Official Review: Love Built to Last by Lisa Ricard Claro

Bookaholic14 · Post by **Bookaholic14** » 16 Jan 2016, 19:51

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Love Built to Last" by Lisa Ricard Claro.]

4 out of 4 stars

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How do you find peace when a loved one dies? How do you say goodbye? How do you move on, and is such a thing even possible?

Caleb Walker lost his wife, Gwen, to cancer three years ago. He's learned to keep going, keep putting one foot in front of the other because he has to. Their five year old son, TJ, needs him. Maddie Kinkaid isn't having the same luck. Four years after losing her husband, Jack, in a tragic car accident, Maddie still hasn't been able to move on. She still talks to Jack – and he answers her! She asks for his advice on everything – from what to have for dinner, to who to hire as a contractor. When Jack “tells” Maddie to call Caleb to remodel the kitchen, she does as Jack says.

Caleb is the first person to truly understand what Maddie is going through. The loss, the pain, and even Maddie's “conversations” with Jack, all make sense to Caleb. Both of them are struggling with a devastating loss, and they've found in one another someone who knows what it means to lose your heart. As Maddie says, she was “a bride too late and a widow too soon.”

Love Built to Last by Lisa Ricard Claro is the first novel in the Firefly Series, although it can be read on its own. It's easy to fall in love with the characters. You're rooting for Maddie and Caleb, wondering what the future has in store for them. You're laughing at five year old TJ and his amazing, honest, and often hilarious observations and comments. Then there's Pirate, the lovable stray dog, and Caleb and Maddie's meddling family and friends.

Love Built to Last made me laugh, it made me sad, it made me excited, and it made my heart cry for the characters. Although primarily told from Maddie's point of view, the alternate points of view helped offer additional insight, dept, and dimension into Caleb and other characters. The changing POV isn't marked, so it takes a bit of reading to find out which character has taken up the narration, but it doesn't detract from the story. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.

Love Built to Last is about love, loss, and learning to let go. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a heartfelt romance. The romantic scenes are conservatively written, so it's ideal for anyone looking for a romance that isn't too intimately descriptive. That said, there's still some spice.

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Love Built to Last
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