Title: Photos of You by Tammy Robinson
Publisher: Forever
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Fall in love with this heartwarming and heartbreaking novel perfect “for fans of Me Before You” (Next Magazine).
When Ava Green turns twenty-eight, she discovers this will be her last birthday. The cancer she thought she’d beaten three years ago is back, only now it’s terminal and she’s not going to waste any of the time she has left. All she truly wants is the one thing she’s been dreaming of since she was a little girl: a wedding. There’s only one problem. She doesn’t have a groom.
Ava’s friends and family rally around her to help throw the wedding of her dreams — without the husband-to-be. As word spreads on social media, the bridal planning goes viral, attracting the attention of a prominent women’s magazine. And when a photographer volunteers to help document the whole event, it becomes heartbreakingly clear that it’s never too late to discover the love of your life.
Includes a reading group guide!
Review:
Photos of You by Tammy Robinson is a poignant yet uplifting novel.
Ava Green thinks her battle with cancer is behind her. But, on her twenty-eightt birthday, she receives devastating news. The cancer has returned and it is terminal. Although she is not a relationship, Ava, her best friends Kate and Amanda and her parents Gabby and Ben, help plan the wedding she has always dreamed of. After her story goes viral, Ava reluctantly agrees to allow a magazine to follow the preparations for the upcoming wedding/celebration of life.
Ava is a charming young woman who tries to be pragmatic about her diagnosis. She wants to make the best of the time she has left but she struggles with the unfairness of her plight. Although mostly upbeat and cheerful, Ava does experience dark times when she thinks of all of life’s milestones she, her friends and family will miss out on after she is gone. She tries to not dwell on the negative and although a little uncomfortable with the public’s interest in her, Ava enjoys visiting different venues, trying on wedding dresses and participating in glamorous photo shoots.
But on a more serious note, Ava agrees to write columns for the magazine. She is quite thoughtful as she urges her readers to be their own health advocate and ensure their concerns are adequately investigated. Ava also offers insightful life lessons and advice on how to prioritize the things that matter most.
Photos of You is a heartfelt novel that is emotionally compelling and quite captivating. Ava is a wonderful young woman with courage, strength and grace. The secondary characters are multi-layered and engaging. The storyline is deeply affecting yet avoids becoming maudlin. Filled with joy, humor and sorrow, Tammy Robinson brings this tender novel to a bittersweet conclusion. A riveting, contemplative novel that will linger in readers’ hearts and minds long after the last page is turned.
