If You Were Here blog tour

Today I am hosting the last stop for the If You Were Here blog tour and what a cracking final stop this will be for this corker of a book. I am going to be sharing my review with you, telling you why you need Alice Peterson's new release and to top it off the wonderful team over at Simon & Schuster have been uber generous and are offering 5 copies YES 5! for a Uk giveaway, so five of you will have your weekend sorted!

When her daughter Beth dies suddenly, Peggy Andrews is left to pick up the pieces and take care of her granddaughter Flo. But sorting through Beth’s things reveals a secret never told: Beth was sick, with the same genetic condition that claimed her father’s life, and now Peggy must decide whether to keep the secret or risk destroying her granddaughter’s world.
 
Five years later, Flo is engaged and moving to New York with her fiancé. Peggy never told her what she discovered, but with Flo looking towards her future, Peggy realises it’s time to come clean and reveal that her granddaughter’s life might also be at risk.
 
As Flo struggles to decide her own path, she is faced with the same life-altering questions her mother asked herself years before: if a test could decide your future, would you take it?

Alice Peterson is my go to author who has never fell short in any of her novels.  I can always count on her giving me food for thought and a good old tug on the heart strings and this is certainly the case in her latest release If You Were Here.

We are welcomed by three generations of a humble family whose lives have been pulled apart by Huntington’s disease, Grandmother Peggy has cared for her dear husband who died from the terrible disease and if this wasn’t hard enough, she then lost her daughter Beth to the same tragedy too. Granddaughter Flo now knows the truth about her mother’s health and now faces one of the most difficult decisions of her life

This novel is definitely a thought provoking read, I couldn’t help but think what my choice would be if I was in the same position as Flo. Personally I would take the test but I can also see the valid reasons why people would rather not know.

Huntington disease wasn’t a disease I was aware of until I read a novel last year whose main character had the disease and what I think was wonderful about this novel is that although it shows you the effects and symptoms of Huntington’s which brought great awareness it actually focuses on the choice of knowing if you have the disease. I was unaware there was a test you could take to see if you have the gene so the book has definitely given me more knowledge and awareness.

My heart really went out to Flo in this novel but I also felt incredibly sorry for Peggy having gone through so many tragic years losing those closest to her and then having the responsibility of telling Flo is just unimaginable and cruel after all she has been through. I could see both Peggy and Beth’s plight in that there never seems to be a right time to tell people some things and although you with hold information to try and protect offers until the time is right this always seems to end up biting us on the bum.

I thought it was a beautiful touch in the way Beth’s character still shone through in this book through her diary entries, I looked forward to reading each entry we were treated too allowing us to hear in her own words about her decision whether to find out if she had the gene and the effects and thought process behind her actions.

As ever it is very clear to see that Alice Peterson has carried out a vast amount of in-depth research for this book and obviously feels very passionate about getting the awareness out there whilst at the same time weaving this around a beautiful poignant and captivating storyline that has a little sprinkling of romance and a bundle full of love and support too. Alice has such a beautiful writing voice which carries me away each and every time and I am always so sad to come to the end of her books and leave her loveable and lifelike characters behind.

 Kindle                      Paperback

Now let's see if you are feeling lucky and head over to enter the giveaway, remember this time it is UK only but pop back for future worldwide competitions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway