Book Details:
Book Title: Beyond Believing (Book #1)
Author: D.D. Marx
Category: Adult Fiction, 200 pages
Genre: Chick-Lit
Publisher: Beyond Dreams Publishing
Release date: October 2017
Tour dates: Oct 16 to Dec 22, 2017
Content Rating: PG 13 Non-explicit sex, swear words (light…couple f-bombs)
Book Description:
When Olivia gets news of her best friend Dan’s fatal car accident, her entire life is upended. Shattered with grief and struggling to find any meaning or purpose to life, she trudges along with a gaping void in her heart. Finally, when her frustration reaches its peak, Olivia decides to trust Dan’s eternal friendship. That trust allows him to break through to her from the beyond, and Dan guides Olivia through the twists and turns of her life into something new and entirely unexpected.
When Olivia exposes a gigantic internal scandal at work, her career implodes. With no job and no one to turn to, she escapes to Palm Springs for the sympathy and care of her beloved cousin, Garrett. He isn’t quite the comfort Olivia hoped for, but on that journey, meets someone who fills the void in her heart. She’s never experienced such a deep love. It heals her soul and rekindles her spirit – and just may have been the design of her dearly departed friend all along.
Beyond Believing is a sweet, funny and romantic story that touches the heart, serves up delicious twists and turns, and shows the reader that there’s no such thing as “coincidence.” Author D.D Marx regards this book as her love letter to friendship.
Thank you Laura from iReads Book Tour for allowing me to be a part of this book tour and for sending me a copy of the book to read for my review.
This is the first in the trilogy and I am lucky enough that I will be able to review the whole series. Check back in early November for my thoughts on Beyond Love and in early December for Beyond Forever.
The only thing I need to criticize about the book is that it needs to come with a warning to have tissue handy. The first chapter was a complete tear jerker. I never expected to cry right away.
The book is told in two points of view that of Olivia and then Finn. I was curious to see how they would intertwine and I loved how it was slowly built up to that.
As you can tell Olivia and Finn are pretty much the main characters of the book. We begin with Olivia and her best friend, Dan. At first I thought they were a couple but as the story progresses you realize they are best friends. After a evening of hanging out with friends. Olivia gets a call informing her Dan has been in a serious car accident. Sadly he dies and you can see that Olivia is struggling with his death.
Throughout the course of the book she talks to Dan and asks him to give her signs that things will be okay and he does with a certain song and licence plates. Dan is never far from Olivia and is always there giving her just what she needs even when she feels like she made the biggest mistakes in her life.
Which I have to say that I loved because I am a big believer in our loved ones that passed being able to give us signs. I can actually attest to this because whenever I am in doubt and need a little reassurance my aunt will help me with that. I will always say to my aunt if you are here or if I am making the right decision please let me know and then I will get a whiff of her perfume. Its always reassuring when that happens. I miss her dearly.
Its funny as you are reading you suddenly realize just how small the world is and how people can be connected without even realizing it. Both are shocked when they realize just how much they are involved in the whole three degrees of separations.
This was a super fun and quick read. The perfect chick lit book in my opinion and I can’t wait to continue this story.