Synopsis:
Life works in mysterious ways.
Four years ago I became known as the girl with cancer.
I refuse to cry.
And I refuse to give in.
A relationship with a man is the last thing I’m looking for right now, but one night with Parker changes everything. He is persistent, and he knows what he wants. Me.
He doesn’t treat me like I’m fragile.
But he doesn’t know, and I’m not ready to tell him.
What if it changes everything?
Tragedy found me when I was seventeen.
Love found me when I was twenty-one.
My name is Aundrea McCall, and this is my journey.
Nicky's Review
3 Stars
Characters- Loved how strong Aundrea was and how freaking sweet and determined Parker was. Supporting characters held their own too.
Plot/Storyline- Plot was good, I just wish there was something else that would have wow'd me. Not sure what, but it was missing something...
Steam Factor- Very good! Parker is a man who pleases and doesn't let location limit his wandering hands. Yummy!
Cover- It's ok. I think it was brave to put an exact girl as Aundrea since in the story she's a natural strawberry blonde but changes wig colors and styles to fit her mood. I think a beautiful bald girl would have been better to represent her.
Cliffhanger- No cliffhanger but a definite WTH Epilogue. I thought WTH during the epilogue and WTH at the end of the epilogue.
Overall- I enjoyed this book but was not by any means blown away. I didn't connect with the main character so it lost some steam for me.
So... I purchased this book because the blurb sounded really good and the reviews were good too. I love stories of survival and finding strength in the face of weakness. I had super high hopes for a very emotional roller coaster and to come away feeling hopeful and happy with love that survives the odds. I did not feel this way when completing this book.
First of all, it was hard for me to see why Parker fell so quickly for Aundrea. I didn't really see any qualities that stood out about her personality that would have warranted his continued pursuit of Aundrea. I felt as though a lot of time was focused on her cancer. I totally and completely get that her cancer story is what the book was about and it is the main reason I purchase the book, but I wish there was more to Aundrea the person that I could have connected to as a character. I wish she was funny or passionate or something other than a girl with cancer. I know that that was a BIG part of her life and I feel that that aspect of her life was very well explored. I loved being able to see her facing it head on, giving cancer the middle finger and battling through the whole process of tests, treatments and side effects. I just didn't see Aundrea as anything more than a strong cancer survivor. That sounds harsh but I can't think of any other way to explain why I felt no connection to her. I didn't cry at all during this read. And I'M A CRIER people!! Shouldn't you want to cry for a girl who experiences these kinds of problems, hardships and battles?? I just didn't FEEL anything, but I did enjoy reading the story if that makes sense.
Then there is Parker. He meets Aundrea at a club and they have a one night stand. They have chemistry that's for sure. The manner in which they come back together was SUPER predictable. As soon as Aundrea's sister makes the announcement without identifying the guy, I knew who she was talking about right off the bat. I looked over it because I did enjoy seeing them reunite and loved Parker's straight forward, no bull shitting ways. I love a direct guy who doesn't play games and says what he wants. He's super sexy and the sweetest guy ever.
I just had trouble seeing what made Aundrea so special in Parker's eyes. I know what we saw of Aundrea behind the scenes with her daily cancer battle and her family life but when it came to her interactions with Parker she always turned him down, she didn't return texts and such for good reason but he didn't know that, she rolled her eyes a lot when it came to him and she just didn't have that IT factor for me.
Then there's the Epilogue. WHAT THE HELL was that??? The entire time I read it I was like, "Shut the hell up. No way! This is just frustrating!" But wait, that isn't all. The last paragraph or so had me saying WHAT THE HELL again!!! I thought an Epilogue was supposed to give you a glimpse into the future, to tie up lose ends. The title of the Epilogue is pretty much ALL that you get as a glimpse into their future. No details were provided, no Where Are There Now answers. Only three answers are given and here are the questions to the answers so that I don't give the answers away: Did she survive? Did they get married? How long have they been together?
All in all, I did enjoy this book for seeing such a strong and sweet girl battle cancer head on. She was a true soldier and I commend Amanda Maxlyn for writing her story of survival. This book was different, but the lack of connection I had with Aundrea as a person, not a cancer patient, just lost me on the entire book. Thank you for a story of survival, I did appreciate that aspect of the book, but the romance just fizzled out for me.
Favorite Quotes:
“To the normal person, waking up on Mondays can suck. Let's face it: who enjoys having to wake up early on a Monday to start your week over again? For me, it is something I've missed. I swear, when I beat this cancer I will never complain about it again. Why? Because it means I'm healthy. It means that it is a day other than Saturday. It means I have something to do, or somewhere else to be, other than at home, sick and feeling helpless.”
“You're scared, but just because you can't see your future, doesn't mean I can't. I see it clearly because I can see mine.”
" I refuse to give in. I refuse to back down. I refuse to submit. I refuse to cry."
"Cancer. It can break you. Or it can make you stronger. I choose stronger. I choose survival."
Purchase this book:
3 Stars
Characters- Loved how strong Aundrea was and how freaking sweet and determined Parker was. Supporting characters held their own too.
Plot/Storyline- Plot was good, I just wish there was something else that would have wow'd me. Not sure what, but it was missing something...
Steam Factor- Very good! Parker is a man who pleases and doesn't let location limit his wandering hands. Yummy!
Cover- It's ok. I think it was brave to put an exact girl as Aundrea since in the story she's a natural strawberry blonde but changes wig colors and styles to fit her mood. I think a beautiful bald girl would have been better to represent her.
Cliffhanger- No cliffhanger but a definite WTH Epilogue. I thought WTH during the epilogue and WTH at the end of the epilogue.
Overall- I enjoyed this book but was not by any means blown away. I didn't connect with the main character so it lost some steam for me.
So... I purchased this book because the blurb sounded really good and the reviews were good too. I love stories of survival and finding strength in the face of weakness. I had super high hopes for a very emotional roller coaster and to come away feeling hopeful and happy with love that survives the odds. I did not feel this way when completing this book.
First of all, it was hard for me to see why Parker fell so quickly for Aundrea. I didn't really see any qualities that stood out about her personality that would have warranted his continued pursuit of Aundrea. I felt as though a lot of time was focused on her cancer. I totally and completely get that her cancer story is what the book was about and it is the main reason I purchase the book, but I wish there was more to Aundrea the person that I could have connected to as a character. I wish she was funny or passionate or something other than a girl with cancer. I know that that was a BIG part of her life and I feel that that aspect of her life was very well explored. I loved being able to see her facing it head on, giving cancer the middle finger and battling through the whole process of tests, treatments and side effects. I just didn't see Aundrea as anything more than a strong cancer survivor. That sounds harsh but I can't think of any other way to explain why I felt no connection to her. I didn't cry at all during this read. And I'M A CRIER people!! Shouldn't you want to cry for a girl who experiences these kinds of problems, hardships and battles?? I just didn't FEEL anything, but I did enjoy reading the story if that makes sense.
Then there is Parker. He meets Aundrea at a club and they have a one night stand. They have chemistry that's for sure. The manner in which they come back together was SUPER predictable. As soon as Aundrea's sister makes the announcement without identifying the guy, I knew who she was talking about right off the bat. I looked over it because I did enjoy seeing them reunite and loved Parker's straight forward, no bull shitting ways. I love a direct guy who doesn't play games and says what he wants. He's super sexy and the sweetest guy ever.
I just had trouble seeing what made Aundrea so special in Parker's eyes. I know what we saw of Aundrea behind the scenes with her daily cancer battle and her family life but when it came to her interactions with Parker she always turned him down, she didn't return texts and such for good reason but he didn't know that, she rolled her eyes a lot when it came to him and she just didn't have that IT factor for me.
Then there's the Epilogue. WHAT THE HELL was that??? The entire time I read it I was like, "Shut the hell up. No way! This is just frustrating!" But wait, that isn't all. The last paragraph or so had me saying WHAT THE HELL again!!! I thought an Epilogue was supposed to give you a glimpse into the future, to tie up lose ends. The title of the Epilogue is pretty much ALL that you get as a glimpse into their future. No details were provided, no Where Are There Now answers. Only three answers are given and here are the questions to the answers so that I don't give the answers away: Did she survive? Did they get married? How long have they been together?
All in all, I did enjoy this book for seeing such a strong and sweet girl battle cancer head on. She was a true soldier and I commend Amanda Maxlyn for writing her story of survival. This book was different, but the lack of connection I had with Aundrea as a person, not a cancer patient, just lost me on the entire book. Thank you for a story of survival, I did appreciate that aspect of the book, but the romance just fizzled out for me.
Favorite Quotes:
“To the normal person, waking up on Mondays can suck. Let's face it: who enjoys having to wake up early on a Monday to start your week over again? For me, it is something I've missed. I swear, when I beat this cancer I will never complain about it again. Why? Because it means I'm healthy. It means that it is a day other than Saturday. It means I have something to do, or somewhere else to be, other than at home, sick and feeling helpless.”
“You're scared, but just because you can't see your future, doesn't mean I can't. I see it clearly because I can see mine.”
" I refuse to give in. I refuse to back down. I refuse to submit. I refuse to cry."
"Cancer. It can break you. Or it can make you stronger. I choose stronger. I choose survival."
Purchase this book:
Kindle Link
~CAST~
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