Book Review: Worthy

By Sara Steven

Virginia finally had the chance to explore a relationship with Aaron when he asked her on a date. She had been waiting, hoping that the widower and his young son, Buddy, would welcome her into their lives. But a terrible tragedy strikes on the night of their first kiss, crushing their hopes for a future together.

Nineteen years later, Virginia is engaged, though she has not forgotten Aaron or Buddy. When her dog goes missing and it comes to light that her fiancé set him loose, a distraught Virginia breaks off the engagement and is alone once again. A shy young man has found the missing pet, and although he’s bonded with the animal, he answers his conscience and returns the dog. Before long, Virginia and the young man discover a connection from their pasts that will help them let go of painful memories and change their lives forever. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

This book is a masterpiece of words, woven intricately into the story like a jigsaw puzzle. I felt like the character evolution for Virginia and Jody (the shy young man) had been slowly revealed to me over time. Nothing was forceful or abrupt, and I really appreciated that. I got to really delve into the emotional psyche of both main characters while they are dealing with their own losses and heartaches. The twist is, Virginia and Jody are connected on a level that neither character can even fathom or comprehend, and fate put these two together at the most inopportune time.

A common bond: Worthy, the dog Virginia has been searching for. Her terrible ex-fiance sets Worthy loose many miles from home, unbeknownst to her but discovered by Jody. Worthy is the catalyst that will bring everything full circle, changing lives and opening up painful wounds that Virginia and Jody have buried deep inside, for many years. It’s through tragedy that these two people become forever joined, and through this discovery they can begin to heal.

Once I started reading Worthy, I couldn’t stop. It flowed that well and I wanted to invest myself into these characters. I wanted to find out what would happen next, and anticipated the moment Virginia and Jody would discover just how much they had in common, and how much they ultimately need one another. While I’ve yet to read any other novels from Catherine Ryan Hyde, I plan on it and highly recommend Worthy and other books she’s written, as I'm guessing they're equally as good. (Pay It Forward is next on my list.) This novel by far has become one of my top favorites!

Thanks to BookSparks for the book in exchange for an honest review. Check out Book Mama Blog's review, as well.

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