Not everything always ends well…

Synopsis

On holiday in Egypt with Sidney and Dean, young writer Maisie is—in her mind—on top of the world. Her long-labored manuscript is finally going to be published, she and Sidney are deeply in love, and the future looks bright on every level.

In one moment, however, it all changes. Tragedy leads to overwhelming loss that Maisie can’t even begin to process. As the world itself turns upside down, there’s no solace for Maisie from the growing sense that her wonderful future is finished.

No dream about to come true. No certainties of new chances in life.

No Sidney.

Even if the first two did not break her, the last one is determined to. It’s up to Maisie to find her strength and determination to find a new future, even if—unthinkably—it may be nothing like the one she dreamed of.

My review

Maisie finally has it all, her book is ready for being published, she is living happily in Cornwall and is deeply in love with Sidney.
But after a wonderful holiday in Egypt with Sidney and their friend Dean, Maisie soon realizes that tragedy can quickly take everything away…
And while Maisie is sure that she can cope with several tragedies, as long as she has Sidney by her side. But what if one of those tragedies takes the Sidney she knows and loves away from her? Can Maisie find her strength and courage to imagine a whole different future? 

This book started with a warning. And while I was mentally prepared for seeing Maisie losing her happily ever after like she imagined it, it still crushed me to read this book… Yet I found it impossible not to read it. Because I know the journey Maisie went through, and not reading this book would be like being a hypocritical friend, who only stands by your side when things are looking up… 

With that same warning, my imagination ran wild, thinking the absolute worse. So while I was glad that wasn’t exactly the case, it also worried me because things would never be same again for Maisie, even if things weren’t that final. 

Maisie in this book has to mature extremely, and we see her struggling with the twists life throws her.
But Maisie wouldn’t be the Maisie we all know and love, as no matter how difficult things are getting for her, she doesn’t lose her hope and tries on keep finding her strength setback after setback. 

In this book, the author shows us, that just like in real life, even the most amazing love stories aren’t all sunshine and rainbows. And here we see it in the most heart wrenching,  awful way. But it’s up to us if we let that crush us or make us stronger.
We see that terrible things can happen to amazing people. And that one event can change people and become only a shadow of the person we used to know.
And the author managed perfectly to show us this involuntary change. Because the Sidney we love so much has changed… 

While this story broke my heart, and I kept hoping, just like Dean for a miraculous ending, somehow I felt it in my heart, just like Maisie does, that life has to follow its own course. And Maisie’s courageous decision in the end put tears in my eyes but I fully comprehended her reasoning… 

This isn’t a happy story, but it just shows how life goes. Yet it’s up to us if we allow tragedies to drag us down, or if we find the courage to remain strong and hopeful for an unsure future…