Jill Bish has a wonderful life with her husband, Jim, and when he was diagnosed with dementia, their life together changed. When he forgot her, as his wife, she had to move out. But he had to have a caregiver in order to stay in his house. So she went back home, and asked if she could be his care partner. He agreed and she moved in as his nurse. This is their journey, navigating through the life they have now. Jim didn't remember Jill as his wife, but as they learned together, and discovered the Memory Cafe, joined a painting class, learned how music helps someone with dementia, planing a garden, Jim fell in love with Jill, his care partner. They went through this journey together, there were ups and downs, good days, and bad, but they had discovered that with the support group, they weren't alone. There were people to listen, people to share what they have done through, someone to come in while the care partner got to take a break, to take care of themselves. One thing that Jill discovered, sometimes when Jim couldn't remember something, she entered his reality, and he felt better, and they enjoyed the stories of what he was remembering.
There is so much love in this story, and there is so many that has a loved one going through dementia today, that it was comforting to read this book. It takes the scariness away, and gave me an understanding of what it is like, that there are things that can help to make better days for them, and there is help so that you don't feel like you are drowning. Thank you, Joyce Kostakis for writing this book.
I received an ARC from BookGoSocial through NetGalley.

A tough, but all too realistic topic, this book is very well done and definitely true to living with dementia for many.
As a nurse, these characters are in our lives and hearts as we can see their journey with this disease.
I believe that anyone will want to read this story of "The Nurse" and take away many life lessons.

Thank you to @NetGalley and to @BooksGoSocial fro this ARC and allowing me to provide my own review.

A sad but also beautiful novel about caring for a loved one living with dementia. It’s told from the POV of the affected person, Jim and his caregiver/wife, Jill.
As a nurse, I found this well researched, well written and highly informative. It delves into the experiences, challenges and emotional toll that comes with caring for dementia patients as well as the rewards, dedication and compassion of their families and community.
This story will touch the hearts of many.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Nurse
I read this in one day. I work with the elderly and have known quite a few with dementia so it was an interesting yet familiar read. I really liked the positiveness this book tried to reinforce. Jim is diagnosed with dementia and this is his and his wife, Jill’s story dealing with it all along the way. Good, quick read that’ll give you some perception into living with and dealing with dementia.

Jill Bish has built a beautiful life with her husband, Jim. When he is diagnosed with dementia, their world shatters. As Jim’s memories fade, Jill becomes his caregiver, pouring all her love and strength into cherishing every precious moment they have left together.

Determined to care for Jim at home, Jill faces the overwhelming challenges of caregiving head-on. The simplest tasks become monumental efforts, and the weight of Jim’s condition threatens to crush her spirit. Jill refuses to give up on the man she loves. With the support of a unique memory care group, she embarks on a journey of resilience, hope, and unwavering devotion.

As Jim's condition progresses, he forgets Jill is his wife. Yet in a heartwarming twist of fate, Jim falls in love with Jill all over again. Their love story takes on a new meaning as they rediscover the depth of their connection. Simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking, “The Nurse” is a powerful exploration of the enduring nature of love in the face of a devastating illness.

Author Joyce Kostakis has crafted a memorable story that evokes deep emotions. This extraordinary novel is a testament to the unbreakable bonds of love, the resilience of the human spirit, and the profound truth that even when memories fade, the heart never forgets.

Loved it. Will recommend to others.

I thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me with an ARC copy of this book, which I freely chose to review.
I was in two minds about reading this novel because my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s over a year ago. Although I’ve been reading nonfiction books about it, I wasn’t sure I was ready for a novel. But the focus seemed interesting, very different from my personal situation, and I was intrigued by it.
Also, the story of how the novel came to be is quite interesting in its own right. The author had to write a script as part of a course; the script won a contest, and the prize was getting it produced. The short was so well received that the author decided to turn it into a novel. And this is it.
The book centres on a couple, Jim and Jill. They met through work (as they were both working in the same school), fell in love and got married. Although Jim had been married before, they seemed to have been made for each other, and everybody who knew them thought they were the perfect couple. Unfortunately, fate decided to put them to the test, and by the time the story starts, Jim suffers from dementia and Jill is his full-time carer. She accepts it, tries her hardest to make things easy and to keep the house running smoothly, but Jim’s memory takes a turn for the worse, and, as the description explains, Jill suddenly becomes a stranger that he doesn’t want in the house any longer.
How she goes about getting back into his life is what makes up most of the novel, that is full of beautiful and inspiring moments, many of them involving a unique Memory Group that offers practical and emotional support to people with Alzheimer's and their carers. Many of the activities involve both of them, and they are creative, imaginative, inspiring, and positive. In many ways, the novel is a breath of fresh air and a different take on this cruel illness. We see people struggle and face heartbreak and difficulties, but there are also moments of enjoyment, fulfilment, and discovery.
The novel combines the love story of the two characters, a love that survives challenges and tough trials, with the experience of people with Alzheimer’s and their carers, as there are chapters from Jill’s point of view and others from Jim’s, both in the first person, and they give readers some sense of what the experience might be like.
I missed knowing a bit more about both characters’ lives before the events we read about, and before they were a couple. We learn some things about Jim later on (I won’t reveal anything about it. You’ll have to read the novel to find out more), but not much about Jill, and although there are brief mentions of her interest in her work, she doesn’t seem to have anybody she has any kind of relationship with, friends or family, and other than a visit to one of Jim’s relatives, the story centres almost exclusively on the two of them (with brief appearances from staff and users of the Memory Group) and the way they deal with Jim’s condition. And I guess that, in itself, is quite telling when it comes to dementia and caring full-time for somebody who suffers it, as sustaining a semblance of ‘life as usual’ gets increasingly hard as the illness progresses.
In my opinion, the view the book provides is slightly idyllic and idealised. There are some issues and problems reflected in the novel, but Jill is almost saintly: she never (she gets close to it, but the issue that brings it about is not related to dementia) loses her patience, is always ready to do anything necessary to make Jim’s life better, and is selfless, never putting herself first. There are a couple of moments of crisis, and she gets support at those points. Still, I suspect most carers struggle and have a harder time than what is reflected in the novel. However, some other carers and secondary characters in the novel do mention some difficulties that will sound familiar to many in similar circumstances. Of course, the Memory Group described (based on a real group, as the author mentions in her note at the end of the novel) sounds wonderful, but, sadly, not everybody will be lucky enough to have something similar available where they live. Having said all that, it is unfair to expect a fictional book to be totally realistic and to reflect everybody’s experiences. That wouldn’t be possible, and it wasn’t the intention of the author, who talks about her inspiration and the guidance she got when writing the book in her author’s note, which I recommend paying attention to, as it includes links to extra materials.
This is a wonderful romantic novel in which the “in illness and in health” promise is put to the test, and the relationship is reinvented and strengthened by the trials and tribulations the protagonists endure. Its positive outlook on dementia is bound to inspire and give hope to readers who might face a similar challenge at some point in the future.
I recommend checking the short movie as well. It is beautiful.