A Taylor-Made Life (Taylor-Made #1) by Kary Rader
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#New_Adult, #Contemporary, #Romance
They lived the life they were given; they loved the life they made. Cheerleader Taylor Smith doesn’t want to die a virgin. Unfortunately, if the terminally-ill leukemia patient doesn't find a lover or a stem-cell match within months, her fear will become reality. When her cancer mentor is revealed to be a hottie entrepreneur from California, it seems fate might finally be on her side. Tech-geek Gavin Taylor has everything he ever wanted, except someone to grieve for him when he's gone. With his melanoma cancer beyond the help of his riches, he agrees to participate in a cancer patient mentoring program where he's matched with a dying teen from Texas. Despite his immediate attraction, the Silicon Valley whiz intends only to provide friendship and happy memories to the beautiful, young woman who is determined to win his love. When it's discovered that his frozen sperm and her harvested eggs could lead to a cure, Taylor's mother offers to be a surrogate. And Gavin must decide if he can risk the heart he has never given and a child he'll never know to a girl he just met.
5 out of 5 (exceptional)
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Taylor was your normal high school kid, enjoying life and being a teenager until she received a heartbreaking diagnosis, leukemia. After all treatments failed, her only hope was to receive stem cell transplant and that hope was dwindling with each failed match. She wanted one last thing in life, to not die a virgin. How could she accomplish this with her dignity? Gavin Taylor is leading a life many would be jealous of. He is the leader of an ever growing video game company, more money than he needs, and independence. The one thing he doesn’t have is someone, anyone, to grieve for him when his terminal cancer finally takes over. He keeps this a secret because he doesn’t want pity sympathy. What will happen when he meets up with his candidate in the cancer patient mentor program? Is there hope to find true love with his clock ticking?
Wow, talk about a huge emotional break down! This book was absolutely, positively, without a doubt in my mind, incredible! I had an idea what I would be reading at the beginning of the book but it didn’t prepare me for the way that the author wrote this story and how it would make me feel. It is incredibly BEAUTIFUL! The entire story, front to back, was one big emotional journey from happy, sad, angry, frustrated, devastated, and finally leaving me feel emotionally raw at the end. It’s a powerful story with a powerful message. The strength that each and every single person that suffers the diagnosis of cancer deals with each and every day is astounding. This story doesn’t cover the beginning, diagnosis stage, but it sure does cover the treatment and finality stage and in my opinion it couldn’t have been written better. This story could have been simply ugly and depressing because that is what cancer can be, but I love how she wrote it to be uplifting and hopeful but with some ugly and depressing moments.
If you’re looking for a journey between a man and a woman who are struggling with their diagnosis of terminal cancer with little hope but with a spin of positivity, pick up your copy today! Really, this story is beautiful and even though I was a sobbing mess when I finished it, I would read it again! I look forward to reading book two!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Kary Rader is a stay-at-home mother of three, avid reader and slave to the characters and worlds inside her head. Always creative, she’s drawn to stories with fantastical worlds and creatures. With a little bit of magic and divine guidance, there isn’t anything that can’t be accomplished. And it’s the power of words that creates and destroys. Vanquishing evil and injustice while finding eternal love in the process is all in a day’s work. And with the help of her critique partners and master cartographer imaginary places come to life. Let the fantasy begin…