Sunday, August 3, 2014

Just Destiny by Theresa Rizzo - Review

Before we get started on this review I want to warn that there are spoilers ahead so if you haven't read the book...do not proceed!!
Okay now that the spoiler alert is out of the way, lets get onto the review. I picked up this book because it was listed as a "freebie"  and I thought hey why not. Boy was I in for a surprise...

 This book hit me like a ton of freakin bricks!! My God, I was up until 2am when I started this book and finally had to put it down because I could not read anymore. My mind was numb. My heart hurt like hell and we won't even talk about the swollen eyes and snot filled nose!
 I'm telling you...to get through this book I needed a bottle of Tequila and a tub of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. I'm an emotional eater/drinker. Don't judge.


We start out the first of the book from Steve's POV (Jenny and Gabe's next door neighbor), which is a little weird and I was slightly confused but whatever. Steve ends up proposing to his girlfriend Annie at a University of Michigan game. It was sweet and thoughtful but Annie is a bitch. Sorry just being honest but we will get back to them later!
 So we have Jenny who is 28 years old and is married to Gabe. He's a doctor and 12 years older than her. First thing I thought was....Trophy Wife!!
Okay kidding, kind of but no seriously totally kidding. So Jenny and Gabe go on a little mini vacation to the mountains and are on a bike ride. Jenny bought Gabe a new bike helmet to wear but he refuses to wear it, stating the one that he has is just fine because it's worn in and comfortable. Foreshadowing anyone???? Anywho, while on this bike ride Jenny wants to approach the subject of having a baby. I mean she is 28 after all but Gabe really isn't too thrilled by the thought of raising kids again (he already has two grown children from his previous marriage). So they get into a little argument because Jenny thought Gabe would be more open to the idea since um hint hint she's already pregnant. She doesn't tell him though and rides off on her bike. Well to make it short, Gabe is hit by a car chasing after her. He literally pushed Jenny off the road and down an embankment so she wouldn't be hit. Jenny is fine but Gabe....not so much. He's brain dead. After a few heart wrenching days, Jenny has to say goodbye and make the decision to turn off life support. At the same time she learns that she has lost the baby...she's miscarried. I took ugly crying to a whole other level....

I was pulled through every damn emotion possible. I felt every single emotion Jenny went through and I experienced them with her. My chest hurt so bad I felt as if I had lost my husband too, that is how well the story is written. I had to put my Kindle aside after only 20% in because I was a mess.

Okay so now that the shock is over with we get into the grit of the story. Jenny has to make the decision to donate Gabe's organs because apparently he didn't do so, even though he's a doctor and believed highly in it. So after getting over the initial idea of donating "pieces of Gabe" off, she has the idea of taking something for herself. Jenny feels that since random strangers will receive "pieces of Gabe" then she should too. She makes the decision to have Gabe's sperm frozen so she can be inseminated and have Gabe's baby.
Yeeahhhh....you heard me right. She wants to take her dead husbands sperm and inseminate herself so she cane have a piece of Gabe forever. Truly shocked. I work in the healthcare field and I am bound by a code of ethics and well this topic just blows ethics right out of the water. I get where Jenny feels a need to keep something of Gabe for herself but that's what memories are for!! I honestly do not agree with what Jenny wants to do and it was hard to reason with her selfish insanity. You can't fully move on with your life and have the chance to love again because you're "settling" with having your dead husbands baby and feeling content with that. No honey, no no no no and hell no. Grieve, hurt, get mad, get happy, get depressed and take the time to heal. But she pushes with this idea and it causes some serious shit to hit the fan. Gabe's uncle, George, goes bat shit crazy when he realizes Jenny's intent and sets the stage for an ugly lawsuit.

This is where Steve comes in. Ya know, the guy you read about as soon as you start the book? He's Jenny's neighbor and an attorney and is secretly head over heels in love with her. But he's engaged to Annie although he doesn't truly love her but feels he can find love with her. Cray Cray I know!!

 I do love how you get to read from everyone's POV. That truly gave the story so much more depth. I felt more connected to everyone that way and wasn't just going off someone elses feelings of a character.I will say reading Annie's POV made me seriously want to throat punch her! Ughhh shes such a greedy, selfish bitch!
Okay so moving forward...Jenny asks Steve to be her attorney against Gabe's uncle but the problem is, Steve isn't familiar with cases like this and doesn't really want to represent her. He completely disagrees with her idea and doesn't feel right supporting the controversial lawsuit, as does every other attorney in the state of Michigan!

So the story evolves and secrets are revealed. You get to see how death and loss can truly bring someone from the depths of hell to the surface again. We learn a lot of shocking secrets, one which is Jenny's and I honestly did NOT see that one coming! I had to reread it twice because my mind wasn't absorbing it!!! I think it's because I didn't understand WHY Jenny would want to put herself through this ugly lawsuit KNOWING her secret would be revealed and so many people would be affected. God woman wake up and smell the damn reality of the situation!!!
I wanted soooo badly for Steve to just confess his love to Jenny and for Jenny to see what was right in front of her that she was denying herself.  I can go on and on with this story but I don't want to give anymore away.

Will Jenny and Steve end up together? Does Jenny win the lawsuit and go through with the insemination? Well...you'll just have to pick it up and read the book to find out!!


2 comments:

  1. Candace, what a wonderful review! I'm so pleased you enjoyed Jenny's story. I'm also impressed with the attention you gave to the story and review. Thank you so very much! I'm very honored. I'd also love it if you could make the time to share it on Amazon--http://www.amazon.com/Just-Destiny-Theresa-Rizzo/product-reviews/0989045021/ref=dpx_acr_txt?showViewpoints=1 Thanks again!
    Theresa

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  2. Theresa,
    Thank you for taking the time to read my review! It was a bit lengthy but I couldn't help it! I had sooo much I wanted to talk about. I am heading over to Amazon right now to put this review in! xoxo, Candace

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