A Life Without You by Shari Low

What They Say.....Dee and Jen have been best friends since their days of teenage crushes, bad 90's make-up and huge hair. 

They’ve passed every milestone of their lives together and now in their thirties own a successful boutique, sharing a bond that is as strong as the closest of sisters.

Until one day everything changes.

Dee is gone, killed by a reckless driver, leaving Jen to face the harsh reality of a world without her.

Jen vows to honour Dee’s dreams and take care of everything and everyone she loved.

Until she realises that sometimes the only way forward is to let go of the past.

What I Say......I always love Shari Low's books.  They are always breezy and yet moving, but this one was a little more on the sad side.  I read it while I was laying on the beach, and I have to admit that I shed a few tears, and became increasingly angry with Dee, even though I knew she was dead.  It made me stop and think, how when you die, your life gets opened up for everyone to pick through and judge.  

Jen is heartbroken without her best friend, who she grew up with and now runs a successful business with.  She isn't sure how to move on without her other half, but she finds comfort in Dee's parents, husband and brother.  However, as she starts trying to keep the travel appointments in Dee's calendar, she is forced to confront the facts - her best friend had another life that she knew nothing about.

As Jen tries to wrap her mind around this information, and keep it from Dee's family, Dee's mom has some secrets of her own.  She's currently stalking the man who hit her daughter with a car, and her stalking even extends to his mother.  

Meanwhile, Jen is developing feelings for her best friend's widower, and wondering how that will change her relationship with 'Dee's family.  And Dee's mom's nocturnal activities are escalating.  

How do you let go of the past in order to move on with the future?  What can you forgive when someone is already dead?   There were lots of interesting ethical questions in this book - and I was riveted until the end.

Current Goodreads Rating 4.6