Helen Bozz

Facing up to to being in a tough life situation takes courage. And acting on it to make a big change in your life takes even more. Carey Heywood's Stages of Grace will take you through a journey that starts off with the main character, Grace, in one of those tough situations. I thought the concept of the book was unique and compelling as soon as I heard about it: a contemporary romance in which Grace journeys through the five classic stages of mourning as her relationship with her long-term boyfriend, Jon, begins to wilt and die. My thoughts as I read: I was honestly tormented as I watched Grace struggle with her denial over this fact - yep, I wanted to yank her out of his controlling grasp, take her on a long walk, and tell her that Jon was no good for her and that she deserved better (and I wanted to punch Jon in the face, REALLY). But as she was truly in denial at that point, I doubt she would have listened to me. And THAT, I think, is the beauty of Carey's writing - she makes her characters so real by infusing them with details, emotions, and thoughts so that you feel like you know them, can relate to them, and as though you can feel for them. And as Grace progressed through the rest of her journey, I was very much ready to root for her and wish for her a happy ending. I won't include any spoilers as to what happens, but suffice it to say that I am totally on Team Ryan (adorable Kiwi, he is) and not because there was any sort of love triangle - anyone who knows me knows that I do NOT do well with love triangles. ;) I give this book a 4.5 stars!I was provided an ARC as part of the Stages of Grace blog tour in exchange for an honest review.