Last summer I enjoyed Beth Vogt’s novel Catch A Falling Star.  The characters were realistic and normal, making the story seem so natural.  That’s why I jumped at the chance to review her newest release Somebody Like You This time Vogt tackles some really tough issues like long-distance relationships, the death of a spouse, and the struggle to get back to normal life after a baby.

In reading this book, I became completely immersed in the story.  I asked my husband what he thought about the conflicts in the book and we had a good discussion about it.  
I really want to avoid giving a spoiler in this review because I think it’s important for you to come to your own conclusions about this story.  BUT I just can’t help but say that Vogt didn’t hesitate to “go there” with her ideas in this Somebody Like You.   The characters were three-dimensional with soul; each of them seemed like people I would know in real life.  Vogt did a great job of developing deep relationships that seemed so true to life.  I couldn’t help but root for each of them.  Although I didn’t relate to Haley’s personality (I’m more like her BFF Claire) my mama’s heart just reached out to her when she struggled to be a good mom to her new baby.   It’s a time when a new mom needs her girlfriends and Haley was just so resistant to those who wanted to help her.  Stubborn, yes, but her pride resulted in a strong sense of self.

Check out my video review:

(In the video, I am wearing my FREE earrings and my Before+Again shirt.)

Now, I’m not giving away anything that’s not on the back of the book cover here, but you should know that the big story in this book is the idea of a twin brother (Stephen) comforting his brother Sam’s widow.  This made me really think about the social implications of such a situation.  Haley’s friends seemed to be almost resentful of Stephen’s presence, not making much effort to hide their skepticism about his arrival.  This infuriated me.  After all, Haley needed help and her brother-in-law was a huge support for her!  I know that I can count on my brother-in-law in times of need, and I was glad that Stephen’s presence helped Haley get through the tough times.  When their feelings for each other start to blossom into something beyond friendship, I did wonder if that was “okay.”  I asked my husband about it because it does have a bit of a creepy factor to it.  That’s when we remembered that my husband’s family has a similar situation in their past.  His great-grandmother passed away, leaving behind a couple of kids and a sad husband.  Her sister helped to take care of the children and comfort the widow and eventually his great-grandfather married his sister-in-law!  So that means my husband’s grandfather was raised by his own aunt/stepmother.  I think that’s kind of cool; who else would love the kids as much as their mom’s sister?   Knowing that this situation was real in the life of someone I love helped me to relate to the story even more.

The story also holds a deep sense of Christian faith, although it’s not so much that each page drips with evangelism.  It’s clear that Haley and her family trust God’s will and His plan for their future.  I appreciated the strong family ties that echoed throughout this book.  If you want a story that goes beyond the basic romance model, definitely pick up Somebody Like You.  You won’t want to put it down!