Before I Go by Colleen Oakley

Photo Credit: Gallery Books

This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

Before I Go

Summary: A heart-wrenching debut novel in the bestselling tradition of P.S. I Love You about a young woman with breast cancer who undertakes a mission to find a new wife for her husband before she passes away.

Twenty-seven-year-old Daisy already beat breast cancer three years ago. How can this be happening to her again?

On the eve of what was supposed to be a triumphant “Cancerversary” with her husband Jack to celebrate three years of being cancer-free, Daisy suffers a devastating blow: her doctor tells her that the cancer is back, but this time it’s an aggressive stage four diagnosis. She may have as few as four months left to live. Death is a frightening prospect—but not because she’s afraid for herself. She’s terrified of what will happen to her brilliant but otherwise charmingly helpless husband when she’s no longer there to take care of him. It’s this fear that keeps her up at night, until she stumbles on the solution: she has to find him another wife.

With a singular determination, Daisy scouts local parks and coffee shops and online dating sites looking for Jack’s perfect match. But the further she gets on her quest, the more she questions the sanity of her plan. As the thought of her husband with another woman becomes all too real, Daisy’s forced to decide what’s more important in the short amount of time she has left: her husband’s happiness—or her own?

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

So, I was innocently scrolling through my Kindle, minding my own business and came across this book and realized that for whatever reason- I had not read it.

So, in the effort to start trying to read some of these older books on my Kindle- I settle in for this read.

And I have mixed feelings….

At the first of the book, I don’t really remember what Daisy said- but she’s humorous. I thought that this was going to be part lighthearted at times, with some emotional depth.

And it is (up to a point).

The book, at some point, gets a bit too heavy. I felt for Daisy- but at times she was like the girl who could only focus on the sadness, only focus on her plan- and she was making herself miserable. I’ve never had cancer and I have no idea how I would react if I had gotten Daisy’s news- but Daisy had much to live for- and time to live. Sometimes Daisy reminded of Hilary in Beaches.

What I liked:

The cover. I like that green and the flower. Soothing.

The ending. I didn’t cry and it didn’t give me all the warm fuzzies- but it was a fitting ending.

Bottom line: Daisy was a character that, I think, was a realistic character. While I understood her and felt lots of sympathy for her- she could be a bit tiring. I wanted to root for her so much and I did- but sometimes some of her actions made it hard.

*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*