I shed so many tears reading this book.
This book was heartbreaking and tears would pour from my eyes.
This book is one that you must read
This author has an amazing talent that you will adore.
Great novel

Be prepared for an emotional roller coaster of a book!
Carol has been divorced from her husband John for many years when he unexpectedly turns up on her dead daughters anniversary. What follows is an intense journey both emotionally and physically as they come together to finally say a very overdue goodbye to their daughter Katie! This journey is compounded by the fact that John has an inoperable brain tumour and is nearing end of life, this book intimately explores the relationships we have in life and how these experiences affect/shape us for the rest of our lives,it’s all about forgiveness, letting go and ultimately finding peace by taking yourself out of your comfort zones in order to achieve this.
A sobering thought provoking heartfelt read delivered in a sensitive and tender manner.
Thank you net galley for this early read

Beautiful beautiful book. So well written. Given the content of the book it could have been depressing and hard to read but it was anything but.

I loved the characters in this book and could identify with so many of them. I wanted to hate John for how he was but the writer really thought about human relationships and how different people react to situations

It was clear wjat had happened t’ Katie from the start of the book so it wasn’t a shock ending. I likedcthatcthe focus was on people and their interpersonal relationships. carol’s wonderful second in laws made me want to go and eat ribs and hang out with them. You felt you could really fit right into the story in so many ways - I am so glad I read it, even though I on’y Chose the book from the wellies on the cover because I used to wear wellies with everything!

Great book that kept me gripped till the end!
Will be going and buying a physical copy for my shelf.

Thank you for letting me read a preview copy

Phew this was a tough one because of the amount of feels it gives you... I loved it. I loved the characters, and I loved the message and the power of love. It’s one of those books that you will remember because of the thoughts and emotions that it evokes in you. It’s so worth curling up and reading this book.

A story about Carol or Caroline as her ex-husband, John calls her and who suddenly turns up in her life after 20 years. And with John's arrival, stirs up bad memories of the loss of their daughter, Katie, and some bad news. John is dying.

This is the last thing Carol needs right now as she is still grieving over her husband' Tobias' death just eight months prior. She is focused on her work that helps distract her from the overwhelming sorrow and she really feels she can't deal with John's trip down memory lane. But when John tries to take their daughter's ashes from Carol's home, she is faced with the realization that John isn't going anywhere out of her life any time soon. She reluctantly agrees to go with John on a road trip to scatter Katie's ashes the way they had originally planned before she walked out on John and his alcoholic lifestyle that caused Katie's death. On top of that, she also has to take care of John as his health rapidly deteriorates.

At the heart of A Life Without Water is a story about forgiveness. Not just about Carol forgiving John and the amount of suffering he put her through when they were married and for Katie's death, but also to forgive herself for excuses for John that enable his lifestyle. This story made me choke up when Carol recalls when she discovered her daughter in the pool and the overwhelming grief that came with it. This book forces your emotions on a ride like the waves of an ocean and takes in introspective approach at realizing that one should not forget to forgive themselves.

Get your tissues ready because this story will having you crying as you experience every word of this novel. A story about past, future, pain and forgiveness.
When Carols' past come knocking at the door in he guise of her ex-husband, and a request to take their daughter on a journey that was promised. She has to decide if this is something she can complete, but John is ill and this may be the last chance for him to complete certain promises.

A book that will give you all the feels, this author knows how to drag the emotions from her readers and this is no exception. Highly recommend

WOW,WOW,WOW! A Life Without Water should be the next book you purchase! The story is very emotional, its heartbreaking, and heartwarming, a tearjerker for sure. I like a book that stays with me long after I've read the last word, and this book is it. I am so glad I read it and will be recommending it to my friends. The book is so well written and the characters have such depth, you will not be able to put this book down, even though you have to wipe your eyes many times, you like me will want to read everything Marci Bolden has written.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
I have read quite a few other books from this author so was excited to have the opportunity to review this one. I wasn’t disappointed! Her books are always beautifully written with a strong storyline which take me on an emotional rollercoaster.
This book was no exception - a real heart jerker with some wonderful characters bruised by their pasts and the loss of a child, reunited for a journey. I enjoyed the story was narrated in the present and the past throughout, clearly differentiated by the typesetting.
A very moving read.
4.5 stars

A heartfelt, emotional roller coaster, A Life Without Water is wonderfully written and well delivered. I enjoyed everything about this book and will be recommending.

This is a story about love, marriage, loss, and the meaning of forgiveness, and I really enjoyed it! I feel like it's taken me on a roller coaster of emotions, but those are the best kind of books. The ones that make you truly FEEL. This emotional ride hits shelves on August 13th, and you won't want to miss you. Thank you to NetGalley and Pink Sand Press for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I shed so many tears with this one. You better have your emotions in the right place before reading this amazing story.
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I have to say upfront I was afraid to read this book. I knew it was going to be a heartbreaker and I was not wrong. Tears would literally pour from my eyes. I had to stop reading it several times. But I also had to continue!

This story is every persons nightmare. I was shocked at John. My heart broke for Carol/Caroline. I could not even fathom doing what they had to do. But what an impression on my heart and soul.

The author did an amazing job delving into the human condition and psyche of our reactions to marriage, love, having children, and everything surrounding relationships. I could see so much of my life in this book. Just writing this now is bringing tears to my eyes. But it really made me look at my own relationships too!

While this is a heartbreaking story, it is one that had to be written and one that will be devoured by you. A Life Without Water is deeply insightful, highly emotional, and a must read.

But a word of caution… emotionally you have to be in a good place. There are triggers regarding children in this and sorrow that can swallow you whole.

This is the first time having read this author. Marci Bolden is an amazing talent that will capture your attention and not let go. You may feel a bit worse for the moment but in the end all is well with the world. Great novel!

Pass the tissues, please. I'm just going to say it you will need them. A Life Without Water is a beautiful heartbreaking yet heartwarming read. I love how Marci Bolden just takes you on this emotional ride that doesn't let go. It is one beautiful ride that you will not want to miss out on. This is a story of loss and finally being able to grieve and heal. Carol and John past together will just grip your heart so. You want to just hold them both as they finally come together to grieve for the daughter they lost, the mistakes they've made. With John, you want to hate him for not being the man Carol needed. Yet you just want to hold John throughout their cross country trip. You want to go to Carol and just hold her through all the loss she is facing. I love her strength throughout this journey. I left part of my heart somewhere along the way with Carol and John. This book is everything I thought it would be and more. I couldn't put it down. This is a need to one-click read.

An emotional journey into one of the most painful things a person or couple can ever have to deal with. When John barrels back into Carol's life, all she wants is for him to go away. It's been over twenty years since she left and divorced him. She's built a new life, although it is also not without pain. She puts up her walls, her ice princess facade. Carol has no intention of forgiving the man. But when she realizes why he is really there, and he makes a final request of her, she gives in, despite her misgivings. The trip they must take will test them both, their strengths, their weaknesses, their pasts, their memories, their pain. What starts as a trip to fulfill her ex-husbands dying last wish becomes a journey of healing. I totally ugly cried during the last third of the book. I found it difficult to read at times only because I saw myself in Carol, in her loss of self at the hands of another but also at finding the strength to forgive and release the pain.

5 Stars! A totally gut wrenching story!

WOW! I have never cried ... no sobbed more when reading a book! I have never read a book anything like this one. This is one of those books that I’m not going to forget ... I don’t have many of them, maybe 10 out of the 800 or so books that I have read. Ms Bolden sure know how to write a story that will rip the heart right out of your chest and make you look at things in a different way than you originally did.

At first I absolutely hated John for how he was during his marriage to Caroline, but by the end I just felt sorry for him. Caroline went through so much in her life ... how can someone come out of all that heartbreak and be sane. I’m crying now as I’m writing this review. Nothing can be worse than the death of your child and this book shows how people react differently to horrific events. I highly recommend this book ... but make sure you have lots of tissue on hand.

I received an early copy courtesy of Pink Sand Press through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

This is a very well written book about forgiveness. I didn’t enjoy the book because it was just too sad.
When I childs death is a main part of a book it just isn’t for me.

"When I was younger..........My English teacher said "Don't Judge a book by its cover!" Hmmmmmmm...........
What did I do with this book "A Life Without Water by Marci Bolden".............I did exactly that!!!!
Its a gene I would not usually of chosen as I like a bit of mystery and thrillers etc.......... I was so surprised that I enjoyed this book.
It made me think about loved family member......our beloved grandad we have lost and we still have their ashes.
So a plan of action to be put together with my sisters to let my grandad's ashes be scattered in all the places we all loved to go when we were younger."

A Life Without Water was a lovely find and very moving read. Carol Denman is divorced to her husband John Bowman over twenty years ago and never got in touch with him. Whilst Carol was in her office her past catches up with her. Her ex-Husband John wants to speak to her.

What does he want after all these years?

It's a day before what would of been their daughter's thirtieth birthday. Twenty-four years after she died.

John Bowman is very sick. He wants to make amend on his past between them and fulfil his promises he made to his daughter before she died. John need's his ex-Wife to agree and go with him before he gets worse. They will need to face this painful past and grieve together especially as they have not grieved for her after all these years.

Carol and John embark on a decades-overdue road trip. Together they plunge back into a life without water…...........

However, This book needs to come with a Big Warning especially, If you have recently experienced the loss of a loved one.
You will need Tissues lots of them - I did xx

I am Glad I Judged the book by its cover and read this book...........

Big Thank you to the NetGalley and the publisher for this Advanced Reader's Copy. I will be reading more of Marci's books now that I know who she is. I wouldn't have heard of her without NetGalley and doing something my English teacher told me Never to do! lol x

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

A Life Without Water is one of those books that once I started reading, I had to know how everything was going to unfold. Marci Bolden has a way of creating a world that you get sucked into almost immediately.

Carol Denman has not seen her ex-husband, John, for over 20 years and when he shows back up in her life it's the last thing she expected and the last thing she wants to deal with. There is unfinished business between them that should have been dealt with years earlier, but neither one of them was in the right frame of mind at the time. With all the years that have passed, both Carol and John have changed, yet there are some things that remained very much the same. Now that both Carol and John are faced with the reality of what the future holds, they go on the journey that they should have taken years before. The journey that these Marci Bolden takes us on runs the gamut of emotions. You'll cry, you'll laugh, you'll be angry and you'll feel. Oh how you'll feel. This story is the story of love and forgiveness.

This is a book that will stay with you for some time once you finish. It was emotional, it was real and it's one I would recommend that you pick up.

I read the overview of this book and knew right away it sounded like a good one! I was really excited to get a chance to read and review an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) from the Author and NetGalley!

“A Life Without Water” by Marci Bolden might take your heart and your brain to a few places that you’ve never wanted to go-and force you to think about somethings that none of us ever want to face. In my lifetime, I will never look at little red rain boots the same way again! It is well written, shows raw emotions, and you may shed a couple of tears along the way. I will look for more from this Author, Marci Bolden! -Janell @ Green Gables Book Reviews

What would you do if your ex-husband showed up out of the blue…its just a regular day at work and all of a sudden, John is standing in front of Carol. What should she do ? Throw him out? Hug him? It’s been over 20 years. How dare he? How dare he show up now? The day before their daughters 30th Birthday? What is John thinking?

Very soon, Carol discovers John is not himself, he is quite ill and he has come to make amends for his actions during their marriage that caused Carol to leave all these years ago. He begs Carol to go on a long over due road trip with him to try to help both of them heal their wounds. Carol wrestles with her mind-can she take this trip with John. Can she stands being around him that long? Will this trip and time heal their very, very deep wounds? How will they each handle the emotional toll it will take on them?

A book that will show you how fragile life can be and how sometimes moving out of our comfort zone can show us where we belong.

LOVED THIS BOOK!

Such a heavy hearted and grief filled story! Though well written, I couldn't get past the sadness in each chapter. Carol's ex-husband appears at her door with the idea that a road trip honoring their deceased daughter would affirm their love for her, and restore peace to their troubled past. The story itself is emotionally draining and quite predictable.

Thank you, Netgalley, for letting me read A Life Without Water, and best wishes to Marci Bolden.