And the Stars Kept Watch

Ok, wow, this was a difficult one to read. Not because the writing is bad (it is absolutely beautiful), but because the content was heart-wrenchingly sad, yet so full of hope. This story pulled open a can of emotions I did not even know were in me.

I loved every second of reading this book. Don't get me wrong, it is not a page-turner where you are rushing to find out how it ends. This book needs time. As a reader, you will need time to reflect on the many, very human, issues discussed. From loss, grief, depression, suicidal thoughts, seething hate and blame to ultimately finding a road to recovery, forgiveness, redemption and a new purpose, the chapters had me alternatively rooting for one of the couple and then for the other. Coming to the end of the story, tears were streaming down my face and I could not do anything but root for both.

Highly recommend this book, but please do read only when you have the time and headspace to dedicate to this very deserving story.

Nathan and Catherine are living an ideal life in Maine with their two young boys. One day tragedy strikes and how they each cope with grief and try to move on with life is the basis for this story.

This book was very well written and really gives you a glimpse of how people grieve in different ways. My heart broke for both Nathan and Catherine. Even without twists and suspense, this book kept my interest, it seems like something so simple, but it had so much depth. I never felt that the story dragged, although I do feel it could have been a few chapters shorter. I truly appreciated the emotions conveyed in the story and I appreciated the ending. There were a few "too good to be true" parts, where things just worked out too easily, but it was a really good depiction of how someone can move past and unfathomable tragedy.
Thanks to Netgalley and Atmosphere Press for the review copy of this book.

Frustrated with the book at times, only because I wanted the characters to make other choices. Likeable characters, storyline was a difficult one, overall good book. Well worth it.

Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

This book was full of heartbreak with a little hope scattered in. I found myself feeling so sad for them, and then getting frustrated because I wanted them to made different decisions. I couldn’t put it down once I’d started!

This was an incredibly challenging book to read…and well worth the investment of time and attention! I highly recommend it.

Nathan and Catherine Osgood are the parents of two adorable sons ages 4 and 6 years old. They live an almost idyllic life in a small, rural town in southwestern Maine surrounded by the beauty of nature. Nathan has a successful financial planning firm and Catherine voluntarily gave up a rising career as a bankruptcy lawyer to raise their family. One Saturday morning, in early spring, an adventure turns into a heart-breaking tragedy and, in the aftermath, their marriage hangs in the balance.

The book explores a broad spectrum of emotional issues including love, grief, sorrow, blame, forgiveness, recovery, and redemption. The descriptions of Nathan’s and Catherine’s reactions and responses to the trauma are raw and compelling without becoming maudlin. The author, who is a Unitarian pastor, addresses the deep, personal work required to heal with great sensitivity and compassion. There is definitely a spiritual overtone without being overtly religious in nature, which I appreciated. The storyline kept me fully engaged and I applaud the author’s realistic and inspiring ending, which reveals that even in the midst of great loss, there is the opportunity to heal into a meaningful future.

My thanks to the author, Atmosphere Press, 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.

I think the truly last heartbreaking book I have ever read was Wreck by Kirstin Cronn-Mills and this one is a close second.
Nathan and Catherine have the perfect family and perfect life until a tragic event pulls their life apart. Nathan is to blame for the accident that tears his and Catherine's life apart.. It truly is a hearbreaking read and it took me a while to finish it. Not because it wasn't good, but it was such a heartwrenching book. Nate and Catherine's emotions grabbed my heart from the beginning and did not let it go. Because of that, I had to take a number of breaks to get a hold of my emotions and remember it was only a book. You will become attached to these characters, because they could be anybody...including ourselves.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Atmosphere Press for the ARC of this emotional, heartbreaking but beautifully written work of art.

Can the perfect marriage survive a life-altering tragedy when only one is to blame? This is the story of Nathan and Catherine Osgood, a young couple who have everything they could ever want and more. When Nathan causes a horrific accident, life as they know it will change forever. Peter Friedrichs asks the question, can the unforgivable be forgiven?

When you read this book, make sure you give it the time it deserves. This book was a slow read, but it was necessary in order to fully explore and comprehend the complex emotions felt by the characters. I took my time reading this book so I could pause and reflect on the concept of loss, grief, and forgiveness. This book was heartbreakingly beautiful, and I loved every second of it. The only reason I gave it a 3.5 is because of how angry Catherine’s character made me throughout the book. Sometimes I felt like she just wasn’t being fair to Nathan. However, maybe that’s what makes this book so beautiful-grief comes in many shapes and sizes. We all experience it differently and react in our own way.

This was a very heartbreaking yet brave book to read as we follow the lives of Nathan and Catherine when a dramatic event affected their lives completely. To,the outside world this couple appeared to have everything, a beautiful home in an idealistic semi rural part of Maine and two gorgeous children. When a book starts off with everything being just too perfect you know that something is going to happen, and often not for the better. Nathan and Catherine move forward in the only way they can, making decisions that seem right at the time. Every emotion here is explored. We have no, idea how we, ourselves, would cope with all that faces this lovely husband and wife.

This book is so thought provoking and beautiful but also so sad! Nathan and Katherine experience a tremendous loss and this is the story of how they individually deal with the grief and pain to eventually recover and heal. I could easily connect with the characters and befriend them which made the journey through this book very emotional.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC. This book was so painful and real to read. Painful in such a way not because of the superb writing, but because the subject matter. Because Peter Friedrichs prose is so strong, I felt every emotion the characters were feeling. Its difficult for a book to do that to me as a reader. Catherine and Nathan have it all - two young, happy boys, Nathan with his own thriving business and Catherine, a former law school graduate, adapting well to being a homemaker and mother. Tragedy strikes in one of the worst ways possible and their lives change immediately and permanently. The story was so compelling and absorbing that I had to sometimes take a break just to think. Nathan and Catherine's characters are well-rounded and so very human. Although some may not like the outcome of the story, I appreciated it because sometimes life doesn't end up perfectly and people move in different directions. Probably one of the best books I will read in 2021.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing a copy of this book to read.
The book is about dealing with heavy duty emotions. The story is in Maine, with Nate, a financial planner and a wife, Catherine, a lawyer with two young boys. The author paints a picture of a happy picture perfect marriage. Tragedy strikes and the story begins with a pool of emotions beginning with heart wrenching grief.

The story brings your own heart to participate and you grieve with them. Interestingly
enough, the story covers many emotions and stages of dealing with loss such as suicidal thoughts, blame, hope, recovery and forgiveness. You need to take breaks as you read to focus on the story.

The author writes each emotion with finesse and you can not help feel for each one as different as they may be for both Nat and Catherine. It is hard to take one side.
I wish everyone who has a loss, can result in finding yourself renewed with an opportunity to move on and forgive and heal.
The book may be a bit too perfect and a little too long. But, worth the read.

This book steals your breath, wrenches your heart, and yet you will not stop turning the page. Catherine and Nathan Osgood have the perfect life. A young couple that settled in the perfect town, built their dream house, then to complete their lives they have two wonderful little boys. Nathan and Cat have everything they could have dreamt of, until a bad decision, leads to an accident that wrenches the dream life apart and shatters it into a million pieces. I can't say more without giving spoilers, which I never do!! #AndTheStarsKeptWatch is so well written and the story flows so well that I couldn't put this book down. It is one that will stay with me for years. Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me to give my voluntary and honest opinion.

What a difficult book to do justice. Not because of the writing, this is beautiful and evocative throughout, but it's just so heartbreakingly sad whilst also hopeful.
This was a slow burn book that felt it deserved time to read and for self reflection. The topics discussed are hard hitting and if you're not in a happy place this would not be the best book to pick up
The alternating chapters had me rooting for each at different times.
A glorious sad read, it made me sob.

This was a very emotional and heart-wrenching read, almost too much so at times. A happy family is shattered by the accidental death of the two young sons. Told from the alternating perspectives of parents Catherine and Nathan who seek to work through their grief with their respective counsellors, the story examines how we deal with grief and loss. I found it sad that these two did not seek counselling together as a couple, as that may have led to a different outcome.

I'm not sure exactly how to review And the Stars Kept Watch. I want to do it justice, but this isn't a casual nove3l you read to escape. You read this book to feel something deeply. It's definitely not an easy read. The subject matter is deeply emotional and heartbreaking. However, it's a beautifully written novel about surviving a painful life-changing event and finding a way to live through it. It's a story about finding a way to forgive the unforgivable and eventually find a kind of peace. This story felt realistic and relatable. Through the darkness, the characters eventually find their way to a new normal and with that, hope.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

There is no way I can review this book that will ever do it the justice that it deserves but I will try my best to convey to you the power of this book.

Imagine this: A young, happily married couple Nathan and Catherine, living their dream life in the Maine wilderness with their two young sons, Jacob and Joseph, only four and six years old.

Imagine this: Those two young boys are ripped from your lives in a tragic set of circumstances. Nathan having made a decision that ultimately took the two boys lives.

How does one recover from such tragedy?

We follow Nathan and Catherine over the next two years after the accident. The anguish, the pain, the guilt - be prepared - you will be deep down in those murky waters of despair right with our characters.

I choked on tears and had to put this book down on several occasions. When the characters howl in pain and collapse in a puddle of tears it just about broke me.

I feel like the authors portrayal of grief was accurate. The turmoil of emotions felt very real and their thought processes felt very authentic. I ached for Catherine and Nathan and what they have been through.

While the circumstances that brought them to this precipice is beyond horribly tragic it brings them both a glimmer of hope as they discover themselves in the process and find through that emotional outlets that will ultimately save them without relying on one another.

"On nights like this those stars, which she knew were lightyears away, felt as close as her own beating heart."

A powerful piece of fiction that I will not soon forget. 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atmosphere Press for my copy.

This was such an emotional read, and it is so hard to reconcile my pulled heartstrings and review it based on anything else. The experience that Catherine and Nathan endured at the beginning of the book is one we all fear the most, and I cannot fathom the grief and turmoil that was their life following that accident. I thought the way the author handled this piece of the story was done so with grace and well-thought consideration. Watching the growth that occurred as a result in both of our characters was beautiful.

One thing I felt could have been improved upon was the organic flow of dialogue between characters. Some of the back and forth felt forced, if not awkward. I realize that some interactions would be naturally awkward; i.e. the meetings between Catherine and Nathan. This was also something I found in the typical day-to-day conversations where we wouldn’t expect such awkwardness. This, at times, made the story feel a little choppy.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book, and definitely was hit hard in the feels throughout. Overall rating is a 3.75.

When a couple experience the worst tragedy imaginable, their relationship stretches to its limits. As they grapple with their individual grief and what they’ve lost as a family, they try to figure out how to live with a “new normal.” Author Peter Friedrichs tugs at heartstrings but loses a little bit of focus in his debut book And the Stars Kept Watch.

Catherine and Nathan Osgood have everything they could ever want as a couple. They live in Maine in a home they built in the woods. Nathan works as a financial planner, and Catherine gave up her burgeoning law career to raise their two boys. Although she misses working, for the most part Catherine is content.

Their home gives them the opportunity to spend a lot of time outdoors, which is a bonus for Nathan. When Catherine buys him an ATV for his birthday, he’s thrilled about the chance to take the boys out for rides. The family falls into a routine where Nathan and the boys go riding while Catherine catches up on housework and enjoys a little bit of time for herself.

One of the rides turns fatal, however, leaving Nathan and Catherine dumbstruck with grief. In a single afternoon, they lose their children and their role as parents. Nathan is wracked with grief; Catherine is filled with rage.

The two begin the seemingly impossible task of working through all the emotions they experience, but they can’t seem to find their way back to one another as a couple. As Catherine deals with the reality of empty days, she starts to question her entire commitment to Nathan. Was it really her choice, she wonders, to give up her career, or did she get swept up in Nathan’s enthusiasm to be the sole provider?

Nathan gets caught up in the legal ramifications of his actions and is stunned to discover that Catherine is questioning their relationship. He’s already lost his boys. He doesn’t think he can survive losing Catherine. As he does the work of understanding his role in the accident, he also tries to figure out what life might look like in a future alone. He doesn’t know if it’s even possible to consider that future, but he knows Catherine may not give him much of a choice.

Author Peter Friedrichs brings a great deal of heart to the book. Nathan and Catherine’s grief and all of the other emotions they experience are definitely the strongest points. Friedrichs doesn’t hold back, letting Nathan and Catherine go back and forth in messy, loud exchanges that ring true to real life.

Parts of the plot needed some additional attention, however. While Catherine is the one who gave Nathan the ATV in the first place, not once does she express guilt about how that action might have played a role in the accident. Also, the legal trouble Nathan experiences doesn’t seem realistic, although later plot points reveal why he needed to go through it in the first place. The result is that the legal issues feel convenient instead of organic to the plot. Too many flashbacks also occur in the middle of scenes, slowing down the pace.

Catherine seems too quick to judge Nathan at times, and readers may get a little impatient with her confusion at what she’s actually feeling in some moments. Overall, however, the book plumbs the depths of difficult questions and experiences. Readers who like stories that challenge them with real-life dilemmas will enjoy this one. I recommend readers Borrow And the Stars Kept Watch.

A very sad story which cannot fail to move any reader. The telling of the tragedy is done beautifully and the horror of what happened stays with you. I have to say the first third was by far the best bit of the book for me and it was almost a sense of loyalty that kept me reading to the end because it was too long and just a little too twee if I am being brutal. That said is a wonderful book so don’t miss reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Peter Friedrichs and Atmosphere Press for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a difficult read for me in the beginning because of the loss of children. The writing after that though is beautiful and I enjoyed reading about how the parents in this situation came to be able to survive with the loss. It's definitely a slow and difficult read at times, but it is so human and you really feel immersed in their lives and losses. You really want them to be able to find some sort happiness or joy in their lives. Definitely a worthwhile read.

Thank you to Netgalley, Atmosphere Press and Peter Friedrichs for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

And the Stars Kept Watch is the story of parents Catherine and Nathan Osgood, and their two little boys Jacob and Joe and how they cope with the aftermath of a tragedy. The story starts off with a punch to the gut in the middle of the tragedy. There is some backstory of their lives as a family together, but for the most part, the novel deals with the grief and trauma a family would experience after something like this. What the family goes through is something all people fear.

Full disclosure: I was only able to read about 35% of this book. Not because it was a bad story or poorly written. This book is hard to read; it's a heartbreaking, emotional read, and at the time I just didn't have it in me to continue. I do hope to come back to one day because Friedrichs does excellent job of portraying this situation. Recommended for parents everywhere.

How freaking stunning is the cover, it definitely goes well with the story because the story was so good and interesting. I had such a blast and couldn’t put this book down. It was so fun and entertaining and never had a dull moment. This story felt like a roller coaster and such a blast of a read.