An emotional, heartbreaking love story that will pull at your heartstrings.
If anyone has heard of HD, you know it is a devastating,degrading and genetic disease that only has one ending.

This story gives an account of a young woman who needs and wants to live her life and squeeze everything in from her bucket list quickly.
This is a fast read and one you will want some tissues.

Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review.

I received a free copy of, Me Without You, by Kelly Rimmer, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Callum is not looking for love until he meets Lilah, who has a secret, she has a disease that there is no cure for. I did like this book I just enjoy clean romance books better. Callum and Lilah are great characters very human likeable and relatable.

3.5 stars rounded down!

I have read a few of Rimmer's more recent releases and absolutely loved them. When I downloaded this book, I didn't realize that it was a reproduction and originally published in 2014. I was able to tell just by the writing style. It didn't have the maturity and flow of her present-day books. The beautiful new cover and the synopsis grabbed my attention though, so I went all in. It was a decent, fast-paced love story that was extremely predictable and very sad. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped.

Thank you to the author, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

I enjoyed this read, it was a sad one for sure. A bit slow in the beginning but picked up. I think it’s important to be careful comparing to other books like ‘Me Before You’ I read that book and gave it 5 stars- they have something in common but they are very different and when you compare them in the description I think it’s easy to leave it to criticism because it was not as enjoyable a read as ‘Me Before You’

Be prepared to put everything aside once you start this story. Its the story of Lilah and Callum and their love and strength. Lilah is a free spirit...a bare footed, vegan, who fights for the things no one else will fight for. A smart beautiful lady who finds love when she is not looking for it. Callum is so smitten with Lilah that its all he can think of .....Their lives ahead look magical...but are they really? Life can be cruel...and no one can foresee what lies ahead. This story will show you that with love comes strength. Get ready for this story of love, strength, forgiveness, family and hope. Bring a box of tissues along for the ride. Great book by a very accomplished author.

This is a love story that tugs at your heart. Readers immediately suspect what will take place based on the title.

Two people – Callum and Lilah – find each other while taking a ferry to work. They are opposites in many ways. She is very social, always busy, moody at times and hates wearing shoes. He is relaxed, orderly and well groomed. Yet, they both are driven with successful careers and there’s strong magnetism between the two.

Lilah doesn’t want a companion and pushes Callum away. She tells him that her work as a lawyer is her partner. “I’m just having a sneaky little love affair.” But, they have a passion which keeps them bouncing back together. She has a very big secret and she’s not willing to share. What happens when he discovers this missing link?

Kelly Rimmer is a master at writing emotional dramas. There is an easy flow to her words and it takes you to another place which can be unexpected. She makes you feel like you’re in the same room as the characters.

While this story was first released in 2014, the plot feels like it could have happened in the present time. It’s one which is a test with the legal and medical systems for those that who have serious hardships and are sadly affected.

My thanks to Forever Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this copy.

How do you write a review with tears streaming down your face?
This book was so heartfelt and touching. When I started reading I didn't invisine the story that would be laid out before me.
It took on such a sad disease and made it touching and in its own way beautiful along the sad side of dealing with it. So powerful
I loved everything about this book.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this.

If JoJo Moyes and Colleen Hoover had a love child, it'd be this book.

Amirite?

This is a re-issue of a 2014 publication that I'd never read and didn't know anything about. I didn't read the synopsis, I just knew I had to have it. @kelrimmerwrites is an auto-read author for me.

I sobbed and bawled and was glad my husband was fast asleep so that I could allow this masterpiece time to leave an imprint on my heart.

Callum and Lilah held my heart in their hands for a few hours this afternoon.

🙃 Can't spoil a 5-star read by telling you any more.

Message:
✔️keep reaching for new things or you'll stagnate

Themes:
✔️reality vs expectations
✔️beautiful contradictions
✔️heartwarming connections

❗️It's a women's fiction lovers story, not a genre romance.
❗️closed door with a few swear words
❗️please read the content guidance note from the publisher if you are worried about a sad read

❓️Haven't read it yet? Go get it.

Published October 10, 2023

I was gifted this copy by @readforeverpub and #NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This was my first Kelly Rimmer book but it definitely won’t be my last. It was heartbreaking, consuming and I finished it in one sitting. Although it was predictable, such is the progression of this disease - so I didn’t mind that part. It felt real, raw and authentic. There was one twist at the end that I didn’t see coming so it wasn’t totally predictable! While, I could not relate to Lilah’s character at all, I found her endearing nonetheless. Her and Callum were an unlikely match, but perfect for each other all at the same time. I wish a little more time was spent on their story. It all felt like it happened so fast. But, maybe that was the point. If you need a real tear jerker - this is for you. I just sat there and stared at the wall for a little bit afterwards.

A chance meeting on a ferry between Lilah and Callum results in instant like from both of them. Each had very different upbringings, but thru his friendship with Lilah, Callum realizes he was actually lonely as a child. Lilah brings Callum out of his shell, and forces him to branch out to things he would not normally do.

Callum realizes he wants more than just a friends with benefits-esque relationship with Lilah. But Lilah is holding back a major secret from Callum.

This book has it all. A love story, angst, heartbreak, family drama. But at the heart of it is healing, and learning to live.

Loved this one but get a box of tissues ready! Compared to Me Before You and while it quite as good in my opinion, I was still invested and my heart broke for the MC’s.