Review: Bright Side

Bright Side by Kim Holden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Background story: I've never heard of this book or this author. I went to an author event in Chicago, November 2015 and the fans of this author/book was astronomical! I mean, they had t-shirts, backpacks, and TATTOOS!!! of this book. I was instantly intrigued, but the fans wouldn't tell me what it was about. Just that I had to read it.

When we got to the author's booth, we told her about this and Kim Holden was so touched. She wanted to give US a hug! That was amazing to me, seeing a big time author being touched by hearing about her book from two people who have never heard of her before this event. I got home from that weekend, went onto Amazon, and bought the kindle book without blinking an eye, because I needed to know why this book was so amazing.

I am so glad I did.

Book thoughts: Knowing that this book changed readers lives, touched them in a way that nothing else could, I had high expectations going into this novel. So the beginning was a bit slow for me, but I trucked along and slowly found myself in awe with Kate.

Kate is a fantastic, brilliant, loving, kind-hearted, fantastic character - no scratch that - person!

You read about people who are put on this earth to motivate and encourage others to be the best person they can be. These people say nothing can stop anyone from doing what they want or need to do. In fact, I know a person like this in my life - for real - and I'm so blessed to have her in my life every day. And Kate is also this person.

She is always helping people around her. Kate gets annoyed with her roommate? Sure, she's human. Her roommate is in a situation that she can't comprehend or know how to fix? Kate is there to help her through this crisis, no questions asked, no criticisms thrown at her roommate, her annoyance is now officially gone.

I mean, she is the best thing out there. She is pushing, no SHOVING people to do what they need to do. She is there to help everyone in their time of need and to be the person that will listen to others's problems and help them find a solution that betters the other person.

A lot of reviews gush about Keller and Gus. Yes, they are hot men who go alpha over Kate and love her with both of their hearts. But Kate is the best thing about this book by far. Kate makes me want to be a better person. Kate is the star of this book and I would love this book if Keller and Gus never existed.

Because Kate has been through shit and back and she has the best attitude about life I've ever seen. I want to be Kate. I want to be the person that inspires others to achieve their goals and become a better person by just meeting Kate for a few minutes.

This book had me sobbing by the end of the novel. The fans at the author event were completely, 100% correct when they said this is the must gut-wrenching, life changing book they have read. I completely called the twist in the book and mentally prepared myself for how it would end. That did nothing because this book ripped me to pieces and slowly put me back together.

I am so glad that I read this novel. That I own this novel. And I'm so, so grateful that I waited forever in line to meet Kim Holden - even before I read her novel of amazingness - because I now know what this woman is capable of and can say that I saw her humbleness and got to hug her and see her so grateful for complete strangers. It doesn't surprise me that Kate is like Kim - I would guess that she based Kate off of herself and that makes me warm inside just thinking about another real life Kate out in the world.

I'm not going to talk about any of the other characters (though Stella ripped me apart from the moment I met her to the last scene she was in the novel). This review is completely, 100% about Kate, because without Kate, none of these other characters would have been half the person they ended up being without Kate.

So if you want a gushy review about the men, go find another review. Because I'm totally crushing on Kate and Kate alone :)

Such a great book. I definitely recommend it to everyone I know, plus the bazillions of people I don't know.

Pick this up. You are brave. Do epic.

View all my reviews