Twenty-year-old Abby Turner has only known her mother through letters, videos, postcards, journals and memories from her father, Josh. Unfortunately, Abby's mother died minutes after giving birth to Abby leaving Josh to raise their daughter alone. As a result, he is overly cautious and Abby feels stifled. It doesn't help that Abby is diagnosed with a rare lung disease that turns a common cold into life-threatening pneumonia fast. Abby yearns for independence and freedom. So when Millie, her grandmother, offers the trip of a lifetime, Abby takes the journey!

Reading about relatable characters is important for me. I don't have to necessarily like the character. I could, in fact, love to hate the main character. But if he/she is relatable, than I can deal. Steena Holmes did a very good job of portraying Abby in an age-appropriate way. I felt empathy for her. I overstood her whenever someone asked if she was feeling better. I more than understood wanting to enjoy a vacation to the fullest but having to calm down to avoid getting sick. And most importantly, I nodded my head along with Abby when she expressed the desire to want more from life than just being sick all the time. Tis is the life of a person suffering from a chronic illness. Tis is why I heart the character Abby.

Abby's Journey is the heartfelt follow-up to Saving Abby. It is about parental love and a daughter's longing for connection and wellness. It can be read as a standalone but I recommend reading Saving Abby first for a better understanding of the family's dynamic. Both books have my stamp of recommendation.

Happy Pub Day, Steena Holmes!

LiteraryMarie

I love all the books Steena Holmes writes but this one really touched my heart. I loved the first one and this one was just as good. It made me cry in many parts but if a book does not give me emotion I might as well not read it. It was a wonderful story and now I hope there is another SOON!
It was just a wonderful story from start to finish..

When I’m reading a good novel, I become attached to the characters. I’m always sad to reach the end because I always want to know what happened next. When I read Saving Abby last year, I wasn’t ready to let go of the Turner family. I wanted—no, I needed—to know how Josh managed to go on without Claire at his side… how he coped with raising their daughter alone… and wondering if he would ever be able to find love again. I wanted to know what came next in Josh’s life.

Those questions do get answered in Abby’s Journey, but this sequel isn’t focused on what came next for Josh. The spotlight falls on Abby this time around, concentrating on her European vacation with grandmother Millie, visiting Christmas markets.

I enjoyed reading about Abby, but… taking a winter vacation despite her medical condition? I had trouble accepting that Millie would be willing to risk it, after losing Claire.

Abby’s Journey wasn’t quite the sequel I’d hoped to read, but it was nice to be able to read about these characters again, and find out what came next in their lives. While I didn’t love the winter setting, I did understand why visiting the Christmas markets was so important to Abby, and why she longed to do other “normal” winter activities.

The way the book ends made me smile… I can’t say why in this review, but it was something I dreaded seeing the resolution of, but I need not have worried. That particular issue resolved itself in the most wonderful way, and is probably my favorite part of the book.

'Abby's Journey' is the sequel to the wonderful, heart-warming novel ‘Saving Abbey’, which I read and reviewed last year. It tells the story of Abby’s childhood living with her father Josh. Her mother Claire died shortly after Abby was born but Abby has a real connection with her mother because Claire had written letters to both Josh and Abby to help guide them through her childhood. She had also left her beautiful illustrations in the books she wrote for children with her husband Josh, videos, journals and postcards, all that brought her mother nearer and nearer to Abby.
Abby was born with bronchopulmonary dysplasia a condition which could easily see a simple every-day cold become life threatening pneumonia. Josh had sat at her bedside in hospital time after time, praying that she had the strength. He had already lost his beloved wife and could not bear to lose his lovely daughter as well. He was a wonderful single parent but as Abby reached adulthood his love and care of her began to feel stifling and she desperately wanted to spread her wings even though she loved her father dearly.
When she was twenty years of age she begged her father to let her move to a flat-share, but he was reluctant to let her move out. Nobody, just nobody knew Abby as well as he did or would look after her health needs as solicitously as he did. However, that year Abby had gone almost a year without her usual health problems and the annual check-up by her doctor had proved her to be healthy. Reluctantly Josh agreed to let Abby go on a trip to Europe with Millie, her maternal grandmother, retracing her mother’s footsteps and taking her travel journal with her. She not only looked like her mother, but also her thirst for travel adventures was equal to Claire’s. This is the story of Abbey’s first ever holiday without her father, but guided by her mother. Like her mother she documents her travels, sending out postcards, texts and filling her blog with interesting facts and experiences. She was at last living the life she had always hoped she would.
This is a heart-warming story about parental love, family love and friendship. It is Abby’s coming of age. In the various locations that Abby visits she meets people who knew her mother and had kept mementos of her visit. She uses her mother’s journals to connect to the places she visits and she has the time of her life. She also discovers a family secret that her mother had anticipated and another letter for both Josh and Abby helped her to accommodate and assimilate this information with her mother’s wise words. It was really lovely to meet the characters I had grown to love in the last novel once again and to catch up with their lives twenty years later. I loved the gorgeous descriptions Steena Holmes created of the beautiful places Millie and Abby visited. I only wished I was there to share her experiences. Steena’s beautiful style and choice of language made this a really lovely read. I would like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my copy of this novel, sent to me in return for an honest review. This was an enjoyable and easy read, comforting and satisfying.

Good read. Liked the characters and story flow. Liked the concept of letter writing, keeping journals, postcards. Relationships and dealing with people in our lives. Heartwarming read. Highly recommend.

This is the first book I have read by Steena Holmes and I really enjoyed it! Abby's Journey is the story of a young woman and her father and the life they lead after the death of Abby's mother. The story is told from the perspective of Abby, her father Josh, and her month Claire in letters she has written to those she loves. It was a very quick read for me, I would pick it up and immediately I was immersed in their lives. I especially loved reading about the travels of Abby and her grandmother Millie. I felt as if I was with them, exploring the Christmas markets in Germany. This book was a pleasure to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great continuation of this series. I really enjoyed the story & the trip to Europe. It really made me want to go & experience those places for myself. I found myself rooting for Abby and really hoping those sniffles didn't turn into a full blown, trip ruining cold. Abby was resilient despite being treated like a young child by everyone around her even though she was an adult.
The inclusion of letters from Claire nicely tie in from Saving Abby & ensure Claire is included in the story. They are thoughtful and add so much to the novel.
I hope that Steena will write the story of David & Millie's romance as that was another part of the story I very much enjoyed. Their relationship was well written.
All in all another great story from Steena!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Abby's Journey by Steena Holmes that I read and reviewed.
Once again Steena Homes has written a book that pulls at your heart strings and makes you feel the emotions that the family is feeling as it plays out on pages in the book.
In Abby's Journey you meet Abby, whose mother, Claire, died shortly after giving birth to her. She only knew her mom through videos, letters, postcards, journals and books and her mother and father wrote about a boy named Jack who had all kinds of adventures and travels around the world. Abby knew she wanted to travel but she was sick since she was born and her father Josh was afraid too let her go anywhere because his biggest fear was to loose his daughter like he lost her mother.
In this book Abby is given a chance to go to Germany with her Grandmother much to her father's dismay. He is worried that she will get sick even though she has had a clean bill of heath for a year.
This book it told from the viewpoint of Abby, her grandmother and Josh as they deal with letting go of the past and dealing with finding out secrets that have been kept from them. It is an emotional story of letting go and letting someone grow up and facing the past.
Be sure to have tissue at the end because it will be needed. I am giving Abby's Journey five out of five stars.

Claire and Josh have a wonderful marriage except for having a child. Finally their happiness is complete when Clair becomes pregnant. This is a story about all that a mother and father will give up for a child. Steena draws you into all her novels to the point where you can't put them down and wish there was more at the end!

Thank you Netgalley for the early read of this heartwarming book. I love Steena's books; written with so much love in the characters. I really enjoyed Claire's letters and especially the European travels. Grab a cup of hot cocoa and snuggle up for a great read.

Abby’s Journey
Steena Holmes
Available: February 14, 2017
Thank you to NetGalley.com for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I’ve loved Steena Holmes’ past books (Finding Emma, Emma’s Secret ) and raced through Saving Abby to get to the ending so I was looking forward to Abby’s Journey. I thought it was going to be more of her journey without her mother and trying to navigate life with just a father. But instead, it was a watered down Travel Channel special on the Christmas markets in Germany. A journey not only means a physical trip but also an advancement of a person’s heart, mind or soul. Abby regressed – physically and emotionally.
What I loved: I would have loved for Abby to have gotten really sick while in Germany – it would have provided some drama other than her fever induced delisuion, but that was completely glossed over and everything was back to Smurfy. Outside of Clarie’s letters (and let’s be honest, I know people who have battled cancer where did she find the energy to write all of them!), I was really disappointed and didn’t love anything in particular.
What I didn’t love: There are some inaccuracies in the novel – Towards the end Millie is referred to in quite a few places as her aunt when its pretty obvious she was Claire’s mother and therefore Abby’s grandmother. Maybe if she called her an endearing nickname instead of by her first name…. While its understandable as to why Abby is so sheltered and immature she doesn’t grow at all during this journey and that’s diasspointing.

What I learned: I still wish I had some of those parenting letters to use in my everyday life.
Overall Grade: C

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I received a free electronic copy of this novel by Netgalley, Steena Holmes, and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all, for sharing your hard work with me.

This was an interesting and informative read. The travel portions were particular favorites of mine. This was a good book for a cold evening curled up on the couch with the dog, thinking occasionally about just how lucky you were with the healthy kids you were blessed with....

I eagerly anticipated this sequel to "Saving Abby," but did not enjoy this book as much as the first. Set 18 years after Abby's birth and her mother's death, the book finds a father mired in his grief and beset by (understandable) worry over the fragile health of his only child. Every aspect of the family's life is controlled by the various lists and journals that were left behind by her mother, Claire. Josh must face his demons when, against his better judgment, extended family members take Abby on the trip of a lifetime--a trip that could cost her life.

I absolutely love Steena Holmes. I don't think there is book that she's written that I haven't loved. This one does not disappoint.

Abby is a twenty year old girl who's mother died when she was born. She was born with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a disease that can quickly turn a case of the sniffles into a case of pneumonia. This has happened a few times in her life. Such that her dad Josh is quite the stickler about anything having to do with Abby going outdoors.

Abby wants to go on a trip to Europe with her Grandmother during the winter. Josh is adamant he does not want her to go. Abby is twenty. She wants to go. She's going. She's having a wonderful time. While there, she's not getting enough sleep. There is so much to see and do. She gets the sniffles. Her dad is called. He's on the next flight.

This was a great story. Claire, the mother, has left so many letters to Josh and Abby. There are special letters for special events and just normal ones for everyday. Then there a special letter, one to Josh and one to Abby for when Abby finds out Claire's long kept dark secret.

It's such a touching story and a loving story. I'm pretty sure that you will need some tissues, so you may want to go ahead and get those handy. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Huge thanks to Lake Union Publishing for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, I wasn't sure if I would like this book. I wasn't sure it could hold up to my expectations as a sequel to Saving Abby. Not to worry, Abby's Journey is every bit as good as, and maybe even better than, Saving Abby. I was on edge reading the book, so worried about how it might end, afraid Abby might not survive her trip. I finished the book in tears. Thank you. Ms. Holmes, for another emotional, unforgettable read.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Such a beautiful story. I love these characters so much and it was so nice to see how Abby's life turned out. The first book gave us a taste of the love this family had. This book continues to show their love and strength on journey where Abby fully learns about the mother she never got a chance to meet. I do hope we see more from these characters. I would like to know more about Jackson and maybe Sam. Have your tissues handy!

I truly loved this book. It was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. In Saving Abby, we see all Claire and Josh go through to have a baby. At the end of Saving Abby, my heart was broken. When Claire dies, I have so many questions. So I am so very thankful Steena Holmes wrote Abby's Journey. I wanted to know how Josh managed being a single dad, how did Abby grow up, and most importantly does Abby know how much her mother Claire loved her. Abby's Journey is the perfect book to answer all of these questions and more. I loved that Abby is friends with Sam, the little girl who meant so much to Claire and Josh. I loved how much Millie is in Abby and Josh's lives. When Millie and Abby are going through the German markets, I could truly see everything they saw. The book was written as if you were there with them. It is truly a beautiful book. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.

I have been anxiously waiting for this book to come, so I would find out how Abby and her family were managing after her mom's death.
Steena did a phenomenal sequel that not only had me crying happy tears at the last chapter, but has me wanting to visit the Christmas markets in Germany that have been so beautifully described. I need to see them for myself!
Wonderful story!