Amazing book. Felt so tearful. This book really saddend me. A mother's love is so strong. I liked how the author describes certain events. They felt so real.

What a sad story. But so well written. You went through every emotion during this story and felt so much for Rachel. This may not be a book for everyone due to the heart wrenching subject, but so good in a sad kind of way.

I have read other books by this author, so I knew that when I started it, I would need a box of tissues, a stiff upper lip and a few hours peace and quiet to full immerse myself in this emotional story. The book focusses on 4-year-old Emily and her parents, Rachel and James. Emily has a rare illness which has left her in a coma. The doctors say she will never recover from this, and her parents are faced with making a heart-breaking decision. Rachel and James are no longer together, but feel they should be united in the decisions for Emily’s care. However, James cannot agree with Rachel’s decision for Emily to begin experimental therapy overseas in the hope of saving her life. Rachel decides to enlist the help of James’s new wife Eva to try and convince James that it’s the right thing to do…

Being a mother myself, I couldn’t think of anything more heart-breaking of having to make such a monumental decision. The tears began flowing very early on in the book, and I knew I was right in keeping the tissues close to hand! Whilst Rachel and James have very different opinions on what should happen to Emily, there is obviously no right or wrong answer. James, in my opinion, was in no way portrayed as the ‘bad one’ of the story however, and I felt for him just as much as I did for Rachel. They were just parents wanting to do the best for their little girl.

Rachel and Eva’s relationship as ex-wife and current wife was heart-warming. I didn’t expect for Rachel to find an ally in her ex-husband’s new wife, but she did and their friendship was lovely to read. The two women were so relatable and as I was reading, I felt like I could see myself in either one of them.

The author writes with such emotion and obviously puts her heart and soul into the books she writes. Understandably, there may be some trigger points for some readers with the storyline of a sick and dying child, but it is all written so sensitively that I would still recommend reading it. It’s an emotional rollercoaster of a story that will keep you hooked from the very first page. Heart-warming, enlightening and well written!

Only a mother would fight until her last breath. And this book showed me that in a fictional tale where the mother kept her hope alive up to the last minute that her child would awaken.

Emily had a degenerative neural disease, one of those which didn't have a diagnosis. Her mother Rachel kept fighting for her, without allowing the docs to give up, yet had to give up and put her daughter to palliative care. An experimental therapy in Italy, and her fight began again. Her ex husband didn't want the therapy for his daughter, and it was left to his new wife Eva to convince him.

Having read many books by author Kate Hewitt, I had cried through each one of them, except for this book. I was so proud of Rachel for standing up for her daughter when the world and its renowned doctors gave up. I had tears and lump in the throat at times on reading this, but the author wrote this with a finality that I had to stay with this mother right to the end of the story.

The power of the words were such that even though I cried, I wasn't allowed to stay there. I had to get up and stand as a support to the mother. Emotions were strong, and they coursed through me like a lightning bolt. I didn't like when the father opposed, when the docs gave up. I cheered when Rachel found support in Eva, in her mother, and her neighbor.

Everyone spoke about moving on, I wondered how a mother could, who loved her child from conception when she was a little bean. The whole story was so beautifully depicted that even in loss, there was acceptance and a quiet conviction everything had been done to the best of their efforts.

A beautiful story of hope... And a mother's love.

A Hope for Emily by Kate Hewitt. I cannot imagine the stress of caring for a child that there is Basically no chance of recovery. The hope for miracle to happen.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘A Hope For Emily’ by Kate Hewitt in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Rachel’s five-year-old daughter Emily is in a palliative care unit in a state of unresponsive wakefulness, alive yet unable to react to anything or anybody around her. Rachel has read of trials being carried out in Italy for patients with a similar disorder to Emily’s and tries to tell her ex-husband James that their daughter must be given the chance to take part in these trials as a last attempt at giving her a life but James steadfastly refuses. The only person who can help Rachel persuade James is his new wife Eva, and an unlikely friendship grows between them as Eva offers to raise money for Emily’s treatment by setting up a crowdfunding page.

‘A Hope For Emily’ is the tear-jerking story of Rachel and Eva, two strong women who together fight for Emily to be given the best possible chance at life. It’s an incredibly moving story of love and heartbreak written with sensitivity and compassion, that tugs at the heartstrings and makes it impossible to stop reading. It’s so powerful and realistic that when I wasn’t reading I was thinking about it, and by the time I reached the final chapters I was sobbing with tears streaming down my face. Congratulations to Kate Hewitt whose story will stay in my thoughts for a long time. I can wholeheartedly recommend it!

I love books that challenge me to think "what would I do". I love stories that make me what I hope is a less judgmental and more compassionate person. What a glorious, heart-swelling and beautifully written story. This is the first book I have read by Kate Hewitt and I will definitely read many more! Thank you NetGalley, Kate Hewitt and Bookouture for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Married couple Rachel and James, joyously welcome becoming parents. Being a mother, fills Rachel’s life. Baby Emily is Rachel’s entire world, and she could not be happier.

Until heartbreak hits when Emily is diagnosed with an autoimmune disease so rare, that even the most expert specialists cannot help her. Spending every moment by Emily’s side, Rachel helplessly watches as her baby, now in a coma, slips further in the grip of the merciless disease.

Desperate with fear of losing her precious daughter, Rachel searches for treatments that will help her daughter. When Rachel finds a way to possibly save her daughter, she does not let anything, or anyone get in her way. Not even James. That is when Rachel turns to Eva, James’ new wife, for help.

An unlikely kinship develops between these two very different, but very strong women as the search for a way to seek treatment for Emily brings them together.

Kate Hewitt deftly captures a reader’s attention by engaging your heart’s core and ensnaring emotions there, until you are racing to the end of the book. Genuine characters, authentic storyline and excellent writing.

A Hope for Emily is a gut-wrenching, heart-hitting, emotionally consuming read. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for Kate Hewitt’s read of, A Hope for Emily.

Opinions expressed in my reviews are my own.

This was a sad book to read but it was well written. The strength of the mother and determination to do anything to try and save her daughter could be felt in the words. I don't usually like sad books but I did try because I knew what would happen in the end.

A Hope for Emily was such an emotional and heartbreaking read. Emily a young girl, had her whole life in front of her, and then something changed.
Little things started happening, stumbling, speech and Rachel and James at first thought it was just a toddler thing. Later on, however, she slips into a coma and although every test had been done, there was no diagnosis, no treatment left to try. A degenerative brain disorder that had Emily slipping further away from her parents until she was in a state of unresponsive wakefulness.
Emily’s parents, Rachel and James could not see eye to eye, Rachel thinking James didn’t care enough, he had moved on with his life with a new wife. Rachel wanted to do everything in her power to have Emily get treatment.
There was a place that was offering treatment, Emily’s doctor advised against it, not only was it expensive but it was experimental and in Italy, which is a distance to travel to from America with a sick child. James is adamant this was not going to happen.
The relationship between the parents is very strained; James doesn’t even talk about Emily or Rachel to his new wife Eva, who has her own secrets.
Eva then offers to help Rachel, behind James’ back. What will happen to their relationship?
A well written and truly moving read that had me in tears. I don’t think this story will leave me for a long time.

Emily is a young girl who has slipped into a persistent vegetative state with seemingly no explanation as to why. Her mother, Rachel, has remained faithfully -- obsessively -- by her side ever since, while her father, James, seems to have moved on with his life. He's even divorced Rachel and remarried Eva, a 36-year-old digital marketing guru who really wants a baby of her own. Told in alternating chapters from Eva's and Rachel's points of view, this book is an absolute tearjerker that will make you ask the question, how much would you sacrifice to save your own child.

This book was definitely not an easy read. As the mother of two -- one with his own life-shortening illness and the other the same age as Emily -- I might have taken this book a bit more personally than most readers. It was definitely easy to relate to Rachel and how much she would sacrifice and what she would risk to give her baby any chance of a life. Even as her character tended to feel more cold and removed, it was easy to understand why.

I struggled more with the James-Eva relationship and their whirlwind romance and marriage and their seemingly inability to talk to each other outside of the most superficial topics. I understand that Eva felt her biological clock ticking, but they seem to have almost nothing in common, so that felt a bit forced.

Definitely keep a box of tissues nearby and don't read around other people if you're an ugly or loud crier.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. It had not influenced my opinion.

A Hope for Emily is a beautifully written book. A story of a mother’s love for her child. Grab your tissues you will definitely need them. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.

Kate Hewitt's newest novel, A HOPE FOR EMILY, is a story about mothers and children. The narrative offers a mixture of heartbreak, broken marriage, secrets and hope. I, along with many other people, had to read it it one sitting. Emily, a four year old, develops a mysterious auto-immune disease. Emily's health deteriorates to a point where falls into a coma and spends much of the last two years in the hospital, not being able to speak or make direct eye contact with her parents.

Emily's illness begins to have a negative effect of the new marriage of Eva and James. At this point in the novel, twists begin to appear. Emily's mother, Rachel, and Eva, slowly move toward a friendship. The heartbreak continues, but only gets worse.

More collateral damage of Emily's illness is the break up of her parents' marriage. The twists and turns of this family tragedy will keep you up till all hours. I recommend this novel if you have a strong heart and a will to keep on going when life gets you down as far as possible.

Thank you to Kate Hewitt, Bookouture, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this E-ARC. The book will be published in February

When I pick up a book by Kate Hewitt, I make sure to grab a box of tissues along with it. This doesn't stop me from getting my hands on the book when it becomes available.

Rachel was the happiest of mothers, although her marriage left a lot to be desired and eventually ended. One endearing thing that Rachel has been doing is writing her daughter letters even before she was born.

Things go well for several years, but suddenly Emily is faced with an autoimmune illness. Symptoms go from bad to worse when she ends up in a coma. Unfortunately Emily's disease is quite rare and doctors simply do not have any answers or hope. Although Rachel and ex, James, have been apart for a while, and he has even remarried, they are united when it comes to Emily. That is, until Rachel finds what she think might help, and possibly cure Emily. This is when their unity comes to an end and James says no. Rachel appeals to his wife, Eva for help.

What transpires from here - if the story wasn't already heartbreaking - is a journey of sadness coupled with an unlikely friendship. I was right about those tissues as I was truly gutted. Nonetheless, I found this to be a compelling read that made me think - and made me thankful for the blessings I have in my family. Kate Hewitt has done it again, and I cannot wait for her next book.

First of all, thanks NetGalley, Kate Hewitt and Bookouture for the advanced copy.

Let's see if I can give a review without giving anything away...great book, really enjoyed the characters, kept me hooked to find out Eva's motive, as a mother I could sympathize with Rachel, it made me wonder how would I reacted in a similar situation (hope to never find out)...might have dropped a tear or two.... I would definitely recommend this book to my friends.

How I love the books by this author! She makes every emotion feel so real.

When someone you love becomes ill, it's devastating. But when it happens to a young child, it makes it seem even worse.

Maybe it's because I am a mama too that it touched me so deeply? You already worry when your child is feeling a bit under the weather. I cannot imagine how it must feel when there is something seriously wrong.

What do you do as a parent? Do you try everything to help your child even if you don't know if the outcome will be positive or not? Do you want to put them through more tests and maybe even experiments? Or do you have to realise that sometimes enough is enough and accept how cruel life can be?

Will that last sparkle of hope ignite a fire in your heart or will it quietly snuff out and die ...?

An incredibly beautiful and mind-blowing story that makes you see that life can be as great as it can be ruthless. 5 stars.

Thank you, Kate Hewitt and Bookouture

This excellent novel is all I wanted it to be and then more. I have admired Kate’s fluid writing and her empathy and compassion. She writes straight from her heart and pierces yours with precision and joy in its purest form. Her meticulous research lays strong foundations behind her storyboard and her characters are totally believable, richly developed so that they stay with you and become like treasured friends. This novel has it all, an impressive story, beautiful writing and characters that are relatable and you really like want to find out more about. It’s definitely a keeper.
There are two strong female leading characters, Rachel whose daughter Emily is seriously ill with an undiagnosed mystery illness, and Eva newly married to James, Rachel’s ex-husband, and desperately keen on starting a family with James. The entire novel tells their poignant, absorbing stories that are totally unmissable and magical. I loved every minute of it and only finished reading it a few minutes ago. I knew I had to write this review straight away and share it with you so that you can be on the lookout for it on publication day. Believe me, this is a stand-out fantastic read, one that I am very happy to highly recommend for you to read. If you like quality fiction about families that feature strong friendship and support, a cracking story that is also a real page-turner, then this is definitely one for you to choose.
I received this book through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher Bookouture in return for an honest review. Thank you so much for my copy. These are my own thoughts and I have read no other reviews before writing my own. This is a gem of a novel. I was so happy to receive my copy and couldn’t wait to start reading this compelling story.

Thanks Net Galley for the Arc copy of "A Hope For Emily".
This book is very emotional heartbreaking read . No one could possibly be able to comprehend the fear and anguish of a mother with a child who the medical profession have all but given up on. The doctors have done all they can and they want Emily to have palliative care and die peacefully, this is also what Rachels ex-husband thinks is in Emily's best interest. Rachel thinks that they are giving up when in her opinion there is hope, she wants to take Emily to Italy for experimental treatment. Will she get her husbands permission and will she raise the funds she needs?

Wow, what an emotional novel. The storytelling was brilliant. Rachel and Eva's story could've been anyone of us. I cried so hard.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.
This is the story of 4 year old Emily , Rachel her mother, James her father and Eve her fathers new wife . Emily has developed an illness of unknown cause which leaves her in a coma.. The story is told between Rachel and Eva and how they achieve a common bond to enable Emily to have experimental treatment to try to improve her condition.. It’s also the story about never losing hope for a cure and the coming to terms with a child’s devastating illness and how each parent deals with it . This book is well written and will make you cry.