Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Have you ever wondered what life would be like without you?

Although Sonny Good still suffers repercussions from a gunshot wound to his head, he refuses to let them interfere with his life. He does his best to hide what he can from his partner, Garron, in an attempt to gain more independence. When a car accident forces Sonny's newest health concern to the foreground, he begins to slide back into the pit of despair he's worked so hard to crawl out of. What use will he be to his family and friends if he can't lead a normal life?

When a seizure leaves Sonny in need of emergency care, a CT Scan reveals the cause of his continued blackouts. Faced with a risky surgery, Sonny begins to wonder if his loved ones would've been better off if he'd died the day of the shooting.

Faced with the prospect of losing the man he loves, Garron is determined to show Sonny what he has to live for.

Reader Advisory: This book is best read in sequence as part of a series.

Publisher's Note: This book was previously released under the same title. It has been re-edited for re-release with Pride Publishing.

 

Book Review

I can't read a book asking the question of wondering what life would be without you, without thinking of the movie 'It's a Wonderful Life' where George Bailey asks this question and has the opportunity to see the things which would or would not have happened to people around him if he'd not been there. This allows him to gain a better perspective of his life by seeing just how much good he did and how many lives he influenced. Sonny Good of 'It's a Good Life' by Carol Lynne is having the same misgivings about being nothing but a burden and dragging everyone down into his despair; but Sonny's family and friends aren't ready to give up on him and they are not going to let him give up on himself either. They are determined to help him remember that love is a precious gift, and even if it doesn't last as long as we might hope, every moment is a blessing, to be cherished forever.

I sympathized with Sonny's position. He's sick and tired of being sick and tired and now, his quality of life is going backward not forward. Sonny has fought so hard to get where he is now and is already frustrated that he can't do more. He's feeling pretty useless. When his condition starts to deteriorate, he's heartbroken, wondering how he will be able to survive being able to do less and less, or, worse yet, afraid that he is dying and will leave Garron behind - alone. There seems to be no end to his misery, no good solution to his problem. One of the things that warmed my heart was the closeness and strong sense of family portrayed in this story. It was amazing to see the lengths to which his family and friends go to try to help Sonny cope, including helping him re-make memories he's forgotten. I was deeply moved and shed more than a few tears.

Garron is understandably sad and upset that Sonny seems to be slipping away from him. He's in a quandary; everything he does seems wrong. Sonny is everything to Garron regardless of his condition and he will gladly do whatever it takes to be with him. He loves Sonny so much that it's tangible. Part of the problem is that Garron just doesn't understand Sonny's perspective. He's so busy trying to help him cope, that he doesn't stop and put himself in his shoes. In a way, he's selfish, wanting to keep him at any cost. When he's able to do that his point of view changes drastically and that's where the "for better or worse, in sickness and in health" really kicks in and they come to a meeting of the minds and begin to make some progress.

Although this love story is bittersweet, there's a strength and sense of bravery in the underlying theme which ties it all together. I loved meeting all of the family and friends and especially enjoyed seeing Rio, Ryan, and Nate. Any story with those three in it has to be good, but maybe I'm a little biased since they are my favorite men from the Cattle Valley Series. If you are looking for a story which has angst, challenges, life decisions, family unity, and most of all love, then this may be a story you will enjoy. Thanks, Carol, for another touching story about love and life.

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Pride Publishing for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 105 pages/30214 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	28-July-2015
Price	$4.50 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.pride-publishing.com/book/its-a-good-life