Sometimes your life is split by a single decision.
I’ve spent every day of the last seven years regretting mine: he left, and I didn’t follow. A thousand letters went unanswered, my words like petals in the wind, spinning away into nothing, taking me with them.
But now he’s back.
I barely recognize the man he’s become, but I can still see a glimmer of the boy who asked me to be his forever, the boy I walked away from when I was young and afraid.
Maybe if he’d come home under better circumstances, he could speak to me without anger in his voice. Maybe if I’d said yes all those years ago, he’d look at me without the weight of rejection in his eyes. Maybe if things were different, we would have had a chance.
One regretted decision sent him away. One painful journey brought him back to me. I only wish I could keep him.
*A contemporary romance inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion*
Goodreads
I was given an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
My Rating: 5 Stars
For as long as I’ve been able to comprehend the written word, I’ve been a reader. I remember walking through the halls of my school with my nose in a novel, staying up past my bedtime with a book and a flashlight under my covers, and waiting in line at bookstores at midnight to get my hands on the next adventure in a beloved series. People have asked, on multiple occasions, why I read as much as I do; the answer is simple, really. Books have this amazing ability to transport you from your own life into the lives of others. For even a few hours a day, I can be someone else – a warrior, a princess, a manhattan socialite. Not only that, good books, really truly incredible books, have the ability to change the way that I see the world. Some books dig their hooks into me and leave this indelible mark.
“A Thousand Letters” is one of those books. I’ve been an admirer of Staci Hart’s works for years now, she is a unique author in her genre. Instead of focusing on just the romance, or the sex, or the drama, she focuses on developing characters. Her fans get to watch her characters grow, and change into people that are capable of truly, selflessly loving one another.
Elliot and Wade have a troubled past, one they are forced for face under the harshest circumstances imaginable – the death of Elliot’s mentor and Wade’s father. When Mr. Winters is diagnosed with brain cancer and given weeks to live, Wade flies back to the states from his army base in Germany to be with his family. As Wade’s sister’s best friend, Elliot is part of that family. In the 7 years since they ended their engagement, neither has dated or thought of anyone else. This beautiful story tells how they grow as people and learn from their past mistakes.
I honestly don’t feel that my words can do this book justice, so I won’t analyze it too much. Elliot’s selfless devotion to those she loves, and Wade’s tendency to hurt those he cares about most made for a heart wrenching story. They were both great narrators in their own way – while Elliot showed her love with her actions, it was absolutely necessary for us to be able to see things from Wade’s perspective to understand why he did the things he did.
While I absolutely loved this book, and plan to re-read it many times in the years to come, I do feel the need to add one disclaimer to my review. “A Thousand Letters” is not full of dialogue, witty banter, or drama. It is a book largely about self-reflection and the majority of the narration is internal monologue. Although there is sexual content in the book, it isn’t full of panty melting sex scenes – instead, the sex scenes are full of meaning and add to the plot. What I’m trying to say is, this book may not be for everyone.
My Takeaway: “A Thousand Letters” is a beautiful, heart-wrenching love story that I plan to read time and time again. Although it isn’t a book that I feel all romance readers will enjoy, it is well written and absolutely made me think about my life and my relationships with my loved ones – something I think that all great books should accomplish.
As The Book Ends 