Almost Always - Review & Giveaway

Review by Marlene Engel

Eva is notorious for striking up conversations with strangers, so it was no surprise to anyone when Eva did just that while dining out with her husband.  In the booth behind her sat two teenage girls.  One of the girls, Cecelia, talking about being pregnant and wanting to place the baby for adoption.  Eva’s daughter, Shelly, has been trying to get pregnant with no success.  Eva knew that she had to approach this girl.  How often do situations like this happen?  And she surely wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass her by.

One would think that Shelly would be thrilled to hear about the potential of adopting Cecelia’s baby, but instead she’s cold when dealing with her and makes no effort at getting to know her. This not only confuses, but also concerns Eva.  She doesn’t want Cecelia changing her mind about allowing Shelly to adopt the baby. 

But, as the pregnancy progresses, Eva and Shelly get more and more concerned.  Cecelia rekindles the relationship with the baby’s father and starts spending less time with Eva and her family.  The thought that Cecelia could call off the adoption weighs heavily on their hearts.  Eva starts to question if she made a mistake approaching Cecelia in the first place and Shelly wonders if she’s going to have to deal with another disappointment.

Almost Always is a heart-warming book.  The bond that the family shares and the lengths that they’ll go to in order to make each other happy is palpable.  The book will make you laugh one moment and cry another.  I found myself forming a bond with the characters and relating to what they were going through.  As a young mom and also an adoptive parent, I could relate to Cecelia’s struggle with being a pregnant teen but also with Shelly and the stress one goes through when adopting.  This book will tug at your heart strings and will be in your mind long after you finish the book.  A must read for sure!

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Bobbi Reed lives in central Ohio with her husband and three children. She is the recipient of an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award. Almost Always is her first novel and was inspired by a true story.

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