Pack Up the Moon

Wow. 10/10 would recommend this if you want a true gut-wrenching cry. You know, that cry where you're sobbing and snot is coming out of your nose. This was - is - such a beautifully written book that explores the journey of grief. Josh is a new widower. His wife Lauren suffered from a terminal illness called IBF and at 27 years old, passes away.  Lauren left Josh letters: one for each month throughout the first year following her death. I love that the letters start with small, mundane tasks that those grieving typically find themselves neglecting to do, and gradually build into bigger, life-changing decisions.  
I loved that throughout the book, there's alternating POVs and timelines - Lauren's, leading up to her diagnosis & as she navigates the diagnosis/end of life, and Josh's, post-Lauren's death.  I also enjoyed that Lauren wrote letters regularly to her deceased father.  I lost my dad 8 years ago, and I journal letters to my dad here and there.  I've recently been struggling with grief surrounding the loss of my ex-boyfriend, the man who I deemed “The Love of My Life”; it's been 7 months since he's passed and I've been riding that roller coaster of the stages of grief since.  Grief is something I'm all too familiar with and related to in this book.
I felt a deep connection to this story and the characters: their thoughts, behaviors and actions.  I adored the character development and the chemistry between both Lauren & Josh. I loved the pleasant, happier, hopeful ending - the kind that really does satisfy the heart. 
This is only my third completed book of the year (I've been in a jumbo reading slump) but it's now also my first 5-star read of 2023 💙💚