3 out of 4 stars
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Ever since Emily's husband was killed in an accident, grief has consumed her. She keeps to herself and dreads going into town where everybody either feels sorry for her or thinks she's insane. She lives each day trying not to let her depression affect her only son, Sam, who is also mourning the loss of his father. Every day, she finds herself falling deeper into a rut until she meets Jamie. Jamie is new to the town and befriends Emily; she is positive and funny, and her kindness has a powerful impact on Emily and Sam. She quickly becomes a permanent fixture in their lives.
After being told that the son he raised for four years wasn't his, Caleb is understandably distraught and angry at his ex-wife. He goes into a deep depression and begins drinking excessively to numb his pain. Finally, after a long stint in rehab, Caleb is ready to put his life back together. He accepts his sister Jamie's offer to stay with her while he gets his issues sorted out. When he meets Emily, he feels an instant attraction, but he is hesitant about pursuing anything more than friendship due to his troubled past.
Will Emily and Caleb be able to set aside their grief and give love a chance?
Worth The Wait (Book 1) by Tamara Whitlow is a book about friendship and working through grief. Grief comes in different forms; the author reveals this to readers by having the story center around Emily and Caleb, who are both reeling from the pain of losing a loved one. Worth The Wait (Book 1) is told from three different perspectives following Emily, Caleb, and Jamie.
As I stated earlier, the book primarily focused on three main characters, but other memorable individuals deserve to be acknowledged. Sam, who is the son of Emily, made a lasting impression with his cheery disposition despite mourning the loss of his father. He was also fiercely protective of Emily and tried his best to make her smile. I also enjoyed the loving relationship between Emily and her late husband's mother, Barb. Barb made it clear from the get-go that she still wanted to play a significant role in Emily's life.
One of my favorite aspects of the book was the author's ability to convey two separate instances of grief. Emily's fight against the darkness was always threatening to consume her. She said, "Now as I lay here in the darkness of this bedroom trying to get up and start this perpetual day, I fear that this is the day I finally crack." Meanwhile, Caleb was desperate to escape his misery, and alcohol was a constant temptation. In regards to Caleb's depression, the author wrote, "Downstairs there is a bottle of tequila sitting on the table that's haunting him daily. Not only is he dealing with losing Aiden, his battle with alcohol is rearing its ugly head also."
Another thing that I loved about Worth The Wait (Book 1) was the bond between Emily and Jamie. It was wonderful to see how the friendship added vibrancy to Emily's life. I think that friends have the power to uplift, and Jamie provided kindness and support when it was needed.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but it desperately needs another round of editing. The first thing that I found confusing was that the perspectives were not easily identified. Some chapters listed the character's name at the top so readers would know from whose perspective it was written, and others did not. There were also issues with names not being capitalized and missing apostrophes. With that being said, I chose to give the book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars.
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy delving deep into a character's psyche. These characters are complex and force you to question what you would do in their shoes. This book would be great for readers who like romantic stories which remind people that love isn't easy.
I would not recommend this book to young readers as the book contains some profane language and sexual content. I would also discourage readers who have recently lost a spouse from reading Worth The Wait (Book 1) as it may trigger unpleasant feelings.
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Worth The Wait (Book 1)
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