When I'm Gone: A Novel + Giveaway


What is next, after your love is gone?

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Title:  When I'm Gone
Author: Emily Bleeker
Publisher:  Lake Union Publishing
Release Date:  March 15, 2016
Genre: General Fiction


ABOUT THE BOOK
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.

                                                                                                                                                                       

 MY THOUGHTS

I started reading When I'm Gone by Emily Bleeker at 10:30 PM, I finished it at 1:17 AM. (I know, I'm a fast reader). The thing is, I don't think it it mattered if I was a fast reader or not. I would've still read through this book without stopping, because there's no point in stopping. Once you start, you don't realize you're reading a book. You're reading letters. You're reading about the life of someone past and someone trying to find solace in life without.  When my eyes did get a bit droopy, I thought about stopping and head to bed, and then I looked down and I was already on page 290. I turned the book to its side, so I can see how much I have left. Less than a quarter of an inch. Now, being the book-nerd I am, I rubbed my eyes and kept going, because I didn't want to stop in the first place.

Enough about my reading habits. Back to When I'm Gone. This book reminded of PS I Love You when I first read the synopsis. Letters from your dead spouse. However instead of it about helping you start anew, Natalie's blue enveloped notebook paged letters are about what she can't say or what she didn't have enough time to say.  Sometimes secrets are the hardest thing to let go, especially when those secrets have changed your life.

A beautiful story, of a happy marriage that started as first loves, with distance and struggles in between. With three beautiful children, Luke needs to move on after Natalie's death. Yet, it was too hard, until little blue envelopes started showing up through his mail slot.  Natalie spent the last year of her life writing these notes for Luke, to encourage, but also to share what she's been too afraid to share before. The truth as to why certain events played out the way they did.  I was intrigued, but mostly, I wanted to be there with Luke and find the courage to move on, and when things gets complicated, I wanted to know why.

I enjoyed this book and I highly recommend this, for the book lover in you, for the desire to find out what didn't seem as it is or should be, and in the end, like this book, even without answers, there's a new start, a new tomorrow.  Since I'm recommending this book, I would like to remind my readers that there's a giveaway to win a copy, and trust me, this is one pretty book, inside and out.


NOTE:  I received a complimentary copy of this book through TLC Book Tours for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. For my review policy, please see my Disclosure page.


TO PURCHASE A COPY

  


ADD TO: GOODREADS

                                                                                                                                                                      

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily Bleeker is a former educator who learned to love writing while teaching her students’ writer’s workshop. After surviving a battle with a rare form of cancer, she finally found the courage to share her stories, starting with her debut novel, Wreckage. A fully recovered “secret writer,” Emily now spends her days wrangling four kids while planning out plotlines and writing about the people in her head. She currently lives with her family in suburban Chicago. Connect with her or request a Skype visit with your book club at www.emilybleeker.com.

 TO CONNECT WITH EMILY:  website,  facebook, twitter


                                                                                                                                                                      

 GIVEAWAY

 The author and publisher have generously provided a print copy of this book (it's gorgeous) to a winner on this blog! 



                                                                                                                                                                      

 TOUR SCHEDULE

Click on the image below to check out the other stops on this tour for interviews, guest posts, reviews and more giveaways! 
                                                                                                                                                                      

Thank you for reading my posts. For full blog information and links to giveaways, head over to the blog: http://justcommonly.blogspot.com.

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