3.5 ✨ rounded up

This was my first book by Heidi and I was blessed to get the audio. I wanted a book that would be soul crushing and boy did this one do the trick. I was fully invested in both story lined and I was in shambles throughout. Christian Barillas; Kacy Combest; Jeremy York; Sarah Mollo-Christensen We’re absolutely amazing! It was a little slow for me at times but overall amazing audio/book!

Heidi will take you through the emotional wringer with this one. Prepare your heart because it will be pulled in directions you might not be prepared for. Such an incredible store with so much depth and what a journey the characters find themselves on.

This book was a tearjerker. Within the first couple of chapters I was crying like a baby. You will go on a journey of happiness, grief, hope and love. Grayson and Reid are best friends, who became more for one night. After that one night, she fell harder for him and he kept her in the friend zone. When he collapses after playing basketball, she thinks he is faking due to what she told him. Unfortunately, he wasn’t. He has been keeping a secret from her and they might not get a second chance.

Nadia and Rafe are happily married, raising two precocious daughters. When he leaves to run in an annual race, she never imagines her worst nightmare coming true. While running, Rafe saves a woman from being hit by a car; unfortunately he doesn’t make it. Now Nadia has to decide whether to donate his organs and how to go on with her life.

As the story progresses, all of their lives diverge in an unexpected way. Reid loves Grayson, but doesn’t know if she can believe he truly loves her. Nadia has to learn how to be the only caregiver for her daughters. Grayson has to learn how to live with another person’s heart keeping him alive and the ache in his chest.

This is a beautifully written story about love, loss and learning how to move on after loss. I couldn’t put this book down. I hope we get more, especially about Nadia and her future. The narrators did a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life. The emotions they brought made me feel like I was experiencing what they were. A fantastic story brought to life by wonderful narrators. I received an ARC and this is my honest, voluntary review.

A difficult listen that delves into the pain of losing someone. The narrator brought the emotions to life in a way that felt incredibly real, making me confront my own experiences with grief.

The theme of second chances stood out. It’s a reminder that after heartbreak, there’s always hope for renewal. The characters’ resilience inspired me, showing that healing is possible.

While it was tough at times, it left me feeling uplifted and reflective. This audiobook is a powerful reminder that even in our darkest moments, we can find light again. Highly recommend it for anyone who has faced loss.

4.5 Stars Rounded Up

I went into this book with high hopes because I love sad shit. Sad songs, sad movies, sad books. I eat that shit up. It is safe to say I was not let down.

I absolutely loved damn near everything about this book. The characters, the POVs, the ending. It was absolutely gut-wrenching at times and extremely heartwarming other times.

The absolute only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because of the word "nub" being used to describe her clit. And it wasn't just once. I'm sorry but that was the cringiest thing ever in the middle of really well done sex scenes.

I'm so happy this turned out the way it did. The daughters were so freaking cute and I loved how their personalities were written. My all time favorite book is Full Tilt and this really reminded me of that book in some ways.

Definitely recommend for those who enjoy some sad/beautiful/tragic love stories. Also with a little spice too. Also, [ as someone with tokophobia, I am SO grateful that even though it was clear children were in the future, it wasn't explicitly written. ] Just wanted to give an extra shoutout there.

A story about a man who receives a heart transplant and the family that lost a man as a result. It was emotional and well written! I cared for both sides of the story and I like how the book wrapped up. My only complaint is how rushed grayson and Reid’s relationship felt. It didn’t feel realistic or normal for awhile. Overall a 4 ⭐️ read 🫶🏼

Born with a life-threatening heart defect, Grayson has been living on borrowed time. The uncertainty of tomorrow makes him push people away, helping Grayson to avoid any real commitment. One such person is Reid Sullivan, his coworker, neighbour, best friend, and the woman he's madly in love with. Nadia Karlsson makes a life-changing decision after her husband, Rafe, is involved in a tragic accident near Harvard Square. Her choice will unwittingly alter the course of Grayson’s future, and tie his fate unexpectedly to her own.

Grayson got a new heart after his gave out. The near-death experience had him wanting to get together with Reid and not waste anymore time. I feel like their relationship was rushed after they got together. They'd had feelings for the longest time but a proposal so soon after just starting to date came out of nowhere.

Somewhere else, Nadia was learning to cope with life after her beloved husband Rafe's death. Raising her two young daughters was quite the tumultuous task. I loved how family and friends rallied around her. The potential of new love was one that was carefully handled and I loved how it turned out.

The premise of this book had me intrigued. I had an idea of what would happen and was taken on quite the emotional journey. The surprising connections between these two groups of people were amazing. I especially loved the ending.

There were multiple narrators for each POV. I loved Reid's narrator but the rest were not as good. Still enjoyed the audio. Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Steam level: 3.5🌶️ Open door, mild to moderate details

When a man dies in a tragic accident, Grayson gets a second chance at life. He finally tells Reid, his best friend, that he loves her. But even as they start dating and he should be the happiest man ever, Grayson feels like something is missing.
Needless to say that this story is heavy on grief, so it may not be for everyone. I've read many reviews saying this was a heartbreaking tear-jerker, and although I get where they are coming from, I didn't shed a single tear. I feel like maybe I would've been more moved if the story had been told in first person (even if it's told in multiple POVs). I also had a hard time really sinking my teeth into this one at the start, as there was too much background thrown at us right off the bat, like a grocery list of things the author wanted to get out of the way. I prefer when the characters' backgrounds is sprinkled throughout the story. A few other things bugged me, but other than that, it was a nice heartwarming story about life, love, grief and new beginnings.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was so captivated by this story. Grab the tissues and settle in if you love emotional heartfelt stories with intertwining connections between characters. This story felt so real— I truly felt for each of the characters and their storylines. You have Grayson and Reid and their story. Then you have Nadia, Rafe and their two girls. I love the way the story unfolded and we are experiencing all these events and the after effects with the characters. If you are okay with a grief/loss story and one that will make you cry I highly recommend reading this one.
The audiobook was narrated by Christian Barillas, Kacy Combest, Jeremy York, and Sarah Mollo-Christensen. This full cast narration really helped me feel all the emotions of each of the characters.

This book was written and the characters draw you in with their stories, this is not a light fun read and will make you emotional through out. This was a different kind of an audiobook for me and I found myself listening on to find out what happens next to Nadiya, Reid & Grayson. I would recommend this book and thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for this audio arc.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook. Cue the tears! This book is not for the listener who wants a happy book. This book had me pausing to compose myself, I thought everything about this book was thought out and well written. I loved it and I loved the characters and the story.