Title: The Absence of Olivia
Author: Anie Michaels
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Women's Lit
Release Date: October 20, 2015
Blurb
My name is Evelyn.
I met Devon and instantly fell for him.
I met Devon and instantly fell for him.
Weeks later he fell for my best friend.
Never one to make waves, I watched as they started a life together. I stood by as their family grew, was the maid of honor at their wedding and the godmother to their children. All the while, I was longing for him, watching as he became the perfect husband and father. I was never jealous. I wasn’t even angry that my best friend had the only person I wanted. I had simply resigned myself to living without his love, but still being a part of his life.
Then, one terrible day, my best friend died.
She died and we all struggled to live life without her. Slowly, as the pain eased, our eyes opened and Devon finally saw me.
This is a story about second chances and second choices.
This is the story of how my life changed in the absence of Olivia.
Author Bio
Anie Michaels is the author of the Never series, the Private Serials, the Never Duet, and The Space Between Us. She started writing her first novel in June 2013. When she is not working, reading, writing, or spending time with her family, you can find her spending time with her close friends. Anie lives in Portland, Oregon, with her family.
Author Links
INSTAGRAM
Title: The Absence of Olivia
Author: Anie Michaels
Release Date: October 20, 2015
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series or Standalone: Standalone
Rating: ★★★★★
Reviewer: Diane
I received this ARC in exchange for an
honest review. It will be kept spoiler free. Trust me you don't
want me to spoil it for you. I will be doing this review differently from
all the other ones I've done so far. It deserves to be done that way.
I usually start with how many stars I give and why, but not this time, it
will come later on.
I've been reading for years now. My
Goodreads challenge states that I've read over 180 books this year.
That's a lot of books multiplied by a lot of years. There is
something I do 99.9% of the time. Half way through the story, I jump to the
conclusion and read the epilogue. Peoples ask me why I do that. For me,
it fuels my enthusiasm and anticipation. I did not do anything
differently with this book. After I did that, I was mildly disappointed
because it was not supposed to end like that. I didn't have all my key
players yet. The blurb led me to believe I was reading a certain kind of book.
I thought I knew the progression of this book and how it would end.
What I thought would happen didn't. But I'm very glad. I was
under a false illusion on how I wanted it to go.
This story is so much more than a
love/romantic book. I do not want to rob the readers of discovering themselves
what this book is about. In order not to spoil it for the readers, I will
focus on one character: Evelyn/ Evie/Lyn.
Evelyn met Devon first while she was in
college, but she did not see him again until her best friend Olivia introduced
him has her boyfriend. Evie spent a decade of her life living a lie and
in the shadow of Olivia and Devon. She watched them marry and have
children together. She was in love with Devon. During that period
Devon cared and even loved Evie more than friends should. They never acted on
it. The friendship between Evie and Olivia was strong but it was not
where the focus was placed. Because there were times, I thought Olivia
was a selfish, self-centred person. Olivia was Devon's first choice.
Evie could not hold on to relationships during that time because she had
unresolved feelings for Devon. She was always there for them throughout
the years. Then Olivia dies. Evie spent a decade thinking Devon was
it for her, but she was living under false pretences. Harsh reality; she
doesn't know who she is.
“You deserve to be someone's first
choice, Evelyn"
Evie thought she knew what she wanted but
she doesn't. Now she needs to find herself first before finding an
everlasting love. Once she leaves that shade, she starts to live a fulfilling
life. She needs to step away in order to move forward. Evie is a
fighter and a survivor even if she was in limbo for years. She has a lot
of self-control because she stepped away and let her best friend have her HEA.
“You’re worth so much more than you're
asking for. You ask people for the bare minimum and then thank them when
they give it to you. You deserve more."
This is an ABOVE 5 glorious, wonderful,
emotional heartfelt stars. The author wrote words of profound meaning and
thoughts. Her words and the main character grabbed onto me and held on tight
even hours after I was done this book. What an emotional roller coaster
ride it was. Anie’s writing is exceptional. She has such a sweet
and gentle way with words. Well paced progression of the story, told in
Evie's point of view. The author was able to create characters that made
me feel a variety of emotions. This story pulled me in from the start and
bewitched me throughout the story. Anie’s deep understanding and grasp on
situations between people that are difficult, painful and emotional, is one of
the things that made this book so real and so heartwarming. This novel taps
into human emotions so profoundly. I couldn't put it down and read for hours
after my bedtime. It's just so beautifully written.
This story is about a journey to self-discovery.
Sometimes when things seem to fall apart they may actually be falling
into place. I don't cry very often over a book but this one did. I
lived through the characters. The author made sure of that. This
book is in my top favourites and most memorable reads so far. It is told
in Evie's point of view, no cliff-hanger and an HEA. The ending was
perfectly well thought out. After my epilogue incident, I went in full
force and had a better understanding of the full meaning of the story.
There is no cheating and no love triangle. I strongly recommend
this book. This book is worth your time and money. Her previous reads
are worth your time too.
Giveaway
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