Butterfly Dreams - A. Meredith Walters

I'd like to set the stage for this review. You're lounging on the couch, Kindle on in front of you and Butterfly Dreams is open to the first page of the epilogue in the book. Your boyfriend/girlfriend/SO/Parent/Friend/Whatever walks in, "oh my god, are you okay? What happened? What can I do?" You're bawling, the tears are dropping nonstop, so hard that you can't breathe. Yes, that was what this book did to me.

Rating: 4 Stars
Published: November 2015
Many thanks to Netgalley and Loveswept for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Corin Thompson has guilt, a fear of death, and is a major hypochondriac. She attends support groups for every ailment, convinced something is going to lead to her death. She's closed off from everyone, except for her friend Adam. After watching both her parents die and dealing with a bitchy sister, she doesn't need anyone. Until she meets Beckett Kingsley, an incredibly attractive guy in a support group who happens to have heart failure. He's already had a brush with death and Corin is making him feel alive again, he wants her happy. Together they start facing their fears, learning to live again, and focusing on the right now.

If you aren't hooked within the first chapter of the book, I don't know what you're problem is. A. Meredith Walters wrote a book that pulled me in with two pages and I stayed hooked until the very end. This is a beautiful written story that will make you feel the panic, the fear, the love, and the constant embarrassment of the characters. Told in alternating POV's, Corin and Beckett's story is weaved together through individual moments of who they are when alone and how they are when together. Corin is a ball of anxiety, I got anxious for her, but I understood her and just wanted her to succeed. Corin makes a frustrating illness so easy to understand and sympathize. She was so much more than just a hypochondriac and I totally see why Beckett wanted to be besides her. Their relationship is quirky, it's fun, and it's dealing with the kind of issues that would scare normal young adults away. I loved how the characters found themselves by being together, through viewing the world in new eyes instead of from their own bleak views. I laughed a lot, I also cried a lot, because hello, major life issues and love mixed together just make me cry.

This was an excellent booth from A. Meredith Walters, full of the angst, love, intense emotions, and relatable characters that she is known for. Yes, there are times when it is slow, a bit predictable, and sometimes even unbelievable, but it's a perfect balance of intense sadness and beautiful, happy love. If you're looking for an emotional punch, look no further.