Don’t
Hold Back
by
Missy Johnson
Love
Hurts Series book 4
Release Date: March 12, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Blurb
Three countries.
Two months.
All expenses paid.
Just you and me.
About you: You’re fun loving, adventurous and you have a wicked sense of humor. You’re spontaneous, open minded and creative. You live for today because you never know what tomorrow holds.
I’m Erin and this isn’t your usual Craigslist Ad. I’m twenty-four, and full disclosure, I’m dying. But I don’t want your pity. What I want is your help. I’m not looking for a nanny, or for someone to hold my hand. I want a friend, a confidante, a partner in crime.
I want you.
AnessaRenee
I consumed this book in one day. From the prologue alone I knew I was in for an emotional ride. But I wasn't prepared for the authors ability to make me cry at the sad and good times. This is most definitely a tearjerker. But it was so much more!! I walked away from this story with so many emotions. I feel like I learned something new and see things in a different light. The whole time I was reading this book I felt like I was in the story. Never did it feel like a story. This author has the ability to throw you into her world and keep you there long after you read the last words.
Reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
Anne Milne
5 of 5 stars
It's not a spoiler to say this book will shred your emotions because full disclosure Erin is dying, yes there are sad moments but this is so much more than a story about a sick girl.
Erin has been given months to live and rather than sit at home surrounded by her grieving family waiting on the inevitable she has a plan, a plan for an adventure. To the horror of her family she puts an ad on Craiglist for a travel companion, she has very specific requirements because she doesn't want a nurse hovering over her what she wants is a friend to share in the fun she envisages, who she gets is Cade.
I love Erin she's funny, she's brave, she fearless, she's articulate even when in extreme pain she is still looking forward to the next experience. Cade has made a mess of his life with one mistake after another the job with Erin is meant to give him time to think and make plans for his future but he ends up experiencing so much more than he ever expected.
This is a stunning poignant book that is beautifully written, another hit from one of my favourite authors.
reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
It's not a spoiler to say this book will shred your emotions because full disclosure Erin is dying, yes there are sad moments but this is so much more than a story about a sick girl.
Erin has been given months to live and rather than sit at home surrounded by her grieving family waiting on the inevitable she has a plan, a plan for an adventure. To the horror of her family she puts an ad on Craiglist for a travel companion, she has very specific requirements because she doesn't want a nurse hovering over her what she wants is a friend to share in the fun she envisages, who she gets is Cade.
I love Erin she's funny, she's brave, she fearless, she's articulate even when in extreme pain she is still looking forward to the next experience. Cade has made a mess of his life with one mistake after another the job with Erin is meant to give him time to think and make plans for his future but he ends up experiencing so much more than he ever expected.
This is a stunning poignant book that is beautifully written, another hit from one of my favourite authors.
reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
Becky Rendon
As I type this, I have tears pouring down my face, double vision from the tears, and snot running from my nose. Yes, I look lovely! What you can't tell from my typing is the watery smile that is clinging to my face. You can't see the hope shining in my eyes but it's there.
If you read the blurb, you know that this is going to be a rough book. I knew it would be an emotionally draining one. It actually had more happy places than I thought it would. That's the thing about hope...
It feeds you, nourishes you, and keeps you strong. Don't Hold Back is a beautiful (although emotionally painful) story. I will be honest I had a hard time committing to reading it. It can definitely be a trigger for those who have experienced loss. But even with that, I am actually really happy to have read it.
Life sucks. Cancer, tumors, and hundreds of other evils things can kill you. But love....love makes you live! It brings you to life, it feeds hope, and it gives you freedom.
I strongly recommend tissues. But then I'm sure you knew that already...
I have to apologize (sorry, not sorry) to the author I called her a sadist. I think she is. Just saying all her books (have been added to my TBR) seem to be emotionally draining...Clearly she likes invoking pain and suffering....SADIST. Right?!?!
Kidding aside, Don't Hold Back it's a book I would recommend. Not to anyone who has been through it, but to everyone else.
Reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
HB
So Sad...
This story was inspiring, romantic, and so so sad. I am not a crier, but this story made me feel like I should be. The struggles feel real, and the characters are strong. Every character, big and small, has something to overcome. The ending isn't happy, but bittersweet. You find yourself really rooting for Erin and Cade. The situations are relatable, and they really put things into perspective. You will love this book, If you love sad stories with real issues. Books that I could relate this story to, would be books like "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Greene, "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman, or "A Thousand Letters" by Staci Hart. I would, definitely, recommend this book to all of my sappy friends that wear their hearts on their sleeves.
Reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
Sam Lewis
This review of Don't Hold Back by Missy Johnson is for The Sweet Spot Sisterhood Blog. I finished this book a couple days ago and it has taken me this long to process all my emotions and figure out what I am going to write. This book gutted me. I was bawling by 30%. A book making me shed a few tears, let alone turning me into a blubbery mess is a very rare occasion. I give Missy Johnson mad props for accomplishing this. Don't Hold Back is book #4 in the Love Hurts Series. They are all standalones and I have read one the others as well. It was a quick read and I could not put it down. I did not want it to end, but knew that it had to somewhere.
Don't Hold Back is the story of Erin. Erin is 24 and she has the big C. Cancer, terminal cancer. She only has a few months to live. What would you do if you only had a few months to live? Erin chooses to see Europe. She wants to go with a stranger, not her family. Although, her family is upset they accept her wishes. So she ensues the help of her sister and friends to pick the perfect travel partner. This is where Cade enters the picture. He is a medical student with a gambling problem needing to get away. This could be the answer to his problems. Cade is selected and he and Erin go on the trip of a lifetime. I'm not going to give away anymore, but you definitely don't want to miss this compelling read. I can't give Missy Johnson enough praise for this book. It made me laugh and it made me cry and it made me hate cancer more than I already do. Enjoy this phenomenal 5 Star read!
Reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
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Excerpt
“Who the hell books a flight for seven a.m.?” I grumble under my breath as I hoist my suitcase out from the boot of the taxi. I toss a twenty through the open window of the driver’s seat, telling him to keep the change. The whole twenty cents. Yeah, I’m generous like that.
I’ve barely slept, which I guess is good considering the eighteen-hour flight I have ahead of me. Unless she’s going to want to talk the whole way, in which case no sleep is bad. Of course she is. Women always want to talk. Dying women probably take that to a whole other level. I chastise myself for being so insensitive. Let’s see if I can get through this trip without offending the girl. Or more realistically, let’s see if I can get through the week.
I stroll through departures, scanning the crowd for Erin. I’ve only met her twice now, but she was kind of unforgettable—hot in a she-has-no-idea-how-hot-she-is kind of way. Even that first time, all wet and dishevelled, she was mesmerizing.
My eyes fall on her and a smile tugs at my lips. She’s bent over her open bag, her long blond hair hanging loosely over her shoulder. It feels kind of wrong that I’m checking her out, given her situation, but I can’t help myself. I give it another minute before I walk over to join her.
“Hey,” I say.
She jumps, straightening up. Her face reddens when she faces me.
“You’re supposed to do the packing thing at home,” I tease her. Half her luggage is dumped onto the floor next to her, and I love that she doesn’t seem to give a shit.
“I’m looking for something,” she retorts, narrowing her stunning blue eyes.
I raise my eyebrows curiously and grin.
“It’s not important.”
“It obviously is,” I argue. I’m enjoying playing with her. “And the fact that you don’t want to tell me what it is makes me wonder…”
“Well stop wondering,” she replies. “If you want to do something useful, help me zip this up. It’s stuck.” She bends back over and gives the zip a yank, as if to prove her point.
“It’s stuck because you have this caught in it.” I grab hold of the offending material and back the zipper up. It releases, and I proudly hold it up. “Lacy and transparent,” I say when I realise I’m holding a pair of her panties. I let out a low whistle. “I’m impressed.”
She blushes and snatches them out of my hand, shoving them back in her suitcase. She zips it closed and glares at me. “I’m beginning to regret this already,” she growls.
“Never regret lacy panties, Erin,” I tease. “But seriously, I’m just messing with you. This trip will be great. Trust me. We’ll have fun.”
“I’m having trouble believing that,” she retorts, properly facing me for the first time.
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About the Author
Missy lives in a small town in Central Victoria with her husband, and her confused pets (a dog who think she's a cat, a cat who thinks he's a dog...you get the picture).
When she's not writing, she can usually be found looking for something to read.
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