This book seeks to show the balance of work , family and love. Kristen drops everything to go help her sister Sherri with a cancer diagnosis. Things begin to crumble with Kristen marriage and her patients. This book shows that life can be rebuilt. A really good read.

The Year of Goodbyes and Hellos by Kelly Irvin will be releasing soon, and you will want to make sure to put this on your to be read fiction pile! This was a turn pager and tear jerking read. A story about cancer, loss and death, relationship issues, and wrong priorities. What I didn’t realize while I was reading it until the end after I read the after thoughts from the author is that she wrote this based on her own cancer struggle with stage 4 ovarian cancer.

The book focuses on two sisters, one going through cancer and the other is an oncologist. Also, with how both deal with issues, while one is a Christian and the other is not. I learned a lot about the process of cancer treatments and enjoyed seeing the characters grow and change as they dealt with issues.

A couple highlights from the book:

I remind myself of when she asked me if I thought God was still good. If the answer is still yes, then I have to trust that He has a plan for me.
I figure once we finally see Him face-to-face, we can get our questions answered once and for all. In the meantime, we have to hang on, even in our unbelief.
Be in the moment. Treasure this moment in time.
Just because you didn’t get the answer you want doesn’t mean God isn’t real, or He isn’t good or that He doesn’t care.

This would make a great book club read, as there are discussion questions as the end of the book.

This book was a good read and I really enjoyed it and then I read the author's note and realized that, in some ways, Kelly was living this story and that raised the star level for me from a 4 to a 5.

Sherri is battling ovarian cancer and Kristen, her sister, is determined to save her, adding caretaking to her myriad of responsibilities she is trying to juggle. While on the surface it appears as if she is managing fine, her marriage is on the brink of ruin; the question is will she realize it in time?

There is much heart break and hope in this story. Sherri's only marriage had ended in divorce, but yet there was reconciliation. It's a story that makes you think about living in each moment and enjoying life while you have life and health. There is no guarantee.

I felt like the relationship to God was a little more surface than I want to have, and yet, I think, Sherri especially, was seeking to know Him and live for Him.

There did seem to be some confusion in the book as to what Sherri's daughter's husband's name was. Most of the time it was Zach, but at one point it seemed to be Trevor. I'm not sure if I missed something there or if it was an editing thing that got missed. Not a big deal, but....

I did really enjoy the book and want to take to heart the message to enjoy my family while I have them with me to enjoy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was a difficult book to read, but also a beautiful book. Much of the story has to do with a character who is diagnosed with cancer and her journey after that diagnosis and other main characters struggling with their marriage. Those are such heart-wrenching circumstances, but there is hope and even joy among the pain.

This is an evocative, complex story of two sisters who lost their mother to cancer as teenagers. So when Sherrie, the older sister, is diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer in her 50’s, it is an unfortunate and traumatic twist of fate for both women. Kristen, as the younger sister, will need to dig deep to care for Sherrie. Luckily, Kristen is an oncologist and is able to guide Sherrie through her illness.

As an oncologist, Kristen has an extremely busy life and this is causing her marital problems, which will need to be put on the back burner while she cares for her sister.

This book covers so many topics flawlessly and emotionally - cancer, grief, marriage, divorce, job dynamics, religious beliefs and family. It is written beautifully and is really a gut punch right in the feels. I highly recommend this 5-star book. Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC. This book hits the shelves on December 5, 2023.

Kelly Irvin's The Year of Goodbyes and Hellos is by far my favorite I have read by her. I instantly felt connected to the characters and wanted to keep reading their story until I have finished. Five stars.

I had mixed emotions about reading this book with a deep topic because I gravitate towards books that are happy to escape the sadness and ugliness in the world. Let me say, I read and finished the book and thoroughly enjoyed it. I laughed, I cried and my compassion for the characters was through the roof. I congratulate Kelly Irvin for being able to share her own stage 4 ovarian cancer story with her readers through this book. Such an emotional read complete with forgiveness, faith and new beginnings. I highly recommend this book and thank you Kelly for your insight ovarian cancer.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All words are my own.

The Year of Goodbyes and Hellos is based on Irvin’s real life experience with stage four ovarian cancer. Irvin manages to convey her experience to the reader through the character of Sherrie who is diagnosed with cancer early in the story.

Sherrie is fifty-eight years old, a divorced mother and grandmother, and a kindergarten teacher. She’s a runner and a health nut. Kristen is Sherri’s younger sister, an oncologist, also a mother and grandmother, and married. Kristen smokes (yeah, the irony!).

Using her characters and the plot, Irvin addresses themes of familial love, marriage, childhood scars, and especially what we try to fix vs what we place in God’s hands.

You’d think a book about such a serious cancer diagnosis would be depressing. But the way Irvin portrays Christian faith and the sisters’ relationship through the midst of the crisis is uplifting.

If I have one complaint, it’s that the sisters and their surrounding friends and family seem obsessed with comfort food: cookies, lemonade, sweet tea, pies, cinnamon rolls, King Ranch casserole, and especially ice cream. The dissonance between trying to survive a health crisis and being surrounded by unhealthy foods twisted my brain. But maybe I’m being too judgy. If I had a serious cancer diagnosis, I’d probably curl up on the couch with chocolate, and my dear husband would probably get fat on pizza. So only half a star off.

Overall, this is an emotional, informative, and gripping story. 4.5 stars. Highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of The Year of Goodbyes and Hellos. I am happy to post my personal thoughts about the book.

This book was not what I was expecting but it was very well done.

Watching the love of the sisters and the way they worked through life in a very hard situation made me wish for that kind of relationship.

They wear tears, laughter, anger, happiness, food.

This is a well written novel about the highs and lows of a family affected by a cancer diagnosis. It's such a serious and difficult topic but told in such a sweet way and from the perspective of the patient and the oncologist. Sherri and Chance were my favorite characters in the story.



Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own

Moving story about an oncologist who must guide her sister through cancer treatment while trying to maintain her practice and crumbling marriage. Sad but ultimately hopeful story.

This story grabbed me from the beginning and I could not put it down until the last page was turned.

Sisters, Sherri, and Kristen lost their mother to cancer at an early age, which caused Sherri to fill the role of mother to younger sister Kristen. Sherri later became a kindergarten teacher and Kristen an oncologist, determined to save the lives of all cancer victims. Kristen, however, so obsessed with her patient’s well-being, often made them her priority over her own family.

When Sherri is diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer, Kristen insists she come stay with her and be treated in the clinic where she works so she can oversee her care. Kristen puts everything else on hold, determined to save her sister.

This is an emotional, gripping, beautiful story that includes family, faith, and friendship, as well as forgiveness. It is somewhat of a roller coaster ride, which kept me on the edge of my seat with anticipation. A beautifully written story with relatable characters that I recommend straight from my heart.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Sherri and Kristen are sisters who have weathered many losses. In this Christian based fiction, the sisters must comes to terms with Sherri's terminal cancer diagnosis. Kristen, an oncologist, knows her sisters's fate...yet can not understand her sister's faith. Sherri makes the point several times that God answers all prayers, just not always hope we expect or want....and that true faith shows in difficult circumstances.

During the cancer diagnosis and treatment, Kristen is also standing by as her 25 year marriage falls apart. During her sister's diagnosis and treatment, Kristen must decide what matters most and that time spent shows what really matters.

Thank you NetGalley, Nelson Publishers, and Kelly Irvin for this ARC.