In This Life

By Christine Brae

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Synopsis

Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere,
They’re in each other all along.
RUMI

It starts out so simply. Anna runs away to Thailand, drags her best friend Dante with her and spends a few weeks away, taking on other people’s problems while getting away from her own. She meets the enigmatic Jude Grayson, and for as long as it’s clear to both of them that it ends when they leave, she thinks she’s got the perfect fling planned out.

Or does she?

Anna returns home to find that her life is no longer the way it once was, and that she can’t stop thinking about him. She learns through tragedy that nothing she’s ever believed in has turned out to be true. The worst part? The people she loved were keeping a secret from her. And that no matter what she does, no matter how hard she fights against it, every path she takes keeps leading her back to Jude.

This is a story about love, found in a faraway place by two very unlikely people. It is also a story about friendship and loyalty and fighting for what you have despite the illogical mystery of fate. With the struggle between morality and guilt, faith and acceptance, there comes a learning that even the best-laid plans are powerless against the alignment of the universe.

From the beaches of Thailand to the streets of New York, three friends, Anna, Dante, and Jude will learn the hard way that once providence steps in, there is nothing in the world that can change what is truly meant to be.

Robin’s Review

Kismet. Destiny. Fate. How do you know if you are on the path fate has planned for you? What if there is something far greater, far more powerful, just waiting to step in? This is a theme author Christine Brae explores in her new standalone novel titled In this Life, where we are able to experience the richness of Anna Dillon’s story.

Brae introduces us to Anna at a time in her life that is filled with sadness and strife, when she flees the drama of her home life for something much different in a small fishing village of Thailand. All Anna really wants is to forget the emotional pain, so she convinces her best friend, Dante Leola, to volunteer with her on a medical mission at an orphanage. It’s on the tsunami-ravaged beaches of Thailand, where Anna and Dante meet Jude Grayson, and all three of their lives become inextricably tied together.

In This Life is a contemporary romance and contemporary women’s literature rolled into one, a journey about friendship, loyalty and love which will captivate and hold your attention until the very last page has been turned. Brae’s words are full of wisdom, both heartbreaking and joyful, both healing and redemptive. It’s an epic adventure of two souls, destined to be together, even as life sees the two of them heading in different directions.

Each of the three primary characters has endearing qualities, which is probably why In This Life became a very emotional read for me. Anna is easy for me to relate to. She experiences growth as a character because of the difficulties that she faces in her life. But In This Life is not only about Anna. This story also concerns the two men who are on this journey with her – Dante and Jude. Anna has feelings that are unique to each man, and Brae’s writing made certain that I was able to experience her feelings and emotions.

Christine Brae’s writing is the very best feature of In This Life. In This Life is Brae’s fourth full-length novel. I’m being completely honest in my assessment when I say that I have never witnessed a more dramatic improvement in writing. Brae’s writing is no longer the writing of an author who is just getting her feet wet. It’s matured, become more polished and descriptive, visceral and full of wisdom. Brae’s descriptive writing was exceptional, assisting me with visualizing scenes in my head.

I would recommend In This Life based on the writing alone, but this story about finding your destiny is what makes this novel special. In This Life is a solid 5-star novel, and I’m adding it to my list of 2016 favorites!

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Christine Brae is a full time career woman who thought she could write a book about her life and then run away as far as possible from it. She never imagined that her words would touch the hearts of so many women with the same story to tell. Her second book, His Wounded Light was released in December, 2013.

Christine’s third book, Insipid, is a standalone that was released in June, 2014, and her fourth book, In This Life is scheduled for release in January 2016.

When not listening to the voices in her head or spending late nights at the office, Christine can be seen shopping for shoes and purses, running a half marathon or spending time with her husband and three children in Chicago.

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