When Alec asks Jess out, she knows it won't work. Is Alec charming? Of course. Attractive? Definitely. Can she not stop thinking about him...yes, but that's also the problem. Because Jess has rules. And the first? Don't fall in love.
What no one knows is that Jess has inherited Huntington's disease from the mother that she cares for. And while witnessing her own future play out, Jess has learnt to keep everyone and everything at arm's length. But Alec is determined to break down those barriers. When she finally tells him why they have no future, he proposes a different option—just one month together.
One month to date. One month to live. One month to fall in love.
But as Jess grows closer to Alec, she knows she has to end it. It's better that he is hurt now rather than heartbroken later, isn't it?
I think this book is being marketed wrong. This book is not a Romance. The Romance is the worst part of this book.
One Month of You is really about Jess struggling and dealing with her mother's illness. Her mother has Huntington's disease and Jess is her main caregiver while also having a full time job. I'd heard of Huntington's a long time ago on an episode of Snapped, but I obviously knew nothing about it but after reading this book I want to read more books about people who have Huntington's. Huntington's is a debilitating disease that has no cure and its hereditary. You can take a test to find out if you're going to develop it( I don't know if I'd take the test but I probably would).
Anyways Jess takes the test and finds out that yup! She's inherited Huntington's and she decides that she can't have any romance or really any life at all...then she meets Alec and they decide to date for 1 month.
As I said before the Romance was the worst part at one point Jess asks Alec why is in to her...and I was like yeah, same. Why you do like her?
This book is Women's Fiction not Romance. Had I rated this as a Romance it would have gotten 2 stars. The romance between Jess & Alec was giving nothing. But as a Women's Fiction novel 3.5 stars is a nice solid rating. It was a little too long for me but I feel like books are just getting longer and longer for no reason these days. This is Susan Ewart's debut and I would definitely read more from her in the future.
Initial ramblings. I'll write a proper review later. 💕
THIS. WAS. BREATHTAKING!!!! I loved every single second of this beautiful, thoughtful, heartfelt story. These characters just worm their way right into the very center of your heart, and they live there, becoming part of you throughout the story, and a piece of them will remain.
Ewart is an *INCREDIBLY* skilled writer. Her character development is top notch. Her ability to draw these distinct images of characters, scenes, and settings in my mind is something I SO appreciate in a novel.
The pacing was spot on. The love story was heartbreaking yet hopeful. I love this wonderful cast of characters; they feel like old friends.
This book made me FEEL!!!! Love love love!
This was such a wonderful book and I will be singing its praises from the rooftops!!!🎉
Well freaking done!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the gifted eARC. This was such a pleasure to read.
I knew from the first chapter I'd love this. I wouldn't go in expecting a story completely focused on the romance, though. It's secondary compared to the relationship Jess shares with her mother. BUT with that said, the romance between Jess and Alec was delightful—a perfect swoonworthy escape from the otherwise tragic storyline.
Years ago Jess discovered she inherited the Hungington's disease gene from her mother. Knowing the path her life will inevitably lead, Jess is adamant she'll never bring another person into it. But when a charming barman proposes a month of dates after their one-night stand, Jess agrees.
With sprinkles of flashback chapters, this book really succeeded at showcasing the progression of Huntington's. I learned so much! As you can imagine, Jess experiences a range of emotions. I truly felt all her sadness, fear, and anger. I loved the slice of lightness Alec brought into her life.
I will say, while you know the outcome Jess will face in the future, I was still left with a sense of hopefulness after finishing. Highly recommend for an emotional, hard-hitting read.
This book was gifted to me by the publisher with tissues and under eye patches so I had to assume this was going to be a tear jerker! This one is for fans of My Oxford Year...
Immediately the writing pulled me in. It was charming and fans of British Lit will fall into Susanne's writing like a cozy sweater. But while this story is heartfelt, its also one that is definitely heart breaking.
One month of you is the journey of one woman who cares for her degenerating mother who has Huntington's disease while simultaneously coming to term with her own future with the disease. Having taken care of her mother, she refuses to let anyone do the same for her. I learned a lot about the disease itself and I felt like the author did her research to deliver on this end.
This story also has a persistent to a fault, yet charming love interest who wants whatever time is given him. This is also a book about grief, honesty, friendship, and grabbing all the time you can out of your one precious life.
These characters will teach you and worm their way into your heart. A charming book that I'm glad I read.
I adored this beautiful and tender love story. Skilfully and sensitively told. One Month of You will break your heart and re-build it.
At the novel’s outset, Jess is coming to terms with not only her mother’s degeneration with Huntington’s Disease but also her own diagnosis with the same. As a result of this devastating prognosis, Jess vows never to fall in love. Then she meets Alec. Ewart, provides wonderful tension with Jess’ resistance and Alec’s persistence and in spite of the shadow of disease and what is awaiting Jess sometime in the future, One Month of You is an uplifting book, full of the passion for life. Ewart shows real skill in drawing her characters and reaches deep beneath the surface, providing us with characters we believe in. Well researched, beautifully written, Jess and Alec will live on long after reaching the final page.
ONE MONTH OF YOU by Suzanne Ewart is a touching and emotional tale of a family facing the devastating effects of Huntington disease. The story follows a mother who is struggling with the progressive neurodegenerative illness, her daughter who has the gene and is fearful of falling in love, and a barman who wants to love her despite her fears. The author does an excellent job of bringing to light the harsh reality of this devastating disease, and how it affects not only the sufferer but also their loved ones. The protagonist's internal struggle as she grapples with her fear letting her heart find love is heart-wrenching, and the author's ability to evoke empathy and understanding is truly remarkable. It was a hard read for me because of what my mom is going through currently. I cried a lot while reading this beautiful book.
I really, really enjoyed this mother-daughter story about a young British woman serving as caretaker for her mother who has Huntington's Disease. She also finds out she herself has the gene and swears off any romantic relationships only to keep getting drawn back into a cute bartender's orbit. Unable to resist his charms she finally agrees to a no-strings attached month of dates. I thought the caretaker and HD rep was so well done! The struggles of learning you have a fatal disease and how that can mess with your head. Great on audio too. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
✨ "No one can say for sure what's coming. All we can do is keep loving each other one day at a time."
This book opens with a list and so will I:
1. You might laugh 2. You might cry 3. You won't be able to put it down 4. You will be filled with hope and courage 5. You will love Alec 6. You will learn a lot about Huntington's disease 7. You will want everyone to read this book too
Consider me emotionally wrecked. I started this at 1am and finished it in less than a day because I was so invested in Jess's life and journey. I found myself tearing up, laughing and crying, though not always in this order.
I love how the story is told entirely from Jess's POV because we get so much insight on not just what people with a degenerative disease go through, but also the viewpoint of a carer and all that they have to cope with. It's even more heartwrenching for Jess, who has to watch her mum deteriorate all the while knowing that she might suffer the same fate. Their mother-daughter relationship tugged so much on my heartstrings.
Alec is such a dream, though at times to a fault. I can sympthatise with Jess putting up walls and pushing him away time and time again, but his reactions feel a bit unreal to me while her treatment of him seems repeatedly harsh. Even though I enjoyed the romance overall, this didn't sit right with me. Nevertheless, I loved the flawed but very human characters in this book.
Beautifully written and full of heart, you will want to have some tissues on standby!
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for the ARC.
Be prepared to experience all the feels in this emotional journey that Ewart embarks us on!
Immediately we learn of Jess’s mothers terminal disease and story explores the toll it takes on an individual being a caregiver in this type of situation. Ewart wrote her characters with such depth that they felt incredibly realistic. You can’t help but feel exactly what Jess is experiencing and it was incredibly touching and moving. I loved the amount of hope and optimism that exuded when faced with such potentially devastating adversity!
While this book didn’t wreck me as much as I initially anticipated, it’s still a beautiful and breathtaking story that is certainly worth the read!
One Month of You ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Romance Format: Kindle eBook Date Published: 2/7/23 Author: Suzanne Ewart Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark Pages:330 GR: 3.96
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
My Thoughts: This was a beautiful, thought-provoking story. The story just warmed my heart. The story was heartbreaking yet inspirational and hopeful. This story follows Jess as she cares for her mother with Huntington’s disease, while having concerns for her own fate with the disease. The author did amazing research on Huntington’s disease and I felt very much educated with the disease. Then enters Alec and Jess really struggles with establishing a relationship with the disease looming.
The story is narrated solely by Jess, in her POV. You could feel the internal struggles. The mother-daughter relationship was portrayed beautifully. The characters just warmed your heart. The author does such an amazing job at character building and development. The author is so very descriptive and sets the tone so expertly, it draws you into the story and keeps you invested. The characters were well fleshed out with depth, chemistry, emotion, and creative. The author’s writing style is complex, thought-provoking, heartwarming, and keeps you invested in the story.
This story brought me on a rollercoaster of emotions, from sadness, crying, happiness, and everything in between. This story has a lot going on, grief, friendship, truth, gripping, and how you have to enjoy every moment in life. It was hard to put down and I really enjoyed this book, even with all of the emotions. While this is heartbreaking, it lifts your heart. I HIGHLY recommend this book.
One Month of You is an absorbing, heart-tugging tale that sweeps you away to Manchester and into the life of hardworking administrator Jess as she struggles to come to terms with her mother’s deteriorating health, a positive diagnosis of Huntington’s disease herself, sticking to the nine rules she’s determined to live by, and not falling in love with a sexy bartender who’s kind, compassionate, and always ready to help.
The writing is heartfelt and tender. The characters are authentic, dependable, and supportive. And the plot is a delightfully enchanting mix of life, love, family, friendship, kindness, honesty, acceptance, generosity, romance, humour, introspection, and loss.
Overall, One Month of You is a moving, reflective, bittersweet tearjerker by Ewart that is a lovely reminder to always live life to the fullest and surround yourself with those you love.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was a super sweet story and I couldn’t put it down. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me to read this ARC.
Jess is a woman living in Manchester that has a secret- her mom is living with Huntington’s Disease and she knows that her mom’s fate will eventually be her own. She tested positive for Huntington’s as well. Upon receiving her diagnosis, she made a few rules for herself. The most important rules are that men are out of the question and that nobody can know about her inevitable future. She sticks to her rules for years, caring for her mom and watching her future unfold in front of her… until she meets Alec. They have one magical night together, but Jess knows it is a mistake. They continue to meet up as friends, until Alec makes a proposal… they will date for one month with no reservations. After the month, they can go back to how they were before. Jess reluctantly agrees. They go on 5 magical dates together until disaster strikes. Jess’s *infuriating* stubbornness ultimately prevails. They go their separate ways and live their lives apart from one another. After tragedy strikes, Jess knows that the only person that can support her in the way she needs is Alec. Their inevitable reunion happens, and Jess finally lets her walls down to allow Alec to love her.
Also, I understand Jess wanting to keep her distance from others so that they didn’t have to suffer the heartbreak she felt while watching her mother deteriorate in front of her. It made sense. But, denying herself the love that she would receive from Alec was so frustrating to read!!!! I just wanted her to give in!!! Their dates were so fun to read, and just a pure kind of love. I adore both Alec and Jess. I even laughed out loud a couple of times while reading. This was just a great book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Whether through an increased and welcome awareness of gender politics, or simply the evolution of female narratives in fiction, there’s been a maturation in the modern love story, from the neuro-diverse and unironic bewilderment of Marata’s Convenience Story Woman to the exacting, solipsistic musings of Dolan’s Exciting Times. All have quite rightly earned their place in the canon, yet there will always be an enduring appeal to the more traditional form of love story as presented in Suzanne Ewart’s wonderful debut One Month of You which, distinct from these previous examples, wears its heart unashamedly on its sleeve.
At first glance, the story appears to be heading in the same direction as its contemporaries. Jess, its central character, is a modern, independent woman who has carved out certain rules for life designed to hold her at arm’s reach from the perils of love. So far, so cynical. But what we soon learn is that Jess’s rules have been made not out of a sense of choice so much as a sense of psychological necessity. This is because Jess has inherited the gene for Huntington’s disease, an illness which she has watched devour her mother and which now presents as an ever present time-bomb in her own future. As she gradually witnesses the painful changes that take her mother from ebullient, sharp and fun-loving to a reduced bed-ridden shadow, Jess decides that she must protect both herself and any potential partner, from its cruel and inevitable legacy. When a one-night stand proves to be more affecting than she plans, however, Jess is forced into ever more painful decisions.
Amongst the many impressive elements in this novel, the thing that resonates throughout - perhaps surprisingly - is its celebration of life. The co-players in Jess’s world, the humdrum antics of her office job, and the revisited memories of happier times growing up, spring from the page with a vitality of detail. And it’s in these moments that Ewart so cleverly portrays both the triumphs and the poignant shortness of our universal existence. If it’s a cliche that we never fully appreciate what we have until it’s gone, the success of this novel is in never making it seem like one. Throughout, sentimentality is eschewed for wit and tenderness, as well as Jess’s bloody-minded determination to protect everyone she loves, including herself. The fact that this self-preservation potentially comes at the cost of her happiness in the now is what gives the novel its dramatic thrust with a truly page-turning quality. The simplicity of the prose belies its psychological depth, and whilst her choices along the way often come with teeth-gnashing frustration on behalf of the reader, you never feel manipulated. This is equally true of its secondary characters who are drawn with a flair and roundness sometimes lacking in other stories of this genre and who add to the portrayal of the novel’s thoroughly believable world.
Ewart’s assiduous research into Huntington’s itself is both admirable and yet relayed with a considerable lightness of touch. This allows both a specificity to its details but also a universality that will resonate with anyone who has experienced the decline of a loved one, or who has faced off illness themselves. It is also an interesting and under-reported disease to base her story upon, which offers a considerable education to the reader without ever appearing preachy.
A very worthy winner of the eHarmony Write Your Own Love Story competition, it is clear that Ewart knows her market and her genre intimately, and whilst the denouement of the novel is not entirely a surprise, nor does it ultimately matter. Rather, the journey is all, and what a satisfying journey it is. Emotionally authentic in its rendering, wonderfully controlled in tone, voice and characterisation, this is a deeply moving gulp of a read and a wonderful foray into womens’ fiction at its best. Thoroughly recommended.
My sincere thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers, Trapeze, for providing me with the ARC in return for an unbiased review.
This is a deeply touching & emotional story. Along with the romantic aspect, the story showcased a bond between a mother & daughter.
The fun, happy, lively Jess who dreamt of traveling the world isn't the same anymore. She's knee deep in caring for her mother with Huntington's disease. And if that wasn't enough she herself was tested positive for it & with time she'll too fade away. She keeps everyone at arms length even Alec, whom she can't stop thinking about. So when Alec proposes to spend a month-6 dates- together & just live in the moment, she agrees.
The happy-go-lucky Jess had always wanted to see South America with her mom, but with the diagnosis everything fades to the background. Slowly she lost her friends & pretty much everyone from her life due to caring for her mother. Everyday is a battle for both Jess and her mom & it was so painful to watch her struggle.
Alec was not only a very good looking guy, but also a very good person. His was full of gold & his patience was outstanding. Moving to a new city after a failed relationship & miserable job he sees life for it is. No matter how much Jess pushed him away he always found a way to console her or be there for her even just for a minutes.
I knew what was coming in the upcoming chapters yet it didn't prepare me to 'Not cry my eyes out'. The plot was exquisite & the side characters Olivia & Debb were more family than friends.
This was a heartbreaking love story, but I feel like it was more of a love story between mother and daughter than Alec and Jess. It was so hard to read about Jess' mother and even worse to think about the possibility of that being her future. She was so stubborn and that made it hard to relate. I know her number 1 rule was do not fall in love, but I just kept thinking why won't she give it a chance. She was 28, her mother 55, that is at least 25 years of life she could experience. I know she didn't want someone else to have to deal with the pain, caregiving, and loss that she did but it was so hard seeing her deny something beautiful because of that. I feel like she was unnecessarily mean to Alec because of her own walls and suffering, I'm just happy that she finally gave in to the feeling of true love and could finally understand that it was worth everything to give in. Overall, this was a good book, it was hard to read but that was because of the brutal disease described. I think it was written wonderfully, frustrating but understandable. No one knows what they would do in a situation where they essentially receive a death sentence in their 20s. The ending was perfect, although I wanted more, I was just so happy they got their happy ending.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Do not fall in love! That's a hard rule Jess sets in order to prevent heartbreak from the devastating outcome of Huntington disease. Jess would know how falling in love would end as she's the one caring for her sick mother, so she's experiencing the trauma and turmoil that the almost always hereditary illness brings to families. So for this reason, she must abide by that rule. Then along comes Alec with his supportive, caring nature; he shows Jess that it could be possible to have a happy life after all. Does Jess remain true to her rule or can she juggle both caring for her mom and risking her heart?
I loved this book! It had everything I look for: strong, likeable, and relatable characters, romance that felt real and genuine and not forced, and family drama as a strong side story. The relationships between Jess and the secondary characters were outstanding. I loved the different interactions with each; they helped shape and define Jess. The struggles were real, the pain was gripping and I cried. It's not often that I cry over a book, so when I do...it's a special one!
The ending was just perfect and left me with all the feels. A nice wrapup to a beautiful story. I couldn't put this one down!
At first, I was not a fan of this book. Sentences seemed to run on, there were things that didn't make sense to me, Alec seemed like a creep, and sometimes I wanted to smack Jess for how self-deprecating she was being.
As the story progressed, I understood why she was always so back and forth with her emotions and how difficult everything must have been with her mom. The story line of her and Alec did seem forced at times since the book focused heavily on the relationship between Jess and her mom. The premise of only having one month together kind of fell through the rest of the story since that really didn't seem to be the primary focus.
This book made me tear up at the end and had me feeling all the emotions that I should have felt which changed my mind on the outlook of this book. But the happy ending with Jess and Alec seemed forced because they had been so distant for so long. It was a nice way to wrap things up though and to finally see Jess stop feeling so sorry for herself.
Jess has rules in her life to protect others from getting close to her, and the number one rule is not to fall in love. Her mother is approaching the final stages of Huntington’s disease, and Jess has tested positive for the gene herself and knows she will one day lose her ability to move and speak and will lose her memories. A one night stand leads to stronger feelings, and Jess and Alec decide to be together for one month only.
This book was slow to get going in the first half. Once the story really began, it was a tearjerker and a beautiful glimpse at the relationship between a mother and a daughter. Jess is grieving through the entire story as she anticipates the future and what will happen to her mother and to herself. I was very touched by moments in their relationship and several scenes brought tears to my eyes. The love story of Jess and Alec almost felt secondary to the love between Jess and her mom, as her mom was her top priority.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Jess is your average young adult. She spends her days working at a job she enjoys and nights socializing with friends. Everything seems to be going well, that is until her mother is diagnosed with a rare genetic disease.
Is this a love story? Yes, but not in your traditional sense. The majority of the story deals with Jess navigating her mother’s and ultimately her own diagnosis of Huntington’s disease. While there is a love story sprinkled throughout the book, it does not bring levity to the heaviness of the book’s tone.
I appreciated the realistic look at a woman desperately trying to take care of her beloved mother and go about her everyday life. Jess was a woman at the end of her rope. While I often found myself frustrated with her choices and inability to let other’s help her,I can sympathize with the fact that she was doing her best.
* This book reminded me a lot of the movie Love and Other Drugs!!!
Special thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my feedback.
4.5/5. went into this book thinking it was mainly romance but it really wasn’t. NOT A BAD THING THOUGH. I was really gutted though with Jess taking care of her mom, knowing Huntingtons would come for her too. It really made me think of what I would do if I were in her situation. Would I make the same rules Jess did? No falling in love, no telling anyone about her situation, etc. I understood Jess’ reservations when Alec came along, not wanting him to go through what she is with caring for someone. But Jess should have fun and live her life too!!! I’m glad that in the end she decided against her rules and started living life for her once her mom had passed. Really beautiful book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is one of those books you read when you want to cry. I've read other reviews saying this shouldn't be categorized as romance, but i think that's not entirely true. It's romance, but shows all the parts of it. It's about letting yourself fall in love even with all of life's challenges. It's also a story of grief, but it's a story you won't want to put down.
I think this book may have broken my heart into very small pieces.... This was a hard book to read as a woman who suffers a chronical illness with a similar future outlook as the main character. On the other hand I think it made the book even more relatable and it allowed me to understand what Jess was going true.
I absolutely loved every page of this book! It was written so warm and tender, but at the same time raw and truthful. And I honestly think the book is selling itself short as a love story. The love story isn't the main event. Its important in Jess her character development, but it isn't the main focus of the book. I wouldn't call this a romance. It is so so much more. It is a precious chronicle of a mother daughter relationship. It is a raw story about trauma and how to deal with a very uncertain future. It is a story about self preservation, about setting boundaries, but also about being courageous enough to grab life by the balls. About learning how to be yourself, when everything you know about yourself is taken away.
And of course there is romance, I fell for Alex together with Jess. we both fell hard. How can you not.... who doesn't love a decent bloke?
But don't sell this book short... its so much more then a romance! Its a must read!
Original - a romcom - sorta - a young woman is dealing with her mother who is dying of a rare disease that she will inherit When she meets the local bar man and he falls for her she resists - finally agreeing to one month dating This one pulls at your heart strings
One Month of You is a decent book, but it's not what the summary sounds like. It's more about the struggle of seeing a loved one deteriorate from Huntington's Disease. The romance part is a very small part.
A little disclaimer: I have a neuromuscular disease, one that progressively worsens over time and weakens every muscle in my body. This makes me read books centered around diseases different than how I read other books. Because of that I rarely read books where the disease is the focal point, especially when it's one with similar symptoms and struggles as mine. I read One Month of You because the summary on NetGalley compared it to A Walk to Remember and Jojo Moyes (Me Before You). I have read and watched both and I absolutely love both, but One Month of You is not like them in my opinion. They are about love, finding light in the dark, and give you hope. One Month of You is about the struggle of Huntington's.
I can maybe understand Jess' desire to not get close to people. However, I don't understand not enjoying life and living life while you can. I understand that she needed to care for her mom so sacrifices need to be made, but it's like Jess let Huntington's define her and her future which is heartbreaking. I don't allow my disease to define me, and I don't want people to define me as my disease.
I felt that Jess was a difficult character to like or feel empathy for. She was at times extremely selfish and somewhat bratty if she didn't get her way. I did like Debs and Alec though. They were like little, small glimmers of light and had wonderful, real personalities.
I do think a lot of people will enjoy One Month of You. The issues that I have with it is for me personally. One Month of You is a decent debut and I would like to read more by Suzanne Ewart.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This tender love story skilfully depicts the challenging realities of coping with a degenerative disease, and the courage it takes to escape its shadows and live for the moment. Featuring a couple you will root for, this moving read might leave you with a lump in your throat, but it will ultimately warm your heart.