My Life for Yours, by Vanessa Carnevale, is an exceptionally moving story about love, loss, and the things we do for the people we love. I think readers would enjoy this book because it is a genuine portrayal of life, love, grief, heartache, joy, happiness, fears, dreams, and everything in between. It is a beautiful story, and Vanessa Carnevale was spot on with the way she wrote about the characters, their emotions, situations, actions and reactions, and family dynamics. Obviously when you read the cover information you know it will most likely be a tear jerker. It certainly is; however, every tear I cried and every tissue I used was worth it! I highly recommend this book! Where do you draw the line at what is an acceptable sacrifice compared to an unacceptable sacrifice, when no matter what choice you make, people are going to be shattered by your decision, and may never recover? Are there any limits to what a mother would sacrifice for her child?

Plot: It was an incredible journey into the lives of a man and woman (Nick and Paige) hoping to have a baby. Nick has worked hard to complete medical school and to finally get to a point where he feels secure in starting a family. His wife, Paige, is overjoyed, and starts imagining herself holding her newborn son or daughter nestled against her, rocking him or her in a rocking chair, and all the other dreams that are the blessings of motherhood. They are both eager and excited to move into this next chapter in their lives. Unbeknownst to them at the time, Paige giving birth would undoubtably pose catastrophic circumstances to her and the baby.. Their world is upended when Drs discover that the odds of Paige’s and the baby’s survival are staggeringly low, with highly probable tragic and fatal results. Initially Paige had gone to the hospital for an emergency situation, and left with the knowledge that having a baby could kill her, her baby, or both. Paige and Nick strongly disagree with how to handle the prospect of Paige having a baby, and they retreat into themselves and become distanced from one another. Their once solid marriage starts to crumble and neither of them seems to know how to get back to the place they once were. When someone you love feels compelled to make a decision that would emotionally shatter everyone else in their world, how do you survive and cope with that possibility? The turmoil Nick and Paige feel is also compounded by the deepest and most sincere feelings of those closest to them. Each character made an excellent point about what to do if they were in the Nick’s or Paige’s position, so even though you may have your own personal feelings about what you would do if it was you, the different points made in this book will tug at your heart strings and you’ll be able to see things the way others do.

Paige’s mother has one opinion as to what she should do, however her father disagrees. Her sister, Caitlin, has her own opinion, which Paige feels offended by considering she already has children of her own. Her brother travels a long distance to spend a few weeks with Paige so that he can say goodbye and spend time with her considering that her death is most likely inevitable. Hope, Paige’s best friend, is a solid sounding board for Paige to tell everything too, and she’s also an attorney. Are there any legal circumstances where a husband and wife can legally oppose one another due to extreme medical conditions? An extended family that was once so close is torn apart as tensions rise and their pain and conflicting opinions become more obvious. Every comment about how to move forward in an unstable and shaky future is a gut wrenching reminder of the unknown - where impending death is the most probable outcome. As desperately as Nick wants a baby, he knows there are other ways they can become parents. He loves his wife more than anything in the world. She is his heart and soulmate, and he cant imagine a single day without her. One by one they are all compelled to say their goodbyes because no one wants to leave anything left unsaid.

Imagine if your daughter was pregnant and wanted a baby, but you knew that the odds of her survival were minimal? What advice would you give her, and how would you feel about the situation? Same scenario if you were the father, brother, sister, best friend and your loved one was willing to sacrifice her life to have a baby. Would you support her if she chose to have a baby, knowing that the pregnancy and birth could kill her? Would you urge her to try surrogacy or adoption, even though she makes it clear how desperate she is to have a baby? There is a fine line between supporting a loved one and attempting to dissuade them from a personal choice, so how do you know when enough is enough? At that point, are you able to 100% support their wishes, even if they are life staking?
Thank you Vanessa Carnevale, Bookouture, and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of reading this copy for review. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion about the book.

‘I’ve been thinking a lot about legacy. The things we keep, the things we let go of, the things we remember about those who’ve left us...’

Paige and Nick have a wonderful life together - they have a happy marriage, a beautiful home, and soon their family will be complete with the birth of their child. But when a devastating stillbirth leads to the discovery that Paige has a serious heart condition, it seems that their dreams of a happy family will never come true. Until Paige becomes pregnant again. But this time, everything is different - with her condition, carrying her child to term could kill her. Now, the couple face an impossible decision - should Paige give her life for her child’s?

Wow, what a book! I absolutely adore these kinds of books, ones that have a complex multi-faceted dilemma at the heart of them, and that really make you question your own ideas and assumptions about what you would do in that situation... So the question at the heart of the book is simple: should a mother give her life to save that of her unborn child? Now I will admit that I have very strong views on this (don't worry, I won't say which side my opinions falls on!) and so I went into reading this thinking that my perspective wouldn't change at all. However, that's what's great about the fact that you read chapters from the POV of both Nick and Paige - you get a real insight into both arguments, in a way that feels very authentic and considered. And getting this insight meant that I was forced to question my own perspective on this issue, which surprised me, and was something I found really interesting and thought-provoking.

Now, I'm not going to comment on the plot for fear of spoilers. What I will say is that yes, it is heart-breaking. Especially the early section when Paige and Nick lose their son - I somehow skipped that part of the synopsis before I requested the book, so it was completely out of the blue to me, which made it even more devastating! But seeing how they coped with it as a couple made for a really beautiful reading experience. I also loved getting the insight into what parents might need at a time like that - there's a section where Nick acknowledges that many people try and skip over their son's existence, rather than asking about him and respecting the fact that he lived. Definitely a lesson I have learned from and will take with me.

All in all, I thought this was a really great book, covering a complex topic in a sensitive and thought-provoking manner. A real strength of this book is the fact that the author didn't shy away from dealing with such a challenging subject, and instead wrote about it in a very respectful way. I absolutely loved Paige and Nick's relationship, and also really enjoyed how the author made Paige's family such a bit part of the book - this worked really well to show how a trauma doesn't just affect an individual, but also affects everyone around them. Yes, this is a book with moments of heartbreak, but it also has so many moments of happiness - definitely one to read if you enjoy a complex family drama with a challenging dilemma at its heart.

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to receive an advance reading copy from NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

A beautiful emotional read, have tissues to hand particularly at the end!
Sensitively told, a hugely emotive subject and the power of a mothers love are all portrayed in this moving read!
Paige and her husband lose their much loved and wanted first baby max at almost full term, after this near death experience Paige is informed that she has a serious medical condition and further pregnancies would exacerbate this and could cause her death! What follows is an emotional rollercoaster as Paige and nick have to confront such agonising decisions and choices all of which have far reaching consequences ,that you can’t really comprehend how awful it would be to be put in that situation and how you would deal with it yourself!
Such a heartbreaking emotional read, fantastic ending and a subject that will stay with me for a long time!
Thank you netgalley for this early read.

The love a mother has for her child is so deep and pure. What would you do to protect your child even before they are born? What if carrying and delivering the child risks your life? Nick and Paige are expecting a baby and Paige has health complications during the third trimester. How will Nick and Paige deal with this situation? This book is very hard to review without giving away the story. I will just say that the situation Nick and Paige found themselves in and the decisions they had to make are agonizing. The decisions that are made have far reaching consequences and affect every relationship that Paige has. A very emotional, but interesting topic and I couldn't wait to see what happens at the end. I would highly recommend this moving book.

Let me start by saying that I usually don’t read this sort of book. I am a big softie and books like this always render me an emotional wreck. That said I was thrilled when I was sent this as an ARC to review.

My Life For Yours is the story of Paige and Nick. When Paige is nearing the end of her pregnancy she suffers heart failure, she barely makes it out alive and baby Max is born asleep. Paige is subsequently diagnosed with a heart condition and warned that until her condition is under control she should not become pregnant again. However, fate intervenes and she becomes pregnant again.
My Life For Yours is the emotionally brilliant, heartbreaking story of love, loss and an impossible choice that no one should ever have to make.

I am a Mum, I have a son, and because of that this book hit me where it hurts. I couldn’t help but put myself in Paige’s shoes, both when they lost Max and when they conceived again. No one should ever have to decided between a chance at another baby and becoming a family, another baby but leaving your husband as a lone parent or leaving your husband without a wife or a baby.
That is the devastating position Paige and Nick are in and it wouldn’t be a spoiler to say they don’t agree on the decision, adding to an already heartbreaking story.
Needless to say this is a highly emotive subject which Vanessa Carnevale approaches with a perfect balance of emotion and hope.
This is certainly a story that will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I chose this book because the description stood out. Having lost a baby myself this touched my heart. Fantastic read, truly beautiful.

This is a stunningly beautiful novel, dealing with a really difficult subject with grace. I loved it from the first page and was grilled throughout.

Oh wow what a rollercoaster. So emotional in places every page you were hoping that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Every new character that came into the book you really got involved in their life. Brilliant book