Review by Darcie Czajkowski
Abigail Bronsen doesn’t want to
celebrate her birthday. Feeling unsuccessful professionally and unlucky
in love, she wishes everyone would simply forget that she is turning
twenty-five. More importantly, she wishes she could forget the list of
things to accomplish by age twenty-five that she wrote ten years ago. A
list that she cast aside, too afraid to step outside of her comfort zone.
But a car accident on her birthday
sends her colliding – literally – into Ben Harris. A man whose piercing
blue eyes mesmerize her and fill her with an undeniable calm.
Despite their obvious instant connection, the two part ways, letting fate
decide whether they would meet again.
A month later, their worlds collide
once again – at a coffee shop across from the sport complex Ben owns.
Unable to deny the innate bond they share, Abigail and Ben begin to date, their
love story unfolding as perfectly as those in the books Abigail is obsessed
with.
The relationship, Abigail’s first,
proves to be a challenge for her, as she is racked with insecurities, and her
need for Ben’s encouragement abounds. Ben, seeing past Abigail’s fears,
offers his unconditional support and affection, proving to her time and time
again that he will never leave her – even after she reveals that she is a
virgin and wants to wait until her wedding night for her first time.
Emboldened by Ben’s love, Abigail
strives for professional success, writing an article straight from her heart,
which she submits to her boss, an editor of an international magazine.
But when an opportunity lands in Abigail’s lap that is too great to pass up,
she has an unthinkable decision to make: stay with the love of her life, the
man whom she wants to marry, or follow her dream, the very dream that Ben
encouraged her to chase from the start.
Twenty-Five is a charming romance underscored by relatable
themes. Chase your dreams. Don’t be afraid. Live your life
without regret. Abigail is like many girls who don’t see themselves as
they really are. They underestimate their abilities and downplay their
physical beauty; they unfairly judge themselves to their own detriment.
While reading this story, I was reminded of the Dove social experiment,
in which each woman was instructed to describe herself to a sketch artist who
drew a picture of the woman based on that description. The ensuing result
was that the women appeared significantly less attractive in the sketches than
in real life. This experiment demonstrated that women often see
themselves in less favorable, unrealistic lights. Couched in a
sweet, fairy tale love story, Twenty-five urges women to pursue
their dreams, whatever they may be. This book is for every woman who has
ever doubted her faith in herself and wants to be reminded that we are all
capable of achieving greatness, if only we try and refuse to allow the
fear of failure to get in our way.
Rachel Hamm is
the author or Twenty-Five, a contemporary romance novel. She was born in
Buffalo, NY but grew up in Burlington, NC. Raised by northern
parents in the south, she likes to say she got the best of both
worlds. Her writing is inspired by classic authors like Jane Austen
and Charles Dickens, as well as contemporary ones like JK Rowling and Claire
LaZebnik. She loves to read and has been known to spend an entire
weekend engrossed in the adventures of her favorite characters.
Rachel now lives in
Raleigh, NC, but someday hopes to make it to London. She's pretty sure (if
reincarnation exists) she was British in another life.
Connect with Rachel at:
