Published: September 16th 2014 by (first published May 10th 2014)
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Length: 330 pages
My Rating: 5 stars
Blurb:
To Whom It May Concern,
It was easy to call us forbidden and harder to call us soulmates. Yet I believed we were both—forbidden soulmates.
When I arrived to Edgewood, Wisconsin I didn’t plan to find him. I didn’t plan to stumble into Joe’s bar and have Daniel’s music stir up my emotions. I had no clue that his voice would make my hurts forget their own sorrow. I had no idea that my happiness would remember its own bliss.
When I started senior year at my new school, I wasn’t prepared to call him Mr. Daniels, but sometimes life happens at the wrong time for all the right reasons.
Our love story wasn’t only about the physical connection.
It was about family. It was about loss. It was about being alive. It was silly. It was painful. It was mourning. It was laughter.
It was ours.
And for those reasons alone, I would never apologize for Loving Mr. Daniels.
-Ashlyn Jennings
My Review:
This is one of the best books I have ever read. This is not your typical student/ teacher romance. It is so much more than a taboo read. It is gut-wrenching in its stark portrayal of the complexities of life. It tackles the damage of drug abuse and homophobia.
Most importantly, it deals with the people left behind after a loved one dies. The profound effect it has. There is the loss through ill health, accident, murder and most tragic the loss of a young life to suicide.
At its core, this book is about two people helping each other come to terms with loss and growing together. Their love is pure and sweet. This story takes us through first love, sibling bonds, new friendships, coming of age, discovering oneself and healing. Loving Mr Daniels is a breathtaking, sometimes overwhelming, complex and powerful story.
This is a story that will remain with you long after you’ve closed the book. I heartily recommend reading this and have a box of tissues at the ready.
*Blurb and cover image via Goodreads.
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