BOOK SPOTLIGHT – REVIEW and GIVEAWAY – When You’re Ready by J.L. Berg

Can his love mend the pieces of her grieving heart?

Years after suffering the tragic loss of her husband, Ethan, which left her alone to raise their young daughter, Clare Murray still holds the last letter he wrote with the words “When You’re Ready” written in his familiar messy handwriting, unable to break its weathered seal. Ready for what? He was her entire world, and Clare had accepted a life without him, without love. Until years later, fate brings her to an emergency room, and face to face with a stormy-eyed doctor intent on changing her mind.

Logan Matthews is the son of a billionaire who has spent his entire life trying to make his absent father proud. Years of living up to a man who was more ghost than father, and a publicly failed marriage has left Logan cold and emotionless until he walks into an exam room and discovers a woman who can stop his heart, make his body burn with desire and leave his entire world altered.

But how far are Clare and Logan willing to go for love? When their love is tested, is Clare ready to put her whole heart on the line again? Can Logan learn the true meaning of love, even if it means sacrificing his own happiness? When a second chance at love is given, Clare and Logan learn you never know if you are truly ready until you’re ready to risk it all.

I cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like to lose my husband.  I don’t know how I would survive.  That’s exactly what Clare has to do in When You’re Ready.  It should have been a magical time in their marriage.  Clare and Ethan are college sweethearts, head over heels in love and they’ve just had a baby girl, Maddie.  When Ethan goes in for CT, he’s told everything is fine, he’s just suffering from migraines.  Little did they know he had terminal brain cancer.

The prologue of Ethan writing to Clare was perfect.  How do you tell the person you love, that it’s okay to love again?  That you have to let them go and move on.

Fast forward three years and Clare is once again in the hospital.  This time with Maddie who’s fallen and hurt her head.  In walks her doctor, Logan Mathews.

“Holy hell, I think I just whimpered a little.” – Clare

Yep you guessed it the good doctor is gorgeous.  Being described as having a swimmers body with grayish blue eyes, and dark brown hair.  The last thing on his mind is meeting a beautiful redhead with gorgeous green eyes who smelled like vomit.

This really was the perfect story, Clare was dealing with what she believed to be insurmountable grief.  Logan had a difficult childhood, being raised by an unloving, uncaring father.  He didn’t believe that he could love or that he ever would.  He was convinced that he was incapable.  Together, Clare and Logan are able to help each other heal.

They’re able to help each other love again.

For me, the moments where Clare, Logan and Maddie were together were my favorite.  Kids have this amazing way of making you see how simple and pure life is.  They love freely and with their whole self.  A child’s love, in my opinion, can heal many, many wounds.  Maddie was exactly what Logan needed at this point in his life.  His feelings for her were so sweet and as a parent I could relate to them.  Logan didn’t understand why he had those feelings but he also knew he didn’t want to let them go.  There were many poignant moments and I found myself trying not to cry.

“What I felt for Maddie was something different, though.  I wanted to protect her, hold her, and never let her go.  It was fierce, raw and real.” – Logan

Throughout the story Clare struggles with moving on and allowing herself to love again.  I found myself agreeing with her many times in journey.  How does one move on?  Is it fair to let your first love go?  Do you want to let them go?  Ethan has left Clare a sealed letter.  Written on the envelope is, “When you’re ready.”  For three years Clare has held that envelope.  She’s never found the courage to open it.  Let me tell you right now, when she does finally open it, you’ll definitely want to have some tissues on hand.  I actually had to put my kindle down and walk away.

Then the unthinkable happens and everyone is tested.  I swear I had tears in my eyes for the last quarter of the book.  But it was definitely worth it.

“Why the universe had decided I was lucky enough to get this second chance, I would never know, but I wasn’t letting it go.” – Clare

When You’re Ready is a really beautiful story and I’m looking forward to next book in the series.

The book was provided by the author for an honest review.

$25 Amazon GC

1 signed paperback (US ONLY)

5 ebooks of WYR

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Buy Links:

Amazon – http://amzn.to/12LkgEK

Amazon UK – http://amzn.to/134Detz

BN – http://bit.ly/13DCXxu

About J.L. Berg

J.L. Berg is a California native living in the South. She’s married to her highschool sweetheart and they have two beautiful girls that drive them batty on a daily basis. When she’s not writing, you can find her with her nose stuck in a romance book, in a yoga studio or devouring anything chocolate.

I’m married to my high school sweetheart. We were married young, barely out of high school. Everyone told us we were crazy and stupid. We’ll be celebrating 12 years of marriage this year, and I love him more every single day. We’re living proof that true love knows no age limit.

We’ve been blessed with two beautiful daughters who continue to amaze and inspire me, and are probably making me go a bit insane. I’m obsessed with yoga and pilates and am a complete chocoholic. I apologize in advance for the amount of sweets in my book.

I’m absolutely obsessed with romance novels (duh) and probably could have built a vacation home with the amount of money I’ve invested in them over the years. Romance novels take you to another place, making your heart race, emotions swell, passion run free. After so many years of meeting hundreds of fictional characters and discovering their worlds, I found myself creating my own.

My debut novel, When You’re Ready, a novel about about finding love after loss, will be released July 25th!

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads