Shannon's Thoughts
If you've ever read a JL Berg book, than you know at some point and time during the course of the story you'll be coming a sopping, emotional mess. Having read quite a few of her books, I knew what to expect. Having read the first book in this series, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I should have Kleenex nearby. Yet, here I was towards the end of the book having to search for something to mop myself up.
BEYOND THESE WALLS continues the story of Lailah and Jude, who we met in WITHIN THESE WALLS. It's two year later, Lailah's new heart is working wonderfully and the happy couple is on the verge of marriage. It was great to see how happy they were and living their lives. I had wanted this for them when the first book ended and it was great to see they hadn't let life get in the way of them living. I loved how they had worked to still mark things off Lailah's list. And I loved seeing how much Jude had embraced his second chance at love. The first part of the book was a wonderful testament to their love for one another. Then fate stepped in.
The second half of the story was about Jude and Lailah fighting for their love and their family. They were thrown a curveball and it was going to test them, both physically and emotionally, but it was another chance to see just how right this couple was for one another. They fought. For themselves, for each other and for the faith to believe everything was going to be ok. It wasn't easy, and as a reader I found myself being tested...just like they were, holding out faith that JL Berg was not going to pull that rug out from underneath me or them. In the end, we did get our HEA. And it was worth it. Worth Jude and Lailah fighting for what was important. And worth it for the soggy mess I became at the end.