Review: Things We Know by Heart – Jessi Kirby

Things We Know by Heart by Jessi Kirby
Published by HarperCollins
Published: April 21st 2015
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In this unforgettable teen romance that fans of Sarah Dessen and Susane Colasanti will devour, Quinn Sullivan falls for the recipient of her boyfriend's donated heart, forming an unexpected connection that will leave readers utterly breathless.

After Quinn's boyfriend, Trent, dies in an accident their junior year, she reaches out to the recipients of his donated organs in hopes of picking up the fragments of her now-unrecognizable life. But whoever received Trent's heart has mysteriously remained silent. The essence of a person, Quinn has always believed, is in the heart. If she finds Trent's, then in a way she still has a piece of him.

Risking everything to find peace once and for all, Quinn goes outside the system to track down nineteen-year-old Colton Thomas—a guy whose life has been forever changed by this priceless gift. But what starts as an accidental run-in quickly develops into more, sparking an undeniable attraction. She doesn't want to give in to it—especially since he has no idea how they're connected—but their time together has made Quinn feel alive again. No matter how hard she's falling for Colton, each beat of his heart reminds her of all she's lost . . . and all that remains at stake.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I have been a fan of Jessi Kirby’s books for a long time. I’ve read all of her published books and loved them so it was a given I would read Things We Know by Heart. What wasn’t a given was how freaking much I LOVED it. I mean I knew it would be good, it is Jessi Kirby after all, but I didn’t know it would be as amazing as it was. I was sucked in from the start and never wanted to be pulled out by the end.

Things We Know by Heart is a heartbreaking story of Quinn, the girl that lost the love of her life Trent, to a terrible accident. Quinn is completely lost without Trent, but Trent was an organ donor so she takes to contacting the people that have a part of the boy she loved. She is able to connect with everyone expect for the one boy that got Trent’s heart, Colton Thomas. Determined to reach out to him she goes against the rules and finds Colton on her own. But Quinn doesn’t find just the heart and spirit of Trent, she finds something else that could be even scarier than losing Trent, she finds the beginnings of love. But is it worth it?

The feelings Things We Know by Heart gave me are pretty hard to put into words. I was an emotional wreck reading Quinn and Colton’s stories. That is the easiest way to put it. I mean it doesn’t do my real feelings any justice, but the book wrecked me. I couldn’t fathom being in either Quinn’s or Colton’s position and dealing with everything they were dealing with while also falling for each other. It was just heartbreaking but so beautifully done at that same time. It was a story that just felt real and felt true. You felt how desperately Quinn was holding on to Trent while falling for someone else. And how Colton wanted to forget how close he was to dying while he was once again living.

Basically Things We Know by Heart will tug at your heartstrings. You will tear up and invest yourself in this sad story about grief and moving on and how much of your soul is connected to your heart. You will hurt for Quinn and even want to shake her at times. You will fall in love with Colton but want to tell him to stop being so stupid. You will be a part of their story. And as a reader, there is nothing better than that for me. A must read. Thank you Jessi Kirby for putting this beautiful book out into the world!

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