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    Saving Abby
    Saving Abby
    Saving Abby
    Audiobook7 hours

    Saving Abby

    Written by Steena Holmes

    Narrated by Angela Dawe

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    All children’s book illustrator Claire Turner ever wanted was to be a mother. After six years of trying to conceive, she and her husband, Josh, have finally accepted that she will never be pregnant with a child of their own.

    Yet once they give up hope, the couple gets the miracle they’ve been waiting for. For the first few months of her pregnancy, Claire and Josh are living on cloud nine. But when she begins to experience debilitating headaches, blurred vision, and even fainting spells, the soon-to-be mother goes to the doctor and receives a terrifying diagnosis. Since any treatment could put their unborn baby’s life at risk, the Turners must carefully weigh their limited options. And as her symptoms worsen, Claire will have to make an impossible decision: Save her own life, or save her child’s?

    USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Steena Holmes brings us an unforgettable story of one woman’s courage and love.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateMay 31, 2016
    ISBN9781511368216
    Saving Abby
    Author

    Steena Holmes

    Steena Holmes is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of titles including Saving Abby, Stillwater Rising, and The Memory Child. Named to the “20 Best Books by Women in 2015” list by Good Housekeeping and Redbook, Steena won the National Indie Excellence Award in 2012 for Finding Emma as well as the USA Book News Award for The Word Game in 2015. Steena lives in Calgary, Alberta, and is a self-proclaimed “travelholic” who can’t resist a good cup of coffee. To find out more about her books and her love of traveling, you can visit her website at www.steenaholmes.com or follow her journeys on Instagram @authorsteenaholmes.

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    Reviews for Saving Abby

    4.5/5

    33 ratings8 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 2/5
      I was so fed up with the main character Claire and the people around her that I almost didn't finish the book. If your wife is so tired that she cannot even walk down a hallway without being carried, wouldn't you have her to the doctor or ER ASAP, no matter what she said? Everyone around Claire coddled her and loved all over her but wouldn't suggest medical help when needed, even her best friend who is an MD! I also got tired of all the visits to the bakery. This just wasn't my kind of book at all.
    • 4/5
      This was a heartfelt book about a couple, Josh and Claire who are going through a rough time in their life. They desperately want to have a family but after coming to terms that this is not to happen they want to move forward. The love and support Josh and Claire give one another during this time in their life is beautiful. Then the unexpected happens and Claire learns she is pregnant. Claire must make a decision on saving her baby or herself. The ending pulls at your heart but the love between Claire and Josh and the support they receive from friends and family during this time is heartwarming. This is the first book I have read from this author. She writes a beautiful story with well-developed characters. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      If you could have one wish, what would it be? Some of us would wish for health, happiness, for wealth, or any number of things. For Claire Turner, children's book illustrator, it was to have a child. She longed to be a mother. More than anything in the world, she wished to have a child.After years of trying, she and her husband, Josh, finally accept the fact that this wish - one they share - will never come true. Heartbroken, lost and in grief, the couple decides to travel to Europe in hopes of coping with the loss of the one thing they'll never have. Steena Holmes tells the story of this perfect couple as they travel across the ocean to mourn and to heal. Along their travels, they make friends, they work on their stories (books about an adventurous kid named Jack that they co-author) and they find peace and joy in each other. But then, with a twist of fate and an unexpected surprise, Claire returns home to find out she's pregnant. Elated and shocked, the couple enjoys the first few months of the pregnancy with a joy that only Holmes can describe. Until life unexpectedly steers them in another direction - Claire is sick. She has a brain tumor. And she has to decide whether she wants to seek treatment or have the baby, because it's one or the other. She cannot have both.Holmes writes with such compassion and love that this book is definitely readable in one sitting. The descriptions of places makes you feel like you're there - you can smell the sweetness of the Belgian waffles and feel the Italian breeze brushing your skin. And she makes you fall in love with the characters and feel every emotion they feel.
    • 4/5
      I was excited to see one of Steena Holmes’ books is in the Booksparks’ June Summer Reading Challenge. Earlier in the year, I was feeling kind of bad receiving a birthday postcard from the author but have never read any of her books. An author that is willing to show some loves or cares to her readers always win my heart.

      Saving Abby is told in three different points of view but mostly in Claire’s. There are several chapters that are told in the memories of Claire’s and Josh’s trip in Europe. I found those chapters not as important, they are kind of like a filler. However, they still fun to read and they are cute little stories.

      In a way , I found Claire to be lucky. She has Josh as a husband, Abby as a best friend, Mellie as her Mom and even the whole town who cares for her. No matter what decisions she makes or paths she takes, they support her and love her just the same.

      Overall, I really enjoyed the book. There were so many different emotions from reading this book. Also, it got me thinking, what if the same situation happens to me.

      SPOILER ALERT!!! (minor)
      I do wish the book has a different title. It gave too much away and took away the fun of guessing. I like how ending is not like the typical chick-lits. It was so unexpected to me.

      4 out of 5 stars
      Received a free copy from Booksparks and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing.This is Steena Holmes at her best. This book is written from the heart of this author. It will take you to places you have never been. You will absolutely need tissues for this one. I cried so much. The characters are well developed and believable. The storyline is heart wrenching. The story flows well from beginning to end. I could not put this book down and read it in one sitting. Claire and her husband are faced with devastating news. It will break your heart, it did mine and you will wonder what would I do. Another must read by Steena Holmes. I highly recommend this book to all. Bravo, Steena, bravo! Another amazing read by an equally amazing author.
    • 3/5
      We begin in the recent past of Josh and Claire Turner. They’re on an extensive trip, one with a two-fold purpose. First, they are coming to grips with not having children. They’d been trying for six years so finally, they want to move forward and just accept it. Secondly, their many excursions are research for their fictional character, Jack. They write children’s books about Jack’s adventures. Josh writes the stories and Claire does the illustrations. They come home with a lot of new ideas for Jack.In their present time, they’ve returned from the trip and Claire seems to be experiencing extended jet lag. She is so very tired all of the time and she’s beginning to experience headaches. The headaches intensify and become debilitating. Her good friend, Abby, is a doctor and urges her to come in to get checked out. Once she actually goes, the diagnosis is terrifying all by itself, but now she has more than just her own life to consider … as it turns out she’s pregnant. Treatment would be dangerous to the life of her baby. Waiting till her pregnancy is full term could be too late for her.The story goes back and forth between the present contrasted against their experiences on their trip. I believe the trip gave us a great impression of how solid their marriage was. Through flashbacks, we also find out that Claire had become pregnant as a teen. She had the baby but adopted him out because of the ultimatum delivered to her from her father. The story definitely pulls the reader’s heartstrings. It could have made me cry … except it didn’t. When the ending came, it was a bit abrupt. The epilogue into the future did little to bring me closure with the ending. Also, Claire seemed to overly delay an exam to find out what was actually going on. Rating: 3 out of 5.
    • 5/5
      There was no dinner cooked at my house yesterday - once I started this wonderful book by Steena Holmes, nothing got done until I was finished with it. I have read all of Steena's books and she just keeps getting better. She is one of the best writer's of family relationship issues of any authors that I read and I thought that this was her best book yet.Claire and Josh Turner have been happily married for six years. He is the author of a successful series of children's book and she is the illustrator. After years of trying, they have finally accepted that they are unable to have children and go on a tour of Europe to help ease the pain of that decision. When they get back from their trip, they find out that Claire has gotten pregnant but the doctor also finds out that she has a life threatening problem that needs treatment but treatment will harm the baby. Claire and Josh are faced with the decision of whether to save her or the baby or try to save both. The novel is emotional and the author has created such wonderful main characters that the reader identifies with them and feels their joy and their heartache. Along with the two main characters, there are also secondary characters that help the story line tremendously.Two things about this novel that I really liked: I am a list maker and I loved all the lists that Claire made for her life. It helped make her more of a real character to me. Second, I am a traveler and I know that Steena is too from reading her Facebook posts. I loved all of her wonderful descriptions of Europe. You could tell that she was writing about places that she had been and loved.To sum it all up, this is a wonderful book about family and love and heartache. It's one of my top 10 books of the year and I think that everyone should read it!(Thanks for NetGalley for a copy of this book for a fair and honest review.)
    • 5/5
      This will be released May 31st, 2016.This was an intense tearjerker. Need to have the tissues close by. I received this book free through Goodreads in return for an honest review. I've given it a 5* rating. There is more going on than having an unexpected baby. It is an emotional roller coaster that will leave you stunned at the end. This is the third of Steena Holmes' books I've read and I was not disapointed.