Never Say Goodbye by Sarah Grace Grzy is a sweet, contemporary romance about grief, loss, and forgiveness. Tyler Collens is a single dad still recovering from the loss of his wife eighteen months ago. Alyvia Emmerson is a young woman with plans to open a bookstore in her hometown, and avoid her father now that he’s back in her life. Things don’t go easy for Tyler and Alyvia, but will the hardship drive them together or apart?
Alyvia is excited about her new bookstore venture, but not about the fact her dad has returned after his departure when she was a teenager. She doesn’t want to talk with him, let along meet him for dinner. While ignoring her dad, she puts her energies toward fixing up the bookstore, with Tyler’s help. She love little Murrae and kinda likes the little girl’s dad, too.
Tyler loves his little girl Murrae with all his heart. She looks just like his late wife and that endears her to him even more. They’d planned a long future, cut short by cancer. Seeing Alyvia and Murrae together is a direct hit to that sore place in his heart. Will he harden against the pain or will it heal him?
Overall, I enjoyed Never Say Goodbye. It had sweet moments, emotional moments, and fun moments. The characters were all likable and you wanted to see them happy in the end. I would have loved to see more depth, but that would have changed this book from a light romance to something grittier.
One aspect I noted was the judgment on the dad of being overprotective. Having gone through a trauma like he did, it should be expected for him to be hyper-vigilant. Instead of that being a flaw (aka, a helicopter parent; which he was not), it should be understandable and a way a friend could come along side him.
As I said, I enjoyed the story. It’s a quick, lighthearted read that will still tug on your heartstrings. You might like it, too.
I received this book free from JustRead in order to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”