. I can’t even imagine losing a life you thought you would have with someone. The guilt she felt. Nick is amazing and so comforting. I would have liked more of a backstory on his life before Kate. They had each other.
This book is sad yet beautiful. Kate and Ethan while they had a tragic ending, they had a beautiful story. I would love to have had more scenes of Kate and Nick together. The book ended when they finally got together and I felt a little cheated.
This is a sad book. Not a sappy romance at all. There is no spice scenes (not needed) but the book isn’t about that. It’s about over coming tragedy and being able to move on.
I give The Day He Went Away by Jennifer Millikin 4 stars.
April 15, 2025
"On the day Ethan went away, the lights went out on my world. In the dark I stumbled, fell, and struggled to get back up. Scraped and bruised, heart in pieces, I slowly climbed to my feet. One by one, the lights came back on, their luminescence changed. Now I stand in the soft glow of these new lights, the scars on my soul illuminated. I see the beauty in the injured flesh, because I know what it means. I made it through the darkness."
Rating: 4.5/5
- love after loss
- grief journey
- military romance
- no spice
- three POVs
POV: You finally realise you're in love with your childhood best friend at 25 when he told you he loved you 10 years ago! You spend two perfect weeks together before he has to leave on his final tour overseas... where he's killed in action. You struggle to deal with the loss, but the person who helps you the most is his best friend, who was discharged right before him.
The thing about this book is that we see Kate and Ethan fall in love (and thus fall in love with Ethan) before he's wrenched away from her. Cue the ugly crying, I tell you!
The book's primary focus is Kate's grief journey, which is realistic, raw and as heartbreaking as you expect. But the light in her darkness? Nick, Ethan's best friend from the military. He slowly gets her to start living again, even if her life post-Ethan looks different. Her character growth and journey are beautifully written.
I also picked this book up because Jennifer said it's loosely based on her and her husband's love story, which makes it all the more beautiful ❤️.
Rating: 4.5/5
- love after loss
- grief journey
- military romance
- no spice
- three POVs
POV: You finally realise you're in love with your childhood best friend at 25 when he told you he loved you 10 years ago! You spend two perfect weeks together before he has to leave on his final tour overseas... where he's killed in action. You struggle to deal with the loss, but the person who helps you the most is his best friend, who was discharged right before him.
The thing about this book is that we see Kate and Ethan fall in love (and thus fall in love with Ethan) before he's wrenched away from her. Cue the ugly crying, I tell you!
The book's primary focus is Kate's grief journey, which is realistic, raw and as heartbreaking as you expect. But the light in her darkness? Nick, Ethan's best friend from the military. He slowly gets her to start living again, even if her life post-Ethan looks different. Her character growth and journey are beautifully written.
I also picked this book up because Jennifer said it's loosely based on her and her husband's love story, which makes it all the more beautiful ❤️.
March 11, 2017
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Jennifer Millikin’s book ‘The Day He Went Away’ is a touching tale of loss and acceptance. It is an emotional tale that I would give 4 stars.
Kate and Ethan had been friends and finally decided to accept that they were more and made plans to be together. However tragedy strikes and Ethan is killed in Afghanistan.
This devastates Kate and she does not know how or want to move on but is forced to face things because of Nick, Ethan’s army buddy. Kate has pushed everyone away and really struggles to deal with the loss of Ethan.
A big part of this book is dealing with loss and the aftereffects of grief. It was an emotional read and well written.
Jennifer Millikin’s book ‘The Day He Went Away’ is a touching tale of loss and acceptance. It is an emotional tale that I would give 4 stars.
Kate and Ethan had been friends and finally decided to accept that they were more and made plans to be together. However tragedy strikes and Ethan is killed in Afghanistan.
This devastates Kate and she does not know how or want to move on but is forced to face things because of Nick, Ethan’s army buddy. Kate has pushed everyone away and really struggles to deal with the loss of Ethan.
A big part of this book is dealing with loss and the aftereffects of grief. It was an emotional read and well written.
February 19, 2025
Amazing. Just what I was looking for from an emotional contemporary military romance. Had grief, love, depth, character growth— everything!
Light language, no spice. Kissing only and some brief discussion about sex.
Light language, no spice. Kissing only and some brief discussion about sex.
February 8, 2017
The Day He Went Away is an emotionally gripping story of love, loss, and finding a way to move on.
Kate and Ethan are friends who lived across the street growing up, and have been the best of friends for twenty years. Just before the party for their 16th birthday, Ethan confesses to Kate that his feelings are more than just “best friends.”
There is a boy, And he loves a girl
She doesn’t love him back, He doesn’t care
One day she will love him
Until then, he waits
And wait he does. Ten years later, Kate is anxiously awaiting Ethan’s return for a leave from duty in the military. She’s finally decided her feelings match his, and for the first time they will be together as more than friends. Ethan is ecstatic, and they spend his nine-day leave making plans for their life together after his military duty is completed in 10 months. When tragedy occurs and Ethan is killed in Afghanistan, the bottom falls out of Kate’s perfectly orchestrated world.
Grief is a very independent thing, and no two people are going to mourn a loved one’s loss the same way. Unfortunately, Kate partakes in destructive behavior, pushes people away, and has an unsympathetic roommate/”friend” who is awful to her. She continues on a downward spiral until Nick - Ethan’s best friend from the Army - starts fulfilling his promise to Ethan to watch after Kate if something happens to him.
A good portion of this story is gut wrenching. Reading how hopeless Kate feels after losing her future was so emotional. But watching her, slowly, come back to life through the efforts of Nick was uplifting. As Nick gently urges Kate to step out of her comfort zone and build a new life, with a different future, you feel hopeful for Kate’s chances to have a happy life. With Nick by her side, she finally feels like she has an ally in her grief.
Shared grief is half the sorrow.
I can’t think of too many other books that made me feel so raw, but then pulled me up, leaving me feeling hopeful. I generally like books to have more of a happy-ever-after ending as opposed to the happy-for-now conclusion The Day He Went Away gave us, but the more I think about it I believe the way it ended was for the best. And while I was a little nervous about the writing because of the way the first couple of chapters with Kate’s inner dialog began (repeating the same things over and over), I was so pleased that once other characters were brought in, that stopped.
Ms. Millikin has written an emotionally compelling story, the effects of which are still with me several days after reading it. I am frequently brought to tears when I read, but I don’t often continue to think about a story after I’ve finished it. I loved how flawed Kate became, I loved Nick and his dogged determination to keep a promise, I loved the growth of the characters. I despised the “friends” who weren’t really friends. Even though this story was tough on the emotions, I’m so glad I read it!
*a free copy of this book given by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Kate and Ethan are friends who lived across the street growing up, and have been the best of friends for twenty years. Just before the party for their 16th birthday, Ethan confesses to Kate that his feelings are more than just “best friends.”
There is a boy, And he loves a girl
She doesn’t love him back, He doesn’t care
One day she will love him
Until then, he waits
And wait he does. Ten years later, Kate is anxiously awaiting Ethan’s return for a leave from duty in the military. She’s finally decided her feelings match his, and for the first time they will be together as more than friends. Ethan is ecstatic, and they spend his nine-day leave making plans for their life together after his military duty is completed in 10 months. When tragedy occurs and Ethan is killed in Afghanistan, the bottom falls out of Kate’s perfectly orchestrated world.
Grief is a very independent thing, and no two people are going to mourn a loved one’s loss the same way. Unfortunately, Kate partakes in destructive behavior, pushes people away, and has an unsympathetic roommate/”friend” who is awful to her. She continues on a downward spiral until Nick - Ethan’s best friend from the Army - starts fulfilling his promise to Ethan to watch after Kate if something happens to him.
A good portion of this story is gut wrenching. Reading how hopeless Kate feels after losing her future was so emotional. But watching her, slowly, come back to life through the efforts of Nick was uplifting. As Nick gently urges Kate to step out of her comfort zone and build a new life, with a different future, you feel hopeful for Kate’s chances to have a happy life. With Nick by her side, she finally feels like she has an ally in her grief.
Shared grief is half the sorrow.
I can’t think of too many other books that made me feel so raw, but then pulled me up, leaving me feeling hopeful. I generally like books to have more of a happy-ever-after ending as opposed to the happy-for-now conclusion The Day He Went Away gave us, but the more I think about it I believe the way it ended was for the best. And while I was a little nervous about the writing because of the way the first couple of chapters with Kate’s inner dialog began (repeating the same things over and over), I was so pleased that once other characters were brought in, that stopped.
Ms. Millikin has written an emotionally compelling story, the effects of which are still with me several days after reading it. I am frequently brought to tears when I read, but I don’t often continue to think about a story after I’ve finished it. I loved how flawed Kate became, I loved Nick and his dogged determination to keep a promise, I loved the growth of the characters. I despised the “friends” who weren’t really friends. Even though this story was tough on the emotions, I’m so glad I read it!
*a free copy of this book given by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
October 14, 2016
After twenty years of friendship, Kate Masters is finally ready to tell her best friend Ethan that she has feelings for him. Ethan has been waiting for this moment for over ten years. They spend nine days together before Ethan goes back for deployment. Neither of them know he's not coming back. Ethan is killed and Kate loses control of her life. Ethan had made a promise with his brother in arms Nick that he was to take care of Kate if anything happens. Nick is finding it difficult to keep his promise.
In an Oyster Shell - A hauntingly beautiful story about loss and the process of grief. You will probably need tissues, I did.
The Pearls - This book was about love and loss. Even if you have found your forever doesn't mean you get your ever after. This book was really sad but well-written. It showed the process of grief in all its messy glory. This book was more than thought-provoking, it was emotionally charged.
Full Review: Writing Pearls
In an Oyster Shell - A hauntingly beautiful story about loss and the process of grief. You will probably need tissues, I did.
The Pearls - This book was about love and loss. Even if you have found your forever doesn't mean you get your ever after. This book was really sad but well-written. It showed the process of grief in all its messy glory. This book was more than thought-provoking, it was emotionally charged.
Full Review: Writing Pearls
November 19, 2016
Kate and Ethan have been friends for twenty years and ten of them Ethan admitted to Kate he loved her but Kate refused to love him back and possibly destroy their friendship. Kate finally realizes that she loves Ethan and she can't deny it anymore she when he comes home on leave she tells him and they spend his ten days home in bliss. They Skype and talk on the phone and one day it's no more and Kate's perfect world is shattered. This story deals with Kate's grief and the grief of Ethan's family and how he sent his best friend Nick to keep an eye on Kate should something happen to him. This story describes emotions that make you feel them too and I love how the writer portrayed the grief each of them felt and how they dealt with it. I will keep my eye open for more from this author.
Reviewed on behalf of Once upon and Alpha
Reviewed on behalf of Once upon and Alpha
October 21, 2016
5 Stars From Sammy's Book Obsession!
TITLE~ The Day He Went Away
AUTHOR~ Jennifer Millikin
GENRE~ Contemporary-Romance-Military
PUBLISHED~ Expected publication: November 10th 2016
PURCHASED~ ARC/Review Copy
MY RATING~ 5/5
MY THOUGHTS~
I was provided with an ARC/Review Copy.
Wow! Just wow. This book was so full of emotions. I couldn't put it down! It was a complete roller coaster that reeked havoc on my emotional stability lol!
The Day He Went Away was written well. The characters were great and the dialogue between them felt natural. I love that in a book. I don't want to give anything away by saying too much, so I'll keep this brief.
I will definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an emotion filled love story!
TITLE~ The Day He Went Away
AUTHOR~ Jennifer Millikin
GENRE~ Contemporary-Romance-Military
PUBLISHED~ Expected publication: November 10th 2016
PURCHASED~ ARC/Review Copy
MY RATING~ 5/5
MY THOUGHTS~
I was provided with an ARC/Review Copy.
Wow! Just wow. This book was so full of emotions. I couldn't put it down! It was a complete roller coaster that reeked havoc on my emotional stability lol!
The Day He Went Away was written well. The characters were great and the dialogue between them felt natural. I love that in a book. I don't want to give anything away by saying too much, so I'll keep this brief.
I will definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an emotion filled love story!
February 14, 2017
This was a beautiful story about grief and hope. The storyline was interesting and I loved the growth Kate went through. She truly rose like a phoenix! Some of the side characters I liked a lot less, like her roommate. She was just disturbing with her I am so selfish attitude. Moreover I hated the fact that when someone spoke, it was not quoted, so I got confused sometimes whether the person actually said it out loud or just thought it. My emotions got all over the place, because some moments were pretty sad, while the next page just made me frustrated. Overall it was a nice story.
*I was given a free ebook in exchange for a honest review
*I was given a free ebook in exchange for a honest review
January 27, 2017
I could not get into this story. I had such high hopes, but just didn’t really like Kate. I am a proud family member to several branches of the military and understand how tragic this story is, but I just didn’t like the way Kate handled things. There was more language and content than I prefer. Nick was a good friend to Kate and Ethan, but I just ended up feeling more frustrated than I would have liked. My favorite part were the sweet words by this author about her feelings writing this particular story, they moved me way more than the book. I may try other things she has written because she obviously wrote this from the heart it just wasn't for me.
July 18, 2024
Wow! I found this book by accident. On Memorial Day, of all days. 🇺🇲🥹Jennifer Millikin posted on IG a picture of her best friend, and then one of the 2 real men who were the real life Ethan & Nick from her book. The 2 men she has been lucky to love. I read her story in 2 days. It's full of life, heartbreak, healing, and Love.
Keep your tissues nearby. The tears will fall hard. I loved this book. It reminds me to be grateful for everyday I have with my loved ones.
Keep your tissues nearby. The tears will fall hard. I loved this book. It reminds me to be grateful for everyday I have with my loved ones.
May 28, 2020
Tissues on hand requires
I loved this book so much I cried. Make sure you have a box a tissues handy. I cried throughout most of the book. It’s a very touching and emotional story. What Kate went through, the grief, the struggle to move on was heartbreaking. The way the ending was left, I was left wanting to know what happened after the 6 months.
I loved this book so much I cried. Make sure you have a box a tissues handy. I cried throughout most of the book. It’s a very touching and emotional story. What Kate went through, the grief, the struggle to move on was heartbreaking. The way the ending was left, I was left wanting to know what happened after the 6 months.
May 30, 2025
This book was okay, but the thing that really got me was you can’t tell me that the woman you have been in love with for YEARS finally tells you that she loves you too, and you have a week together, and you don’t spend that whole time fucking?! Like, honestly what. That just really confused me, and I don’t understand it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
May 27, 2024💝 FREE on Amazon today (11/11/2018)! 💝
February 10, 2020
4.5/5⭐
[I received a physical copy for an honest review]
The Day He Went Away by Jennifer Millikin is a contemporary romance that is guaranteed to tug on your heart strings. The edition I read was a part of her re-release that includes new chapters and an extended epilogue.
Kate's best friend since she was a child has been in love with her for 10 years and waiting for her to feel the same. When she finally accepts her feelings towards Ethan their future is cut short before it even begins. Kate spirals into a black whole of depression. She doesn't know who she is without Ethan. Nick was Ethan's best friend in the Army, and he had promised him to look after Kate if anything were to happen to him. Nick and Kate help each other grieve and heal for the man they both loved. Kate fights Nick at every turn but eventually she begins to heal and discovers a new version of herself. Kate and Nick find in each other strength, peace, and hope for a future.
"But the clock keeps ticking. Each minute passes at the same pace. Not for me. My clock stopped ticking when Ethan stopped breathing."
The first 100 pages of the book introduce you to Kate and Ethan's friendship and love. It was cruel torture to fall in love with this character who you knew from the beginning was going to have his life cut short. I was nervous how this would affect how I felt about Nicks character arriving, but he was just so easy to fall for with his protective and kind personality. I felt like I knew these characters and there's a 'revelation' at the end that hurt more than I expected it to. I honestly don't think I would have been as strong as Kate in her position. She crumbled to nothing and with the help of Nick and the others in her life who cared she was able to start piecing herself back together. At the end she takes control and focus' on becoming a new version of herself to survive her new reality.
"Our path to each other wasn't pretty. but it's ours and we'll make the most of it."
The Day He Went Away is a beautiful story about dealing with tremendous grief and living on when you've lost someone you love. This is a clean romance where the sex scenes were not missed or needed. The emotions of Kate were so strong and powerful they bleed from the pages. I look forward to reading more books by Jennifer Millikin in the future.
[I received a physical copy for an honest review]
The Day He Went Away by Jennifer Millikin is a contemporary romance that is guaranteed to tug on your heart strings. The edition I read was a part of her re-release that includes new chapters and an extended epilogue.
Kate's best friend since she was a child has been in love with her for 10 years and waiting for her to feel the same. When she finally accepts her feelings towards Ethan their future is cut short before it even begins. Kate spirals into a black whole of depression. She doesn't know who she is without Ethan. Nick was Ethan's best friend in the Army, and he had promised him to look after Kate if anything were to happen to him. Nick and Kate help each other grieve and heal for the man they both loved. Kate fights Nick at every turn but eventually she begins to heal and discovers a new version of herself. Kate and Nick find in each other strength, peace, and hope for a future.
"But the clock keeps ticking. Each minute passes at the same pace. Not for me. My clock stopped ticking when Ethan stopped breathing."
The first 100 pages of the book introduce you to Kate and Ethan's friendship and love. It was cruel torture to fall in love with this character who you knew from the beginning was going to have his life cut short. I was nervous how this would affect how I felt about Nicks character arriving, but he was just so easy to fall for with his protective and kind personality. I felt like I knew these characters and there's a 'revelation' at the end that hurt more than I expected it to. I honestly don't think I would have been as strong as Kate in her position. She crumbled to nothing and with the help of Nick and the others in her life who cared she was able to start piecing herself back together. At the end she takes control and focus' on becoming a new version of herself to survive her new reality.
"Our path to each other wasn't pretty. but it's ours and we'll make the most of it."
The Day He Went Away is a beautiful story about dealing with tremendous grief and living on when you've lost someone you love. This is a clean romance where the sex scenes were not missed or needed. The emotions of Kate were so strong and powerful they bleed from the pages. I look forward to reading more books by Jennifer Millikin in the future.
June 24, 2024
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙖𝙮 𝙃𝙚 𝙒𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝘼𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙮 𝙅𝙚𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙛𝙚𝙧 𝙈𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙞𝙣
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
This is such a beautiful, and heartbreaking story. Why is this book not more popular? I absolutely LOVED it!!! I bawled multiple times, and am crying while writing this. I really connected to this story. As a former marine myself, and my husband being a former soldier, it’s safe to say this hit close to home. I kept imagining how easily that could be me. I felt for Kate so much. I wish I could have held her hand, or given her a hug multiple times.
I’m not sure I’ve hated a character as much as I hated Harper. She was so selfish, rude, and heartless! Nick is such an amazing man. His patience, and the care he showed Kate made the broken pieces of my heart, heal a little bit. This will be a book I’m thinking about, probably for the rest of my life. Cannot recommend this enough!!!
𝘛𝘙𝘖𝘗𝘌𝘚:
- Contemporary military romance
- Childhood friends to lovers
- Death of a main character
- Trying to heal
- Trauma bond
- Strangers to friends to lovers
- Love after loss
- Multiple POVs
- Slow burn
- HEA
𝗕𝗟𝗨𝗥𝗕:
Life was roses. I was happy. I had my dream job. I’d finally fallen in love with the man who’d been waiting for me since he was a boy. Soon his four years in the Army would be over, and we’d be together forever. My perfect life was squarely in my palm. And then it was snatched from me. The harshest, cruelest truth became my reality. And I turned into a shell of my former self.
Then a stranger arrived, wearing Army fatigues and closely cropped dark hair. Fulfilling a promise to his comrade-in-arms brought him to my front door. And the focus of his promise, it turned out, was me.
His mission was simple: Care for me. Heal me. Bring me back to life. But what started out as an uncomplicated mission is quickly turning personal.
He came here to take care of me. But neither of us expected how much he’d need me, too. And we definitely didn't expect these feelings.
My broken heart knows how wrong it is. We’ll fight it, harder than we’ve ever fought anything. I’m afraid to win, and I’m even more terrified to lose.
Of all his missions, I may be his most dangerous.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
This is such a beautiful, and heartbreaking story. Why is this book not more popular? I absolutely LOVED it!!! I bawled multiple times, and am crying while writing this. I really connected to this story. As a former marine myself, and my husband being a former soldier, it’s safe to say this hit close to home. I kept imagining how easily that could be me. I felt for Kate so much. I wish I could have held her hand, or given her a hug multiple times.
I’m not sure I’ve hated a character as much as I hated Harper. She was so selfish, rude, and heartless! Nick is such an amazing man. His patience, and the care he showed Kate made the broken pieces of my heart, heal a little bit. This will be a book I’m thinking about, probably for the rest of my life. Cannot recommend this enough!!!
𝘛𝘙𝘖𝘗𝘌𝘚:
- Contemporary military romance
- Childhood friends to lovers
- Death of a main character
- Trying to heal
- Trauma bond
- Strangers to friends to lovers
- Love after loss
- Multiple POVs
- Slow burn
- HEA
𝗕𝗟𝗨𝗥𝗕:
Life was roses. I was happy. I had my dream job. I’d finally fallen in love with the man who’d been waiting for me since he was a boy. Soon his four years in the Army would be over, and we’d be together forever. My perfect life was squarely in my palm. And then it was snatched from me. The harshest, cruelest truth became my reality. And I turned into a shell of my former self.
Then a stranger arrived, wearing Army fatigues and closely cropped dark hair. Fulfilling a promise to his comrade-in-arms brought him to my front door. And the focus of his promise, it turned out, was me.
His mission was simple: Care for me. Heal me. Bring me back to life. But what started out as an uncomplicated mission is quickly turning personal.
He came here to take care of me. But neither of us expected how much he’d need me, too. And we definitely didn't expect these feelings.
My broken heart knows how wrong it is. We’ll fight it, harder than we’ve ever fought anything. I’m afraid to win, and I’m even more terrified to lose.
Of all his missions, I may be his most dangerous.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews