Monday, April 20, 2020

IF FOR ANY REASON by Courtney Walsh, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

" . . .sometimes you have to lose everything in order to figure out what's really important. Not an easy lesson to learn. Especially because I hadn't put any time into the things that mattered. . . . "

The things that mattered, the hard things, the real things. Emily Ackerman has returned to her grandparents' summer home feeling like she has managed to lose everything that she once dreamed about accomplishing; traveling, performing, staging, producing . . . all that remains is a lonely, dilapidated cottage on the island of Nantucket. A place which once held her best memories, and tragically; her worst. Tucking a book of letters written by her deceased mother back into her purse, Emily is determined to renovate and evacuate; never imagining that the boy next door would re-appear. Hollis McGuire, a retired baseball star; all grown up, and with a pre-teen daughter in tow. My, my, so he has secrets, too.

It's almost impossible to encapsulate the depth of this story; the author has created living, breathing characters who have an immediate, palpable connection; they share page space with family members who have made irrevocable mistakes . . . . but deserve grace, their pasts hiding secrets that deserve to see the light of day. It's all there, wrapped up beautifully within a young woman's dream of belonging, when in fact she already does.
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to review.
BackCover Blurb:

Emily Ackerman has traveled the world, her constant compass and companion a book of letters her mother left for her when she died. With no father in the picture, her mom’s advice has been her only true north. But when professional failure leads Emily back to Nantucket to renovate and sell the family cottage she inherited, she wonders if her mom left advice to cover this . . . especially when her grandmother arrives to “supervise.” And especially when her heart becomes entangled with Hollis McGuire, the boy next door–turned–baseball star who’s back on the island after a career-ending injury.

As sparks fly between her and Hollis, Emily is drawn to island life, even as she uncovers shocking secrets about the tragic accident that led to her mother’s death. With her world turned upside down, Emily must choose between allowing the voices from her past to guide her future or forging her own path forward.


Available in digital ebook, paperback, library binding, and audiobook:
Buy If For Any Reason at Amazon
Buy If For Any Reason at Christianbook.com

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