Book Review
This is what a blog tour stop is all about isn't it. Me having read the book and hoping that whatever I say will entice you all to buy it....
Well sitting here now I don't think my words will do this book justice if I'm honest..
I read Brooke's previous book "When You're Gone" while I was on a weekend in Berlin this year and adored it. So this one while I loved the cover and the blurb, it had alot to live up to.
Have your tissues ready is what I'll say to you.
This story is raw, it's emotional and will hit you hard.
I don't think I could imagine a greater pain than to lose your child.
To sit there every day hoping your child will get better because that's what will get you through it right, hope......we all need hope.
We meet Kayla, who is fifteen. She loves her basketball and is captain of her school team.
Kayla and her mum Heather have this amazing relationship. They are the best of friends, watching Friends episodes together, eating her mum's cupcakes and just having fun.
A beautiful mother daughter relationship..
So when Kayla falls ill and they discover she has cancer, her family albeit a somewhat different family are devastated but must come together to help and support one another.
Her dad Gavin, his wife Charlotte and their adorable four year old daughter Molly...
Kayla adores her little sister and we see the cutest moments between them throughout the story that would bring a smile to your face.
Beautiful Molly adores her big sister but how do you tell a four year old that you might not be around to watch her grow up.
While Kayla's parents and her doctors grapple to find the next treatment when the chemo isn't working, Kayla accepts that her life is coming to an end.
Before she dies however, she wants to give her mum a forever gift to help her cope when she's gone from her life.
She wants to give this one last gift to her mum with the help of family, friends and the generosity of others. Will she do it in time....
This book is just beautiful, her characters so warm and tender, her storyline heartbreaking but it will make you appreciate all that you have in your life and hug those around you that little bit closer.
An amazing story, I simply loved it 💕

Thank you kindly to author Brooke Harris and her publishers Bookouture for my copy of this wonderful book. Much appreciated 💕

This story will tear at your heartstrings! 15 year old Kalya’s life is turned upside down when she is diagnosed with cancer. Her mam, Heather, puts her life on hold and moves in with her ex, Gavin, her wife, Charlotte and their four year old daughter, Molly. Everyone has to learn to work together to try to save Kayla’s life.

This story was so full of emotion. Kayla is trying to be brave for her mam. Heather is dealing with the awkwardness of living with her ex and his family. Charlotte fights jealousy against Gavin’s attention to Heather and protecting her own daughter. There is a little romance sprinkled in with Jack, Kayla’s doctor. I could feel for every character and understand their point of view. I won’t spoil the ending but I’ll say everyone’s true character shines in the end. This is a very emotional read that I highly recommend!

Wow! What a read! I cannot even begin to describe this one. The writing was superb and the storyline was riveting. The author was wise to write the story from different perspectives. This was not an easy read due to the subject matter, but it was an emotional one.

Omg, Brooke Harris, what the HELL have you done to me?! I wasn't expecting this at all, even more so because I don't read blurbs, so you know, I went in completely blind. I wasn't expecting to bawl my eyes out for 10 solid minutes.....twice. Nor was I expecting to feel as though I had gone through a loss as well, as though Kayla was my own flesh and blood. To say that my heart was broken would be an understatement. I felt like someone had ripped it out and stomped on it. Dramatic maybe, but as I've already said, I felt as though I was grieving and I was absolutely broken. 

With that in mind, please don't think that I am trying to put you off the book, because it couldn't be further from the truth. I want you all to read 'The Forever Gift' and cry like I did. If you don't cry, or at least feel emotional towards the storyline, I really want to know why. I'm not a crier (no really, I'm not), so it takes a lot for me to actually break down to the point I cannot breathe.....just like I did with this book.

Wow....wow. Yes, my eyes were stinging and I was exhausted after finishing it, but I can honestly say that 'The Forever Gift' is one of, if not THE most moving, emotional, tender novel I think I have ever, ever read. It's very clear that Brooke Harris put her all into the storyline and the characters, believing in their emotions and their individual journeys. I have no idea how she managed to connect the blended family alongside cancer, with family relationships of different levels, as well as including a four year girl into the situation. Kayla may have been the one in the spotlight so to speak, yet all of her loved ones were showing their pain a lot more than she. Now, that's not because she wasn't in pain, because it was abundantly clear that she was, it was just that Kayla's parents were watching their little girl fight a battle no-one should ever have to battle. Not only that, her little sister couldn't understand why her big sister was in the hospital. And still, despite ALLLLLL of that, Kayla still left her mark in such a beautiful and selfless manner. Yes, I cried at that as well.

You're probably thinking how on earth did I manage to love a book which reduced me to sobbing, and I don't blame you at all because I often wonder that myself in the grand scheme of things. However, it's not the devastation which allowed me to love the storyline, it was the way in which Brooke Harris delivered the mind-blowing storyline, the powerful characters, and deeply moving premise - without all of that, I don't think I would have felt the way I did. I mean, anyone could say that they want to write a book about cancer, but there's one thing writing that book, and then there's another thing writing the book and being able to connect with the characters and the readers own multiple levels, whilst also bringing the characters stories to life as though the readers are involved in reality. Brooke Harris did just that and I am in awe at this authors incredible, incredible talent.

I grieved for Kayla. I grieved for Heather. I grieved for Molly....oh Molly! I didn't realise just how invested in the storyline I was, until I saw an advert on Facebook for 'Friends' Lego Mini-figures and thought to myself, 'Kayla would LOVE those!'.

'The Forever Gift' may be an earth shattering and heartbreaking read, but it is also a read which gives you hope and the kick up the backside to be thankful for all of the little things in life, you know, like breathing. Sometimes in life we are too focused on how things SHOULD be, instead missing out on things just simply being. Instead of thinking about your lunch while you're eating your breakfast, enjoy your breakfast for what it is. Probably daft thing to use as an example given the nature of the book, although I hope you get what I mean!

Stock up on the Kleenex (man size, trust me), unplug the phone and allow yourself to become invested in the most harrowing, yet beautiful story, of life vs loss, happiness vs sadness, and the all important gift of being. I can honestly see this as a movie, and I would even go as far to say that Brooke Harris is the female version of Nicholas Sparks.

First, I want to thank Brooke Harris, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

Brooke Harris’s The Forever Gift A Heartbreaking Page-Turner About Family, Loss and Love touched my heart like no other book has in a long time. It is a book that you will need a lot of tissues for! For I could not stop crying!

Brooke is an incredible writer who writes from her heart as you can clearly see as you read this book. She seems so passionate about every single character she wrote about. Each one had their own personal story going on within the main story-Kayla’s Cancer. All the emotions, drama, and tensions pulled out into these characters added to the amazing storyline.

My heart broke in two for Kayla at age 15 was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma of the knee. Everything she went through physically, emotionally, and mentally was just hard. All she wanted to was play basketball and live her best life.

There are many life lessons to be learned in this book if you read between the lines.

I will admit at first there was a little disconnect. I live in the states and I am used to calling my Mom Mom and Kayla called her Mom Mam. Molly called her Mom Mammy. It took a little getting used to but I got over that quick. Never had I seen an author use that in a book before. Thank you for teaching me something new Brooke.

Molly is one of my favorite characters in the whole book. That cute little 4-year-old pulled on my heart strings big time. I loved all the energy she had, the cute way she talked, and how much she loved her sister. I lost it big time with the water works when Molly wished Santa could make Kayla all better!

The title of the book is called The Forever Gift. It is the perfect title for this book once you find out why it is called that. Brooke touched my heart with the ending of this book. Never have I been so moved by a book so far. I would gladly read for her again.

This is a book I highly suggest that be submitted to Hallmark Chanel for movie consideration.

This is one of the most moving stories I have ever had the pleasure to read. It is an amazing, emotive story of family, motherhood, life, heartbreak and hope, a story that had tears literally streaming down my face as I attempted to carry on reading, wanting to know what happened next but so moved by what had just occurred in the story.  My basic advice is don't bother reading my review - just grab yourself a copy of this book which is definitely one of the most memorable and moving I've ever read.

The chapters are told from the point of view of different characters, making it easy to empathise with the characters as you learn things from their perspective. At the start you meet fifteen year old Kayla. She's captain of her school basketball team, a top scorer they can rely on, a great team player and much loved friend and daughter. Her single Mum is Heather and Kayla is her world. When an injury results in Kayla needing more tests the resultant diagnosis has them both urgently moving from Cork to Dublin, Kayla being admitted to the Children's Hospital there whilst Heather goes to stay with Kayla's Dad, Stepmother and four year old half sister. There's plenty of angst and anxiety from Kayla's diagnosis but the added pressure of the family arrangements, tests, decision making and all the emotional turmoil prove difficult and put strains on individuals and their relationships to each other. Through it all this is a battle for life and love, a fight for dreams to come true and life to be lived to the fullest.

This truly was an unputdownable, heartbreaking and inspirational read, one that deserves more than 5*. I cannot recommend it highly enough - but make sure you have tissues at the ready when you read it!

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest review after choosing to read it and finding it to be an absolutely amazing, moving page-turner that I couldn't put down, even though it did make me cry.

Yet again this author has nailed a brilliant storyline, superb characters and excellent writing. I devoured this book and thought about it for a long time after. It is so good. Don’t hesitate. Read it

This book broke me apart, my heart felt as if it was being crushed by a giant sledgehammer. My insides felt squished as if there was nothing in me but pain and tears.

Kayla, Heather's daughter was dying of cancer. And she decided to give her mother one last gift to help her live the best life she could. Actually, she gave two last gifts.

I read this book in bits and pieces initially knowing I would get emotional. The first few chapters told me about the surgery and the chemotherapy, and I thought I could deal with it. Then Brooke Harris's words took my heart and squeezed it until all my emotions flowed down as tears. I couldn't stop crying even when I tried to.

The characters, oh the characters, what do I say? The story was written from 3 POV Kayla, her mam Heather, and stepmother Charlotte. Each of them loved Kayla with a depth that only mothers have. There were minor skirmishes, but that was normal when too ex-girlfriend and the current wife lived in the same house during the treatment. But all of them banded together when the going got tough.

Aiden, Kayla's best friend had a special bond with her. It was fun to see the two best friends banter even when one of them was dying. Their friendship went beyond the cancer. The last letter from Kayla read by him, her eulogy, just finished me off. I thought I had no tears to cry, but they flowed like a river.

The pain of Kayla's death was like a sharp, hot knife that cleaved my insides, and Brooke's words would remain with me in the form of emotions for a long long time.

I loved the book, I loved Brooke Harris's writing, I loved the story. I loved every single thing about this book. I was unable to breathe after reading it. I couldn't seem to stop crying. I wrote this review with a film of tears.

My first book by this author and it was a tear jerker!
I guess I knew how the story was gonna end but it was still hard to read. I thought it was really good!
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookoutre for the early copy!

This was such a beautiful story. I just don't seem to find words to describe what went through me but it was fierce, I can assure that. 

I would like to give you a warning : please make sure you have food, drinks and a bucketload of tissues on hand because you won't want to put the book down and your heartstrings will be pulled to the limit.

Sometimes books bring tears to my eyes, but this one made them stream down my cheeks.

If you are looking for the epitome of braveness and love, this is where you will find it.

Loved it, loved it, loved it! 5 stars.

Thank you, Brooke Harris, Bookouture and Netgalley.

Oh my good what an emotional book. I literally sobbed through the end of the book. Sad but emotionally uplifting.
Kayla is the captain of her school basketball team. She’s kept a secret from her mam. For the last year she’s been having knee pain. Her mam only finds out when it gets really bad. After undergoing tests they find Kayla has a sarcoma.
Moving to the big hospital in Dublin. Kaylas mum moves in with Gavin her dad, Charlotte her stepmom and little Molly. Molly her half sister is the love of her life.
This book follows Kayla’s journey told from the perspective of either Kayla, Heather, Gavin or Charlotte. Don’t want to spoil the ending but it is a tear jerker. Beautifully written. Makes you realise how many brave families there are in this world tackling this awful disease.

A few months ago, I read and absolutely adored Brooke Harris’s When You’re Gone. So, I knew I had to read The Forever Gift.

It did not disappoint. This was a beautifully sad story that reminded me a bit of Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper.

Told from Kayla’s and her mother’s and stepmother’s perspectives, The Forever Gift follows the complicated relationship between these women and explores the depths of a mother’s love.

I definitely shed a few tears in the end, but I also smiled. You will fall in love with Kayla, Heather and Charlotte. You’ll feel their pain and anger, too. It will be with it.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I won’t lie, this is not going to be an easy book to read. Due to the nature of the story line, I knew it was going to be an emotional read and boy was it that alright. Don’t get me wrong, whilst I did get a bit teary at times at certain points, the majority of the story I thought I held it together really well. When those tears came though, I couldn’t stop them.

The story alternates in chapters between mainly Heather, Kayla’s mum and Charlotte, her dad’s partner and then fewer chapters from Kayla’s point of view. It was really good to see what was going on inside these three females head. As a mother, how do you cope with knowing your daughter is going to die? From Charlotte’s point of view, she is very much stuck in the middle with wanting to be supportive to her husband but struggling with his attention being on Heather and his daughter. Kayla, wow, what a girl! Even now the day after I finished the book, thinking of this truly inspirational young adult sets me off into tears.

This is so much more than just a story about a loved one dying. The friendship between Kayla and her best friend Aiden was just so beautifully done. It also gives you food for thought. It offers hope and more than anything it gives you comfort.

The Forever Gift is a breath taking and heart wrenching read and so beautifully written. I read it in one day as I was so compelled by the characters in the novel. By the end of the story I am not going to lie, I felt like my heart had been ripped into tiny shreds. I went through a full box of tissues as I sobbed my heart out. One of the most emotional, uplifting and inspiring reads I’ve read this year.

It was when reading this line, I just want my mam, that I just knew I was in for a heavy book. Why? Well, when most 15-year-old girls manage to score the winning shot in a basketball game they might want the adoration and cheering of their friends. This young lady wanted her mother. This is when I sensed that something was going to be very different about this read.

This story is about Kayla. But is also about her parents, stepmother and little sister. Kayla is the captain of her school basketball team. What's more is she is an amazing teenager and she has a marvelous relationship with her mother, Heather. She is also quite close to her father and even has a very good bond with her stepfather. One day, immediately after a basketball game she collapses and is agony.

Kayla's life forever changes once her mother takes her to the doctor. The news is devastating and there is very little hope. At some point, and with serious thought and planning, Kayla decides to leave her mother a gift, something that will come as a complete surprise to Heather.

I cannot say enough about the characters in this book. As mentioned, there is Heather, Kayla's mother. her father Gavin and stepmother Charlotte. There is the adorable Molly, Kayla's four-year-old sister. I was also drawn to Aiden, Kayla's best friend. One will never forget Jack, Kayla's doctor. What a marvelous cast indeed! Every single one of them played a major role when it came to Kayla's trials.

I am sure readers of the blurb, and this review thus far, can imagine the outcome. So, yes, this is a devastating read. As a mother and a grandmother, many sad thoughts went through my head and my tears flowed freely and often. Despite the heavy impact this book left, it was just incredible. I am glad that I read it actually. It speaks so well of the author, Brooke Harris, to write such an effective book. This story well teaches us to make every moment in our lives count.

On a very personal note, I just lost a very young nephew to the very disease Kayla had and really thought I would not be able to get past the first chapter of this book. Instead, I found this read to be cathartic and thus would like to thank the author for writing such a sensitive story, and one that managed to leave me with hope, especially as the direction of the story changed when Kayla decided to leave her mother a gift.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

I don’t know where to start.
A wonderful, deep story taking in serious topics with very thought provoking situations. All tackled perfectly by the author.
Broken families, step-families, serious illness. Pain, bravery and determination. Family, love and friendship.
I felt I knew the path the story would take and I was right. I don’t always want to read a twisty-turny story, but it was a heartbreaking book to read.
I felt it from the point of view of both mothers. A very difficult situation for the dad.
What the author gives is a story of friendship, kindness and a togetherness of strangers brought together in exceptional circumstances.
A truly beautiful and touching read.
I can thoroughly recommend it.
I’m not going to forget this book.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the review copy in which I give my honest opinion.

Well, this was an unexpected tear jerker. It might be a difficult read for some people but it will make you hug your children tight. It had it's uplifting moments and took me awhile to shake.

I don't think I've cried so much reading a book. This was a heart warming and emotional read. It has everything from romance to tragedy. I couldn't put this down once I started. I definitely recommend tissues if you're going to read this. Beautiful book.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It seems inappropriate somehow to use adjectives such as 'wonderful', 'beautiful' and 'heartwarming' to describe what is really a tragic and very sad story and yet these are all the kind of emotions that this book elicits as the pages turn and the book reels you into this remarkable story and introduces you to a really lovely family as they struggle to come to terms with the heartbreak, pain and impending loss of a loved one and the fact that this family member is a dearly loved child makes it all the more heart rending. Kayla is an amazing 15 year old girl, bubbly, pretty and a talented basketball player who is suddenly struck down with bone cancer. Her positive outlook and humorous personality lightens what could have been a very melancholy book and her platonic but fun filled relationship with her best friend, Aiden, is very well handled. The chapters are written from the perspectives of Mum, Heather, Step mum, Charlotte and Kayla herself. Dad Gavin and Kayla's step sister, four year old Molly also play large roles in the book and little Molly is delightful adding her own mega dose of charm and heart melting moments. As Kayla's treatment fails, she takes the difficult but astounding decision to forego any future trials or medical intervention and to prepare for her final days and, selflessly, for her Mum's future after her death. Kayla has always been very close to her Mum and so she sets out, assisted by Aiden and her step Mum, to help her make a life for herself once Kayla has passed. This book is so beautifully written and although the subject matter is extremely sad, there are many light moments, smiles and happiness within its pages. It shows that the strength, resilience and absolute love that exists in a family can help in the darkest of situations. I read this book very quickly as I was loathe to put it down and it's one that I will remember for a very long time. Brooke Harris is a superb writer and I look forward to her next book. My thanks to Netgally and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was really good! It had a little bit of everything: romance, drama, humor, gut-wrenching sadness. The book followed 15 year old Kayla and her family during her cancer diagnosis, treatment, and aftermath.
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I was enthralled through this book. It was an easy read; the only thing I didn't like was that this book was told from different perspectives, but they all had the same "voice"; there was nothing differentiating their storytelling style so I had to pay close attention to who was speaking. Because of that this book gets 4 stars. Very well done, and I look forward to reading more by this author!

The Forever Gift – Brooke Harris

I was fortunate to receive this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review.

Fifteen-year-old Kayla Doran is a high school athlete from Cork, Ireland, who is well known and respected for her abilities on the basketball court, and the novel opens as she shoots the winning shot in a game, her mother in the stands cheering her on. Kayla meanwhile is holding back tears as she feels an incredible pain in her knee and begins looking for her Mam.

A visit to the doctor reveals that Kayla has Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare bone cancer that affects children and young adults. Her mother, Heather, summons Kayla’s Dad to Cork, where they together break the news to Kayla. She’s been referred to Dublin, where there are better resources to handle Kayla’s case. Kayla’s father Gavin and his present wife Charlotte, live there, along with Kayla’s little sister Molly. Kayla’s doctor, Dr. Patterson, wants to begin w/ surgery and chemotherapy as soon as possible. She is promptly admitted, and Gavin invites Heather to stay in the spare room in Gavin & Charlotte’s home, putting the household in disarray.

As Kayla becomes sicker, and the chemotherapy doesn’t seem to be effective, she begins to realize that she is not going to survive, but she wants to leave a legacy for her mother, so she enlists the help of her best friend Aiden, her step-mother Charlotte and her doctor to help her see things through.

Told from the perspectives of Kayla, Heather & Charlotte, the reader gets private glimpses into the chaos, the despair and the pain of Kayla’s illness and the impacts it has on each family member, from Kayla’s slow recognition that she is not going to recover, to Heather’s pain over losing her best friend and only child, and Charlotte’s grief over Kayla, and insecurities of being on the outside looking in as Gavin & Heather bond again over their shared child. Even young Molly is impacted by Kayla’s illness in ways the reader will empathize with.

I laughed, I sobbed, and I smiled my way through as Kayla’s larger than life personality shone through this novel, and as she made sure that her mother would continue to live. A fabulous read, one I could not put down, and one that will resonate with you long after the final page is turned. A MUST READ!