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BOOKWORM REVIEW: Make Me Whole by Marie Johnston


RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
STEAM: 🔥🔥🔥

I cannot imagine losing the love of my life unexpectedly at such a young age and having to live the rest of my life.  But this is what Kennedy had to do, and after a year of grieving her husband's death and living in a numb state, she is slowly trying to get back on track.

Thanks to Derek's and now her best friend Liam, she is working her way to getting her teaching job back and putting her house in order. And she is also starting to notice Liam not as a friend but so much more.

But just like she has her own demons to overcome, Liam also has his own baggage. The illegitimate son of one of the town's most powerful families, he has been shunned by the people who share his last name. His father and his father's wife have also made sure that Liam is blacklisted from getting a job or even breathing in that town. This has made life harder for the poor welder, who has to work outside of town and rely on other people to help take care of his two sons. He too has started to care more for Kenny as more than a friend, but he cannot help but feel guilty about having to burden her -- on top of the things she is dealing with -- with his own baggage and problems.

The book started slow for me, but I am really glad that I stuck with it because the second half was great. I love Liam and Kennedy's easy but deep love for each other and for Liam's sons. I was concerned about how complicated Liam's feud with most of the Barrons is and how that would get resolved by the end of the book, but Marie Johnston did a fantastic job in wrapping up enough loose ends for Liam and Kenny's HEA.

Liam is the quintessential cinnamon roll. He is such a loving father and friend. I adore that he lets Kennedy set the pace for their relationship and tries really hard to not overwhelm her.

I also enjoyed Kennedy's character development immensely, and I am glad that while Liam supports her, that journey was purely driven by her.

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. **


ABOUT THE BOOK

I had a perfect life. Schoolteacher. Married to my high school sweetheart. Little starter house that we called charming but was really just old. All I needed was the two-point-five kids and I’d be living my perfect dream. Then my husband died.

After the funeral, I had a breakdown that lasted for a month…or twelve. But now I’m reemerging, healing, finding my way. It’s time to learn who I am now, and whether or not I can fix a leaky sink. And by my side, the entire time, is my husband’s best friend, Liam. The single dad knows a thing or two about personal struggles, and about how to replace faucets.

With Liam, I feel alive again. Confident. Capable. Liam has become my best friend too. Except if my parents, my in-laws, and the rest of the town had any say, I’d stay far away from him and his bad boy reputation.


How do I admit to them what’s so hard to admit to myself? That I’m starting to look at him like he’s more than a friend. That the heat in his eyes when he looks at me is far beyond friendly. That like it or not, Liam makes me feel whole again.


MEET MARIE JOHNSTON

Marie Johnston writes paranormal and contemporary romance. She also works as a medical laboratory scientist and has worked as a public health microbiologist. Depending on the situation, she can be oddly unconcerned about germs or weirdly phobic. Marie’s been a volunteer EMT, a college instructor, a security guard, a phlebotomist, a hotel clerk, and a coffee pourer in a bingo hall. All fodder for a writer!! She has a husband, four kids, and even more cats.

Connect with Marie
Website: https://www.mariejohnstonwriter.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mjohnstonwriter
Facebook: http://facebook.com/mjohnstonwriter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariejohnstonwriter
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marie-johnston
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Marie-Johnston/e/B00R6SC79Q 
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