Within these walls, he became my solace, my sanctuary and my strength.
I am not strong. I am just a survivor of circumstance.
Isn’t that what we all do? Survive?
Each of us has our own set of circumstances to muddle through. Mine are just more…complicated.
Born with a severe heart defect, I’ve seen the inside of a hospital room more than my own bedroom.
I was drowning, a prisoner to the illness that owned me, until he appeared. He thinks he’s blocked out the world with his tattoos and hard exterior, but I see the real Jude, the one he so desperately wants to forget.
But is he the answer to my prayers or will he break my already damaged heart forever?
My name is Lailah Buchanan, and this is our story of hope, redemption and sacrificing it all for the one you love.
A portion of the sales during the first week of release will go to a children's heart charity.
Imagine
being born with a heart defect; one that makes living almost impossible. I’m not
talking about actually breathing or biological responses but everything that
makes life worth living. Imagine never being able to stick your feet in the
ocean or go for a long walk through the park. Imagine never having friends,
apart from the nurses and doctors that take care of you. Sounds pretty sucky,
right?
Now
imagine a man (a medical worker) wondering into your hospital room and changing
everything.
Jude
is everything Lailah thought she’d never have, or COULD never have. He brought
love and friendship into her life. And just when it seemed that life was worth
living, he ripped it all away.
Within these walls, I gave my less than perfect heart to the man I loved. And then… he walked away.
Love
= Sacrifice.
This
story is rough on the heart - both Lailah’s and ours as readers. Yet somehow, even after
facing death repeatedly, Lailah has more life in her than most. I think that’s
what draws Jude to her. I know it's what made me love her so deeply. He, on the other hand, is a shell of a man. He wanders
around the hospital halls barely existing. He blames himself for the accidental
(yes, accidental) death of his former fiancée. Try as he might, the man cannot
resist Lailah, or her pudding obsession.
Weird as it my be, what hit me hardest was a list. We make bucket lists, Lailah made a someday list. Someday she hoped to see a movie in a movie theater or stick her toes in the sand at a near by beach. Someday she hoped to order an over priced coffee at a coffee shop. These are things we take for granted. On top of being an excellent story, this is a wake up call. This novel invites us to appreciate life. To realize just how big the little things are.
Within These Walls is the sweet story
of redemption, as well as second chances– a few of them. The characters are likeable, and while the story is somewhat predictable, it is everything you’d
hope to find in a love story. This is a dual POV HEA. The only
people to come between Lailah and Jude are themselves, and maybe the ghost of a
once upon a time fiancée.
I
definitely recommend that you pick up Within
These Walls. You’ll laugh, shed a few tears, and goofy smile as you flip
the pages.
J.L. Berg is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ready Series. She is a California native living in the beautiful state of historic Virginia. Married to her high school sweetheart, they have two beautiful girls that drive them batty on a daily basis. When she's not writing, you will find her with her nose stuck in a romance novel, in a yoga studio or devouring anything chocolate. J.L. Berg is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC.
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