Monday, May 12, 2014

OUT OF REACH BY MISSY JOHNSON




Title: Out of Reach 
Author: Missy Johnson
Release Date: May 8, 2014



My best friend was dying and I was in love with his girl.

Andy and I had been best friends since we were eight years old.

Watching him slowly fade away, ever closer to his final breath, made me so incredibly angry. I knew there was nothing I could do to change it--I had given in to despair, but Andy had not. He had one last hand to play.

He wasn't going to simply sit back and wait for Death to claim him--not Andy. He was going to live life until he couldn't hold his eyes open any longer.

Andy didn't want to die in some sterile hospital and asked me to take him and Emily to the beach. It would be our last road trip together.

Emily. Emily was a problem for me.

I harbored a secret that would have torn our friendship apart. I was in love with Andy's girl, and had been since she'd walked into our sixth grade class, so many years ago.

So what kind of person am I? My best friend is dying, and it's awful--but my heart still aches for his girl. I hate myself for thinking beyond Andy's death and whether there could ever be a future for Emily and I, but I can't help it.

I'm in love with her.










Reviewed by Selene

4 - Cancer Sucks - Smooches


The instant I read the synopsis for this book, I WANTED to read it.  I loved the premise of the story .... not the whole "Andy is dying" part but the " Seth is in love with his best friend's girl" part.  What is it about forbidden love?  *sigh*

The book begins with best friends Andy, Seth and Emily having one last "hoorah" before Andy succumbs to his battle with cancer.  Ugh, that was a difficult path to follow .... Andy is near the end of his battle and we spend the first half of the book watching him deteriorate yet living out his bucket list.  Even though Emily and Andy are a couple, they have all been like the three muskateers since they were children.  Seth has had feelings for Emily all along, yet as fate would have it Andy was the first to steal her heart.

It's a bit difficult to move on into the second half of the book without spoilers so forgive my vagueness.  There was a major aspect of the story that I didn't care for at all. In spite of it, I STILL enjoyed the story .... I just wish that part had played out a bit different.

After Andy's death, will the time ever be right for Seth to act on his feelings for Emily?   Would Emily admitting her feelings for Seth be a betrayal to Andy's memory?

Out of Reach really tugged at my heart strings.  It was an emotional read for me and I devoured it.  This stand alone book raises all kinds of questions about love, friendship and loyalty.  It's a bit on the short side so thankfully it doesn't dig deep enough to rip your heart out .... but, I won't lie, I cried like a baby.  Despite its brevity, Missy manages to tell a story and weave characters that I connected with.



Missy lives in a small town in Central Victoria with her husband, and her confused pets (a dog who think she's a cat, a cat who thinks he's a dog...you get the picture).

When she's not writing, she can usually be found looking for something to read.




  

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