Quick Pick book review and GIVEAWAY: The Nearness of You, by Amanda Eyre Ward {ends 7/14}

• Opening lines: (Prologue) The girl in the bed was close to death. There were no flowers on the bedside table, no balloons. It had been a pale day. A final strip of sun light up the girl's motionless hands. Her fingernails were painted rose.
• Reason I picked up the book: I have read another of Amanda Eyre Ward's books, The Same Sky, and it was one of only three books that I gave 5 out of 5 stars to in 2015.
• And what's this book about?
In this profound and lyrical novel, acclaimed author Amanda Eyre Ward explores the deeper meanings of motherhood—from the first blissful hello to the heart-wrenching prospect of saying goodbye.

Brilliant heart surgeon Suzette Kendall is stunned when Hyland, her husband of fifteen years, admits his yearning for a child. From the beginning they’d decided that having children was not an option, as Suzette feared passing along the genes that landed her mother in a mental institution. But Hyland proposes a different idea: a baby via surrogate.

Suzette agrees, and what follows is a whirlwind of candidate selections, hospital visits, and Suzette’s doubts over whether she’s made the right decision. A young woman named Dorothy Muscarello is chosen as the one who will help make this family complete. For Dorrie, surrogacy (and the money that comes with it) are her opportunity to leave behind a troubled past and create a future for herself—one full of possibility. But this situation also forces all three of them—Dorrie, Suzette, and Hyland—to face a devastating uncertainty that will reverberate in the years to come.

Beautifully shifting between perspectives, The Nearness of You deftly explores the connections we form, the families we create, and the love we hold most dear.
• Recommended for: Anyone who likes a good story.
• Favorite paragraph: "Has the young runaway turned up?" asked Meg.
  
  Suzette shook her head. "Where is she?" she said. "How can this be happening?"
  
  "It's just a matter of time," said Meg. "They're going to find her, Suze. We're going to be sitting here tomorrow and everything will be fine. I promise."
  
  "I already feel like the baby is mine," said Suzette, somewhat stunned to acknowledge this, even to herself. "I thought it would feel so great, Meg, but this is the worst."
  
  "Welcome to parenthood," said Meg.  
• Something to know: I thought this was only the second book by Amanda Eyre Ward, but she's actually written a few more. 
• What I would have changed: There's a bombshell that we learn at the end, and then the book finishes shortly thereafter. I would have explored this new info a bit more - let's just say that a new character is thrown into the mix, and a central character doesn't even get much "page time" with him before the book ends. 
• Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.
• Where can I find this book? Click here to purchase on Amazon. 

*Disclosure: I received an e-copy of this book for reviewing from NetGalley. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. 

GIVEAWAY:

One of my lucky readers will win a copy of The Nearness of You!

Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Friday, July 14th, at 11:59pm EST, and winner will be chosen the next day and notified via email, and have 24 hours to respond, or an alternate winner will be chosen.

U.S. residents only, please.

Good luck!

The Nearness of You book