Life’s Too Short

Abby Jimenez

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

Everyone once in a while, opposites do attract and when they do, they create the best fireworks!

Such is the story of Vanessa and Adrian in life’s too short. Vanessa Price is a YouTuber influencer who shares her experiences of traveling around the globe and donates her earnings to research of ALS. The book mainly focuses on ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is hard to diagnose and there is no cure found for it yet. Her next door neighbor, Adrian Copeland is the renowned criminal layer. When Vanessa is left to care for her half-sister’s baby girl, Adrian and Vanessa bond over their opposite personalities that creates a dynamic duo.

The thing with terminal illnesses is; there are always two types of people. One, who want to live their life to the fullest and keep the worry about whether the cure is just around the corner because their hope has been crushed for the millionth time now. Then there’s the other kind, which is completely optimistic that there is a trial somewhere right now that could save them. Vanessa classified as the first type as she’s been through this when her elder sister got diagnosed with ALS. She’s got a very friendly personality and is always ready to have some fun and live her life to the fullest. On the other hand, Adrian is a serious, no jokes kind of guy who solely focuses on his job. But when both of them start their friendship which eventually might lead to a romantic interest, their chemistry  is deadly and makes you swoon as you’re listening to them.

There are so many beautiful moments in this book that I can’t pick one and say, this, this is the one I love the most. But what I adored the most was the feeling Vanessa or Adrian experienced when someone who is your opposite drives you to try/ do things you would have never done and that broadens your horizon. As humans, we’re all scared of something and that’s normal but with a little guidance and a hand to hold on to, trying new things does make your life a little bit more adventurous! I loved all the characters and this was my first book from the author. I can’t wait to read the other two stories in this series. Like a cherry on the top, the story is based on Minneapolis which made me relate to some specific scenes! Also, to reflect Vanessa and Adam’s story is this mouthwatering recipe by Hello Fresh Spicy coconut curry stir fry with noodles!

Lastly, as the author mentions in the author’s note, this is to Claire, who fought hard and will never be forgotten!