The Life Intended by Kristin Harmel (Book Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

From the author of the international bestseller The Sweetness of Forgetting, named one of the Best Books of Summer 2012 by Marie Claire magazine, comes a captivating novel about the struggle to overcome the past when our memories refuse to be forgotten.

In this richly told story where Sliding Doors meets P.S. I Love You, Kristin Harmel weaves a heart-wrenching tale that asks: what does it take to move forward in life without forgetting the past?

After her husband’s sudden death over ten years ago, Kate Waithman never expected to be lucky enough to find another love of her life. But now she’s planning her second walk down the aisle to a perfectly nice man. So why isn’t she more excited?

At first, Kate blames her lack of sleep on stress. But when she starts seeing Patrick, her late husband, in her dreams, she begins to wonder if she’s really ready to move on. Is Patrick trying to tell her something? Attempting to navigate between dreams and reality, Kate must uncover her husband’s hidden message. Her quest leads her to a sign language class and into the New York City foster system, where she finds rewards greater than she could have imagined.

My thoughts-

I have been anxiously awaiting a new book from Kristin Harmel since I read The Sweetness of Forgetting a few years ago. It took a few years, but it was worth the wait. I was excited when I saw the beautiful cover and even more excited when I read the plot synopsis. I love books that deal with alternate realities, it is just interesting to me to imagine more than one possible outcome for a character (even if in this case the other reality was a series of dreams, this alternate reality felt very real to Kate). This book had many elements that I absolutely adored. I am a sucker for a romance so I was more than happy to follow Kate on her journey, but I also loved that this book explored the Deaf community. It is always great to read about a subject or group of people that don't always make appearances in novels. I loved seeing how the dreams with Patrick and the charity work with orphaned kids with special needs all tied together at the end. This was  a page turner that I absolutely couldn't put down and finished in a couple of days time.  I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Women's fiction, love stories, dramas or learning about new subjects. The Life Intended should definitely be on your to-read list!

The Life Intended will be available for purchase December 30th. You can pre-order your copy on Amazon.com. 

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