Time Stamps

by K.L. Kreig

Time stamps.

Our life is marked by them. Significant milestones to the seemingly mundane. All of them have a place. A purpose. Moments and chapters stacking on each other, building scars and memories. Creating stories that are only ours to tell.

But those stamps are finite, pre-determined. And eventually our allotment runs out.

From the first moment Roth laid eyes on Laurel, he was done for. She is sarcastic and clumsy and the most whimsically alluring creature he has ever met. And as he sat across the table from her in a café on their first date, he fell head over heels in love. He couldn't imagine his life without her. Their romance is a whirlwind. Their love, deep and unrivaled.

But life doesn’t often follow our pre-scripted playbook, and after ten short years together Laurel receives devastating, life-altering news that will change everything.

Time Stamps is a heartwarming and heartbreaking epic love story about life, hope and loss. Told in the past through Laurel's eyes and the present through Roth's, you will embark on a beautiful, intimate journey into a couple's lives where ultimately what matters most is not only how we live each day, but the memories we leave behind.

Genres: Romance, Emotional, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook, Death, Adult

366 pages, Paperback

First published August 17, 2021

About the author

Follow me on TikTok: @klkreig_author

I’m just a regular ol’ Midwest girl who likes Game of Thrones and am obsessed with Modern Family and The Goldbergs. I run, I eat, I run, I eat. It’s a vicous cycle. I love carbs, but there’s love-hate relationship with my ass and thighs. Mostly hate. I like a good cocktail (oh hell…who am I kidding? I love any cocktail). I’m a huge creature of habit, but I’ll tell you I’m flexible. I read every single day and if I don’t get a chance…watch the hell out, I’m a raving bitch. My iPad and me: BFFs. I’m direct and I make no apologies for it. I swear too much. I love alternative music and in my next life I want to be a bad-ass female rocker. I hate, hate, hate spiders, telemarketers, liver, acne, winter and loose hairs that fall down my shirt (don’t ask, it’s a thing).

Reviews

[Phuong ✯ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened ~

SONGS:
No good – dezabel
no tears left to cry – Ariana Grande

Disclaimer: This is not a review, this is going to read more like a diary entry to my therapist with lots of spoiler. Best outcome would be if one or two people would still want to read this book, even after reading all the spoilers, but I'm not holding my breath. 😇

The blurb for this book is kinda vague and all the reviews I've read for this book so far aren't telling much either and you know I'm all about spoilers. A sis is going to spill the tea any moment 💅



It's almost impossible to say what the plot of the book is without saying any spoilers. So if anyone wants to go into the book blind. Lemme show you the door, cause that's the last chance.




✧ What is Time Stamps all about? ✧

Time Stamps is Roth (H) and Laurel's (h) love story. It's told in Dual POV and is divided in Present and Past chapters. Present chapters are entirely told in Roth's POV, whereas the Past chapters are all told from Laurel's POV. The Past chapter start 10 years ago when Lauren (28) & Roth (29) meet for the first time. All these Past chapters are slowly building and interwining with the Present chapters.

So what is all these Present chapters all about you wanna know? Well, right off the bat it's starting with a punch. The first chaper shows Laurel and Roth at the oncologist getting the worst news possible: Laurel is in the terminal stage of cancel and has only less than a year to live.

Now the big question that I was asking myself after reading the first chapter was: Does this book have a HEA?

~ (big big big spoilers) ~

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*
*
*
*


Sadly, the answer is: No, Laurel does die at the end and it's devastating, BUT there is an epilogue that ends on a hopeful note and was healing my broken heart a little. I don't want to pre-empt everything right now, cause I have a lot of thoughts on the epilogue that I will elaborate more on later.



~ here is when I should be writing about Laurel. How brave she was. How she was such a champion fighting this disease. What a great human being she was. All the legacy she left behind yada yada and she was all that and more, no question! But the star of this book is without a doubt Roth. Dying is easy, it's the people you leave behind that have to continue living that is the hard part. This man deserves everything and I'm the President of the Roth Keswick Protection Squad idc he suffered enough already 🤚

Speaking of suffering. You know how I always complain about the men not suffering enough in books and how great it is to see them suffer? Ahahahahaha, well bitch, be careful what you wish for. Here we are. K.L. Kreig delivered in spades. She was all about dragging this man through hell and back and I was just living in Spain, but the S is silent.

✧ Roth Warren Keswick ✧

he is another perfect example of "men written by women". Roth was so perfect and has definitely earned a spot in my hall-of-book-boyfriends. The fact that I didn't even had a book-boyfriend shelf and only created one today for Roth says a lot. This man can spit on me and I'd thank him for it 🥰🥰🥰

What is so special about Roth? His devotion to Laurel. The way he loves Laurel. I believe that Roth loves Laurel with every single molecule in his body. There is not one part of his soul that isn't irrevocably and unconditionally in love with Laurel. She's his wife, his equal, his best friend, his soulmate.

Roth and Laurel's first meeting was already so cute and had me on the floor 😭

Laurel and Carmen (her best friend) were going out for a girl's night and Carmen forced Laurel to wear this mustard dress (this is important for later lol). At the bar they meet Manny (Carmen's boyfriend) and Roth. Laurel thinks he is not really interested in her, cause she is not that confident and thinks his type is more the out-going party girl. This whole set-up was already disastrious enough and then Laurel goes and ask him

“Why? You don’t find this attractive?” I swipe down the length of me, lingering on the frayed edges, which in truth felt like every inch of me. I detest mustard. “Ketchup more to your liking?”
“What?” he says on a barked laugh, his brows furrowing in wary confusion…or perhaps fear. “Ketchup? Do you like ketchup?”

i- i- dkdkdkdk WHAT? 🤣🤣🤣 If I'd be in Roth's shoes, I'd be long gone after this weirdo asked me if I like ketchup better outta nowhere. Instead of running for the hills as he should have, do you know what Roth says later?

“To answer your earlier question, I do like ketchup.” Thought so. I’m searching for a reply that doesn’t make me sound pitiful, when he adds, “But mustard is my condiment of choice.” He winks.

That's the moment I realized Roth is the real deal. As if I wasn't already fully Team Roth by that point, he had to go and step up his game.

On their first real date Roth had a t-shirt one with a yellow mustard bottle on it and under it with big letters underneath was written "The Mustard Whisperer".

🥺😭🤣😩🥺😭🤣😩🥺😭🤣😩🥺😭🤣😩 SIR– Will you marry me????

“There are lots of beautiful places in Nebraska.”
“Hate to break it to you, love, but there’s nary a tree in sight except here. It’s just…open fields and cornstalks.”
“Nary?” I giggle. “Did you seriously use nary in a sentence?”
“My vocabulary is quite extensive.” He shrugs like he can’t help his innate intelligence. It’s so endearing.
“We have more than cornstalks and open fields, you know. The Henry Doorly Zoo is regularly named as one of the best zoos in the United States.”
“Really? Well, I feel like I might need to be the judge of that. I am an animal connoisseur after all.”
“Wow, a mustard whisperer, a walking lexicon, and an animal connoisseur? You are a multifaceted, impressive human being, Roth Keswick.”
“I am.” He blows on his knuckles and pretends to shine them on his chicken shirt.

From there on their relationship went smooth sailing. Laurel and Roth quickly fall in love with each other. There is nothing thrilling, slow-burning or any particular drama with them in the Past chapters, because that's not what the book is about imo. Not every book has some kind of message, but I think some books have a bigger message than others and Time Stamps was written to show all the important milestones of Laurel and Roth's relationship. Just two people being in a loving and supportive relationship. No petty drama. No messy break up. Nada. The Past chapters were pretty sweet and full of sweet moments of Laurel and Roth going fishing, quoting Lion King, learning Swing Dance. They were so geecky and adorable together. 🥺

“I don’t know how to do this, Laurel,” I quietly confess. “To be without you. It almost paralyzes me some days, the thought.”

Then there are the Present chapters. Those were the ones that hurted the most and my favorite part of this book (the masochist in me jumps out 💀). I love how they were all written in Roth's POV and we get all his struggles & denials.. and wow, did he struggle. Roth was not afraid to be vulnerable, this man was crying, screaming, angry, while still being Laurel's rock and the best husband EVER and my heart was breaking for him. During the Present chapters Roth and Lauren were going on a last road trip making lasting memories. So many beautiful scenes of them together, but it's always bittersweet. But the Present chapters weren't all the depressing. All in all there were actually so many cute scenes of Roth and Laurel together.

“Newlyweds?” Tim asks us, taking a left out of the parking lot. We look at each other, both smiling. She replies, “No,” at the same time I say, “Yes.”
“What?” I ask when she scrunches up her face. “I am more in love with you every morning than I was the night before, so I’d say that qualifies for newlywed status.”
She rolls her eyes, but that happiness she’s still wearing is a dead giveaway. “You’re so weird.”

Look how he is still so in love with her after 10 years together 🥺 How dare you rip his soulmate out of his life. My baby Roth, what has he ever done to you @K.L. Kreig?!

“It’s going to be okay.”
“It’s not,” I answer, not mincing words for once. “Not without you.”

How do you accept that your road has hit an unexpected dead end with a fatal drop on either side? That your best friend will be left to deal with life without you? That your dreams stop here before all of them were fulfilled?
Did you do enough?
Give enough?
Live enough?
Love enough?
Laugh enough?
Dare enough?
Dance enough?
Play enough?
Pray enough?
Sing enough?
Learn enough?
Try enough?
Forgive enough?
Were you enough?

✧ The Ending & Epilogue ✧

Did I hope with every part of my heart that some miracle would happen and Laurel would be fine? Absolutely. But I knew deep down this was not how this book going to be. As far as how Time Stamps ends, I'm actually pretty happy about it. Not that I'm happy that Laurel had to die, but if a book ends this way then at least with this kind of epilogue that answers some questions.

What we get from the epilogue after Laurel's death is that Roth spent 39 years without her and died at the age of 78. We get a bit more of an overview of how Roth is dealing with the loss the weeks/months/years after. It's pretty rough. Roth is not fine. He pretty much lost his will to live until one day Carmen comes to him and tells him that Laurel's last wish to her was if Carmen could be a surrogate for her. Roth refuses at first, but after ... let's say a couple of interesting coincidences, he agrees to the whole surrogate idea and the book finishes with the birth of Roth and Laurel's daughter.

My take/interpretation on the epilogue: Roth never remarried and had other children. It was not explicitly said, but it was heavingly hinted (he woke up to an empty bed everyday) and also because of this conversation he had with Laurel beforehand

“I’m not telling you to find someone else, though it would be okay with me if you did.”
“I won’t,” I tell her almost angrily. I think of Pat’s story about his dead wife and how seemingly happy he is now with his new one. But I am not Pat. I won’t go on to remarry and have four kids. Won’t happen.
“If you say so.” She runs two fingers over the length of my jaw, trying to calm me.
“I do say so.” And I mean it, dammit. I clamp my teeth so tightly together my jaw aches. No one could ever compare to her. How does she not understand that? And even if I did “find someone else,” which won’t happen, I would never be able to give that person 100 percent of me, because Laurel will take half of me with her. No woman would settle for that. No woman should.

And it makes me feel a little shitty to say this, but I'm actually happy that Roth never had someone else after Laurel and I'm usally all about people getting their second shot at love. I've read quite some books where the love interest dies and then the main characters finds love again and I'm all for that, because these people are all still young (usually in their 20s) and weren't very long together. Roth on the other hand was almorst 40 when he lost Laurel and they had a decade together. In the grand scheme of things, he's still pretty young and could have find someone else, but Roth and Laurel's love was a once in a lifetime love and the author really made me belive that they were soulmate that I couldn't imagine him with someone else. After I closed the book, I really thought that Roth would be fine, now with the birth of his daughter, he still has a part of Laurel with him and even though he's going to miss her every day, it's going to be okay.

This was so hard to write and once again a hot mess, because no matter how many quotes I include, I could never adequately describe Roth's love for Laurel with words. It was shown more through actions than words. Their love was bone-deep and pouring through the pages and every single chapter. That's why I'm actually pretty ok with how everything ended. The scene when Roth and Laurel reunited in heaven, I'm just going to have to write it myself 😇🙃



✧ Conclusion ✧

Once in a while, you read a book that hits you like a brick wall and that book is Time Stamps for me right now. Maybe I just needed a good cry and read this book at the perfect moment 😂 or this book is really a masterpiece. 🤷🏽‍♀️ I don't know and I don't really care, because those 5 stars are definitely emotional driven.

There are other books where one of the main characters dies and the message of all of them is basically the same. Time is short, live your life to the fullest, have no regrets etc. Time Stamps is not any different, so K.L. Kreig hasn't revolutionize anything. What will stay with me for a long time to come is the powerful love between Roth and Laurel and how unconditional and unwavering it was.

2021 is not over yet, I'm already calling it that Time Stamps is going to be sure in my Top 5 if not even Top 3 books I've read this year! If you're only going to read one romance with an unconventional ending, make it this one (if not that's okay too, I just need to find someone to cry with me ahahaha 😭😭😭).

The love we have lights the darkest of spaces. It will do so for eternity, regardless of if I am here or somewhere else. When I take my last breath, know I will never be far away. I will come back to you some way, somehow, in the most unexpected of ways. We will see each other again; of that I am certain. How can we not?
Our love transcends even the cruelty of time.

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS

The love we have lights the darkest of spaces.

This review is brought to you from the comfort of my bathroom, where I have locked myself for the past 20 minutes, sobbing uncontrollably so that my family don't think I've lost my mind.
Actual footage captured below

Now look, books like this are not my usual reads. I don't gravitate towards stories that hurt my heart. But when I tell you this was one of the most beautiful, mesmerizing and unforgettable stories of love I've read, I mean it was IT. It was that book for me. It was a book that I will never forget and yet will never put myself through reading it again. Because it broke me. It was this ying and yang sort of dynamic. Beauty with pain. And you really can't have one without the other.

KL Kreig sets the stage right away. This story doesn't sneak up on you with the feels. It's a steady build up and I'm not going to lie, I spent most of it in tears. Do I regret reading it? Absolutely not. Would I read it again? Absolutely not. Do I recommend it? ABSOLUTELY.

I love stories of a once in a lifetime love and this one was incredible. It was beautiful and heartbreaking. It was flawlessly written. Perfectly paced. Utterly magnificent. Laurel and Roth were two of my favorite characters. I loved Laurel's sweet quirkiness and shy nature. And I absolutely lived for Roth and his big love. This is a man that loves with his entire heart. Everything from the day they met to their present just made me fall harder and harder for them. A story of such pure, selfish love that's just beyond words. Laurel and Roth will forever stay with me because I swear, this book ingrained itself into my soul. I just cannot deal.

I simply cannot tell you anything else about this story because you just have to experience. Word of advise, have a box or 5 of tissues on hand and don't read it in public unless you want people to think you're having an emotional breakdown. Because here I am at the end, my hear hurting, my eyes burning, and so devastatingly in love with this book that it's painful.

ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

Find me on:

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know it’s early to call it, but I think I’ve just finished my book of the year. This book is beyond amazing. It’s one of those that will leave a stamp on your heart.

I’m wrecked and broken; I’m lifted and buzzing. I don’t know what to do with myself but that’s the best way to feel after a book, isn’t it?

Going to have to wait until I stop shaking before I can write anymore words……

Hours have passed. Time has ticked. I’ve read it again. I’m so in love with Laurel and Roth and the message in this book. They are the best kind of characters. They made my face ache from grinning. They made my heart flutter with love. They broke my face with tears.

I’ve highlighted the hell out of Time Stamps because it’s full of meaningful, heart lifting, heart breaking quotes.

“Love isn’t about who bought the better birthday gifts or how many carats her diamond ring is. It’s that you can look at this woman on a regular ole Tuesday night and know you’d make the same decision to be with her as the day you asked her to marry you.”

“I am so in love with you. All that you are is all I will ever need, and there is absolutely nothing that could change my love for you.”

“Make every day a Tuesday. Dance under the moonlight. Stargaze. Watch fireflies. Learn a new hobby. Recite your favorite movie. Mourn your losses. Mend broken fences.”

Honestly, please, read this book. Fall in love with love. Think about the things that warm your heart and feed your soul. Love really does light the darkest of spaces.

[Dilek VT]

I love K.L. Kreig. She is one of my favorite writers and I loved whatever I read from her. Her "Black Swan Affair" is one of my all times favorite books. It is indeed an epic work.

And I am sure this book is as well written but I am not brave enough to read it, sorry.



According to the reviews I have read, it is both a happy and a sad book. The readers all ugly cried.
It involves cancer, miscarriage and death of a main character.

In such a depressive time of my life, I need a "make-happy" book. The whole world is suffering from a pandemic and my country is also suffering from severe fires and floods, along with other important problems. My personal life is also full of hard tasks for the time being. Ergo, I really do not need anything else to ugly-cry. That's why, I shall pass this book.

I have written this review to offer you the courtesy of content warning because it took me an hour to find it. So if you do not mind spoilers, I have included all warnings there.

If you are brave enough to suffer, then I am sure Ms Kreig will take you through one hell of a ride as her talent is unique - of that, I am sure.

*********************************************

Addition as of 19.08.2021

P.S. A friend who actually read the book let me know about its ending. I am so glad that I decided not to read it because I would definitely have hated the ending if I had read it.

[sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾☆ 4.5 stars ☆☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

i asked for an emotional read, y’all delivered.

“Did you do enough?
Give enough?
Live enough?
Love enough?
Laugh enough?
Dare enough?
Dance enough?
Play enough?
Pray enough?
Sing enough?
Learn enough?
Try enough?
Forgive enough?
Were you enough?
Of course, the answer is no, because enough is never enough when death’s rancid stench trickles down your neck. There’s always more. Only that’s not up to you. It never was, honestly.”

I’m out. My heart hurts. And even though I loved the hope and bit of happiness the epilogue brought me, it still hurts.

“I love you today, Roth Warren Keswick.”
“I’ll love you tomorrow, my love.”
❤️

【SONGS:】
The One — Kodaline
Angel — Sarah McLachlan

[Eva LeNoir · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a minute to write this review.
I mean, how do you describe the level of perfection in a single story? How do you put into words the depth of emotions that every chapter conveyed?
More importantly, how do you hold back tears in an ugly cry book when your husband is wondering what the hell is happening to his wife? I had to leave the room so I could let my emotions run free before my husband called emergency.
Roth is perfect. He's the reason Romance is the best selling genre in the book world. He's the fantasy, the model of everything a woman deserves and a man should aspire to be. Every word and every time stamp was a squeeze to my heart.
Laurel is all of us. Her quirks, her smiles, her insecurities and her honesty. She's the woman in all of us and their love story is too grand for this world.
Time Stamps is the love story we all deserve.
A timeless masterpiece soaked in eternal love.
A MUST READ.

[Jenny - TotallybookedBlog · Rating 5 out of 5]

“…love isn’t about who bought who the better birthday gift or how many carats her diamond ring is. It’s that you can look at this woman on a regular ole Tuesday night and know you’d make the same decision to be with her as the day you asked her to marry you.”

When we picked up Time Stamps by K.L. Kreig we had no idea about the journey we were about to embark on. The synopsis grabbed us the moment we read it, but in no way did it prepare us for the utter devastation and emotional heartbreak we’d feel. Pulling at our heartstrings yet making us melt into deep swoons, it became a rollercoaster of before and now, divided into unrestrained joy then overwhelming sadness.

‘Grief is the souvenir of a great love, and I hope you are as fortunate as I have been to have the greatest of the great in your life too…Make every day a Tuesday. Dance under the moonlight. Stargaze. Watch fireflies. Learn a new hobby. Recite your favorite movie. Mourn your losses. Mend broken fences.’

It was a ride we didn’t necessarily want to be on, but one that we could not let go of, nor get off. The title of this love story is so incredibly significant and as readers, we found it truly beautiful and meaningful. It made us stop and think of our own, be they happy, sad, seemingly irrelevant yet anything but. Truly magnificent and deeply tragic. They all serve a purpose, and they all mark us unbeknownst or knowingly so. The cliché of the tapestry of life is made up of these and the do you remember when…yes I’ll remember, always.

“The day I met you I felt like I was dropped inside a kaleidoscope, and no matter what angle I view life through now, all I see is beautiful brilliance. Even through all of this.”
“You’re the shards of glass,” I tell her, my voice hoarse. “You are what creates the beauty, Laurel. You are the beauty.”
“You’re the mirrors. And the light. You are what allows me to see it, Roth. Thank you.”

This love story is written in such a brilliant way that ensures the reader experiences pure joy whilst knowing about the tragic circumstances to come. Told in dual pov’s, Laurel tells us about the beginning of a beautiful love story set in the past, whilst Roth tells us of this love story set in the devastating now. Until two become one. We highlighted page after page of stunning quotes that literally had us in floods of tears or flying high on the beauty of inspiration. A love story so pure it stood the test of a lifetime…

“All these years, Laurel, and I haven’t been able to catch my breath yet. I will always choose you. I will always love you. Always.”

…A lifetime that has no guarantees. It was beautiful, quirky, wonderful, romantic, and funny. It was so tragically heartbreaking, cruel, and unfair. It was life. How often are we reminded that life is fragile? That we must grab it by the scruff of the neck and run with it, making sure we greet every single day as a blessing! Living our lives to the full because the next day is not a certainty. It’s not a given. But memories last forever. They live on in our hearts.

‘Did you do enough? Give enough? Live enough? Love enough? Laugh enough? Dare enough? Dance enough? Play enough?’

Laurel and Roth’s love story was intense, it was filled with realism and unguarded honesty. It was adorably awkward and at times hilariously eccentric. It was incredibly poignant and inspirational too. If it wasn’t slow trickle tears, it was full-on ugly cry tears, all the way through! Time Stamps has left such a deep long-lasting impression on our hearts through the magnificent story of love told by K.L. Kreig. It embodied what romance is all about, though some may argue it’s not a romance per se. Because, you know…rules! We will fiercely disagree and say this is pure romance. This is real love.

“I think I will love you until the end of forever.”

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[Apoorva]

Well, now that I've read the blurb -

[Shabby -BookBistroBlog · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is THE MOST challenging & Inspiring book OF ALL TIMES!!
How DO you move on from this soul mulching story?
How DO you get past the feeling that your heart has fallen out of your chest and it lays there bleeding?
How DO you close the book and feel your world has ended and look around at people carrying on their lives as if nothing earth shattering just happened to you?
How DO you attempt to smile when your tears won't stop their deluge down your face?
HOW?...HOW?...HOW?
You don't!!. That's it.



"You don’t get life-shattering news and say welp that’s that, dust your hands off, and walk away. You cry foul. You demand answers. "

I will NEVER be able to move past it, or forget it or try to pick any other book today.
Today I'm grieving the loss of my most beloved character - Laurel. I wish I'd met her, drawn from her immeasurable courage, basked in her glorious sunshine, learnt a lesson or two of gratitude from this magnificent woman ever to have graced the pages of a book.
It's a story that travels back in time to relive the lost moments. To heal open wounds. To seek & give forgiveness. To stuff the ticking life with memories
OR Time Stamps
If there's ONE thing I've taken away from this fabulous story, it's to take charge of my life now before its too late



"Like nearly all of us, I’ve spent my life wishing Time away. I’ve wasted it, squandered it, loathed it, and cursed it. I’ve counted down seconds and wished years would move faster.
But when you know you don’t have much of it left, you’re ravenous for lost moments. You savor the next one. They are priceless and coveted and you wonder why you didn’t make the most of it when you had more of it. "

Kreig has ruined me for this day, this week, this month.
I'm almost like Roth Keswick.
Terrified.
Afraid.
Scared.
Mourning.
Grieving.
And I'm in awe of Kreig's talent.
No amount of Stars are enough for this timeless tale of love
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[PeaceOfGod · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I like a book , I give it 4 stars.
when I love a book , I give it 5 stars.
When I love a book that I read again and again and agaiiiiiin , I review it very beautifully and it usually takes 5 minutes to read it, I include spoilers, I add images , I add funny memes.

But when I love a book , BEYOND the point of madness , when I love a book , that the blurb makes me cry , when I love a book so much that it feels like its a part of ME .

What do I do?

I add a go to song.

The Go to song-

🎶🎶Zarurat-Ek Villain/Mithoon

[Anne OK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another story about love and loss – plain and simple. Readers know going in that time is the enemy in this story – and this young couple must savor every moment because their time together is quickly ticking away.

Laurel and Roth are a perfect couple as you meet them, watch as they romp in the snow together with the shrill of laughter filling the air, camp beneath the stars, argue but always following with a kiss and make-up session, and fall deeper in love and marry. Far too soon the happy-ever-after bubble bursts when Laurel is diagnosed with terminal cancer and given a short time to live.

Every time Laurel said “I’m sorry” or Roth said “Don’t apologize” – that 1970 tearjerker by Erich Segal with those unforgettable words, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry” played over and over in my head. “Love Story” was most likely the first real contemporary heartbreaking romance I read (so I won't count "Romeo and Juliet"). And a part of “Time Stamps” felt a lot like Segal's updated twin.

Heart-wrenching and packing an emotional wallop. A person would have to be heartless to not feel the pain and agony -- to not shed tears of sadness. Devastated and heartbroken, yet their love and commitment so uncompromising will bring joy to your heart and envious of the depth of their love. A story that etches its way into your heart and evokes strong emotions. I’m sentimental, and this one really got to me.

What is there one can say in situations such as this? Just remember, life doesn’t always go as planned, but in the end we’ll only regret the chances we didn’t take.

[Sharon Thérèse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am lost for words! What. A. Read…Ooh my goodness. Exceptional doesn’t even touch the surface!

Diving into Time Stamps without reading the blurb made me realise how much I had missed Krieg’s storytelling. She does NOT disappoint! Her inspiring words, on-point plot and narrative hit every emotion. Whether it was weeping into my pillow or giggling at witty remarks, I was awestruck. Devouring this pageturner into the early hours wasn’t such a good idea as I couldn’t stop my mind from racing afterwards. But in retrospect, it was the only way I was able to read it in one sitting. And I have no regrets about doing just that.

‘...while I am terrified of the dark, he’ll always be the one lighting the way for me.’

Roth and Laurel love furiously. Every detail in their relationship matters; their strengths, weaknesses and deep levels of trust give so much food for thought that at times, I reread passages. I adored their cute meet, the beginning of what would be an intense journey overflowing with every imaginable feeling. Watching them grow together was a joy in itself, but what melted my heart was their candour, the way they knew what the other was thinking, putting each other at ease even in the most heart-wrenching moments.

“We need to trust each other.”
“I do trust you.”

Nevertheless, learning about their fears whilst listening to their inner voices saddened me no end. For me, Roth’s hurt felt stronger than Laurel’s. She’s fiercely independent but at the same time self-conscious. Understandably, his self-assurance wavers. He is her rock. She is his life balance, his reason to give her his all. I can’t thank the author enough for giving this couple such wonderful friends, yet sometimes one’s compassion isn’t enough, is it? I’d also love to have a boss like Roth’s, whose kindness showed me that caring people exist. Yes, the secondary character development is spot on! And yes, man-sized hankies are a must!

‘Clichés. We are full of them when we have nothing else to offer.’

Ahh, the quotable phrases! I like highlighting those that catch my attention, but it’s been a long while since I’ve picked out so many. Kreig moving Roth and Laurel’s timestamp back and forth from past to present day was exceedingly well done, not in the least confusing and perfectly fitting. I have to mention the songs and hope she’ll make a playlist to compliment the book. The comic relief in delightful scenes was astoundingly welcome...more tears but laugh-out-loud ones!

“Laurel. I don’t care how well you can dance. I just want you in my arms.”

Review writing at silly o’clock isn’t easy when you’re bawling your eyes out! But it was a comfort of sorts as I had the chance to digest Kreig’s deeply moving story. One I shall never forget, it deserves all the stars and many more. Bravo!

Endnote: I speak Spanish fluently and appreciate the bang on translations.

‘When I found out what mi amado meant the first night she mentioned it, I swear I fell instantly in love with this sassy, quick-witted, clumsy woman.’

[Lindsay L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book as painful and poignant and purposeful as this book. I typically don’t cry when I read books, but at times I couldn’t even catch my breath reading Laurel and Roth’s time stamp chapters. This book will stay with me. I will think about their journey as I make my own time stamps. We all have a beginning and an end… what are you going to do with the time you have with the ones you love between your first chapter and your last?

[Zilpha Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m having an extremely hard time expressing how this book made me feel. This review probably isn’t coherent. But that’s ok. The only thing I need to convey is I loved this beyond words. Even with that heartbreaking prologue, Time Stamps is an extraordinary love story. From one chapter to the next I was on an emotional high or a devastating low. This one packed a serious punch. It touched me deeply. My heart raced. My eyes watered. It’s message loud and clear.

I love how the story presents. We get the past through Laurel - their meeting, the build of their relationship, their sweet encounters. Then there is the present through Roth - deep and committed love, the fight and determination, devastation and sorrow. Each sad time stamp juxtaposed with a happy one. It worked beautifully.

Laurel is so relatable and a beautiful soul.

Roth. Roth. Roth. He is amazing. I can’t even find the appropriate words to describe him.

I also really appreciated that both Roth and Laurel communicated like adults should. They spoke their minds and their hearts. They trusted each other to be the other’s safe space. And while I worried at times that Laurel would let her doubts and insecurities get the best of her, she pulled up those big girl panties and didn’t let it happen. We all fall into that trap and I completely understood her. They were both so open and honest through the good times and the bad. Neither of them were perfect. No one is, but Ms. Kreig created characters who were close to perfection yet so very easy to relate to and understand and fall in love with. Roth was the rock she needed and Laurel lit up his world.

And they aren’t the only ones. The secondary characters are incredible, each contributing to a story that simultaneously broke and healed my heart.

I can’t recommend this book enough.

[Gitte TotallyBookedBlog · Rating 5 out of 5]

“…love isn’t about who bought who the better birthday gift or how many carats her diamond ring is. It’s that you can look at this woman on a regular ole Tuesday night and know you’d make the same decision to be with her as the day you asked her to marry you.”

When we picked up Time Stamps by K.L. Kreig we had no idea about the journey we were about to embark on. The synopsis grabbed us the moment we read it, but in no way did it prepare us for the utter devastation and emotional heartbreak we’d feel. Pulling at our heartstrings yet making us melt into deep swoons, it became a rollercoaster of before and now, divided into unrestrained joy then overwhelming sadness.

‘Grief is the souvenir of a great love, and I hope you are as fortunate as I have been to have the greatest of the great in your life too…Make every day a Tuesday. Dance under the moonlight. Stargaze. Watch fireflies. Learn a new hobby. Recite your favorite movie. Mourn your losses. Mend broken fences.’

It was a ride we didn’t necessarily want to be on, but one that we could not let go of, nor get off. The title of this love story is so incredibly significant and as readers, we found it truly beautiful and meaningful. It made us stop and think of our own, be they happy, sad, seemingly irrelevant yet anything but. Truly magnificent and deeply tragic. They all serve a purpose, and they all mark us unbeknownst or knowingly so. The cliché of the tapestry of life is made up of these and the do you remember when…yes I’ll remember, always.

“The day I met you I felt like I was dropped inside a kaleidoscope, and no matter what angle I view life through now, all I see is beautiful brilliance. Even through all of this.”
“You’re the shards of glass,” I tell her, my voice hoarse. “You are what creates the beauty, Laurel. You are the beauty.”
“You’re the mirrors. And the light. You are what allows me to see it, Roth. Thank you.”

This love story is written in such a brilliant way that ensures the reader experiences pure joy whilst knowing about the tragic circumstances to come. Told in dual pov’s, Laurel tells us about the beginning of a beautiful love story set in the past, whilst Roth tells us of this love story set in the devastating now. Until two become one. We highlighted page after page of stunning quotes that literally had us in floods of tears or flying high on the beauty of inspiration. A love story so pure it stood the test of a lifetime…

“All these years, Laurel, and I haven’t been able to catch my breath yet. I will always choose you. I will always love you. Always.”

…A lifetime that has no guarantees. It was beautiful, quirky, wonderful, romantic, and funny. It was so tragically heartbreaking, cruel, and unfair. It was life. How often are we reminded that life is fragile? That we must grab it by the scruff of the neck and run with it, making sure we greet every single day as a blessing! Living our lives to the full because the next day is not a certainty. It’s not a given. But memories last forever. They live on in our hearts.

‘Did you do enough? Give enough? Live enough? Love enough? Laugh enough? Dare enough? Dance enough? Play enough?’

Laurel and Roth’s love story was intense, it was filled with realism and unguarded honesty. It was adorably awkward and at times hilariously eccentric. It was incredibly poignant and inspirational too. If it wasn’t slow trickle tears, it was full-on ugly cry tears, all the way through! Time Stamps has left such a deep long-lasting impression on our hearts through the magnificent story of love told by K.L. Kreig. It embodied what romance is all about, though some may argue it’s not a romance per se. Because, you know…rules! We will fiercely disagree and say this is pure romance. This is real love.

“I think I will love you until the end of forever.”

Ebook
Paperback

[ReadingTilTheBreakOfDawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"She is everything good about me. Earning her love is my greatest accomplishment in life."

I was warned that I would need tissues for this book and I'm passing that warning onto you. I’m sitting here saying that I finished the book with tears in my eyes. My heart is heavy yet with a bit of happiness. Happiness that I got to experience this beautifully emotional and tragic journey. I appreciated each and every stage of Laurel and Roth's love story and feel like I got to experience a love like no other. There really are no words for everything that is still weighing on me. I'm choking up trying to write this review over a week later.

Right from the beginning we are thrown into real life. It's the present and it's not good news. You are already getting a taste of what will come. But then we are taken back in time to see how it all began....

Time Stamps is told from a past and present. The past is cute and quirky and will put a smile on your face. To see a relationship begin right from the awkward "meet cute", to all the times in between that don't seem important but make an impact on your life, to blossoming to a forever sort of love was truly magical. We got to experience it all through Laurel's eyes. She's this beautiful woman that never saw her worth nor her beauty. She tried to hide in the background, but all Roth saw was her. She shined brightly and was like a beacon calling to him. It was an all consuming sort of thing right from the start.

And Roth. Oh Roth. His POV was the present. And wow! He is the man that all men should be compared to. Everything he does for this woman is damn near perfection. He made me laugh and smile and made me want to love without any question of what happens next.

This is a special story that will be one of my favorites of 2021. The beauty in the journey of these two and their love was what made it magical. It will touch your soul, break your heart and having you hold on to those you love. It's a story of love, forgiveness, understanding, selflessness, living every day to the fullest and always looking on the bright side.

Roth and Laurel and their telling of their love story is a reminder that Life is fragile, Loving isn't always easy, but living and being in the moment is. Time. All we have is time and those moments.
Time Stamps is real and raw. It won't always be pretty, but you won't be able to put it down. KL Kreig crafted a well told story that will leave you emotional drained and perhaps a little choked up. But the love between these characters will truly leave you marked. What a special book and an extraordinary couple.

(I usually don't do this, but.....
Content Warning: Cancer)

[Mel (whilemelwasreading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Love isn’t about who bought the better birthday gift or how many carats her diamond ring is. It’s that you can look at this woman on a regular ole Tuesday night and know you’d make the same decision to be with her as the day you asked her to marry you.”

What You’ll Find:
✔️Contemporary Romance
✔️Real & Raw Story
✔️Angst & Emotion
✔️Dual Timeline
✔️Dual POV

Time Stamps tells the love story of Roth and Laurel. And what a beautiful, heart wrenching, real and raw story it is. When I read the blurb, I knew I HAD to read this. I knew my heart was going to be wrecked. And it ABSOLUTELY was. But experiencing the all encompassing love they have for one another... completely worth it.

Laurel and Roth have the cutest first meet story. And it takes no time for their relationship to bloom. But the story takes its time to develop via a past/present dual timeline, which I loved. Laurel is the biggest klutz. Quirky and struggles with self confidence. Roth though. So strong and stoic. So attentive, and encouraging. He sees her. Loves her. And my gosh, he brought the romance we all dream to find.


“Make everyday a Tuesday. Dance under the moonlight. Stargaze. Watch fireflies. Learn a new hobby. Recite your favourite movie. Mourn your losses. Mend broken fences.”


While this story doesn’t end the way we all envision our romance reads to end (it broke my heart), it was a story that I’ll never forget. It reminds you how fragile life is. What matters most. To live each day fully. How profound love can be. And forgiveness. It took me some time to digest this story, to write this review. And to be honest, I am tearing up just writing this. Have your tissues close, your going to need them.


“Did you do enough? Give enough? Live enough? Love enough? Laugh enough? Dare enough?”

“Were you enough?”


Ok. Now I’m crying again. A top 2021 read.
CW below*
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*CW: Cancer, Miscarriage, Death

**Thank you to the author and Elle Woods PR for the ARC for my honest review.

[Christine (Shh Moms Reading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truthfully I was scared to read this book. Having something so devastating happening in my family now, this was a hard read for me. But I couldn’t stop reading, I was captivated by Laurel and Roth’s love story. So Beautiful and emotional and heartfelt.

I have loved everything Kreig has written to date and Time Stamps is a different read from this author but truly remarkable. I loved seeing the then and now...how they met and came to be to their journey as a married couple.

A love like theirs is what people wish for...and while the circumstances were hard, they were there for better and worse. Their unwavering love brought tears to my eyes time and time again.

Life is short...cherish every day and every moment. I will not forget this book for a long time to come. Truly a masterpiece.

[Traceys · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a 5+ star read. It's a must-read. It will stay with you and make you realise what's important in life. You will need a whole box of tissues, and be prepared for a major book hangover!

Some books can be demolished in one sitting, but some need to be cherished and have time taken to absorb the love, this is one of them.

Roth and Laurel have such an easy love, they are Ying and Yang and perfect together.

Laurel a quirky lady introduced to Roth by a friend, a friend you'd be thankful to forever. Roth made me swoon many times.

This book destroyed me, I sobbed.... It's beyond heartbreaking but amidst all the pain there is love, devotion and adventure and it's beautiful.

To be honest I was doing well just the odd tear and glassy eyed in parts but then a couple of simple lines threw me over the waterfall. Then I pulled myself together and continued Roth and Laurels time stamped journey, only to hear 'I want to see my mother'.... Floodgates opened again. To be honest they didn't stop for a while....

This book has stayed with me for days, reading it felt like I was watching a film, omg god this would make an amazing film.

This book is beautiful, painful, heartbreaking, raw, real, and makes you realise what's important.

If you like a deep and moving story, I highly recommend it to you. Make sure you have tissues ready you will need them.

5 + stars

#icriedariver #ARCReader #tearjerker #allthefeels

[Nashoda Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Time Stamps’ is a beautifully written love story that is honest and genuine.
K.L Kreig wrecked me on the first page then took me on an unexpected journey of such pure love. Roth and Laurel’s story will forever be engrained in me. An absolute must read.

[Chay Charita Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Whimsically Alluring story that absolutely loved!

I’ve laughed with the banter, I’ve cried with all the emotions and
I’ve held my breath with anticipation and much contemplation on what is one of my very favorite reads of 2021 and more than likely ever because I won’t forget these characters and how they made me feel.

K.L. Kreig’s “Time Stamps” is a phenomenal story written with understanding and compassion. The narrative is flawlessly fluid and the characters are likable and so relatable with all of their experiences through time and with the emotions and perceptions that they endured.

I almost instantly identified with Laurel, in more ways than one, how she dealt with her insecurities was heart rendering and yet she persevered and with Roth’s undeniable love and devotion, overcame many of her struggles, both emotional and physical.

Roth was the epitome of devotion and fidelity. He was steadfast in his commitment and most of all loved Laurel without any hesitation or judgment, he was blinded by her light. I loved the moments he and Laurel shared and the memories they created.

Ultimately this story, although heartbreaking, was about savoring every moment we are given, the value of communication, forgiveness and acceptance, but most of all LOVE in the purest sense.

The following poignant lines particularly struck a chord with me:

“In my short life, I have come to learn many things. The most important being that you should not judge others, for you do not understand their trials. Everyone holds their own secrets and buried stories and hidden scars and because of that, everyone deserves grace, even though you may not think they do.”

…”the fact is we are racing against Time. It’s a race we all run, whether we actively participate or not. And she is fast and she is cunning and she has an unfair advantage. And—spoiler alert—she always, always…always edges you out at the finish line.”

This story Must Be Read!

[Tia Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get ready for an emotional roller-coaster! This love story is raw and real. It's emotional and unforgettable. Keep the tissues handy!

[Karen Mc · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You are like a fairy tale come to life.”

What have you done to me, new-to-me author, K.L. Kreig?!? I. Am. Breathless. Broken. Utterly bereft. Time Stamps was just WOW!!! I was wrecked in the most wonderful of ways! From the first page, I knew that Time Stamps was a unicorn. A special and soul-deep love story that’s extraordinary and unexpected, one that engraves the heart for a lifetime. I LOVED it!

Anchored by time and touched by love, this emotionally explosive romance entails a strong and stunning heroine who has given up on romance and the melt-worthy hero who shows her how it is to be truly loved. Roth defines hero, a man every man should be. Laurel portrays strength and selflessness, an exemplary woman I wept for while admiring her. Laurel and Roth share a soul-deep connection, one full of forever love and light, sharing an intensely emotional journey full of heartbreak and healing that readers will live too.

Humming with rich metaphors, vivid detail, wondrous wit, and lasting love, this tale makes you think. Makes you bask in the moment. Makes you appreciate the little things. Makes you feel everything. This unforgettable and emotionally-woven love story makes you want to grab onto every opportunity, take risks, open your heart to love, and live life to the fullest.

Time Stamps is one those rare books that is beautifully written and utterly life affirming. Tragically beautiful, breathtaking and brilliantly told, this tale transcends time. I can’t even begin to describe how momentous and meaningful this romance is … one that held my heart in its clutches the whole time reading while seeping into my soul. I was rendered an emotional mess, but oh did I revel in the feels from this astonishing book! I’m still reeling and feeling so much.

A top 2021 romance!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ forever unicorn stars

➡️ https://amzn.to/3AeLLwN

[FunUndertheCovers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have missed K.L. Kreig’s writing and now she’s back with an epic romance that’s bound to be a top read on many lists!

Get ready to fall in love with Laurel and Roth as their devastatingly beautiful love story weaves through the past and the present, with all the meaningful little moments...the “time stamps” that when put together make up the heart of their amazing romance.

Laurel feels very plain and believes everyone sees her the same way, until she meets Roth. Roth sees Laurel in every way she doesn’t...he sees her beauty, her goodness, and he builds her up until she can see it in herself. He’s so damn perfect. *sigh/swoon*

Their love for each other is what happily ever afters are made of. Their life is perfect until it’s not...

Grab the tissues, lots of them, because while this book was sweet, funny, sexy, and made me smile, it’s also heartbreaking beyond anything I’ve read in a very long time.

I am in awe of K.L. Kreig’s writing, even when she was making me cry. And she’s definitely going to get her wish...this story is absolutely unforgettable!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speechless.

Absolutely fucking speechless.

In a good way.

Elegant, classy, understated yet packing a punch, thought provoking, intense, difficult to read at times yet so absolutely stunning and flawless.

I will be back with a full review when I've processed my feelings and can make an attempt at being eloquent enough to do this one justice. Not just sit in a corner, with the book in my hand, rocking, saying "Fuck Me" on repeat like a mantra.

Because.

Fuck. Me.

What a story.

Bravo 👏


Those were my first rambling thoughts on finishing Time Stamps, the quick, from the heart, gotta put something down now ones. I’m sitting here this morning to attempt to put some words together to eloquently try to describe why this story is worth one clicking, worth spending your money on and investing your time in. Me being me that would usually be a tumble of swear words, as I’m known to swear voraciously when excited, ending with a probable “just fucking buy it, you won’t regret it” However for those wanting more than that and because Time Stamps deserves more than that I’ll attempt to do it justice. So here goes……………

I haven’t written a review in a long time for a myriad of reasons that I won’t bore you with and for a while now I’ve struggled to find books I was connecting with or enjoying on any level, even stopped buying favourite authors and I was reluctant as my love affair with reading has been so stale and stagnant of late to commit to any reviews. However like many Black Swan Affair is an all time favourite of mine and as it’s been a while since I read a K.L. Kreig I decided to give it a whirl, without even reading the blurb and just on the strength of previous books.

Her style is a little like watching a Quentin Tarantino film or reading a Stylo Fantome or Jewel E Ann book, you know it’s going to be a mind fuck, with twists and unexpected turns, suck you in and spit you out until you’re rocking in the corner, a catatonic mess drooling and muttering nonsense with your mind blown but totally willing to do it all over again! Time Stamps does not disappoint on any level, I believe it may well be my book of the year.

Many times in life we ignore the uncomfortable shit, things that happen in this fucked up world that we feel if we can’t influence or are not personally affected by, move along, nothing to see here, as you were but Time Stamps is the most beautifully handled lesson in raising awareness to say, “yes shit happens but how we handle it is important”, for those supporting and loving the unlucky in the lottery of life and for those who it happens to with the courage and grace to fight and live every moment. Time Stamps is an inspirational read showing just how strong the human spirit can be, and that no matter for how long or short a time we find our “person” that the choices we make on how to live and cope with the unexpected can make all the difference to us, to them, to the extended friends and family around us. The World can be unfair and harsh but we get one life, one chance and if we’re lucky we make the choices to live every moment, fill it with memories and laughter and love.

The flow, the characters, the story, every single aspect is perfect. The emotional impact is surprising given that as the story progresses you know where we are heading yet the writing as I said at the beginning of these ramblings is so flawless, classy and elegant that the investment you have in the characters and stories makes the impact of Time Stamps huge, a crator sized hole in your heart that will remain in your thoughts long after finishing.

Time Stamps is a thought provoking, emotionally intense read, difficult at times to continue yet left me smiling, crying, thinking and invested. That’s a book worth reading, that’s a book worth making the effort to review and that’s a book worth Thank You to the author for, because as a reader what more could I ask for?

Absolutely nothing.

Bravo Ms Kreig. Bravo.

And thank you.

[Cynema · Rating 3 out of 5]

TIME IS NEVER ENOUGH – HITS TOO CLOSE TO HOME

“I know my death will be hard for you. Don’t forget about me, okay?”

TIME STAMPS hit so close to home that I couldn’t breathe. It’s partly my fault … I had no idea what the book was about, but I loved the title and the author. The Finding Me Duet is one of my faves, and I’ve read several of her other books as well. She wasn’t someone that I was unfamiliar with, so I was ready to go wherever she took me, but me reading this book was the wrong choice for the wrong reader.

While I appreciate the concept, the characters, and the poignancy of their love, the love story ended up being more of a downer for me than heartbreakingly uplifting. Cancer, death, and the loss of a loved no matter how softened by the love and support of others, the birth of a child, and memories that will never fade weren’t enough to salvage my personal despair. So many things struck so close to home that it was a monumental task to finish the book, and I was not cleansed by my sobbing tears. This is not the reaction that most of you will have, and I have no desire to drag down the success of the author’s loving masterpiece, but I learned something even more valuable from this book. I want to be entertained, not reminded of the tragedies of life, death and loss. I want to be swept away from my life and woes, not drilled into the heart of it. I want to forget the loss that I cannot change and not be reminded that life is short and that time is the most important thing we have. We can never get it back or have a do-over. We can only live in the moment. But, that’s a bitter pill to swallow for me and for Roth. Though the situations are entirely different, I am Roth and the “Laurel” in my life is gone. The end result is the same, and that pain never subsides.

The last time a book came into play in my life this way was the day after I returned home from a whirlwind trip, as an only child, to bury my dad after a sudden heart attack. At work, I was immediately assigned a book for film adaptation about a man who dies of a heart attack and the reflection his family suffers through to get to the other side. All I kept thinking was who was so cruel at the studio to know my situation and give me a book for development that I just lived through less than 48 hours ago. And here I am again – another book, another death, an unexpected coincidence.

So, I cannot enjoy and embrace this book as it was intended, and will not read books of this type in the future. It was too much. Too gutwrenching. Too real, and my heart still hurts from it. The way the book plays out and the hope it brings is why we love books, but real life is different and it put me back there all over again. Still, I hope the rest of you enjoy the story and sentiments, as Ms. Kreig intended.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Such a menial word for such a grand piece of work but seriously, wow. I went into this book completely blind. I wanted to read it based on who the author was, not on the blurb or the cover or anything else. KL Kreig is back and she’s taking names. This story took me on the most unexpected journey. It is full of highs and lows and everything in between. I adored both Roth and Laurel. They’re real and their struggles are real and their love is real and all of it permeates off the pages and soaks into your soul. Read this. Read it now and then put it in the reread pile. Will be a top read for 2021, for sure.

[Marochka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Очень, конечно, тяжелая книга. Я и пока читала, почти все время рыдала, и пока рецензию писала, то и дело промокала глаза.
Это не обычный порно-роман… Да, эротика тут есть, но она - вполне органичное приложение к основному сюжету и героям, а не суть истории.
Персонажи относительно нешаблонные. Конечно, неуверенная в себе Лорел похожа на типичную для NA «замухрышку», на которую почему-то западает альфа-самец-миллиардер. Но она скорее кажется вполне обычным человеком. Реальным, неуверенным в себе (порой, конечно, слишком, но что поделать). Она не течет от одного вида Рота и не бросается к нему в постель при первой встрече.
А Рот вообще не похож на типичного героя подобных «романов». Он… нормальный. Не миллиардер, но и не бедный. У него обычная неплохо оплачиваемая работа. Он приятной наружности, но не божественно красив. К нему в ноги не кидаются все самые сексуальные девушки. Он из хорошей семьи с нормальными родителями, прекрасно воспитавшими его.
Кто-то скажет: «Скучно». Кому-то подавай альфа-самцов, которые только и думают о сексе. А по мне, так идеально.
Другое дело, что Рот такой же нереалистичный персонаж, как все те же «альфа-самцы». Таких, к сожалению, в реальной жизни не бывает. У него нет ни одного недостатка (если, конечно, не считать недостатками то, что он не миллиардер и не божественно красив). Этакая мужская версия Мери-Сью. Но для меня этот идеальный мужчина и чересчур сладкие описания отношений все-таки лучше, чем «вставшие соски и члены» прямо при первой встречи героев. Такие истории мне все-таки приятнее читать, пусть иногда у меня и сводило зубы от приторности.
Автор создает реальные отношения, настоящую любовь, а не то, что обычно описывают в подобных романах: похоть и жажду (а порой и абьюзивное ревнивое поведение), которые почему-то все принимают за романтику.
Неуверенность в себе Лорел меня периодически утомляла, но, в то же время, ее можно понять, и я не осуждаю ни ее, ни автора за то, что они с этим перебарщивали.
Главы от лица Рота мне прямо душу разрывали. Где-то на середине книги я начала плакать и, кажется, так до конца и не переставала.
Не знаю, местами мне казалось, что автор перебарщивает с проблемами в жизни Лорел. И сестра у нее умерла, и с ребенком все так тяжело было, и болезнь эта в итоге… Не много ли на одну девушку/семью? Каково матери Лорел потерять обеих дочерей?
Но в реальности всякое бывает (хотя это все-таки книга, можно было бы и пожалеть Лорел и читателей). В любом случае, история крайне тяжелая (я несколько раз прерывалась во время чтения, потому что мне было не по себе и надо было немного отвлечься). Красивая, но тяжелая.
Конец, на мой вкус, неоднозначный. Я вообще без понятия, как можно было закончить такую книгу… И, наверное, автор сделала все правильно. Но все равно вся эта ситуация кажется немного странной (а еще чем-то напомнила историю с Барни из «Как я встретил вашу маму»).
Так или иначе, я совсем не ожила от книги чего-то хорошего, а она оказалась вполне читаемой и качественной. Я искренне удивлена и довольна. Можно даже сказать, что мне прямо понравилось (особенно, если ничего хорошего не ждешь от жанра, кажется, что почти шедевр прочитал).

Итоговая оценка: 8/10

[Veronica Ticker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need a moment to recover. It was as beautiful as it was heartbreaking, with a little life lesson thrown in there. One of the best books I’ve read this year. But keep some tissues with you, you’ll need them.

The book starts at the beginning of the end. Laurel and Roth are married, and they learn something that’s going to change their life as they know it. And then, we discover, through multiple flashbacks, how they met and fell in love. That part of the story is cute, funny, sexy, and that makes what happens later even more heartwrenching. Because Roth and Laurel are meant to be. The complement each other and their devotion for each other is admirable. They were one of the most beautifully written couples I’ve read.

Just to be clear, even though we see some family members and close friends, the book is very much about the main couple. But the way they interact with other people hints at how they’re going to react to whatever life is throwing at them–and life isn’t gentle with them, let me tell you. Every element of the story is thought out to ensure a coherent character development. In the end, Laurel and Roth felt so real that I wanted to hug them.

But as I warned before, this book is a tearjerker. I hadn’t cried for a long time while reading a book, and I never cried that much. Look away if you don’t like angst.

On top of the beautiful–if sad–love story, the author delivers a powerful message about how you must live your life. And after Laurel and Roth’s story, you’ll very much believe she’s right. I would say ‘happy reading’, but it won’t be happy. But it will be worth it.

Quickie

- Series: standalone
- Hashtags: #established relationship #flashbacks #angst
- Triggers: long well depicted sickness, miscarriage, emotional trauma, grief
- Main couple: Laurel Collins & Roth Keswick
- Hotness: 3/5
- Romance: 5/5
- + their love was magnificent
- – I felt Laurel was more described as being amazing instead of her being shown that way

[Jenny Lovez Bookz · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 STARS ....This was Soo sad! 😭😭 And Roth was the absolute sweetest man. I gotta say I really liked what the author did with the epilogue, gave us readers the little bit of happiness we needed after such a tough book to get thru.

My only issues with the book were the typos/editing mistakes. I'm one of those where they drive me nuts