How to Walk Away by Katherine Center
In the hospital and forced to face the possibility that nothing will ever be the same again, Margaret must figure out how to move forward on her own terms while facing long-held family secrets, devastating heartbreak, and the idea that love might find her in the last place she would ever expect.
Review: This was cute! But a few problematic areas for me. On what should be the happiest day of her life, with her future rolling out before her, Margaret ends up in the hospital after a horrific freak accident. In the hospital, grappling with her life being permanently altered, Margaret has to figure out how to move forward.
I love Katherine Center's books because they focus on very serious themes while still being enjoyable love stories and this one was no different. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but Margaret really goes through it in this book. Basically, everything she had planned for her future is ripped away in the wake of the accident. But she remains relatively cheerful and positive.
I did love the slow burn romance in this and Ian with his Scottish accent, although at times it did feel like their connection wasn't really built up in the text. I did find it problematic that he got to know her through working with Margaret as her physical therapist. It isn't revealed until closer to the end of the novel, but Ian is working through some significant trauma of his own. I did feel like the author dumped in this shocking detail and never really did much else with it.
I did feel deeply sorry for Margaret in the wake of her accident because of the appalling lack of support she receives!! Her boyfriend is the absolute worst! It did make me wonder what she ever saw in him or why she would have dated him to begin with. Her mother is also pretty cutting over and over and while her father seems well-intentioned, he's so mild that her mother overshadows him. Her sister is about the only exception to all the terrible. While it was referenced a bit, I did think Margaret's physical limitations are understated and somewhat glossed over in this book. It just didn't feel like she went through the immense grief and life altering changes that someone in her situation must surely experience. Instead, it felt like she went to therapy and moved in with her parents and it's all good. But I must say I loved the disability representation and admire Center including it in this book!
I loved the tie-in with Center's other novel Things You Save in a Fire, with the main character Cassie from that book being the firefighter that saves Margaret after her accident!! It was such a fun moment. The audiobook of this novel was well done, and I was delighted to discover there was a bonus short story at the end read by the author that describes the day of the accident from Cassie's point of view and gave some additional context and insight into Margaret and the day of her accident.
Stars: 3.5
Related Titles:
Comments
Post a Comment