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Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite
Live For This by Kathryn R. Biel is a well-written, interesting story that fans of women’s fiction will find hard to put down. Samirah Lundgren is a party girl who loves glamour, and is the kind of woman who easily takes refuge in booze and hilarious company, but deep inside are memories of a past that she can’t completely ignore, a past that will soon catch up with her, leaving her devastated and homeless. When all seems to be falling apart, Michael Salinger, a man with a fatal injury to his spinal cord, enters her life. At a time when a powerful bond and trust start developing between the two, something awful happens. Michael watches a video of Samirah that he wasn’t supposed to watch, and now she wonders if he can still keep to his old principle of forgetting the hurts and moving on. This is a beautiful story of loss, the courage to love, and healing.
Live For This opens with a powerful hook right in the very first paragraph. "You'd think waking up in a pool of vomit would mean you've hit rock bottom. For me, it's just Saturday. At least, I think it's Saturday." The author immediately gives readers a surprising glimpse into what the character looks and feels like, even if it's just a bit of her, but it’s a powerful hook. You have to tighten your seat belt and get ready for a wonderful ride.
Kathryn R. Biel has created very interesting characters and many readers will identify with them. Michael is physically broken, but he is cheerful and is a character that will seduce many readers. It is not surprising that Samirah feels easily drawn to and comfortable with him. The conflict is well developed throughout the story and it comes at different levels. Biel’s use of the first person narrative voice is powerful and it makes the story even more convincing as it clearly brings out the psychological conflict in the characters. Live For This is a book that will entertain and inspire readers, a tale of what it takes to create a life of purpose.
