Dying . . . Dead . . . Deceased . . .
It doesn’t matter how many times I say it or how many different names I give it, it still means the same thing. One of these days I’ll be nothing but a passing memory, a familiar face in a forgotten photo. But there's three things I need before this life of mine ends . . . I need to tell him I love him more than life itself. I need to feel the strength of his arms wrapped around me just one more night. Most of all, I need him to forgive me. Eight years ago I broke the heart of the only man I’ve ever loved and today I’m moving home in hopes that he’ll let me put it back together. I’m not sure how many breaths I have left, but I’ll use each and every last one fighting for what I destroyed. My name is Laney Jacobs and this is my journey.
“I wish it was someone else,” she croaks, swallowing hard. “There are thousands of bad people in the world, but it happened to you.” I watch her eyes fill with tears and then I look away. It’s pathetic of me really; that I’m unable to look my best friend in the face when it’s obvious that she is struggling with this almost as much as I am. But I’ve cried my fair share of tears and although I’m certain my tear ducts have yet to dry up, I don’t want to cry tonight. Somehow I know that if I watch Mia break, then I’ll shatter right along with her. “I’m glad it’s me.” She gasps, startled by my words, and I rush to try and explain. “If it wasn’t me, it would be someone else, and I would never wish this upon someone else. You know that saying that God will only give you what you can handle?” She nods. “Sometimes I tell myself that he just thinks I’m really strong and I can handle it, whereas someone else couldn’t.” “Does that help?” she asks. “Does that make you feel better about it?” “No, but it eases my mind. Sometimes when I’m having a good day, it brings me peace, however temporary it may be. But no, it doesn’t make me feel better.” “Peace,” she whispers, seemingly trying the word on for size. “I want you to have peace.”
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Pretty Pink Ribbons by K.L. Grayson is a story of healing; healing after the heartbreak of losing your first love in order to follow your dreams, healing from a disease that you are unable to control as it wreaks havoc on your body, healing from the loss of a the life you wish you had if the choices made so long ago had been different. K.L. Grayson is an amazing author, and I feel in love with the words that flow from her heart onto the page when reading the first book in this series, Where We Belong. Levi Beckford was first introduced to the reader in this first book in the series, and he intrigued me even then, wondering what his story was and if he would find his happily ever after. I was thrilled when I discovered that Pretty Pink Ribbons would be his story and I had no doubt that K.L. Grayson wouldn't disappoint when allowing the reader to devour his story and I was without a doubt correct. This book was 5++ Pink Ribbons for me and I highly suggest that you stop what you are doing and one-click this amazing series. I promise that you will not be disappointed.
Young and hopelessly in love; Laney Jacobs is forced to make a decision that will change the course of her life forever, and not in a way that she had foreseen. When her boyfriend Levi Beckford gives her an ultimatum of staying with him and building a life; while giving up her dream to be a chef or severing their passionate relationship to attend culinary school in California; she chooses her dream instead of the boy that she hopelessly loves. Eight years has not diminished her feelings for Levi, and she knows that now is the time when she needs to return home and tell him how she feels; that there has never been another since him all those years ago and there never will be because he is the one that holds the key to her heart. The reader turns each page with baited breathe wondering how their reunion will be; will he greet her with open arms or will he snub her only remember the hurt that he felt when she left him to follow her dream.
The intensity of the first time that Levi and Laney come face to face after eight long years can be felt through the page, simply by the way in which the author weaves the words and I will admit had me wanting to reach into the story and slap both of them for holding back the true feelings that had with seeing one another again. Although understandable that Levi would be apprehensive to lay it all out and be vulnerable to the girl who broke him; I had hoped that he would at least embrace her as a long lost friend.
With the help of her brother, who was standing by her side with tremendous love and support through one of the most difficult, unnerving and unpredictable times in her life, her long-time friend and neighbor Benny and her feisty best friend Mia; Laney has the fight of her life on her hands; both in winning Levi's love again and with overcoming the tremendously ominous obstacle before her. Yearning for him to fall in love with her all over again without knowing her most stressful and terrifying secret; Laney seems to chip away at the wall that Levi has built around his heart a day at a time until there is nothing left but the love that he still feels for this amazingly brave woman.
This book will make you laugh, and certainly it will make you cry both tears of sadness and of joy but it couldn't have been written any more perfectly than it was! I am in awe of this amazing new author and I cannot wait to see what else she brings us!
This is a story to savor. This book dealt with a delicate topic. Pretty Pink Ribbons swept me away. It broke my heart and pieced it back together one piece at a time.
Laney is a courageous woman. She’s had to make life altering decisions that had an impact on her life. Many years later she again is making decisions that will affect her and the ones she cares for. This is her story. It is beautiful. It is sad. It inspired and encouraged me.
“My biggest regret is that I walked away without telling him how I felt- without telling him how much he meant to me.” -Laney
Levi is a catch. Too bad things had to change and left him feeling numb and discarded. He’s a compassionate hard working individual that has irresistible charm.
“I’m always here for you. I want to be here for you; you just have to let me in.” –Levi
I enjoyed the secondary characters a great deal. They were implemental to Laney and Levi’s life. They helped bring Pretty Pink Ribbons to life along with Levi and Laney.
K.L. Grayson has a gentle way with words. She writes emotional stories that are relevant and memorable.
This second chance romance was full of tender moments. It took me on an emotional journey that will stay with me. It showed us how one deals with a devastating diagnoses but finds the perseverance to forge on while battling for their life and the love of their life. It is a poignant story of redemption, healing and hope.
I give this story 4 STARS!
“Tomorrow is not promised- to anyone- and I think it’s time I start living what life I have left to its fullest potential. At the end of the day, when everything is said and done, I don’t want to look back on my life with regrets.” - Laney
Where to start with Pretty Pink Ribbons… I honestly don’t know… It’s such a courageous and beautifully written story of love, loss, heartbreak, and the courage to stand up and face the most terrifying experience anyone can go through, the battle with cancer. I cannot even imagine the emotions of writing this kind of story because the emotional level as a reader was just gah… I wanted so much to root for Laney and Levi and to have them have their happily ever after but with the struggle of cancer, you never know if they would have it. It’s a valuable lesson that life is too short and to live life with no regrets. KL Greyson just did an outstanding job pouring out her heart and soul into this one and it shows. The emotions just jump off the pages and got stuck in my heart! She is definitely one of my favorite authors and one author everyone should know!
Flashback eight years ago, Laney and Levi where happy in their relationship but hadn’t said those three little words. Levi was ready to move forward but Laney wanted more. She wanted to follow her dreams and that she did. Leaving Levi in St Louis and moving to California to follow her dreams. Levi is heartbroken but moves on. Laney did set out what she wanted to do but in the end it didn’t matter, ten years later she finds a lump in her breast and found herself doing the one thing she could do… return home.
Laney knew having cancer she must make things right with Levi and she would stop at nothing to make it happen. She knew she had to get him to fall in love with her again. If it was the last thing she did… she would make it happen. The only thing, she doesn’t want him to know she is dying. She doesn’t want his love out of pity, but out of his heart.
The story will make you believe in true love, it will make you believe that things happen for a reason, that love will find a way to bring your soulmate back to you. It will teach you to live life to the fullest because tomorrow isn’t always guaranteed. I feel in love with this book and the characters and it just solidified what an amazing author KL Greyson truly is! 5 huge pink ribbon stars from me
K.L. Grayson resides in a small town outside of St. Louis, MO. She is entertained daily by her extraordinary husband, who will forever inspire every good quality she writes in a man. Her entire life rests in the palms of six dirty little hands, and when the day is over and those pint-sized cherubs have been washed and tucked into bed, you can find her typing away furiously on her computer. She has a love for alpha-males, brownies, reading, tattoos, sunglasses, and happy endings…and not particularly in that order.
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