Title: Somebody Like You by Beth K. Vogt
Publisher: Howard Books
Genre: Contemporary, Christian, Romance
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Can a young widow find love again with her husband’s reflection?
Haley’s three-year marriage to Sam, an army medic, ends tragically when he’s killed in Afghanistan. Her attempts to create a new life for herself are ambushed when she arrives home one evening—and finds her husband waiting for her. Did the military make an unimaginable mistake when they told her Sam was killed?
Too late to make things right with his estranged twin brother, Stephen discovers Sam never told Haley about him. As Haley and Stephen navigate their fragile relation¬ship, they are inexorably drawn to each other. How can they honor the memory of a man whose death brought them together—and whose ghost could drive them apart?
Somebody Like You is a beautifully rendered, affecting novel, reminding us that while we can’t change the past, we have the choice to change the future and start anew.
The Review:
In her latest release, Beth K. Vogt does a magnificent job of turning what could be a stereotypical romance storyline into an incredibly moving story that tugs, no yanks, at the heartstrings. Somebody Like You is a beautiful story of love, loss and healing that will move readers to tears as widow Haley Ames unexpectedly finds love with her husband’s estranged twin brother, Stephen.
Haley is a tough, strong, independent woman who has lost her way following her husband Sam’s death in Afghanistan. Grieving her loss is difficult enough, but trying to pick up the pieces of her life while preparing for the birth of their child is almost impossible. Haley prides herself on being able to handle what life throws her way but figuring out what comes next leaves her immobilized at this juncture. Coupled with her grief are her regrets of how she handled events in the weeks prior to Sam’s death. And learning the secrets that Sam kept raises questions that will never be answered and causes her to doubt herself and her marriage.
Stephen is riddled with guilt and regret after he learns about Sam’s death. Following their parents’ acrimonious divorce when they were teenagers, divided parental loyalties slowly destroyed their once close relationship. Stephen went to live with their father and stepmother while Sam lived with their mom and their visits soon became infrequent and strained. Sam’s decision to enlist in the army following graduation culminates in the twelve-year estrangement between the brothers. Stephen made a couple of half-hearted gestures to reconcile that led nowhere and after Sam’s death, he hopes Haley can fill in the blanks about the intervening years. Stunned to learn that Sam never mentioned he had a twin, Haley is at first unwilling to give him the answers he is looking for. But his persistence pays off and both he and Haley are surprised by their growing feelings for one another.
Stephen and Haley’s relationship is incredibly complex and not only are there issues standing in the way of them as a couple, they are also facing individual problems as well. Haley struggles to admit that sometimes, everyone needs help and that this does not make her weak. She is forced to face her fears and doubts about her marriage. Stephen wrestles with his guilt over letting his estrangement with Sam last without making a concerted effort to repair the rift between them. Making peace with his long ago decision means accepting the unintended consequences that go with it but that is easier said than done. Both Haley and Stephen have to come to terms with the fact that they have questions that may never get answered.
There is also a strong element of faith in Somebody Like You. Haley and Stephen have an unwavering faith in God and both believe in the power of prayer. It is no coincidence that Stephen enters Haley’s life just when she needs him the most, but they both have strong reservations about entering into a relationship with one another. It isn’t until God’s voice becomes too powerful to avoid that they accept the path He has chosen for them to follow.
Beth K. Vogt’s Somebody Like You is a captivating and heartfelt journey of healing, forgiveness and love that is poignant but uplifting. This must read novel is one that touches the heart and lingers long after the last page has been turned.
Thanks for the review