Cover Image: Love on a Limb

Love on a Limb

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Member Reviews

My thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

I think I am burnt out on contemporary romances, as the other one I was reading and this one did nothing positive for me. Not the book on this one, as it was written well, but it didn't grab me. The trope of "not going to confess my feelings, stiff upper-lip" left me cold to be honest. I am too old for that sort of thing, though I do like the marriage of convenience trope and those two tropes do go hand-in-hand at times.

Not a bad book and one I would recommend to the contemporary romance reading customers at the store. I admit, I only read 32%, DNF because I just have no interest in picking it back up, so I don't know if it stays "clean", though it bills itself as Christian, there is some mention of praying for a miracle and going to church, but up to this point, the church part isn't really shown, just when the h gets there, the organist smiling at her and then fade to when she's leaving, uplifted and at peace. So the Christian bit doesn't beat you over the head, but it would be nice if God was more than just a bit-player.

I read a few spoilers (I do that when a book isn't speaking to me to see if I like where the book went. If I like the ending, I'll go on the journey. If I don't, peace.) and it didn't really seem to end up where I would have been happy to have invested the time to read the rest, so DNF for me. I am picky with my romance reads, so again, not a bad book, just not for me at this time.

2, not the book it's me, stars.

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This was a sweet story about love and caring for others. A marriage of convenience that turns into love. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to people of all ages.

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What a sweet story of love and commitment in the midst of very difficult circumstances. I'm not really sure how to describe the book without giving too many spoilers, but I'll try.

Matt is fighting leukemia and asks basically a complete stranger, Mikaela, to marry him to be his caretaker. You know what happens next, but the love and devotion and care that Mikaela extends to him is amazing. I loved the one quote in the book by the hospital chaplain.

"What is love? to the old, it is companionship, loyalty, and memories. To the young it is excitement and physical attraction. Many liken love to a fire. It begins with kindling that ignites quickly with sparks and brightness, but a fire made of kindling requires one to constantly search for more fuel. Some couples tire of the effort, and the fire dies. But wise couples know that adding a log will make the fire endure. It may not have the same spark of kindling, but it provides warmth and light that will see them through the long nights ahead."

I just love that thought and it is so true and that idea is displayed so well in this book. I also am a fan of books where they marry for convenience and then fall in love afterward. I just find that intriguing, I guess.

Another thing about this book was the way they recorded memories. I'm not going to give more away, but I thought it was so neat and thoughtful and I think, in a way, it fueled their desire to make more memories together.

The only thing that was a bit of a negative to me was the theme that runs through in most fiction books; money is never a problem. The rich guy gets whatever he wants whenever he wants it. $7,000 dress? No problem. That never rings true for those of us who can't live like that. But that was only a small negative.

My bigger concern is whether there's a sequel coming. It was alluded to in the book I thought, but I can't find any trace of an upcoming release, so I'm not sure. I do want to know the rest of the story. In the meantime, I am challenged to love on my husband with the same compassion and care and commitment that Mikaela displayed.

I received this book through NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review.

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This is by far the saddest book I've read in a while. There were few pages that did not have me in tears. I've not encountered Laurie Lewis' writings before and this one is not the kind of book to read on the first time with a new author.

Matt Grayken is being treated for leukemia and he wants to make plans for the end of his life. This is his third round with the evil disease.

Mikaela Compton is an oncology nurse that Matthew asks to marry him.

Between the two of them, they write a contract for how things are going to go for the marriage. Neither of them planned on falling in love.

Many times during the novel, the plight of Matt's disease brings the tears, and then some poignant moments bring tears, some angry moments bring tears. There are a few moments that bring smiles, but the emotions are real and that is a nod to the writer for the quality of her work.

This book is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a box of tissue to help you get through.

My thanks to Books Go Social for allowing me to read and review this book.

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"Love on a Limb," a story of love growing amidst the hardship of life-threatening illness, often reminded me of the 1991 movie "Dying Young" starring Julia Roberts and Campbell Scott. While I wouldn't rate it among my favorite books this year, it was a sweet story, a clean romance, and a good read. Matthew Grayken, whose battles against cancer have defined the trajectory of his life, is now facing a third recurrence. Rather than hiring a home health care professional, he attempts to convince a compassionate young nurse to become his in-name-only wife, his caregiver, his heir, and his personal health care proxy. Mikaela is reluctant and refuses his money (other than a fair salary), but after negotiating and dating, she agrees to marry him in order to become his personal nurse and advocate.

Such an agreement might be possible if both Matt and Mikaela were heartless or horrible people, but of course, they're not. Their developing feelings for one another complicate what was supposed to be a platonic, friendly companionship and care plan. Matthew refuses to tell his parents that his cancer has returned, Mikaela is torn between how to help him while honoring his wishes, and their attraction and affection continues to grow, despite Matthew's decline. (Again - cue the echoes of "Dying Young," although they hero and heroine are married in this case.)

I enjoyed the book. It tugged at heartstrings, and it was a sweet, clean romance. The characters weren't terribly complex, but they were likable, and I wasn't expecting a literary couple for the ages. The plot had some improbable moments (and really, the entire premise is rather improbable), but I would certainly rather use my imagination to smooth out improbability in a sweet, uplifting story than the improbability prevalent in many romance novels which turn toward the trashy. Overall, it was a cute story. It's one of those books that four stars may be generous, but three is too low. Since Goodreads doesn't give me an option for half stars, I'll give it the benefit of the fourth star.

I received a free Advance Reader copy of this book from the publisher through #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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Love on a Limb is a clean Christian romance. It is emotional, tender and sweet. I really liked the characters and I think the story flowed well. I will read more by this author for sure! Thanks to the publisher for gifting me an arc through netgalley, the opinions are my own.

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I loved the premise of the Laurie L.C. Lewis read. From the beginning I was drawn in by the love story between Matthew and Mikaela. It warmed my heart. I look forward to reading more of this author's books.

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Matthew is dying of cancer. Mikaela is a nurse at the cancer center and he falls for her, to the point that he asks her to marry him, promising her medical school in exchange for her helping him during his end days.

Some of the book I liked a lot. The two main characters are people I wanted to know better. And while there was a good background for the characters, I wanted more development.

The drama came from the illness, of course. A good, though not quite defined, ending makes the book better than just a tearjerker.

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If you're interested in books that are clean romance with real life obstacles, then I would definitely recommend this. The plot and characters were well thought out by the author. It is an inspirational read as well.

*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

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I thought this book was adorable. I loved the two main characters, and I thought the plot was intriguing.

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I really enjoyed the beginning of this book. About half way through I was ready to rate it a five. Unfortunately, the whole thing kind of peters out at the end. Based on the writing at the start of the book, I was expecting it to have a poignant and thought-provoking end. But the turning point to the story is highly improbable and the ending feels rushed. too bad.

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Delightful Christian romance (so no passionate, steamy sex happening and any mention of it is within the context of marriage.)

This book gave me so many 'feels.' What starts as a 'business contract' blossoms into pure love. In a time when people focus so much on attraction and feelings of love to start a marriage, Matt and Mikaela enter theirs with the thought it won't last long. Not because they do not value marriage, but because Matt is sick (cancer) and expects to be dead within the year.

While it started as a business arrangement, Matt had already found himself drawn to Mikaela. Shortly after saying their "I do's", she begins to feel the same way.

It is through their ornament collection for a Christmas tree to document their life together that they forge a strong bond. This novel is a great reminder that love is more about the actions we take than the feelings we have.

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Love On A Limb is an unconventional love story that is full of emotion, friendship, devotion and faith. It is a slow burn romance and grab the tissues, you will need them. Although born out of a dark situation, their love transcends the darkness and brings about light. Mikaela makes the decision to be “all in” even when things go downhill and their love begins to bloom. While Matt struggles with his emotions and the reality of his looming illness and what the future may or may not hold.Even as Matt tries to distance family and friends, loyalty prevails and shines brightly even in his poker playing college buddies. Without giving any spoilers, I enjoyed where the story leads you and how the memories between them are documented. This book is one that I would highly recommend. It is inspirational, clean and tugs at your heart strings.

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Love on a Limb reads like a Life Time movie which isn’t a bad thing. It just means the story flowed in such a way it allowed me to fully picture the scenes as if I was watching a film and some scenes for me were too “perfect”. The seriousness of the theme leukemia and the struggles to make sure someone carries out your wishes when you no longer can voice them is what Matthew Grayken is faced with.

Love on a Limb is a quick and endearing contemporary Christian romance that I’ve read several times already. Characters made my heart hurt, made me chuckle, made me angry, and flat out irritated me. By far I enjoyed Mikaela Compton. Her gentleness yet tenacity were just what Matthew needed during his battle with cancer.

If you like reads without sex and want a twist to the friend to lover troupe, then I recommend Love on a Limb.

***I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

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Such an amazing book. Highly, highly, highly recommend it. Make sure you have tissues ready at certain points. Laurie Lewis tells a great story. I didn't want this to end.

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This is a sweet book. An unconventional love story that won't leave you disappointed. The story line and characters were well crafted and will tug on her heartstrings from time to time.

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Love on a limb is a sweet romance that makes you consider how blessed you are to have the small things in life as well as the big. Mickie and Matt will touch your heart as they navigate their marriage of convinience and try not to fall in love. It’s a sweet book which I read in a day as I wanted to know how it concluded. A worthy summer read that tackles cancer head on.

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