(3.5/5)

This is a fast read with short chapters and a likeable cast of characters. The best friend and coworker Nikki is actually a supportive and honest friend, which was refreshing to read. Simone’s parents reminded me of my own, so their dynamics felt real to me. The characters face their own issues—a mother with anxiety, a boyfriend who suffered a loss, a friend struggling to support her girlfriend—but the characters sometimes felt a bit too neat. Like everything was hunky-dory. And the Chet and Stan storyline felt incomplete. We know Stan and his wife are going through something, but that’s never fully addressed or how it connects to the reasoning for his and Chet’s actions.

I struggled a bit reading this because it feels like two different books: one is a romance between Simone and Connor, and the other is a thriller with a workplace shooting. I liked that each part started with the shooting and left you in suspense until you learned more about the event in the following part, but it seemed too far removed from the other storyline. And when it does come together, it feels a bit forced. Like Simone’s realization, though an important one, could have happened without the entire shooting sequence.

I did love the exploration of MS in this book though. That’s ultimately what made me pick it up in the first place. Someone near and dear to me was diagnosed with MS a few years ago, so reading about Simone’s diagnosis and struggle to understand just how this will affect her future was quite eyeopening. Elissa does a great job explaining that everyone’s MS journey is different, from the episodes they have to the treatment they choose. I did like that Simone’s struggle with MS was central to the book, and I appreciate that it came from Elissa’s own experiences and struggles with MS.

Overall, I enjoyed it. Despite the diagnosis and the workplace shooting, it’s a light-hearted read with some humour and lots of love and hope. It’s a bit cheesy at times, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I haven’t read a book about a character with MS before, so I really appreciated this perspective.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing and Amazon Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Simone receives a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS), a condition without a known cause nor cure. She grapples with how MS permeates so much of her life, especially her marketing job for a university and her new relationship. The dual storyline follows Simone in the year after her diagnosis and zooms into a single horrific day, a campus shooting while Simone is at work.

The author used her own experience with MS to write the story. It’s full of emotion, a powerful depiction of chronic illness with humor and Hallmark-romance vibes too. It’s impossible not to root for Simone! I loved how the author showed the stress of health insurance, jobs, and choice of medical provider for someone with chronic illness. I haven't seen this often in books and I'm glad she chose to include those elements.

Personally, I was riled up when Simone worried about health insurance and speaking up for herself. I do policy analysis for Medicaid and I’m passionate about access to healthcare. NO ONE should worry about seeking treatment because they can’t afford it, stick with a job solely for employer-sponsored coverage, or feel they can’t communicate with their providers. Healthcare is a right and we need to advocate for ourselves and for others!

My only critique is that the campus shooting storyline was a bit jarring and not totally necessary. I think the book would be just as strong without and still show Simone's character development.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will recommend to others!

What to say about this book, except that I loved it!
We follow Simone as she gets diagnosed with MS and learns how to come to terms with what it entails, and to adjust her life accordingly. The topic is a serious one, but the author manages to inject some light-hearted moments (through romance and friendship).
This story also highlights the doubts one can have when faced with chronic illnesses, and the difference it makes to have a strong support system in place.

There is also a second storyline, taking place a year after her future, and even though it was an interesting (and dramatic in a different way), the main one could have stood on its own.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Speed of Light, thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review!

I loved everything about this book. Elissa Grossell Dickey has managed to create a story so filled with hope, yet with a mass shooting at its core. The back and forth chapters added to the depth of writing; the many layers of the story peeking out of every passage. I couldn’t get through this book fast enough, yet found myself re-reading lines, hoping to commit them to memory. I highly recommend The Speed of Light.

Elissa Grossell Dickey used The Speed of Light to enlighten readers about MS under the guise of telling a great story.

I really wanted to love this book. It had so much going for it. Likable characters. Great concept. All around good storyline. Just great promise. But.... the overuse of the GD word did me in. I tried so hard to get past this but it seemed to be used in every single chapter and multiple times in some. I can usually overlook language. It does not usually bother me, but when it's used this often I just can't concentrate on the actual book. This book would be great if only that was not used so much.

I hate that this happened because I really did think this was going to be a good story. A good first book. I believe this author used this word maybe because she couldn't think of any others to use. It would have been better to use more in my opinion. Not that I like a book filled with bad language but good grief one used over and over is monotonous. This book truly has great promise. If I could make a suggestion it would be to take out the GD word a bit. Once of twice would be ok but this was just too much. And I'm not one that usually has a problem with bad words. I am shocked that it's a Lake Union with that word being used so often. That could just be me but I've not read one like it before and. I do love Lake Union authors.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #ElissaGrossellDickey, #LakeUnionPublishers for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts.
2/5 stars for me and read it if you want. I will not tell anyone to not give it a try. You may not mind what I do.

This was a fast-paced, engaging book which explores the experience of coming to terms with the onset of chronic disease and how that impacts relationships and one’s attitude towards life. When the main character finds herself at the center of a terrifying and tragic incident, she begins flashing back on different time periods of her life—meeting a great live, learning of a diagnosis, and the ways friendships and other relationships are tested by this diagnosis.

I really enjoyed the pacing and structure of the book, and appreciated the focus on chronic illness, which is rarely represented in popular fiction. The characters were believable and the story kept me reading, flipping quickly from chapter to chapter.

An engaging read!

This novel reflects a year-long journey in time as Simone learns to embrace her diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and all that it means to her future. The story is skillfully and truthfully told by the author who shares this diagnosis personally.

Told in a dual timeline between the present and flashbacks through the previous year, Simone’s emotional rollercoaster ride is handled with compassion and sensitivity. From denial to anger to outright terror, the grieving process is described as a natural process of coming to grips with a chronic, debilitating disease. Simone is fortunate to have a strong support system with friends and family…and even a budding romance. Her precarious health is juxtaposed with an equally uncertain future professionally in her job at a local university. It is here, at work, that a violent event serves as her greatest “wake-up call” to live in the present moment and appreciate life as a gift.

At times the transitions between the past and present felt a little jarring. The “cliff-hanging” endings of the present day chapters certainly propelled the story forward, but as a literary device also felt a bit annoying after a while.

Overall, I feel this is a worthwhile read and I appreciate the author’s efforts in her debut novel.

My thanks to the author, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing a digital ARC in exchange for an independent, honest review.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

The Speed of Light centers on Simone, a young woman dealing with a recent diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. She is navigating what the disease will mean for her life moving forward, and worrying about her job at a local university that is currently going through budget cuts. Simone meets a nice guy one night on her way to visit her parents when her car breaks down and she accepts a ride from him. Connor seems great, but is romance in the cards with everything else going on in her life at the moment?

Flash forward to just over a year later, on a work day that starts like any other, and sudden gunshots turn the ordinary into a fight for survival. Facing down degenerative nerve damage as her disease progresses is something Simone has been working on, but dying at the hands of a gunman had never entered her mind. The book alternates between Simone's current predicament and her memories of the past year; the relationships she has strengthened, those that have fallen apart, and the friends new and old she has made along the way.

Elissa Grossell Dickey's characters are well written, the dialogue is sharp and witty, and the fear and pain were palpable in the past and present parts of Simone's life. I truly enjoyed this debut novel and would recommend that other readers give it a try.

The Speed of Light is my first book by this author, but it won't be the last. I was immediately drawn into Simone's life, her journey trying to deal with MS and her friends and family.

The struggles Simone had with not only MS symptoms, but wondering how the rest of her life would be affected were similar to what anyone with a major illness must face and the support she had made this book all the better.

At times the way the storyline was done was distracting for me, but it became easier to overlook as the book went on. I think that was because the story moved faster and faster and I kept wanting to know what was going to happen.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts in this review are my own.

This was a beautifully written book that I could not put down. I loved the two story timelines, one so full of raw fear while the other has a rollercoaster of emotions, going back and forth between. The ending tied everything up nicely but I would love to see a sequel.

What a wonderful and well-written debut novel! I was hooked from the beginning, drawn into Simone’s life as she struggles with her personal diagnosis, followed by an unexpected tragedy that has her reexamining everything she thought she knew. Told in a dual timeline, we see Simone in the present, dealing with a terrifying situation and looking death in the face, as she looks back over the past year and her struggles and decisions since being diagnosed with MS.
This was a compelling read, with characters (well, most) that I would love to be friends with, hang out, get coffee. Simone was a realistic character, with the understandable emotions, fears, and behaviors of someone shocked and unsure of what her diagnosis means to her, her future, and her relationships. There is so much to think about. She has a wonderful support system with her family and best friends, even a new boyfriend, but her diagnosis has her questioning everything, even her new relationship. When she faces immediate possibility of death and losing everything, will it put things into perspective for her?
THE SPEED OF LIGHT by Elissa Grossell Dickey has created a debut novel full of family, friendship, and love with characters you will root for and hope to see again. I would love to see what Dickey comes out with next.
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#TheSpeedofLight #ElissaGrossellDickey #LakeUnionPublishing

I received an advance copy of, The Speed of light, by Elissa Grossell Dickey. This was a good book, but I did not like how it went back and forth through time periods. It was too confusing.

I really enjoyed this book. Very emotional as well as tense, with alternating timelines. I really liked how the author developed the timelines to tell us Simone’s story, of a debilitating disease, newly diagnosed, and her emotions as she dealt with each new symptom. We then are introduced to the other players in her life, her concerned family, her coworkers and friends and a promising new romantic interest. She weaves the previous year with the current drama playing out in her well told story.
Elissa Grossell Dickey is a skilled storyteller with great characters, allowing the reader to blend in with the action. I really felt like I was there, as the shooters roamed the offices, searching for intended targets. Very dramatic and powerful.
My thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for the ARC. All comments are my own. I highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed this book and am so impressed that this was the author’s debut novel! There was a lot going on to keep my attention and I liked that the book alternated between the present time/shooting and the events that led up to it starting from a year ago, which also included Simone’s official diagnosis of MS. I liked Simone’s character and was inspired by her commitment to running after her diagnosis. Even when faced with the most terrifying event of her life (the shooting), she never gave up.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

A riveting story that has two storylines from the perspective of one character. Simone has recently been diagnosed with MS and she is still trying to figure out how to react to this chronic diagnosis. In the same story, at the university where she works there is a shooting taking place and she must react in order to check on her co workers and also try to figure out who is doing this.

What I loved most about this book was that I saw this character go through the acceptance of a disease, MS, and the limitations that eventually her body will make on her. I know very little about MS and appreciate when fiction can enlighten me in a soft and easy way without all of the science. I care more about reading about the feelings of diagnosis and how someone comes to grips with the path that their life will now lead.

The way the author laid out the book kept me turning pages. We go back in time a year before the shooting and read about Simone as the year unfolds and leads up to the shooting and the events of that day while at the same time the shooting slowly unfolds throughout the book. For me this was a really satisfying way to keep me reading to the end and gave the book a little mystery as I was trying to find out who the shooter was alongside Simone.

I was excited to learn when I finished that this was a debut book written by an author who is living with MS and I really hope there are more books to come from her!

I truly enjoyed The Speed of Light. The characters. The pacing. The setting. The timeliness. The emotional journey. All of it. Elissa Grossell Dickey pulls off the dual timelines like an expert and reels the reader right in. The story itself alternates between a tragic workplace event and the year before when Simone, the main character, grapples with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. I personally appreciated the complexity in Simone's life--her dedication to family, relationships, friendships, and her quest to figure out what would be best for her health and happiness. Simone felt real to me, fully fleshed out, and I rooted for her and her circle of support the whole time. I'd suggest the book to anyone who understands what chronic illness is about, and I look forward to reading more work from this author!

The Speed of light was a compelling -- and at times terrifying – dual story line of a year in one young woman’s life. The story alternates between a horrific episode of workplace violence and the year before, as Simone, the MC, struggles to come to terms with her MS diagnosis. Simone and her best friend work together, and she grew up nearby and is very close to her family. Her MS journey begins with getting the diagnosis she had both feared and anticipated. That news ricochets into every aspect of her life affecting her self-image, her burgeoning romance, and her closest friendship. It’s an honest and nuanced examination of the insidious nature of chronic disease which is invisible to others but can come to consume the people it inhabits. The novel also a sweet love story, as well as one about the warmth and kindness of family. It was wonderful to see someone with a chronic illness represented in a novel, which is so rare.

The Speed of Light raises important questions – do we let our illness or disability define us?

What is the line between being independent, and shutting people out?

Is opening yourself up to love worth the risk?

Ultimately, Simone discovers the answers to these questions and so much more about herself and her own inner reserves of strength in this heartwarming debut novel.

I really enjoyed this debut novel. and its message. The importance of friendship, of individual struggle, of misunderstanding and, ultimately, what it is to be human.
The ending was joyous, moving and uplifting all in one.

Compelling story of a woman diagnosed with MS, wondering about her future, afraid of what her future will be. Then one day, while at work, shots ring out and suddenly she discovers what real fear and real courage is.I
I was totally invested in this story from the first paragraph. Read the book in one setting, it was impossible for me to put it down! Wonderful characters.
5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher and author for an ARC of this book.The opinions expressed are my own.