Reviewed by stacey_is_sassy on
Confessions...I read books...a lot of books, and sometimes I have the very bad habit of thinking every medical and mental illness I read about, I've got. After reading Loving the White Liar I think I've got ADHD.
- SOCIAL CUES - I sometimes say the wrong things in public
- HYPER FOCUS - I am addicted to reading too much that life goes on without me
- IMPULSE CONTROL - I have been known to buy things I don't need e.g. shoes and clothes
- RESTLESSNESS - If I drink too much coffee I can't sleep
- EXPLOSIVE TEMPERAMENT/ SUDDEN OUTBURST OF EMOTION - PMS...enough said
- SOCIAL ANXIETY/ FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN - I don't want to be at a One Direction concert
OK, I'm being silly and this book did open my eyes to the seriousness of ADHD. Like Hilary the heroine of the story I didn't think it was a big deal. I thought it was more about the OCD and hyper activity, but it's so much more.
This story was gripping. I started to question things about myself and some of the answers shocked me. Would I be like Hilary was at first and question why such a good looking guy would be interested in me? Would I question what was wrong with him? Would I willingly be with someone if I knew how hard things would get? All of these feelings made me question whether I could cope as well as Hilary did. Yes, at times she struggled and wondered if it was all worth it, but I never doubted her love for him.
Wow...Jayden. I loved this character. I knew going in there were going to be issues, but silly me I judged based on the good stuff instead of the whole package. I knew he was going to be devoted and caring. I knew he was good looking and did sweet and loving gestures. I never thought of the repercussions of living with someone who's mind taps out to a beat ten times faster than everyone else's. The pressure Jay faced daily to be like others. He wanted to be normal for Hilary, so she never felt the need to leave. Their journey was a hard one to read but so rewarding in the end.
I admit I went into reading this story with preconceived ideas, after all this is a romance. I thought it would be about him getting better with Hilary's help. As Dr Sawyer's character explained brilliantly, it's about finding your own ways to cope and manage loving someone who has ADHD, not changing them. I think that was the turning point for me. I realised the perfect love story doesn't always have two perfect people getting together. It's about two people who are perfect together (warts and all) working towards their HEA.
This story wasn't an easy or light and fluffy read. There were times I thought they should just give up, and times where I wanted Hilary to suck it up buttercup. Honestly, I never felt anger at Jayden. When the harsh words came flying from him and the shutting down and rejection were there, I just wanted to help him. I didn't know the answers or solutions to help Hilary cope, but I wanted to. There are no easy answers and that was my biggest lesson to be learnt.
My enjoyment of this story was a slow build. At first I thought Hilary was immature, but soon realised that she just hadn't found a reason to want to grow up. I loved seeing Jayden grow to trust and believe that Hilary wanted to be HAM (Jayden's last name is Munroe) and was willing to work at it. This story made me laugh, cry, blush and cringe. I felt it all, ended on a high and wanted more. Definitely one of my best reads for 2015.
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Reading updates
- Started reading
- 29 July, 2015: Finished reading
- 29 July, 2015: Reviewed