I love a title that forces me to stop and contemplate. My mind immediately went to the most challenging section of the Boston Marathon, also called Heartbreak Hill, and I presumed that the story held in my hands featured a defining incident and/or a challenging feature of a relationship between the main characters.

I wasn’t far off.

The same way extreme athletes require mental fortitude to push through the pain and keep going in order to conquer this section of the marathon, so do Grayson and Reid. They embrace a challenge, push through the pain and experience the triumph of conquering. Like the athletes, there is a physical and mental toll at a crucial point; especially when their journey intersects with that of Nadia and Rafe Karlsson. Heartbreak Hill is the most challenging place in any relationship. We’ll all face it at some point. How will we fare?

This book is really about a change of heart.

Grayson Caballero and Reid Sullivan both work at Wold Collective, live in the same apartment complex, are single, and have an obvious attraction to each other, yet Grayson keeps his distance. The thing is, if he waits too long, Reid will become tired waiting. Suddenly, something out of his control happens and it forces them to reconsider…everything.

I appreciated an opportunity to reevaluate and recalibrate. I learned about love in the face of death, about making life-changing decisions, and got a glimpse of the misunderstood and unique journey of grief. I was reminded that every loss is a death of sorts and was left considering where my feelings come from - is it a reaction or is it a stored memory?

This book about love, second chances and loss is one you’ll want on your reading list!