Story for the Week
I suspect that my love of reading came from my mother. Like me, she is never without a book, so we gave her a Kindle a couple of Christmases ago. I wasn’t sure whether she would embrace it, but I thought it was worth a shot, and I wasn’t disappointed.
My parents aren’t online shoppers, so I connected the Kindle to an old Amazon account I had from before my husband and I got married. I downloaded a bunch of books to it before we gave it to her so it was “ready to use,” and I showed her how to download books if she wanted to, how to delete books from the Kindle when she was done so they didn’t take up all the space.
Two key selling points for her were being able to increase the font size (which I’ve found myself doing more and more on my own Kindle over the years if I’m honest) and the ease of having the book she’s reading as well as a spare without the extra weight in her purse. Every once in a while, I’ll log into that old account and push some more books to her. I’m pretty sure this book will be one of them.
In honor of my mother, who gave me a love of reading as well as showing me by example how to love my own kid unconditionally, I offer you this. Happy Mother’s Day. 💓
Book Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 Stars for You and Me and Us by Alison Hammer
422 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: April 7, 2020
I received an advance copy of this title from NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks in exchange for an honest review.
Publisher’s Description
Alexis Gold knows how to put the “work” in working mom. It’s the “mom” part that she’s been struggling with lately. Since opening her own advertising agency three years ago, Alexis has all but given up on finding a good work/life balance. Instead, she’s handed over the household reins to her supportive, loving partner, Tommy. While he’s quick to say they divide and conquer, Alexis knows that Tommy does most of the heavy lifting—especially when it comes to their teenage daughter, CeCe.
Their world changes in an instant when Tommy receives a terminal cancer diagnosis, and Alexis realizes everything she’s worked relentlessly for doesn’t matter without him. So Alexis does what Tommy has done for her almost every day since they were twelve-year-old kids in Destin, Florida—she puts him first. And when the only thing Tommy wants is to spend one last summer together at “their” beach, she puts her career on hold to make it happen…even if it means putting her family within striking distance of Tommy’s ex, an actress CeCe idolizes.
But Alexis and Tommy aren’t the only ones whose lives have been turned inside out. In addition to dealing with the normal ups and downs that come with being a teenager, CeCe is also forced to confront her feelings about Tommy’s illness—and what will happen when the one person who’s always been there for her is gone. When the magic of first love brings a bright spot to her summer, CeCe is determined not to let her mother ruin that for her, too.
As CeCe’s behavior becomes more rebellious, Alexis realizes the only thing harder for her than losing Tommy will be convincing CeCe to give her one more chance.
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Main Characters:
- Alexis – mom, soulmate to Tommy, owner of her own advertising agency and a bit of a workaholic. She has spent the last several years building up her business and letting Tommy do most of the parenting of their teenage daughter. She’s a little terrified of spending the summer in Destin when she finds out that Tommy’s ex will be there filming her television show because CeCe is obsessed with her, and Alexis’s relationship with CeCe is already a little dicey.
- Tommy – dad, soulmate to Alexis, work-from-home therapist who has always had a special bond with CeCe, and determined to get Alexis and CeCe to come together and see eye to eye in his last summer with them.
- CeCe – rebellious and resentful teenage daughter, deeply devoted to her father, antagonistic toward her mother, obsessed with the actress Monica Whistler who (unbeknownst to CeCe) is Tommy’s ex-wife. CeCe has aspirations to become a famous actress like her idol Monica.
- Jill – owner of The Broken Crown and Alexis’s best friend
- Beau – Jill’s son and CeCe’s best friend in Destin
- Monica – famous TV actress whose show happens to be filming in Destin while Alexis, Tommy, and CeCe are there, and Tommy’s ex-wife
This family’s story is told from the perspectives of Alexis and CeCe while they navigate their last summer with Tommy. CeCe has always been a daddy’s girl, and Tommy, who works from home as a therapist, has been the parent CeCe gravitates to. She and Alexis clash more than they connect. But in this final summer with Tommy, they need to learn to be there for each other.
The description really tells the story. There are no surprises here, no twists and turns. The story is told through alternating chapters between Alexis and CeCe, with one thrown in by Tommy, although I don’t think it was necessary. This is a sweet read, and I found myself smiling at some of the interactions despite the sad back story. Alexis and Tommy’s relationship is beautifully written. You just know that Tommy’s loss will be devastating to both Alexis and CeCe, and they face the difficult task of learning to navigate life without him and, more importantly, with each other. I truly enjoyed their amazing journey.
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