ARC Review: Things We Know by Heart




Title: Things We Know by Heart
Author: Jessi Kirby
Series: N/A, Standalone
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Publication Date: April 21st, 2015
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
  When Quinn Sullivan meets the recipient of her boyfriend’s donated heart, the two form an unexpected connection.

  After Quinn loses her boyfriend, Trent, in an accident their junior year, she reaches out to the recipients of his donated organs in hopes of picking up the pieces of her now-unrecognizable life. She hears back from some of them, but the person who received Trent’s heart has remained silent. The essence of a person, she has always believed, is in the heart. If she finds Trent’s, then maybe she can have peace once and for all.

  Risking everything in order to finally lay her memories to rest, Quinn goes outside the system to track down nineteen-year-old Colton Thomas—a guy whose life has been forever changed by this priceless gift. But what starts as an accidental run-in quickly develops into more, sparking an undeniable attraction. She doesn't want to give in to it—especially since he has no idea how they're connected—but their time together has made Quinn feel alive again. No matter how hard she’s falling for Colton, each beat of his heart reminds her of all she’s lost…and all that remains at stake.

  When Quinn lost her boyfriend Trent to a car accident, she reaches out to those whom Trent's organs were donated to in order to hold on to parts of him and also to move on. The recipients agreed to meet her, except for the one who got Trent's most important organ - his heart. So Quinn seeks Colton out, not expecting to form a friendship with him when she meets him.

  It has been a long time since I read a book as good as this, and this helped me get out of my mini reading slump. Things We Know by Heart was so beautifully written that even though I have never experienced anything the characters experienced throughout the book, I felt really connected to them I loved each and every one of the characters presented - minor characters included - who were all unique in their own different ways.

  I loved the journey that Quinn took, along with the help of her family. My favorite character is Quinn's sister Ryan who is shows the world that she is strong, but can still show her sadness at the same time. She picks up the pieces, but can also be vulnerable at times. She showed this to Quinn, and I think a lot of Quinn's healing should be attributed to her.

  Things We Know by Heart took me to a beautiful emotional roller coaster ride, and I just couldn't help but fall in love with the story. It was captivating, and I wasn't able to put the book down. I fully recommend this for those looking for a good contemporary romance read. Jessi Kirby is definitely another author that I will be looking out for!

"A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for."

"And the soft-blue glow appears again, somehow more special now because of why it happens. Because when these things are afraid, they shine."

**Note that these quotes were taken from the ARC version

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