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Life

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I've known one thing to be true all of my adult life. Millie is my girl. She’s been the sunshine on every cloudy day of mine since the day we met in the back of that truck in high school. People thought we were insane marrying so young. They said we’d never make it. Now, after fifteen years, two kids, a successful career, and an incredibly blessed marriage I feel like I have the world at my fingertips. Until one day it’s all ripped away from me. I'll do anything to go back to the life we had. Now I’m in the hospital, day in and day out, talking to the shell of my wife, begging her to wake up. They say she won’t. Everyone’s losing hope, but I can’t. If it takes me retelling her our life story for the next twenty years I’d do it. Because somewhere in there I know she can hear me. Some people have to go through hell to get their happy-ever-after. It’s that same hell that’s threatening to tear ours apart.

161 pages, Paperback

Published June 12, 2018

18 people are currently reading
88 people want to read

About the author

M. Piper

51 books430 followers
M. Piper lives in Southern Illinois with her family of 4. She is the only female in the house (if you don't count the poor dog) and enjoys reading and writing in her spare time. Let's face it, though, with two boys under the age of 5, there isn't much free time.

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5 stars
56 (53%)
4 stars
28 (26%)
3 stars
16 (15%)
2 stars
3 (2%)
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1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
Profile Image for Dora Koutsoukou .
2,282 reviews731 followers
February 19, 2023
3 💘💔🤔⭐️s

I have so many mixed feelings for this story...
I loved the premise, it was well written and emotional.
Also, it was told by Owen’s pov.

I felt his heartbreak and what he went through when he almost lost his other half, the absolute love of his life. His devotion was outstanding, yet at the same time farfetched. He gave up everything, their two sons and his career, just to be near her at her hospital bed.
However, I felt that the author’s objective was to break the reader’s heart and put it back together with the last pages.

The execution didn’t win me over. I believe it would have worked better for me if their history was told from how it started rather than through flashbacks while Owen stayed by Millie’s side in the hospital - she was in a coma for a month.

The story had a hea and a nice epilogue - ten years later.
Profile Image for Tianna✸loves books✸.
1,084 reviews
June 23, 2018
‘Life’ was a sweet romance with many flashbacks scenes.

Owen and Millie are happily married with two kids. But then Millie suddenly falls ill which results in her going to coma. Owen is devasted. His whole life revolves around Millie. He talks with her daily in the hospital when she is in coma. Even the people around him starts to think that he is going crazy.

I must warn that if you don't like super sweet heroes, this might not be for you. But I LOVE such heroes. He was definitely the shining star here. He was COMPLETELY dedicated to Millie.

This book showed the depth of love and devotion that is possible and just how far someone will go for the love of their life.
Profile Image for Brandi.
1,160 reviews150 followers
June 8, 2018
If you want to see the sweeter side of Piper, this is it.

Owen and Millie met in high school. They are the all American couple with their two kids and their sweet little life.

Until tragedy strikes and everything is chaos.

Told in alternating present and past POVs, this is the story of Owen and Millie. This is what happens when you might lose it all. This is what happens when you aren't sure what is waiting for you. This is what happens when Life deals you a bad hand.

You're going to love the love between Millie and Owen. You're probably going to cry.
Profile Image for Deborah G..
637 reviews11 followers
December 26, 2019
I was engrossed with this story from start to finish & just couldn't put it down. Imagine living your best life with your wife, the love of your life since the age of seventeen, two young healthy sons & a successful career as goalie with the Chicago Blackhawks. Owen's life could not get any better & then tragedy strikes. This is not a fast paced riveting story, so if a slow & timely tale is not what you're looking for, then this might not be for you. Almost entirely from the male POV, I felt as though I was sitting along side Owen next to his wife's hospital bed, talking to her, day in & day out, retracing the stories of how they met, fell in love, fertility issues, reciting almost every moment leading up to where they are today. Millie, his wife is in a coma & it's been said that she could hear him, so he talked to her for hours, all day, week by week, pleading with her to wake up. A devoted, loving husband trying to keep it together for his scared & confused young boys was heart wrenching. It was becoming an impossible task when he was losing faith himself. As sad as it was, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one.
Profile Image for Monica Murphy.
275 reviews22 followers
June 23, 2018
Just let me start by saying I am fan of hockey (yay Blackhawks!) as well as living in the South Suburbs of Chicago - so this story starts out with bonus points!

Owen and Millie have a great life together, and two wonderful young boys. And then Life happens, and totally rips it all apart.

How great is it to read a story mainly told from a guy’s POV? To hear his thoughts, and his mindset.

M. Piper knows how to hit all of the buttons - the love, a great build up, and can have you crying to pieces with a great story.

If you are new to her, this would be a great place to start.
Profile Image for Tara.
35 reviews1 follower
June 9, 2018
Owen and Millie are the perfect couple with the perfect family living a perfect life. They are each others world. Millie is Owen's girl and he has always let everyone know this beyond a doubt. One night out of the blue Owen is thrown a life altering curve ball. Will love and faith be enough to overcome this hurdle or will he lose his world? Owen's memories from their past will melt your heart, but will it be enough for Millie to come back?
Profile Image for Christy McCurry.
552 reviews20 followers
August 9, 2018
I could really use a hug right.. GOSH. This story will definitely tug at your emotions. I found it to be a Beautifully written story about love, life, hope, friends and family.

Christy
Profile Image for Nikki.
906 reviews83 followers
June 27, 2021
⎯» Rating: 3.5 Stars

⎯» Genre(s): Contemporary Romance Novella

⎯» POV: Dual—First Person



“Millie and I fell in love young. We fell hard. People said we were crazy but I knew from the first time I laid eyes on her in the back of that truck that she’d be mine for life. That was it for me.”




Not everyone finds their soulmate, let alone while they’re in high school. But when Owen first laid eyes on Millie at the age of seventeen, he knew she was meant to be his. High school sweethearts, they were engaged at twenty-two and married at twenty-three. At twenty-five they were expecting their first kid, then at twenty-eight their second. Now at thirty-two, Owen’s sitting in a hospital, at the bedside of his comatose wife, begging her not to leave him behind.


Whilst this book is centered around a heartbreaking situation, I didn’t find it to be overwhelmingly heavy. Since the heroine’s in a coma, the story is mostly told from the hero’s point of view.

M. Piper does a wonderful job of showing Owen’s devotion and love for his wife Millie. The way she does it is two-fold: the present action of Owen recounting his and Millie’s love story (which are written as flashbacks) to her comatose-self so that she has something to cling onto incase she can hear what’s going on around her, and through the flashbacks themselves.

I did struggle with how Owen put everything on the back burner—his NHL career, his kids, his own self-care—focusing all of his attention on Millie. My mind was envisioning the repercussions that his negligence would create, and it was like a domino effect. As a professional goalie in the NHL, Owen has to be at the top of his game. So if he skips practice, he won’t play well when the season starts up. If he doesn’t play well, he won’t make as much money. Without the money he won’t be able to afford a) his house, b) his kids’ college funds, and c) medical expenses if Millie needs long term care. Also, by falling apart, his two kids are left without their mom and dad. Lastly, if he’s not taking care of himself, he’s not going to be useful to anyone, let alone Millie if she wakes up.

Then I made myself take a step back and recognize that although Millie wasn’t dead, Owen was still grieving the loss of her. With that in mind, I was able to understand that his behavior was realistic and to be expected of a grieving husband.

Overall, I found this to be a quick and enjoyable read.



⎯»Extra Information


•Series or Standalone:

Standalone


•HEA:



•Cliffhanger:

No


•Relationship:

M-F


•Tropes:

•Sports Romance—Hero in NHL
•Medical Romance—Heroine in Coma
•High School Sweethearts
•Happily Married w/ Children
•Grieving-Struggling Hero
Talk to her. She can hear you.—Hero talks to comatose heroine

•Triggers:



•Sexual Content:

Sex on and off page




“What matters is the two of us, forever. And I promise you, day in and day out, that I’m going to do everything it takes to make sure you know how much I love and cherish you and what we have.”


Profile Image for Ingrid .
94 reviews2 followers
June 20, 2018
What would you do if your soulmate left you suddenly? What do you tell your young children? How do you hold it together? In her latest book, M. Piper explores the answers to just these questions, and in doing so, writes a beautiful, poignant story that will make you experience nearly every emotion: joy, humor, heartbreak, rage, grief, anger, resignation, hope, faith, and love. Because this is Life.
Owen meets the love of his life, Millie, at age 17. She is his everything. When she is taken away unexpectedly, Owen decides to recount to her their entire life story, in an attempt to bring her back. Written almost exclusively from Owen's POV, his anecdotal retelling of his relationship with Millie in a continuous series of flashbacks will have you howling with laughter one minute, then crying, ugly-crying, just a few minutes later. Masterfully written with relatable characters, realistic dialogue, and hot sex, Piper will absolutely wreck you with her take on Life. But there are plenty of smiles, too. I loved this book and I hope that Monty, Owen's BFF, gets to tell his own heart-wrenching backstory.
Profile Image for Maria Angie Mendoza.
3,188 reviews20 followers
June 22, 2018
Phenomenal story of life and love and all its dirty ugly and beautiful parts!
This read is about what real Life is all about!
This is the emotional, heart wrenching and passionate journey of Owen and Millie. It spans through decades as the couple begins their romance in high school, enjoying their perfect love, living their version of a perfect life. Until tragedy struck!
Would you stick around the love of your life when the odds are stacked against you?
What do you do when your life as you knew it, is thrown for a loop?
Told in alternating POV, Millie and Owen share their journey from past to present.
This intense emotional and poignant romance is much more than just romance.
We’ve all been there, at a crossroads where LIFE throws you a curveball that knocks you on your ass.
What you decide, will alter the fate of your life.
Flawlessly written with exceptionally well developed characters who were so relatable and likable, I cried I laughed I even found myself saying things to them!
Prepare yourself for an incredible journey of crying laughing and some very HOT sexy moments.
Profile Image for Jennifer Pierson.
11.7k reviews188 followers
June 23, 2018
Life is the emotional story of Millie and Owen that I'm not going to give any details about. If you want any clues, then you will just have to read the description, because yeah, I'm not about to start crying again. This review will be short & sweet anyway, because it took me all day to actually sit down and write, as my emotions have been in as much chaos as their world was. It's told back in forth between past & present, and I loved that, because I needed the break from the heaviness as I felt every emotion like it was my own. That's how brilliant M. Piper's writing came off in this story, and thankfully, it wasn't a long book, or I'm not sure that I would have survived to be honest. I'm not saying that it wasn't a beautifully told story, I'm just saying that it was realistically painful. Anyway, as tears are getting ready to fall again as I generally try to describe this story that's already tattooed on my heart, I'm going to end this review by HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDING TO ALL!
Profile Image for Melinda  Parker.
1,302 reviews22 followers
June 22, 2018
This is one of my new favorite reads...it absolutely gripped my heartstrings!

Life is never simple and complicated doesn't do it justice either. But now and again, the planets align and all is right in the world. For a moment, Owen and Millie had it all.

They were high school sweethearts that transitioned into marriage and family. Owen was completely devoted to Millie and she was committed to their life. But one fleeting moment saw it crashing down. Now both are fighting for their life, Millie literally and Owen in every other manner.

This couple owned my heart. The storyline was something that many people live daily and often for many years. So very relatable and heart wrenching.

Piper brought her total game with this book. So many times I screamed at her, I bargained with her and cried because of her. This story made me stop and give appreciation for everything in my life!

A must read! BRAVO 👐
Profile Image for Becky Wise.
2,856 reviews52 followers
June 14, 2018
Life is.....Everything. What can I say other then major heartstrings pulling, emotional, gut wrenching, may just wreck you, so beautiful read. The love between Ellie and Owen is so strong in this one. You may just be reduced to tears with just the shear beauty of it. High school sweethearts that have that forever love, soulmate, I can't live without you kind of love. Even as Ellie is hospitalized and the worse is feared some how Owen has the strength to not give up when ever one else can't hold onto the same hope. I love Owen. The fact he does everything he can think of to remind Ellie why she needs to wake up and return to him. You are shown such a beautiful love that they shared along the way that will just pull at your heart in so many ways. I'm just going to stop here and let you find out for yourself what happens to Owen, Ellie and their family. This book simply blew me away and left me with a book hangover. LIFE NEEDS TO BE READ. GO ONE CLICK THIS ONE.
Profile Image for Melissa Schaub.
1,587 reviews
July 10, 2018
This is not you typical love story, this is a beautiful unique story about a love so deep and so powerful it keeps you grounded when all hope seems lost. I loved loved loved this book, gosh the storyline just gripped me and squeezed my heart tight. The emotions that were packed into this book had me tied in knots the whole time.

Owen and Millie met while still in high school, fell in Love hard and fast and never looked back or second guessed their feelings for each other. When Millie gets sick and leaves Owen to try and find his way without her, he has nothing to hold onto other than his memories with her. In each and every page you get to witness this strong man relive his life with the only woman he has every wanted. You can literally feel his love for her on every page.

I seriously challenge you to read this book without shedding a tear, this is one of those books that will stick with you long after you are done! I highly suggest that you get started right away!
3,185 reviews
June 23, 2018
A beautiful story filled with the feels that you need in your life!

A beautiful story about finding the one you want to spend your life with and in just an instant be fighting to survive the what if. This will have you gasping from the start and have you at the edge of your seat until the end. Love how the author is able to tell their the story through the many flashbacks that have an impact in their life together. A very well written story which flowed beautiful and easily that you can’t help but fall in love with the characters. This is definite a must read for you today!
Profile Image for Lauren Lascola-Lesczynski.
1,104 reviews31 followers
June 5, 2018
This book tore at my heart and soul.
Owen and Millie have a great love story. You should go on this journey with them. Owen did an amazing job of always making sure Millie knew that she was his number one priority. This book is a great example of what true love means. It's a real life situation that could forever change a family. It broke my heart, but it was amazing to hear all the things from Owen's POV. I highly recommend this book...like if you don't read it I will NOT be happy with you!
#Shakes #Rain #Roses #Church
Profile Image for Sara Gross.
311 reviews
June 18, 2018
I thought this book was fantastic! This was the story of Millie and Owen. They had that once in a lifetime love that teenage girls dream about... or and to mention, they fell in love as teenagers and stayed married and together. That was a great detail to the story! I loved the way it jumped from present to story-telling of snippets of their life together. It made you feel like you got to follow along in their love story, but at the most important, poignant parts of it. It was realistic, honest, and heartfelt. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Jacquie C M .
596 reviews4 followers
June 22, 2018
5 Poignant Stars!

What a beautiful, heartwrenching story! M Piper had me tearing up within the first few pages, and kept my heart pounding until the end.

Life is, quite literally, about life...the life of a happily married couple and the family they've created together, the life of a caring woman who seems to have it all, the life of a strong man helplessly watching his world crumble. The story is told through a series of flashbacks mixed into present day events. This was so well done, and it all flowed beautifully.

I loved everything about this story, even as the tears flowed. This is a poignant, emotional, life-affirming tale..a 5 Star, Must Read book!
Profile Image for Lisa.
561 reviews16 followers
June 20, 2018
Some stories find a way into your soul and become part of you. Life is that book! The love between Own and Millie is epic and what dreams are made of until living that dream becomes a nightmare of tears and fears. My own tears were the only reason I paused during reading, yet still could not set this aside and finished in one night.

Once again M. Piper shows her mastery of creating a read that gives every emotion to the reader.

Profile Image for 2OCC Reviews.
3,487 reviews255 followers
June 20, 2018
This was a really cute novella. It was hard to read at times. Heart breaking. When you read the description you get a understanding of what the story will entail but reading the monitors, seeing the hope, feeling the fear that Owen feels makes the adventure so much better. There’s not a lot I can say but this story was really beautiful. I was scared when I went in but by the end I had a goofy smile on my face. 5 stars #2OCCJD
Profile Image for Rose David.
128 reviews5 followers
June 22, 2018
4.5 stars

Life is about the struggle of Millie and Owen after Millie gets extremely ill.

I really struggled my way through this. I’m not sure if it was the fact that the topic is a painful one or because I struggled with Owen. But either way, it took me longer than normal to tackle a short read.
There were parts of Owen that made me cringe. Made me wonder how he would react as he did. Made me wonder where his priorities were.
The story where not a bad one, it wasn’t my cuppa.
Profile Image for Cindy C.
351 reviews3 followers
June 14, 2018
This is a hard book to review bc I’m speechless. This book was perfect! The romance is there. The steam is there. The emotion is definitely there! I lived for and in every second of this book as I read it. I let it take me wherever it was going to go, like a magic carpet ride, and didn’t question it at all. It was a beautiful journey and an even better destination.
Profile Image for Nicole LoPiccolo.
99 reviews3 followers
June 15, 2018
Well the tears have finally dried and I can write me review...... M. Piper has done it again! I cried all the way through this, I laughed while crying at certain spots. This was beautifully written. These characters ugh!
Owen and Millie, God makes a single girl long to find a man half as loving as that. What a book boyfriend!!! Definitely a 5 star read!!
Profile Image for Jennifer Richey.
1,992 reviews
June 16, 2018
Wow all I can say is I had tears rolling down my face reading through the flash backs of Millie & Owen and the love they carry. The story tells of a Mom named Millie also the wife of Owen passes out and she’s brought to the hospital and she’s in a coma. Does she wake up from her coma? Such a great heartfelt emotional book can’t wait to read more from this author!
Profile Image for Stephanie Erickson.
247 reviews4 followers
June 21, 2018
Owen knew from the moment he laid eyes on Millie in high school, he would never love another woman.

Now he struggles with hope when his wife ends up in the hospital. He continues to receive bad news but he still sits at her bedside retelling their love story to her.

Can love endure such circumstances?

M. Piper can write a love story and this one has all the feels.
Profile Image for Josie Martinez.
234 reviews5 followers
June 28, 2018
Bring out the tissues

This book goes through all the emotions one has. You hurt for Owen and what he is going through. You feels all the emotions the book throws at you. Millie illness can bring anyone down but can they recover what time is lost.
M. Piper writing is at its best in this 💯💯💯
Profile Image for Stacy.
338 reviews3 followers
June 23, 2018
True love

Owen found his one and only when he was seventeen. Millie made his life feel whole. What do you do when the love of your life gets sick and you have to fight for her. You relive every amazing moment you two shared, wow to have someone love you back awake is true love. We all can only hope to find out own Owen to love us!
Profile Image for Tuakana Toka.
365 reviews2 followers
July 28, 2018
Emotional....

I was sad then crying and at times angry. Loved this book and all the characters come together perfectly. And yeah absolutely wonderful exactly...life and it was theirs. It began and kept on going after the crisis was over. The same yet different but forever there is love.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews

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