~ Lena ~

At 17-years-old, I have everything going for me . . . until less than sixty seconds changes everything.

Nine months ago, I survived a school shooting, then buried twenty-two of my classmates, including the boy of my dreams. Now, I'm expected to return to school for Senior Year, but I can't. Not when the shooting was my fault. If I'd only done what the note said, none of this would've happened. In small town Virginia, the only things that matter are God and football, and no one in this town forgets anything.

That's when my dad ships me across the country to my grandparents to finish high school on the Oregon Coast. I'm happy about it, actually. No one's going to stare at me, silently blaming me for whoever they lost in the cafeteria that day. I can move on with life, go through the motions, get through the year, leave it all behind . . .

Until the town's golden boy, Declan Harp, saves me from myself and makes it his personal mission to restore my faith, and love me past my pain.

But, small towns are just that, no matter what coast they're on, and when my pain becomes public, it crumbles everything in me all over again. I can either stay in this darkness, holding on to the memory of those that died because of me, or forgive myself and learn how to live again.

Declan is determined not to give up on me, but I know I can't love him if all I do is exist.

Every now and then there is a book that comes out of no where and just slays you. You can’t let it go. It has buried itself so deep into your skin that it has become a piece of you. That is #LoveStrong for me. I’m not a person who is easy to cry or really let anything get that deep into me, yet Courtney Lynn Rose totally ripped me to pieces within just the prologue of #LoveStrong. I read this book a couple weeks ago but when a book sticks to me like this I have to back away and let it run its course so that I can truly write on it. I have to get my emotions under control so that I can fully express.

I don’t rewrite synopsis’ or retell the story in my reviews (and trust me I couldn’t do this story justice if I tried), so let me tell you this is a very deep, though provoking, heart strings pulling, ripping and tearing story. It is true to life and life isn’t always pretty. It is filled with laughter, tears, pain and healing. Lena and Declan are two characters that you will feel that you have known all your life.

Rose brings to life so many hard gripping topics. This is book that does contain triggers but how she deals with them and writes about them with compassion, honesty and love tells you a lot about the author herself. You cannot write this tragically, beautifully and heartfelt without putting a piece of yourself in those pages.

#LoveStrong is a book that flows so beautifully that you will find it hard to put it down, take it from the girl who finished at almost 4 in the morning. You’ll think one more chapter and find yourself with a box of Kleenex and a tear streaked face hours later. Your only regret will be the words THE END. Do yourself a favor and one click Courtney Lynn Rose’s #LoveStrong and see how strong you are.