This Can’t Wait

by Luke P. Narlee

From Goodreads:

Adam Arthur has built his life on telling love stories. In the final moments before a surgery from which there is no guarantee of waking up, Adam’s mind is filled with the stories of an array of individuals: each one unique, each one connected.

A jaded woman tires of pretending her way toward a perfect match; a wife who, after years of contentment, suspects her husband of unfaithfulness; a young mother wonders at what juncture her life took the wrong track; two lovers find their fate in one another, even if it requires more than one lifetime to fulfill that destiny. These tales and more intertwine in Adam’s memory as he considers the rippling effect of choices made and chances taken.

Told with romantic mystery, urgency, and hope, Luke P. Narlee’s collection of stories captures brief, significant moments in his characters´ lives. These 13 narratives of the heart remind us there are things in life that just can´t wait.

“Luke P. Narlee scores again with this wonderful collection of stories. His relationship dialogue, that is masterfully written in his two full length novels, comes through in “This Can’t Wait,” a connected collection of love, romance, and destiny woven into lives that cross countries and time. A delightful, heartwarming read.”-N.M McGregor, author of the Montana Series

My thoughts on this book:

After enjoying Luke Narlee’s first two books I couldn’t wait to get to his third, This Can’t Wait. I went straight to Amazon and bought my copy. I have to say that this one was definitely unique!

The book begins with Adam Arthur, an 82-year-old man who must undergo surgery to remove a tumor from his brain. The surgery is a risk for his life and another outcome may be losing his sight. Although he’s not necessarily afraid to die, he isn’t sure about how he’ll ever be able to live without seeing the world again. As he awaits surgery, he meets a nurse by chance who takes an interest in him. Adam happens to be one of her favorite authors and she’s read all of his books. They seem to connect fairly quickly and as she comforts him before surgery they chat about life and relationships as Adam reflects on the love of his life.

“I guess it has been a while since I revisited that memory. Sometimes, I’m afraid it will hurt too much. But it would be nice to think about it again. Especially if I were to, well, not make it through today. You know, to be honest, I always planned on writing our story.” His eyes took on a faraway look. “I told her I would…I just never…”

What follows is a series of stories about love, taking chances, trust, and friendship which all connect in one way or another. Each character seems to assimilate something by the end of each story. As I read through I was a little confused at first and couldn’t connect every story–it was like a pile of puzzle pieces in my brain that I couldn’t quite assemble. Once the story came together in the end I was able to connect most of the stories which was really neat. I can’t say that I’ve ever read a book like this which is why I found it refreshing. Not all of the stories pulled me in, but there were a few that had me on the edge of my seat. For some I had to draw my own conclusions. One I found nearly terrifying.

Even though the stories were short, I connected with most of the characters, especially Adam and Aurora. This book definitely makes you think about the decisions we make in life and how there may not be second chances. I found it interesting, emotional, and thought-provoking, in fact, I was thinking about the book all evening after I finished it. It’s written well with strong dialogue which was no surprise to me because I’ve enjoyed Luke Narlee’s writing in his previous books. It’s always something to look forward to!

4.5****

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Songs I feel connect to some of the stories in this book:

The Strokes “You Only Live Once”

Alanis Morissette – “You Learn”

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Find this book on Goodreads and Amazon:

• Paperback: 317 pages
• Publisher: All Heart Publishing (October 9, 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0692176683
• ISBN-13: 978-0692176689

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About the Author:

Luke P. Narlee is an American independent author from Baltimore, Maryland whose stories tend to focus on love, relationships, and the human condition; regardless of the genre. His first novel, Guest Bed, is a story about the daily struggles and joys of adulthood, marriage, and raising children with someone, while also serving as an entertaining mystery, full of suspense, twists and romance. His second novel, The Appointment: Lost & Found (Book one) is the start of a dystopian trilogy, which deals with a controlling government and a world that is slowly forgetting how to show emotion, and how sometimes we have to look back at the life experiences that have changed us in the past, in order to become who we need to be today. His latest book, This Can’t Wait, works as both a novel and a collection of short stories. It captures a series of touching, heartfelt moments in several characters lives, and what they learn from not only how it affects them, but how it affects those around them. – From Goodreads

Other Books:

You can find Luke Narlee on Goodreads and Amazon

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Thanks for reading my review of This Can’t Wait. Please feel free to leave comments and suggestions below. 

❤ Mischenko