NOT YET (Not Yet Series #2) by LAURA WARD

What a beautiful, heart-warming and sweet read this was Gitte. I adored this book! It carried such an important message, had a host of engaging and loveable characters…not to mention a twist that made me gasp!

“I won’t give up on you, and I won’t give up on us.”

When we were sent this book to review the author expressed such a love for her secondary characters that we wanted to meet them immediately. After meeting them it’s easy to see why Laura Ward loves them so much. They were inspiring and captivating and completely stole my heart with their innocence and honesty and with their hopes and aspirations they showed us that despite their disabilities they wanted to achieve the same things in life we all do.

“At the end of the day, people with disabilities are just people. Treat them with respect, just like you treat anyone else. Talk to them normally – just like anyone else. And, this is the hard part, hold them to the same expectations you hold everyone else…… if you can do that, you’ll learn something magical.”

And I did learn something magical! I also fell head over heels for our hero Landon. Oh sure, at first glance he came across as an over indulged, cocky good looking rich boy, but his cheekiness soon gave way to something much deeper. Boy, did this guy grow in character! My heart was in fear of bursting at times with the sensitivity and beauty of what lay beneath the facade.

“You’re all in my head. I can’t stop thinking about you.”
“Good. You’ve gotten to me, too.”

Emma had made a lot of sacrifices but never felt owed. Everything she did what out of love and loyalty to her family and she had built up some pretty big walls and had some strong ideas about men. Watching Landon break those walls was a sight to behold and both learnt life lessons along the way.

“I think he loves you, and I think you should love him back.”

If readers are looking for a heartfelt, sweet, witty, beautiful romantic story that’s also inspiring with a deep sense of hope and love then Not Yet is a definite recommended read. Even though I found the start a little hard to get into, I soon settled in and became immersed in story. How did you feel Gitte?

Gitte: I absolutely fell in love with this story. I will admit to struggling in the beginning, however once the momentum built and the Author hit her stride; when her heart started to make her words pound and reverberate into mine, I fell in love and felt every emotion, character struggle and every ounce of courage. Fear of what we don’t know nor understand can have a face. It’s a face we all need to get to know because it can be magical and beautiful and its innocence shines as bright as a star in the night sky.

‘Life Lesson: There are times in life when people cause you to think you have lost it all. That it will never get better. That you will never recover. These are the times when the only thing to do is to pick your head up, look those assholes right in the eye, and fucking finish strong.’

There’s some absolutely amazing and extremely important messages in Not Yet woven into an inspiring romance and it’s beautifully executed. Landon was a gorgeous young man who went through an amazing transformation. He showed what was truly behind a ‘society and family’ inspired façade. It was always in him but it was brought to the surface by the quiet and unassuming Emma. Such a sweet and driven girl who wanted the world to see the beauty in life, love and humanity.

‘He was special, and he was everything I never knew I needed in my life.’

There are so many ‘not yet’s’ in life, some more poignant than others and Emma’s and Landon’s ‘Not Yet’ was such a beauty; so meaningful, so incredibly sweet and innocent and so awe inspiring.

“Remember…it’s just not yet for us.”

Life lessons ~ Laura Ward truly shows the importance of standing up for what you believe in no matter how strongly the resulting spotlight shines on you. Definitely a highly recommended read from me too!

**Reviewed off an ARC copy provided by the author**