What’s Worth Keeping by Kaya McLaren #bookreview #womensfiction #contemporary

Title: What’s Worth Keeping

Author: Kaya McLaren

Publisher:  Griffin

Publication Date: January 19, 2021

Page Count:  304

My rating: 5 stars

About the book:

In Kaya McLaren’s What’s Worth Keeping, during one unforgettable summer, three generations of one family receive the best gift of all time: a second chance…

The day her doctor says the one word that no one wants to hear, Amy Bergstrom discovers a secret that her husband of 25 years has been keeping from her. Now that the months of treatment and surgeries are behind her, she escapes her claustrophobic life seeking healing, peace and clarity in an ancient forest in Washington State, a forest that holds memories of her childhood summers.

After dropping off his daughter at Amy’s Aunt Rae’s horse ranch in the mountains of New Mexico, Officer Paul Bergstrom visits the fixer-upper he had bought years ago as a place to retire with his family. Although it appears fine on the outside, the inside is a disaster―just like his marriage. When he finds himself with more off-duty time than he expected, he lovingly repairs his dream home, building the future he so desperately wants.

Witnessing her mother’s health crisis had been terrifying enough, but learning the cause was genetic leaves Carly with the sense that all of her dreams are pointless. With the help of her eccentric great aunt and a Clydesdale named T. Rex, Carly just may find her faith in her future again.

Amy, Paul, and Carly discover that love and family are worth keeping in this powerful, emotional, and hopeful novel.

If you’re interested in the type of book that rips your heart out, tears it into pieces then slowly puts it back together again then What’s Worth Keeping by Kaya McLaren is for you. This contemporary women’s fiction titles follows three characters, each with their own point of view, as they struggle with their own issues.

Amy Bergstrom has cancer but as she struggles with how to deal with this news she finds out that her husband has been keeping a secret. Amy decides what is best for her is to get away and get some space to clear her head so she packs up and heads to the forest in the state of Washington.

As Amy is away on her trip her husband, Paul, is going to take their daughter to her Aunt Rae’s horse ranch because Carly is also struggling. Carly has gone from a teenager with a bright future to a mother with cancer that could be genetic. Paul meanwhile is going to the house nearby that he once thought he and Amy would retire to as he struggles with his wife’s diagnosis and his demanding job as a police officer.

There were so many words that came to mind after finishing reading What’s Worth Keeping. Powerful. Moving. Gut wrenching. Heartwarming. And so on. This book takes a broken messed up family and pieces them together as it did the same with my emotions while reading. A well written emotional roller coaster of a ride that I’d definitely recommend.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Find this book online: 

Goodreads  /   Amazon **

About the author: