When You Read This by Mary Adkins – Review

 

When You Read This by Mary Adkins  – Expected publication: February 5th, 2019 by Harper – comedy-drama, fiction

A comedy-drama for the digital age: an epistolary debut novel about the ties that bind and break our hearts, for fans of Maria Semple and Rainbow Rowell.

Iris Massey is gone.
But she’s left something behind.

For four years, Iris Massey worked side by side with PR maven Smith Simonyi, helping clients perfect their brands. But Iris has died, taken by terminal illness at only thirty-three. Adrift without his friend and colleague, Smith is surprised to discover that in her last six months, Iris created a blog filled with sharp and often funny musings on the end of a life not quite fulfilled. She also made one final request: for Smith to get her posts published as a book. With the help of his charmingly eager, if overbearingly forthright, new intern Carl, Smith tackles the task of fulfilling Iris’s last wish.

Before he can do so, though, he must get the approval of Iris’ big sister Jade, an haute cuisine chef who’s been knocked sideways by her loss. Each carrying their own baggage, Smith, and Jade end up on a collision course with their own unresolved pasts and with each other.

Told in a series of e-mails, blog posts, online therapy submissions, text messages, legal correspondence, home-rental bookings, and other snippets of our virtual lives, When You Read This is a deft, captivating romantic comedy—funny, tragic, surprising, and bittersweet—that candidly reveals how we find new beginnings after loss.

Goodreads   –   Amazon

 

About the author: Mary Adkins is a writer whose work has appeared in the New York Times and the Atlantic. A native of the American South and a graduate of Duke University and Yale Law School, she lives in New York City with her family. She also teaches storytelling for The Moth. Goodreads   –   Amazon

 

 

My Review: When You Read This by Mary Adkins is a heartbreaking and tear-jerking read that is sure to tug at your heartstrings making you want to cry your minute and laughing out loud the next. A story that is told through a series of emails, blog posts, text messages, and letters that is sure to capture your attention from the beginning. The characters become more real and relatable with each page you read as you feel each character deal with the passing of Iris (the main character). The comedic relief is felt through Carl, the intern. He is hilarious and offers a light-hearted touch to a sad story of grief and healing. I found this to be a quick read that will require a box of tissues. ** I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.** 

Goodreads   –   Amazon