“Our baby died on prom night, and nothing was ever the same again.”
Corabelle doesn’t feel like any of the other college girls. On what should have been one of the happiest nights of her life, she and her boyfriend Gavin watched a nurse disconnect the ventilator from their seven-day-old baby. During the funeral two days later, Gavin walked out and never returned.
Since then, her life has been a spiral of disasters. The only thing that has helped is her ability to black out whenever the pain gets too hard to bear, a habit that has become an addiction.
When Gavin shows up in her astronomy class four years later, he is hell-bent on getting her back, insisting she forgive him. Corabelle knows she can’t resist the touch that fills the empty ache that has haunted her since he left. But if he learns what she has done, if he follows the trail back through her past, her secrets will destroy their love completely. And once again, she’ll lose the only person who always believed she was innocent.
Forever Innocent by Deanna Roy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A very touching, heartbreaking, and overall emotional book. But in a good way of course.
First I need to prepare you all…get the tissues. Not kidding, this is one emotional story. Not in the melt your heart kind of way, but in the break your heart, reduce you to sobbing tears emotional. Now, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t melt your heart moments. Because there really are. And I really looked forward to these moments.
So the heart break started from the get-go. Well, if you want to call the synopsis the ‘get-go’. So, if you haven’t read the synopsis for this book then here it is. And if you are one of those that doesn’t read the synopsis prior to reading a book in fear of it ruining the book then please, skim past it 🙂
Synopsis
“Our baby died on prom night, and nothing was ever the same again.”
Corabelle doesn’t feel like any of the other college girls. On what should have been one of the happiest nights of her life, she and her boyfriend Gavin watched a nurse disconnect the ventilator from their seven-day-old baby. During the funeral two days later, Gavin walked out and never returned.
Since then, her life has been a spiral of disasters. The only thing that has helped is her ability to black out whenever the pain gets too hard to bear, a habit that has become an addiction.
When Gavin shows up in her astronomy class four years later, he is hell-bent on getting her back, insisting she forgive him. Corabelle knows she can’t resist the touch that fills the empty ache that has haunted her since he left. But if he learns what she has done, if he follows the trail back through her past, her secrets will destroy their love completely. And once again, she’ll lose the only person who always believed she was innocent.
Yeah, I was a goner after that first line. I knew I was in for an emotional rollercoaster and boy did I ever get one.
This is an amazing story about what happens when something tragic tears a love apart and what can happen when two people find each other again and discover that the love they once shared and thought the lost, might still be as strong as it was four years ago.
There are, of course, secrets that both Corabelle and Gavin harbor and neither is willing to open up and share them with the other. Both are very scared of the consequences of what the other will think when those secrets are revealed. I was dying for these two to just open up and let it all out already. Their past and the way things happened was just too much to just try and forget.
I love how the author portrayed both Gavin and Corabelle as equally suffering individuals after losing their son. Corabelle might show it more, but Gavin definitely struggles every single day with the loss, even four years later. I have never lost a child but after having my daughter, I couldn’t imagine what it must be like.
I feel like there is also a lot of anger between Corabelle and Gavin that lies beneath the pain and heartache. But I got to thinking, how could there not be? They were both young and dealing with the loss of a baby. Gavin walked away. Yes, I understand his reasoning but Corabelle didn’t at the time. My heart literally ached for these two.
So, overall, great story. I laughed, I smiled, I felt, and I cried…a lot. Very, very emotional. So if this is your type of read, then please, go read it. The author does an amazing job at writing an emotional story with just the right amount of heartache and love. Very well done.
Favorite Quote:
“…I wanted to lose myself, fall into my one great love and just let everything disappear. He could do that. He’d been the only one who could ever do that.”
Website: http://deannaroy.com/
Tour Schedule:
September 30th –Booking It With Hayley G –Jenee’s Book Blog –A Diary Of A book Addict –SBookLover Reviews –lilybloombooks –A Novel Affair [book blog] –Claires’s Book Corner –Starry-eyed Heart Book Blog –Bookish Randomness –Lovin’ Los Libros
October 1st –Between fantasy and reality –ReadingToTheStarsAndBack –True Story Book Blog –Brittany and Bianca Blab Books –The Hopeless Romantics Book Blog
October 2nd –Leisure Reads –Bookworm Brandee –YA Book Addict –Liezel’s Book Blog –Shawna’s Survey –If the Book Fits -#BookNerd
October 3rd –Books Over Boys –Burning Impossibly Bright –The Boyfriend Bookmark –Sassy Book Lovers –Just a Booklover –Little Bookworm Reviews –Living in a Bookworld –Books and Needlepoint –Book Fixation
October 4th –Nick’s Book Blog –Starbucks & Books Obsession –Ramblings From This Chick –Such A Novel Idea –Schmexy Girl Book Blog –kellywalker.net –Buried Under Books
October 5th –Reader Girls –New Adult Addiction –Brooke Blogs –Stephanie Parent YA Author –Live Read and Breathe –A Bookish Escape
Donna Reynolds says
I have had a second chance and we have been married 17 years now Thank you for the great giveaway.
Xpresso Reads (@Giselleco) says
Glad you liked it, Brooke! It sounds like a very powerful story!
Deanna Roy says
Thank you for such a heart-felt review! Should I replace your tissue box? <3
Deanna
Brooke Hunter says
Tissue replacement seems like a fair trade 😉
Chrissie says
I have this on my To Read pile and I’m looking forward to it, thanks for posting your review, can’t wait to start it now!!
Diana Doan says
Haven’t had a second chance lover…yet 🙂
Amy Hart says
Have you ever had a second chance at love? Tell us about it! Yes. I thought I loved my oldest daughter’s father when I was 16/17, but he turned out to be a deadbeat. I vowed I would have no more children out of wedlock. When I was 22 almost 23 I married my other half on March 13th,2009. 3 days before mine and his 23rd Birthday. Yes, we have the same bday. Same agge too. We have been married since and now have 2 kids together.
Arwen Shoemaker (@ArwenShoemaker) says
wow, sweet story! I’m happy for you!
Missy says
Loved this book!!!! Very emotional but a great read!
Arwen Shoemaker (@ArwenShoemaker) says
No, I’m still holding hope that that special man may come back into my life and that we would have a second chance love, but it hasn’t happened yet. I think that is an amazing gift that not most people have opportunity to experience.
Meagan says
I’m reading it right now. Dying to know the secrets! Don’t want to cry !
Claira Pam Vo says
Sounds like a great story – very powerful & moving!! I haven’t had (or needed) a second chance at love, but my best friend did get a second chance with her current bf – and they’re still going strong!
Thanks for the giveaway. 🙂
maybe31 says
With my husband! Our first time didn’t work out but the second time worked out and we got married!
Jeanne says
Yes I have. I married the same wonderful man twice!!
Jenny Dauksa Schaber says
I have not had a 2nd chance at love. I’m lucky that I was old enough to notice it and hold on tightly the first time.
Lilith Nyx says
Not really…
Great post and giveaway!