Review: The People We Meet Along The Way by Beth Rinyu

                                                        

Print Length: 200 pages

Publisher: Beth Rinyu (September 17, 2020)

From Goodreads.com: Would you be able to grant the same forgiveness that you’re so desperately seeking yourself?

Jillian O’Rourke’s marriage died long before her husband’s tragic accident. Years of battling with infertility and demanding careers melted their once solid relationship. Bearing the burden of guilt over his death, Jillian gets lost in despair and a series of "what-ifs". But one chance encounter with a stranger, changes everything. Now being faced with newfound knowledge and a painful decision, Jillian must push past her anger, learn to forgive and open her heart in ways she never could’ve imagined. As she comes to grips with the devastation of her past, she learns to embrace the possibility of a future she never thought possible. A bittersweet story of love, forgiveness, and the unexpected destiny that is sometimes handed to us in life from the people we meet along the way.

  

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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

This story reminds me a bit of the ones I used to read years ago by Lurlene McDaniel where the main character is forced to confront a loss, to grieve and then is blindsided by something else once they feel as though they have started to move on. 

I feel as though this author did a good job of showing grief and just how it can sometimes overpower you at the most random of times. I liked that even though the chemistry between her and Theo was obvious, that they were friends first, and their romance (when it did eventually happen) did not overshadow any of the other parts of the book. 

The author blended the story-lines seamlessly together and I appreciated the realism that I saw. I will say that I saw one of the biggest plot twists coming so I wasn't really surprised when it was revealed. However,  I was really hoping it wasn't going to be what it was because it of how cliche that particular story-line is. That is probably my one real complaint about this book. 

I will say that while sad, the ending also left the reader with hope, seeing just how far Jillian had come over the course of the story. I'm glad that she was able to forgive herself, and forgive those around her who needed it.