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Review
“The perfect marriage is just two imperfect people who refuse to give up on each other”
4.5 ‘against the odds stars
This is an absolutely beautiful story of a couple very much in love who have to face huge challenges in order to create a life together. Funny, romantic, heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting, the feels are intense and I got swept away in Hilary and Jayden’s amazing story.
Hilary and Jaden meet at the pool of their apartment complex. After sharing meaningful looks, flirting and great banter, they begin dating, get along brilliantly and it doesn’t take long for their feelings to deepen. They’ve both been in relationships before, and know that they are looking for a connection with somebody, not just a hook-up, and watching them fall for each other was beautiful.
“Jayden,” I cried, feeling everything from elation to fear to hope to love.
He locked eyes with me and whispered, “I’m right here, baby, let go.”
I looked him right in the eyes and countered, “I will if you will.” He saw my vulnerability then and made a promise.
“I already have.”
But then Jayden admits his biggest secret – he has ADHD. Hilary knows little about the disorder but knows it won’t impact her feelings for him, so she accepts him openly, and their relationship moves from milestone to milestone. But the more time they spend together, the more that Hilary starts to understand the impact of Jayden’s disorder on his life, and by extension, her own.
Our life together was beautiful… until it wasn’t.
I had no idea about the true nature of ADHD, and the havoc it can wreak on the lives of those who live with it. It’s truly a struggle, and I thought this book portrayed that so well. Hilary goes through an amazing journey as she comes to know and love Jayden. And even though the book is entirely from her perspective, we see Jayden’s pain through her eyes, and I truly ached for him. His strength in coping with his illness, and the battle that he goes through on a daily basis left me stunned, and watching him endure it all in the context of a relationship is heartbreaking.
“I feel like I’m going crazy,” I said with tears in my eyes. “I can’t decide whether to love you or hate you from one minute to the next.”
“I told you loving me wasn’t easy, Hil,” he said hoarsely, his eyes begging for forgiveness.
“It’s so easy to love you, Jayden. Too easy. It’s only hard when you won’t let me.” In two strides he was in front of me, cupping my face.
“You are it for me. You need to know that. I won’t be the perfect man, ever. I won’t even come close, but for you I’ll fight hard to be.
The love that they have for each other is beautiful. It’s not easy, but they are committed to each other. Hilary loves Jayden unconditionally, but you can see her struggle, and I thought the way she handled it was amazing.
“I’ve accepted you as you are, but I’m still allowed to be angry when I feel it, and sad and disappointed and all of those things. But they don’t amount to shit in comparison to how good we have it. We are worth it.”
Following Hilary and Jayden from their meeting, through the early stages of their relationship and into well-established commitment, this book is a beautiful story of the enduring strength and power of love, and two people who are determined to be together no matter what.
“This is forever,” he whispered. “No matter how bad we beat the shit out of it. You and me, we are always.”
Tackling the small issues and the big ones, Kate Stewart takes us right into the heart of these amazing characters, and though Jayden’s issues are a big part of the story, it is very much primarily a romance, and the love story is amazing. Emotional and passionate with lots of banter and funny moments (I laughed out loud a lot while reading this), the story is actually a lot of fun. The two parts of the book combine really well, and I thought the whole thing was beautifully done.
I loved it. 4.5 stars.