Cover Image: An Unfinished Story

An Unfinished Story

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Member Reviews

I received this book "An Unfinished Story" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. A heartwarming story. Although I felt the story was predictable I did enjoy reading it. A book about second chances.

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Clare is a widow. She lost her beloved husband in a car accident and she hasn't been able to overcome the grief since then, She found an unfinished manuscript she didn't know her husband was writing, and right then she knew she needed to finish it. And she knew the exact writer that would fit into the role.
Whitaker Grant is a writer. He had one big success and after that, he couldn't get back to the arena.
After some misunderstandings they make a deal to work together. But the task will not only be related to writing. They will embark together into a lifesaving recovery. Each of them finding what they needed the most.
It's a great book. The characters are extremely lovable and the pace is good. Although the subjects are complicated, the author navigated through them with ease and excellent sense of humor.
It's a book to be recommended.
Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I loved this book more than words can say. It is a book that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it. Claire finds out her husband who recently died in a car accident was writing a book he never finished and she decides she wants Whitaker who is an accomplished writer to finish it for her. He will have you hooked by the end of the first chapter.

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I will admit that it took me a little bit to warm up to both Claire and Whitaker, however, they ended up being two of the most incredible characters I have read about. Of course, Claire was dealing with a million issues stemming from the loss of her husband and how to move forward. But what really stole the show was Whitaker’s transformation between the beginning and the ending. Whether it was his physical appearance, the state of his home, or relationships with others – this character completely blossomed and it was a beautiful thing to see.

I won’t lie and say that the ending wasn’t a bit predictable, but I did not care in the least. This entire novel is a love letter to second chances, eye-opening experiences, and finding peace and happiness from unexpected sources. Walker focuses on divorce, death, grief, the foster system, depression, loneliness, hope, love, and so much more that I can’t properly sum up the themes of this novel here. I am so incredibly happy to have discovered this novel and this author. This is without a doubt in my top 3 reads of the year and I believe I’ve read over 250 books this year. An Unfinished Story is a novel that I will read again and will think about for some time.

*Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing this review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

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🌟🌟🌟🌟.5

This is my first book from Boo Walker and I don't regret choosing this book to read. This is a story about love, loss, grief and second chance. This story are told from Claire and Whitaker's point of view.
Claire's husband dies in a car accident and after three years she wanted to sell their house. Thats when she found his unfinished story that David was writing before he died and Claire determined to ask Whitaker Grant to finish the book to honor her late husband. This is because Whitaker inspire David to start writing a book.
Btw the ending and some parts was predictable but I still like it 😁

Thank you Netgalley, publisher and author for An Unfinished Story ARC!

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This novel focuses on a widow, Claire, who finds her husband's last manuscript as she is going through his belongings. This manuscript changes her life when she enlists another writer, Whitaker Grant, to finish the book. He wants to understand who David was as a person, along with what Claire is like so that he can do the book justice. This obviously leads to romantic feelings and second chances, but the writing made this so enjoyable that you can forgive the author for being predictable. Sometimes I actually find comfort in knowing what is going to happen in books ahead of time.

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This book was a very good read! It is a very heartwarming story about a grieving widow. I definitely enjoyed this tender novel.

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If I could give this story 10 stars I would. I don’t think a book has touched me like this in awhile. I have never read anything by this author and am so happy to have found him.
This is the story of Whitaker, an author with profound and debilitating “writers block”, and struggling to get through each day. The collapse of his marriage and his ten year struggle to recreate another best seller is slowly destroying him.
A young widow, Claire, can’t move on after losing her husband in a tragic car accident.David was an aspiring writer and she finds a manuscript of the book he was working on, but it was unfinished.
She knows the one writer that she wants to provide an ending to the wonderful story that she discovered, is Whitaker! The effort provides to be difficult, and so begins a friendship and the biggest challenge of their lives, to discover where David was going with this story, and who was Orlando.
#BooWalker, such a talented, sensitive storyteller. His characters are very strong and very likable. I loved this book so much and it brought tears several times. He really succeeds in bringing their pain and struggle to the reader.
I thank the author, #LakeUnionPublishing and #NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own!

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This is a beautiful story about a widow who is trying to move forward after his death. It is very beautifully written and a refreshing read.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Having recently finished “An Unfinished Story” by Boo Walker, I am happy to have had the chance for the preview; thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing!

This was just the kind of story I needed right now; a sad back story with a predictable romance and ultimate outcome. There is nothing wrong with knowing the ending in advance sometimes. The story took me to "pre-covid" Florida for a while, and it was a very nice place to be. I enjoyed Mr. Walker's ability to write in a way that I felt the sand and sun and could imagine the wine and food he described too. His characters were true and believable. His words and settings were vivid and realistic. That was a comfort, as I was transported back to the way things were when he began to write this story... months ago.

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A novel of second chances that isn't a romance- except in the sense that it's about the romance of writing. Claire's husband David always wanted to be a novelist but he died, tragically in an accident. When Claire finds a manuscript three years later, she must once again confront her grief but also the fact that this unfinished book is good- but it needs someone to complete it. David was inspired by Whitaker Grant, a one hit wonder, as it turns out so Claire tracks him down and convinces him to take over. These are two terrific characters who help one another more than they realize at first. It's a good read - and quite positive. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

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While this started out on a good note for me, it just didn't give me exactly what I was looking for. It's an enjoyable, light-hearted read, but predictable. The story touches on many themes including loss, love and second chances. Nice, easy beach read for those that are looking.

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I liked the style of writing but the story didn't keep my attention and fell flat. Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

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Claire is a young-ish widow who, three years after the death of her husband, David, in a tragic car accident, is still grieving his loss. At the novel's start, she has only just gotten up the courage to go through and clear out David's office, where he had only recently started writing a novel after being encouraged to do so by a local bestselling author named Whitaker. There she finds the unfinished draft of the book he was working on at the time of his untimely death, which she had never read before. Since Whitaker was the one to inspire David to pursue his dream of being a novelist in the first place, Claire is convinced that he should be the one to help her finish the novel and get it published in David's memory. But Whitaker is going through a difficult patch of his own: he's suffering from writer's block (re-fucking-tweet) and dealing with the aftermath of his failed marriage. Nevertheless, he agrees to work with her to finish the unfinished manuscript.

At its heart, An Unfinished Story is a book about so much more than an unfinished story. It's a love story, but not the one you're expecting. It's a story about loss and new beginnings; life, death, and legacy; hitting rock bottom and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps; second chances; reconnecting to life and love; accepting and forgiving yourself and others; staying true to yourself; and, learning to love and accept what is and what isn't.

Without a doubt, An Unfinished Story is a character-driven narrative with a lot of heart. It makes you do a lot of reflecting on your own life and may even cause a few tears. There are definitely sad parts, but the ending is, ultimately, equal parts bittersweet, uplifting, and redemptive. I think that everyone can take something important away from this story, especially anyone who has ever lost someone close to them. I definitely recommend giving this book a chance; I doubt you'll regret it.

Personal note: As someone who was a Florida Gulf Coast resident for nearly her entire childhood, I got a special kick out of whenever local landmarks were referenced. My hometown of good ole Sarasota, FL (known only as being the "city" where Bush was on 9/11), even got its own personal shout-out.

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If Tomorrow Never Comes. This book could well be a sequel to the hit Garth Brooks song of many years ago, as it follows a widow as she finally tries to move on from her husband's sudden death three years ago. Based on my own interactions on social media with so many writers, the struggles Whitaker goes through seem to be all too real - and his stalking of neighborhood people who don't pick up their dog's poop is one of the most hilarious-because-it-is-so-tempting-to-actually-do things I've read in quite some time. And the video game Whitaker finds himself playing just trying to give his mind space to come up with The Next Big Idea is apparently fake, but sounds like it could be *awesome* in the right hands. (I'm a Fallout/ Mass Effect / Outer Worlds kind of gamer, and it sounds like it might be in that vein, or at least Halo.) Overall a very strong book, one that manages to sink new hooks every so often as it propels to an arguably blatantly obvious yet still satisfying finale. Very much recommended.

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#AnUnfinishedStory #NetGalley
Thanks NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Boo Walker for a free advanced copy to review.
It's books like this that make me fall in love more and more with reading, with the thrill of discovering a special book that speaks to you. A book that is a perfect mixture between loss and new beginnings, between pain and happiness between hitting rock bottom and discovering second chances. It's a little bit hard to categorize this book, it's many things wrapped in this exquisite bundle of emotions.
Claire, a widow who is still grieving the loss of her husband David three years after his death in an accident. Whitaker Grant a one novel success author who hit jack pot with one book even turned to a movie block buster. Finally managing the courage to clear David's belongings she discovers an unfinished draft of the book he was writing that she knew of but never read. She got fixated on the idea that since Whitaker was the one who motivated David to write he should be the one to help her finish the story and get it published as an honoring gesture to David.
Teaming up to close up the unfinished story is a whole story in itself of transformation, a how to handle grief and win at the game called life 101. This Book has many layers to unravel that words won't really give its worth.
It is not a romance, it's another whole different type of love story, loving,forgiving and accepting yourself, loving and accepting others, letting others love you and break through your defense and guilt walls.
I loved this book and it both brought equally bitter and sweet tears.

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Thank You NetGalkey/Publisher and Author for this gifted e-book.
This review is entirely my own!

I really enjoyed this book. It was quite a fast read for me. The whole story was very well written.
I !overr the characters in this book which I kind of connected with on some level.
Overall it was great.
3/5 star

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I had high hopes for the book at the start, as I enjoyed how it began and the way it was playing out. However, somewhere along the middle, it lost me. While the subject matter is interesting, and I really enjoyed the ending, I almost would rather have read David's book, rather than this one. Not an awful book but also not my favourite.

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I kept hearing about this book.
I have book 1 of Red Mountain Chronicles Series on my Kindle (want to start 1st chance)
Decided to start reading this upcoming title.
I was immediately whisked away to St. Petersburg Florida
in my mind through Boo's words.

I read entire book in 1 day- wanted to stay with characters- I had to finish.

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I enjoyed this light hearted read. The premise is life does give you second chances. The road may not be aneasy one as a widow and a writer provide solace to each other through a difficult period in both their lives. They both learn valuable lessons about grief, love, loss and new beginnings. My only criticism was, I did find the storyline predictable. But, it was an easy, breezy beach read that I enjoyed.
Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to review this delightful book!

jb
https://seniorbooklounge.blogspot.com/

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