When your life is a deadline…

Synopsis

A summer to remember…

Georgia Banks knows she’s living on borrowed time. So, when doctors tell her she’s got one last summer to make all her dreams come true, she’s determined to make every day count.

The one thing that’s never in doubt, is that she wants her best friend, Gabe, to be with her every step of the way. And so, Georgia draws up her not-a-bucket list with all the things she’s determined to tick off before she goes – number one of which is to spend one last summer by the sea.

Seabreeze Farm perched high on the cliffs above the English Channel is the perfect spot, and surrounded by the antics of its menagerie of rescued animals and the warmth of the friendship she’s offered there, Georgia starts to believe she can live out all her dreams before it’s too late.

And just when she thinks there’s nothing left to wish for, Georgia gets another chance at life. But taking it might mean losing the one person she cares about the most.

As she faces her biggest challenge yet, Georgia wonders if her last summer at Seabreeze Farm will mean the end of her biggest dream of all.

This book was previously published as One Last Summer at Channel View Farm

My review

Georgia Banks didn’t have an easy life as her disease restricted her in whatever she wanted to do. Now things have gone even worse as her doctors tells her that she should use this summer to make her dreams come true, as the clock seemingly is ticking even faster.
Number one on her not – a – bucket – list is spending her time by the sea. And when she has the chance to spend it at Seabreeze Farm, with her best friend Gabe, it’s like her dream came true.
Seabreeze Farm is a wonderful place that makes Georgia feel more at home and at peace she could ever imagine.
Yet when the impossible seems to be happening, Georgia realizes that with winning, she may lose the most important person in her life…  

No, just no Jo, you shall no longer write stories that will completely break my heart and then just fix it that!
Not cool, not… cool! 

From the very start my heart went out to Georgia. I cannot even try to imagine how it feels to be living on borrowed time, having a restricted life where you cannot do what you want, or even have to pay attention to what you want to eat.
And while it would have been easy to throw pity – parties all around, I liked it how Georgia didn’t want to hear of anyone feeling sorry for her. She doesn’t want anything out of pity.
Yet her determination for not accepting that, is also a stubborn streak of her, making her not see that the people around her don’t pity her, but just want to see her happy. 

I could also understand her when she said that she doesn’t want anyone to die, or risk their lives, in order for her to live. While transplants are a wonderful thing, especially in Georgia’s case, it’s always at the cost of someone else.
Yet it was wonderful to see how many people are were willingly to let themselves get tested even if it would only buy limited time for Georgia.  

This is also a story about friendship. And Gabe for sure is the most wonderful friend someone could have. He would do just anything for Georgia, and not because her being ill. But just because they are so close as friends.
He also understands her like no one can, knowing when to make even macabre jokes to lighten the mood. 

As a reader it was a bit frustrating to read how these two best friends, sharing everything, weren’t sharing the most important thing, their real feelings. Because while it was understandable in one way, not wanting to risk their amazing friendship, yet on the other hand it was just so ‘aaaargh’ reading how they were not just seeing how amazing things would be… 

Without giving too much away of the whole amazing story, when things would appear to be going the way I wanted, I was extremely happy, but when it went to go downhill again, I got just angry, because that is not how things were supposed to go! And why hang on to what you believe instead of listening to those around you??? 

Of course, returning to Seabreeze Farm was truly wonderful. Seeing our old friends again, and seeing how their kind hearts only became even bigger, was the perfect antidote on a rainy day!
Ellie and her family and friends are just so welcoming and accepting and kind, even I want to go and visit the place! 

Even if I had to wipe away a few tears, I truly loved this heart – warming, inspiring story. It shows us in one way how fragile life can be, but also how strong and generous people can be. While I loved reading about Georgia and Gabe, it also made me think about how someone with just a small gesture can make a difference for someone else.

After finishing this marvellous book, it didn’t take me a lot of time to register myself as a donor, hoping that (hopefully not very soon although, for my own sake!) when my time has come, I can change someone else’s life too…
This is the kind of book that makes you smile, makes you cry, but also makes you count your blessings and makes you think about how you can make a difference too!