My grandparents were married for sixty years. They were two of the wisest, gentlest, most amazing people I have ever been honored to know. And one of the things my grandma always told me was Love never fails, honey. It never does.
And you know what? She was right. True love never fails. It really does go on and on and on. The person might be gone, but the love remains.
Love is stronger than anything else. It can get you through things that nothing else can. So rely on it, lean on it. Embrace it. Count on it.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy or boast, it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way, it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”
--1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
Lastly, if you enjoyed this book, please stay tuned for book two in The Broken Ones series, If You Leave. It will follow Madison Hill. As the older sister, she saw more of her parents’ abusive relationship and it gave her trust issues that she carries even still.
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“Is everyone in the world broken?” And even to my own ears, my whisper itself sounds broken in the velvety night. Gabriel stares at me thoughtfully.
“I think so,” he finally answers. “In their own way.”
- Madison and Gabriel, If You Leave
COMING SOON
Acknowledgements
I always have so many people to thank, and not nearly enough space to do it. But I’ll try.
I’m not going to name the person who inspired Pax, because he wouldn’t want me to. But I am going to thank him. I want to thank him for being strong and for doing what is best for him and for recognizing it himself. I will love him forever.
M. Leighton, thank you for always being there for me, no matter the time or place. You are truly the best friend a girl could ever have and I am so very thankful for you. I love you.
Autumn from Autumn Review. I love you, I love you. Thank you for talking me down from ledges and speaking rationally to me when I am practically having panic attacks. Thank you for being such a good ear and such a good friend. Your input and advice is always spot-on. I’m lucky to have you.
Fisher Amelie. I love you. You have had one rough year, but you have still managed to come out on the other side as the same gentle spirit that you always were. I admire that about you. I am thankful that you are who you are and that you are in my life.
Sarah Hansen from Okay Creations. Thank you for the gorgeous cover. I love it. Love, love, love it! You’re amazing.
Luisa Hansen. Thank you for being an awesome editor and for polishing this thing until it shined. You’re amazing and I’m lucky to have found you. I love you, I love you. Get that marriage license ready.
Kelly Simmon from InkSlinger PR. You are awesomely amazing. I am blessed to have found you and blessed that you wanted to take me on. Best. Publicist. Ever.
Mollie Harper and Meg Ridgeway. Thank you both for such insight into this book, for all of the helpful input. You’re both fabulous.
My grandparents are no longer here, but I’d still like to thank them. They are responsible, in large part, for the person that I am today. They led by example-and what an example it was.
My kids. Thank you for being you. For making me laugh and cry and showing me what the purest love actually is. I will love you forever and ever and ever.
My husband. I don’t even know what to say. You are truly my better half. You support me, let me cry on you, make me laugh. I would be lost without you. If only you would learn to cook, you would be perfect. Haha. Seriously, I love you more than I can say and am more thankful for you than words can express. Love never fails. We’ve proven that a hundred times already and I can’t wait to prove it a hundred more with you.
And…. My readers!!! Thank you so, so much for reading my work. Thank you for your emails, your Facebook posts, your tweets. I am so grateful for you. It is because of you that I do what I do.
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About the Author
Courtney Cole is a novelist who lives near Lake Michigan. Her favorite place in the world is on the shore with her toes in the water. Courtney is the author of several Young Adult series, as well as several Adult books. To learn more about her, visit her website: www.courtneycolewrites.com
Or, you can view her Amazon Author’s Page to see a complete collection of her work.
If you enjoyed If You Stay, you might enjoy other work from Courtney Cole. If you’d like to view samples of her other work, please continue reading.
Other Excerpts
Of Blood and Bone (Book One of the Minaldi Legacy)
Genre: Dark Romance, Adult
By Courtney Cole
Prologue
Luca is gone.