What would you do if
you've lost everything? If the reason you woke up in the morning no
longer existed? If life dealt you a blow so devastating that something
as simple as breathing was just too painful, how would you find the
strength to go on?
Nicole Miller was happy, busy with her family and her dream job. Life was perfect. When tragedy struck, she succumbed to her devastating loss and crumbled under the heavy weight of her despair. She didn’t know where to find the strength to keep going.
Divorce Attorney, Shawn Burns had seen too many destroyed marriages to believe that happily ever after actually existed. By avoiding commitment, he remained aloof, and most importantly, unattached. Nicole, Shawn’s old college friend, is the only woman that he would ever be willing to give his heart to, but she was married to someone else…
Some friendships survive under stress. Some do not. Can Shawn, provide the healing balm for his friend’s soul? Will Nicole ever be able to find hope, forgiveness, or love for her desolate heart?
Nicole Miller was happy, busy with her family and her dream job. Life was perfect. When tragedy struck, she succumbed to her devastating loss and crumbled under the heavy weight of her despair. She didn’t know where to find the strength to keep going.
Divorce Attorney, Shawn Burns had seen too many destroyed marriages to believe that happily ever after actually existed. By avoiding commitment, he remained aloof, and most importantly, unattached. Nicole, Shawn’s old college friend, is the only woman that he would ever be willing to give his heart to, but she was married to someone else…
Some friendships survive under stress. Some do not. Can Shawn, provide the healing balm for his friend’s soul? Will Nicole ever be able to find hope, forgiveness, or love for her desolate heart?
Prologue
I sat in the front row of the church with my left hand locked
tightly into my mother’s, my right hand locked tightly into my best
friend’s, and a small book tucked under my arm. I listened intently as
person after person stood to read scriptures or offer words of comfort.
Each person stopped in front of me, dabbed their red, swollen eyes as
they gave me hugs and kisses, and offered me condolences. Like a robot, I
automatically thanked each and every one of them and smiled as best I
could.
My mother stood and approached the podium. She gave a beautiful
eulogy; she summarized the ten short years of her grandson’s life better
than anyone else could, including me. She told a few stories about the
love between my sweet boy and me. Some even I had forgotten. She broke
down a few times as she spoke on how hard the loss of his life had been
on our family, but managed to make it to the end without completely
falling apart. All the while, I stared at the shiny royal-blue
child-sized coffin in front of me, feeling completely numb.
As the service wrapped up and the crowd made their way to their
vehicles, I kept my eyes on the casket; I wanted to take in every moment
I had left with my child. I needed it, because if there was one thing
that I was able to comprehend in the big mess that my life had turned
into, it was that these moments were devastatingly final. Therefore, I
needed to stay in the moment and remember every detail.
When we approached the gravesite, I sat quietly as those around me stood and sang Amazing Grace.
“I once was lost, but now I’m found. Was blind, but now I see.”
I shook my head, wondering who the hell chose that song. It couldn’t
be any further from the truth. In my twenty-eight years of living, I had
never felt more lost, or blinder, than I did at that very moment.
When my only child‘s body began its descent into the earth, nothing
about me felt right. It was as if my soul had taken up residence in a
foreign body. I felt as if my right arm was missing, as if my lungs had
lost their elasticity, and as if my heart had been ripped from my chest.
I managed to keep my tears at bay as the workers began to pile dirt
and rocks into the hole. I found myself worrying about things I hadn’t
thought of before. Would he be cold down there? Or get lonely? I didn’t
know why, but somehow leaving him all alone in a hole in the ground
suddenly seemed cruel. The wails of those around me started to
infiltrate my thoughts, but I tried my best to push them out. I needed
to focus on my son and myself. When I felt strong enough, I pushed to my
feet and approached the freshly covered hole. I walked to the place
where I knew his head lay and sat next to it.
Then I pulled out the book that I held for the last two hours and did what I had done every night for the last ten years.
I read my baby boy a story.
This is my 5 star review for Just One More Breath by Leigha Lewis for Eskimo Princess Book Reviews.
Just One More Breath took my breath away. It follows the life of a lovely woman, Nicole Miller, as she embarks on a journey of love and loss. Nicole is a successful woman. She is a wife and mother and has everything going for her, until suddenly her perfect life is jerked out from under her. Will she be able to move on with her life? Will her friends and family be able to see the hurt and pain that lies dormant just underneath the surface of her smile?
Shawn Burns is a sexy, rich, and successful divorce attorney. He doesn’t want to have anything to do with the word commitment. He likes the way that his life is going and really isn’t looking to change things. When his college friend, Nicole, finds herself in need of a shoulder to cry on, he can’t help but step up to the plate. He knows that she has always brought out feeling in him that no other woman ever has but she has always been married. Will Nicole turn his world upside down? Will he be able to bring her back from the brink of despair?
I really enjoyed this book. It was very emotional and I went through a box of tissues while reading it. I love how Shawn and Nicole where such good friends. Shawn went above and beyond the call of friend duty. I really don’t want to give anything away so I will just say that I don’t blame Nicole for feeling the way she did. I believe that everything worked out the way they were supposed to. I loved the epilogue! This is a hard topic and I think the author done it justice!
If you are looking for a heartfelt story then this book is a great option. It was well written and well put together. I hope that the author will consider giving us a book for Shane and Zena, hint, hint!!
Just One More Breath took my breath away. It follows the life of a lovely woman, Nicole Miller, as she embarks on a journey of love and loss. Nicole is a successful woman. She is a wife and mother and has everything going for her, until suddenly her perfect life is jerked out from under her. Will she be able to move on with her life? Will her friends and family be able to see the hurt and pain that lies dormant just underneath the surface of her smile?
Shawn Burns is a sexy, rich, and successful divorce attorney. He doesn’t want to have anything to do with the word commitment. He likes the way that his life is going and really isn’t looking to change things. When his college friend, Nicole, finds herself in need of a shoulder to cry on, he can’t help but step up to the plate. He knows that she has always brought out feeling in him that no other woman ever has but she has always been married. Will Nicole turn his world upside down? Will he be able to bring her back from the brink of despair?
I really enjoyed this book. It was very emotional and I went through a box of tissues while reading it. I love how Shawn and Nicole where such good friends. Shawn went above and beyond the call of friend duty. I really don’t want to give anything away so I will just say that I don’t blame Nicole for feeling the way she did. I believe that everything worked out the way they were supposed to. I loved the epilogue! This is a hard topic and I think the author done it justice!
If you are looking for a heartfelt story then this book is a great option. It was well written and well put together. I hope that the author will consider giving us a book for Shane and Zena, hint, hint!!
Leigha Lewis lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband, three year old daughterand Maltese puppy. She loves to read stories about the most unlikely individual finding all consuming, heart stopping love.
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