Life Happens on the Stairs

Wow! I just finished reading this book and I wanted to write here immediately about it. This book is one of the best YA I have read in recent times. It is simple yet beautiful with a deep meaning.
Life Happens on the Stairs is a journey of a 17-year-old Elsie in a bad phase of her life. Her father is dying and she is in a relationship with a guy she isn't supposed to be and life doesn't look good. But she overcomes everything to have a happy ending.
The thing I liked about the book is it's writing style. The writing was elegant without any unwanted details. The story was fast-paced and hooks the reader right from page 1. The characters are relatable though they make questionable choices, we can relate and sympathise with them.
The grief of a family when a member dies is well captured in the book. But it is the chemistry between Elsie and Tyler is the major plus of this book. Though it seems weird that they have such a deep love in a short period of time, it was heartwarming to read. Overall, it's a well-written romance for hopeless romantics.

4.5 Stars

I loved this book! It was sad, beautiful, haunting, romantic, and all the other emotions in between. It was a little hard to read some times because I just lost my mom over a year ago but maybe that made it better. I can't wait to read something else by this author.

A beautiful story, but bring tissues you will need them , I loved the strength and resilience of Elsie, how she grows. It’s a wonderfully written story, fast paced as it grabs you from the start and doesn’t let you go. A well written story for romantics.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I don't typically read romance or contemporary style stories, so this book was definitely outside my norm.

This book had a "Nicholas Sparks" vibe, and could easily be a hallmark movie.

With that said, there were often times the characters frustrated me. I'll leave the whys out of my review since they would give you many things away I think.

Despite my frustrations with Elsie and Tyler the book was good. It had a clean romance with a story line to back it up, and neither side overshadowed the other.

I think its definitely worth a read if contemporary romance is your jam.

This is a solid YA contemporary. The story is structured well and stirs up a lot of feelings. I loved it for the most part, and it was close to being 5 stars. The writing, character development, and world building were great. It was easy to sympathize with the characters. The pacing at the end didn't flow well with the rest of the story and I was a little disappointed with it.

I came across this book on netgalley by accident and I'm glad I did. I had never heard of it before. I think more people should know about it so I plan to promote it whenever possible.

Thank you to netgalley for offering a copy for review.

"Faith is taking the first steps even when you don't see the whole staircase." -Martin Luther King Jr.

Elsie and her father are setting up the pop-up tent in their rented vendor space for the 4th of July festival in Tennessee.
It was supposed to be a great day and turned into her father having to be rushed to the hospital. He had been fighting brain cancer and was having a seizure.
"We can't waste a second. We have to be with the ones we love, and when they're gone, even when it's temporary, it can be some of the worst pain ever felt."
I think everyone at some time in their life can relate to this book. The author did a wonderful job. You won't be sorry grabbing this book.

Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for the eARC

This was a fun read and ideal for young adult or older teen readers.
I read it over about a week and enjoyed spending a few more chapters with Elsie and her family, and finding out the latest happenings with Tyler.
At times it frustrated me because I thought the relationship between Elsie and Tyler was a little unbelievable, after just a few short days they couldn't live without each other. But then again, I am 29 and when I thought back to my teenage years when I as in love with a different boy every week, I could believe it! The difference between me and Elsie was that these boys didn't love me back. That might explain my quick succession of crushes!
Apart from the love story there is an emotional struggle going on in Elsie's life, as she is trying to hold things together for her family and herself while her dad is very ill, her family's farm is rapidly approaching harvest time, and her mum's clients at her cleaning jobs are getting more and more difficult to deal with. On top of all that she is finishing school and busily trying to apply to arts colleges.

I recommend this book to readers aged 14+ and young adults who want a heart warming read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
I'm speechless that this is Amy Markstahler's first book. Her work reads like an established writer who isn't afraid to tackle tough topics.
Elsie was a perfectly flawed and I loved her. She had a lot to learn as far as facing issues head on, her family was awesome. This is a beautiful story about Life and what comes with it.

Life Happens on the Stairs is an impressive, complex young adult story by Amy J Markstahler.

Elsie's life is not going well. Her father is dying, her brother is on the outs with her family, and her mother is forcing her to work. Making things more complex, she ends up falling for the grandson of her employer. But in this forbidden romance, Tyler is relentless in his pursuit of Elsie.

This is a story of love between two opposites, in experiences and status. And it's a wonderful exploration that money does not equal happiness. It's a story that includes an attack and scars. There are crazy family members, family issues, and a whole lot of complications.

The writing is fabulous, the characters lovable, and the storyline riveting. The author excels in the telling of this romance that revolves around merging two different worlds. The author masters creating a villian that is vile, adding immensely to the tension and angst.

Life Happens on the Stairs is a stellar read. Just read it when you're looking for a meaningful coming of age novel. And when you learn the meaning of the title, you will be impressed beyond belief. It's perfect!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

Elsie's world is drastically changing. While at a farmer's market with her father, he collapses, and she instantly knows that the cancer has returned. As she's desperate to find help, handsome and caring Tyler steps in to help get her father to the hospital.

At first, as many love stories go, Elsie doesn't think too much about Tyler. He's just another guy who helped out in a time of need.

But, as it's clear that Elsie's dad's health continues to deteroriate, Elsie has to start helping out her mother, which includes cleaning houses for her.

Then, one day, Tyler invited Elsie to go on a run with him and, thus, starts their romance. As Elsie works through navigating her life, Tyler is there for support even when Elsie, maybe, doesn't deserve him.

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Alright, four stars for this one.

Tyler was almost TOO perfect. I kept waiting for something bad to happen with him but it didn't quite come! He was such a good guy all along. And, although good guys exist--my husband is one of them--, Tyler just seemed like an illusion.

Normally I don't usually like romance stories but this one wasn't all too horrible. Elsie had so much trauma that it made the love story edgier. She was definitely the one who had issues to work through and it made the story far more realistic.

The situation of Elsie's dad just about broke my heart. Grief is never easy but the author included some sweet moments to help me not feel at totally heartbroken.

I also loved the ending! I can't say much so as not to spoil anything but it wasn't at all what I expected and I appreciate that. Not all love stories have to end the same way so, thank you, for the ending on this one.

Thanks Net Galley for the preview!

Elsie is an amazing narrator and such a strong teen. I loved seeing into her world. The family dealing with illness and the intense emotions accompanying it were well written and striking. The love story was slow and anticipatory-caught me, immediately! Tyler was the best kind of leading man and had such unique characteristics and background. I could spend hours learning about these characters!

I had not recalled hearing the quote about life happening on the stairs, but it is so appropriate at the moment in my life.

Finding your people and realizing that there is always hope is what struck me most from this story.

Looking forward to more novels from Ms. Markstahler.

I really enjoyed this read - it's a well-written book, with lots of lovely, believable details. I found it easy to be drawn into Elsie's world, and the characters developed well. The relationship between Elsie and her mum felt particularly realistic. The way Elsie had to balance work (and see her mum working hard) and her father's demise with the thrill of her new relationship felt like an authentic insight into being a teen, and there was plenty of drama to keep the pace up.

Life Happens on the Stairs is a journey of a 17-year-old Elsie in a bad phase of her life. Her father is dying and she is in a relationship with a guy she isn't supposed to be and life doesn't look good. But she overcomes everything to have a happy ending. This book was beautifully written and a great YA novel.

This is really a remarkable work of YA fiction. Elsie and Tyler's story was presented in such a refreshing manner that it just grips you from the start. The book dealt really well with love and hear break.

I loved this book. It was a sweet contemporary novel which has some really serious undertones and it's done beautifully. The forbidden rich-poor romance had me bursting with hope for Elsie, I felt like I moved through this book AS Elsie rather than with her which was something very special, it's very rare to get that connection with a fictional character but it was helped massively with the characters from Tylers perspective too.
A wonderful, thought provoking and engaging novel.