The Year of Goodbyes and Hellos

An absolutely heartbreaking story of grief, faith, family, and hope. This is easily one of the books that will stick with me most this year.

Premise - a workaholic oncologist learns of her sister’s ovarian cancer diagnosis as her marriage falls apart.

All I can say is you HAVE to read this. The message about ovarian cancer screening is important, the characters are SO real, and the story is moving without ever veering into trauma porn or melodrama. It’s a deeply sad story and yet it leaves the reader with a sense of hope and an appreciation of life and love. Bravo.

Readers who enjoyed ‘When Breath Becomes Air’ should check this out.

Thanks, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

😭😭😭😭 This book broke my heart!!! It was insanely beautiful. I'm a better person to have read it.

Many thanks to Net Galley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

What an exceptionally beautiful book. I cried. I laughed. I reminisced. 🩵 My heart bled and healed and bled again.

I didn’t realize before picking this up that the diagnosis would be ovarian cancer, and Sherri battling through stage 4 cancer with the help of her sister, Kristen.
An amazing story of family, love, careers, and healing.

In 2012 I lost my best friend to ovarian cancer. Her name was Sherry. So much of the book resonated with me.

Kelly, thank you for this beautiful story, and for sharing your own journey with the readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio for this early audiobook in return for my honest opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub date: 5 Dec 2023

This was a great book. What drew me to it is that my sister had been diagnosed with cancer three times and I’m a nurse, whereas one of the narrators was a doctor. There were so many parallels in this story to mine, and so many differences as well. It’s interesting to get different perspectives on how people feel about getting cancer or their loved ones getting cancer, and when is it ok to be selfish while going through it. What irked me about the story is that the husband, Daniel, could only think about how his wife had no time for him while his wife’s sister was going through this horrible cancer diagnosis and treatment and she was an oncologist also dedicating her time to try and save other’s lives. He knew what she was when they married, why is it all suddenly not enough? How is that fair to her to now want to demand her time? That part drove me nuts. And Daniel went on dates with another woman and she’s the bad wife??? What is wrong with men? Why is that ok? It usually takes me a while to get through an audio book because I often forget about them, but this one was so riveting that I couldn’t wait to have an opportunity to throw my earbuds in and listen to it. I finished it quickly because it was so good! Best audiobook I’ve read in a long time.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins Christian and Thomas Nelson for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this wonderful book by Kelly Irvin and perfectly narrated by Jessica Holtan and Jeremy Childs - 5 stars!

Sisters Kristen and Sherri processed their childhood trauma differently. Their mom passed away and their dad left. Kristen became an oncologist and was all focused on her career, to the detriment of her husband and daughters. Sherri led a much more balanced life until her diagnosis of ovarian cancer threw her world off orbit. Kristen swooped in to manage and control every aspect of Sherri's care, moving her into the home she shares with her husband, Daniel. While Sherri is doing her best to mend relationships and live her remaining days with grace and happiness, Kristen's focus on her work implodes her marriage and family.

While this is certainly a serious subject, this book was just so wonderful that I couldn't put it down. I started reading it but quickly switched to the audio so that I could listen more. You can't help but feel for the sisters, and while Daniel could have been a bit more understanding, he was certainly at his wit's end as well. It's not a depressing story; it's instead filled with hope and faith bringing light into such darkness. The author's note with her own cancer experience makes it all more real.

Thank you Thomas Nelson publishing for the audiobook ARC! All thoughts are my own.

This is the story of two sisters working to find a balance in their crazy lives. Kirstin and Sherri lost their mom to cancer so when Sherri gets an unexpected diagnosis. Kirstin goes into fully supportive sister mode. It helps she also is a practicing cancer doctor. Kirstin can't help but want to fix it however at what cost to get marriage.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. I thought the narrators did a great job portraying the characters. I thought this story was so honest. I thought it talked about important topics that are not always discussed. Marriage struggles especially and how to overcome them.

Content: death, cancer, marriage problems, cheating

Read if you like reading about:
Marriages
Growing
Main Characters facing adversity
Cancer stories

This book ripped my heart right out of my chest and made me cry so much. My heart ached but I didn’t want it to end. I fell in love with all of the characters. The story was told with three points of view, sisters Sherri and Kristen, and Kristen’s husband, Daniel. The sisters lost their mother to cancer and Sherri then got diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Sherri was my favorite sister while Kristen was not a fan favorite for me. She was too focused on her career and not her family.
Cancer is not a topic I like to read about, but Kelly Irvin used her own cancer experience to take you on an emotional and faith filled journey. I have read many of her Amish books so that is why I decided to check this out. And I’m glad I did!
Many thanks to the author, Publisher and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

“You appreciate holidays so much more when you truly in your gut realize there’s no guarantee we’ll all be together for another one. People know that, yet they still take it for granted.”

Determined to save Sherri’s life, Kristen drops everything to guide her sister on the harrowing cancer treatment journey. When she’s unable to balance the strain of caring for her patients, being a wife and mother, and her frantic efforts to save her sister, Kristen’s carefully balanced life crumbles, starting with her marriage. Desperate to regain her footing, she vows to rebuild her broken relationships . . . as soon she’s sure Sherri will beat the odds stacked against her.

Unlike her sister, Sherri Reynolds has worked to cultivate balance in her life. Her children, her job as a teacher, and her strong faith keep her grounded—until her diagnosis sends her spiraling into the scary world of what-ifs and unknown outcomes. Sherri faces the agonizing realization that family history may be about to repeat itself. With the clock ticking, she’s determined to use whatever time she has left to heal old wounds and restore relationships.
Together, the sisters are forced to reexamine their priorities, address the still tender wounds of their childhood, and delve more deeply to discover what it means to live each day to its fullest.

This book was so emotional and had so many great messages and themes in it: forgiveness, priorities, acceptance, love, and above all, family. Reading this is like peeking in the window of a family home and watching as they receive devastating news and attempt to navigate that without falling apart and destroying themselves. I was utterly engrossed in this story. With dual narrators, the audiobook really packed an emotional punch. I couldn’t listen fast enough! They each brought such emotion to the characters. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and the author for the ALC.

Let me start by saying that if you are susceptible to crying, you may want to wait until after Christmas to read this one…You could’ve just wrung me out…I was a sopping mess…multiple times. 😕

The Year of Goodbyes and Hellos by Kelly Irvin.

This story revolves around two sisters, sisters who have depended on each other for years, after the loss of their Mom at a young age…

The older sister, Sherri, basically raised the younger one…they grew up, got married, and she became a kindergarten teacher with several kids of her own. She has a strong faith in God, Family and Love…

The younger one, Kristen, grew up to become an oncologist…and a very good one at that. The only problem is that her job just might be taking up ALL of her time… But, after all, she is seeing people at the absolute worst moments of their lives…and sometimes she is ALL they have.
She is married to a wonderful, kind, sweet and patient architect, Daniel, and has two daughters of her own.

We follow these two through the daily hassles of life and love and balancing the two…until a cancer diagnoses looms…and then they are inseparable through the course of planning and treatments….and life. Church and prayer play a big part in this novel…and with good reason.

Daniel plays a big part in this book too…going through all of this with his wife and sister-in-law…and being in the background…all the time. It’s a very tough part for him to play…especially with his wife’s work schedule/life.

The realizations, the actions, the thoughts and the depth of feelings portrayed in this one really hit home for me, as I lost my Mom to Breast Cancer many years ago. I felt like the characters were REALLY experiencing all of this, and it felt like you were right there with them.
I can’t tell you how many times I just broke out SOBBING while reading/listening to this. It is THAT powerful! Be sure to stay tuned for the authors note at the end. It all made sense after that…
Ms Irvin…God Bless you on your journey. 🙏🏼🙏🏼 🙏🏼 And, keep the faith.

5+ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me!
Brought out all the feels for me…and then some.
But again, maybe hold off on reading until after the holidays…and have tissues nearby…

#TheYearOfGoodbyesAndHellos by #KellyIrvin. Narrated by #JessicaHoltan and #JeremyChilds.

Thanks to #NetGalley, #HarperCollinsChristianPublishing and #ThomasNelsonFiction for an ARC of this audiobook which was released on December 5th.

Follow me for upcoming previews and reviews on Goodreads, FB @ #BookReviewsWithElaine or IG @ #BookReviews_with_emsr.

Thanks for reading along with me! 📚📖

I think this is the most real and raw Christian fiction book that I’ve ever read. I’m so impressed by the myriad of topics that were covered, and how well the author did it. Topics such as family, love, forgiveness, infidelity, parenting, divorce, illness, grief, faith, community…it really is a wide scope that is covered in only maybe a one year time frame (aside from flashbacks).

As for the plot, we are mostly following two sisters, Sherri and Kristen, as they face Sherri’s recent cancer diagnosis. As Kristen is an oncologist, it adds an interesting twist to the story. And the relationship between the sisters is so strong and beautiful despite their many differences. There are many other characters as well, as the story covers how an illness ripples out to affect the family and community around them. Each main character was so complex and multidimensional, I felt like I knew and understood them, even through their flaws.

The audiobook was read very well, and the narrator change for Daniel was done well, and his viewpoint was a great addition to see another side to the events of the story.

Overall this was definitely a 5 star book for me. From the writing to the topics to the characters and plot…completely well done. Tears were shed, but such is life. Thank you so much to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson, and Zondervan Audio for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was one of those ones that you have to just stop and think on a while once you complete it. The author takes on a powerful topic, cancer, and weaves a story surrounding it that doesn't shy away from some of the nitty gritty of the disease and its impacts on those in and around the disease. I LOVED that the main characters were middle aged, as there aren't as many stories in this age group within Christian Fiction. The story switches between three different perspectives- Sherri the patient, Kristen the sister, and Kristen's husband. I wasn't sure how I would like that shift, but the author did it beautifully. The different emotions and struggles, highs and lows, successes and failures that each of the main characters, and really the supporting characters, experienced was so eye opening. As a mother to a child with life-threatening heart issues, I fully appreciate how well the story told gives a picture of the ugly side of cancer while still creating a book that is enjoyable and readable. That is truly an art in itself. When I discovered the author wrote this fiction work from her own experience with cancer, it opened my eyes to why the authenticity of it all.

Overall, a powerful book that I highly recommend.

I received an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest reveiw.

I LOVED this audio! Cancer patient and onocologist who just happen to be sisters....
Let's start with Kristen - I could barely stand her!!! She managed to alienate every single person that loved her - excpet Sherri. I get it - everyone and everything could "wait" until she had more time... Until they couldn't/wouldn't. I don't recall if I KNEW that this was christian fiction when I selected it - but I REALLY loved the faith aspect of this story. Sherri had it and Kristen didn't. The characters were well fleshed out. While I didn't like Kristen (until the very very end lol) I totally understood how she came to be who she was and was actually able to have a little empathy for her. I would totally recommend this to anyone - I honestly gave it 5 stars and Kelly Irvin is an author that I will actively seek out. Bless Daniel - he literally has the patience of Job (no religious pun intended lol). He loved her. The end. Thank you to Netgalley, Kelly Irvin and Thomas Nelson for and advanced readers copy of this fabulous book in exchange for an honest review. This book was narratated by Jessica Holtan and Jeremy Childs; they did an AMAZING job and look forward to listening to them in the future

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/141799954-the-year-of-goodbyes-and-hellos

This!!!

This is one of the best book I have read about endings and beginnings. Especially when we navigate them with them help of God.

I loved the story. The characters flew off the page. They became like kin to me. Their struggles tore at my heart and their success were mine too. Sherri was the heart of this book for me. How even in pain she was able to bring hearts back together and shine the love of Christ was mind-blowing. Her faith in God was just so beautiful to read. Her heart to forgive and move on was outstanding and inspiring. I was so glad and emotional to see how Daniel and Kristen’s marriage turned out. I was rooting for them even though at some point I was getting frustrated with them.

This book is a story of love, forgiveness, kindness, and family. I love how the author did not make it morbid but in simple but profound ways portrayed the love of God and the redemption that comes with it even in the most dire situations. There is always hope! The book echoed that.

I listened to the audio book, and the narrators did an amazing job. They made the book so enjoyable.

I received a copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion.