I think that the Book Blurb describes this book well enough and I will leave it at that.  It’s a sentimental journey through one man’s grief and getting to know his wife in the ways he didn’t know her!  Not really my cup of tea but I did read it quickly and like Luke I wanted to know the mysteries about his wife that he didn’t know.  The problem is that the end didn’t really offer up any great surprises.  I found it a bit predictable.  All-in-all, just an okay read for me.  For those who are a bit more into the touchy-feely type books, you may appreciate it more. 

I won this book through a blog contest that was hosted by A Bookaholic Swede.  Check out her blog, you’ll love it!

Wow did this book have a jaw dropping ending! It came out of nowhere! I had my doubts but they were nothing like what really happened in this book.

I'm not going to be able to tell you a lot of specifics without including a spoiler. So I am just going to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Ellie and Amelia are two very likable characters and are sisters. Ellie has been away at college but comes back home to their small town when her father has a stroke. Now Ellie, having given up med school, is a paramedic. She couldn't pass the strenuous tests to be a fireman which include carrying a body, but she would have made a good one. Besides that, she helps take care of her father along with her sister, Amelia.

Amelia is married with two children to an ex-firefighter that now owns his own roofing company. The company is ran out of their house. Amelia is also a concert cellist, doing the odd wedding here and there. There's not a real symphony in their small town, so she takes smaller gigs when she can get them. She also helps out with her husband's company and, of course, runs the household.

The author did a great job with the characters and with the introduction of them and their lives. However, when the plot twists to that final turn, it was a crazy, out of left field turn. Jaw dropping.

A great read that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

So I borrowed this book free with Prime and let me tell you I was very glad I did. Honestly I might not have picked this book up but after reading the blurb I knew I wanted to give the book a try. Man this book gave me the feels on so many levels. We are introduced to Luke who lost his wife and is now having to raise three children on his own. Though what he doesn't expect is to get letters from Natalie. It seems that before Natalie passed away she wrote letters that were to be delivered to him to help him. Though as the letters come he starts wondering who is delivering them and when his son believes himself to be adopted Luke goes on a mission to prove to his son that he wasn't. Though it seems another secret might come to light one that has something to with Luke. As Luke is trying to uncover what secret Natalie had he also is becoming friends with her best friend, and she has her own problems going on at home. One that hits too close to home for Luke. When everything comes out I can honestly say I did not see that coming at all. I was left with my mouth opened. I really loved the idea of Natalie writing these letters to her husband and the one letter telling him how to cook the pancakes melted my heart. I really loved this author's work that I believe I will be reading her work again!

Natalie dies from cancer, leaving her grief stricken family behind. On the day of the funeral a letter arrives - from Natalie, the first of many. The story was OK, albeit a tad cheesy - fine if you enjoy tearjerkers. Pity about the ending. I did quite like the book, but wasn't as gripped as I should have been by it. I would read other books by this author.

Dear Luke,
First let me say—I love you…I didn’t want to leave you…

Luke Richardson has returned home after burying Natalie, his beloved wife of sixteen years, ready to face the hard job of raising their three children alone. But there’s something he’s not prepared for—a blue envelope with his name scrawled across the front in Natalie’s handwriting, waiting for him on the floor of their suburban Michigan home.

The letter inside, written on the first day of Natalie’s cancer treatment a year ago, turns out to be the first of many. Luke is convinced they’re genuine, but who is delivering them? As his obsession with the letters grows, Luke uncovers long-buried secrets that make him question everything he knew about his wife and their family. But the revelations also point the way toward a future where love goes on—in written words, in memories, and in the promises it’s never too late to keep.

Though a lot of books explore the themes of losing a loved one, I felt that this book delivered incredibly well.

There was a huge subplot beneath the grief and Luke dealing with losing Natalie, a component with elements of mystery that left Luke struggling to find answers to questions he hadn't known he needed to ask. The way various characters acted reflected the information they knew and made the conclusion even more powerful.

I figured out the final twist only a few pages before it happened and was absolutely stunned. Though I think the secrets that were kept didn't seem incredibly realistic given the strength of the relationship between Natalie and Luke.

The emotions displayed were very real and I found it fascinating to see the anger and the regret Luke displayed. Often it's hard to get a read on how people feel following the loss of a loved one but this did a good job of keeping everything real, but also relatable. Luke's relationship with the letters Natalie had written especially were intriguing--his reliance on them contrasted with his occasional desires to burn them.

I also found the afterlife component intriguing and the way the author dealt with various different sorts of healthy and unhealthy relationships.

This book had me tearing up, at points had me in complete suspense, and kept me intrigued the whole way through. This is a solid book, more than just a romance.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.