Shawn Grady

This book is beautiful. Grady has a incredible gift for story telling. His writing style is so beautiful, I'd read his books only for that, regardless of whether I liked the story or not. There were times I just had to stop and reread a sentence because it was so beautiful and profound. Masterfully done!

I was prepared to give this a lowish rating at first, but the more I read, the more my rating climbed! I got so connected to the characters, particularly Aiden and Ben. I knew right away I DID NOT like Christine, and his uncle. Although I didn't think HE was the bad guy! Whew! Plot twist!! Aiden was a very well-rounded character with a ton of depth and emotion packed in. His story arc was very well thought out, and not at all cliché. My heart hurt for him as he went through his rough times. Like that time in the bar, and when he was in Mexico. And I rejoiced with him in the happy times (which were mostly only in the end. :P) Ben was a great fatherlygrandfatherly character. I loved his gentle heart and kindness and wisdom. Also, after Christine left the picture, the romance was so sweet and beautiful! Nailed it! It was interesting to read a romance sub-plot written by a male author. And frankly, he did it a lot better than many female authors!

The plot was fast-moving, and unexpected, which I loved. It kept me on my toes, that's for sure! I really enjoyed the story! I finished it in less than 24 hours, because I was so hooked! And that one scene at the cemetery had me sobbing. Ugh! So good! This was a fantastic novel, especially for a debut author. I would never have known it was the author's first book. I definitely want to check out more books by this amazing author! Highly recommended!

CONTENT NOTE: There is some violence and medical emergencies, although nothing terribly graphic is portrayed. The MC's fiancée does cheat and he finds out she's been going out with who he thought was his best friend, and she ends up breaking their engagement. There is no scene that portrays this, you only know it happened. The MC does get drink to the point of intoxication a few times, although it isn't condoned, and there are two bar scenes, I believe. Otherwise, no language or violence, and minimal bloodgore. Recommended for ages 15 .… (mehr)