2022 Reread: Lovely as always! I'll admit that knowing where everything is going makes me notice the moments that suspend reality a little more - things move awfully quickly for all involved - but it's an enjoyable story nonetheless! I've said it before and I'll say it again: these are characters that I want to be friends with, and the aesthetic is so cozy and comforting!

Original Review:
Live Without You is a dramatic novella. Ms. Grzy wastes no time piling on action and emotion, so I was hooked and invested instantly! Granted, the book opens at an outdoor ice skating rink, amidst Christmas lights and hot cocoa, which is a great way to get me interested regardless of the story to be told. However, on top of the setting, there is action and drama right away. Not the annoying kind of drama that could be avoided if people would only talk to each other, but what-is-going-to-happen-next drama. Things get real right away.

The romance is also set up almost immediately. It isn’t entirely predictable, but you know from the beginning who is going to end up together. I appreciated this, but I can see how it could bother some readers.

{Side note, I want Piper’s house. It is adorable and practical and basically everything I didn’t know I always wanted in a house! It seriously sounds perfect.}

Piper and Ezra have a sweet romance which I enjoyed watching grow. Both are believable characters with real emotions, conflicts, and backstories, and they stumble through fitting their stories together. Surprisingly, their relationship is more of a courtship than dating, which I don’t think I have ever seen portrayed in contemporary fiction. The scope of their relationship was not discussed often, but I liked the unique and chaste perspective.

Along with her relationship with Ezra, Piper must rebuild her faith in order to move forward with her life and to find peace despite past trauma. This is an area where I would have liked to see more nuanced growth and development, but for the length of the story, I understand why it was paced as it is.

Additionally, the ending is incredibly well-crafted. Although there were a few things that I guessed from the beginning, the last few chapters had me reconsidering everything and on the edge of my (metaphorical) seat wondering how/if things were going to work out! I was mentally and emotionally invested in these characters and their lives, much moreso than I usually am in any given book.

This review was originally posted on Reviews From the Stacks. ( )

This was an amazing story that keeps the reader's thoughts within the pages of the book long after it has been finished. This compelling story had me staying up way too late to finish it. I could not put it down.
The characters were life-like and amazing. Piper's personality perfectly matched her name. (That kitten though!!!)
Another favorite character of mine was Cecile. She was fun and supportive while being a mother figure and spiritual mentor to Piper.
It is still early in 2019, but I really think that this book has a high chance of being in my top five reads of the year. I cannot wait to read more books that Sarah writes in the future.

Personal Rating: 5 Stars
Content Rating: 3 Stars

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )

I neeeeeeeeeed more!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Real logical review to come, later . . . In the future . . . Once I'm over this feeling of awe that came on at the last page . . . Or when the author demands it . . . Which is on the 19th of February just so you know . . . *glances at my kindle considering reading already*

Real logical review:
My Review:

Genre: Christian romance.

My Rating: 5 stars. (If I could give it more I would!)

Recommendation: 13/16 up is better but this book is for anyone who likes romance though there are slight mentions of blood, gunshot wounds, and abuse.


My favorite character is: Ezra, he’s a super deep guy, deep in faith, care, love, and his walk with Christ. I liked reading about him from the beginning to the end of the book. He may have been my favorite hero of the 28 books I’ve read this year. I loved the way Ezra grew throughout the book even though he was great when LWY started with me loving him from the first scene.

My Verse for Ezra is James 3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. (King James Version.)


Piper, I loved as well, I liked seeing the ways she changed and grew (even more than Ezra.) into a wonderful character, and it will break your heart and slowly piece it back together to break it again as you read her story. It is in a good way though . . . And by the time you close the book, you will be in awe of the amazingly crafted characters Sarah Grace wrote.

My Verse for Piper is Psalm 30:5
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. (King James Version.)

And honorable mention is Tom, Ezra’s dad, who is the first fictional I’ve wanted to read more about, he was sooooooooo sweet and I lovvvvvvvved how he treated Piper.

My thoughts: This book is fantastic! And I now know that romances that are novella length romances are the best! *points to >Love Needs No Words
I received this book in exchange for an honest review, and I’m truly happy to provide it! ( )

What I think you should know:
Live Without You, a Christian Romance is the debut novella for Sarah Grace Grzy. It is a perfect short read with well developed characters and story. Piper moves across the country to get away from painful reminders of her past only to run into one of the biggest reminders could, her brother’s best friend.

What I think about Live Without You:
Grzy has written a fascinating novella that captured me from the first pages. After a fast start to the story I was worried that the story wouldn’t be able to live up to the first pages, but I was pleasantly surprised. Not only are Piper and Ezra great leading characters, but I loved Tom, Tyler and Miss Cecile as well. I enjoyed the way the author showed the realistic way that grief can affect the lives of not only you but those around you. The story was sweet, heartbreaking and captivating all while being short enough to read quickly. Being a debut novel I can’t wait to see how Grzy develops with additional books.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own. ( )

A debut novella sure to tug at your heartstrings, Sarah Grzy’s “Live Without You” invites readers on a journey toward healing and second chances. It may be a short read as far as page numbers are concerned, but it has the fullness and satisfaction of a novel. The author manages to successfully unite pacing and plot so that the action is continuous but not rushed. For the most part, I myself am not a fan of contemporary romance, and yet I could not put this book down, and the romance itself was delightfully tender without being saccharine. From the powerful opening scene, the narrative proceeds steadily, spiking with intensity at times and mirroring real life progression. Three-quarters of the way through, I thought that the story was coming to an end, only to have the most challenging conflict occur during the last section. In doing this, Grzy moves beyond a trite happily-ever-after to demonstrate how God works in all circumstances, even those that may take us into our darkest nights.

Although a work of fiction, this novella boldly confronts some of the lies that we tend to believe about ourselves and shines the light of God’s truth on them. Grzy constructs the characters with satisfactory backstories that explain their current struggles and complement their dispositions. Piper Redding lives as a loner, battling feelings of being abandoned and thinking that she bears guilt. She avoids establishing relationships because “[l]oving someone invariably meant that they would leave someday and leave her alone . . . again.” Ezra Bryant sees himself as a failure because of his past. As the author demonstrates, we cannot outrun God’s grace and love, and we need to learn to surrender all of ourselves to Him in order to be truly whole. He speaks to us in our pain, a fact that Grzy makes clear through the way in which Piper hears the Lord’s voice in her mind while she prays. We can live each day like the characters in this novella, “basking in the assurance that come what may, they would never have to live without Him.”

“Live Without You” is an inspirational read and one that will challenge you to examine your heart. Anyone who is struggling or who is recovering from trauma will find this novella illuminating, and if you enjoy contemporary romance with a few tear-jerker moments, you will not want to miss this one!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through CelebrateLit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own. ( )