Jaime Reviews ~ Because I Love You by Tori Rigby
By Tori Rigby
Published on May 17, 2016
Published by: Blaze Publishing, LLC.
Source: Netgalley
Published by: Blaze Publishing, LLC.
Source: Netgalley
Eight weeks after sixteen-year-old Andie Hamilton gives her virginity to her best friend, “the stick” says she’s pregnant.
Her friends treat her like she’s carrying the plague, her classmates torture and ridicule her, and the boy she thought loved her doesn’t even care. Afraid to experience the next seven months alone, she turns to her ex-boyfriend, Neil Donaghue, a dark-haired, blue-eyed player. With him, she finds comfort and the support she desperately needs to make the hardest decision of her life: whether or not to keep the baby.
Then a tragic accident leads Andie to discover Neil’s keeping a secret that could dramatically alter their lives, and she's forced to make a choice. But after hearing her son’s heartbeat for the first time, she doesn’t know how she’ll ever be able to let go.
Because I Love You...
This stinkin book made me cry... ugly cry like you wouldn't believe. But I loved it. It wasn't the most perfectly written book in the world, but what it lacked in perfect writing, it more than made up for in heart. I will take heart any day.
Andie has grown up in a Christian household, with parents and family who are dedicated to God. She has been in church every Sunday, rain or shine, sick or well. Since her dad passed away two years ago, her mom has had to work two jobs to support them, but they are happy. They have a good relationship, though it can be strained at times. After a night of drinking, Andie's best friend tells her he loves her and they have sex. Six weeks later, the test comes back positive. She never could have predicted where her life would end up, with those two little lines.
Poor Andie goes through some of the worst crap you could imagine in this book. My heart broke for her, over and over again. But she grew so much from those first few chapters, and I loved her fiercely. The struggles that she faces at school, learning what a true friend is, finding love with the least likely person. She made mistakes and dumb decisions, but she learned and grew from them. The relationship Andie and her mom had was sweet and honest, and an aspect that I appreciated... I can't even, though.... :( And NEIL! Let me tell you, up until now I have had plenty of book boyfriends, but they PALE in comparison. Wow! And Jill was a best friend I would LOVE to have in my corner.
The end of this story was heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. The decisions that were made, the FEELS.... The ending was everything I could have hoped for. Tori Rigby is a writer that pours her entire heart out on the page, and I love every minute of it. I can't wait for her to do it again!!!
Jaime Lynn
