My Initial Reaction...
Have you ever loved an author's work so much that you pick up their book without even checking to see what it's about? That's what I did with A Moment and I have no regrets! Marie knocked it out of the park again and I look forward to picking up the next book.
The Characters...
One of the things I love about Marie's work is her ability to create really rich characters - which is the best way to describe A Moment's characters. When we meet Liliana she's a scared teenager sitting in the Emergency Waiting Room with her father to take the test that will change her life. She already knows what the test will say: she's pregnant. She has no idea how that will shape the woman she is to become. We fast forward 7 years and find out that life has not been easy on poor Lili. The dad wanted nothing to do with her son, Javier, who turned out to be autistic. Her dad also wanted nothing to do with her, after she'd spoiled her dreams. So after a few years he left her, Javi, and her mom (who suffered from MS). This 21 year old girl has the weight of the world on her shoulders and she manages it all amazingly. I was so impressed with her resilience and dedication to her family. But Lili thinks of herself as a statistic - even though as a reader she's anything but. She's finished high school, is in her junior year of college to be a nurse, and hasn't given up on herself one bit. She also refuses to give up on other people. She's a mother hen and as one myself, I couldn't help but love her and feel for her.
One of the people Lili refused to give up on was Ryan. She meets him through a college friend, his cousin Alex. They've all gone out together for Valentine's Day as friends. What Lili doesn't know is that Valentine's Day is a really really horrible day for Ryan - and not because some girl broke his heart. He has some serious emotional scarring, which we and Lili spend the book guessing at and piecing together. I loved Ryan and my heart broke for him over and over again. He's trying so hard to find a life with Lili and keep his demon's in the past, but he doesn't know how to do that. He's a fighter (literally and figuratively) and yet he's also so kind and tender. My heart melted every time he interacted with Javi (Lili's autistic son) and her mom. He's a character that you can't help but root for every step of the way.
The story is told from both Lili's and Ryan's perspectives - always clearly marked at the start of the chapter, so no trouble getting confused- and their unique perspective on overlapping events makes the story that much richer. And I loved all the supporting characters, who you get to know well enough to love, though you'd certainly love to get to know them better. The next book is Alex's story and I look forward to it.
The Story...
Technically this is a contemporary romance, but to classify it that way feels wrong. It's such a deep book and, while the romance was great, it felt secondary to the huge issues that Marie is tackling. Through this emotionally evocative story we get glimpses of people, who feel incredibly real, dealing with the repercussions of teenage pregnancy, an autistic child (who I adored), parental abandonment, MS, child abuse, and even suicide. Can you get deeper than that? Marie handles it all so well too - I was on the verge of tears more than once, for both devastating moments and heart warming ones - but the book still managed to have a lightness to it. There was humor that made me laugh. There was the slow development of a relationship that made me smile, complete with purely fun dates and some steamy moments. It was the perfect balance. And as someone who knows and loves people who have dealt with literally all the issues she tackles, I don't feel that any of them were dealt with improperly. It felt spot on. Yep, I loved this book.
Concluding Sentiments...
A Moment was an emotional ride that I'm thrilled I took. It's a book that melts your heart and breaks it too. I highly recommend for lovers of romance and emotionally charged books that tackle critical issues.
*Be sure to check out today's Free Book Friday for more on why Marie offers incredible books, like this one for FREE!