I became fascinated with Amanda and Nick when the story broke about his fight with Covid. I learned bits and pieces of the situation over time thinking how awful for them this must be. Well after reading Live Your Life I became the one was inspired, that through this tragedy there was meaning and bonds formed, human kindness, faith, ups and downs of motherhood, family unity and love. This book was a tearful account of the ordeal this family faced during Nick’s illness with Covid. The candid way Amanda and Anna recount the 95 plus harrowing days of uncertainty will leave you with a new gratitude for all things in life. A love story but not without it moments as all couples face. Enduring grueling moments but always seeming to find a light at the end of the tunnel describes Amanda’s journey in losing her husband. At times it’s raw, but honest and it will leave you holding your family a little closer. I’m so happy she has begun finding a new path and while Nick may not be physically here he lives on in Elvis and the memories she will always cherish. Thank you #NetGalley #LiveYourLife for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Live Your Life is a poignant and beautiful read. It will remind you to embrace and enjoy each day and live life to its fullest.

I followed Amanda Kloots' story, along with so many, during 2020 and while I thought I knew a lot of the happenings in her life, this book opened my eyes to so much more. It's heartwarming and heart wrenching. Beautifully written.

What can I say about this book that will give it justice?

Live your Life: My Story of Loving and Losing Nick Cordero was heartbreaking, filled with family love/interaction/support/, faith, compassion, kindness, fear and the reality of Covid-19!

You will feel Amanda's pain. See how it was for her on a daily basis and everything in between.

I honestly can't say enough about this story. It showcases the reality of Covid-19. People need to take this more seriously and it was wonderful to see how Amanda wanted others to see the true harsh reality of what can happen....

Life you Life is an emotional read that is raw, inspiring and filled with faith from start to finish.

I'm thankful I was able to get a copy as an ARC.
Thanks Netgalley for the chance to read/review!

5 stars from me.

We could all learn a lot from Amanda Kloots' positive attitude, spirit, and transparency. Recommend to anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes goings-ons.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the copy.

This was a beautiful and moving memoir of a family coming together to deal with a Covid crisis. A lot of the story will be familiar if you follow Amanda Kloots on Instagram, but she does offer more details and what happened behind the scenes. Her hope, strength, and positivity shine throughout, even though we know the devastating outcome.

This was a beautiful story. Amanda’s writing is heartfelt and genuine. A tragic and sentimental tale of her life during 2020. The mix of her backstory and story with Nick was wonderfully weaved together. An amazing tribute to their life together.

During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I came across Amanda Kloots and her heartbreaking story about her husband Nick being hospitalized. I had heard of Nick before during his appearances on Broadway, and had thought him to be talented. It wasn’t long before I was following Amanda on Instagram, listening to Nick’s song Life Your Life daily, and praying for a miracle for him and his family.

I was so inspired by Amanda’s positivity during such a horrible time in her life. Unfortunately that miracle did not happened as Nick passed away from complications related to COVID-19 on July 5th, 2020. I was heartbroken for Amanda, their son Elvis, and the rest of Nick’s family and friends. Yet, I continued to follow Amanda as she started processing her grief and her life without Nick, and rooted for her, her little boy Elvis, and their family. So when I found to that she was going to be writing a memoir of this experience, I knew I was going to read it.

Live Your Life: My Story Of Loving and Losing Nick Cordero takes you on the rollar-coaster of Nick’s story. I really loved the way that this memoir was written. Everything is so beautifully interwoven together. This isn’t just about his battle with COVID-19 but also about his relationship with Amanda, his relationship with his family and friends, and the strength which they all draw from each other. I loved the way flashbacks were used to describe the man that Nick was – one because it provided a full picture but also because it really forced me to see the parallel of everything that was being lost because of this pandemic. And yet, I was filled with such hope and gratitude while reading Amanda and her sister Anna’s words. Why? Because there is some real goodness within them.

Live Your Life is a story of love, inspiration, hope, gratitude, and resilience. It is a book that made me tear up, full on ugly cry, and feel filled with inspiration. Amanda is a woman who is filled with so much grace and strength. She has this ability to draw people in with such a simple ease; and she makes you feel like you are a part of something. She had a cross-country community before the pandemic as well but through this story you are also able to see how much stronger it gets and the goodness of humanity and how it truly came out in her time of need.

I had felt like I knew Amanda and Nick before but after reading this, I realized that I had no idea. She had given us a glimpse into her life via Instagram while it was happening but Live Your Life really opens everything up. I can only imagine how difficult and yet therapeutic this process has been for Amanda and her sister. I am so grateful for them for sharing this story, and for all of their continued work in educating people on the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination, and donating funds via their Hooray for Life store. I know that this is only one story of loss that occurred during this tragic pandemic but, it is one story that will not be forgotten.

You’ll live and learn and then come up the other side
A bit more wise
Live your life

Summary:
When COVID came to the U.S. life as we knew it changed. The virus spread faster than the facts we needed to know about it. Amanda Kloots was forced to face this nightmare when it hit her husband. Facing the unknowns all while on lockdown and bringing up her infant son was nothing short of a nightmare. Here she shares the story of their life, his illness and the battle they desperately fought to the bitter, heartbreaking end.

2020 was a nightmare year. Life turned upside down with 5 letters: COVID. Life came to a scary, screeching halt as we watched hundreds of thousands get hit. While many recovered, many did not. And as the virus spread like the wildfire, the facts and information about it weren't as quick in coming. Fear reigned. Nick Cordero's case was one of the first that took early theories and threw them by the wayside. He was young- in his 40s- and had no pre-existing conditions. He was healthy. There was no reason to think he would get the virus and fully recover, if he did get it. Until he caught it and never recovered. What Amanda thought was going to be an hour, or so, visit to the ER became the last time she ever talked to him again.

Amanda takes you on her emotional journey as they admitted him into the ICU- and he never left. 90+ days of him showing signs of improvement one minute only to take a turn for the worse the next. Times of doctors saying his numbers looking good and having hope of getting him off the machines. Times of medicines that helped other patients not helping him. Times of being told to get to the hospital as soon as possible because they didn't think Nick would survive a few more hours. The fight to get into the hospital to see him. The phone calls in the middle of the night. Amanda puts you right there with her.

While she's in the fight for her husband's life, she also has a baby boy, Elvis, to take care of. You'll read how her family dropped their lives to come help her. You'll read how a neighborhood steeped up to help in any way they could. You'll read how celebrities got involved. These were my favorite parts to read. Her fight didn't stay just hers. A whole community of fighters was created in a time when it was needed.

Live Your Life is an emotional book. You'll be touched by strangers' generosity, you'll cry at the heartbreaking reality of this virus. You'll think he's going to get better. You'll be sad when he doesn't.
You'll be shocked when you learn of the damage this virus did to his body. By the time you read the last word, you will have been all over the emotional map and have kept Kleenex in business.
As devastating as Nick's story is, it's remarkably heartwarming, too. I smiled and cried my way through the pages. I thank Amanda and Anna for sharing their story as openly as they did. May every reader be blessed by it in some way.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. My review opinion is my own.
This is a fast paced re telling of the author's loss in dealing with her husbands Covid illness before he passed away. You can feel her grief and anguish throughout the book and yes its depressing reading but its honest about his covid illness and the effects. Having lost 2 friends to covid also without any pre existing conditions I wanted to read this and appreciate the ARC. It is primarily about his hospital stay and all that occurred to him caused by covid. With a baby this is especially tragic as the child will never know its Father. We can all sympathize with that. Her grief and disbelief is sadly framed throughout the book. IF you have lost people to covid its especially heartbreaking to read first hand all they suffer through in the hospital. Its frantically written and told from her shock of her situation.

However as the daughter of a young widow I come from a Mother who stood on her own two feet with 3 grieving children and handled. every thing without asking anyone for help and never took a dime. Amanda emphasis her privileged wealthy way of life throughout this book that consist of a expensive remolding of a home , donated goods, expensive furniture, expensive gifts, free food given every day and delivered , numerous people helping including gathering help from Hollywood stars and over a million in donations that still today are rolling in. She orchestrated her social media accounts to gain funds and goods it seems while sharing her covid story. She also utilized social media to a broad extent across the globe for prayers and support to build her business. She was skilled at asking for whatever she wanted and people delivered in money and goods. She talks of receiving so much daily that she could not handle the gifts or food. That part of the book was obnoxious. Especially with thousands of American families suffered quietly with ill covid family without asking for money and so many now are bankrupt from the medical bills losing their homes and going without basic needs. . I know of one family who has both parents with covid and their bills are over 2 million and they never ask for help of any kind. My friend could not afford medical care so she died alone in her apartment from covid in NY.. So reading that part for me was overwhelming with the shocking abundance she had at her disposal and her emphasis on her wealthy life style. It is a expectation written into the book that people would donate and help that is alarming. No doubt all of the abundance made her life easier. Anyone that can remodel a home while their husband is dying does not have money issues in any sense.

There is no question her journey was tragic . A child without its Father , a wife without her husband taken horribly by this terrible disease . A young healthy life ended by covid in the most tragic way. The portion of the book that dealt with his illness and the kindness of his doctors was measurably sad and honest. If you want a true view of what covid is doing to patients bodies I recommend you read this. It is also insight to the degree of difficulties our nurses and doctors have been under during covid.

I didn’t realize I would need this book when it was offered, but thank you to Net Galley and Libro FM for this ARC/ALC. I recently lost a friend, not due to COVID like Nick Cordero, but close in age meaning lives were lost too soon.

I remember seeing the news outlets reporting on Nick’s death, but since I’m unfamiliar with broadway, I wasn’t sure who he was. Famous or not, one thing Amanda constantly talked about was Nick’s health. He was early 40’s, no underlying condition, nothing to what the CDC had warned us about for those who were most at-risk.

This is a beautiful story about love, family, and ultimately heartbreak. Listening to the audiobook made me tear up because I felt and heard every ounce of emotion in Amanda’s voice. With how hard she was fighting for Nick and their son Elvis, I kept hoping for a happy ending, knowing that wouldn’t come.

While I don’t want to know what it’s like to lose your significant other, I can’t applaud Amanda enough for being so vulnerable to share her story. Sending her and her family so many hugs.

Live Your Life: My Story of Loving and Losing Nick Cordero is Amanda Kloots' reflection on the life she shared with her late husband, Nick Cordero. In this memoir, she shares details about when they met, married, and eventually went on to have their beautiful son, Elvis. After moving to L.A. in late 2019 to follow Nick’s dream and further his career, he contracted a mysterious illness with unrelenting fatigue. It affected him for days until he progressed into a more serious condition which would eventually be diagnosed as Covid-19.

In an instant, Amanda and Nick’s lives were turned upside down. Nick was only 41, and in perfect health, which led everyone to believe that he would pull out of it without complications. He fought a hard battle while Amanda raced to chronicle his story with the world on social media. People from around the world began to pray and sing for Nick and the family. Amanda was determined to do everything she could to help Nick fight his illness, and with the help of their families, that’s exactly what she did.

I learned about Nick and Amanda through media not long after she began sharing their story. It was something I connected with straight away, and I began praying for them. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think of them. It was such a hopeless feeling to have, but Amanda’s positivity was intoxicating. They were all tenacious fighters. During such an early and uncertain time in the pandemic, everyone seemed to be in the same learn and go approach. We were all dealing with an infodemic of too much information—some accurate and some not—which made everything more confusing. I sympathized with Amanda and put myself in her shoes. After reading this book in its entirety and learning more about the other struggles she faced, I was literally aghast. One of the struggles I connected with pertained to the hospital rules due to the fragility of our healthcare system and all the big unknowns. The thought that your loved one could be sucked into the healthcare system and never be seen again is horrifying. I’ve dealt with a similar situation in my past although not as extreme. In this case, following the hospital's rules created even more isolation and heartbreak.

What I loved most about this memoir is the way it’s written. This isn’t just a memoir about Nick’s battle with a virus and the aftermath that came with it, but it’s a reflection of Nick and Amanda’s relationship, their families, and their love for one another. It’s beautifully written and woven together perfectly with pieces of the past, giving the reader insight into their family lives growing up and how they banded together—bonding all over again during this crisis. It’s a story of hope, faith, perseverance, gratitude, and resilience in the face of a horrible pandemic. It’s also a story that shows the goodness of humanity and how it came out during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I have to mention the music and film references and the comical family anecdotes that were included because I loved them. The power of music and the strength of the family is evident, and it helped to pull them all through. I imagine writing this book was a cathartic process for Amanda and her sister Anna, and it must have been difficult at times.

Overall, this was both a poignant and beautiful read. I can’t recall the last time a book caused me to be overcome with emotion like this. The biggest takeaway after reading this book follows the title to one of Nick’s songs and the title of this book, Live Your Life. Never take for granted a single day; treat each day as a gift, and live each day as if it’s your last.

5*****

Publication date: June 15th, 2021.

I started following Amanda’s story on Instagram and was rooting for Nick to pull through against all odds. She was such a radiant, vibrant and positive person and I was really drawn to watching her stories, seeing if there were any updates on Nick. Although it didn’t end the way anyone was hoping for, it has been inspirational to watch Amanda turn true darkness, into beautiful and positive light.

The book follows their journey not only during Nick’s COVID diagnosis and rollercoaster stay in the hospital, but had flashbacks and tidbits from their life together. The stories are real, raw and emotional. Amanda showed so much courage and loyalty to Nick during those dark days, and never gave up on him. This book was a beautiful tribute and definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year!

Thank you to NetGalley + Harper for the ARC. What a privilege it was to read this book.

Before COVID a lot of people had never heard of Nick Cordero, but in my family he was a household name. We are a Broadway-loving group of people. My husband got me a satellite radio subscription just so I could listen to one station - On Broadway. My then 10-year-old could recognize Nick's voice when his songs came on and tell you some of the shows he had been in. When I found out how sick he was it hit me hard. I fully admit to insta-stalking Amanda to find out the latest updates. I prayed with her and continued to hope. I cried when he passed away.

When I found out that Amanda and her sister Anna were writing a book about Nick, I knew I would read it. I was ecstatic when I was gifted an ARC through NetGalley. Live Your Life: My Story of Loving and Losing Nick Cordero is a beautiful tribute to Nick as well as his family and friends. This book is absolutely heartbreaking and tragic. But in what seems to be Amanda's typical style, it is also optimistic and hopeful. I loved reading about her earlier days with Nick, how they met and fell in love. I am so glad that Elvis will have this to read when he is older. And I am thankful for the hope and beauty in humanity. So many people came together around Nick to form an army of support for him and his family. It wasn't just friends and extended family - complete strangers gave anything they could to help. It is a testament to the person he was. I love that this compassion and kindness is part of Nick's legacy and I long for it to spread like wildfire.

This book took my breath away. I could not put it down. While I knew how it would eventually, I found myself hoping and praying and keeping the faith with Amanda while she lived this nightmare with NIck fighting for his life with Covid. This is an up-close and personal look at perhaps one of the worse cases of Covid and its mindblowing that he hung on for as long as he did- though he had a lot to live for! It broke my heart, I cried, I laughed and most of all I just admired the strength of Amanda and her family who lived these 95 days of hell and then relived it writing this book. Everyone should read this. Everyone. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this incredible, life-changing read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I, along with many others, followed along on Instagram as Amanda Kloots documented her husband, Nick Cordero's, hospitalization and his battle with COVID-19 between March and July 2020. It was both heartbreaking and inspiring to follow the story as it unfolded and reading their story only intensified those feelings. It also showed how beautiful things can be in the midst of heartache and struggle when you have a community of people supporting and loving you.

Reading this memoir made me feel like I was not only learning the story about what happened, but I also felt like I was getting to know Amanda, Nick and their families. It was clear how important family is to both of them and how that factored into this very difficult time. I also appreciated how we were given glimpses into their relationship through flashbacks and memories that helped to show that there were ups and downs, celebrations and disappointments, but at the core so much love.

Amanda is one of the most positive, strong and resilient people I have encountered. Even during the most harrowing time, she remained steadfast and focused for Nick, Elvis, their families and herself. It was inspiring to learn of all of the people who showed kindness, support, love and dropped everything to be there for Amanda and Elvis. Nick, Amanda, Elvis and their families have made their mark on so many by sharing this story and I know that I'm definitely more inspired to "Live My Life" knowing you're never promised tomorrow. Rest in peace, Nick.

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

This book is incredible! Man, this is a story of sadness and grief but also joy and light. I cried and smiled and felt like I was a part of this story. Don’t miss this book.

I read Amanda Kloots’ LIVE YOUR LIFE in one sitting, so engaged by the story that I could not put it down. Having followed her online posts last year about young husband Nick Cordero’s fierce battle with COVID-19, I knew the ending but learned so much more as Amanda shares what happened in depth.

Heartbreaking, uplifting, ugly-cry inducing, LIVE YOUR LIFE will stay with you long after you finish. If you still wonder if COVID is real, READ THIS BOOK! If you want to learn how to endure a life-altering loss, READ THIS BOOK! If you want to know what true love looks like, READ THIS BOOK!

5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 15 Jun 2021
#LiveYourLife #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, Harper, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

Like many others on social media, I followed Amanda Kloots' posts and stories on Instagram as she documented her husband's hospitalization and battle with COVID from March to July of 2020. Even if you didn't follow Amanda's journey or have no idea who Amanda or Nick are, I encourage you to pick up this book when it releases on June 15th, 2021. Ultimately, I believe she wrote this memoir not only for herself and her family but to everyone who has lost a loved one to COVID. She continues to use her platform and "Live Your Life" to spread awareness that COVID is real and dangerous and that healthy and young people can get COVID despite them thinking it's all okay because they are young or just feel tired as a symptom.

To start off, I love how this memoir is written. I genuinely felt that I was getting to know Amanda, Nick and both of their families. Amanda reflects on her previous marriage, meeting Nick, their ups and downs, their love story and the birth of their son, Elvis Cordero in June 2019. She didn't gloss over the fact that their relationship wasn't perfect from the start and they had to make a lot of compromises and sort through their differences. Despite that, you can feel their love for each other in the stories Amanda shares from their walks in New York to simply eating cheese and tomatoes in their one bedroom apartment together.

I've always viewed Amanda as a very positive person. She's empowering, strong and resilient. She reflects a lot on their love for music and her faith throughout the memoir and how certain moments during Nick's hospitalization related back to lyrics, verses and passages in the Bible. She was patient, kind and understanding throughout his ICU experience despite the times she couldn't visit, the panicked phone calls that he wouldn't make it but would and it was heartbreaking to read that she couldn't bring Elvis with her until it was too late. The memoir was incredibly detailed and descriptive of Nick's procedures, conversations she had with his doctors and nurses and the times she was allowed to see him.

My favorite part of this memoir was how many people in her community, family, social media, etc. came through for Amanda and their families during this time. People brought them meals and groceries, she had places to stay while her house was under renovations, family and friends to watch Elvis, her siblings (Anna and Todd) dropping everything to come be with her and so much more. Incredible. I love that Amanda continues to play music every day for Elvis and shows him pictures and videos of Nick as a constant reminder of who is Dada is. Overall, I think this memoir is a reflection of the importance of family, friends and a good surrounding community. Rest in Peace, Nick Cordero. You are very loved. Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for this Advanced Reader Copy.

I usually do book reviews as pros and cons, but that doesn’t feel appropriate with this book. I followed Amanda Kloots’s story in real time on Instagram and wanted to read this book as soon as it was announced.

For me, the most powerful part of this book is how it tells a piece of history that isn’t really history yet (as I read it in May 2021)—it’s one family’s experience of a history we are still living. Because of its topic, some readers may not be ready to read this book—it might feel too soon, and they might need more distance from the pandemic. Others might find comfort and hope in reading it at a time when we have vaccines.

One of my favorite things about this book is that so much of it is about families and friends/found families (“quaran-teams”). The sibling relationships in the book were lovely, and this book feels like an extension of the time the authors spent together supporting each other. This book is very much Amanda’s story, and I look forward to reading the memoir Anna is currently working on to learn more about her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for the opportunity to read this book!