Review: Love, Carry my Bags by C. R. Everett

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Blurb:

Camryn Johnson’s world is turned upside down when long lost love, Reese Dahlgren, re-enters her life at a pivotal point in her already challenging marriage. She faces an excruciating predicament: choose between a broken home for her daughter or a broken life for herself. 

After her parents' divorce, Camryn first meets high school basketball star, Reese, at the Harvard Milk Day Festival bed races. Reese hides baggage of his own…until Camryn melts his heart and learns secrets entrusted only to her. Still, the weight is too much to bear. Unable to cope, Reese unwittingly backs Camryn into a corner during his air force enlistment—love him from afar, or leave him.

Enter aerospace engineering student, Glenn Conroy. Persistent and savvy, he woos Camryn during her junior year of college and wins her heart. Or does he? When Reese re-enters her life, further disrupting her tenuous marriage, Camryn turns to best friend, Megan, for advice, but refuses to believe Megan’s suggestion that she’s caught in a “simple” love triangle.

Camryn unveils hidden mysteries and secrets as she embarks on a life-changing journey of revelation and forgiveness, transcending doormat qualities inherited from her mother, and in the process finds what life's struggles are really all about.

C.R. Everett's heart-wrenching debut novel takes the reader on an emotion-packed journey that lingers long after the last page is turned.

Jennifer says:

This book revolves around a girl and her journey through her adult life and the loves of her life, the one that got away and the one she married.  I thought the author did a great job of putting a lot of content into a 492 page book.  The book starts with Camryn in high school and the author turns back the clock to the 1980s.  I loved it because I grew up in the 80’s and remember what life was like before cell phones, text messages, internet, and email.  She is the daughter of a divorced parents, her father being a preacher and her mother being a devote Christian.  Camyrn is the good girl type; she doesn’t smoke, drink, or party.  They live in a small town where the big thing to look forward to is Milk Days festival!  So yes a big dairy town.  She has a small circle of friends, one being Reece.  Her and Reece become close friends over the years and eventually decide to be boyfriend and girlfriend.  She decides to become an exchange student as spend a year in Australia where she meets her lifelong friend Megan her was from Canada.  Throughout the book, the writer takes us back to letter writing and how it was so exciting to receive an actual hand written letter from your loved ones.  This part especially since she is away from everyone. When she returns home, she falls back into place with Reece. He also is dealing with his home battles at home.  His parents also divorce and his dad is always comparing him to his older brother.  He decides though when Camryn is a way that he is going to join the military so they only have a short time together before he leaves.  They decide to stay committed as they have spent time apart and have made it work.  As time goes by the letters get fewer and fewer but Camryn decides to hold on to their love. 

Next enter the college years…  Camyrn is finally out on her own and on the first day of moving into her apartment she meets her next door neighbor, the outgoing and handsome Glenn.  Camyrn is shy and keeps to herself but Glenn is persistently asking her to come over for dinner and spend time together.  Camyrn is still very committed to Reece but has not heard from him in months so she decides he has moved on and sends a letter to him stating she has moved on.  She decides then decides to give Glenn a chance.  I have a little issue with Glenn. He doesn’t treat her the best, I almost felt like she is settling.  She doesn’t get out much, she goes to school, goes to work and that’s all her life.  Glenn is her neighbor so I feel like this was a relationship that was out of convenience and not love.  Before you know it, they are done with college and Glenn proposes to Camyrn and they marry.

The married years…  This was the most difficult of the book to read and I feel the best written.  Camyrn is so miserable in her life and starts to regret marrying Glenn. With his job they move around a lot and she never settles in anywhere.  When she finally becomes happy, his job transfers him again.  Just when she thinks she is going to file for divorce she changes her mind and ends up getting pregnant. Being a mother is the bright spot in her life.  She is still in contact with her friend Megan and then out of the blue she receives an email from Reece.  It’s been years since they had any contact and correspond by email a couple of times.  Years continue to go by with the ins and out of life.  Then one day everything changes.  Glenn finds out something that changes their lives forever…  You will have to read the book to find out!  I don’t want to give any spoilers to the ending!

They say never judge a book by the cover and I would say that holds true to this story I didn’t think the cover fit the book!  But I thought this is a wonderful touching story about a women’s journey in life and the battle of finding her happiness. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!  Especially those who were an 80’s child…  I loved reading Camyrn’s journey.  I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

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Bio:

C.R. Everett was born in Northern Illinois and has lived in various places over the years, currently residing in Utah. For twenty years she worked in finance, but today devotes her time to writing. She lives with her husband, two kids, Shiba Inu, and cat. When not writing, she updates her website, connects with her readers, does the mom thing, or cleans up after unruly pets. In her free time she enjoys reading, usually at the gym while on a treadmill, baking, taking walks, enjoying nature, and going to Starbucks. Mocha is her favorite.