I had never heard of Kristen Granata, but through fellow ACR’ers I was told that ‘you NEED to read this book’. Since there was nothing, but praise given I decided to give this book a chance and I was so extremely happy that I did. What starts out as a ‘Real Housewives of Orange County’ episode, soon morphed into an episode of SVU. Since meeting Paul in college nine years ago, Callie has had to work to make her marriage work. Sure, Paul and Callie have had some massive issues thrown their way forcing them to adapt and grow together or fail.

“When someone pushes you away, you need to find the strength to hold on tighter.”

I sat on writing this release for too long, because I was so overwhelmed with situations, the twists and turns that they went through, along with some massive speed bumps or detours to Cole and Callie’s storyline. What’s Left of Me was ridiculously incredible and amazing. It is heart and gut-wrenching, super emotional (have tissue ready), has themes of knowing your self-worth along with discovery, forgiveness, and above all, love. Honestly as I read, I had this feeling that Kristen was going to rip the rug out from underneath me and I only had seconds to get my life in order. She had me completely connected and invested to characters/situations.

Callie. I love Callie. Despite going through issues with her husband, she still had an inner fire that was temporarily dimmed, not wanting to rock the boat/outward appearances of ‘everything’s fine’. Now, in doing this, she started to develop anxiety/panic attacks. The following is a list to remind Callie of everything happy/fortunate to have (giving to her by her therapist).

“Maverick, California King Bed, Walk-in closet, Dream Kitchen,

Yard with a pool, Mercedes”

Cole is a giant teddy bear with layers of self-hate, a heart encrusted within concrete, and a cape of tragedy that gets heavier and heavier as days go by. Despite his gruffness, anguish, and growly nature, I really liked Cole. Personally, you can feel the hate he has to himself, but what he did not expect was the blonde bombshell from across the street, thinking he was the landscaper. From this moment on, life was changing for him and he was unsure if he liked it.

“It’s clear now; I lost control the second she walked into Josie’s backyard.”

Count me in as a fan, Kristen. I loved everything that this book entails. She tackled some heavy topics in a safe way as to not offend anyone. There is one thing that I still feel little unanswered, so it is 4.5 stars. Otherwise, What’s Left of Me would be a solid 5.0+.

“I’m finally the person I want to be. I say what I feel, I do what makes me happy, and I’m surrounded by loving and supportive people. I no longer live in fear. I’m free.”