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A review by jamie_w
The Best Gift by Eli Easton
5.0
I knew this book was going to hurt since going into this I knew that Greg had lost his son earlier in the year while he was enlisted overseas in Afghanistan. The loss of a child, no matter the age, is going to HURRRRTTTTT A LOT! And it did!!
However, there were some genuinely beautiful moments leading up to the ugly crying while my husband slept next to me. This was a very well done novella and if I have one complaint, it's that it wasn't long enough! I would've happily read this book if it were twice as long. And while the theme wasn't necessarily new, it was a beautiful story nonetheless.
Getting to know Greg and the inner turmoil he was struggling with while trying to maintain his family's christmas tree farm and what the rest of his life looked like without his son was just heartbreaking. He had no family left and his son's mother didn't live close. He was struggling. So when Robbie randomly showed up, it was the life he needed breathed back into his soul.
Robbie didn't have any family either and was returning back home following months of PT while he was injured during deployment. He had nothing so to speak but he was still so alive and full of holiday joy. He never pushed anything on Greg. He knew Greg was hurting and he wanted to give him a little bit of levity.
Their attraction and passion was so sweet and wildly emotional. They both had a lot of healing they needed to endure. I loved that they found each other and were able to mend their broken hearts.
But when the reveal happened, it was like a dam burst and I was completely overwhelmed. Seriously crying my eyes out and trying to not sob out loud. As a parent, the aftermath of a child’s death seems crushing so the fact that Greg and Roseanna (Sam's mother - deceased son) were able to have some sense of closure and peace was really all that we could ask for!
However, there were some genuinely beautiful moments leading up to the ugly crying while my husband slept next to me. This was a very well done novella and if I have one complaint, it's that it wasn't long enough! I would've happily read this book if it were twice as long. And while the theme wasn't necessarily new, it was a beautiful story nonetheless.
Getting to know Greg and the inner turmoil he was struggling with while trying to maintain his family's christmas tree farm and what the rest of his life looked like without his son was just heartbreaking. He had no family left and his son's mother didn't live close. He was struggling. So when Robbie randomly showed up, it was the life he needed breathed back into his soul.
Robbie didn't have any family either and was returning back home following months of PT while he was injured during deployment. He had nothing so to speak but he was still so alive and full of holiday joy. He never pushed anything on Greg. He knew Greg was hurting and he wanted to give him a little bit of levity.
Their attraction and passion was so sweet and wildly emotional. They both had a lot of healing they needed to endure. I loved that they found each other and were able to mend their broken hearts.
But when the reveal happened, it was like a dam burst and I was completely overwhelmed. Seriously crying my eyes out and trying to not sob out loud. As a parent, the aftermath of a child’s death seems crushing so the fact that Greg and Roseanna (Sam's mother - deceased son) were able to have some sense of closure and peace was really all that we could ask for!