Brace yourself for some spoilers, my bad!

BLURB

Kareem Rosser and Lee Lee Jones were young, beautiful, and deeply in love. Their love was a real-world romance that felt like a fairy tale: Kareem was raised in the Bottom—one of the most impoverished neighborhoods in Philadelphia—while Lee Lee was raised in the wealth of the Pennsylvania suburbs. They met and fell in love in the world of horses: Kareem, a nationally ranked polo player and Lee Lee, a legacy equestrian. The world was at their feet, a lifetime of joy and adventure ahead of them. But their love story is interrupted by a devastating accident, which almost costs Lee Lee her life, and destroys every plan and dream that Lee Lee and Kareem had made together.

In the months and years that follow, while Lee Lee struggles to heal, Kareem is crippled by ambiguous grief, for the woman that he loves and for the future he imagined for them both. He feels buried alive. In the space between debilitating grief and bursts of anxiety, he’s forced to finally face his demons: his tumultuous childhood, his latent mental health issues, the murders of his older brother and his best friend, and a life constantly lived in the grip of panic and fear.

Honest and captivating, When You’re Ready is a narrative that honors love in all its forms: first love, parental love, renewed love, and, most importantly, self-love. With notes on unresolved loss and second chances, it’s a story that will grab you by the heartstrings and uplift your soul.

MY THOUGHTS:

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I truly appreciate the chance to read this book. It’s important to note that this book is scheduled for publication on February 4, 2025. I was deeply moved by this love story and couldn’t help but reflect on how young Kareem and Lee Lee were. Young love holds a special kind of magic. My heart goes out to both Kareem and Lee Lee, as the course of their love story was altered by Lee Lee’s accident. The photographs included in the book were incredibly touching, capturing Lee Lee’s beauty just as Kareem described. I admired Kareem’s commitment to therapy and found wisdom in his therapist’s advice to “start leaving 10 minutes early”. While Kareem stood by Lee Lee’s side, he also deserved to live his own life. It was a lot for someone so young to endure.

I get deeply emotional when I think about how unpredictable life can be. The moment when Lee Lee is holding Kareem’s daughter, unable to speak much but simply whispering “Baby,” is profoundly poignant. It prompts me to consider the potential they had for raising a child together and experiencing countless joyful moments. That specific moment profoundly impacts me, as it feels like their entire life together flashes before my eyes like a movie reel.

“When You’re Ready” is a story brimming with love, hope, healing, and the courage to move forward in life, knowing that it’s perfectly okay to do so. The writing style of this book brought to mind “The Color of Water” by James McBride, one of my all-time favorites. I’m grateful for the opportunity to read this ARC and eagerly anticipate the release next February. It’s such a beautiful time to launch this book, especially with Valentine’s Day around the corner – the perfect occasion to immerse oneself in a new love story.

Happy Reading Folks!