It’s so very common nowadays for a romance novel to have certain key elements – angst, tension, betrayal, etc. What if an entire book was written about death? What if the story was written with tragedy, grief, guilt, and devastation at the core? Well that’s something else entirely and after finishing The End of All Things Beautiful, I think I’ll find myself looking at all future books differently. This one is very unique, but breathtakingly beautiful in every single way.
There are few books that can truly take you away from this world and transport you someplace else. That’s what The End of All Things Beautiful did for me. It completely took me away to the world that Campbell lives in, starting with her memory of a specific day. A day that will haunt her and change her for the next nine years. I swear, I could feel her pain and my heart ached for her. Not just during the flashback to a younger time, but also in her day-to-day life. The story was written so well and you’ll find yourself 110% connected without even realizing it. The thing you have to know before you start is that this book isn’t sunshine and rainbows. It’s not, and the fact that it isn’t made me love the story and characters even more. They struggle, and some don’t win. It’s heartbreaking and will make you reevaluate a few things in your own life, but in the end, it’s all about forgiving and the future, knowing you’ll never forget. It’s a very deep, emotional, and intense tale, but I have no doubt, you’ll love every word.
There are few books that can truly take you away from this world and transport you someplace else. That’s what The End of All Things Beautiful did for me. It completely took me away to the world that Campbell lives in, starting with her memory of a specific day. A day that will haunt her and change her for the next nine years. I swear, I could feel her pain and my heart ached for her. Not just during the flashback to a younger time, but also in her day-to-day life. The story was written so well and you’ll find yourself 110% connected without even realizing it. The thing you have to know before you start is that this book isn’t sunshine and rainbows. It’s not, and the fact that it isn’t made me love the story and characters even more. They struggle, and some don’t win. It’s heartbreaking and will make you reevaluate a few things in your own life, but in the end, it’s all about forgiving and the future, knowing you’ll never forget. It’s a very deep, emotional, and intense tale, but I have no doubt, you’ll love every word.
The characters of Campbell and Benji are, like the entire premise of the book, very unique. You don’t have to see them fall in love or the ups and downs. You know they love each other. The issue is that time and tragedy have pulled them apart for so long. After another catastrophic event hits, they’re pushed to finally reconnect and save one another. I was worried that with how smoothly it had flowed thus far, the author would take it in a different direction and make it the stereotypical story of the two arguing, reliving the past, and pushing each other away. I loved that she didn’t. It gives new meaning to second chance romance. They still love each other as much as they did nine years ago and you KNOW that hasn’t changed. You know they both hurt and just needed one another. Their unwavering love and connection was perfect for this story, in my opinion. The entire group of friends are very easy to instantly connect with, even if it’s only through memories and by the end, I was crying massive tears remembering what had become my own personal friendships with them.
The author writes in such a gorgeous way that can make the saddest story so beautiful. Every scene felt well thought out and planned perfectly. She’s very articulate and knows how to use the right emotions at just the right time to make certain scenes pop. She weaves everything together in such a way that you’ll find yourself smiling or even swooning during a time that you might not expect to. You’ll see the story go from very intense to romantic to seductive flawlessly. I’m a fan of nondescript sex scenes. I think you can feel as much from a fade to black or subtle scene as you can from erotica. Young does just that. A kiss or a small sex scene will tell you everything you need to know about how Benji and Campbell connect. Needless to say, I’m officially a Nikki Young fan.
Overall, this book is…heartbreaking. Emotional. So, SO very sad. But throughout it all, there’s so much hope. The hope for forgiveness, the hope for love, and the hope for a future that seemed unattainable. The End of All Things Beautiful will be a top read of the year for me. It will stop you in your tracks if you’ll give it a moment of your time, and I’m betting, you’ll love it just as much as I did. I sure hope so anyway.
<3 Erin
The author writes in such a gorgeous way that can make the saddest story so beautiful. Every scene felt well thought out and planned perfectly. She’s very articulate and knows how to use the right emotions at just the right time to make certain scenes pop. She weaves everything together in such a way that you’ll find yourself smiling or even swooning during a time that you might not expect to. You’ll see the story go from very intense to romantic to seductive flawlessly. I’m a fan of nondescript sex scenes. I think you can feel as much from a fade to black or subtle scene as you can from erotica. Young does just that. A kiss or a small sex scene will tell you everything you need to know about how Benji and Campbell connect. Needless to say, I’m officially a Nikki Young fan.
Overall, this book is…heartbreaking. Emotional. So, SO very sad. But throughout it all, there’s so much hope. The hope for forgiveness, the hope for love, and the hope for a future that seemed unattainable. The End of All Things Beautiful will be a top read of the year for me. It will stop you in your tracks if you’ll give it a moment of your time, and I’m betting, you’ll love it just as much as I did. I sure hope so anyway.
<3 Erin